Armchair Arcade - Chronicling the Complete History of Videogames and Computers

Matt Chat 36: Starcraft and the RTS Genre

Matt Barton — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:36:08 +0000

In this week's episode, I review Blizzard's 1998 masterpiece Starcraft, widely considered the best real-time strategy game ever made.

Photographer Enrico Ricciardi's Ultima-inspired Calendar using Live Models - Mystik 2010

Bill Loguidice — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:02:56 +0000

Milano Italy-based professional photographer, Enrico Ricciardi - who is also a noted computer software collector - has put together a lavish Ultima-inspired calendar that has received the blessing of series creator Richard "Lord British" Garriott himself. While neither Ricciardi or Garriott have the rights to the Ultima license, the end product, named "Mystik 2010", still has a lot of the famous series' spirit. Check it out here and be sure to check out the photographer's other works while there (as well as the behind-the-scenes making of the calendar itself). They all have a very slick and sexy European feel to my American eyes.

The Full Commercial Release for the Amazing Commodore Vic-20 RPG, Realms of Quest III, is now Available!

Bill Loguidice — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:41:54 +0000

Realms of Quest III BeastiaryAs you may or may not know, those of us at Armchair Arcade have been following the progress of Realms of Quest III - the amazing Commodore Vic-20 RPG - with great interest for some time now. Well, we're pleased to announce that the full commercial release of the deluxe package is now available. What follows is Ghislain's post about its release, which was originally here, where we were previously discussing it:

[BEGIN]
Realms of Quest III is finally available! You can order it here:

Premium Edition: http://www.binaryzone.org/retrostore/index.php?main_page=product_info&pr...

Budget Edition: http://www.binaryzone.org/retrostore/index.php?currency=GBP&main_page=pr...

(premium means you get a plastic jewel case + 36 page manual, budget is disk-only)

-----------------------------------------------

Matt Chat 35: Alone in the Dark

Matt Barton — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:14 +0000

Just in time for Halloween--Matt Chat 35, Alone in the Dark!

Her Interactive Promoting "Warnings at Waverly Academy" -- with Twitter!

Matt Barton — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:14:45 +0000

Well, this is pretty fascinating. Check out these Twitter Accounts from characters in Her Interactive's latest game, Warnings at Waverly Academy. The team has gone all out to make some pretty realistic looking websites and Tweets to help promote their new game. I just finished it a week ago, and it's really great. Although I'll have a more detailed review soon on Adventure Classic Gaming, Her did a great job this time bringing in lots of interesting characters and some terrific puzzles and activities. If you're into this series (and if not, WHY not?), you'll love it. It's a wonderful game.

Review of Skeleton Key (Insurgent Games, 2009) for the iPod Touch and iPhone (Now with pirates)

Bill Loguidice — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:50:04 +0000

After just officially releasing the latest update to Insurgent Games' Skeleton Key, Micah Lee, head of the studio and the game's programmer, was kind enough to send me a promo code so I could do a review. With iTunes being such a hot bed for app development these days and there being countless games available in every possible category and price point, it's not surprising that this is the first time I heard of the game. Since my time is extremely limited these days, I do most of my gaming on the go with my iPhone 3G, so I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to leverage my current situation and put up a review. So, with all that said, exactly what is Skeleton Key?

Constructing a Heathkit H-8 Clone Computer

Bill Loguidice — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:11:43 +0000

Les Bird has just put up a detailed Web page on the construction of his amazing Heathkit H-8 clone computer, affectionately dubbed the H8-2000, using his newly created PCBs. As a fan and collector of these types of systems - which certainly includes the H-8 - I've been following this work with much interest (and some personal investment--more on that later) on the SEBHC Google Group. Check it out here.

Buyer Beware on Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade

Matt Barton — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:17:20 +0000

I'm issuing a "buyer beware" on the various Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrades that were announced recently. I just got burned trying to upgrade my Windows Vista Home Premium (64 bit) to Windows 7 Professional.

X-Arcade Adapter for Xbox 360

Matt Barton — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:41:16 +0000

I just received an email from Xgaming about their new Xbox 360 adapter. Apparently, there's some kind of legal issues with Microsoft, so you'll actually need two adapters to make this work (including a PS2 adapter). At any rate, at least it's something for folks with X-Arcades who have been dying to connect them to their 360s! It's about $40 for both and $25 if you already have the PS2 adapter.

YouTube Gaming Channel Extravaganza

Matt Barton — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:18:50 +0000

YouTuber Ianwilson1978 just posted a "500 Subscriber Special" that shows off about a bazillion YouTube channels dedicated to gaming (most of them retrogaming). Considering how much work went into this video, it's no wonder that he was able to get so many subscribers! Just imagine how much you could learn about gaming just by watching a single video from each of the channels he shows in the video! I had no idea there were so many of these channels...This community is really growing fast!

RetroGaming RoundUp 9 - October 2009 - Putting the Willies in You

Bill Loguidice — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:18:34 +0000

Catch the latest RetroGaming RoundUp podcast, 9 - October 2009 - Putting the Willies in You.

TOPICS COVERED IN THE SHOW:

Wii Fit is the Shizznit

Matt Barton — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:38:59 +0000

I thought you guys might get a kick out of one of the projects my students are working on this semester: Wii Fit is the Shizznit. I draw your attention to this video:

Now tell me you how much you'd like to be in this class! :P They've also made a podcast.

Why not make a few comments on their channel or join their ning site? It's a great group.

Here's another of the student projects:

Freeware Chronicles
Here's their video and podcast.

One more: Anatomy of a Comic. Great stuff.

OT: Teen self-esteem builder turns into discussion on what a desperate person should do

Bill Loguidice — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:05:27 +0000

Rather off topic here, but do you know how sometimes you're talking to someone - let's say about a television show - and the conversation organically turns to discussions of life, the universe and everything, seemingly out of nowhere? Well, obviously with all the blabbing we all do on the Internet, sometimes talking just to ourselves, sometimes catching the ears of others, it can be a bit jarring to confront real issues in this generally anonymous place we colloquially call the Internet. Now, I've made my opinion on Internet anonymity clear before (i.e., I hate it, that's why I have been and always will be me, "Bill Loguidice") - and that's not what this is really about anyway - but after commenting on a blog post, Teen Self-Esteem Builder, at one of my favorite sites to visit, Awful Library Books, which points out library books in active circulation that need to be weeded (removed) from the shelves, the conversation turned very organic and very, very real. You see, as I'm often wont to do - whether it's warranted or not - I often inject my personal mantras/life lessons/lessons learned into my discussions on the Web.

What is the Golden Age of Videogames?

Bill Loguidice — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:11:30 +0000

Based off of a discussion/friendly argument I was having on another forum, I would like to bring up the topic of the "Golden Age of Videogames" and what and when that really means. First off, I'm not a big fan of identifying "ages" of things as they relate to videogames in general, though I have certainly found similar types of categorizations convenient for defining and delineating eras, time periods, and the like. In short, it may be a bit messy with lots of gotchas, but it's a convenient and well worn mechanism for organization. With that in mind, I will put forth my own thoughts on what the "Golden Age of Videogames" is and the reasons why, though, as always, your own input will help to come to a better answer.

First off, I'm dismissing the argument that the "Golden Age of Videogames" is personal opinion, influenced by what you grew up with. There can only be one commonly agreed to "Golden Age", implied by the term "Age", just like there's only one "Golden Age of Hollywood". Second, I'm dismissing the argument that the "Golden Age of Videogames" depends upon region. This is a false argument. As with war, the "winning" side gets to name it, which is why it's the "Golden Age of Hollywood", not the "Golden Age of Bollywood". Finally, I'm dismissing the argument that a "Golden Age" is strictly one of prosperity. If that were the definition, then each new height Hollywood would reach in total sales would be a new "Golden Age", just like there would be no argument now in the world of videogames--if you go strictly by financial success and pervasiveness, it's an open and shut case that right now is the true "Golden Age of Videogames". It is not.

The Dell of DIY Systems - A Business Proposition

Bill Loguidice — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:50:54 +0000

Amazon's Gold Box Deal of the Day, which is a "Build Your Own Gaming PC with the ASUS Gamer Bundle" for $279.99, got me thinking a bit about the concept of "build your own", which we've been discussing a bit lately after I had to quickly order a replacement system for my dead laptop. I love the idea of these "gamer bundles", which give you properly matched CPU, motherboard and video card for a discounted total price. Ultimately though, this goes against the DIY spirit of picking your own components, which leads me to the thought of the day. Wouldn't it be cool if - like you can do at places like Dell, HP, etc., with systems - you could configure your own DIY parts list to have a properly matched set of parts delivered to you, which you can then assemble yourself? Say, pick motherboard A, graphics card C, power supply A, case G, etc., and the built-in configurator would be able to flag any mismatched parts, e.g., power supply A is too underpowered to drive graphics card C, or case G wouldn't fit motherboard A.

Now who's going to build that type of online retail system and make lots of money? If you are, I want in, because you can't tell me something like that (assuming it doesn't already exist), wouldn't be a boon to the DIY crowd. Of course there's also always the danger of people using the configurator to verify a setup's viability and then buy the parts for cheaper elsewhere (a la Crucial and their excellent memory matching retail Website), but if prices were at Amazon or other similar discounter levels, then that would certainly be a rare occurrence...

Pixel Perfect Gaming Reviews our Vintage Games Book

Bill Loguidice — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:28:53 +0000

Pixel Perfect Gaming has posted a very nice review of our book, Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time. Right now it appears on their front page, but here's the direct link to the review article for when it gets bumped down. I won't spoil what the reviewer has to say, but I certainly can't complain on this one. Don't forget, Vintage Games is still available from retailers worldwide, has its official page here, and an Italian edition here. Enjoy!

The History of System Shock 2

Matt Barton — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:45:18 +0000

Irrational Games' System Shock 2 is a cult classic hybrid game that straddles several genres: FPS, RPG, and action adventure. It also boasts an amazing science fiction story and some seriously spooky ambiance. In this episode, I offer the history of the game, showing how it can trace its lineage back to Ultima Underworld, a game with which it shares some very intriguing parallels. Like UU, SS2 was not originally conceived as a sequel, nor did it sell very well despite becoming very popular and influential later on. See below for info about getting the game working in Vista 64.

My Epic Computer Disaster

Bill Loguidice — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:01:19 +0000

Well, the timing couldn't be worse (have to work on critical book and documentary stuff this weekend)--my main computer, my Gateway Tablet PC, died some time after 4:30PM today. Not the hard drive, but something to do with the system, so it's fully shot. After a frantic run to the stores in the evening right up until they all closed around 9PM, no suitable replacement was found (seems like the stores are pretty much cleared out until after the 22nd, when they'll all mostly no doubt be Windows 7-based; I could have gotten an iMac, but I did not want to pay the Apple premium).

Review of Outcry by Phantomery Interactive

Matt Barton — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:52:24 +0000

I recently completed my advance copy of Phantomery Interactive's Outcry:The Dawn, a 2008 game now being published by Mamba Games under their Odyssia label. Outcry is a great game in the style of Myst, with fun puzzles, a rich story, and creepy, surreal atmosphere.

OutcryThe story is complex enough that even after finishing the game you may not be quite sure what happened. At least, that's how I ended the game--though this isn't a criticism; indeed, the mysterious and unexplained aspects of the storyline make it even more intriguing to play. Basically, though, we have here a sort of H.P. Lovecraft take on Jules Verne. The protagonist travels to another dimension, which is apparently built of fragments of his own rationality. The game is psychological to the point of having players read snippets of Freud and Yung (as well as experiment with mind-altering chemicals).

Invasion (1972, Magnavox Odyssey)

Michael McCourt — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:03:23 +0000

Invasion (1972, Magnavox Odyssey): Invasion! I would think attacking this castle from the left would be a good call...

The world is a small map with 12 territories, each containing a castle. Surrounding the land portion of the map is an ocean perimeter. The land part of the world gets divided up among the players and everyone gets an equal number of castles. The object of the game is to take over everyone else's castles using your armies. You can attack any castle if it is immediately adjacent to one of your castles. After capturing a castle you get to draw a loot card which gives you gold. Use the gold to buy more armies or to buy a ship which you can use to transport armies to attack castles that aren't immediately adjacent to your already conqured land.

To Attack a castle there are two phases. The External Battle and the Internal Battle. The external battle by land can be either a Direct Attack or a Sneak Attack.

The Direct Attack is the only time you directly face-off against an opponent using the Odyssey. The duel is simply this: The Attacker sends the BallSpot across the screen at the highest speed possible, and attempts to wiggle it, using ENGLISH, past the Defender who can only use their Vertical Control to block it. It IS a bit more challenging then, say, Tennis or Football, because of the high speed of the BallSpot. Really, the game is mostly on the game board and in this case, the video component is used when dice or even Rock, Paper, Scissors would have sufficed.