heath's blog

Eugene Jarvis and News Radio

2011-06-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

Here's a bit of trivia you may not know. Eugene Jarvis, inventor of some of the most landmark classic arcade games in history (e.g. Defender, Stargate, and my personal favorite, Robotron: 2084), appeared on a sitcom in the late 90's.

The sitcom was News Radio, and in Season 3, Episode 4, the show revolved around the replacement of a sandwich machine with "Stargate Defender", an obvious homage to Stargate. Eugene's cameo is a non-speaking role, but you can see him as one of the vending machine company's movers, as he pushes out the sandwich machine to reveal a modified Stargate cabinet.

You can find most of this information on Eugene's wikipage, but what you might not know is that you can stream this episode to see it for yourself instantly if you are a Netflix subscriber. Enjoy!

How to play Ninja Five-0 like a BOSS

2011-05-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

Ninja Five-0, is a great game. It has the old school side scroller flavor I love, with a cool theme that makes it feel right at home along side my other favorites like Rush N' Attack and Rastan.

The only problem is that it's a Gameboy Advance game, which means that it is normally relegated to a small, dimmly lit screen. Besides that, it becomes uncomforatabale to play quickly for anyone with grown up hands. That got me thinking, I'm pretty sure in my gaming inventory I have a better way to play this. The soluion was to play this game, like a BOSS. That meant in the best possible resolution, in a comfortable and ergonomic setting, and in the most expensive way possible. The solution was to use these:

If you don't recognize the pictures, thats a HORI Gamecube Digital Controller (SNES Style), an original Gamecube, the Gameboy Advance Adapter, and the rare (and expensive) Gamecube Component video out cable.

Hook all that up, and the difference is amazing:

It plays just like a Super Nintendo Title, but also looks crisp and clear. All in all it's a fantastic game, made even better with the application of extreme hardware overkill. Like a BOSS.

Eliminate the 'beep' in Mame on Windows 7

2011-03-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

I recently solved this issue and thought I would share the solution for others with this problem. After upgrading to Windows 7, I began to experience an annoying 'beep' sound when playing games in Mame. Usually the sound was associated with a lot of action, e.g. when a lot was going on in the game, or when I was moving and shooting at the same time.

The beep was not the physical PC Speaker beep, but instead a beep that was overlayed on top of the other game sounds. At first I thought it might be StickyKeys, a Windows Accessibility feature that had been a problem I had dealt with in the past, but it was already disabled. After trying a few different MAME settings and versions, I was stumped, until I realized that Windows was actually replacing the PC Speaker beep sound. The PC Speaker beep is what you would traditionally hear when the keyboard buffer is overloaded. Because the Windows 7 version of this sounded so different, I didn't make the connection.

From there, it was easy to fix. Here's how to do it:

- Open Device Manager
- In the View Menu, check Show hidden devices
- Expand Non-Plug and Play Drivers
- Find Beep, right-click and select Properties.
- Mark it as Disabled
- Restart Windows

Now that the annoying beep is gone, and we can get back to classic gaming!

How to make custom dice

2011-02-21T09:09:00.000-08:00

Recently, I have discovered the Print and Play games community on Board Game Geek, and have decided to give some of the games a try. However, the custom dice necessary for some games seemed like a challenge. After some experimentation, I think I have a very easy and simple way to create custom dice, that does not require thrifting older games, or custom ordering special parts, and also produces excellent results.

What you will need : (Supplies can all be found at Michael's craft store in the United States)

The New Image Group Square Block 3/4 Inch (19.1mm)

DecoArt Triple Thinck Brilliant Gloss Glaze

Scotch "Craft Stick" glue stick

1. Print the dice faces to the appropriate size. This will probably require some image resizing, as most custom dice faces are sized for indented cubes instead of craft blocks. At 300 pdi, the faces should be 0.7 x 0.7 inches, or 210 x 210 pixels. Here is a sample from Agricola Express:

2. Cut the faces out carefully. A Fiskar's Paper Trimmer will help here, but scissors will also do the job.

3. Apply the glue stick to the sides of the cubes, and and place the faces carefully. Press the sides on a flat surface and remove any glue that seeps out the edges. Repeat for all faces.

4. Find a spare block of wood, at least an inch thick, and drill some evenly spaced holes. Each hole should be drilled with a 3/8 drill bit for the correct size hole.

5. Place the cubes in the holes so that they balance on one corner. This will provide exposure to the faces, without allowing them to dry face down and potentially ruining a face when it is removed from the board. The holes are also mini reservoirs in case the glaze drips.

6. Spray the dice on all sides with a misting coat. Only one or two passes is necessary, do not spray too close, and do not over spray. If you apply too much, the glaze will pool and create an uneven surface.

7. Wait 30 minutes, rotate the cubes, and spray again. Do not touch the surfaces! When you rotate the cubes, make sure you only grab them by the edges.

8. Wait 2 hours for them to dry.

I have found this to be an excellent way to create custom dice, with a moderate amount of effort and very little money.

I have used this method to create dice for:

Agricola Express
Dungeon in a Tin
D-Day Dice

I hope you enjoy this method, and good luck making your new dice!

Axis & Allies - The Beverages

2011-01-08T12:28:00.000-08:00

If you happen to be hosting a game of Axis & Allies, and aren't sure what beverages to serve, here is a suggestion which might add some fun to the night. Assuming all the players are beer drinkers, you might want to enforce a rule that factions must drink beers only from their home country. For example:

USA

Sam Adams

Germany

Warsteiner

Japan

Sapporo

United Kingdom

Bass

Soviet Union

Baltika

I'm sure I'm not the first player to think of this, but I would definitely like to try it out.

The Original Tablet PC, circa 1978

2011-01-08T08:21:00.000-08:00

As the owner of the original tablet PC (A Texas Instruments Speak & Spell) and the current most popular model, an Apple iPad, I thought it was interesting that they were so similar in size, even though they were manufactured over 30 years apart. But that also got me thinking, what would a closer examination of how they compare look like? So I made the following table:

	TI Speak & Spell	Apple iPad
Standby Battery Life	Infinite ✓	1 Month
In Use Battery Life	Months ✓	9 Hours
WiFi Range	Intergalactic (with E.T.'s Mod) ✓	150-300 Feet
Easy Grip Handle	Yes ✓	No
Price	$0.50 (Used) ✓	$499-$829
Number of Apps	11	30,000+ ✓
Keyboard	Tactile Membrane ✓	Touch Screen
Memory	128 Kbit ROM x 2	256 MB ✓
Display	Vacuum Fluorescent	LED Backlit MultiTouch ✓
Resolution	8 Characters	1024x768 ✓
Speaker Mounting	Front ✓	Edge
CPU	TMC0280	1GHz A4 ✓
Battery	4 "C" batteries ✓	Lithium Polymer

Overall, a close match up, with the Speak & Spell winning it with 9 advantages versus 5 for the Apple iPad. For text messaging your home world, the TI Speak & Spell is definately the tablet to beat.

Police 911 - the home version for Playstation 2

2010-08-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

Police 911 (a.k.a. The Keisatsukan: Shinjuku Cop 24 Hours in Japan, or Police 24/7 in Europe.) is an arcade shooting game that senses your standing position as well as your aim. This allows you to crouch, duck, and dodge bullets as you gun down criminals.

I remember this game being fun in the arcades, originating largely from the elaborate custom hardware based games of the time, like Silent Scope and Namco's Quick & Crash. I really didn't give it a lot of thought until I got the chance to watch an actual police officer play. It was strange seeing someone who was professionally trained play this game. Most casual players dodge, but don't dodge like their life depends on it. When Matt played, you could tell he had no interest at all in getting shot, which is logical considering that he could be facing the real thing someday.

It got me thinking. This game is different than any other gun game I've played, and really brings a sense of reality to the whole experience. That, in additon to being a light gun fan (I own 13 different light guns for 9 different systems), I decided to find out what the home version of this game was really like. Finding information about it on the internet was tough, so this post is for anyone curious about the PS2 version, what you need to make it work, and how it plays once you have everything setup. To play this game at home in the United States you need:

A Sony Playstation 2 capable of running import games, or an import console from Japan
The Konami "Capture Eye" camera
"The Keisatsukan 24 Hours" Playstation 2 Game Disc
A Konami Hyperblaster
A Non-HD Television.

No substitutions! Even if you have a direct view based HD set, like the Sony KD-34XBR960, it will not work. Don't bother trying the Eurpoean version ("Police 24/7"), unless you have an SD TV which is capable of displaying PAL video. Japanese sets use NTSC, so make sure that's the version you use. You may find infomration out there that other USB cameras work, such as the Eye Toy, or USB cameras based on the Omnivision chipset. I found this to be completely untrue. Only the Konami "Capture Eye" works, and it's rare, and yes you'll probably have to import that from Japan too. The good news is that you won't necessarily need a new lightgun. The Konami Hyperblaster for Playstation (the light green version) works just fine.

Got everything? Good, let's take it for a spin:

Overall, it plays great. This home version is extremely close to the arcade, and in optimal lighting conditions, the tracking is terrific. It's a lot of fun, and even gets you some exercise while you play, sort of like Wii Sports for Cops. If you're a light gun fan like me, I recommend you check it out.

Disregard for proper Aspect Ratio

2010-07-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

I have a pet peeve that I think a lot of other people share. If I see a video in the wrong aspect ratio, it makes it almost unbearable to watch. Don't get me wrong, I'm not someone that would refuse to watch a pan and scan movie vs. letter box, which while annoying, does not distort the original video. It mearly crops out video that you would have otherwise been able to see on a wider screen. What I can't stand is when video is actually transformed, twisted and pulled into something unnatural.

Usually, this problem is left to those who are watching standard definition video on HDTV's. Most HDTV's have internal modes that 'fill the screen', and thus distort the aspect ratio of SD content. Some people prefer this, and that is their prerogative. I'm more of a 'Set by Program' mode kind of guy. If the video was originally shot in 4:3, or if it's being broadcast that way, that's the way I'd like to watch it.

However, last night I was shocked to see that a 4:3 broadcast by Fox 2 in Detroit was actually distorted on a Standard Definition TV! It appears that they have taken a 4:3 program (Seinfeld) and stretched it to accommodate HDTV's prior to broadcast, and then retransmitted that same signal to SDTV's! In effect every single viewer of last nights Seinfeld had a silly putty stretched version. Amazing.

Check out the comparisons I was able to pull together:

*Note the TV Rating logo is cut in half

Here's a frame grab from the broadcast

and compared to the DVD.

Who would have thought that there would be a time when 4:3 content would be 'cropped' off on standard definition TV's? It's like the Pan & Scan penalty all over again, except this time you get to have stretched video at the same time!

Hey Fox 2, why not just broadcast the video as it was intended, and let the users that want to squash and stretch the video find the button themselves?

The Curse of the Sega CD Celebrities

2010-04-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

Sega CD (aka "Mega-CD" outside North America) was a CD-ROM add-on for the Sega Genesis, and was originally introduced in 1992. While the platform largely was a response to the "Multimedia" hype of the time, most games turned out to be shovel-ware with little more than full motion video intros and cut scenes to justify their existence on the new medium. There were around 220 games eventually released for the platform, but if you look closely at the list, you will notice a bizarre pattern regarding the Celebrity endorsement titles:

	Game Title: Double Switch Celebrity Endorser: Corey Haim Possible Curse Effects: Died due to drug overdose
	Game Title: Night Trap Celebrity Endorser: Dana Plato Possible Curse Effects: Controversy stalled her career, later died due to drug overdose
	Game Title: INXS: Make My Video Celebrity Endorser: Michael Hutchence Possible Curse Effects: Mysterious death, ruled a suicide
	Game Title: Kris Kross: Make My Video Celebrity Endorser: Chris "Mack Daddy" Kelly and Chris "Daddy Mack" Smith Possible Curse Effects: Proved to be a one hit wonder and broke up in 1997
	Game Title: Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch: Make My Video Celebrity Endorser: Mark Wahlberg and his band Possible Curse Effects: Proved to be a one hit wonder and broke up in 1992. Mark Wahlberg ended his music carear, but continues to be a successful actor.
	Game Title: Bill Walsh College Football Celebrity Endorser: Bill Walsh Possible Curse Effects: Died due to Leukemia
	Game Title: Joe Montana's NFL Football Celebrity Endorser: Joe Montana Possible Curse Effects: After being traded from San Francisco to Kansas City, Montana retired two years later.

The last celebrity endorsed title "Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors" is a game that was never released, and has enjoyed a cult status due to the hyper realistic bonus level "Bus Simulator". However, no negative effects have befallen Penn & Teller, and quite the contrary they now have a television show on Showtime and a long running act in Las Vegas. If the game had been released would their luck have held out? We may never know...

Rush N Attack: Ex-Patriot

2010-04-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought Konami had ruined Rush N' Attack for new users with their horrible Xbox-Live version, they turn around and totally redeem themselves. Rush N Attack: Ex-Patriot is a modern take on the classic 2D platformer, and from the looks of it will totally kick ass. Check it out over at Joystiq.

iPhone tips for Frequent Flyers

2010-03-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple of tips I have come across for iPhone users who also travel frequently:

Convert AVI's to iPhone compatible MP4's in one step
DIY Airline barfbag iphone/ipod holder

Escape from New York Remake - The Rider

2010-02-11T08:25:00.001-08:00

As Hollywood continues to turn out remake after reboot after remake, I always cringe at the possibility of spoiling the memory of what once was a great movie.

Take Escape From New York (1981). Directed by John Carpenter, and starring Kurt Russel as 'Snake' Plissken, this film blends post apocalyptic scifi, subtle humor, and general all around ass kicking making it in my top ten of all time.

Naturally, I was excited to see Carpenter reprise Snake in Escape From L.A., but the script was overwrought and the humor went from subtle to overt. It was a big disappointment, and lost much of what made the original so great.

So now we hear of a reboot on the way. While naturally, I'm sceptical that the original magic can be recaptured, the best news about this is the rider John Carpenter put into the contract before he sold the rights to New Line.
Get this:

Snake must always be called 'Snake'
Eye Patch must be present
He must be a "bad ass".

That's right, it's in the contract. Bad Ass. John could sue New Line for lack of Bad Ass-ness. Just how much bad ass-ness do you need to be legally over the limit? I don't know, but I will be anxious to find out.

Ruining Rush'n Attack

2010-02-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite classic games from the 80's has always been Rush'n Attack (Green Beret in Europe). I always thought the game was a fun platformer with a great theme - Rescuing prisoners of war from behind enemy lines... Russian enemy lines! How 80's is that?

Well when I found out this classic was coming to Xbox Live Arcade, I was excited that the update would improve things.

Unfortunately, quite the opposite has happened.

Just look at these graphics:

VS.

Sometimes older is better, and in this case the old graphics should have been left alone, or updated by someone who didn't want to turn Red Dawn into No Time for Sergeants.

Hot Rod and newer builds of Mame

2010-01-01T09:53:00.001-08:00

Thought I would give a heads up to users of Hot Rod Control Panels who may be updating to newer versions of Mame. The Control Panel file syntax has changed, so you will need a new hotrodse.cfg file, or you can edit your existing file by removing underscores near 'PAD', e.g.:

Mame .128:


<input>
<remap origcode="KEYCODE_UP" newcode="KEYCODE_8_PAD" />
<remap origcode="KEYCODE_DOWN" newcode="KEYCODE_2_PAD" />
<remap origcode="KEYCODE_LEFT" newcode="KEYCODE_4_PAD" />
<remap origcode="KEYCODE_RIGHT" newcode="KEYCODE_6_PAD" />

Mame .135:


<input>
<remap origcode="KEYCODE_UP" newcode="KEYCODE_8PAD" />
<remap origcode="KEYCODE_DOWN" newcode="KEYCODE_2PAD" />
<remap origcode="KEYCODE_LEFT" newcode="KEYCODE_4PAD" />
<remap origcode="KEYCODE_RIGHT" newcode="KEYCODE_6PAD" />

Hot Rod Control Panel Trackball Update

2010-01-01T08:38:00.001-08:00

Several years ago, I purchased an ArcadeWerx Kit from Hanaho Games. This do it yourself Mame cabinet has been terrific over the years, but it is now starting to show its age, specifically I was having problems with the PS/2 Trackball / Mouse interface.

From time to time, the mouse would freeze and only a reboot would return it to a working state. This problem, and the need to update to a more modern and flexible USB interface inspired me to try to find a replacement. Luckily, X-Arcade sells a USB Trackball Assembly, which fits the Hot Rod control panel perfectly.

When I received the Trackball Assembly, it included more buttons than I expected. The Hot Rod mouse only provides a Left and Right button, while the X-Arcade version includes:

Left - White / Black wires

Right - Brown / Black wires

Middle - Orange / Black wires

Horizontal Disable - Blue / Black wires

For my cabinet, only the Left and Right will be used. To get started, I disconnected the Hot Rod from the ArcadeWerx cabinet, and took it into the shop.

The bottom of the Hot Rod is attached with a number of screws, and can easily be disassembled:

Once you have the Hot Rod open, you can see the similarity between the X-Arcade Trackball and what is included with the Hot Rod.

Removal is simply a matter of unscrewing the bolts, and sliding out the trackball, however be carefull not to pull too hard on the existing wiring.

You will have to cut some zip ties to free the button interfaces from the Hot Rod. The actual button actuaters can be snapped out with a twist, so you should not have to replace the buttons themselves, just the switch underneath them.

Here's a view of the buttons after the switches have been removed.

Pro Tip: Disassemble the Trackball and remove the USB wire from the Track Ball case first. Feed this smaller end through the Hot Rod's outer hole, to avoid drilling the hole to a larger size. (The USB interface does not fit through the existing hole). Once you have the cable threaded through, reassemble the trackball and install it into the Hot Rod.

Finally, route the wires and secure with new zip ties. I left the extra switches in place in case one day I decide to add them to the Hot Rod. For now, they will just be stored inside the cabinet, zip tied so they won't accidently trigger.

That's it! You're done installing a USB trackball in your Hot Rod Control Panel.

Casa Bonita

2009-07-09T19:02:00.001-07:00

I went to Casa Bonita today. "More sopapillas please!!"

3D Video

2005-10-23T06:27:00.000-07:00

3D Movie Mount is complete

2005-10-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

Here's the mount I made from some plywood, a broom handle-like dowel, bolts and wing nuts. The best part is that it's not permanent - the cameras can be removed easily for other uses.

KAP in action

2005-10-14T05:51:00.000-07:00

KAP is complete!

2005-10-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

The timing mechanism is done, and works! The tell tale ping pong ball is attached (but not visible in this picture.) Note the additional craft sticks attatched to the main support. I needed another 1/8" or so to make the shutter on the CVS align with the rest of the rig. All that's left is to send it up.