Retro Megabit

Pick-Ups – NES Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt and SNES Knights of the Round

Posted by Sega Dude on August 28, 2016

Posted in: Collection New Additions, Games, NES, Nintendo, SNES. Tagged: duck hunt, knights of the round, NES, snes, super mario bros.. 2 Comments

NES and SNES Additions 01
So, this might be a good indicator that I haven’t been a die-hard NES colletor. I’ve only just recently bought Duck Hunt and Super Mario Bros. for $10 CAD each from Retro Game Bros. These are two early NES titles that are still fun games to play.

And yes, I do have a NES Zapper and a beautiful CRT TV too. Duck Hunt will get some play time!

Eventually I’ll get some manuals and aftermarket Stone Age Gamer BitBoxes for these carts and this very affordable chapter of my NES collection with be closed.

Regarding my NES and SNES collecting I’ve decided to be financially responsible (I can hear my wife laughing right now… or is that crying I hear?). I’m only looking for games that have a lot of nostalgia for me and for games that have stood the test of time and are still really fun to play.
Which, admittedly, is a terrible segway into my next purchase…

My poor buddy Nintendo Joe went on vacation to enjoy the sites and shop for a some retro video games… he did all that and then he got robbed! Passports and retro games were gone. So on his return we went out for some therapy shopping (straight back to Retro Game Bros.). I dropped (by far) the most amount of money I’ve ever spent on a SNES game. I picked up a good condition loose cart of Knights of the Round for $120 CAD. Nintendo Joe also treated himself.

I played Knights of the Round for about 30 minutes and it is a cool beat’em up. I love the theme and even though the game is generous with lives and continues there is a real challenge to be found here. The only down side are the sound effects which are a bit flat and don’t live up to the very nice look of the game. Despite the fact that I am going to keep Knights of the Round I don’t feel it’s worth $120 if you’re just into playing. However, demand for retro games seems to say otherwise. Fortunately there still many great retro games out there with much more fordable price tags.

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Sonic Mania for PC, PS4 and Xbox One

Posted by Sega Dude on July 23, 2016

Posted in: Community. Tagged: sega, Sonic Mania. 2 Comments

Yes, we know that ‘Sonic is back!’ has been done before but regardless Sonic Mania is welcome news because it would seem that Sega still knows that we really love retro Sonic.

So for Spring 2017 on PC, PS4 and XBOX ONE Sonic is back for an all new 2D adventure!! …well, not all new. But some new!

SONIC MANIA

“Sonic Mania brings fans back into the 2D world of platform games with nostalgic pixel-style art and core classic gameplay by reimagining iconic Zones and Acts from Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Sonic CD and Sonic The Hedgehog 3 and Knuckles. Before you get too lost in nostalgia of the 1990s, the game is also adding completely new Zones with all-new Acts and bosses into the mix.

Sonic Mania will be available as a digital download, and is being developed by SEGA of America in collaboration with PagodaWest Games along with Christian Whitehead and Simon Thomley. We’ll have more details later, but for now, rest assured that Sonic and your PS4 will be good friends sometime in Spring 2017.”
–Playstation.Blog

Of what is shown a lot looks exactly like what we already have right now on the Sega Genesis. However, the new stage clearly does look new and it looks good too. With any luck their will be enough new stuff to keep it fresh and hopefully the gameplay will be exactly what we’re expecting.

I have a feeling that the price tag for Sonic Mania will have a lot to do with how well it will be received. It really needs to be a full game and not cut up into episodes. If I end up buying Sonic Mania it will be as much for supporting this trend of creating new 2D classic games from Sega’s catalog as it would be to play Sonic Mania.

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Steam Sale! Sega Genesis Classics Pick & Mix

Posted by Sega Dude on July 23, 2016

Posted in: Community. Tagged: Bundle Stars, Classics, Sega Genesis, Steam. 4 Comments

For the next 5 days Bundle Stars is having an amazing sale on classic Sega Genesis games for Steam. For about 30-50 cents (CAD) each depending on the bundle you chose you could have a virtual handful or bucket full or really excellent Sega Genesis games.

I have never used Steam before despite hearing nothing but good things about it. I thought this would be a good opportunity to try it out. So why dip in your big toe when you can just dive in. I bought all 54 Sega Genesis games that were included in this sale. And for a total of what worked out to be about $20 CAD it felt like a safe experiment.

All 54 Genesis Games

Here’s the complete selection of games available for this promotion:
(get your scrolling finger ready!)

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Alex Kidd™ in the Enchanted Castle
Alien Soldier

Alien Storm

Altered Beast
Altered Beast™
Beyond Oasis

Bio-Hazard Battle
Bio-Hazard Battle™
Bonanza Bros.
Bonanza Bros.™
Columns
Columns™
Columns III
Columns™ III
Comix Zone
Comix Zone™
Crack Down
Crack Down™
Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine

Dynamite Headdy

Ecco Jr.
Ecco™ Jr.
Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco the Dolphin™
Ecco: The Tides of Time
Ecco™: The Tides of Time
ESWAT: City Under Siege
ESWAT™: City Under Siege
Eternal Champions
Eternal Champions™
Gain Ground
Gain Ground™
Galaxy Force II
Galaxy Force II™
Golden Axe
Golden Axe™
Golden Axe II
Golden Axe™ II
Golden Axe III

Gunstar Heroes

Kid Chameleon
Kid Chameleon™
Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole

Light Crusader

Phantasy Star II

Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom

Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium

Revenge of the Shinobi

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Shinobi™ III: Return of the Ninja Master
Ristar
Ristar™
Shining Force II

Shining in the Darkness

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Sonic 3 and Knuckles

Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic 3D Blast™
Sonic CD

Sonic Spinball
Sonic Spinball™
Space Harrier II
Space Harrier™ II
Streets of Rage

Streets of Rage 2

Streets of Rage 3

Super Thunder Blade
Super Thunder Blade™
Sword of Vermilion
Sword of Vermilion™
ToeJam & Earl

ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron

Vectorman
Vectorman™
Vectorman 2

Virtua Fighter 2
Virtua Fighter™ 2
Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair

Wonder Boy in Monster World

Yeah, that’s right. There are some real heavy hitters in this collection.

The first three games I tested were Streets of Rage, Golden Axe and Phantasy Star II. Right away I noticed that there was some kind of blur effect in place to soften what would have been the natural pixelated look.

The default display setup does not use scan-lines and curves the edges of the screen to simulate an old CRT (tube) TV. I found it strange that Sega chose to default one classic trait of an old tube TV and not also use scan-lines. To me scan-lines are a much more significant feature for an authentic look.

Fortunately the ‘Sega Mega Drive & Genesis Classics’ software does allow you to make several changes. Once in the program click on the Sega Genesis and you’ll be able to turn on scan-lines and straighten the screen edges. This is by far my personal preference.

Below are some comparison screen shots. But in order to really see the different you have to click on each image and see it full size to appreciate what the effects are doing.

No Scan-line and Rounded Edges.

Scan-lines and Square Edges.

No Scan-line and Rounded Edges.

Scan-lines and Square Edges.

No Scan-line and Rounded Edges.

Scan-lines and Square Edges.

I do recommend using a joystick over the keyboard. I felt entirely incompetent on the keyboard even when playing a turned based RPG.

If you do your gaming on a Windows PC and love retro video games this sale is you should take a close look at.

A big thanks to “DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!” for giving me the heads-up on this super sale!

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Stone Age Gamer BitBoxes Vol. 3

Posted by Sega Dude on July 18, 2016

Posted in: Collection New Additions, Games, NES, Nintendo, SNES. Tagged: bitbox, NES, nintendo, snes, stone age gamer. 7 Comments

Yes that’s right! At this moment all of my loose NES and SNES cartridges are safely stored, each in their own Stone Age Gamer BitBox. True my Nintendo collection is not as authentic as my Sega collection in their original cases but ‘Wow!’ I really do feel my Nintendo Collection is look’in great.

There is nothing wrong with leaving your game cartridges loose. They look fine and they will take up the least amount of space but they will lack some polish and panache!

I’ve lost track of some of the prices I’ve paid for the above games but here are the details I do remember:

01) Mega Man 2 $??, Manual $22 USD
02) Contra $55 CAD, No Manual
03) Faxanadu $10 CAD, Manual $6 USD.
04) Adventure Island Traded, Manual $10 USD.
05) Double Dragon II $15 CAD, Manual $7 USD
06) Ninja Gaiden $20 CAD, No Manual
07) Ninja Gaiden II which sold with the manual for $25 CAD
08) Wizards & Warriors $8 USD, Manual $3 USD
09) Dr. Mario $10 CAD, Manual $3 USD
10) Life Force $13 USD, Manual $6 USD
11) Gradius Free with Lukie point, Manual $8 USD
12) Karnov $8 USD, No Manual
13) Pro Wrestling $5 CAD, Manual $2 USD
14) P.O.W. $10 CAD, No Manual
15) Ice Hockey $5 CAD, Manual $2 USD
16) Dragon Warrior II $30 CAD, No Manual
17) Castlevania III – $40, No Manual

This is my third order for BitBoxes from Stone Age Gamer and I know I’ll keep ordering every time I add some naked NES, SNES or even Super Famicom carts to the collection.

Oh my, just look at that image below. Now they really Pop! Sure, BitBoxes are not original NES/SNES cardboard boxes but they are pristine and vibrant. It would be difficult and expensive to get these games with good condition original boxes. Plus, there is a custom BitBox cover-art insert ready for download for almost every single NES and SNES game. And the fact that these custom covers use the original artwork helps keep this aftermarket solution looking as authentic as possible.

I do have manuals for a few of my games so in they went into their respective BitBox. I enjoy completing the package with original manuals when I can find them for a reasonable price.

Most of my NES and SNES manuals I’ve been finding at LukieGames.com. Every now and again I’ll search for affordable manuals for under $10 USD and if I find a few I might add in one expensive manual if it’s for an extra cool game and maybe pay $20-$25 for it.

I had only nine SNES games that needs BitBoxes. Two of them being Super Famicom games. Both Pariudus Da! and Pop’n Twin Bee never got a release for the Super Nintendo so I’m happy to have the Japanese versions of these fun shooters. The same BitBox that holds a single SNES cart can alternatively hold a Super Famicom cart. Which gives a nice extra bit of versatility to the SNES BitBox.

Again I can’t recall all the prices that I paid for this bunch:

Chuck Rock $?? , Manual 4 USD
Donkey Kong Country 3 $40 CAD, No Manual
Secret of Mana $60 CAD, No Manual
Final Fight $??, Manual $8 USD
Secret of Evermore $40 CAD, No Manual
Gradius $??, Manual $8 USD
Kirby’s Alavanche $12 USD, Manual $4 USD
Paroduis Da! $15 USD, No Manual
Pop’n Twin Bee $9 USD, No Manual

And here are my SNES carts look’in good in their new Stone Age Gamer BitBoxes.

Just like the NES games I also have a few SNES manuals.

Here’s a closer look at Parodius Da! and Pop’in Twin Bee. If you’re into shooter and haven’t heard of them you should check them out.

For this Stone Age Gamer order I received 35 BitBoxes and 35 Document strap (straps hold the manuals). 10 BitBoxes for SNES and 25 for NES. I haven’t yet used all 35 but I don’t mind having a few extra on hand. Each BitBox worked out to about $5.10 CAD per BitBox with a document strap. It’s really much more cost effective to buy BitBoxes in bulk. The discount is significant.

And don’t forget the cost of a print job for the cover-art which is not a default included in the cost of a BitBox. I get my print jobs done locally at a professional shop because I intend to have them for a long time I want them looking their best. My cost for each print job (and the cutting service) is about $3.30 CAD each.

Bringing my grand total to $8.40 CAD per BitBox. It is very expensive but I do love the end result.

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NES Classic Edition, A Retro Blast from the Past!

Posted by Sega Dude on July 16, 2016

Posted in: Community, Hardware, NES, New Release (Hardware), Nintendo. Tagged: NES Classic Edition, Nintendo Entertainment System. 8 Comments

Coming November 11, 2016 Nintendo is giving some real TLC to the console that started their legacy. The NES Classic Edition is a compact Nintendo Entertainment System that supports HDMI for the modern HD TV, comes with one classic NES style joystick and 30 built in games:

Balloon Fight™

BUBBLE BOBBLE

Castlevania™

Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest™

Donkey Kong™

Donkey Kong Jr. ™

DOUBLE DRAGON II: THE REVENGE

Dr. Mario™

Excitebike™

FINAL FANTASY^®

Galaga™

GHOSTS’N GOBLINS^®

GRADIUS™

Ice Climber™

Kid Icarus™

Kirby’s Adventure™

Mario Bros. ™

MEGA MAN^® 2

Metroid™

NINJA GAIDEN

PAC-MAN™

Punch-Out!! ™ Featuring Mr. Dream

StarTropics™

SUPER C™

Super Mario Bros.™

Super Mario Bros. ™ 2

Super Mario Bros. ™ 3

TECMO BOWL

The Legend of Zelda™

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link™

You can also purchase a 2nd joystick for 2 player gaming action for any of the 30 titles that support two player modes.

For all the details visit www.nintendo.com/nes-classic.

What’s extra fascinating about this announcement is that my wife and several of my non-gamer friends (including a neighbor) have discovered this news and have shared it with me. The word has definitely gotten out and a lot of people seemed to be getting very excited for this release. With any luck we’ll see a SNES Classic Edition next! *Click here for SNES Classic Edition.

**Update: 2017-11-06: It’s been very hard to get the NES Classic Edition with limited additional stock disappearing instantly. But there is hope. Nintendo is promising more for this coming Summer 2018.

“NES Classic Edition will return Summer 2018”

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Pick-Ups – NG:DEV.TEAM Dreamcast Jewelcase Bundle

Posted by Sega Dude on July 6, 2016

Posted in: Collection New Additions, Sega Dreamcast. Tagged: dreamcast, Fast Strikers, Gunlord, Last Hope, neo geo, NG:DEV.TEAM, sega. 4 Comments

So my Sega Dreamcast just got a healthy injection of post-Dreamcast-era games. Thanks to Indie developer NG:DEV.TEAM I now have Gunlord, Fast Strikers and Last Hope which were ported from their original platform on the Neo Geo AES and the Neo Geo MVS.

Despite hearing very good things about Gunlord I kept passing on the Dreamcast version which was previously selling for about 50 EUR. Which is radically cheaper than the Neo Geo versions which sell for about 400 EUR (~$440 USD, $574 CAD).

After what must have been months I finally I snapped out of crazy and I surfed my way back to ngdevdirect.com to get a copy only to realize that it was gone…

Some time has passed since then and Gunlord has returned in a bundle with Fast Strikers and Last Hope. By the time I found this bundle the original price was reduced from 102 EUR to 79 EUR and I knew it was time. Even though I was really only after Gunlord I felt that the extra money for two additional games was worth the risk considering I have never played any these titles before.

In addition to a more attractive price the cases were changed from the original DVD cases to really beautiful jewel cases that make this release look just like original Japanese Dreamcast games (Complete with a manual and a transparent spine). Inside and out all three games really do look fantastic.

So far I have played one of these new additions, (the main event) Gunlord. Before owning the game I was unsure of the quality and hopeful it would be a cool platformer. I was even more worried that it might be much too hard consider it’s heritage of coming first from the Neo Geo.

My first experience with Gunlord was really awesome. It is a really fun ‘run and gun’ platformer. It is not too difficult and a blast to play. You get a health bar, extra lives and a bunch of continues. The controls are perfect and you have a very good variety of weapons and skills. Everything is there to have a really enjoyable experience your first time out while at the same time veterans will have a serious challenge on their hands if they’re looking for a crazy high score or a 1CC (One Credit Clear).

Have a look at this Classic Game Room Review to see Gunlord in action: