tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90446936903834058602024-02-07T15:34:39.544-08:00GeekyClownArticles include Web design, development, ColdFusion, JavaScript, gaming, and general Geekiness.GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.comBlogger249125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-12021909540019628882015-01-21T11:34:00.001-08:002015-01-22T14:04:33.801-08:00Daily Gaming Questions & Responses - 1/20/15-1/23/15<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are the results from my daily gaming questions I asked on Twitter. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tuesday:</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; letter-spacing: 0.259999990463257px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>What is the hardetst, "this is bullshit", rage quitingest stage, you ever played?</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i style="color: #292f33; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0.259999990463257px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Responses: </i><span style="color: #292f33;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.259999990463257px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Super Mario Bros. 1-2 (my troll senses are tingling but listed it anyway), F-Zero GX (story mode), Halo 3 (Cortana), Killzone: Shadow Fall (stealth mission), Mortal Kombat (2011) (Shao Khan stage), Madden football (playing anyone - you need practice my friend), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES) (water level), Ghosts N Goblins (stage 1), Twilight Princess (horse battle), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (no fighting in the War Room on Veteran), Assassin's Creed 3 (horse riding sequence).</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #292f33;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.259999990463257px; line-height: 32px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>My Response: Double Dragon (NES) (Willie)</b></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #292f33;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.259999990463257px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Wednesday: </b><i>W</i></span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; letter-spacing: 0.259999990463257px; line-height: 32px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>hat is your greatest gaming accomplishment?</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; letter-spacing: 0.259999990463257px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-style: italic;">Responses: </b>Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (no weapons and no armor), Psychonauts (Meat Circus), Ninja Gaiden Stage 6-2 (NES), Deus Ex (platinum trophy), Sonic 3 (getting all chaos emeralds and becoming super Sonic), Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (water temple and a vote for finishing it), GoldenEye (invincibility cheat), Mortal Kombat (learn all finishing moves), beating Luigi's Mansion, Pitfall (20,000 points)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; letter-spacing: 0.259999990463257px; line-height: 32px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>My Response: Beating Mike Tyson in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out</b></span></span>GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-16219164310982804832015-01-21T07:56:00.001-08:002015-01-21T08:03:54.803-08:006 Ways to Know if you are an Ass Hole Gamer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>You only want to play maps you know like the back of your hand on first-person-shooters.</b><br />
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We get it, you have spent hours playing Havana in Call of Duty: Black Ops, can we play any other map other than that one? Are you that unsure of yourself to try Jungle or Hanoi? Let someone else have a chance to win.<br />
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<b>You run up the score on any sports game when you are up by 50.</b><br />
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I picked the Bears, you picked Green Bay. You have played longer and you have a better team. You are up by six touchdowns...and you're throwing the deep bomb again to Jordy Nelson. Fuck you.<br />
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<b>You throw down my controller.</b><br />
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The NES and SNES days are over. These things aren't indestructible. In fact, they are expensive as hell. Don't break my shit!<br />
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<b>You hear yourself saying the words, "I pushed the button!"</b><br />
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No. No, you didn't (unless you have been throwing down my controller every time something hasn't gone your way, in which case, you probably broke it (and you're an ass hole)).<br />
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<b>You say things like, "you're beating me at Super Smash Bros. on the Wii U but you should see me on the GameCube version. I'm awesome!"</b><br />
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We aren't playing the GameCube version. If you wanted to play the GameCube version, you should have said something. I have it. It's right on the shelf right in front of you. And, in all likelihood, I would whoop your ass on that one too.<br />
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<b>You hang on to that "one time" you were the best.</b><br />
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I do remember that you beat everyone in the room that one evening two-and-a-half years ago. We don't need a refresher course on your evening of triumph every time we play. <br />
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GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-12388117864009618812015-01-14T06:28:00.002-08:002015-01-20T12:47:29.458-08:00Daily Gaming Questions & Responses - 1/12/15-1/8/15<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are the responses I got for this week's gaming questions:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tuesday: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>You are stuck inside with the flu this weekend and can only play one game, what would it be?</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Responses: </i>Grand Theft Auto V, Tomb Raider on PC, Skyrim, Don't Starve Together 3, World of Warcraft</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>My Response: The Last of Us</b></span><br />
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<b>Wednesday: </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>With all the Nintendo hub bub today, what would you consider to be the best Super Nintendo game?</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Responses: </i>Chrono Trigger, Secrets of Mana, Super Metorid (x2), Super Mario RPG (x2), RC Pro Am, Clay Fighters, Breath of Fire, Super Punch Out (x2), Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium, Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (x2), Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario Kart, EarthBound, Donkey Kong Country 2, Starwing (x2), Street Racer, Super Mario World, Final Fantasy 2</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>My Response: Damn, I'm so up in the air between Super Metroid, Zelda, and Super Mario World.</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Comments: </i>Because of this post, last night, I decided to revisit Donkey Kong Country 2 since I only played it for a short time upon it's release. I think Twitter user <a href="https://twitter.com/DoubleGXG">@DoubleGXG</a> was correct, that was much harder than the first but a great soundtrack. This video sums it up well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thursday: </b><i>W<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;">hat is the hardest platformer you ever played?</span></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Responses: </i>Jetset Willy, N+, Contra, Super Mario Bros. 2 (not Doki Doki Panic/the Japanese one), Street Fighter 2010, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Battle Toads, Spelunker, I Wanna Be The Guy, Thexder, Karnov (arcade not NES), Hagane, Metroid (I disagree and digress), Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Jaz Jack Rabbit 2, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Batman (NES), PageMaster (GB), Super Mario Bros. (NES)(Really??!!??), Geomon's Great Adventure </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>My Response: Ninja Gaiden (pick which one, they are all harder than hell)</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Comments: </i>Just ask James.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Friday: </b><i>W<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;">hat game was the biggest let down when you finally played it?</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Responses: </i>First Light, Swapper, Duke Nukem3D, Ecco the Dolphin, Bubsy, Max Payne, Far Cry 3, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Fallout 3 (really??!??), Final Fantasy XIII, Watch Dogs, Skyrim (oh, c'mon!), The Evil Within, No Mercy, Persona 3, Out Run (PC), Perfect Dark, Super Smash Bros 3DS, Madden 2013</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>My Response: Operation Wolf (NES)</b></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-36525874580491389392014-10-28T13:23:00.003-07:002014-10-28T13:23:54.648-07:00Extra Life 2014 - Four Days Away - What I'm PlayingI was unable to do the national Extra Life day this past Saturday due to prior engagements (I sounds so important). However, the October 25th event was weak since it was just 24 hours long. Out in my neck of the woods, we have daylight savings time coming this Saturday which means after I have been at it for eighteen hours and 2 a.m. hits, I go back to 1 a.m. The Midwest is unforgiving. <br />
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So, how do I plan to occupy my 25 hours of gaming.<br />
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First and foremost, it has been a good two years since I completed Super Mario Bros.(the original NES) so that is what I plan to start with. I know the levels 8-3 and 8-4 are going to anger me to my core like I was eleven years old again, and that I look forward to.<br />
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I plan to follow that with Contra. Yes, I am going to be weak and use the 30-lives cheat. I have too many games I want to play and don't want to have to quit only a couple hours in to choke elderly walkers by with my NES cord out of frustration.<br />
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I will close out my NES time with Double Dragon. I'm coming for you machine gun Willie!<br />
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Then, I will spend some time finally with Casltevania: Symphony of the Night. I have been talking about that on Twitter for weeks and really haven't put in the time that game deserves.<br />
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I know I have multiple friends who are planning on stopping by, quite possibly bringing alcohol (which may infringe on my goals - but alcohol), so Grand Theft Auto V will be a requirement.<br />
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Finally, I plan on spending more time with Alien Isolation. I have to get by the damn droids. Those bastards kill me waaaay more than the alien has thus far.<br />
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Any other suggestion, tweet to me @bbradley1975. Also, anyone else doing Extra Life that evening, let me know - we can keep each other company.<br />
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If you are a kind soul and wish to support me, here is my Extra Life page. I am currently at $0 which is just damn embarrassing. I will be contributing my own money on Friday but perhaps there are people out there who do not hate children. <a href="http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=105003">http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=105003</a><br />
<br />GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-72453774766475722542014-10-23T07:50:00.000-07:002014-10-23T07:50:05.846-07:00Grass-fed Beef: Does it Matter? <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX206850465" style="font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
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<span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">The concept of grass-fed beef has become a huge trend the last decade. In the early 2000's, it became the norm for t</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">elevision stations and articles to show thousands of cows placed, </span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">essentially, on</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> conveyor belts waiting for slaughter in meat processing</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> plants. This</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">led to a public outcry for safety and healthier options for getting better quality meat (the whole e coli outbreaks and mad cow disease during the past decade-and-a-half definitely played a role as well). The answer to the outcry, grass-fed beef.</span><span class="EOP SCX206850465" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Both grain-fed and grass-fed cows start out the same - on milk and grass when young. Then the grain-fed are taken and fed out of feedlots whereas their </span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">grass-fed breth</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ren</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> continue to eat grass (as many pundits and Web sites I read state clearly, "as</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> was intended"). The commercial consensus on grass-fed cows were that they contained more omega-3s, </span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">CLAs (</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Conjugated Linoleic Acid), were higher in Vitamin E, and contained higher concentrations of minerals like iron, zinc, and potassium</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. It was all of these health benefits that manufacturers claimed was worth the hefty jump in price.</span><span class="EOP SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX206850465" style="font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX206850465" paraeid="{1f9c4659-4006-4c04-b516-8536092f0005}{200}" paraid="348723573" style="font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">That being said, Dr. Stephen B. Smith from Texas A&M published two studies on the subject. His findings didn't match the claims of the</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> manufacturers and TV personalities. To summarize his findings, he found no scientific evidence to support grass-fed beef being any healthier than grain-fed beef. To expand,</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> his re</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">search</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> found no difference in cholesterol from grass-fed to grain-fed. He did find that</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> grass-fed were</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> higher in omega-3s (</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX206850465">linolenic</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX206850465" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> acid</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">)</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX206850465" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> as claimed where as grain-fed were higher in omega-9s (oleic acid) (the two are good for you, </span><span class="SpellingError SCX206850465">li</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX206850465">nolenic</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCX206850465" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> acid is more</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> prevalent in canola oil whereas oleic acid is common in olive oils). Furthermore, his findings found that the grain-fed were in fact lower in saturated/trans fat. </span><span class="EOP SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX206850465" paraeid="{241ce5ec-b507-417a-92b8-94c9d231b430}{164}" paraid="852160243" style="font-size: 6pt; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Overall, red meat is good for us (in moderation of course, don't go grabbing a triple cheeseburger every day and wonder why your cholesterol levels are through the roof) but science seems to have stumped the marketers where there is no reason to pay extra for grass-fed beef. Oh, to editorialize a moment, the USDA does in fact recognize grass-fed beef but there is very little oversight on it. Pretty much anyone can slap a "grass-fed" sticker on their product with little worry of any form of prosecution. If you don't believe me, check out the American Grass Fed Web site </span><a class="Hyperlink SCX206850465" href="http://www.americangrassfed.org/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX206850465" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">http://www.americangrassfed.org/</span></span></a><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and look at how many producers of grass-fed beef there are for your state. I'm willing to bet it is not nearly as many as you would think compared to the number of "grass-fed" beef you see advertised at supermarkets and farmer's markets</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">References: </span><span class="EOP SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">"Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences." </span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Animal Science</span><span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Aug. 2014.</span><span class="EOP SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX206850465" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://animalscience.tamu.edu/2013/12/07/ground-beef-from-grass-fed-and-grain-fed-cattle-does-it-matter/">http://animalscience.tamu.edu/2013/12/07/ground-beef-from-grass-fed-and-grain-fed-cattle-does-it-matter/</a></span></span></div>
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GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-53551569677978914592014-10-02T07:24:00.001-07:002014-10-02T07:25:08.485-07:00Retro Tip: Beating Dracula in Super Castlevania IVI was going to play Child of Eden last night but the realization that I needed to hook Kinect up in order to get the full enjoyment of it put a damper on that (because, well...I'm lazy). So I decided to supplement Child of Eden with Super Castlevania IV. <br />
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I have beaten Super Castlevania IV twice in my life. Once in the mid-90's and again about four years ago. I always enjoyed the Castlevania series and since I am warming myself up for my anticipated copy of Symphony of the Night, I found this to be a fitting title for my Wednesday night gaming.<br />
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If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen that I was not so thrilled with my rusty abilities after four years of no Castlevania training. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuPZui5mI-lO_l0dS0IJj5C7pYbziccd_gTAc2_k9FEbuZ1UQV1ontYpm-tYGb2I6JiSdr-ZFU1FQ7K8aCLGskyEFXQlvn2jc4uLFGhL2eQ6okEa-7PngPIUqpHoMg8aHMw5Q1QgN4bGV/s1600/castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuPZui5mI-lO_l0dS0IJj5C7pYbziccd_gTAc2_k9FEbuZ1UQV1ontYpm-tYGb2I6JiSdr-ZFU1FQ7K8aCLGskyEFXQlvn2jc4uLFGhL2eQ6okEa-7PngPIUqpHoMg8aHMw5Q1QgN4bGV/s1600/castle.jpg" height="172" width="320" /></a></div>
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So now, here I am at work pondering if I will be able to once again beat Castlevania IV prior to my copy of Symphony of the Night coming in (expected delivery is today). I have plans this weekend so beating both games is out of the question - especially since I have not played SotN yet. The conundrum, beat Castlevania IV for a third time or just move on to its successor. </div>
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While I ponder this, I will admit that I did use a borderline cheat when beating Castlevania IV. Dracula is just a pain to defeat without this little trick but I thought I would show anyone who doesn't know about it. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/WDEjSPOV148?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-64068916261819469592014-10-01T13:34:00.002-07:002014-10-01T13:34:29.460-07:00What I'm Playing this Week - October 1, 2014 EditionSince I am dedicated to writing a post a day, I thought I would start simple and just say what I am playing this week. I took the kind word of my terrific Twitter followers and picked up this bad boy for Symphony of the Night.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQxYuhZXM1QAh2eLyECRBDFbIIKKQszV64O4wF1lNDWFoIcbA6AO58xZ14hBya6aMwwdDl3tSApTmaeszIHBF3S-013gZb6Ug-wDXJJkdMUDHSBf9hyphenhyphendTrMCcF4ochzrtga0q_LnAhcyD/s1600/81xBsPEGegL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQxYuhZXM1QAh2eLyECRBDFbIIKKQszV64O4wF1lNDWFoIcbA6AO58xZ14hBya6aMwwdDl3tSApTmaeszIHBF3S-013gZb6Ug-wDXJJkdMUDHSBf9hyphenhyphendTrMCcF4ochzrtga0q_LnAhcyD/s1600/81xBsPEGegL._SL1500_.jpg" height="320" width="226" /></a></div>
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Seeing as SOTN was released in 1997, I guess it is about time I play it. Plus I get Super Contra and Frogger to boot. I'm hoping Super Contra isn't as ridiculously hard as the NES version but I have a feeling it will be.</div>
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Also, I started to play one of my favorite Zelda games again, Link to the Past for SNES. It's been nearly twenty years (holy hell, did I just type that) since I beat it and thought I would go ahead and give it another go. I have to say, even though I am only through the first dungeon, it still holds up. Above and beyond that, it doesn't look terrible on my big screen flat panel HDTV. I still cannot stand the dungeon rooms that require a torch. Come on already!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfu6J1xzSgOBpd5QekptiFu1EEhxnGHEvtPBiE3-2_d3zrVilr74y_Bw-IhTejkOqG7hoku3NMRUKKFrpF-cy7XsxAZ2RD1KLCsDeF3kgTQPK3aJgsnn-XsXT7DpQ56miEKDc5FgeTe1cN/s1600/d37d9105dfd83609e7a8a06877ec6ea4-Zelda___A_Link_To_The_Past.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfu6J1xzSgOBpd5QekptiFu1EEhxnGHEvtPBiE3-2_d3zrVilr74y_Bw-IhTejkOqG7hoku3NMRUKKFrpF-cy7XsxAZ2RD1KLCsDeF3kgTQPK3aJgsnn-XsXT7DpQ56miEKDc5FgeTe1cN/s1600/d37d9105dfd83609e7a8a06877ec6ea4-Zelda___A_Link_To_The_Past.jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></div>
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Which leads me to this evening. Generally speaking, Wednesday nights are my night's to just chill with a bottle of wine and catch up on a few hours of gaming. Since Symphony of the Night hasn't come in yet, I will be trying something new that I picked up this week. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSXIeGbb6VNZzVG6NE124QN368tYgPdk40k6fogUQxAa_iY-rx1wRHfgUUBWEzsMKEhJc0E_ALMdP-TAexBNCuKmDS1FuXVbkS9ZKf3AcEXBm_scv7tN1JET1LoC2M-Ep2VMoY_Bm45Ya/s1600/Child_of_Eden.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSXIeGbb6VNZzVG6NE124QN368tYgPdk40k6fogUQxAa_iY-rx1wRHfgUUBWEzsMKEhJc0E_ALMdP-TAexBNCuKmDS1FuXVbkS9ZKf3AcEXBm_scv7tN1JET1LoC2M-Ep2VMoY_Bm45Ya/s1600/Child_of_Eden.jpeg" /></a></div>
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This was basically a random pick-up I made. I know absolutely nothing about it other than the pictures on the back of it looked really cool. If you have any info, recommendations, etc. let me know on Twitter. </div>
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<br />GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-8447367562037741072014-09-30T16:21:00.000-07:002014-10-01T07:43:29.525-07:00PlayStation 1 Suggestions from TwitterEarlier today I asked my Twitter followers for suggestions of PlayStation 1 games I should get to expand my collection. I thought others may be interested in their suggestions. If you have a suggestion for me that isn't on this list, go ahead and Tweet it to me at <a href="https://twitter.com/bbradley1975">https://twitter.com/bbradley1975</a>.<br />
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- Armored Core<br />
- Blood Omen<br />
- Bloody Roar<br />
- Breath of Fire IV<br />
- Castlevania - Symphony of the Night<br />
- Chrono Cross<br />
- Civilization 2<br />
- Colin McRae Rally<br />
- Crash Bandicoot<br />
- Crash Bandicoot 2<br />
- Crash Bandicoot 3<br />
- Darkstalkers 3<br />
- Driver<br />
- Einhander<br />
- Fear Effect 2<br />
- Final Fantasy 7<br />
- Final Fantasy 8<br />
- Final Fantasy 9<br />
- Final Fantasy Tactics<br />
- Jet Moto 2<br />
- Legend of Dragoon<br />
- Medal of Honor<br />
- Medieval<br />
- Mega Man Legends<br />
- Mega Max X4<br />
- Metal Gear Solid<br />
- Parasite Eve 2<br />
- Persona 2<br />
- Point Blank<br />
- Resident Evil 2<br />
- Silent Hill<br />
- Soul Reaver<br />
- Spyro<br />
- Suikoden<br />
- Suikoden 2<br />
- Syphon Filter<br />
- Super Puzzle Fighter<br />
- Tai Fu: Wrath of the Tiger<br />
- Tekken 2<br />
- Tekken 3<br />
- Tenchu<br />
- Tony Hawk Skateboarding<br />
- Twisted Metal<br />
- Twisted Metal 2<br />
- Vagrant Story<br />
- Valkyrie Profile<br />
- Wild 9<br />
- Wipeout 3<br />
- WWF Attitude<br />
- Xenogears<br />
<br />GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-74710755569994021322014-08-07T11:24:00.000-07:002014-08-07T11:24:27.919-07:0015-Year-Anniversary Series: Dragon Warrior<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the first of a series of discussions celebrating the
15-year-anniversary for some popular NES titles. In 1989, the NES was at the
top of the video game world. The Atari
7800 and XE both flopped and the Sega Master System couldn't keep up with the
Nintendo snowball of popularity (the Genesis did get released TECHNICALLY in
August of '89 but that was in such limited quantities that it really wasn't a
competitor…yet). </div>
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Earlier that year, Ultima: Exodus was released and showed
that there was a growing niche in console gaming for the RPG. As a former FCI game counselor, I will hold
back my editorializing of the NES release of Ultima for a later date (there are only so many times you can tell people that the sword was on a, "tiny two
space island just north of the map" before you begin to lose your
mind). I digress. With the success of
Legend of Zelda, Nintendo began publishing more intricate titles in the late 80s. Dragon Warrior
was the necessary step between Zelda and Final Fantasy (which would be released
a year later) even though there were several shortcomings. Shortcomings aside, it did open up the world
of the JRPG to the Western world. </div>
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So, what do we know about Dragon Warrior…</div>
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<b>Game</b>: Dragon
Warrior</div>
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<b>Released</b>: August,
1989 (US)</div>
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<b>Developed: </b>Yuji Horii (known for Ultima and Wizardry)</div>
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<b>Things you may not
have known:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i>Name Change<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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- The Japanese title was Dragon Quest but had to be changed
in the US to avoid copyright infringement of DragonQuest a card game RPG (think
D&D).</div>
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<i>Japanese to US Changes<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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- Since there was such a lengthy period between the
releases, the graphics were improved from the Japanese to the American version.</div>
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- To add to that, they also removed the password system and
replaced it with a battery backup.</div>
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<i>Boobies!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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- Apparently America
wasn't ready for "puff puff" or the art of a woman rubbing her
boobies in someone's face. They had
taken that offering from one of the town folk out and replaced it with a simple offering of tomatoes. That's like comparing, well, boobies to tomatoes. </div>
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I remember reading the pre-release Electronic Gaming Monthly
article calling Dragon Warrior the biggest game for Nintendo for 1989. A year later, I asked David White (who was
Quarterman at EGM at the time before his departure) why he made such a bold
prediction and his theory was due to the popularity of the Japanese
version. In hindsight, remembering
Dave's love for PC RPGs, it was more likely he was hoping for that genre to
become mainstream and he would be the great predictor (a major reason for his
departure was a failed PC mag that he orchestrated on the same subject). Personally, I didn't mind Dragon Warrior. I also don't recall completing it making me think I got bored with it. It wasn't flashy by any means and it wasn't
as intricate as the Final Fantasy series but it was a helluva lot better than
Ultima. I'd say it would be worth a play
but you may get put off by the mechanics and the dialogue. </div>
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GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-41671796109040443242014-04-02T09:04:00.001-07:002014-04-02T09:10:15.803-07:00Final Eight Best Nintendo Characters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXqI46cotTo5njNMdr7bBFPZJDou_XtMd1n6zC5XMID6sFTnmgyQ2zJ4kVfGtGvxoH8taSR6NqYlX5D-9TRzNTQezlcEujT7Jvl-6ISNg-k9GVlUtUkiaLP6cJ0K-eY9CjDn9kY3GWhRo/s1600/bracket.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXqI46cotTo5njNMdr7bBFPZJDou_XtMd1n6zC5XMID6sFTnmgyQ2zJ4kVfGtGvxoH8taSR6NqYlX5D-9TRzNTQezlcEujT7Jvl-6ISNg-k9GVlUtUkiaLP6cJ0K-eY9CjDn9kY3GWhRo/s1600/bracket.png" height="320" width="257" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
In honor of the NCAA Final Four coming around the corner, I decided to do a top eight Best Nintendo Character poll. Vote for your favorites. Voting for the final four will be Thursday with the final being Saturday. Cast now!
<br />
<br />
<form action="http://poll.pollcode.com/23365487" method="post">
<table bgcolor="EEEEEE" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" style="width: 175px;"><tbody>
<tr><td colspan="2"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>Yoshi vs. Star Fox</b></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="23365487answer1" name="answer" type="radio" value="1" /></td><td><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="23365487answer1">Yoshi</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="23365487answer2" name="answer" type="radio" value="2" /></td><td><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="23365487answer2">Star Fox</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><center>
<input type="submit" value=" Vote " /> <input name="view" type="submit" value=" View " /></center>
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" colspan="2"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">pollcode.com <a href="http://pollcode.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">free polls</span></a> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</form>
<br />
<form action="http://poll.pollcode.com/95873672" method="post">
<table bgcolor="EEEEEE" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" style="width: 175px;"><tbody>
<tr><td colspan="2"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>Samus vs. Pikachu</b></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="95873672answer1" name="answer" type="radio" value="1" /></td><td><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="95873672answer1">Samus</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="95873672answer2" name="answer" type="radio" value="2" /></td><td><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="95873672answer2">Pikachu</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><center>
<input type="submit" value=" Vote " /> <input name="view" type="submit" value=" View " /></center>
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" colspan="2"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">pollcode.com <a href="http://pollcode.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">free polls</span></a> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</form>
<br />
<form action="http://poll.pollcode.com/72981376" method="post">
<table bgcolor="EEEEEE" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" style="width: 175px;"><tbody>
<tr><td colspan="2"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>Link vs. Kirby</b></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="72981376answer1" name="answer" type="radio" value="1" /></td><td><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="72981376answer1">Link</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="72981376answer2" name="answer" type="radio" value="2" /></td><td><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="72981376answer2">Kirby</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><center>
<input type="submit" value=" Vote " /> <input name="view" type="submit" value=" View " /></center>
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" colspan="2"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">pollcode.com <a href="http://pollcode.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">free polls</span></a> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</form>
<br />
<form action="http://poll.pollcode.com/96193196" method="post">
<table bgcolor="EEEEEE" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" style="width: 175px;"><tbody>
<tr><td colspan="2"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><b>Mario vs. Donkey Kong</b></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="96193196answer1" name="answer" type="radio" value="1" /></td><td><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="96193196answer1">Mario</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td width="5"><input id="96193196answer2" name="answer" type="radio" value="2" /></td><td><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><label for="96193196answer2">Donkey Kong</label></span></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><center>
<input type="submit" value=" Vote " /> <input name="view" type="submit" value=" View " /></center>
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="right" colspan="2"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">pollcode.com <a href="http://pollcode.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">free polls</span></a> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</form>
GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-54195126683531358922011-07-14T14:00:00.000-07:002011-07-14T14:00:09.478-07:00Lady Gaga's hat reminded me of Excitebike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS86FiftqumwKENOQYmK_9Km01m4U2M28TEqgJ509OGCMtd8XuPCFx5aKmAU3-PZEo7V-jemWa6i9WHKToglScrJVS_pZDI9UAhbW-NT02hjsZQH2GSWk0qsyQt8_JNFTXgap4IZBFSmWT/s1600/gaga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS86FiftqumwKENOQYmK_9Km01m4U2M28TEqgJ509OGCMtd8XuPCFx5aKmAU3-PZEo7V-jemWa6i9WHKToglScrJVS_pZDI9UAhbW-NT02hjsZQH2GSWk0qsyQt8_JNFTXgap4IZBFSmWT/s1600/gaga.jpg" /></a></div>GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-84271270578362212552011-07-13T12:49:00.000-07:002011-07-13T12:49:30.877-07:00So...what's your favorite?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTmoaW3Y2fbDIHvmpURet2hPXnBFnhlMPehcJW-T2kX-ae4IZHiteaiTLKAAMdOFMQnTETOMRXh8_mnthdBCfXWjPFguefc2vTQn5nYy2TItCjWjwY8lfdq3R3D-9_ho7EwqioyJvx9oI/s1600/zeldajpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTmoaW3Y2fbDIHvmpURet2hPXnBFnhlMPehcJW-T2kX-ae4IZHiteaiTLKAAMdOFMQnTETOMRXh8_mnthdBCfXWjPFguefc2vTQn5nYy2TItCjWjwY8lfdq3R3D-9_ho7EwqioyJvx9oI/s1600/zeldajpg.jpg" /></a></div>GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-44253852977866044222011-07-06T12:02:00.000-07:002011-07-06T12:04:02.068-07:00PlayChoice-10: Nintendo's Lazy Man's Approach to Competing in the Arcades in the 80's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjS7TEAaTAcL_hfdjKVtiwwPt6S8-KeOs9a-hIaVsb2b5-Z5GGvlnWvHdRIvjliGQ6aOI4mEaPi589la53iXGu06eWP4GquipKRiE5i3WKHcuwqcqB7HKBMrCx0utydVnnvLabOnjO9KGF/s1600/PlayChoice10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjS7TEAaTAcL_hfdjKVtiwwPt6S8-KeOs9a-hIaVsb2b5-Z5GGvlnWvHdRIvjliGQ6aOI4mEaPi589la53iXGu06eWP4GquipKRiE5i3WKHcuwqcqB7HKBMrCx0utydVnnvLabOnjO9KGF/s400/PlayChoice10.jpg" width="177" /></a></div><br />
I was having a chat today about arcades in the 80's and the subject of the PlayChoice-10 came up. To my astonishment, the individual I was chatting with had no memory of the PlayChoice-10. Following up with others, and to my displeasure, I found some gamers have no recollection of what an arcade is outside of a place to drink beer and play Skeeball. <br />
<br />
Arcades in the 80's and early 90's were a staple for gamers as they were a place where we would play games that appeared graphically and phonically better than games we would play on our home console or computer. But, these also would cost money.<br />
<br />
It is no mystery that Nintendo ruled the home console world in the 80's with the NES. But, they had stopped with their arcade games by the mid-80's thus leaving a glaring hole in their revenue stream. Contrary to what 80's movies would want you to believe, arcades were not just for the geeks of the world. Arcades were a place where teenagers would go to hang out since they were one of the few places you didn't have to be over the age of 21 to be allowed in. Arcades on a Friday and Saturday night were generally packed and not just by a bunch of guys wearing thick glasses and pocket protectors.<br />
<br />
To make up for the fact that Nintendo had exited the arcade market they came out with the PlayChoice-10 which would literally play NES games at the arcade. In a nutshell, they basically took the same specs from the NES and added some bells and whistles and put the machine in the arcade. <br />
<br />
One of said bells and whistles was the time limit. Per credit, $.25, you would get five minutes of play time. Adding quarters gave you more time. <br />
<br />
Also, there was a second monitor so that you could get tips for each game. For any seasoned NES player, the tips were pretty much useless but a nice perk seeing as you were just playing NES games where there were better games available to play. For example, you could play Double Dragon on the NES via PlayChoice-10 or you could walk five feet and play the arcade version which the NES version pales in comparison.<br />
<br />
However, the PlayChoice-10 did have some perks. You could potentially try some NES games for a quarter instead of making the purchase, getting it home, and finding out the game sucked. Even rentals were usually $2 or $3. Also, it gave an opportunity to show off you skills for your friends. It was nice playing the games using arcade controllers. But, for me, the biggest perk was that I could easily spend a dollar and kill 20 minutes when I was running out of money playing Super Mario Bros. when I knew my ride wouldn't be there for awhile.<br />
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Here is the list of games that were available. A couple of them standout as interesting choices, like Metroid. Who would sit there and feed quarters to play Metroid? It would cost you $50+ to beat the whole thing. Also, there is a certain level of irony that you would pay to play Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game in an arcade where there was actually Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, the arcade game.<br />
<br />
A couple of questions for those who remember the PlayChoice-10, did the Contra code work for PlayChoice-10 (I have a shaky memory that I tried it and it did)? Also, would passwords work for games like Goonies? Finally, did they replace Mike Tyson's Punch Out with just Punch Out? Please comment here or shoot me a message on Twitter if you know the answer to any of these<br />
<br />
1942 (1986 Capcom)<br />
Balloon Fight (1985 Nintendo)<br />
Baseball (1985 Nintendo)<br />
Baseball Stars (1989 SNK)<br />
Captain Skyhawk (1990 Milton Bradley)<br />
Castlevania (1987 Konami)<br />
Contra (1988 Konami)<br />
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (1990 Capcom)<br />
Double Dragon (1988 Technos)<br />
Double Dribble (1987 Konami)<br />
Dr. Mario (1990 Nintendo)<br />
Duck Hunt (1985 Nintendo)<br />
Excitebike (1985 Nintendo)<br />
Fester's Quest (1989 Sunsoft)<br />
Gauntlet (1985 Atari)<br />
Golf (1985 Nintendo)<br />
The Goonies (1986 Konami)<br />
Gradius (1986 Konami)<br />
Hogan's Alley (1985 Nintendo)<br />
Kung Fu (1985 Irem)<br />
Mario Bros. (1984 Nintendo)<br />
Mario's Open Golf (1991 Nintendo)<br />
Mega Man 3 (1990 Capcom)<br />
Metroid (1986 Nintendo)<br />
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (1987 Nintendo)<br />
Ninja Gaiden (1989 Tecmo)<br />
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos (1990 Tecmo)<br />
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom (1991 Tecmo)<br />
Pinbot (1990 Rare)<br />
Power Blade (1991 Taito)<br />
Pro Wrestling (1987 Nintendo)<br />
Rad Racer (1987 Square)<br />
Rad Racer II (1990 Square)<br />
RBI Baseball (1987 Atari)<br />
R.C. Pro-Am (1988 Rare)<br />
Rockin' Kats (1991 Atlus)<br />
Rush'n Attack (1987 Konami)<br />
Rygar (1987 Tecmo)<br />
Shatterhand (1991 Jaleco)<br />
Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warpship (1990 Rare)<br />
Super C (1990 Konami)<br />
Super Mario Bros. (1985 Nintendo)<br />
Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988 Nintendo)<br />
Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990 Nintendo)<br />
Tecmo Bowl (1989 Tecmo Inc.)<br />
Tennis (1985 Nintendo)<br />
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989 Konami)<br />
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (1990 Konami)<br />
Track & Field (1987 Konami)<br />
Trojan (1987 Capcom)<br />
Volleyball (1987 Nintendo)<br />
Wild Gunman (1985 Nintendo)<br />
World Cup Soccer (1990 Technos)<br />
Yo! Noid (1990 Capcom)GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-25093685541914373032011-06-24T09:34:00.000-07:002011-06-24T09:36:00.218-07:00Another Twenty Year Old Game - Sinistron<b>Clarification from yesterdays post - Five Facts about Sonic the Hedgehog on his Birthday </b>(<a href="http://www.geekyclown.com/2011/06/five-facts-about-sonic-hedgehog-for-his.html">http://www.geekyclown.com/2011/06/five-facts-about-sonic-hedgehog-for-his.html</a>)<br />
I do have to make a slight correction from yesterday's post. Not really a correction, but a clarification. I mentioned that Sonic's bundling with the Genesis made it the leader of market share by January of 1992. While that is true, it should be mentioned that the Super NES was released in August of 1991 so it had only been on the market for six months when Sega took the console reigns. Nintendo caught up in April of 1992 and would eventually take them back a couple years later. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5yuNLgjArkY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<br />
Now that I got that out of the way, I wanted to stick with the nostalgia that comes with the year 1991. About the time I picked up Sonic, I also snagged Sinistron for TurboGrafx. I mentioned a few days ago that I have always been enamored with side-scrolling shooters and Sinistron was right up that alley.<br />
<br />
To give a little bit of personal history, back in the day (1991, duh) I worked in the same office as the guys at EGM and they were big on Sinistron but my little FCI office, that I would spend my Saturdays (the only days I worked), didn't have a PC Engine in it since FCI wouldn't be making TurboGrafx games - just unbelievably shitty NES games, I'm looking at you Hydlide.<br />
<br />
After hearing them hype it for awhile, I finally went ahead and picked it up. It was...<i>ok</i>. To be fair, I had played through the Mega Drive version of Thunder Force III several times by this point and was really into Blazing Lazers for Turbo as well. Sinistron wasn't nearly as good as either game. Hell, it wasn't as good as Life Force for the NES, but I digress.<br />
<br />
It moved slow. I think that was always my biggest complaint, it just moved too slow. And, it was an R-Type (a fabulous shooter) rip-off. I did understand why the EGM guys liked it - it was a tough game, it looked pretty in parts, and the music was pretty good. It just didn't do much for me. <br />
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One of the things that aggravated me the most, and I remember this vividly, I had taken an evening and stayed up unfathomably late, for a school night, playing it just so I can say I beat it (and not have to hear shit from work) and finally did. I sat back and waited for a nice ending and all I got was, "Congratulations". That bastard.<br />
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Note: I have no idea why this is such a obscenity laden post, I guess just my mood.GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-24126393538798301962011-06-23T09:32:00.000-07:002011-06-23T09:38:42.445-07:00Five Facts about Sonic the Hedgehog on his BirthdayJune 23, 1991 brought one of my personal favorite characters to gaming, Sonic the Hedgehog. To celebrate his birthday, here are five facts I dug up about the original 1991 Genesis cart.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fr6ZxH2ySm0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<br />
<b>1. Naoto Ōshima</b><br />
Naoto Ōshima came up with the characters for Sonic but also is credited with other titles over the years including Phantasy Star I & II, Fatal Labrynth, Silent Hill 1 & 3, and Yoshi's Island DS. An impressive resume.<br />
<br />
<b>2. The US and Europe gamers got a lesser product</b><br />
The US and Europe versions of the game lacked graphical content that the Japanese cart had including independently scrolling clouds and water effects. Couple that with the SuperGrafx only being released there (for some reason I always wanted one) and it is safe to say back in the 80's and 90's the Japanese got the better end of the video game stick.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Conceptually, Sonic was a whole different hedgehog</b><br />
The literal translation for hedgehog in Japanese is Mr. Needlemouse and that was the original name that he was given. He also was originally brown, couldn't swim, played in a band, had fangs, and had a girlfriend named Madonna because apparently everyone in America would just go gaga for anyone named Madonna. Happily, all of that changed, thank heavens for market research. <br />
<br />
<b>4. Altered Beast was asked to return to the grave</b><br />
Replacing a poor port of Altered Beast with Sonic was one of the best moves that Sega could have made. Six months after his birth, in January 1992, Sega took control of the 16-bit console market with 65% of the market share against Nintendo and TurboGrafx (does TurboGrafx even require a mention?) Sonic would go on to be the Genesis' most sold or shipped title with over 4 million sold of the individual cartridge and 15 million as a pack-in. Yes, I know that Sonic 2 individually sold more but I count the pack-in because...I am the one writing this. Also, talk about polar opposites. Altered Beast was one of the slowest moving games with large, clunky characters who walked at a snail's pace and Sonic is the fastest moving creature in the world.<br />
<br />
<b>5. A little bit about the hedgehog himself (and Japanese thoughts on American culture)</b><br />
Sonic is 15 and never aged. His favorite food is chili dogs and his favorite beverage is soda. In pure Poochie fashion, he was made to be a hip teenager who can run faster than the speed of sound and has attitude. A lot of attitude. Sonic is, "one outrageous dude."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xEzjm7I5YCQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-14192871606994520002011-06-22T12:00:00.000-07:002011-06-22T12:00:27.576-07:00Free PC Game of the Day: Lethal Judgement Origins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/jf7-1Q1Fbtw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
I know that I have already fallen behind on my claims that I will be blogging more. Stupid work!<br />
<br />
<MyBoringHistoryofGaming>Anyway, ever since I played Gradius for the NES I have been a huge fan of shooters. I take that back, it was River Raid for the 2600 that started my passion for shooters. Or maybe even Asteroids. Well, Gradius would be the one that started me into horizontal shooters. And that enjoyment would grow as I played great titles like Life Force, Thunder Force III & IV, R-Type, UN Squadron, and hundreds of others.</MyBoringHistoryofGaming><br />
<br />
In this day where most gaming decisions are first-person-shooter or play a cutesy game on Wii, it is good to go back and play an old fashioned horizontal scrolling shooter like we had in my youth. That is what Lethal Judgement is, a good side-scroller with tons of power-ups and a difficulty level that starts out a breeze but slowly gets a little obscene.<br />
<br />
I only got to sit down with it for a little while this afternoon but can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that it is a great game. On top of that, it's free (for PC if you are an XBox-er it 240 points through XBox Live).<br />
<br />
It has the spirit of R-Type and there is no way that can be bad (for those of you who don't know what R-Type is, shame on you and get on the Internet and download the ROM). <br />
<br />
Graphically it is out of this world, plays great (I would highly recommend a controller if you are not used to using the keyboard controls for other games), and a retro feel that makes it worth a download. Definitely game me that familiar nostalgic feeling. I think I am going to have to throw on some Skid Row and watch The Cosby Show next.<br />
<br />
Check it out here - <a href="http://www.bgameshop.com/31/lethal-judgment-origins/">http://www.bgameshop.com/31/lethal-judgment-origins/</a>GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-14703573225127232922011-06-15T11:26:00.000-07:002011-06-15T11:26:25.986-07:00Castlevania - The Bloodletting: Free Download and Short Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/YmeVd0FFJkg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
Sticking with my Castlevania theme of yesterday, I decided to download and start playing Castlevania - The Bloodletting, a free fan creation for the PC with gamepad support so no Joy2Key for this guy. The download link is at the bottom of this post.<br />
<br />
To give a little history, Castlevania - The Bloodletting is a fan creation that has the retro feel from the original, Castlevania III, and Super Castlevania IV (why the hell did every Super Nintendo game require that the word Super be a part of the title?) Originally, it was intended to be released on the Genesis 32X but never saw the light of day. More than likely, that was due to the underwhelming sales of the 32X so the team working on it began working on Symphony of Night for the PSI (one of my favorites of the series).<br />
<br />
Since there is nothing to really go on for the fan made game, it is more of an original title than anything. The original 32X game had a "supposed" screen shot (which extensive research by yours truly never came to fruition (if you have said screen shot, shoot it on over to me at <a href="mailto:geekyclown@hotmail.com">geekyclown@hotmail.com</a> - I would love to take a look at it). So, all they really did have is a sprite from the original game and that is what they went with.<br />
<br />
Now, I can't give a long drawn out review since I just started the game last night and am only on level 2 of 8. I can say that this is a beta and it does show in spots (a good reason that I am on level 2 and may stay on level 2). There are some bugs. For example, the staircase room in level 2 (think the long staircases with the annoying jumps in Super Castlevania IV) I kept getting stuck on the staircase and couldn't walk off of it. It was a small glitch that I am sure will be cleaned up in future versions.<br />
<br />
My other complaint is the backflip jumping technique is a pain to get the hang of. If you are going to give this a try, I would recommend just practicing getting the hang of that first before even trying to conquer the game.<br />
<br />
I am through bitching. Now, on to what is good. Let's start simple, it's free. On top of that, it is a retro Castlevania title that plays like an old Castlevania title. Graphically it is sound and the music is pretty good. It is also pretty tough (medusa heads and long backflip jumps on the first level - that is a little sadistic). <br />
<br />
In the end, it is definitely worth a download and playing through. I will be interested to see the polished version after they get rid of some of the small hiccups. I will give an update if I am able to advance further. <br />
<br />
Download it here - <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?qwamnyjxjeu%C2%A0">http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?qwamnyjxjeu </a><br />
or<br />
Download it here - <a href="http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UW2FYWF3">http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UW2FYWF3</a><br />
<div><br />
</div>GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-78262981966540284122011-06-14T09:59:00.000-07:002011-06-14T10:00:19.241-07:00Castlevania II: Simon's Quest - a Retro FAQ the way it should be<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I liked Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. I know that in the endless ocean of Internet video game reviews, I am in the minority, but I have a nostalgic fondness for it. I played through it right after its release in 1988 and have played through it a few times after that through the years. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But, it gets a lot of hell from reviewers. The biggest complaint that I read is that the game is just too cryptic in what you are supposed to do and without the Internet or Nintendo Power, the gamer would never be able to figure it out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am not going to lie, I had Nintendo Power when I was a child. I was privileged. So, playing through Simon's Quest wasn't a real difficult chore for me. I decided to make an FAQ for the haters. But, I know that there are probably a thousand FAQs out there so I decided to do it right, show you how to cheat the way that I had to cheat. Go through and read the magazines (and some pretty nifty illustrations) instead of just reading a text file. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">* Note: all magazine came from <a href="http://www.retromags.com/">http://www.retromags.com</a>.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From the September/October 1988 Nintendo Power:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpOdka5gn3zj80tT-cqmhMrtONcSqcwPsRduWHzBGNPiicv28hxYB6a6ZqggC6AlXSYXlv3XT0Rp1ZMNGktRfU9wy24am4hNNXRU6KlNiaa5WBU41E7WJ2E8od9OHLlqWYboZZBJRoIaP/s1600/sq1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpOdka5gn3zj80tT-cqmhMrtONcSqcwPsRduWHzBGNPiicv28hxYB6a6ZqggC6AlXSYXlv3XT0Rp1ZMNGktRfU9wy24am4hNNXRU6KlNiaa5WBU41E7WJ2E8od9OHLlqWYboZZBJRoIaP/s320/sq1.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>From November/December 1988 Nintendo Power:<br />
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From the January/February 1989, Nintendo Power:<br />
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From the March/April 1989, Nintendo Power:<br />
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From the August 1989, Electronic Gaming Monthly:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvD4LXWy4TQAyVN7Nk0Lf-Dw8UruRyYXLvFitLDD4s2CCfzak9o-DRzEcYw-P0Muk58di0XxGWs88W63GowIRVj-UoNOJSYdv1hVpa4YHYAO7ntAs_eT3Q0guuFyDWDQvcEqaWCWMTOaN/s1600/egmSQ1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvD4LXWy4TQAyVN7Nk0Lf-Dw8UruRyYXLvFitLDD4s2CCfzak9o-DRzEcYw-P0Muk58di0XxGWs88W63GowIRVj-UoNOJSYdv1hVpa4YHYAO7ntAs_eT3Q0guuFyDWDQvcEqaWCWMTOaN/s320/egmSQ1.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-68880417391402689542011-06-13T09:01:00.000-07:002011-06-13T09:01:08.261-07:00Party Games have come a Long Way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEDxhmG54GyL_0YOnfmS7wdDo8Un_USyrFeKHOt3C6jTSTUuPjlM02hOhVy7E8JOp01gb_WppJbOJoRV2Kq01j_JQ2WM8ePyqg-nG6l77B0gduiLxwA9E1PD78-RTkgp42bH0FZ1-LmpU/s1600/Anticipation_nes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEDxhmG54GyL_0YOnfmS7wdDo8Un_USyrFeKHOt3C6jTSTUuPjlM02hOhVy7E8JOp01gb_WppJbOJoRV2Kq01j_JQ2WM8ePyqg-nG6l77B0gduiLxwA9E1PD78-RTkgp42bH0FZ1-LmpU/s1600/Anticipation_nes.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">↓</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-49748571265010602012011-06-12T14:26:00.000-07:002011-06-12T14:28:32.607-07:00I've been Playing with some Angry Birds on Chrome<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNC_6zrs5Oq8ZD_VEY3shF62sp_1f8c8uSIMjNPMKLjZ2aW-9QWBiQIHou7-yQU-8O-FqDtB7C2-FOdRndHKvtdnyVfqClq3tghOCyy6Nx_fhybMLzODbc8K6SNz-Dq8PiHPCrm0btCegC/s1600/angryBirds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNC_6zrs5Oq8ZD_VEY3shF62sp_1f8c8uSIMjNPMKLjZ2aW-9QWBiQIHou7-yQU-8O-FqDtB7C2-FOdRndHKvtdnyVfqClq3tghOCyy6Nx_fhybMLzODbc8K6SNz-Dq8PiHPCrm0btCegC/s1600/angryBirds.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Editor's Note: I know, I missed posting yesterday. I will double up posts one day this week to make up for it. Saturday's are meant for alcohol not for blogging.</span><br />
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I don't have an iPhone or an iPad. I have been on Verizon for years and just got a new phone before the big iPhone announcement so I am stuck with a rather shitty LG whose touch screen barely works. So I haven't been able to enjoy or embrace the whole app phenomenon to the extent of my iPhone brethren. When I would listen to podcasts of fellow gamers talking about Angry Birds I would think, "what is Angry Birds and why are the birds angry, is it a Hitchcock thing?" The latter part of that question I still am unclear about.<br />
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I did however finally get a taste of Angry Birds. I didn't get it from a portable app but from my favorite browser, Chrome. I discovered (as did a good 4 million others) <a href="http://chrome.angrybirds.com/">http://chrome.angrybirds.com/</a> and have quickly become addicted. It isn't anything fancy or mind blowing but it is a fun game that, from conversations with other nerdy iPhone aficionados holds true to the mobile version.<br />
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For those unfamiliar with Angry Birds, it is a strategy-based game where you throw, well, angry birds at pigs in hopes of smashing them. The less birds you use to smash the pigs, the more points you get. It sounds easier than it is, especially in the later levels.<br />
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Now for the downside, the Chrome version only has the first group of levels but they do promise to be bringing more to the table. But, they also have special Chrome levels that are unlockable to make up for it. I know, this post was short but you really need to play the game to understand. Go grab yourself some Angry Birds (you can install it as an app in Chrome if you would like instead of going to their Web site each time). If you don't have Chrome, do yourself a favor and go here - <a href="http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/make/download.html?brand=CHKZ">http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/make/download.html?brand=CHKZ</a> and download it. You will thank me.GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-12906556563149592812011-06-10T08:13:00.000-07:002011-06-10T08:13:13.290-07:00Today I Learned: There were a lot of Top Gun games since the NES Top GunI was looking through the 2011 E3 trailers and noticed Top Gun: Hard Lock and thought, "really, they're bringing Top Gun back." My last experience with Top Gun was with the two NES titles, Top Gun and Top Gun: The Second Mission. And, from my memory of those games, my thinking was that dog should be left dead. Both of those games sucked and that franchise is as dead as Val Kilmer's career.<br />
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I checked out the trailer, which told me nothing. When will game companies understand that we would like to see actual gameplay in the trailers? Cut scenes tell us nothing and with the capabilities of the 360, PSIII, and PC - you can make pretty much any game look phenomenal if all we see is a cut scene from it. The trailer is below.<br />
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I was going to make my daily post just be a quick, "hey the trailer is out, they don't show us anything but it is Top Gun," and that would have been it. But, since I believe in being thorough (and I was bored), I decided to do a little digging and found out there were more than just the two, impossible to land or refuel, NES games. <br />
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GameBoy had one called Top Gun: Guts and Glory and GameBoy Advance had Top Gun: Combat Zone, Top Gun: Firestorm, and Top Gun: Firestorm Advance. PlayStation and PC had Top Gun: Fire at Will. GameCube, PC, and PSII had Top Gun: Combat Zones. PC also had one just called Top Gun. Plus there are a slew of mobile versions. And, to add insult to injury, I am sure I missed some.<br />
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What demographic is still hungry for Top Gun games? Maybe it is just me, and I was around for the Top Gun hoopla of the mid-80's, but are gaming execs that lazy that they can't come up with a better brand. I can't dog the games themselves, as I mentioned I only played the two NES games (which to reiterate - really, really sucked) so they could be solid simulation games but don't just slap the Top Gun name to relive a dead franchise. What's next the Cocktail video game? Tom Cruise was in that movie too. It could be perfect for Kinect and the Wiimote - go around mixing drinks while listening to the very brief resurrection of the Beach Boys career. I think it would be perfect. <br />
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So, to pose the question - has anyone ever played any of these? I may break them out later today on an emulator just to see how they play. If I do, i will update my findings. I wouldn't hold your breath though. For me, I like to think of Top Gun as a really bad series of NES games and a average at best, homoerotic, movie from the 80's.GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-64685005674306827142011-06-09T12:50:00.000-07:002011-06-09T12:50:13.181-07:00Wii U makes siblings beat each other<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kyazt5XhEAGrsORmUOET_rm696CHaU5aB-4xtk6uvNNYG_mBlKAmtbAZl1F5rhSAAhEFHhOhPj3zonxyNwVrSZBmeJXRl5wj0Atj_xxos-tr3f0LmG6nIwa2tGWLp5yZPcr10J5SXcN5/s1600/wiiFighting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kyazt5XhEAGrsORmUOET_rm696CHaU5aB-4xtk6uvNNYG_mBlKAmtbAZl1F5rhSAAhEFHhOhPj3zonxyNwVrSZBmeJXRl5wj0Atj_xxos-tr3f0LmG6nIwa2tGWLp5yZPcr10J5SXcN5/s1600/wiiFighting.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Two days ago I posed the question, how will it become feasible for Nintendo to keep the price down by offering up-to-four touchscreen controllers at a guesstimated $100+ a piece for the new Wii U? Well, it appears the answer is simple - only one controller. <br />
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While they haven't "officially" said that, their press release is pretty telling. It discusses "a" controller and none of the demos at E3 feature multiple controllers. So, I guess I was right that the controllers are too damn expensive for multiplayer.<br />
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I guess Super Mario Kart, Mario Party, and other multiplayers will take on a whole new level of competition as brother beats on brother to get the cool touchscreen controller. It will be anarchy in households across the world. It is a sad day to be the youngest in a household of four children as that child will be forced to use the old, generic battery fueled, Wiimote that came with the original Wii purchased in 2006.GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-44597722503535194332011-06-08T08:33:00.000-07:002011-06-08T08:36:15.450-07:00Blast from the Past: Hudson NES Controller<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqogyZt8uQUIVgRz9I2Y-YCviBviRISYFjSvAjXTZVZgOmHLegxWPn3BnF4IYQo1JcntTcTmUojYydN78QgA2VrxJU0xPdoeeJIG43rkUWWOfATed_F4Nlnzldo3wtXdJm5AokOQFmUcZ/s1600/hudsonController.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqogyZt8uQUIVgRz9I2Y-YCviBviRISYFjSvAjXTZVZgOmHLegxWPn3BnF4IYQo1JcntTcTmUojYydN78QgA2VrxJU0xPdoeeJIG43rkUWWOfATed_F4Nlnzldo3wtXdJm5AokOQFmUcZ/s1600/hudsonController.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sticking with my promise yesterday to blog everyday during Summer, I saw this when thumbing through an old EGM today and realized that I don't remember this at all for the NES. But, it sounded pretty damn cool. Do you know how many times in junior high I could have used a controller with headphones so I could listen to my Nintendo music after my bedtime when my parents think I'm asleep but really trying to work through Adventure of Link? Anyone ever use one of these? I am curious if it was any good. It is available on eBay for $25 here - <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Joycard-Sansui-SSS-NES-NINTENDO-Controller-Hudson-Soft-/110668931544?pt=Video_Games_Accessories&hash=item19c461e1d8#ht_981wt_905">http://cgi.ebay.com/Joycard-Sansui-SSS-NES-NINTENDO-Controller-Hudson-Soft-/110668931544?pt=Video_Games_Accessories&hash=item19c461e1d8#ht_981wt_905</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Someone should purchase it and let me know if it is worth it (I sure as hell am not going to spend $25 on a controller that could potentially really, really suck).</div>GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-64258445310114027022011-06-07T11:48:00.002-07:002011-06-07T11:52:47.695-07:00What Frightens me About the Wii U<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUf3Etn-Mja7tuLIlvwz5sH_TdvhM79XrjpjkMaTIfgwdCD1FrFhLl1oJOzd6ASIOLpQ3xcfbdW4qqC0Su4jn-hdHWx0KkJyUFVq_7DN_WhI4K5BAL6Gqh6jgTWhw6akokUmPzVyEMCkI/s1600/wiiu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUf3Etn-Mja7tuLIlvwz5sH_TdvhM79XrjpjkMaTIfgwdCD1FrFhLl1oJOzd6ASIOLpQ3xcfbdW4qqC0Su4jn-hdHWx0KkJyUFVq_7DN_WhI4K5BAL6Gqh6jgTWhw6akokUmPzVyEMCkI/s400/wiiu.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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I'm not going to lie, Nintendo's unveiling of their new system, the Wii U, looked out of this world to this long-time Nintendo fan. <br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">Relevant question: did they hire the same marketing juggernauts that Apple hired to promote the iPad when coming up with the name?</span></i></div><br />
What we saw would make your average Nintendoian very happy. It has a pretty cool tablet controller thing that is part alluring and part marketing fodder. It finally will have some third-party support (for the first time since the Super NES). <sarcasm>Hey, it's 2011 so we can finally take advantage of that new technology known as HD.</sarcasm> What could possibly go wrong? <br />
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From the initial video at E3, I don't think that anything that the Wii U is able to do is going to persuade any of the 360 or PSIII fanboys to jump ship. The capabilities of the system didn't appear to break any new ground. Actually, it will probably just make the Nintendo haters scream foul that Nintendo is simply doing another marketing maneuver with a cute accessory and not putting any power into their system. <br />
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That is fine and all. I have had no problem ignoring them for the last few years and will have no problem ignoring them in the future. But, my big concern about the Wii U is the price. Not the price of the console mind you (my guesstimate is that would be in the $299 range) but the price of the super seductive tablet controllers. <br />
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It is standard practice to only give one controller with a new console and I am guessing Nintendo will stick to this strategy. However, unless you are forever alone, the rest of the world will buy anywhere from one to three more controllers. That isn't too big a deal for your average 360 controller or even a Wiimote (even though it does get a little pricey when you start adding on the nun chuck and all the other necessary evils) but for, what appears to be, a relatively sophisticated tablet controller, the price could be sky high.<br />
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That was the first thing I thought of when I saw the controller (that and it kind of looked like an Etch-a-Sketch). On top of which, is Nintendo going to come up with twenty-five versions of the controller (do we really need a Legend of Zelda Wiimote)? The days of the indestructible NES controllers are now long gone - protect your Wii U controller like it is gold, because it very well may be worth more than that.<br />
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I guess I will wait patiently like the rest but I guess I should start saving my money now because 2012 may be a very expensive year.GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044693690383405860.post-24247664457865971522011-06-07T06:46:00.000-07:002011-06-07T06:46:25.628-07:00My Water Bottle Sucks at Portal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6Z-8c2uUSI4ZgInIf-bRKC1L3IKQCxYt8tQe3l9-S-Na0smj_r3w2yvwo35t8w1FKZPwFjtUB9igwbYUJAMnrC3_qu__aiSVvQ2CsDRwu1CHJwcbM40NyMoVL5EtIGE7eTevr2EONtk5/s1600/0607010833a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6Z-8c2uUSI4ZgInIf-bRKC1L3IKQCxYt8tQe3l9-S-Na0smj_r3w2yvwo35t8w1FKZPwFjtUB9igwbYUJAMnrC3_qu__aiSVvQ2CsDRwu1CHJwcbM40NyMoVL5EtIGE7eTevr2EONtk5/s400/0607010833a.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
E3 has brought me back from hiding. I have dedicated myself to posting something...anything everyday for the rest of Summer.GeekyClownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10133458364449227252noreply@blogger.com0