Sumer

8 for me.  At the time it came out, I liked it more than the original.  As time has gone on, I think I like the original a bit better, but this game is still easily recommended due to the differences from the rest of the Zelda series and the gameplay.  I actually just started playing it again recently and I am having more fun with it than I did back in the late 80s.  

8 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Star Control 2 (and 1)

Holy crap...how did I forgot this on my list???  Yes, Star Control II...phenomenal!  It even made its way to consoles via the 3DO.  Star Control 1 was also decent (though it lacked a story...but that was pretty much conveyed in the instruction manual).  Star Control 1 made it to the Genesis.

Greatest of All-Time.  Bar None.

I know this has diverted over to DOS/WIN95/ IBM-Compatible (still use this term at Best Buy to confuse the hell out of the younger millenial/gen z employees...yeah, I can be a-holey), but whole-heartedly agree with:

X-wing, TIE Fighter, EVERY Lucas Arts adventure (1st Monkey Island is on Sega CD and had a recent re-release from Limited Run), Civilization 1 & 2 (1 is on SNES, right?), Colonization (still play this one regularly via GOG), Pirates (also on NES), Pirates Gold (on Sega Genesis).  Add to the list all Ultimas up to 7 (8 is OK, 9 was a mess, and I know some of these made it to the NES and SNES), Ultima Underworld spin-off series, the INFOCOM text adventures, and, my favorite DOS/WIN95 series back then: Wing Commander (on SNES as well!).

Just reflecting back, the consoles were definitely the domain of the Japanese devs while the PCs were the domain of the Western devs.  I am sure the MSX had good Japanese-developed computer games, but I never got to see them nor knew anyone who had back then!

Earth Day coming up on April 22...just sayin'...

On 4/13/2021 at 6:43 PM, Deadeye said:

Not in the past, doesn't mean they won't.  Apple decided to use X for Mac OS and iPhone for whatever reason.

 

Indeed...it was always Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9, and then...all of a sudden...Mac OS X!

Very quietly last year, we officially went to Mac OS 11...but Apple didn't really hype it.  They just call it macOS now (with "Mac" in lower case).

PSOne...because I am RIGHT.  

I have the slim PS...the one that can attach to the little LCD screen (have one of those too).  Ever since getting a PSOne, I now wait until Sony puts out a Slim version of their console iterations...I am not going to break the tradition now.  I guess I won't be getting a PS5 for...at least two more years???

I was a history minor way back when in college, so yeah, this series is right up my alley.  I have played all of them in release order up through AC IV.  I own Syndicate, but haven't started it yet.  I also own the Egyptian one (Origins?), but have not started that one either.  Odyssey looks pretty fun as well.

My favorite so far is Black Flag, but you are more pirate than the in-story "assassin."  I also liked the one that many people missed/skipped: Assassin's Creed Rogue.  You play as a Templar in that game, but I enjoy the story, setting, and the shorter overall quest.  It basically is half Black Flag and half AC III, but as the aforementioned Templar character.

Jeez...I don't remember the Original NT being this much of a hassle to order.  I know the price on those were higher, and that was probably a deterrent to many...but I literally think I ordered mine hours after it went on sale.  I could be wrong about that, but I seriously don't remember any queue being formed for it.

11 minutes ago, TDIRunner said:

I really recommend trying out 4.  As I mentioned before, 2 and 3 were great games, but I never enjoyed either as much as 1.  But when 4 came out, it blew everything out of the water for me.  

You got it!  That one was on PS3, right?  I will have to look into it.

7 minutes ago, Deadeye said:

The biggest ones in my opinion are the simultaneous dual output (crt display + hdmi capture if you like) and the jailbreak (allows for the nt mini to become a bunch of other 8bit systems). 

Thanks!  Nothing that I am interested in, so I will pass on the Mini NT.  

I actually decided not to get HDMI output on my NT when I first customized it.  Opted for Composite Out (SCART?) instead.  I wonder if I was the only one who did not get HDMI on the original NT.  

Gave it a 5.  It is better than what people give it credit for.  I have one, but it never gets played.

I gave it a semi-higher score due to the fact that it was the first console to really bridge video games and board games.  There is like...3 or 4?...hybrid games for the system that you play on the screen but mostly as a board game. Innovative, but didn't really catch on, obviously (though Star Saga: One and Star Saga: Two for home computers is really awesome).

Any reason to get a Mini NT if I have an original, full size NT?  I stopped following Analogue after I got my "Blue Bomber" NT years ago...then started following them again after they announced the TubroGrafx clone console.  So, don't really know too much about the Mini NT.

I gave it a 7...but haven't played it in close to 20 years.  I need to replay it sometime.  It may be notched up to an 8.  Definitely my favorite of the MGS games I have played...which is only 2 and then 3.  I can't remember really anything about 2, so not very memorable.  For #3, everyone seems to rave about it, but it just seemed too tedious to me.  I have played any of them after #3.

Oh man, forgot to play it on the last day!  

I gave it a 5.  It was OK, but definitely preferred gaming on the 360 during that era.  Played a lot of Halo and Call of Duty on the 360 and only got a PS3 Slim for the Uncharted games, really.

@Mega TankGame 1 and 3, please!

Vice City.  It was the only one of them I ever fully completed (I am not sure, but I may have beaten 3).  It is all due to the time period...from the music, the Miami Vice atmosphere, to the 80s glitz.

And, Ray Liotta did a fine job in the role too.

42 minutes ago, Dr. Morbis said:

This is what it was like for me.  I kid you not, the first evening after I finished playing SMB on my new NES, I packed up my Coleco Gemini (Atari 2600 clone that was very popular up here in Canada) and threw all the wires in a box and shoved it in the bottom of my closet, not to be seen again until I got into collecting "retro games" in 1999 and dug it out for the sake of curiosity...

Wow!  Same here...right down to the Gemini being my "Atari."  

I mentioned earlier in the thread that my mom sold the Gemini at a garage sale in 1989 or 1990 after having the NES for three years...we hadn't played it in those years, she thought it was taking up space, and she went and sold it.  I have forgiven for that, but it still depresses me, seeing what Geminis go for nowadays.

12 hours ago, RH said:

You guys are also missing an important factor to the crash.  Consumers (parents anyway) were starting to get confused, and it was frustrating.  Even though I was still young, distinctly remember multiple older adults with kids being frustrated that they bought their kid a game for Christmas/Birthday and it was the game they wanted... but for the wrong system.

It's easy to throw shade at this, but even in 1984 (after the crash) games were "new" especially for younger generations and when Johnny wants Pac-Man and all Mom remembers is they have an Atari, they aren't going to be happy when they come home with a 5200 game, rather than a 2600.  There were to many console options and since every department store didn't care all of the systems that were out, it was an easy mistake for someone to buy a system at Sears and a month later walk into a K-Mart (or where ever) and browse home console games and accidentally grab a wrong one.

This created tremendous frustration and I think made many parent standoffish towards video game buying because it was an annoying mistake to make and even then,  I don't retailers liked taking back open-boxed items.

This is a thing, so I am glad you brought it up.  This happened quite a bit in the Atari/Intellivision/Coleco era.  It even happened into the NES era for a quick second when people thought the NES was another "Atari."

Wasn't StarDock going to put out a new Star Control at some point?  Or did they and I totally missed it?

14 hours ago, JamesRobot said:

The Atari was the fucking man.  Def in the conversation of greatest consoles of all time and in the running for my personal top 2 pick.  I have more games for it than any other system except the Nintendo.

Plus it has the best game artwork of any system.  That's no opinion either.  Straight facts.

And paddle games rule.  I'm looking at you Kaboom!  The biggest mistake in gaming is not continuing that format.  All systems should come with paddle controls.  

As a matter of fact, I would have bought the new VCS if the paddle controller was an option.  Oh well, ya done fucked up, Atari.

So yeah, a big 9 for the Atari.

On 3/10/2021 at 8:48 PM, Dr. Morbis said:

All of this is moot though, since Sumer's using three Fighters and a Red Mage, which is the second most potent beginner's party you can have, behind only two fighters and two red mages; you'd tear the game apart with that party no matter who you are...

D'oh!

EA put out some good ones for the Genesis back then.  

Starflight (awesome game)

Might and Magic II

And, of course, Pirates Gold!

EDIT: Oh, and the definitive way of playing Star Control II is the 3DO rom of the game.  You can download it for free at SourceForge under its subtitle, "The Ur-Quan Masters."

8.  Great game and awesome soundtrack. Remembering renting it at a Blockbuster back then, but never bought it or the first one (I think I skipped 3). But, I prefer Final Fight...that may not be fair, though...as I am talking about the arcade version of Final Fight when I say "Final Fight."

I got SOR4 last year from Limited Run.  Played a little bit and enjoy it, but really have to dive further into it, since I have been a "beat 'em up" fan since Double Dragon arcade at the bowling alley way back when.