T-Pac

8 hours ago, TylerBarnes said:

One way color could be implemented: 



 

This is so sick! It'd be neat to see it abbreviated as just 'VGS' as well.

-CasualCart

I'm laughably inept at shoot-em-ups, but spaceship shooters are my all-time favorite genre of games. I've only played a handful considering how many are out there, but here's some of my favorites:

Abadox (NES) - my favorite NES game. I love the graphics and the emphasis on planning the most strategic route through each level. Turbo fire and unlimited continues are a must for the fun-factor on this one, though.

Star Soldier / Star Force (NES) - these two go hand-in-hand. They are really bare-bones shooters, but that's what makes them so enjoyable. It's like the halfway point between classic arcade shooters (Galaga) and level-based, progressive shooters (Gradius). These also benefit from auto-fire, and they're great to play in short bursts.

Burai Fighter (NES) - a really diverse take on space-shooters. It scrolls in multiple directions, changes to Bosconian-style gameplay every third level or so, and has an interesting upgrade system where you have to grab powerups at just the right time to get the one you want.

Blazing Star (Neo Geo) - I love the super-detailed, pre-rendered look of this one. The amount of stuff going on in this game is overwhelming in the best way, and the boss battles are just too cool.

Arrow Flash (Genesis) - the only Genesis space-shooter I've ever played, but I enjoy it so much that I really want to dive into the rest of the system's library. The option to play in mech-form is the best part, and I've always thought the level where you're free-falling is neat.

Super R-Type (SNES) - a solid shooter that focuses on strategy over reflexes. I like the slow-pacing and effects in this one, and I appreciate the 'amateur' option that makes it possible for me to play through the whole game despite my sup-par shooter skills.

-CasualCart

Suppose you have to introduce someone to any given genre of game on the NES, and you can only use one game as your standard. 

For example, I think Solomon's Key is the best example of an action-puzzle game because it is a solid representation of the key elements of all other NES action-puzzlers, like Lolo or Kickle Cubicle.

-CasualCart

The gem of my collection is definitely my NES Advantage arcade stick.

It isn't rare and it has no sentimental value, but I just think it's the coolest controller ever. Plus, I love playing NES games with turbo-fire. I can only imagine how great the Advantage would be with a microswitch joystick and arcade-style A and B buttons...

I'd agree with @Andy_Bogomil and @BortLicensePlate. Paring down each library to 50 best games would be solid, but incomplete; whereas 100 would start to include games that aren't particularly definitive for the systems. It also varies depending on whether you're thinking of personal favorites or a more general, all-encompassing list.

For example, I've been collecting NES for 6 years and I only have around 100 games because my tastes are so specific (although I've yet to finish off my "must-have" list, which is around 180 games total), and my SNES collection is significantly smaller because I'm just not into it as much. But there are a ton of defining games for the NES and SNES that I would consider staples of the library even if I don't personally care to collect or play them (like RPGs and sports games).

-CasualCart

On 11/14/2019 at 2:29 PM, DarkTone said:

Ebay: my Miya 2000 CIB. Crazy that I own the thing! 

That's neat - I've never heard of the Miya 2000 before. Care to give some background info?

-CasualCart

8 hours ago, Sign Collector Guy said:

 

 

Wow - these are so cool! I especially like that each pencil is for a specific game.

-CasualCart

7 hours ago, Tulpa said:

Just finished The Guardian Legend. Holy shit that game gets dicey.

Wow - that's impressive. I attempted the Guardian Legend last year and had to throw in the towel at Area 10. What are your thoughts on that obnoxious password system haha?

-CasualCart

@doner24 @RH @Darth Vader I'm stoked to see so many fans of Robin Hood. People are usually surprised when I tell them it's my favorite Disney movie (Pixar films seem to be dominant favorites for most).

I love the look of that whole era of Disney films, mostly because they started using Xerox machines to copy the animators' pencil drawings directly onto cels for coloring (rather than hand-inking). It was a cost-saving measure that wasn't well-received at the time, but I love how it preserves the life of the animator's drawings - and you can even catch some of the loose construction-lines and stuff if you watch closely. It definitely has a sketchier look, but I think it has much more appeal than clean-inked cels since the tracing process can kill the vitality of the animators' work sometimes.

-CasualCart

I collect for 8 and 16 bit systems. I love the pixel graphics, the physical cartridges, and the pick-up-and-play nature of most games from that era.

I mainly collect cart-only NES games, and my goal is to have every game on the system that peaks my interest in one way or another. 99% of the time, that means games that I want to play, but there are some other games that I collect because they are 'staples' of the library (like Dragon Warrior) or because they are especially quirky (like Hatris). My NES collection is mostly NTSC, but I like to substitute PAL games if they are cheaper or more interesting than the North American counterparts. (My rarer games like Panic Restaurant and DuckTales 2 are PAL versions because they're more affordable, and I want to get a copy of Probotector instead of Contra because I love robots). I don't substitute Famicom games, though, because it's essentially a different system.

For other consoles, like SNES and Genesis, I just pick up games that I think would be fun to play. Unlike with the NES, I'm not interested in scouring these libraries for every game that interests me. I collect completely region-free for these systems, like Super Famicom games for exclusives or as a more affordable alternative to North American releases.

In terms of hardware, I go for authentic controllers (especially arcade sticks like the NES Advantage), and clone hardware. Call me crazy, but I really like the HDMI console lineup from Hyperkin - they're so nice and uniform, and I'm not a stickler for perfect emulation anyway.

I think that sums up my current retro-game collecting. I'm excited to move into Atari 2600 carts once I've finished up with the NES, but for now I'm taking it one console at a time.

-CasualCart

8 hours ago, glazball said:

Bally Professional Arcade, aka Astrocade.

It was the Neo Geo of the 70s.  Spec-wise it totally blew away the competition, the controllers are incredible and it had some really cool games in its small library.  We'll probably never know the console's full potential due to poor support and lack of attention.  Even now, a good chunk of retro gamers have never heard of it.

Great call on the Astrocade - I've wanted one of these ever since I learned about them. The controllers are especially cool since the joystick also twists like a paddle if I recall correctly. Isn't this one of those early systems where the sound comes directly from the console rather than channeling through the TV speakers?

-CasualCart

Historical significance aside, that console looks really slick. I like the design even more than the original SNES and SFC - especially if you picture it without all the yellowing from age. 

If I ever got my hands on something like that, though, I'd probably be the scoundrel who just uses it to play SNES carts instead of making any effort at preservation haha.

-CasualCart

I've never beaten a Pokemon game... but that's just the tip of the iceberg for 'easy' games that I can't beat. No shame here, though - I've never had a knack for playing video games no matter how much I like them.

-CasualCart

I only have a "go-to" game when I'm short on time but want to play something, and that's Star Soldier for the NES.

The only problem is when I'm actually doing well, I might end up running late for something...

-CasualCart

@Gloves Yeah, Abadox is awesome. I hear people say it's just a ripoff of Life Force/ Salamander, but I enjoy it so much more for some reason (blasphemous, I know).

-CasualCart

6 hours ago, The Strangest said:

Right now: I just got a ColecoVision so I’m putting more effort into looking for those games at the moment to build my library. It’s such an interesting console to me, like a short bridge between Atari and NES.

Keep us updated on that ColecoVision collection - that console always seemed interesting, and I'd love to learn more about it.

-CasualCart

What are some general opinions of using turbo controllers like the NES Advantage or the Beeshu zipper? Or a modern equivalent? Is a playthrough legit if you use auto-fire?

-CasualCart

This reminds me of the first time I beat Abadox (my favorite NES game):

I used save states so that I could tackle the game over several days, but I only suspended the game on the (unlimited) continue screens, so it was essentially the same as "leaving the NES on overnight". I also used a turbo-fire arcade stick, but that isn't any different than using a NES Advantage aside from some tactile differences with the buttons/joystick.

Essentially, I used modern versions of "cheats" that were always available in an authentic NES playthrough. I always have a nagging feeling that beating a game like this isn't quite legit, though. It's logically sound, but lacks authenticity, I guess.

-CasualCart

double post

14 hours ago, Nintegageo said:

Haha, the Neo Geo X was a travesty. You could look at the mini?

True. I'm not a big fan of mini consoles, though, because you can't build your own legit library for them outside of what's pre-loaded. Plus, half the appeal of the Neo Geo is the massive original carts and arcade sticks. It's a lot like the Vectrex that way - the form-factor is one of the coolest features.

-CasualCart

4 hours ago, Tulpa said:

Xexyz is one that has a shooter stage when you face the boss, but that's how you fight every boss.

Yeah - Xexyz does platforming/shooting right because it's consistent throughout the game. The final level is just a more challenging iteration of the formula from the rest of the game. Also, Xexyz gets an A++ in my book because one of the bosses is a giant robot dragon with laser guns and a jet pack.

9 hours ago, Nintegageo said:

By no means am I trying to convince you to start collecting the expensive monster that is the MVS - but I think people think the NG has less diversity than it actually does. It's possibly the only console where each game on it is at least a playable game.

Sick - I guess I just need to expand my knowledge of the Neo Geo library. As of now I'm only familiar with the games I played on my Neo Geo X (which I really enjoyed until it stopped working altogether).

-CasualCart

I've always thought about collecting Neo Geo MVS games to play on a Consolized MVS, but I'm not interested in fighting games or the Metal Slug series, so it always seemed like too big of an investment just to play a couple spaceship shooters and Neo Turf Masters on proper hardware.

I've also wanted to start an Atari 2600 cart collection for a long time, but those AtGames flashbacks keep scratching that itch for the time being.

-CasualCart

This reminds me of all those NES platformers that switch to a 'flying/shooting' section right at the final stage or final boss (Kirby's Adventure, Kid Icarus, Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu).

It definitely adds something special to the end of a game, but it always felt counter-intuitive. You spend so much time mastering the mechanics of a game just to get to the end and find out those skills don't translate to the final boss. The game throws something completely new at you instead of testing what you learned along the way.

Can anyone think of some other games that switch from platforming to flying right at the end?

-CasualCart

My favorite pokemon might be magnemite, although I'm not a fan of the evolutions.

-CasualCart