Showing posts with label sega genesis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sega genesis. Show all posts

Friday, January 15, 2016

Germ Squashers NES Game Raises Money for Children's Hospital

To help raise money for the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 8bit Evolution is releasing a new NES game called Germ Squashers.

The game is coming out for Genesis, iOS, and Android too.

They are making 100 limited editions (cartridge, full color manual, and card packins) and 100 special editions (cartridge, cardboard box, color manual, and special packins like a branded hand sanitizer). The limited edition sells for $59.99 and the special edition is $69.99. The cartridge by itself is $49.99. You can't buy it yet, but you can signup for their email list to know when it is ready for sale.

I love that an 8bit game is getting a physical cartridge to go along with the digital versions. Thanks 8bit Evolution for making this collector's item.

Checkout a gameplay video below:

Monday, January 11, 2016

Guide to All Game Cartridge Screwdriver Bits, Batteries, and Circuit Boards

Author: Zachary Latour

As collectors continue to buy games for their collections, they will eventually have all of the common stuff that they want. Then it's time to find the rarer, and thus more expensive, stuff. If you are going to buy more expensive games, you need to be sure that what you’re getting isn’t fake.

The circuit board and inside of the cartridge is the most definitive way to tell if the game is legitimate or fake.

The Tools Every Game Collector Needs

The first thing I want to talk about is getting yourself the correct tools for game collecting. In order to open most of the games that you are going to find, you’re going to need some different screwdrivers: 3.8mm security bit, 4.5mm security bit, tri-wing head, small Philips head, and a small flat head screwdriver. These will allow you to open almost any old video game cartridge, console, or controller that you’ll run into. All of the tools I use to are shown in the picture below.



All of these screwdrivers can be bought online for under $9 (3.8mm and 4.5mm set, Triwing, Precision Screwdriver Set).

There are videos online on how to make your own security bit screwdrivers at home, but I don’t recommend doing so. Instead, if you’re serious about collecting, just pay the couple dollars and get a set of screwdrivers that will last you forever, if you use them correctly.

Tools, Batteries, & Circuit Boards for Every Cartridge Video Game

The pictures below display many different types of opened video game cartridges. They show:

  • Type of cartridge
  • Which screwdriver opens the cart
  • Locations of the screws
  • Printed circuit board (PCB)
  • Save battery the cartridge uses


Please note that some games have batteries and some do not. Also, note that some games have different chip numbers that are still legitimate PCBs. I live in North America so this reference picture reflects North American (NTSC) games.

NES Cartridge (Type A)


NES Cartridge (Type B)


NES Cartridge (5 Screw)


Super Nintendo Cartridge


Nintendo 64 Cartridge


Gameboy Cartridge


Gameboy Color Cartridge


Gameboy Advance Cartridge


Virtual Boy Cartridge


Sega Genesis Cartridge


Sega 32X Cartridge


Sega Game Gear Cartridge


Sega Master System Cartridge


Vectrex Cartridge


Every collector should get comfortable opening game cartridges. Opening games will allow you to not only verify legitimacy, but it will also allow you to clean up your games. You can change dead batteries, completely clean game boards, remove loose pieces bouncing around inside of the cartridge, and swap out backs of games to make games look better. Doing any of the above practices can only make your game collection more reliable, better looking, and more enjoyable.

What to Look for on The Circuit Board


Look for any soldered wires on the PCB. Official boards do not use wires to bridge different parts of the chips on them. This is an immediate indication of a hack job and a pirated game. The game might look official from the outside, but as soon as you disassemble it you will immediately notice that it’s a fake.

Look for stamps on the PCBs. Brand names like ‘Nintendo’ or ‘Sega’ printed directly onto the board will always help with confirming authenticity. This is not 100% though, as some bootlegs now have the company stamp on the boards.

If you buy a rare or expensive game online be cautious. There are scams selling fake games that many collectors have fallen for. If someone sends you pictures of the board before you meet up with them always double check it in person. Take the cart apart and look at it for yourself before handing over any money. There is nothing stopping the seller from sending you pictures of a legit board and then switching it out with a common game, a pirated PCB, a blank PCB, or even a broken PCB for the actual transaction. There are good deals to be had online, but keep in mind that sometimes it might be too good to be true.

Reproduction Labels on Cartridges

Some games will have reproduction labels. A collector might have replaced a damaged label with a new one. This is not fraudulent. Usually it is done to improve the appearance of a game. Reproduction labels can be a sign of a bootlegged game too. Be more cautious of games with bootlegged labels.

Most reputable reproduction label manufacturers will have ‘REPRODUCTION’ written somewhere on the label. I know that sounds like an IT guy asking you if your computer is plugged in when it won’t turn on, but most people bootlegging games don’t even notice any details on the label. Below are pictures of some reproduction labels.



Monday, September 28, 2015

List of Single Player Beat 'Em Ups (Part 1)

Author: Zachary Latour

When I play a Beat ‘Em Up, I like having the 3 B’s: a buddy, a beer, and a bag of chips (preferably Doritos). As a kid growing up in the 90’s, both playing video games and hanging out with friends were very near and dear to my heart. With that being said, it is clear that playing a co-op video game is complete bliss to me. Beat ‘Em Ups are perfect for this. Though everyone plays as a team to achieve one ultimate goal, each person has their own score to brag about.

When looking for classic Beat ‘Em Ups, one has to look no further than the arcade. There are many great examples, including the massive 6-player X-Men, 4-player Simpsons, 4-player Ninja Turtles, and the 4-player Captain Commando. Though some of these made the conversion to home consoles, others never saw the light of day on retail shelves. Unfortunately, arcades have gone the way of the dinosaur in recent years. Maybe it’s due to people not wanting to touch arcade sticks covered in sweat and Cheetos dust. Maybe it’s because arcades use more power than your average emergency room. Or, maybe it’s because people would rather play games in the comfort of their own home. Whatever the reason for the disappearance, the decline in arcades has not resulted in the death of the Beat ‘Em Up genre. In recent years, Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World: The Game kicked so much ass, and also showed us that awesome Beat ‘Em Ups can still be made.

Many games are able to pull off the single player experience exceptionally well. Most RPGs revolve around immersing a single player in a gaming experience. Secret of Mana, however, is a great RPG that pulled off an effective optional multiplayer. Tetris is, at its heart, a great single player puzzle game. Yes, there is a multiplayer mode, but it really is just isolated simultaneous play. Both players are free to perform in whatever way they want and their actions have zero impact on the other player. It’s no different from two people running next to each other on identical treadmills. Tetris Attack expanded the game to include multiplayer combat. In Attack, your actions actually affect the amount of pieces dropped on the opponent’s side of the screen. That said, take the “Tetris” in Tetris Attack lightly: It’s about as Tetris as stacking four traffic cones on top of each other and calling it Tetris Pyramid.

Not all gaming experiences need to be co-op or multiplayer to enhance the fun, but with certain genres it is definitely a welcome choice. When it comes to a Beat ‘Em Up, I say the more players, the merrier. The 6-Player X-Men game is approximately the size and weight of a house. Due to its size and player count, it actually requires two television screens to show everything. I have a lot of respect for the people who designed this. They saw what was already out in arcades and were able to create something even bigger and better. But, maybe four really is the magic number when it comes to Beat ‘Em Ups. Any less might have friends sitting and waiting for their turn. Any more might make you realize that your social circle is a lot smaller than you actually thought it was.

Before I discuss some examples of the genre, I will just say it: I am not a fan of the idea of 1-player Beat ‘Em Ups. There are multiple characters to choose from, two controllers to use, and enough room on the right side of the screen for another health bar, so why not include a second player? I’m not saying that they can’t be great games, I just think that no Beat ‘Em Up did it better than Turtles in Time. I guess that in order for me to truly enjoy these games, I would have to be stranded on a deserted island or in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Then, I wouldn’t be able to complain that it’s a 1-player game because there won’t be anyone else to play it with me anyway. At that point I’d have to find something new to whine about, like the fact that I’d be all out of Doritos.


The Death and Return of Super Man (SNES/GEN) – 1994/1995

‘The Death and Return of Superman’ is a side scrolling Beat ‘Em Up set in the Superman universe, chronicling the DC comic timeline of the same name. With colorful, vibrant graphics and very comic-esque cut scenes, the plot effectively mimics its source. There are five playable characters as you progress through the game: Superman, Superboy, Steel, Eradicator, and Cyborg. The player controls all five in the same manner, but the art, the fighting moves performed, and resulting animations differ between characters.

This game has numerous types of enemies, so you don’t just fight the same tired designs throughout the whole game. This variety keeps the game from getting stale. Most of the levels simply scroll to the right as you beat up enemies to get to the level boss, but there are some Shoot ‘Em Up stages thrown in. Although they do change things up, they are very easy and don’t really add anything to the game. One drawback of this game is that everything is sluggish. All of the characters walk very slowly, and there is no run button or the ability to double tap a direction to dash. Both get irritating quickly. After the second level of the game, the protagonist changes from Superman to one of the other four playable characters. This welcome change keeps the game from becoming repetitive. Not only do the other characters come with unique levels, but they all have different animations when fighting, walking, or using their special move. This variety isn’t without fault though. At this point the game could have gone into a Mega Man-style selection screen where the player picked which character to play, completing the game in whichever order he or she preferred. Heck, even Final Fantasy VI allowed you to pick which order you played the game once the character paths branched out from each other. The Death and Return of Superman should have been no different. Or alternately, this could have been a perfect time for the game to become 2-player. There was a great idea for variation in the game, but it was unfortunately executed poorly. In general the game controls work well, though strangely there is no block button. That aside, one nice feature is the button configurations in the options menu. This was not common back in the day, so it was great to have multiple layouts to find the one that best fit your playing style.

When you double jump, your character will actually fly, which is a very interesting and fitting for the game. There are sequences in stages where you are fighting on street level, and then you actually have to fly up the side of a building to fight on the top of it. When flying you are able to fight other airborne enemies, smash down onto enemies below, or just cruise around to your heart’s content. The ability to double jump and fly actually creates a flawless transition between fighting on the ground and in the air. This is one area where I will praise this game: It is very well executed and works perfect.

All five characters shoot a beam, either from their eyes or their hands. It can be shot quickly or charged to do more damage. This beam is almost worthless since it takes a while just to shoot the quick shot and the damage dealt from it is next to nothing. It is best used as a means of stunning enemies, rather than a straight attack.

Each character has a special move that can be used when you have enough orbs to do so. This attack is used to clear the whole screen of baddies, or to do damage to a level boss. The animations when using this attack are beautiful, and Eradicator’s special move looks especially epic. Most Beat ‘Em Ups allow you to hit multiple enemies with your punches and kicks, but this is not one of those games. When there are 2+ enemies next to each other, you never can hit more than one at the same time. This allows for many cheap hits from the enemies you aren’t currently fighting. Furthermore, when you get hit, knocked down, or electrocuted by something, you don’t get even a second of invulnerability to get back on your feet. This can lead to rapid health loss when a boss knocks you down, or when three or more enemies come at you at once.

Using foreign objects as weapons has always been a staple in the Beat ‘Em Up genre. One thing I like in this game is the ability to pick up boxes and debris on the ground and throw it at enemies. Another way of getting throwable objects is by kicking enemies off motorcycles or smashing their planes down. The remains are then able to be used as a weapon. One huge positive of this is the potential to hit multiple enemies at once with a projectile. However, even this ability has issues. For example, Superman actually throws in a weird arc. You have to get used to how to throw or you will miss every enemy on the screen. Another problem is that you can’t fly while holding anything. If you’re holding a broken motorcycle and arrive at a part of the level where you have to fly up the side of a building, you have to leave the object behind. It really becomes a waste of resources at that point. I don’t understand this thought process both in the context of Superman and in video games in general. Superman should be able to lift any of these objects without any issue while flying, and as it is not the end of a level, you shouldn’t be forced to give your weapon up.

In general, The Death and Return of Superman is visually well done. Superman’s pose after beating a level looks particularly awesome. When walking, the graphics are very fluid and the characters’ capes look great as they are blowing around. One thing I really like about this game is the layered backgrounds. There’s one level in particular that contains a fence behind you. You can see water far beyond the fence, but also can see though the missing panels at the city directly on the other side of it. All of these backgrounds scroll individually, so the collective scenery is spectacular. However, not all of the visuals are effective. The game is also a victim of artwork in the foreground. Although it is not anywhere near as cluttered as ‘Separation Anxiety’, I still just don’t see any point in having it. Showing newspaper boxes, street signs, poles, or vita chambers in the foreground does not make me feel any more immersed in the game. Even though they don’t get too in the way of gameplay, the foreground art should have been left out altogether.

Though the game does offer infinite continues, it doesn’t let you use them on the spot. Personally, I always prefer limited instant continues over unlimited continues that take you to a game over screen and make you restart from the beginning of a level. The levels aren’t very long, but it does get tedious going through the same parts over and over again. That said, the game over screen is beautiful. Watching Superman’s tattered cape blowing in the wind is very well done and fits the mood of the game.

When it comes down to it, this game fights against itself more than tries to save the day. There are a lot of good ideas here, but for every positive this game has to offer I can think of at least two negatives to counteract it. As a whole this game is a brutally and unnecessarily frustrating mess compared to other games released in the genre. I would even go as far as saying that after playing this for a while, I didn’t even find it fun anymore. I really wanted to like this game, maybe due to nostalgia or maybe due to just wanting to play a great retro Beat ‘Em Up. If the developers had made a handful of changes to this game, it could easily be in the Top 5 of Beat ‘Em Ups. But, this is the unfortunate final product and hindsight is always 20/20.


Batman ReturnsSNES (1993)

I’m not sure if any movie based game nailed the atmosphere of its source material better than Batman Returns on the SNES. Everything looks spot on, especially the cutscene graphics. Taken right from the movie, the cutscenes use lots of blacks, whites, and grays, rather than a bright color pallet. The colors make the game feel exactly like the movie, and in general, this game does it justice. The Batman Returns movie was dark and gritty, and so is the game.

The first thing you notice when starting this game is that the sprites are very large and colorful. The opening shows a beautiful scene of the Batmobile driving into Gotham. The backgrounds in the game are very detailed and rich. For example, in one of the first levels there is a large Christmas tree in backdrop. The colored lights on the tree continuously change as you fight your way through the level, giving the whole sequence something extra. The backgrounds are also interactive: You can bang enemies off of street signs, throw them into store windows that smash upon the impact, and more. Throughout the game, Batman has many methods of attacks. He is able to punch, jump and kick, swan dive, spin around hitting enemies with his cape (a special move), throw test tubes, or use his batarang and grapple hook. The test tube is used to clear the screen of baddies or damage a boss. While you only have a limited supply, you do pick up extras on your way through the game. The grapple hook is mostly used to swing out of the way, but you can also use it to swing into and hit enemies. The downside of this attack is as soon as you make contact with an enemy, you lose health. I understand that games take health away when you use you special move (this game being no different), but it makes no sense why you lose health when utilizing the grapple hook to combat enemies. It is not your special move.

All of the enemies in this game, with the exception of bosses, are clowns. There are many different types of them: Tall clowns, fat clowns, clowns juggling bowling pins, clowns on stilts, fire breathing clowns, grenade shooting clowns, sword swallowing clowns, clowns on motorcycles, clowns throwing bombs, and large, monstrous clowns that act as stage bosses. This definitely is taken from the movie, but the clown theme does get repetitive. Though Catwoman and the Penguin are the star villains of the movie, in the game all of these clowns seem to take center stage. One of the most satisfying things in the game is grabbing two clowns and smashing them into each other, knocking both out. Beating up enough of these guys throughout the game rewards you with extra lives, which is a huge help.

The bosses in this game are beyond unfair. A few of them are the monstrous clowns previously mentioned, but you also have Catwoman and the Penguin. Catwoman is insanely quick, has ranged attacks with her whip, and can fly back and forth across the screen in a second. I swear she has moments of invincibility too. You can figure out her pattern, but it is still very hard to get out of her way, as Batman is not the most agile superhero ever to live. The Penguin battles are cheap too. There is a time when you fight him in his Rubber Duck vehicle. You have to jump under it as it ascends and then get out of its way before it comes back down. You can just barely make it, but since this game doesn’t have a dash button, I got hit almost every time. Bosses are prime time to be using your stash of test tubes.

This game is yet another casualty of interference from foreground artwork. From street signs to statues to poles, let’s just say they make a better door than a window. There’s one part where a statue covers the entire left side of the screen. It gets in the way and is an unnecessary annoyance. There is another level where there are lots of rocket shooting, armored penguins in the foreground throughout the whole thing. This is pretty much the only time I’ll give foreground art a pass. The penguins look so funny here that you can’t help but laugh. A large army of armored penguins shooting rockets and flapping their beaks talking to each other is pretty hilarious. I was laughing throughout the entire level looking at these guys.

Overall, this game is very well done. However, here are a few negatives that stuck out to me. First, when you finally get to drive the Batmobile, it is nowhere near as awesome as I thought it was going to be. Second, When you are knocked down you aren't even granted a moment of invincibility to get back onto your feet. Third, fighting Catwoman is hard enough, but the second time you fight her there are poles in the foreground that block you from seeing everything that’s going on. Also, Catwoman’s laugh is so annoying that it will haunt your dreams if you play this game too much. Finally, in the game’s option menu it says that in order to use a test tube, you just have to press X. While playing, I could not get the action to work with the X button. I honestly thought my controller was broken and tried using a second controller, but got the same results. Only after I looked this up on the internet did I discover that you have to press either L or R, and THEN press X. It is completely unacceptable to have incorrect information in the options menu.

There are some great Batman games and some terrible ones. Same goes with movies. Batman on NES and the recent Arkham releases are great games. Batman Forever comes to mind as a horrible one. As far as Beat ‘Em Ups go, this one is a great example of a well-made game. The fact that this particular game is 1 –Player really grinds my Batgears. This game feels so much like an arcade game that you can practically see the words ‘2P Insert Coin’ flashing in the top right hand corner of the screen. I understand this follows the movie and there’s not much wiggle room here for a sidekick, seeing as Batman acts alone in the film, but any of these would have been acceptable as the second player’s character: a palette swap of Batman, the Batmobile transformed into some type of bipedal Terminator machine, or even a rocket shooting armored penguin gone rogue. As far as Batman games go, while this might not be the best, it is far from the worst. Batman Returns is personally my favorite of the movies. I remember seeing it as a kid, and the Penguin scared me and my sisters out of our minds. Next time you’re in the mood for Batman, watch the movie and then play the SNES game afterwards. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with both.


Mighty Morphin’ Power RangersSNES (1994)

First off, the “Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers” game for SNES completely rocks! It’s honestly one of my favorite games from the 16-Bit era. This game proves that excellent games can be made from licensed properties.

This game is a side scrolling Beat ‘Em Up where you begin the levels as your un-morphed chosen character and fight your way to until you meet the boss of the stage. At that point your character morphs into their respective Power Ranger with a killer animation while at the same time filling up your health bar. Then you fight through the rest of the level until reaching the boss.

The game is fast. All of the Power Rangers move quickly in the game. They can jump all over the place, even off walls. There is no run button, nor you can’t double tap a direction to dash, but I really feel that the game is fast enough and works well without either.

You are able to choose your character from one of the five different Power Rangers: Trini, Billy, Jason, Kimberly, and Zach. The characters all have the same controls, but each has a unique look, move set, and respective colored uniform and weapons. One great feature of character selection in this game is that you choose a character before every stage. You can continue you play as the same character throughout the whole game, or you can switch it up. If you beat stage one with Zach, and wanted to play stage two with Kimberly, that is entirely possible. This is one of my favorite features of the game because it really keeps everything fresh. However, as is my major complaint with the entire genre, the game suffers from the lack of a two player mode. All five characters were created for the game so why not utilize as many as possible simultaneously?

The game is on the easier side on the spectrum of difficulties. It wasn’t meant to be very hard and it wasn’t meant to be cryptic. It was made for a younger audience and it needs to be taken as that. When it comes to health pickups, nothing is wasted here. If your health bar is full when you pick up a medical kit it will actually heal you past the end of your health bar. On the other hand, if you fall into a pit you do lose all of your health instead of just a portion of it.

The enemies are almost exclusively the Putties from the T.V. show. They come in an array of colors from gray to green to red and so on. The different colors of the Putties are used to differentiate the amount of hits until they’re defeated and also the type of weapon they wield. Even though there isn’t a vast array of enemies, I never felt bored beating them up throughout the game. This game is similar to the ‘Secret of the Ooze’ with regards to the bosses because although I did watch the show as a kid, I didn’t recognize any of them. The bosses do not have health bars, but rather change form as you deal damage to them until they are eventually destroyed.

The soundtrack in the game is one of the best I’ve ever heard. It comes as no surprise, as the music in this game was composed by Kinuyo Yamashita (Yamashita’s other famous works include Castlevania and Mega Man X3) From the 16-bit rendition of the theme song to the amazing Depot level music to the ending song, you will be rocking out the entire time. The music is so fistpump-worthy that you will find yourself humming the songs long after you’ve finished the game. I actually let the ending song continue to play on my T.V. while I was finishing up other things in my room because it is such a great song.

A cool detail of the game is the subtle homage to some classic games. Most of the healing items are medical kits, but every so often you’ll find a turkey leg with a large bone sticking out of it to heal you, a reference to Castlevania. Also, in the first level some Putties roll up in cars. After you defeat the Putties, you have the option to destroy the cars by punching and kicking them Street Fighter II style. It doesn’t affect the game at all, but it’s a nice nod to other games.

While it has many positive aspects, the game is not without its faults. There are some sections that completely derail the game. There are certain sequences where you have to crawl on your knees to get through the level. I really don’t think this was necessary, and it really looks weird seeing the Power Rangers crawling on their hands and knees. All of the authority of their presence is taken away in these sections. The worst part of the game is when you have to swim. You are not able to fight underwater, but Putties are still able to hit you when they’re submerged. You also can’t stand up underwater. This means that you have to wait for the water to clear in order to beat up the enemies or start breaking down a barrier. After a few seconds the water fills up again, forcing you to stop what you’re doing and swim out of range of the enemy attacks. Then, the water will drain again and you can finish off the baddie or destroy the blockage in order to continue on your way. These sections are pointless and only take away from the game.

“Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers” is a licensed game that was made correctly. It’s fast, fun, and pulls very well from its source material. The largest drawback of this game is that it is only single player. Though not the end of the world, it really would have much more replayability if you could play co-op in the game. I felt satisfied throughout the game, especially when everything came together in the end. When the Megazord makes its appearance, it completely pumps you up and really give you a second wind to get to the end. This is definitely one of the best 1-Player Beat ‘Em Up games.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

5 Rare & Crazy Video Game Controllers

Author: Quincy Pringle

Zelda Nubytech Controller

This licensed GameCube controller is a nonfunctional prototype. Created by Nubytech during the development of Twilight Princess in 2005. It was designed by a Nubytech employee by the name of Alfredo Tato.

This thing is crazy: not only does it have a shield in the center, but it also has a buckled leather vambrace. Only two of these were ever known to have been created, and only one is known to be in circulation. Back in 2012, one of them sold on eBay for $2,500. It’s most likely in the hands of a diehard collector, but if you see this floating around it is a must purchase simply for the rarity and value.


Sega Genesis Prototype Controller
This controller was a prototype created by Sega for the Genesis/Megadrive system. It featured a plastic center that the buttons and d-pad could be removed from, in order to facilitate a left or right handed player. The design looks very uncomfortable and I’m glad that they didn’t use it.

It popped up on eBay from a seller who reportedly received it from an ex-Sega employee. However, the auction has since been taken down which unfortunately takes away from the details. Regardless, this is an important piece of Sega history and is undoubtedly worth a lot of money.


Resident Evil 4 GameCube Chainsaw Controller
Another Nubytech GameCube controller. This device was created for the release of Resident Evil 4. While not as rare as some of the other controllers on this list, it bears mentioning simply due to its appearance and notoriety. It has to be seen to be believed.

Sporting bloodstains, a prop blade, and a matching stand, this rare and twisted piece of hardware is an amazing example of form over function. It pops up semi-frequently on eBay and typically sells for anywhere between $100-300.


Wu-Tang PS1 Controller
This controller shaped like the Wu-Tang Clan symbol(!) was made to commemorate the release of 1999’s Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style by Activision. While the game itself was not so great, the controller is pure class.

Look at it. Bask in its glory. Unfortunately, it handles like a drunken grandma and the controller itself is painful to use. In addition, the plastic used is pretty cheap quality and the controllers have been known to malfunction as a result. Despite the flaws, the controller usually run for anywhere from $60-$100 on eBay and tend to appear rather infrequently.


NES Arkanoid Vaus Controller
When Arkanoid was released on the NES back in 1986, it came packaged with this controller. Interestingly enough, neither the controller nor the game could be bough separately. Unlike the rest of the controllers on this list, it is extremely functional and works very well for its intended purpose. The knob lets the player control the paddle in the game at various speeds in order to improve the gameplay.

Its form is very unique from other NES accessories, featuring the aforementioned paddle and a button to allow for menus navigation and gameplay purposes. These controllers consistently sell in the $50-100 range and pop up on a fairly regular basis despite being rather rare.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Hyperstone Heist Review

Author: Logan Petty

If you are an old school scholar, you have probably played or at least heard of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time, but did you know it has a cousin? The turtles had a run on the Genesis at roughly the same time. The game was subtitled The Hyperstone Heist.

I came across this game on accident while going through the rows of used games at a nearby used book store. It was three dollars, and I am a huge fan of the turtles, having grown up with Turtles in Time, so I grabbed it up. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had stumbled across a hidden gem worth around $40 on Amazon and the cheapest eBay sellers offering it for $20.

TMNT Hyperstone Heist Screenshot
Values aside, the thing that interested me the most was its uncanny resemblance to my childhood companion. As I looked over the box, I noticed a level that looked incredibly familiar. My first thought was Hey, that’s "Alley Cat Blues". Is this a port of Turtles in Time? At first glance, it is easy to wrongly assume that it is.

It is actually a different game with a different story. Sure, the story is just pasted over the same slides that start "Turtles in Time", and yeah, the character sprites, soundtrack, and animations are similar, but there are changes in the game. The biggest difference in the game is the level layout.

Teenage Mutant Hyperstone Heist Review
The levels are longer, divided into different stages before you face a boss. Despite longer levels, there are only half as many levels in the game as in its predecessor. This is well balanced however, because one thing the Genesis has over the SNES is the ability to make the game run faster at the cost of the vibrancy present in the Super Nintendo game. Because of this, characters and enemies move faster and the enemies are much less forgiving. Even though the game is shorter, the increased difficulty makes up for it.

TMNT Hyperstone Heist Screenshot
I personally enjoyed the game despite my bias towards its older cousin. It was exciting for me to come across this game. It was like the day that you discovered there was a second Star Fox on the Super Nintendo. I was shocked that I had never heard of this game, yet I embraced it due to the legacy it was a part of. Though it did not feel as refined to me, that does not make it a bad game. I do not hold the view that it was just a Genesis knock-off, but as a separate game that throws back to its forbearers.

Monday, September 17, 2012

15 Rare Sega Genesis Games | Most Expensive Genesis Games

The Sega Genesis competed head-to-head with the Super Nintendo in the 1990's and during this time hundreds of great games were released. A few of these games have become rare collectibles and very expensive in some cases. Below is a list of the rarest and most expensive Sega Genesis games.


Click to see Prices For All Sega Genesis Games


Rare & Expensive Sega Genesis Games

Blockbuster World Championships II

Blockbuster World Championship IINew Price: $NA | Used Price: $3,601 | See Current Prices

Blockbuster Video held a national video game competition at their stores in 1994. Players could compete on Donkey Kong Country Competition (see rare SNES list) or a Genesis game called Blockbuster World Championships II. The cartridge contained NBA Jam and Judge Dredd and gave a combined high score for your performance in both games.

The cartridge was never sold or given away. All Blockbuster stores were supposed to return them after the competition. A few found there way into collector's hands and are now very expensive.

MUSHA

Musha Genesis RareNew Price: $600 | Used Price: $135 | See Current Prices

MUSHA is a shooter in the same vein of games like 1942 and Gradius. The game never found a following in USA when it was released in 1990.

The shmup genre has a very rabid fanbase who are willing to pay top dollar for the best games of the genre. MUSHA is considered the best one on Genesis so it fetches top dollar from collectors.

Beggar Prince

Rare Beggar PrinceNew Price: $200 | Used Price: $140 | See Current Prices

Beggar Prince is a role playing game that was originally released in 1996, but never in USA. In 2006, a company named Super Fighter Team translated the game and commercially released it in the USA. This is the first Sega Genesis game commercially released since 1998.

The developer sold 1,500 copies by the end of 2007. More copies have yet to be released, but if strong demand keeps up there is a good chance it will be re-released again.

Crusader of Centy

Crusader of CentyNew Price: $109 | Used Price: $70 | See Current Prices

Crusader of Centy is an action heavy RPG released by Atlus in 1994. The gameplay is often compared to Zelda Link to the Past for Super Nintendo.

Every console's rare game list has at least one Atlus game in it. They published in small print runs and made games with enduring quality. Crusader of Centy fits this description exactly.

Blockbuster Game Factory Blue

Game Factory Blue GenesisNew Price: $NA | Used Price: $70 | See Current Prices

The Blockbuster Game Factory is an attempt at downloadable gaming before it was available on all modern consoles. The cartridge contained flash memory chips which could be reprogrammed. Blockbuster stores would download games using dial-up modems and load them onto the cartridge and rent them out. In theory, Blockbuster could have any game at any time.

Customers didn't like waiting a few minutes for their games to be ready to rent and Blockbuster phased out the concept. The remaining cartridges are collectors items.

Bible Adventures

Bible Adventures RareNew Price: $130 | Used Price: $66 | See Current Prices

Bible Adventures is a Christian video game from Wisdom Tree. You play through levels roughly mimicing the stories of Noah's ark, baby Moses, and David and Goliath. The game was originally released on the Nintendo NES and ported to the Genesis four years later.

Bible Adventures was not sold in video game stores, but could only be found at Christian bookstores. Many gamers never knew this game existed when it was originally released. This rarity adds to the demand for the game amoung collectors.

Action 52

Action 52 GenesisNew Price: $220 | Used Price: $46 | See Current Prices

Action 52 is an unlicensed, multiple games on one cartridge game. The cartridge contains 52 games, but all of them are renowned for their low quality and numerous bugs and even fatal crashes. The publisher advertised a prize for a random person who beat level 5 of Ooze. Unfortunately the game crashes at level 2.

Action 52 was released for the NES two years before the Genesis version came out in 1993 at a retail price of $199.

Spiritual Warfare

Expensive Genesis GameNew Price: $76 | Used Price: $46 | See Current Prices

Spiritual Warfare is another Christian video game released by Wisdom Tree. The game is similar to Legend of Zelda in gameplay but you are in the Lord's army and must save heathens using fruits of the spirit.

Like BIble Adventure, Spirtual Warfare was not sold in traditional retail stores but only through Christian bookstores.

Aerobiz Supersonic

Rare Aerobiz GenesisNew Price: $NA | Used Price: $45 | See Current Prices

Aerobiz Supersonic is a sequel to the original airline business simulator. You start an international airline and compete on different routes to complete an objective depending on the scenario. The game has real world historical events like the fall of Soviet Union and 70's oil crisis.

Business simulations are a niche market so Aerobiz Supersonic didn't sell many copies. The game is fairly deep business simulation and still popular today.

The Punisher

Punisher GenesisNew Price: $81 | Used Price: $41 | See Current Prices

The Punisher is a port of an arcade side-scrolling beat-em up game. It is similar to Double Dragon and Final Fight, but you play as the Punisher and defeat Punisher comic characters.

The Genesis was the only home console to receive this game but it still sold poorly and is quite rare.

Sparkster

Sparkster Rare GenesisNew Price: $105 | Used Price: $38 | See Current Prices

Sparkster is a sequel to Rocket Knight Adventures. The game is a 2D platformer and continues the plot of the original game. The SNES game with the same name does not use the same plot line.

Sparkster is rare and a well made game as well. Both factors increase the value of the game.

John Madden Football '93 Championship Edition

Madden 93 Championship EditionNew Price: $NA | Used Price: $35 | See Current Prices

The 1993 version of John Madden Football was simply an update of the '92 version with a few minor updates like more teams, coin tosses, and no-huddle offense. The Championship Edition was released after the standard 93 version with teams from 1966 to 1991, instead of using all 1992 teams.

The Championship Edition was also a rental exclusive. Because it was only sold at rental stores after it was rented, the box and instructions are very hard to find and sell for a big premium.

Blockbuster Game Factory Green

Game Factory GreenNew Price: $NA | Used Price: $31 | See Current Prices

The Green Blockbuster Game Factory cartridge was the exact same as the Blue version, the only difference was the color and the amount of Flash memory available on the cartridges.

Some Game Factory cartridges will still have games loaded on them from when they were originally used at Blockbuster. The game loaded doesn't seem to change the value at all.

Master of Monsters

Master MonstersNew Price: $122 | Used Price: $30 | See Current Prices

Master of Monsters is a turn-based strategy game. You move monsters around a board made of hexagonal tiles and try to defeat the opposing player. The game has some RPG elements too like upgrading units and magic.

Master of Monster for Genesis sold well enough to warrant a sequel on the Sega Saturn, but is still relatively hard to find.

Splatterhouse 2

Expensive Splatterhouse 2New Price: $80 | Used Price: $30 | See Current Prices

Splatterhouse is one of the first games in the horror genre of video games. The game is a side scrolling beat-em up but features more gore and violence than typical games. Each level ends with a battle with a grotesque boss battle.

In the 90's when the Splatterhouse series was released, the images and violence in the game were considered shocking. The game is considered fairly tame by today's standards.

Michael Jackson's Moonwalker

Moonwalker GenesisNew Price: $100 | Used Price: $28 | See Current Prices

Michael Jackson's Moonwalker is an action game featuring Michael Jackson. You defeat enemies with dance moves. The game was a Sega home console exclusive but was released in arcades as well.

Moonwalker prices shot up to as high as $130 for a few days after Michael Jackson's death in 2009. Prices quickly came back down to the $30-40 range but are still higher than they were prior to Jackson's death.


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Thursday, September 16, 2010

Real Blockbuster Video Game Championships II

Blockbuster Game Championship II Sega
Two weeks ago I wrote about a Blockbuster Video Game Championships Reproduction that was up for sale on ebay, now the real deal is up for sale.

The asking price is $12,500 with the make an offer feature available. The seller shouldn't be expecting that much considering the last sale was for $2,000 back in April 2010. If I remember correctly the condition of the sale in April was not very good so this copy of the game should sell for more than $2,000.

The seller of Blockbuster Championship II has really good feedback, 3682 with 99.3% positive, so there shouldn't be any problems with the seller on this item.

In the listing the seller mentions getting the game authenticated by two people at Game Galaxy in Tennessee. Incidentally, I've bought games from the owner of this arcade before. Anyone who lives nearby should definitely check it out.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Blockbuster Video Game Championships II Reproduction For Sale

Blockbuster Video Game Championships II
UPDATE: THIS IS A REPRODUCTION. STILL LIMITED EDITION BUT NOT EXTREMELY RARE
A seller has listed a complete in the box copy of Blockbuster Video Game Championships II. There is no reserve price and the bidding is just $0.99 so far.

The last sale for Blockbuster Championships II was for $2,000 back in April 2010.

The Blockbuster Video Game Championships II is very similar to Nintendo World Championships but the cartridge was made for the Sega Genesis and was made for a series of Blockbuster game competitions.

The seller has great feedback and I know them from other video game message boards and collecting websites. He is a very good seller and there shouldn't be any problems with the item or transaction which is really nice with these really expensive games.

 

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