Category: Video Game Musings

Source: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1408938247/collectorvision-phoenix-an-fpga-colecovision-conso

CollectorVision, a company who produces homebrew games for older systems, have recently launched a Kickstarter to fund their Colecovision clone system, a smaller system that plays Colecovision systems on modern days and with semi-functional parts. They have a working prototype on hand that hasn’t been debunked by anybody as of yet, so this one looks somewhat promising.

I am hesistant to throw my hat into this thing; one because so far pickings have been slim – though there’s still 27-ish days to go – and the last time there was a Coleco-related crowdfunding campaign, it didn’t exactly turn out the way people were expecting or even hoping.

Regardless, all the best to these guys and if this gets legs, maybe I’ll chip in a couple bucks for the cause and possibly get one myself.

Yes, I did get zee Mega Man Elevenz on the Steamz.

I’m saving my extended thoughts for the end of the year (a.k.a. the last video review of 2018), but I can say this much. This did a far better job of recreating the classic style of Mega Man than the two non-8-bit entries in the series… at least in terms of the feel and the controls. The new Double Gear gimmick is helpful for certain spots, but I’ve been able to clear a couple levels with little to no use… which is nice for those who would rather do it old-school… though the gear helps in weapons boostage. It’s not a whole lot to go on for the moment, but from what little I’ve played thus far, it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

Oh, I will say this one other bit. This 2018 release runs way the fuck better than 2016’s Mighty No. 9 did.

Think about that for a bit.

Source: https://www.hi-techchic.com/atgames-digital-media-announces-blast-gaming-series-and-legends-flashback-console-available-october-1st/

So… yeah… ATGames has BLAST things. A shit ton of plug-and-play things.

This page also has more details on that Legends Flashback thing that I mentioned an hour-ish ago.

Source: https://www.newswire.com/news/atgames-announces-legends-flashback-console-20649045

Ordering Page (includes game list): https://www.atgames.us/products/legends-flashback

So apparently, now that ATGames is out of the Sega Genesis cloning business, they’ve decided to announce the release of an upcoming plug-and-play system which will contain 50 classic video games spanning multiple systems! A brand new direction in the world of ATGames… and they’re still using their old Sega Genesis clone casing and controllers… but now there’s no cartridge slot and the included controllers are wired.

On the one hand, it’s good to see ATGames still managing to put out product. They might not produce the best stuff on the market, but you never want to see businesses go tits up regardless. And maybe this will see wider release to larger retail stores such as Walmart and whatnot, which wouldn’t be such a bad thing. In terms of the hardware itself, the 50 games they have on there are all licensed “real” video games from various companies like Capcom, Namco, Data East, and the like. No need for Mr. Balls in this court. Also, not having a cartridge slot of any kind means they can focus on making the emulation a little better… just a bit. Tiny Bit. Please?

That having been said, ATGames have had issues with emulation in the past and I do have some concern over how these games will turn out. Sure, the Sega Genesis Flashback console was an improvement – barely – over its prior output, but still not the greatest. Not to mention, I don’t know how well this would be received considering there was the Retrobit console released a short time ago that also has its share of classic games. (I’m not talking about the Generations one, either; that one is kinda subpar.)

Oh well…

Source: https://gamingbolt.com/sega-genesis-classic-no-longer-being-produced-by-atgames

So if this article is to be believed, Sega’s upcoming Mega Drive Mini is no longer going to be developed by ATGames, but rather a domestic developer. The device is said to be released worldwide sometime in 2019.

The divorce has finally come through and this is a good move. For close to a decade, ATGames have been producing plug-and-play Sega Genesis clone systems and the results have always been less than stellar due to poor sound quality and frame rate issues. And while their most recent iteration, the Sega Genesis Flashback, has seen some improvements, it is still well below the standards expected from fans, especially during an age where Nintendo have been releasing their own plug-and-play retro consoles to much greater success.

So… yeah. Let’s see where this goes.

Mega Man X had a somewhat troubling legacy to say the least. After three quality outings on the Super Nintendo, the series made the jump to Playstation and things started falling apart. Oh sure, the fourth entry was a fun enough romp with some minor quibbles, but Mega Man X5 added more quibbles to be had and Mega Man X6 had the distinction of not only being a terrible mess of a game, but it was a game that wasn’t supposed to be.

And then we got Mega Man X7 and its ill-fated jump to 3D that failed miserably. Mega Man X8 undid the damage and there was a nice deviation with the Command Mission game… but then years of silence with only one terrible iPhone port of the first game being the only spark of life in the series up until this point… well, some things just don’t change.

So the Mega Man X Legacy Collections were just released today. I didn’t play them yet, but I did pre-order them against my better judgment since I don’t like to pre-order things. And it turns out that my better judgment would’ve prevailed here because according to Steam reviews, the collections have some performance issues; locked framerates, limited customization options as far as keyboard binding and screen resolutions are concerned, and a couple other bits that makes these less than stellar affairs.

I won’t know about these issues until I play the games for myself. Just don’t expect a video on the subject unless I really feel compelled to do one. Also, make a mental note to myself; NO MORE PRE-ORDERS. Mega Man 11 is on my Steam wishlist and when it’s up and running, I’ll buy it then and there. No more of this pre-order bullshit.

Besides, my plate’s full at the moment. I still have a couple video reviews to polish up, I’m still working on the Pixel Player bit as well as a couple other side projects… AND the new version of Mega Man Maker will be up tomorrow if not soon, which means I have to get ready to back up my current musical catalogue.

I’m not going to embed the video here, but I will provide a link to the Rangerboard thread where I first learned of this development.

A mobile game based on his “morphin life” vlog series thing… and sure enough, it’s a game seemingly modelled after Batman Forever, the horrible video game that thought it was a good idea to use the Mortal Kombat-style of fighting game mechanics in a side-scrolling action platformer.

Yes, this looks incredibly stupid and I wouldn’t be surprised if this thing turns out to be a complete pile of shit, given the animation appears quite choppy and the live-action sprites are rather lifeless. On the bright side, I’d imagine the touch controls of the mobile format will be infinitely more functional than what Batman Forever and Mortal Kombat Mythologies once used.

So, yeah… this is a thing that happened. It’s free for those who want it.

As for whether I’ll touch the thing… I’ll wait for word of mouth.

Or I’ll just play Legacy Wars again.