Gradius 3 8.8

I know there is going to be some people, who disagree with me that I rated this better than Gradius & Life Force. The only thing that I didn't like about Gradius 3, was the feel. Vic Viper doesn't fly as smooth as he once did ! With that being said, this is the only Gradius, in the series, to have a pseudo-3D level ! Some more big additions were, edit mode and the ability to change the difficulty setting.

Graphics:8
Sound:8
Gameplay:9.5
Replay Value/Game Length:9
Vs/Final:9.5

Overall:8.8

DuckTales 8.5

Another classic platformer from Capcom and from the same guys that made Mega Man ! It really feels like MM but a bit different. A lot of the charters from the show, make an appearance and the music and sound are amazing ! If you have never played this game, Do it !

Graphics:8.5
Sound:8.5
Gameplay:8.5
Replay Value/Game Length:8.5
Vs/Final:8.5

Overall:8.5

PAC-MAN Tengen 7.6

An arcade game made in 1980 and is considered a land mark in video game history ! 1 of only 3 games on display at the Smithsonian and one of the longest running games in the golden era of video games !

Graphics:5.5
Sound:5.5
Gameplay:9
Replay Value/Game Length:9
Vs/Final:9

Overall:7.6

Guerrilla War 7.9

As far as I can remember, this was one of the best Run & Gun NES games ! Super fast gameplay and smooth controls ! Pretty easy but insanely fun. SNK did well with this release but the Arcade version was amazing :)

Graphics:6
Sound:6
Gameplay:9.5
Replay Value/Game Length:9
Vs/Final:9

Overall:7.9

Life Force 8.7

This is the best of the best ! I remember this being one of my fav games and now I know why. When I started replaying Gradius, I had though, how can a shmup get any better ? This is how ! Not much else I can say. Go play Life Force !

Graphics:7.5
Sound:8
Gameplay:9.5
Replay Value/Game Length:9
Vs/Final:9.5

Overall:8.7

Alpha Mission 7

Pretty much the worst shmup game I have played yet ! When I was a kid, I had Gradius and Life Force. Then my cousin had Alpha Mission and even then I hated it ! I played it for maybe 15 mins and couldn't take it anymore ! Maybe if I hadn't replayed Gradius & Life Force first, this game would have gotten more of a shot but...

Graphics:6.5
Sound:7.5
Gameplay:7
Replay Value/Game Length:7
Vs/Final:7

Overall:7

Gradius 8.5

Gradius is by far the greatest scrolling shooter series ever ! I have tried a few others like Alpha Mission and Gradius is far better than all of them ! Originally released as an arcade game in 1985, and later ported to other platforms. Such as the Commodore 64 and the NES. In 1990 Gradius was released for Game Boy, under the name Nemesis. Then in 1998 It was released for the Game Boy Color, as Gradius again.It was included on the Konami Game Boy Collection Vol.1

Graphics:7.5
Sound:8
Gameplay:9
Replay Value/Game Length:9
Vs/Final:9

Overall:8.5

Pinball 7.6

I really love Pinball games and I am really picky with them. This is Pinball, Nintendo style. I think they did a good job with this game, considering that it came out in 1985 as 1 of 18 NES
Launch titles. Pinball was originally a Nintendo Arcade game in 1984 and was also a unlockable mini game in Doubutsu No Mari(N64) & Animal Crossing(Game Cube) All in all I think this was a great game for its time and from what I hear (ausretrogamer) It's the best Pinball game for NES ! I also love how they slipped Mario into the game ;)

Graphics:5.5
Sound:5.5
Gameplay:9
Replay Value/Game Length:9
Vs/Final:9

Overall:7.6

Final Fantasy 8.2

This Is The Game That Started Console RPG's ! It is also one of my favorite NES games !! I had the Nintendo Power Strategy Guide and this game was still super hard, to a ten year old gamer, in 1990. I'm pretty much half way through the game and I can't believe how much I have missed this. Even when I was a kid, I couldn't beat it. I had to go to my cousin Yackers house and he drew me maps on my Nintendo Power maps and I finally figured it out and beat it ! Thxs Yacker

Graphics:7.5
Sound:8
Gameplay:8.5
Replay Value/Game Length:8.5
Final:8.5

Overall:8.2

Dragon Warrior 7.4

I can remember playing the hell out of this and loving it. Then came along Final Fantasy and I never touched a Dragon Warrior again ! So, I started trying to replay it and only lasted about
20 mins. I couldn't take it ! For a game that only came out 1 year before FF, this sucks ! I am gonna buy the other Dragon Warriors, to see if they got any better ? When I was at the Flea Market, everyone was selling this for $20. I'm really glad that I found it for $5 I understand that DW is the game that started console RPG's and I respect that but it was FF that's started all RPG's for me ! I really hope this series gets better, which I'm sure it will :) I think there is another 3 titles on NES.

Graphics:7
Sound:7.5
Gameplay:7.5
Replay Value/Game Length:7.4
Final:7.5

Overall:7.4

Coffee Table Doubles As Functional NES Controller

The world needs more luxurious gaming furniture and less of those gaudy leather gamer chairs with built-in speakers.

Gaming decor goes to the next level with this coffee table that actually works as a fully functional Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) controller. Talented woodworker Charles Lushear sells the massive controller table on Etsy for $3,500 (plus shipping). The exotic item's 42 inches long, 18.25 inches wide, and 18 inches high, and you might want to seek permission from your significant other before purchasing it.I truly admire how accurate the table appears compared with the original NES controller. Lushear assembled the coffee table with "maple, mahogany, and walnut with dovetail joinery and mid-century modern legs," according to the description. The glass top removes easily for gameplay, and it features a retractable cord so nobody trips up after a marathon Mario session.

Mike Tysons Punch Out & Pac-Man(Tengen)

Yesterday I got a call from a friend and he told me he knew a girl that had some games. Last night I received a call from here. She named all the games she had and there was only two that I wanted. She said she wanted $20 for both games. I see Punch Out go for as much as $40 and Pac-Man for $25.
I'm also not sure why this Tengen game is gray ? I thought they were all black ? Can someone help me out here ? So, another good way to score cheap
Games, word of mouth !

Retro Week-End Warriors

I am putting together a NES gaming week-end, every week-end ! There will be a list of games that we play and will expand with time. All names and scores will be kept on the blog. Anyone that is interested E mail me @ willsweetin69@me.com or Get at me on Twitter BULLY_DOGG

The Game List Is:

PAC-MAN
Bubble Bobble
Life Force/Salamander
Tetris
Dr.Mario
Gradius
BurgerTime
Pinball
Mike Tyson's Punch Out
Rad Racer

A Twenty-Eight-Year-Old Video Game High Score Crushed

It stood for 28 years and took 58 hours and one quarter to beat. Seattle locksmith John McAllister toppled the 1982 world record for Asteroids, racking up an amazing 41,338,740 points on the 1979 Atari classic arcade machine. He tapped in the letters E L F next to his score before calling it a night.

Once confirmed, McAllister, 41, will be the new world record holder for Asteroids' high score. The previous high score was set back in 1982, just three years after the game's release, by Scott Safran with a score of 41,336,440.

McAllister now has to submit the video recording of his marathon gaming session to Twin Galaxies, keepers of arcade and video game high scores, to have it verified and, hopefully, entered into their office score book.

The score was considered by many to be unbreakable.

"It's basically considered a Holy Grail..." McAllister told the media. "It was a title that a lot of people would want, and I wanted it."

Big Day At The Flea Markets

Before we started the day, we thought we had three Flea Markets in our city.
When we woke up this morning, we quickly found out, we only had two :(
So, we headed to the largest one first.
I was a bit scared that I wasn't gonna
Find anything, because I have never
Done any game shopping at a Flea Market before. I'm not gonna lie, I didn't
think I was gonna find any thing :( As soon as we stepped in the place, the first thing I see is a Video Game booth.
I head on over, for further inspection and find out they are asking more fore games, than the Retro Game Shops.
It took a lot for me to walk away from this boot but I knew I could always come back. We started walking around the market and within two minutes, we found two more booths but way larger :) Prices at the first booth were similar
to the earlier booth we checked out, maybe a bit better. Tons of stuff and rare games but way too expensive.
We Proceed to move on to the next booth and the first thing I notice, is how cheap his prices are :) The game I always look for to base prices on is Duck Tales 2 & Chip n Dale 2. He had both for $65 each. The cheapest I have seen them in stores is for $80 each. As I start to realize how cheap his prices
are, I wonder if my heckling skills are up for the challenge ? The man who ran the booth, came on over and I could tell he was a super nice dude.
We got talking and I told him that I'm after the 670. The man proceeds to tell me he's got the 670 three times ? Two
For his personal collection and one that
He sells and restocks. He also said he's got a stupid amount of SNES games. Stock for years I guess ? I start
Ripping through games seeing some really good stuff, when Tyler comes charging over, pretty much red in the face :) And says that he found Tengen
Tetris. My mind started racing, thinking about how cheap I might be able to score this for. I thought with his really good prices, that he would want around $30. Pull out the game from the stack and see a $20 tag on it :) A game that I had been seeing everywhere, for a crazy price was Dragon Warrior. All the
Booths were asking $20. I got it and Rad Racer and Utopia SNES for $20.
Then I got Mega Man 5, which he had market for $40 for $25. Both Tengen Tetris and Mega Man 5 were $40 ? WTF :) I also picked up Life Force, Pinball and Alpha Mission for $20. I also grabbed two NES MAX controllers,
which I had never seen before ? He also gave me 15 NES & 15 SNES dust
protectors. I see them things go for at least $1 each on E Bay. I guess for $75
I did pretty good :)

Tetris Tengen 7.5

As some of u may know, I'm the biggest Tetris fan ! I thought this was gonna be a sick game but....It's got really cool game modes, vs ect... I found the graphics, gameplay and sound, not as good as the regular version ! I'm gonna give it another try but.... I'm pretty disappointed !

Graphics:5.5
Sound:7.5
Gameplay:7.5
Replay Value/Game Length:8
Vs/Final:9

Overall:7.6

Mega Man 2 8.4

As far as I can remember, this was the best game of the series, for NES. It wasn't the hardest game but fun as hell. Heat Man was the only difficult lvl for me. I was gonna wait until I had the complete series before I started but....
I can't wait to move on to part 3 & 4 and need to find part 1 , 5 , 6. This is deff a top game for me and I rated it higher than Mario.

Graphics:8
Sound:8
Gameplay:9
Replay Value/Game Length:8.5
Vs/Final:8.5

Overall:8.4

NES Collection Fetching Thousands On eBay

What's the price of nostalgia? Well, it runs to the tune of over ten thousand dollars and largely resembles a pile of 670 NES cartridges. eBay Canada user, sonyabscott, is auctioning off an instant NES collection consisting of the system itself, all the known accessories and every single licensed, North American NES game (despite the auction's claim of "every game ever made"). At the time of writing, the auction has 82 bids and stands at $15,300.

Purchasing 670 games on the Wii's Virtual Console service would amount to $3350, though that would likely be accompanied by years of waiting and a strange desire by Nintendo to release the likes of Casino Kid and Fisher Price: I Can Remember. If you want to empty your lungs into physical NES cartridges (especially 670 of them), you'd best smash open that piggy bank and start bidding.

IndianJones and the Last Crusade [Ubisoft] [Taito]

What was with Indiana Jones and the NES? It seems that he had two games for each of his movies with an identical name. There is a Taito version of Last Crusade also which is more common. Truthfully, we're not sure if this is just a different publishing company name on the game or not, as these two even look alike... but if you want the rare one, this is the one to get! The Ubisoft
copy will run u for $35ish and the Taito
Copy is about $12. The Ubisoft game is almost worth three times as much ?

Nintendo 3.8mm Gamebit Security Tool

Tool opens NES, SNES, N64, and some original Gameboy games (cartridges) and more for easy access for cleaning and repair. This new slimmer version is easier to use in narrow screw wells and is a higher quality metal that does not round out like some others.

$4.99 + Shipping

www.nintendorepairshop.com

Dr.Mario NES 8

I thought Tetris was my favorite puzzle game But I guess not ? My mom had this game and I didn't like it as a kid. Things sure have changed ! It is a very
competitive game and has a 2 player Vs mode :) The music is great and kinnda Mario sounding. This is deff a top pick for me !

Graphics:6
Sound:8.5
Gameplay:8.5
Replay Value/Game Length:8.5
Vs/Final:8.5

Overall:8

How To....Clean NES Games

Let's say you are feeling nostalgic. You go to your closet and pull out that old NES and hook it all up. You put in the game and turn on the system, but it doesn't work. You try everything from banging on the side to trying a different game. Still, nothing works. Read through this article and you will learn how to play that old NES.

1-Pour a small amount of window cleaner into a small cup.

2-Dip the Q-Tip into the window cleaner that you poured in step 1. Be sure to only dip one side of the Q-Tip into the window cleaner.

3-On the bottom of the NES game are metal contacts. Rub the side of the Q-Tip with the window cleaner on these contacts. Make sure you rub both sides of the contacts.

4-Now use the other side of the Q-Tip (that should be dry) exactly the same as step 3, but without window cleaner. This dries off the contacts. If you have a one sided Q-Tip just use another Q-Tip.

5-Dispose of the Q-Tip. You can use the extra window cleaner in the cup for another game, but make sure you use a new Q-Tip.

6-Your NES game should now work, so put the game into your NES and play. Enjoy!

Another method is, using a white eraser.Open your game and u can clean the dirt right off the contacts.
Opening your game is a lil bit more difficult :( U can get the right tool to get Nintendo screws out of your games here.www.nintendorepairshop.com
Or there are other way I found on the net but aren't really recommended ! Want your games to last another 25 years ? Buy the tool !

Official Nintendo System Dust Cover

This black vinyl coated cloth-like dust cover for the NES console with cutouts for where the cords come out. It is Nintendo brand with the logo on it in white. With this cover keep the dust from getting in the vents on top which get disgusting while preventing the yellowing of the upper plastic case from exposure to UV rays. A great way to protect and keep your Nintendo functional and nice looking for the long run!

Fix your NES, once and for all !

The toaster NES is the ideal system for playing NES games. For many years, unlicensed/pirate clones of the Famicom and NES have been made, and only recently have they caught on as a means of "replacing" your broken NES. A much better solution is to fix your broken NES. The end result is much nicer, trust me. Everyone of your NES games will work, with perfect audio and video. No game incompatibilties, no off tune sounds, no off colors, no missing sounds, and no messed up glitches. Just pure NES fun as you remember it back it in the 80s and early 90s. Every game cart will boot the first time you insert it into the system and power it on!

Below is the method that I use to fix my toaster NES systems. Yes, I have several. People tend to part with their toaster NES systems because they think they are broken, when all they need is some maintenance after 20 years of service. Anyway, this method is sure to make your NES as good as it was when you first got it new back in the 1980s. It takes time and patience, but if done right, you should only have to do this once every 5 to 10 years.

A few notes on the supplies that I use. First note that I do not use a replacement 72-pin connector. The unlicensed, non-Nintendo 72-pin connector replacement parts are known to be of poor quality and they are extremely tight, making game cart insertion and removal difficult. They also tend to break easily. The original 72-pin connector is the ideal choice, assuming it has been restored, which is what my method aims at: return your official connector to the perfect working condition that it was originally in when your NES was new.

The three main ingredients that I use are...
1. WD40: found in any hardware store in a spray can
2. 99% pure anhydrous isopropyl alcohol: can be ordered off of the web, it is rubbing alcohol without any water in it. It is cheap, so it is worth going through the trouble to buy a larger bottle, which should last a life time, for game maintenance at least.
3. Stabilant 22: can be ordered off of the web. It is expensive, but it is the magic ingredient for AV electronics. It is a contact enhancer used in computers, AV equipment, and even automobiles. It prevents contacts from corroding, and it also improves the electrical connection. Some people call it liquid solder.

Now for the steps on fixing your NES. Please use Google to search for details on the specifics of some of these steps, such as disabling the lockout chip, disassembling the NES, and bending the pins of the 72-pin connector.

0. Disassemble your NES and use a can of compressed air to blow the dust off of everything, and use warm water, hand dish washing soap, and a sponge to hand wash the plastic outer shell of the system. Be very careful with the stickers on the bottom half. If it isn't dirty, you can skip this. I typically just wash the top half, which tends to get real dirty. Use your kitchen sink's spray hose gun to jet rinse everything. Then towel it dry.

1. Disable the lockout chip.

2. Place the 72-pin connector in a bowl filled with WD40. One full can of WD40 should be enough. Make sure that the entire 72-pin connector is covered. Let it soak for 24 hours.

3. Meanwhile, use dampen a white paper towel with WD40 and wipe down the two metal shielding pieces, as well as the metal parts of the AV and power module on the NES mother board. Wipe in the WD40 and repeat over and over again until the components are clean and shiney. Never use too much WD40, as you don't want to get any of it on the circuit board parts. Use a clean, dry paper towel to wipe off all excess WD40 from the components you just treated. Use another paper towel, this time dampened in 99% pure anhydrous isopropyl alcohol to wipe clean the metal parts. Use enough alcohol and enough paper towels until the metal components are no longer greasy.

4. Use another paperl towel soaked in 99% pure anhydrous isopropyl alcohol and wipe the contacts on the mother board that connect to the 72-pin connector. Do NOT use WD40 on the mother board or its contacts. Repeat cleaning the contacts until no more grime comes off. You can also use q-tips dipped in the alcohol to brush clean the contacts.

5. Once the 72-pin connector is done soaking, remove it from the bowl and dry it off using paper towels. Next, pour the pure alcohol over the 72-pin connector and then dry with paper towels, repeating until all WD40 residue is removed.

6. Cover an old credit card with a layer of paper towel, trimmed to fit nicely, and moisten the paper towel with pure alcohol. Then insert it into the 72-pin connector as if it were a game cart. Repeat multiple times for both ends of the connector, until the pins are nice and clean. Use a bright light to see grime built up on the game cart end of the connector. Replace the paper towel once it becomes too dirty or when it starts to break apart. Be careful not to let pieces of paper towel come loose inside the connector.

7. Rinse the 72-pin connector again with pure alcohol, towel dry, and then use a can of compressed air to remove any dust or lint that gets on the connector due to the towels.

8. Using a clean, very small flat head screw driver, bend each pin on the game cart end of the connector up by a milimeter. You can bend them up more, if you like, but don't get carried away, as you can damage the connector. Also, the more you bend them up, the tighter the connection will be when putting a game into the system. A milimeter of bending is all that is needed to get a nice balance between easy game insertion and removal, along with zero problems getting a game to run. Your flat head screw driver should be small enough to fit the head vertically alongside a pin, between the metal of the pin and the plastic spacer to the right hand side of the pin. Slide the screw driver's head under the pin by rotating the screw driver a very slight bit in the clockwise direction (holding the 72-pin connector in the position that it would be in when inserted in the system). The more you rotate the screw driver, the more you will be bending the pin upward. Remember, just a milimeter of bending is all that is needed. Too much will make your connector too tight.

9. Place a nice even layer of Stabilant 22 on the mother board's contacts, on both sides, and also squirt it into the cable plugs that attach to the mother board for the power/reset buttons and controller ports.

10. Reassemble the system.

11. Take a clean game cart and squirt an ample amount of Stabilant 22 on its contacts. Then place it in and out of the cart port, so as to help apply Stabilant 22 to the actual 72-pin connector.

12. Before attaching your RCA AV cables, cover the AV ports on the NES with Stabilant 22. Also cover the male part of the RCA cables with Stabilant 22, and then insert the cables into and out of the AV ports, so as to help apply Stabilant 22 inside the AV ports.

13. Regularly clean all of your game cart contacts using q-tips dipped in pure alcohol. Keep your carts in sleeves and in storage when not playing them. Try to score an official NES system cover off of Ebay, to keep dust off of your NES system when not playing it. I keep my system covered even when I am playing it. It isn't like the NES overheats or anything.

SimCity SNES 8.5

This game is great and I'm a huge fan of the SimCity series. I play SimCity 4 on PC and SimCity Deluxe on iPhone.
It is so nice to be playing a simple SimCity ! No Schools, Colleges and Libraries. There is too many elements that aren't in the first SimCity to name.
A lot of the time, The older, More simple SimCity I'm much more fun and beatable. The SimCity series is deff
The only Sim game u will see on this blog !

Graphics:8
Sound:8
Gameplay:8.5
Replay Value/Game Length:9
Vs/Final:9

Overall:8.5

Home From Game Shopping

We picked up a couple of items today.

SNES:

Gradius 3
Sim City

NES:

Gradius
Pro Wrestling
Mega Man 2 3 4
Metroid
Kid Icarus
GI Joe The Atlantis Factor
Final Fantasy

Game Genie & 10 Game Carrying Case

Someone is getting much sleep tonight, Again :(