8-Bit City

Nethack Tileset

2012-01-29T08:17:00.000-06:00

I did not make this tileset, but it's an awesome example of roguelike graphics. Who needs animations? Tiled RPGs all the way.

Ms. Pac-Man High Scores and a Crazy Ms. Pac-Man Sticker

2012-01-27T09:00:00.001-06:00

I know I've posted stuff like this in the past, but for some reason I feel like I've never posted this one. If you search 8bitcity's Youtube, you can find some videos of old 100k+ Ms. Pac-Man games and other fun stuff as well.

Below is the Ms. Pac-Man video, enjoy!

Another NESTalgia Screenshot!

2012-01-26T14:05:00.000-06:00

An awesome NESTalgia screenshot of a lot of the players (But not nearly everyone!) with whom I used to play. Holler if you see yourself, you probably look a lot different now!

I'm the Fighter looking sick in red.

Song of the Week: Lufia & the Fortress of Doom Town Theme

2012-01-25T11:01:00.000-06:00

Lufia has the perfect town theme: happy and fun. That's why it's this week's "Song of the Week." We continue hope for the VC release of this most epic of RPGs.

Pixel Art: Star Quest 2 Mock-Up

2012-01-24T13:57:00.001-06:00

This is somewhat interesting: an old promo I made for Star Quest 2, a game which is still in the early stages of brainstorming development. The idea was to follow Princess as the story continues...

I really like the style I used for this sprite, and I think it would suit Star Quest 2 well.

Pixel Art: Emulation Arcade Wallpaper

2012-01-23T08:55:00.000-06:00

A virtual arcade wallpaper. The idea is that you can place icons inside the screens of the arcade machines, and they should line up in Windows.

1280 x 1024 resolution.

Pixel Art: Zelda Atari

2012-01-22T11:00:00.000-06:00

Because I did Zelda II in Atari-style the other day, I decided to give the original a try as well. Atari mock-ups are great fun, and I expect to do more of these in the future.

Pixel Art: RPG Sprites 10

2012-01-21T11:44:00.001-06:00

The latest in my long-going series of 8-Bit RPG Sprites. Some of these are inspired by Realm of the Mad God, an MMORPG/twin-stick shooter that I plan to review very soon.

The sprite "classes" are:

Knight, Mage, Rogue, Hero
Ranger, Gladiator, Skeleton, Space-Warrior

NESTalgia Screenshots

2012-01-20T10:21:00.000-06:00

I played NESTalgia heavily over three months, and it was awesome. I've been playing more Realm of the Mad God recently, and haven't had time to play both. I found these screenshots from 6 months ago on my Desktop and thought I'd post 'em. I wonder how NESTalgia's doing these days; anyone still play?

I've considered getting back into it, but honestly I won't have the time in the next 15 months or so because of work-related issues. NESTalgia was a small community, and I miss the players more than the gameplay, which was solid--but slower-paced than I would have preferred.

NESTalgia is a free 8-Bit MMORPG for Windows/PC. I highly recommend it, and you can search for "nestalgia" on 8-Bit City to find numerous posts I've made about it in the past if you're interested in learning more.

Will.i.Am sums up retro gaming

2012-01-19T16:02:00.003-06:00

"I remember Joust and then Q*BertC, right with the graphics started getting better and then there was Pole Position and Mike Tyson Punch-Out. That's when Nintendo started coming in. I loved Duck Hunt. Do you remember Gyromite? What was that all about? And then Zelda came out. That's when I was like it's all about video games. Zelda. Did you save the princess yet? Did you get the fairy? Where's the fairies at? Wow, that was like the dopest. And there was that little pond that you had to go to get some more lives and stuff. I loved that. I mean, that's my childhood from just video games."

My favorite part is when he says, "Wow, that was like the dopest." He also discusses a back alley "arcade" his "friend" used to scam people out of pocket change.

Cool interview, you can read it on http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/17/tech/gaming-gadgets/will-i-am-video-games/index.html?hpt=hp_bn6 of all places.

Pixel Art: Zelda II Atari

2012-01-19T09:50:00.000-06:00

Most people don't know that a prototype of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link was developed for the Atari 2600.

Stop SOPA

2012-01-18T10:19:00.004-06:00

I'm sure most of you guys have heard about SOPA, a bullshit bill designed to give corporations unlimited power to force the government to shut down websites they don't like.

Under fire, among other things, would be sites like this one that offer things like screenshots, video game music, and remix/pastiche works of original creation. Basically, if SOPA passed, I'd have to seriously consider, not just ceasing production, but permanently deleting most of this site. Then I'd cease production, with my website gutted.

Wikipedia blacked out there site today. No one online supports this bill, but TV, music, and movie conglomerates continue to ruin the world for everyone else. Most people take a tolerant tone on "preventing piracy," but I say fuck the media companies. Their TV, music, games, and movies are total shit. No one cares if you go out of business for peddling lowest-common denominator fluff and rotting peoples' minds for the last 60 years. Its time to move on.

Oh wait, we did. 14 years ago.

Song of the Week: StarTropics 2 - Mike's Theme

2012-01-18T10:15:00.000-06:00

When Nintendo offered a refund to all who had purchased the Internet Channel, I didn't know about it for months. When I turned on my Wii, I found 5 free bucks sitting in my Wii Shop Account. I immediately purchased StarTropics 2, and I haven't gotten very far, but it only takes a few minutes before you here Mike's Theme, a great 8-Bit song, and this week's "song of the week." Thanks to StarTropicsKing for uploading.

Berzerk Atari 2600 Review

2012-01-17T10:55:00.000-06:00

Berzerk and Frenzy are two of the best video games ever made, but unfortunately Stern went bunk and these classic have not appeared in subsequent anthologies because of licensing issues. Stern launched an agressive marketing campaign to demonstrate how arcade gameplay could exist in the home on the 2600.

This sort of marked the beginning of the end, as home consoles began to make more financial sense to most gamers and children. Nowdays, arcade are relics and littered with ticket games--if they even exist at all.

The only upside is that you can own Berzerk in your home for Atari. The only problem is that this version fails to capture the perfection and depth of the original. It still constitutes a great game in its own right, and it features more options and gameplays than the arcade DIP switches. My personal favorite option is turning evil Otto off, which makes the game much easier and allows for truly epic marathon games.

The original Berzerk featured 64,000 possible mazes, the main drawback of the Atari version is that only a handful of maps exists. Still, you get to lead a lone hero through a nightmarish electric mall avoiding robots and fighting for great justice.

You can score this cart for peanuts, so it's a must for any Atari collection. I just wish this game made it on to some of the anthologies. Considering it hasn't, it might just be the best reason to own an actual 2600.

I'll never get tired of zapping killbots.

Retro City Rampage Still Forthcoming

2012-01-16T07:19:00.002-06:00

The long-awaited 8-Bit GTA parody is "almost at the finish line" according to its development blog. I can't wait to get my classic controller on this game. I've actually been watching development since the project was titled "GrandTheftendo" and was a Famicom homebrew project. Thankfully the developer scrapped that idea in favor of the possibilities available in a modern format.

If you wanna see some screenshots, click here.

You can also read the post I made right after E3 about Retro City Rampage.

Hopefully Nintendo won't drag asses with this project, but knowing them, they will. You'll be able to download the game on either the 360 or Wii, and its nice to see cross-platform publishing that includes the Wii.

Pixel Art: RPG Hi-Res Wallpaper

2012-01-15T08:12:00.001-06:00

An 8-Bit Dungeon Crawler mock-up wallpaper. Fetures a hero and several enemies. Loosely inspired by Tower of Doom for the Intellivision.

1280x1024 resolution.

VG Music: Duane and Brando - Dragon Warrior

2012-01-14T10:17:00.000-06:00

The Adventures of Duane and Brando were smash Internet stars for a few years. However, life, like so many other video games, got in the way. The two comedic rappers have sense gone their separate ways, but the LP of Devastation, a collection of songs using NES melodies, remains for all to enjoy.

Dragon Warrior is a perfect example of what these guys could do best: turn a classic NES song into a gangsta rap, cuss like hell, and paint a realistic portrait of what the attitudes of video game characters would be like if they existed contemporaneously.

If you like the song, check out their Zelda songs, Mega Man 2 rap, Final Fantasy rap, and just about anything else. It's all gold.

Friday the 13th NES Box Scans

2012-01-13T21:34:00.002-06:00

What better way to celebrate Friday the 13th than with a small tribute to the classic NES game. I got this game for free as a kid (along with Karnov) because a cousin didn't like them, or something. I was very young, and I can't exactly remember the circumstances except that I was so young this game scared the crap out of me.

It all worked out for the best, and I grew up loving all the terrible 1980s horror flicks.

Friday the 13th is a solid game, but some people (like the AVGN) seem to hate it. It's not a walk in the park... well actually it is a walk through a park, but its a zombie-infested, siolated camp park. You'll have to explore caves, abandoned houses (in a sort of 1st-person perspective), forests, a lake, and the fear within yourself if you want to conquor one of the most challenging and rewarding popular NES titles.

I didn't beat this game until college, and it took a few days of trying, but I still clearly remember giving Jason the middle finger after so many years of failing to save Crystal Lake.

Tower of Doom Intellivision Manual and FAQ

2012-01-13T06:45:00.000-06:00

This is a copy of the manual for Tower of Doom for the Intellivision. Hopefully you are considering tracking the game down, but maybe you're emulating it first to see if it's worth the effort. In either case, if you're starting to play this game, you probably have some questions. Very little documentation exists about this title, and the official manual from intellivisionlives.com is the only really useful source of hard data about the game.

I've copied the manual below to hopefully help newer players get into Tower of Doom. For example, it's got a weapon chart which presumably lists the weapon strength. Additionally, one can see which levels are randomly generated, because this information is not provided on the selection screen, probably due to technical limitations and budget cuts.

This is the official Intellivision Manual, I hope it helps players. I'm considering playing this game a lot and writing a proper FAQ/Walkthrough for this game, but this will have to do for now:

(if you know one that exists, please post it!)
========================================

TOWER OF DOOM
CARTRIDGE INSTRUCTIONS
(For 1 Player)

Monsters. Magic. Good. Evil. Strength. Cunning. Traps. Mazes. Prepare
to face the greatest challenge any mortal has ever known -- the
Tower of Doom. Explore the winding corridors of the Tower: collect
precious treasure, discover the secrets of magic artifacts, encounter
the vilest creatures ever unleashed.

Surviving the Tower of Doom requires quick reflexes and quicker
wits. You must learn for yourself how to use many of the items you
will find. You must decide when to fight a monster, and when to
trade treasure for your life. You must maintain your strength,
increase your stamina, and develop your diplomatic skills.

Select your adventure. Select your character. Then prepare to enter
the Tower of Doom!

STARTING YOUR ADVENTURE
Insert cartridge (make sure power is OFF). Turn power ON and press
RESET. Title screen will appear. Press any hand controller KEY or the
DISC.

Select your adventure. In all adventures, you begin at the top of the
Tower of Doom and work your way down through numerous levels of
mazes to freedom. Some adventures have more levels and will take
longer. In some, the mazes and item colors are the same each time; in
others, the mazes and colors are different each time you enter the
Tower (item colors are very important, as will be explained later).
Other features also differentiate the adventures.

The chart below outlines the adventures.

NOVICE
No. of Levels: 6
Mazes: Same each time
Difficulty: Easiest (good introduction to the Tower's secrets. . .)
Color of Items: Same*

THE TOWER
No. of Levels: 8, 12 or 20
Mazes: Same each time
Difficulty: Easy
Color of Items: Same*

THE CATACOMBS
No. of Levels: 12, 18 or 32
Mazes: Different each time
Difficulty: Medium
Color of Items: Different

THE FORTRESS
No. of Levels: 6, 12, 18 or 32
Mazes: Different each time
Difficulty: Difficult
Color of Items: Different

THE CHALLENGE
No. of Levels: 14
Mazes: Different each time
Difficulty: Difficult (each level you descend introduces a new
monster)
Color of Items: Same

WIZARD HUNT
No. of Levels: 32
Mazes: Different each time
Difficulty: Difficult
Color of Items: Different

GRAIL QUEST
No. of Levels: 32
Mazes: Different each time
Difficulty: The Hardest (you must locate the Grail to succeed!)
Color of Items: Different

Press the DISC to cycle through the choices. When the adventure you
want appears on screen, press any SIDE KEY.

* If you assume the character of the Waif or the Barbarian (see
below), the item colors for these adventures will always be different.

Select your character. The character you select will determine your
abilities and the contents of your pack as you begin your adventure.
Strength and stamina are rated from 0 to 18.

There are ten characters you can assume:

Novice
Warrior
Archer
Knight
Trader
Barbarian
Waif
Friar
Warlord
Warlock

Overall, the Warlord, strong and fully equipped, is the easiest
character to begin with. The Waif, weak and poor, is the hardest.
The other characters have varying combinations of strengths and
weaknesses, as you shall discover!

THE SCREEN
Your screen is divided into several sections, each giving vital
information.

The largest section shows your immediate vicinity within a level,
along with nearby weapons, treasures, doors, traps, stairs, and
monsters! As you explore new areas of a level, the walls of the
corridors and rooms will appear. They remain visible when you
return to areas you've explored. If you come face to face with a
monster, the map is replaced with a view of the battle.

In the upper left corner of the screen is the LEVEL MAP. This map
shows the areas of the level you have explored, with your current
position indicated by a white dot.

At the middle left of the screen are three rows of symbols. You can
use the symbols in the top row to find out your status, to select items
from your pack, to use items, and to open doors and to descend
stairs. The second and third rows show the items you are currently
carrying in your pack.

At bottom , your Hit Points appear as a series of yellow shields
against a black background. These indicate how much injury you can
sustain before dying. You lose Hit Points as you are hurt in battle or
by evil magic; you gain them back over time as you heal. The black
background indicates your POTENTIAL Hit Points, which will increase
as your Stamina and Experience increase. Note: a magic spell can
occasionally make your current Hit Points exceed your potential Hit
Points!

In addition to the above information, helpful messages will
frequently appear on the screen, moving slowly from left to right.

CONTROLS
The use of your hand controller depends on whether you are
exploring, going through your pack, or engaging in battle. In general,
the controls are:

DISC: MOVE through the maze/RUMMAGE through your pack.
TOP SIDE KEY: USE an item.
BOTTOM RIGHT SIDE KEY: GET IN AND OUT of your pack.
BOTTOM LEFT SIDE KEY: DROP an object from your pack.

These are explained in more detail below.

EXPLORING

MOVE ABOUT THE MAZE -- Press the DISC in the direction you wish
to move. As you explore new areas, the corridors of the Tower will
appear.

USE THE ITEM IN YOUR HAND -- Press either TOP SIDE KEY. (Your
currently held item is shown in the third position in the top row of
symbols.)

TO PICK UP AN ITEM -- Walk over it. (If your pack is full, you must
drop an item first.)

TO GET AN ITEM FROM YOUR PACK, DROP AN ITEM, OPEN A DOOR, GO
DOWN A STAIRCASE, OR CHECK YOUR STATUS -- You must get into
your pack by pressing the LOWER LEFT or RIGHT SIDE KEY.

GOING THROUGH YOUR PACK

SELECT AN ITEM FROM YOUR PACK -- Press the DISC to move the
HAND SYMBOL (second from left in the top row of symbols) over the
item you want. Once you have selected an item, you can USE it, CASH
it, HOLD it, or DROP it (see below).

USE A MAGICAL ARTIFACT or CASH A TREASURE -- Press either TOP
SIDE KEY to use the artifact or cash the treasure under the HAND
SYMBOL. Weapons cannot be used while you are in your pack.

HOLD AN ITEM -- When you get out of your pack by pressing the
LOWER RIGHT SIDE KEY, the item under the HAND SYMBOL becomes
the currently held item.

DROP AN ITEM -- Press the BOTTOM LEFT SIDE KEY to drop the item
currently under the HAND SYMBOL. (Note: You can't drop an item if
you are too close to a wall or if the corridor is too narrow.) If you are
engaged in battle, the monster will take the dropped item as a bribe.

OPEN A DOOR (When you are standing at a door) -- Press the DISC to
move the HAND SYMBOL over the DOOR SYMBOL (rightmost in the
top row of symbols). Press either TOP SIDE KEY. You can then enter
the chambers behind the door...or let out what is locked inside!

DESCEND A STAIRCASE (When you are standing over a staircase) --
Press the DISC to move the HAND SYMBOL over the Down Arrow
(rightmost in the top row of symbols). Press either TOP SIDE KEY.
You will descend one level in the Tower. Note: you can not go back up
to previous levels!

CHECK YOUR STATUS -- Press the DISC to move the HAND SYMBOL
over the Question Mark, then press either TOP SIDE KEY. Your
Strength, Stamina, Life Force, Diplomacy, Experience, or Treasure
Score will appear on screen. Press again to see the next statistic.

TO MOVE THROUGH THE MAZE OR TO RETURN TO BATTLE -- Get out
of your pack by pressing the LOWER RIGHT SIDE KEY. The item under
the HAND SYMBOL becomes the currently held item.

ENGAGING IN BATTLE
When the map on screen is replaced by a view of you and a monster,
it indicates you are about to engage in battle. . .

ADVANCE FOR ATTACK -- Press the RIGHT SIDE of the DISC.

ATTACK! -- Press either TOP SIDE KEY to use your currently held
item. If you are holding a weapon, your success will depend upon
your Strength, Stamina, choice of weapon, and the monster itself.
Other objects in your pack may have magic powers you can use
against the creature. If nothing works, retreat! (Note: A successful
battle will increase your strength, but at the cost of your Diplomacy.)

BRIBE THE MONSTER -- Get into your pack (LOWER LEFT or RIGHT
SIDE KEY) and drop an item (see above). The monster will consider
your offering and may let you live. (Whether or not it does, it keeps
the item -- you've lost it.) Its decision will depend upon your
Diplomacy, the worth of the item, and the monster itself. If it accepts
the offering, you may continue through the corridors. If not, try
another bribe, attack, or retreat! (Note: A successful offering will
increase your Diplomacy!)

RETREAT -- Press the LEFT SIDE of the DISC. Once you successfully
retreat, the map reappears. Run away before the monster chases
you!

TRAPS, GAS CLOUDS, AND FIRE
Throughout the tower, there are Traps and Gas Clouds. Be careful!
Some Traps always affect you, others only occasionally. And you
may be able to time your passage through a Gas Cloud so as to not
interact with it, but for some, interaction is unavoidable. Different
Traps and Clouds have different properties:

Transporter -- Moves you to a new location in the tower level.

Paralysis -- Freezes you for several heartbeats. Keep pushing the
DISC, because you may get paralyzed again if you don't get out
quickly!

Confusion -- Causes you to walk around baffled -- the DISC does not
respond properly! Wears off in a few heartbeats.

Life Eater -- Reduces your Life Force.

Poison -- Reduces your Stamina.

Fire -- Reduces your Hit Points!

You are not always affected by traps, gasses, and fires. Fires, for
example, will injure you only one out of ten times; the transporter,
on the other hand, always moves you to another location (unless
you're holding a certain Key).

MONSTERS
You will encounter monsters throughout your adventure. You will
have to battle some; others must be bribed with treasures. Then
there are times when it's best to run for your life!

FIGHTING
There are two ways to fight monsters: with projectile weapons while
exploring, or with hand-held weapons while engaged in battle. You
will have to become experienced at both, since some monsters can
only be killed from a distance, others only from close up.

The results of a battle are determined by your Strength and Stamina,
the strength of the monster, the type of weapon you're using, and
any assisting magic you may have acquired (cloaks that protect,
spells that help defend, etc.). Be careful to keep track of your Hit
Points at the bottom of the screen, as you may get hit several times
before felling a creature.

Successfully defeating a monster by fighting increases your Strength,
while decreasing your Diplomacy.

BRIBING
You can only bribe a monster while engaged in battle. You may
attempt to bribe the monster even if he has started to attack you.
You must get into your pack and drop some item. The monster will
take the item, and, if he likes it, will retreat, leaving you in peace.
Wait for him to walk away! If you walk away from him, he may
become angered and attack!

If he does not retreat, he may accept more treasure - bribes during a
single encounter accumulate, so offering a monster three boots (for
example) may make the monster leave, whereas offering the
monster one dagger may do the same.

It is easier to bribe a monster as your Diplomacy increases. Having
high Diplomacy is the only way to make some monsters accept
anything at all. The monster takes -- and keeps -- the item
regardless of whether or not he decides to let you alone. And there's
one monster that will NEVER leave, no matter how diplomatic you
are, no matter how much treasure you give it.

Surviving a battle by bribing a monster increases your Diplomacy.

FLEEING
Fleeing is often the only way to stay alive. While exploring, it's
simple -- RUN AWAY!!!! During battle, it takes more coordination.
You can always retreat from a battle by moving your hero left. Once
you back away, you are returned to the map where, depending on
the monster, you may have an instant or two to further your escape.
It may take two or three feints to and from battle before you are in a
position on the map to run (if you were backed into a corner, for
example, or were being blocked from a hallway by the monster).

Fleeing does not affect any of your statistics.

MAGICAL ARTIFACTS
You will find many enchanted items in the tower. What these objects
can do is for you to discover.

Potion Bottle
Potion Flask
Mortar & Pestle
Small Scroll
Large Scroll
Book

The magic can have good effects...

Heal your strength...
Make you faster...
Make you invisible...
Freeze or slow monsters...
Teleport you to another room...
Turn off all traps in a tower level...
Increase your potential strength...
Increase all your abilities...
Remove evil spells cast upon you...

Watch out! The magic can also have BAD
effects...

Freeze or confuse you...
Make monsters invisible...
Decrease your abilities...

And a magical items can only be used once! Once used, it disappears!

The effects of a magical item may last a few moments, or for an
entire adventure. It may last until counteracted with other magic, or
it may wear off when you descend a level...

PROTECTION
Using these items protects you in some way, perhaps by enabling
you to fend off blows or to fight with greater strength.

Ring
Cloak

Be careful! Some rings and cloaks actually CURSE the fighter! Such a
curse can only be removed with the magic scrolls that remove evil
spells.

OTHER ITEMS

Key -- Different colors of Keys allow you to pass unaffected through
different traps in the mazes. Must be the currently held item to
work.

Boot -- Worthless, except in bribing particularly stupid monsters.

Food -- Keeps your Life Force high. Messages will tell you when you
HAVE to eat ("Life Force low..." "Life Force critical..."). If you ignore
these messages, your strength will start to diminish -- you're dying
of starvation! (Note: The Grail and Rosary Necklace increase your
Life Force.)

WEAPONS

PROJECTILE WEAPONS
These can only be used BEFORE engaging a monster in battle, while
the map is still displayed. (Like all other objects, however, they can
be offered as a bribe during a battle.) Select a Projectile weapon as
your currently held pack item. Pressing either TOP SIDE KEY causes
the weapon to fire in the last direction you ran. The weapon will
continue until it hits something -- hope it's a monster! Watch out!
Depending on the character you have assumed, you may be hurt by
the backlash of the powerful Wand and Holy Handgrenade! (But a
certain Ring can protect you...)

Dart
Bow
Wand
Holy Handgrenade
Hammer
Axe
Spear

These weapons can be used several times, but eventually will be
exhausted and disappear.

HAND-HELD WEAPONS
These can only be used during battle.

Dagger
Mace
Small Sword
Double-Handed Sword
Hammer
Axe
Spear

These weapons can be used as many times as needed.

Note that some weapons can be used hand-held or as a projectile.

TREASURE
You will find rare Treasures throughout the tower! You can save
treasures to use as bribes, or you can cash them. Cashing a Treasure
adds its value to your Experience (possibly increasing your potential
Hit Points) and to your Treasure Score. When you cash a treasure, it
disappears. Bonus: Whenever you descend a level, the value of the
treasures currently in your pack (not cashed) is added to your
Treasure Score.

Two treasures, the Rosary Necklace and the Grail, give you maximum
Life Force and have other mysterious magical properties! They take
effect when you cash them.

Note: Monsters are usually impressed by your Treasures and will
take them as bribes. Using a Treasure to bribe a monster, however,
DOES NOT add to your Experience or Treasure Score, and the item is
lost to you!

In order of value...

Candlestick
Bracelet
Coins
Gem Necklace
Amulet
Small Gem
Crown
Large Gem
Rosary Necklace
Grail

COLORS
The color of an item determines its type, strength, or worth. In the
NOVICE and TOWER adventures, the colors of all items remains the
same every time. In the more difficult adventures, however, the
colors are different every time you begin. In order to which colors
are more powerful, or what type of spells the colored magic items
bring, you must use them! In all cases, throughout any single
adventure, the colors remain consistent: a brown potion that
increases your speed means that all brown potions for the remainder
of the adventure will increase your speed.

WEAPONS
The color of a hand-held weapon denotes its strength. The color of a
projectile weapon denotes its remaining number of uses. Hand-held
items never lose their strength when used in Battle. Projectile
weapons eventually become exhausted with use and disappear.

MAGIC ITEMS
Identical items of the same color will always conjure the same magic
spell.

TREASURES
The color of a treasure determines its value, which either goes into
your score or determines how useful it is to offer to a monster. The
magic associated with the Rosary Necklace and Grail is also
determined by their color.

SOUNDS
Listen carefully! You can learn many useful things with your ears.
Certain spells are timed to your slow, rhythmic heartbeats. Different
types of Traps and Gas Clouds have distinctive sounds. And learning
the sounds of battle tells you when you hit the monster and when he
hits you!

YOUR STATUS
Your Hit Points are always displayed at the bottom of the screen.
Other information about your status is found by going into your pack,
placing the HAND SYMBOL over the Question Mark, and pressing
either TOP SIDE KEY.

STRENGTH
A number from 3 to 18 indicating how hard you can hit monsters
during battle. Increased by magic and by defeating monsters.

STAMINA
A number from 3 to 18 indicating how durable you are (affects your
potential Hit Points). Increased by magic and by eating food.

DIPLOMACY
A number from 3 to 18 indicating how successful you will be in
bribing monsters. Increased by magic and by successfully bribing
monsters.

LIFE FORCE
A number from 0 to 255 indicating how long until the next time you
have to eat. You lose one point for every heartbeat. Warning
messages appear as you approach 0. At 0, your Hit Points begin to
disappear as you starve to death. Increased by magic and by eating
food.

EXPERIENCE
A number from 0 to 650,000 representing your success as an
adventurer (affects your potential Hit Points). Increased by magic,
killing monsters, and cashing treasures.

TREASURE SCORE
A number from 0 to 650,000 representing the value of treasure you
have cashed (not given up as bribes) and/or successfully carried
from one level to another.

END OF THE ADVENTURE
Your adventure ends when you successfully escape at the bottom of
the tower, or when you die. (If you have selected the Grail Quest
adventure, you must find the Grail before you can escape the tower.)

To find out how well you did, you can look at your Treasure Score.
But the REAL test of how well you did is this: Did you
escape...ALIVE?
----------
©1987, 1998 Intellivision Productions, Inc.

Pixel Art: TI-Calculator Sprites

2012-01-12T13:46:00.002-06:00

This is the first part in a TI-83 (or whatever) RPG sprite sheet. These sprites were created with the utmost in limitations: each sprite is no greater than 8x12 pixels, and all are rendered in 1 color + transparency.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom (Intellivision)

2012-01-12T06:57:00.002-06:00

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Tower of Doom (later known simply as "Tower of Doom" when licensing issues became a problem) is the third entry in the AD&D series for the Intellivision. The three games were revolutionary console RPGs and each broke new ground in a different way. The first entry, Cloudy Mountain a.k.a. Crown of Kings is more of an Action Adventure game. The second entry, the Treasure of Tarmin, introduces a first person perspective. Tower of Doom scraps that design in favor of hardcore dungeon crawling similar to glorious games like Nethack. One must give credit here, however, considering Tower of Doom was designed with limited resources (unlike Nethack) and release in 1989... which is fairly late considering the previous AD&D game (Tarmin) was released in 1983 (although writtin in 1981).

Tower of Doom, not to be confused with the Capcom beat-em-up, is a standard dungeon crawler. You can fight enemies with ranged attacks, or go into melee combat in first person. You choose one of 10 classes, I prefer Warlord, but others are fun as well, and journey into the dungeon. I've heard the levels are actually 256 floors deep, but I've only gone down 15 floors so far.

As you dive down, you find more items and stronger monsters. It's a dash to the next door in the dungeon, because your health will start to drain if you waste time. You can't save, so you're always going for a high score.

You can also find food, potions, magic spells, weapons, and treasure. Treasure ads to your score, and thankfully disapears once you use it. You can only hold 8 items, so inventory management becomes important, but not impossible. I haven't found any armor, so I'm pretty sure it doesn't exist, although you can find magical rings and treasure crowns, and ghostly spells; the game packs variety.

The dungeon floors are randomly generated on some levels, but the game has pre-existing adventures as well. Honestly, as a serious rougelike player, I prefer the randomly-generated levels.

It's an amazing game, and well worth purchasing Intellivision Lives! or even a real Intellivision to play this game. I don't own a better, faster paced, randomly generated dungeon crawler on the DS.

Beating Tower of Doom Catacombs 12

2012-01-11T11:04:00.004-06:00

After a few days of attempts, I finally beat one of the levels in Tower of Doom for the Intellivision. Admittedly, 12 levels is not that bad. I lucked out hard with stair placement and pretty much zoomed out of the tower. Using Warlord was another major advantage (the Warlord starts at level 4 & with tons of gear)

Now I'm working on the deeper mazes, but it seems everytime I'm on a roll my health starts dropping mysteriously. Maybe I'm not eating enough food, but I didn't see any "starving" message. Maybe I'm being poisoned and I just don't know it; in any case these mysterious "health leech" deaths are beginning to become a serious pain. I just wish I knew what was killing me.

My "winning" game was played on the PS2, even though most of my Tower of Dooming takes place on Intellivision Lives! for the DS. Both versions are completely solid; the touchscreen doesn't offer much in terms of gameplay for this title.

The Catacombs are a randomly-generated series of dungeons. It's a little like playing Berzerk the RPG. Supposedly even stronger monsters exist in the later levels; I'm looking forward to giving them a medieval smackdown.

Song of the Week: Activision Anthology PS2 - Squeeze - Pulling Muscles from a Shell

2012-01-11T08:48:00.000-06:00

I first heard this song in the Activision Anthology for PS2. Since then I've heard the song playing in Walgreens, Mexican restaurants, and even a few arcades. It's weird how that works. I've never heard anything else by Squeeze and I don't want to ruin this great song.

Say what you will about 1980s music, but some songs just capture the era in the same way as classic games.

It might be a stretch for "video game song of the week," but who's going to stop me?

Thanks to the youtube uploader as well.

New Retro Site Affiliate: SuperPhillip Central

2012-01-10T01:43:00.000-06:00

SuperPhillipCentral.blogspot.com is our newest affiliate, and this guy has been blogging about games for as long as 8-Bit City. If you need more video game blogs, then this should do just fine. He covers all kinds of games, so you'll probably find something to enjoy. You can add it to you blogger news feed by subscribing, in the same way as you can subscribe to 8-Bit City.

Play Star Quest! (and a huge Star Quest secret)

2012-01-09T16:03:00.000-06:00

Star Quest is an epic adventure that's as much fun to play as it was to create. You control the Spaceman on a mysterious planet and it's your quest to assemble your party and beat the 4 dungeons. Once you've done this, you gain access to the spaceship's computer (have you found the secret room in the spaceship? Look hard in the arboretum on board...your ship contains much more than you realize). Only after you've defeated the Scientist will the information in the Starship computer's databases be accessible. Somehow, all this is tied to the arcade machines and the robots which populate this strange planet. You'll have to talk to everyone, make ethical decisions, and outsmart your foes in this game. It's free to play so let the Star Quest begin.

The Official Star Quest Page

Also, there is a guide if you get stuck.

If you email me an ending screenshot, I'll send you more information on the game and a secret computer entry revealing even more of the plot.

Frog Bog Intellivision

2012-01-09T13:25:00.004-06:00

Frog Bog was one of several games featured in the recent cult classic film Grandma's Boy. It's easy to see why: the movie definitely has a retro penchant, and an Intellivision game is perfect for the movie's comedic vibe.

Supposedly this game is a remake of Frogs and Flies for the Atari 2600, but for some reason I just like Frog Bog better. The graphics are definitely improved, but I enjoy the controls on the Intellivision, oddly enough, better than on the Atari.

In the movie, a younger gamer challenges pro-taganist Alex to a game of Frog Bog, and its the perfect choice for multiplayer action. The game test reflexes, timing, and prediction of parabolas (mental calculus) to the extreme. Your competition is the only real difficulty setting, because the computer is laughably easy. Both players jump around catching flies for three minutes, flies are worth different amounts of points, and the player with the most points after three minutes wins the game.

There are several different control options. A fixed arc across the lilypads serves as the easy setting. I prefer medium, in which you have to plan your jumps more carefully by holding down the button to determine velocity; this setting also allows you to choose between low hops and high hops. This also allows the players to fall off the lilypads, and this is great because it only penalizes you by taking a little time to swim back up to the lilypad. Its both realistic (i.e. frogs shouldn't die when they touch the deadly water) and fair. Players won't be discouraged from taking risks, and an agressive strategy is the only way to victory.

As you play, the pond shifts slowly into nighttime--a nice graphical touch, and one that provides the game with some extra charm. The game was included in the PC, PS2, and DS versions of Intellivision Lives! On the DS you can play single-cart multiplayer with a friend of stranger. It's a game you can challenge anyone to, anytime-- to the death or for money.

Intellivision Lives! DS Review

2012-01-08T21:42:00.004-06:00

Most Intellivision games are terrible. However, there are enough exceptions to make this collection worthwhile for any retro gamer.

The stars of this collection are undoubtedly the AD&D games, relabeled as generic fantasy adventures, but with all the original art and gameplay.

Crown of Kings was the first. It's something in-between Adventure for the 2600 and The Legend of Zelda. It randomly-generates caves and the map to offer endless potential and replayability.

Tower of Doom is my other personal favorite, offering a selection of dungeons, many randomly-generated, and is quite simply an awesome dungeon crawler.

Frog Bog is a nice addition as well, and I've always thought it was better than Frogs & Flies for the Atari.

Other Intellivision classics like Astromash appear, but I'm sure they left a few of the favorites out. They certainly left out the extras--such as documentaries present in the PS2 version--out of this release. Every game, however, has an in-game instruction manual, and I've found the interface intuitive and easy-to-navigate.

It's definitely the collection to own, and although it'ss getting hard to find these days, scoring a copy is not impossible. I'd recommend getting this collection while you can, and maybe even supplimenting it with the Intellivision Lives! disc for the PS2 or PC. I picked the PS2 version up for $1.59 at gamestop this week, and that's a hell of a deal. The DS version is a little more expensive, but it's got the better game selection and the the touchpad function nicely with the overly-complex Intellivision controls.

Get both--Intellivision might not be the best, but it's good enough. The AD&D games are truly epic, and legitimize the purchase, everything else is just gravy.

Many of the games are sports titles, a few are basically unplayably slow by today's standards. Others are just a little dull. However, it does have over 60 games, and single-cart multiplayer modes on tons of titles. Outside the Dungeons and Dragons games, many simply lack the spark of classic Atari adventures like River Raid, Adventure, Pitfall, Super Breakout, Missile Command, Centipede, Pac-Man, Circus Atari, and Berzerk.

Still, every now and then you'll find a great gem like Space Spartans, Frog Bog, Tower of Doom, Crown of Kings, or Treasure of Tarmin. What's the harm in having some crappy titles rounding out the collection? The variety ensures that this will last you at least a year if you're just now getting into the Intellivision. I've only been playing the games a few years myself ever since I bought an Intellivision Plug-N-Play a few years ago. It required 4 AA batteries, and I promptly returned it, but not before playing Crown of Kings and getting hooked. However the game is unfortunately missing from the PS2 and PC collections, which makes getting both versions a must for everyone. The $1.49 price tag is worth it for the cool virtual arcade menu, documentary, programmer interviews, and ability to play on a large monitor.

I like to think of it as an expansion pack for the DS version, and a necessary one at that.

8-Bit City Is Kicking Ass

2011-12-30T16:50:00.001-06:00

A fews days of vacation does a blogger good. I took a little time off over the holidays, but 8-Bit City is again functional. You might have noticed that from this morning's Centipede review, and if you haven't read it you can check it out anytime.

As the year comes to a close, I'm gearing up for the annual "Top 10 games" list. It's going to be tough deciding which games make the cut, but by tomorrow I should have the thing sorted out.

Thanks to all the readers, subscribers, emailers, commenters, and posters of 8-Bit City. It's almost been 4 years and the site continues to grow and traffic is at an all time high. Drop me a line and let me know what you'd like to see (or not see) on 8-Bit City in 2012!

Centipede

2011-12-30T07:14:00.000-06:00

Centipede is one of the core classic arcade machines, and also one of the most challenging. Along with Pac-Man, Galaga, Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Space Invaders, this game was released just as video games were beginning to take the country by storm. Atari would be the major player for the first five years, with Missile Command, Tempest, Centipede, Frogger, and dozens of other amazing games occupying corners of arcades across America. CEntipede sold an impressive 50,00 units, second only to the 1979 epic, Asteroids. Centipede designers Ed Logg and Dona Bailey did the world a favor by making this game, and helped to define what exactly a "video game" was.

You've probably played Centipede before, but you might not have dug very deep because of the difficulty. Most players will last a few minutes, skilled players might make it 10 minutes. Champions, however, can play for hours.

I'm not a champion. I am, however, working on my high score this week ever since receiving Atari Greatest Hits Volume 1 for Christmas, as well as Skyward Sword, Gradius Galaxies, Gradius 3 & 4 compilation, and many other awesome retro titles.

Centipede, unlike most other shooters, doesn't take place in space. Instead, you shoot centipedes, spiders, fleas, and scorpions in a garden of death. Never before has gardening been host to such a glorious arena as in Centipede and its followup, Millipede.

The rules are simple: hit the centipede and it turns into a mushroom. Hit it in the middle, and it splits. The other pests will attack, and you can hit them for points as well. Spiders create poison mushrooms which cause the centipedes to enter into a blind rage and charge the bottom of the screen. If you take too long to kill the centipede, more single heads will appear. If too few mushrooms exists near the bottom, fleas will fall from the top, leaving trails of mushrooms. Destroy the centipede to progress the level, and the colors will change.

People often speak about insects in this game, however, only the fleas are insects. Centipedes and millipedes are myriapoda, a distinct subphylum of arthropods; scorpions and spiders are, of course, arachnids.

Several strategies exists, from leaving a single column open (under the 1,000s digit of the high score), to control the path of the centipede and using safe zones, but the core of all strategies relies on the now time-tested double formula of 1) not missing and 2) not getting hit. Having only one available bullet at a time makes missing once a potential disaster.

My all time high score is something in the 50,000s and it was earned a few years ago on an arcade machine out of town. I haven't been able to break 30k on M.A.M.E. or the DS recently, but I can feel my skills improving.

As simple as they might seem, Centipede's graphics are perfect. They messed it up a little in Millipede, which was not as successful as the original. Everything (except the player) perfectly represents what it is meant to. The player has to create the "garden" in their imagination using the sprites as ideograms in a colorful field. The black background, like this site, serve to make the colors as bright and eye-catching as possible.

And it worked. Centipede has been ported to just about every system and cell phone extant. Additionally, a 3D Version for Dreamcast, PC, and Playstation was made; I'd like to look at that title more in-depth in the future. A reboot of the series on the Wii was recently created as well, but it looks to be a below-average 3D run-n-gun.

Centipede is awesome. Even the cabinet art is awesome. If you have a centipede high score, email me the screenshot or post a link to the image in this thread. It's strictly honor system, so no save states, emulator abuse, or troublemaking. If you email me your screenshot I'll post it in a new post with any others I receive.

One thing you don't want to do: play Centipede with digital controls. The original cabinet uses a trackball and a single button--the ideal way to experience the game, but a method of playing which is not immediately available to everyone (including myself at the moment). Luckily, in M.A.M.E. you can easily use your mouse, just set the sensitivity super high. The DS version is fantastic because you use the stylus to control as well as vertical orientation (a la Brain Age). My scores on the DS have been slightly higher than on the computer, but I still feel like it's more fun on the big screen.

Enjoy the gigantic Centipede gallery!

Epic NES Finds

2011-12-23T09:50:00.000-06:00

My girlfriend and I were shopping for NES games out of town a few days ago and the store--Game Exchange--had a buy 3 get 1 free deal on anything under $7.99. Most of their NES games were priced at exactly $4.99 so it was easy decision. These are the 4 games we picked up, all together, for $16.50.

1. The Clash at Demonhead w/ manual

An epic sidescrolling metroidvania. This game tops Adventure Island IV, in my opinion, and is an NES classic. Recently I posted some sketches I made of maps and characters while playing the game. Also, I posted my entire playlog of the journey. Finally, if you want the good stuff, the check out the Nintendo Power scans of the game.

2. Fantasy Zone

A Tengen cartridge, I was really happy to find this game because it seems somewhat rare. Not too much to say other than the fact that its a port of an arcade game by the same name. It's been ported to about a dozen systems, including:

Arcade, 1986
Sega Master System, 1986
MSX, 1986
Nintendo Famicom, 1987
NEC PC Engine, 1988
Nintendo Entertainment System, 1989
Sharp X68000, 1989
Sega Saturn (part of Sega Ages), 1997
Mobile phone, 2002
PlayStation 2 (part of Sega Classics Collection), 2003
Wii Virtual Console (re-release of the Master System version), 2008
PlayStation 2 (part of Sega Ages 2500), 2008
Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (part of Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection[NA]/SEGA MEGA DRIVE Ultimate Collection [UK]), 2009
(Wikipeia, Fantasy Zone).

3. Gremlins 2

A fun sunsoft bird's eye platformer. It reminds me of Startropics II, but this game is much more difficult. Overall it's a fun game, and much more playable than Fester's Quest, a piece of shit.

4. Amagon

I saw this boxed a while back, but passed it up. I saw this opportunity to correct my mistake. I haven't really dug my teeth in Amagon, but I know that its similar to Contra. You have limited ammunition, which is pretty unusual for a Contra-style platformer and you die in one hit.

5. 8 Eyes

I didn't actually buy 8 Eyes, rather it was an early Christmas present. I think it's basically a two player Castlevania, and I'm excited to start playing it as well. It's almost 2012, and still I'm getting new NES games for Christmas. Also, before I forget, that Clash at Demonhead image--I have no idea who made it but it's pretty awesome.

Pixel Art: Santa Claws, Elves, and Christmas Trees

2011-12-22T13:21:00.000-06:00

Some single color sprites and tiles. The elves have knives and Santa is unrecognizable as such, so the image only sort of makes sense, and even then each requires the context of the others for any holiday meaning to be conveyed. I like it.

Gestalt theory says that the human will find patterns, and color combinations in certain situations, like the one above, can induce this response.

Unused Final Fantasy NES Sprite

2011-12-22T11:36:00.004-06:00

Digging around in Final Fantasy, I found an unused sprite. Looks like a king or a prince to me, but he could have been something else. Thanks to this poster on GameFAQs for tipping the internet off to this hidden secret. I'm sure the FF community has known about this for years, but its cool nonetheless.

Clearly there are dozens of unused sprites waiting to be discovered on the NES, however recognizing them can be a challenge. Final Fantasy is one of the easiest roms to "read" in Tile Layer Pro, everything is nice and neat--other games, not so much.

I wonder if the Dragon Warrior games have some unused sprites as well...

Pixel Art: 8-Bit Sylvia Plath

2011-12-21T11:01:00.000-06:00

Brilliant poet Sylvia Plath in 8-Bit.

Krang Animated .gif

2011-12-20T05:56:00.000-06:00

I forgot where I found this Krang gif, but it's pretty awesome. Blogger won't animate the image in the post, so click it for the animation. I just watched the original TMNT movie and I'm in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mood. maybe I'll finally beat the NES game...

Krull Atari 2600 Ad

2011-12-19T08:48:00.000-06:00

Krull is a great game for the Atari 2600. I posted about it two years ago when I discovered the game and spent a while conquering its quests.

Although it's difficult to read, the bottom right section of the ad pretty much explains the entire game... kind of a bummer actually. In any case, the desire for realism in games is present, with the box claiming to really "take you there," i.e. inside the movie. The movie sucks, but this game remains a true classic.

Ultimate RPG Screenshots

2011-12-18T00:34:00.002-06:00

These are screenshots from a project codenamed "Ultimate RPG." It's in the style of the Ultima games, but with JPG battles. These are from a "working" build, but I shouldn't even use that word. This is just the beginning; everything will likely be changed as I continue to work on this.

Pixel Art: RPG Tileset

2011-12-16T18:11:00.002-06:00

This is one of a few different RPG tilesets I've been working with for some sort of traditional RPG.

This picture is from a newer version, but I actually like the old one better. It's a little more complicated, but I think I've decided to go with the old set, which I'll post tomorrow or something.

Pac-Man Pasties

2011-12-15T07:55:00.000-06:00

Things are getting PG-13 over at 8-Bit City. These Pac-Man pasties might be every girl gamer's ideal Christmas present. Or maybe not.

Song of the Week: Duck Tales - The Moon

2011-12-14T11:41:00.000-06:00

We might as well get this one out of the way because we all knew it was coming. Listen and enjoy.

Another Unused Ultima: Exodus Sprite

2011-12-14T08:32:00.000-06:00

Aside from the sprites mentioned in the last post, there is another unused NPC. A shopkeeper. Pretty cool. It's nice to see Ultima: Exodus on the NES with such a huge following (relatively speaking) that new things are still being discovered.

I ripped the sprite using Tile Layer Pro, but a fellow gamefaqers tipped me off to the video below. It demonstrates some HEX hacking of the ROM to display the unused NPCs (including the Jester from the other post).

Unused Ultima: Exodus Sprites

2011-12-13T15:22:00.005-06:00

Here's something interesting I found today: some unused sprites from the NES Ultima: Exodus ROM. There was apparently a Jester and 3 enemies cut from the game. The colors pictured are examples of how the palettes could have been used.

Many NES and SNES roms have unused graphics hidden on the inside, but these guys were news to me. Thanks to the Sprite Database for posting this originally.

I recently beat this game, and it was epic. Haven't gotten around to writing up my notes into a blog post, but that should happen soon. Thankfully, finals week is over.

Pixel Art: RPG Sprites 9

2011-12-13T07:42:00.000-06:00

A final set (for now) of RPG Sprites. Some of these are palette-swaps, but I really like the magenta + aqua + white combo. Reminds me of old EGA games for DOS and Apple.

Pixel Art: RPG Sprites 8

2011-12-12T16:04:00.000-06:00

Here are 8 sprites for the 8th "official" entry in this series.

These can be palette-swapped to great effect.

Pixel Art: RPG Sprites 7

2011-12-12T07:54:00.000-06:00

This is the seventh post of untitled RPG sprites that I've made and posted. These are from a game I'm working on, but not sure if I'll finish it. The sprites are cool, and I'll be posting more sprites this week.

Pixel Art: Single-Color RPG Sprites 3

2011-12-11T09:21:00.003-06:00

Another set! These are my favorites of these recent sets of sprites. I'd like to use them in some Ultima-style RPG or Dungeon Crawlers.

Pixel Art: Single-Color RPG Sprites 2

2011-12-10T10:26:00.000-06:00

Another set of 4 sprites. This group of characters is starting to shape up. These might even make a cool game.

Pixel Art: Single-Color RPG Sprites

2011-12-09T18:00:00.003-06:00

Trying to capture the feel of really, really old RPGs like Ultima.

Awesome 8-Bit Zelda Pic

2011-12-08T10:21:00.000-06:00

I didn't make this picture, but it was so awesome I had to post it. This would make an epic T-shirt... my current Zelda NES shirt is getting a little ratty.

Song of the Week: Lord British's Castle

2011-12-07T13:33:00.004-06:00

This week's song is not to be confused with Lord British's theme, another great song from one of the best NES adventures. This week's track plays normally in his castle, and is my second favorite song from the NES port of Ultima: Exodus.

Although the verses are somewhat generic, the chorus to this song accurately captures the sense of excitement, exploration, and discovery that made the game so famous. These two parts of the song form a tension which mimics the tension in RPG: peaceful towns and dangerous wilderness.

Give it a listen and let others know what you think about this song!

Pixel Art: Tiny Sprites

2011-12-06T07:09:00.001-06:00

This was an experiment to see how small one could reasonably create a diverse set of sprites. I'm pretty happy with the results; these guys are awesome.

Pixel Art: RPG Sprites 3

2011-12-05T08:32:00.002-06:00

An RPG Party inspired by Ultima: Quest of he Avatar on PC. You've got your hero, guard, druid, wizard, and a boss guy at the end.

I've got final exams this week so updates my be a little crazy but keep checking back, I should update every day.

Final Fantasy VII Wallpaper

2011-12-04T05:59:00.001-06:00

A classic Final Fantasy VII wallpaper. Damn I love this game, never gets old. One of the craziest and genuinely good stories in a video game. I received it originally as a Christmas present, so again I associate this game with winter.

This game and Septerra Core were always my favorite PC RPGs. Yea, I know Final Fantasy VII came out on the Playstation, but I originally played it on a computer.

Pixel Art: Aliens

2011-12-03T14:07:00.000-06:00

Pixel art of some aliens just chillin.

Pixel Art: Your World of Text Monster

2011-12-02T08:30:00.000-06:00

Done in ANSII in a text editor and inspired by yesterday's drawing. You can see this one for yourself at yourworldoftext.com/information.

/Information is a Your World of Text link repository I've been running ever since I heard about the site. Check out the your world of text links, the drawings, and maybe leave a drawing yourself. /FF7 is also pretty entertaining.

Pixel Art: Warriors

2011-12-01T01:11:00.000-06:00

Two ancient warriors do battle on a sunset field.

Song of the Week: Lord British's Theme

2011-11-30T06:37:00.002-06:00

This weeks song is one of my favorite video game songs of all time, the music from Ultima Exodus that plays when you build a party and in Lord British's castle. It demonstrates the legendary music in this cart.

Ultima: Exodus is an amazing game, and is one of the only truly non-linear adventures on the NES. There is so much depth to the game you might want to use a guide, but then again, you might not!

Listen to the song and post your thoughts below! And if you haven't played Ultima: Exodus... do. You can read my review of Ultima Exidus for NES right here.

This game and I go way back to 7th grade when I bought it off a classmate for a dollar. Over Christmas break I played the game incessantly, which is why it always comes to mind around winter. Enjoy!

Original "Meteos Angel" Wallpaper

2011-11-29T10:09:00.001-06:00

A couple people requested the original angel meteos wallpaper. You can download it here, or save it above.

And, no, I obviously didn't do this piece. My style is obviously more primitive.

Anyway, thanks for the emails and keep 'em comin'!

Editing Super Mario Bros. Stage 1

2011-11-28T07:13:00.000-06:00

Here's a youtube video of a customized stage 1-1 in Super Mario Bros. There are tons of utilities online for editing this game. SMB Utility and Tile Layer Pro are all you need to create your own legendary mario hack.

Top 10 Budget DS Games to Buy Other People or Yourself, or, a Cyber-Monday Video Game Guide to the DS

2011-11-26T08:32:00.007-06:00

You've got friends, children, people, and they need video games. They've probably got a DS, but you honestly don't know what they hell to buy them. Maybe your on a budget and don't want to waste a chunk of change for a crap game. This list is in no particular order, because I've tried to offer a variety of genres for everyone.

These are the games that define the DS.

#10 Final Fantasy III

You really can't go wrong with Final Fantasy III. The commercials for this game really showed off the power of the DS, and made this Famicom classic come to life. Everyone was waiting for Final Fantasy III to come out, and about 5 of my friends bought it on launch day. I was the first one to complete the game--3 months later. This adventure will always be remembered by anyone who conquers the crystal tower, and is a must-have for the DS. It's been out for years, so you can find it cheap.

#9 Contra 4

I remember the E3 announcement for Contra 4: gamers were stunned. A new golden age in retro releases and rehashes was beginning, and Contra 4 helped get us there! Contra 4 is sidescrolling action perfected, and if your buddy has the cart multiplayer mode can be a blast.

#8 Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow (and, sure, the others)

My personal favorite Castlevania, and one of the games that convinced me to buy a DS. Metroidvania gameplay is perfected, and a few stylus gimmicks keep things fresh. This of this game as Symphony of the Night on crack, and you're approaching Dawn of Sorrow. You can summon Death's Scythes, swarms of demonic locusts, and fire a 9mm handgun and rocket launch ALL AT THE SAME TIME. Need I say more? It's got more modes and difficulties than you'll know what to do with; well over 50 hours to complete everything.

#7 Sonic Rush

Another early DS game, and not a bad entry in the Sonic series. Unlike some of the more recent flops, Sonic Rush holds up as a Sonic game, and manages to be worthy of Genesis comparison. For those who are tired of Sonic 1, 2, and 3, Sonic Rush would be a much better option than Sonic 4 of Sonic Unleashed or Sonic Colors.

#6 Dragon Quest 9

Not a port; this is a full-fledged original entry in the Dragon Quest series. RPG fans will appreciate the standard JRPG grind fest and explorative adventure. Some people hate it, others love. Personally, I lament the loss of what this game could have been: an online action RPG--until fans backlashed and the game was redesigned. They listened to the fans, but I wish they hadn't. DQXI is a solid entry, and great fun on the DS.

#5 Chrono Trigger

A timeless classic. Considered by many to be the greatest game of all time. Either you've already got an opinion on Chrono Trigger, or you need to play this game. The DS version is far superior to the Playstation port; this game is recommended to all! I've seen this game for 5 bucks at stores, so you've got to be able to find it.

#4 Kirby Canvas Curse

A game that uses the stylus with style. Either all gimmick or no gimmick, Kirby Canvas Curse is still the best Kirby game on the Nintendo DS, and, in my opinion, the best Kirby game of all time if we don't count Super Smash Brothers Brawl. This one might be a little more rare, but if you see this game this holiday season, you might want to grab it for a gamer.

#3 Retro Game Challenge

If 8-Bit City were a video game, it would be something like Retro Game Challenge. Actually, if 8-Bit City were a game, it would be Star Quest. Expectantly, Star Quest and Retro Game Challenge feature a similar mechanic: games within the games; except in Retro Game Challenge you get magazines and new cart as you grow up as a young kid playing the Famicom. It's stranger than that, but this game is without a doubt one of the best on the DS, and reason enough to buy a used DS Lite or something.

#2 Meteos

The best puzzler around, and it's for the Nintendo DS. Meteos is half space shooter, half puzzle game, and all action. You need twitch reflexes and pattern recognition skills for this one. Improve your mind, play Meteos!

#1 Contact

The most underrated game for the DS, Contact went barely noticed. It still enjoys a cult following, and you can probably find it haunting a Gamestop this year. Contact breaks the forth wall, and recognizes that the player is playing the game and communicating with space aliens via a device called the Nintendo DS. It gets weirder from that, as you possess a boy from another dimension and turn him into a killing machine, all to help a dubious 8-Bit scientist. Contact engages the player directly, you can't help but love this game. If you're buying someone a gift for the DS, make it Contact--this might be the last year you'll be able to find this rare gem. It's sure to be worth quite a bit in the future, and will likely be sought after by collectors as an essential piece of the DS library.

Mr. Driller W Review

2011-11-25T17:33:00.004-06:00

If you haven't played Mr. Driller you really owe it to yourself to give the series a try. This wiiware edition functions as an acceptable point of entry into the series while simultaneously satisfying fans.

Basically you dig down destroying blocks in an attempt to reach the bottom of the stage. If a block crushes you, you die. If you run out of air (time) you die. Along the way you pick up air capsules. Blocks also disappear if 4 or more of the same color fall or touch each each other while at least one is falling... the combos are hard to explain but you'll get the idea almost immediately.

Mr. Driller W has several levels, each with 3 difficulty settings. Each difficulty is like an entirely new level because the playing fields are radically wider on expert, and very narrow on easy. The expert levels are truly huge, bigger than anything else in the Mr. Driller series.

There are 7 characters to play as, each with their own voice and special abilities. Some characters are faster, but consume air quicker. Some can jump up 2 blocks instead of 1, and one can be hit twice before dying. The characters add even more variety to an already great game.

What IS missing, however, is other modes. You only have the stages to play through, though each stage does feel very different from the others. One stages has a lot of disappearing blocks, another has a lot of "white" blocks which wont attach or combo (these can be extremely dangerous).

The highlight of the game are probably the 2 endless levels (technically 6 when you count difficulties) which allow you to drill to your heart's content. One of these stages is easier than the other, and that's one of the best features in the game: the learning curve has been greatly reduced providing new players with easier access to the series. New players can play the easiest stage on the easiest difficulty with the easiest character (the robot) and learn the mechanics before moving on to something more challenging.

However, if you are a hardcore fan don't be deterred, because the expert difficulty is by far harder than the previous games.

Other features include: local leader board, 5 save files, unlockable stages and an unlockable character who plays quite differently than the others (I won't spoil it in this review). The game doesn't track stats like Mr. Driller 2 for the GBA, but it does track time.

Finally, all 4 control schemes are supported (wiimote, classic controller, GCN controller, and wiimote+nunchuck) which is an important feature lacking on many games.

For 8 dollars it's the best bargain in the series, I highly recommend it to everyone. Anyone else enjoy the series? Which version do you prefer?

Song of the Week: Meteos "End of the Universe"

2011-11-25T07:02:00.000-06:00

It's time for a change in the song of the week. I know the internet has killed everyone's attention span, so I hesitate to even post a slow song. But's it's so damn good I don't have a choice, you have to listen to it.

This song plays during the credits to Meteos, and sets the mood well considering how most of the story lines end. Meteos: not your average game.

Post your thoughts on the song in the comments below.

Play STAR QUEST

2011-11-24T23:47:00.002-06:00

Star Quest is the ultimate 8-Bit adventure. It is a game of exploration, conversation, and arcade machines. The diction is, at times, strange and miltonic, but the NPCs tell a mythic story about a small planet.

This planet resembled an earth town. It resembles a town as Earth represents them in video games.

It is a real place, and because of this, it has arcade machines. The games, sometimes, don't seem very different from the "real world," which is itself, a game.

You'll have to defeat the bosses, rescue heroes to help you on your quest, explore other world, travel through space, search for quarters, philosophize, laugh, cry, and be amazed.

You can go to the official post and download Star Quest.

Over one-hundred maps and hundreds of NPCs.

Dozen of plot threads informed by 1980s video games and the international literary canon.

The strangest fucking game you've ever played.

Seriously what the fuck are you waiting for download Star Quest and play it now!

Seriously what the fuck are you waiting for download Star Quest and play it now!

Meteos

2011-11-24T19:05:00.006-06:00

Before we do anything here, backstory: I've been working on a "special post" for Thanksgiving. It's a list of some Famicom games (a certain genre), but it's not finished yet and I don't want to short-change the article. Hopefully that'll be finished tomorrow, but whatevs.

The reason for the delay--not Thanksgiving, although mine was nice--is Meteos for the DS. But before we get into that, backstory:

On June 6th, 2006 at about 12:06 a.m. I bought Meteos, New Super Mario Bros., and my DS Lite. It was the launch day and I had been waiting for over a month to get my hands on the new DS. Why was I so excited? To understand the chain of events, you need a little more backstory:

Back in 2004 I hated the Nintendo DS. It was clunky, had poor display (My GBASP was better), and generally I felt like the stylus was a stupid gimmick. It had no good games as far as I was concerned. However, one day while working in the university library a co-worker let me borrow his DS. But you don't really understand this guy, so I need some more backstory:

I started working at the library in 2003. I had just started college and the world was my oyster. Clichés abounded. I was sitting around the college, it was raining, and school hadn't even started. I was trapped in the Quad, but I didn't have shit to do and I was enjoying the summer weather. I had only been living in the dorm two days. I was ready for anything, including a post-apocalyptic situation. I thought about the previous night; I came back to my dorm at 2:00 a.m. and found my roommate and a girl in bed watching porn. I said "hey" and started playing Team Fortress Command. I also thought about the job I just got (student-worker, included in a scholarship). Actually, this story isn't relevant at all. I'm not even going to tell it.

Meteos: for the DS. It's awesome.

I didn't draw the angel in the background, but it was similar to the background used in Meteos for the planet Starrii.

Also I found this weird-as-fuck Meteos blog, where someone created personalities for all planets.

Realistic Super Mario Enemies

2011-11-24T11:47:00.001-06:00

Super Awesome Mario Bros. drawing of Bowser and some koopas. The Super Mario Bros. mythology is so very, very odd when you think about it. Didn't draw this, just found it somewhere.

Pinball Extravaganza Scans

2011-11-23T07:01:00.000-06:00

This is a really cool page from issue 5 of Nintendo Power: mini reviews of Rollerball, Pinbot, and Super Sushi Pinball.

Rock-N-Ball and Pinball are two other classic NES Pinball games. They can be fun and challenging, but Devil's Crush and Alien's Crush on the Turbo Grafx-16 have all of them beat.

Nevertheless, I got Rock-N-Ball many, many years ago for $5.00 at a garage sale. I was impressed by the multiplayer and different modes. My friends and I spent countless hours playing the pinball versions of soccer and hockey.

Rock-N-Ball deserves an in-depth review, so I'll stop there.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, be sure to check back for a special post...

Pixel Art: Space Shooter Mock Up

2011-11-22T09:47:00.000-06:00

Another original 8-Bit drawing. Humanoids vs. Space Aliens.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Screenshot Gallery

2011-11-21T16:57:00.009-06:00

Here is a collection of some of the more artistic Skyward Sword screenshots from around the web. Special thanks and credit goes to www.videogamer.com for these screenshots. You can click on this link to see their gallery as well.

These represent the best screenshots, in an easy-to-navigate format.

It's about time the Wii got it's Zelda update. I have to admit, after looking at the screenshots I have some high hopes for the game. The Wii party might be coming to an end, and it won't be long before all the Wii releases will be fair game for sites like 8-Bit City.

The systems, they come and go so quickly.

Skyward Sword Launches in America

2011-11-21T16:13:00.003-06:00

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Nintendo Wii launches, and once again it's time for gamers to journey around what is hopefully a much-expanded Hyrule. Many gamers have been waiting years for this game. It might be the last great game to come out for the Wii. It might be the last great Zelda game ever created. Then again, it might just be more of the same. I want a game that captures the adventure, challenge, and sense of exploration in Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda, and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link--not a formula-grown fetch quest.

I assumed stores were packed and/or already sold out. Still, I hate ordering things online this close to Thanksgiving and Christmas, and hopefully I'll be able to grab a copy after I finish this post!

I won't be reviewing Skyward Sword for some time. I'm just not going to hammer out a generic review; I'll get to it when I have the time. Also, I'm not going to be reading any online reviews or looking at many screenshots.

The art style has been part of the online controversy, but last I heard most gamers seemed okay with the Ocarina-inspired artwork. Personally I like the darker side of Zelda (Twilight Princess and Zelda II) but I'm willing to be open minded.

Has anyone purchased the game? I'd be interesting in any first impressions readers have of it. My only expectation is that it has some new stuff. I really feel like the Zelda series as a whole has stagnated, but I haven't lost hope entirely.

Interview with Yuji Naka: the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog

2011-11-21T08:25:00.001-06:00

I found this interview with Yuji Naka in Sega Visions Issue 9. Sonic 2 hadn't come out yet, and this guy was at the height of his powers.

VG Music: Gradius Gaiden Stage 1

2011-11-20T18:00:00.004-06:00

This song is an awesome technorock track that uses laser-synth sounds to mimic the icy nature of Stage 1 in Gradius Gaiden.

Gradius Gaiden was only imported to America on the PSP Gradius Collection. I recommend downloading the pSX v1.12 (or higher) emulator and the .bin and .cue files for rom. It's well worth the hassle to emulate this one.

Gradius NES Box Art

2011-11-20T11:05:00.000-06:00

The Gradius box art is pretty sick, no doubt it helped to push a few carts back in the day. I like reading the backs of NES boxes; they really hype the game up.

Also, the art for Gradius II on the Famicom isn't bad either. Same as the arcade title screen.

Dragon Warrior Strategy Guide Nintendo Power Scans

2011-11-19T08:02:00.003-06:00

Here's a great way to start the weekend: Dragon Warrior Strategy Guide scans. In addition to another issue of Nintendo Power with Dragon Warrior, the game was covered in-depth in Issue 7.

I'll always remember getting my copy for free in the mail because of my subscription to Nintendo Power. I spent months playing the game before I finally beat it. I would spend hours looking at the maps, charts, monster stats, etc. I even calculated how many battles I would need to buy the Silver Shield, get to level 30, and other good stuff. Dragon Warrior was one of the first really fleshed out adventures, and the main overworld theme will always be stuck in my head.

These scans have nice hints, tips, & some amazing art! This is what made Nintendo Power such a force to be reckoned with.

Dragon Warrior is epic, what more can I say that the scans don't? Twenty years ago you'd be watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and playing Dragon Warrior right now.

Pixel Art: 8-Bit Super Meat Boy

2011-11-18T14:24:00.006-06:00

Watch out for buzz-saws and vaporware. Too bad Super Meat Boy never made it to the Wii. At least you can download an old version for the PC for free, or get it on steam.

Averaging Gradius

2011-11-18T07:30:00.000-06:00

After beating Gradius yesterday I found this cool project called "Averaging Gradius" over at TheNewGamer.com.

Basically he superimposed 15 players plus himself playing the first level of Gradius and color coded the entire thing. It reminds me of Quantum Mario, and other videos.

You can read "Averaging Gradius," his blog post about the process of making the video.

Or you can watch the video below!

Gradius NES FAQ, Walkthrough, Review & Codes

2011-11-17T08:35:00.000-06:00

Gradius was an arcade hit in Japan. America and Europe got the game under the title "Nemesis." Europe would later get Gradius II as "Vulcan Venture." The NES revieced ports of both. So did the Turbo Grafx-16. Also the MSX.

The NES Gradius will no doubt hold a special place in many gamers' heart because it was the most accessible port for most of us growing up. Gradius was hard as shit, so I could never get very far.

The Konami Code changed that a little. Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, start. In Life Force & Contra you get 30 lives. In Gradius your ship gets near maxed.

Strategy on the NES involves

1) never getting hit
2) always having the shield up
3) having another shield ready to go if your shield gets low
4) switching from Double to Laser sometimes

In areas with a floor and ceiling it's typically better to use double. In open space, use the lasers. This means double in stages 3, 4, 6, 7. You should use the lasers for stage 5. At the END of stage 6, switch to the lasers if possible. You'll know the end is coming because of the crazy background junk.

Gradius has its fair share of other codes as well. I'm just going to list the all, then get to the review:

You can get into a nice spot with some of the core bosses in which you'll be safe. Try to go just above the 4x laser beams and sit still. All shots should miss you!

Continue Code
--------------
You can continue! At the Game Over screen, press down, up, B, A, B, A, B, A, start. You only get 1.

Skipping Levels
---------------
Warp (1 to 3): after defeating Core Fighter in level 1, when the thousands digit of your score is even, destroy 4 hatches.

Warp (2 to 4): Destroy Xaerous Core at end of level 2 within 2 seconds of its core turning blue.

Warp (3 to 5): Destroy 10 stone heads in level 3.

Game Genie Codes
-------------------
SXOOYYVI Both players have infinite lives
AENELZLA Both players start with 1 life
IENELZLA Both players start with 6 lives
AENELZLE Both players start with 9 lives
KOXOLYSP Keep power capsules
NNOEKPIE Increase force field protection
YGUONUZS + YGKPUUIL Never lose weapons

They simply did an awesome job with this port. It's just as much fun as its arcade counterpart, and the shield mechanic actually makes the game significantly easier. Plenty of codes, cool music, nice art, stage variety, challenge, and flawless hit detection make this one of the best greatest NES games you can buy. It's been released on the Wii VC as well, so get Gradius any way you can. You should probably grab Life Force as well.

I bought Gradius for 5.00 at a garage sale in the '90s. Finally conquered the NES version today. Kabuki Quantum Fighter, The Guardian Legend, The Clash at Demonhead, and now Gradius. What's next?

Exile Turbo Grafx 16 Ad

2011-11-16T08:41:00.000-06:00

Check out this ad for Exile, another great piece of artwork from Working Designs.

I know the style is cheesy, but what can I say, I dig it.

Song of the Week: Nightmare (Mutant Warzone)

2011-11-15T09:56:00.000-06:00

This week song was created by mrjordak for the Mutant Warzone OST, and it's awesome.

You can download and play Mutant Warzone for free!

It's a zombie game. In edited ANSII.

The Guardian Legend Japanese Manual

2011-11-14T13:13:00.000-06:00

I can't read Japanese, but maybe some people can. It has some nice artwork anyway.

Get the Japanese Guardian Legend NES Manual.

Thanks to http://www.videogameden.com/ for uploading the manual.

If you're looking for the English manual, you can find it at Vimm's Lair.

The Guardian Legend rocks.

Cosmic Fantasy 2 Retro Preview

2011-11-13T09:20:00.000-06:00

I found this old preview for Cosmic Fantasy 2 in the only issue of Turbo Force, an old Turbo magazine.

It actually really makes me want to play this game when I finish Phantasy Star II. Cosmic Fantasy 2 reminds me of Lunar, another great Working Designs import.

Crystalis and Journey to Silius Codes

2011-11-12T09:36:00.000-06:00

Crystalis and Journey to Silius are two of the most treasured games on the NES, and to flip through the old magazines and find them together on the same page was fantastic.

Both of these codes are rather useful:

Crystalis Warp
----------------------------------
-Hold A on Controller 2 + Hold A & B on Controller One
-This allows you to warp to different locations around the map, even into areas you cannot currently access!

Journey to Silius Debug Menu
----------------------------------
-At the title screen Press B 33 times then press start
-You can change the number of continues.
-Note: You've got to be quick about it; the title screen only appears for about 20 seconds.
-I used this code a lot when I was practicing Journey to Silius.

Journey to Silius Doom Gun
----------------------------------
-There is no Doom Gun, but a consistent rumor persists. Don't believe their lies.

The Journey to Silius Doom Gun has got to be one of the oldest NES rumors around. This is the original "revive aeris" cheat.

Section Z NES Manual Scans

2011-11-11T13:50:00.000-06:00

Section Z is the overlooked Capcom classic for the NES. Luckily it's rather common so you should be able to track it down if you're into awesome space shooting games. Most arcade players will already be familiar with Section Z, but the NES game definitely holds its own.

Great music, nice graphics, multiple weapons, tons of enemies, and a maze-like exploration mechanic combine to form something like S.C.A.T. or Abadox meets Air Fortress.

Whether you've played this game before, threw out the manual as a kid, never want to play it, or picked it up today, you can at least enjoy the ridiculous story and creative drawings. Overall this is a damn nice manual, and I like the materialistic design. It's over 20 pages, and I didn't post some of the legal copy. All the good stuff is in-tact.

VG Music: Life Force Level 2

2011-11-10T09:36:00.004-06:00

Life Force is probably the greatest shooter on the NES, and Stage 2 undoubtedly has the best music.

Unlike Gradius, every Life Force level has a weird bio-theme. So grab a friend and take down the fleet of space-dwelling monsters.

This song almost sounds like something from Adventure Island. In any case, enjoy!

Phantasy Star II -- Part Four

2011-11-09T12:56:00.003-06:00

The dams proved to be a challenge. These dungeons have some of the most sadistic mazes ever created by human beings. It took several days of playing, but eventually I opened each dam and flooded the canals on the planet.

But just when I thought the job was finished, security robots attacked and captured my party. We were taken to a space station orbiting the planet, and couldn't attack or use items.

The space station crashed, killing the entire party and destroying the planet entire planet Palm. Our bodies were salvaged in space by an outlaw, Trevor, and he cloned us back to life. We thanked him and headed back to Mota, beaten and unsure of what to do next.

Our headquarters offered further support by loaning us the use of the last spaceship on Mota. It is automatic, so anyone can drive it. Without a second thought we went to Dezo, the other planet in the system. Alis and her friend had done much the same thing 1000 years ago.

Dezo is desolate. A mysterious fog envelops the entire planet, and the inhabitants speak a different language. I had to find the Mogic Hat before we could communicate with the Dezoians. There are two species of Dezoians, one appear to be hardy humans, the others are rabbit-like creatures.

After exploring the space station for a while, I found the two towns of Zosa and Ryuon. I've upgraded all my gear, and the only thing left to do is figure out where to go...

Neutopia Strategy Guide Scans

2011-11-09T09:45:00.000-06:00

Neutopia was the Turbo Grafx 16's answer to The Legend of Zelda. It's got just as much charm and adventure as Nintendo's golden classic, plus the benefit of NOT BEING ZELDA--a game which most of you readers have, like me, demolished over 20 times.

You can snag an easy copy via the Wii's Virtual Console for 6 bucks; I've had this game for about 3 years now and I've yet to really sink my teeth into it. It's a great game, I've just lacked the dedication to conquer it and its sequel (Neutopia II, also released on the TG16 and WiiVC).

I found these scans in an old Turbo magazine. This walkthrough for Neutopia is amazing, and I'll probably peak at these things if I get into some trouble. I'll try not to use them, but in any case the artwork is strange and much different from the in-game style. Looks like they wanted to "Westernize" the game for American audiences...

But Neutopia's got the style, the challenge, and definitely the music to justify playing this game in 2011, so give it a try!

Song of the Week: Phantasy Star II "Mystery"

2011-11-08T10:25:00.007-06:00

This week's song is another great track from the Phantasy Star series. This music plays in some of the dungeons I'm trying to get through, and the second half is super catchy.

Rock on, Sega Genesis, rock on.

Phantasy Star II -- Part Three

2011-11-07T10:32:00.006-06:00

Read: Part One
Read: Part Two

It was several months since I last adventured on planet Palm. I had destroyed a bio-lab, but the Climatrol system was malfunctioning, and I had to explore it. However, the journey wouldn't be easy because I first had to invent a way to breath underwater.

By chance, a scientist in Kurei was working on just such a device--all he needed was a certain type of leaf which only grew on a certain island. The only problem: the people of Palm quit using vehicles years ago when teleportation was perfected.

However, in the same city some old jerks mentioned a jetski that they used to get drunk on and seduce women with in the old days.

The only other building I had access to was the gigantic garbage facility of Roron. Maybe the jetski was there? It was, and I now had the coveted RPG-boat! Also we ate poison cake in Roron. Good times.

I was using Rolf, Rudo, Nei, and Amy; exploring the mountains required several trips to gain a few levels. Eventually I could pimp out all my dudes and dudettes with the hottest gear. Rolf began to get more powerful that the others... Rudo's laser cannon made the leveling process bearable, but Rolf now holds the edge with his attacking magic, healing, higher damage, and teleportation. This isn't to say laser guns don't come in handy--defense has no effect on a motherfucking laser, so when physical attacks do a measly 8 or 9, Rudo always hits for 50-58.

Eventually I found the leaf, got the underwater-breathing gum, found the oceanic entrance to Climatrol, and broke into the facility. At the top was another catgirl, like Nei. She revealed that both Nei and herself were genetically engineered people (because that was not obvious). Her name was Neifirst and she attacked and killed Nei. Storydeath.

My team avenged her death, unsuccessfully. Neifirst kicked my ass. So I did it again, but this time I removed all of Nei's gear because $$$$ rules everything on Palm. I died again... The third time I was more cautious, walked through the dungeon collecting all the treasure, got to Neifirst, warped out, saved, went all the way back, and--finally--defeated her.

The cloning labs wouldn't bring Nei back to life. They had already done it a dozen times, but somehow they knew she was a bio-engineered person and refused to do the job. This fits with the harsh, apathetic world. Very few people have helped us, and a lot of people have already died.

Mother Brain declared us criminals. Her robots were sent to destroy the team. No longer would I be fighting bio-monsters...the world had changed.

My organization stood gaping in awe. Too afraid to arrest me themselves, and realizing Mother Brain's sinister intentions, they agree to let me do whatever the fuck I want on Palm.

Mother Brain outlawed all spaceflight.

I'm going to break into the damns and lower them.

There used to be a spaceport on Palm.

Continue Reading in Part 4!

Cosmic Fantasy 2 Retro Ad

2011-11-07T08:46:00.000-06:00

I came across this in the first issue of an old Turbo Grafx-16 magazine. The artwork is so bad it's good--like someone trying to draw anime for the very first time, I love it!

Sidearms Turbo Grafx 16 Retro Ad

2011-11-06T09:06:00.000-06:00

Another great Turbo ad, this time for Sidearms. The image speaks for itself, I think.

Beating The Guardian Legend

2011-11-05T03:47:00.003-05:00

After 10 years I finally detonated the self-destruct sequence on Naju, a hi-jacked alien starship.

It's 4:00 a.m., and I too tired to say much or type correctly.

But, at least I am the greatest player.

The Guardian Legend Assorted Artworks

2011-11-04T11:06:00.000-05:00

A collection of cool Guardian Legend images I found online.

At the request of many people, I've started playing this game. A few hours have convinced me that this is truly an epic quest. I've owned the cart for years, but never got around to playing it until now.

Looks like this one will definitely live up to Clash at Demonhead and Kabuki: Quantum Fighter, my two previous NES adventures.

The Clash at Demonhead Artwork

2011-11-03T16:50:00.006-05:00

You can't play an RPG without a trusty notebook. These are drawings of the characters, the world map, clues, and others notes from playing The Clash at Demonhead, one of my new favorite NES games. I hope you enjoy!

Clash at Demonhead Playthrough Log

2011-11-03T12:29:00.006-05:00

I kept a written log of a playthrough of The Clash at Demonhead for the NES.

10-31-2011
5:18 PM:

Just got the first Hermit power in Clash at Demonhead. This game is damn difficult, and sometimes the music can be grating. Also, even though Bang jumps very, very high, he can't jump very far horizontally.

Lot of depth and content here, however. I just realized you could call a shop and I haven't read the Nintendo Power guide or an FAQs yet... don't plan on it either unless I'm stuck for a day or something.

Bought a boomerang gun, but it's much worse than the blaster... I really need a jetpack, but I don't know how to buy one. The world is rather large, and it's going to take forever to explore >:D The variety of environments is nice, enemies are wacky, and some of the tunes are actually really cool.

An intimidating game, to be sure.

Somehow I've always lumped this one in with Conquest of the Crystal Palace as a "wannabe" adventure game, but I couldn't have been more wrong. (Conquest of the Crystal Palace still sucks whatever you can think of).

11/1/11
1:16 AM:

Just got back from a Halloween party, time for some more Clash at Demonhead... I went to 2 used game stores today but got nothing, tomorrow morning I'm going for the third and final store that sells NES games.

Man, this game is incredibly addicting.

I also played a little more Double Dragon II, but I'm still having problems on level 4.

11/1/11
8:11 PM:

Finally got the jetpack in Clash at Demonhead (and the Thunder Gun). However, I'm out of money so it's time to grind before I explore some more.

I really forgot where I supposed to go next, so I guess I'll just stumble around.

11/1/11
8:48 PM:

Finally found a boss in Clash at Demonhead and got my first trif-...err, medalion.

Next I found my friend Michael on a route and he told me to go down the well and get the stone... but at the bottom was a face that looked like a door. I couldn't figure out what to do, so I'm back to wondering around now.

11/1/11
11:39 PM:

Well, I took out another governer! But I keep running into this giant eyeball who kicks my ass everytime. I spent half an hour trying to beat him, very, very frustrating. So I had to look at an FAQ, I realize now that I need the sword to defeat him, so I'll leave it alone for now.

The sprite told me to talk to the Hermit, but I'm not sure what she means... the original Hermit? That doesn't make much sense...

I feel like I'm at an impasse--completely unsure of what to do, but a lot of the map is still uncovered. Which brings me to my next thing of interest:

I'm making a hand-drawn map, old-school style. It takes a little effort, but the satisfaction is completely worth it. I'll post a picture of it when I beat the game, complete with all my notes, pictures, and NPC clues.

I've also collected quite a bit of money and bought all the items, though I think I'm running low on jetpacks and supersuits now. I love how easy it is to get money in this game :D

I've also heard about a shop that can transfer the gold I've found into cash, but I haven't found it yet. An NPC told me where it was (I think), but this was before I started writing the clues down...

11/2/11
4:52 PM:

I've started exploring the entire map now, with the goal of figuring out how to get the sword (in the long run) and collection all 5 (or more) medallions.

I found another boss under the water in a stage, the easiest fight thus far.

I also ran into my old friend, Joe, who was injured and who I left for dead on the ground (lol). Joe didn't offer much new information, other than stating that Guycot beat the crap out of him; remember I've already come across a beaten-up Guycot, and it looks like "Demon" is going to be the real final boss in the game!

Finally, I found the Cash 4 Gold shop and traded in my 42 bars of gold for $4200; disapointing that I didn't get the $42,000, but you can't win all the time.

As the game progresses I find myself more inclined to liberally use the jetpack and aqualung in a search for hidden passages. So far, the jetpack has turned up nothing...

...and the quest continues...

11-2-11
6:25 PM:

I met the motorcyle-dude, Bopper, and defeated him in combat, although he didn't drop a medallion... after more exploring I found Mary, Bang's kidnapped girlfriend--she attacked me so I killed her! Luckily it was only a double and I fought the next Governer, Pandar. With the Thunder Gun he easily fell.

Then there was much exploring--I traversed the other areas of the game, and tried to climb the mountain at the North end of the map, but a monster blocked my passaged. Not discouraged, I continued the quest.

On Route #7, by the beginning of the game, I found another Gov., the "Tiny Devil," This guy was tricky, and it took 3 tries to finally defeat him. The trick, which is obvious in retrospect, was to kill his spawns first instead of focusing on him. That made 4 medallions.

I decided to climb the mountain from the other side, and discovered a mysterious ice cavern, but it was apparently empty.

The fifth was achieved by beating Bopper a second time. He had a machine gun, but the battle arena provided plenty of cover to safely take him down. I was at the entrance to the final dungeon, I think, but because I didn't have all 6 medallions I could not proceed.

At this point the entire map has been explored, and I'm still short a medallion and I still don't know where the sword is. I remember that the sprite Fayasa told me to go see the Hermit again, and since that's the only clue I've got, I guess it's time to pay my old friend another visit...

11/3/11
12:08 AM:

Just finished the game.

-Talk to hermit, told me to get the sword from route 40 robot.
-Got the sword with the magic stone!
-Fought the demon via the secret passage in route 40,
-Got the final medallion
-Entered the spaceship atop the mountain
-Fought the head Alien
-Fought another head Alien
-Raced to the bomb which was activated with the real boss's death
-Failed to disarm the bomb and had to do it all over again :D
-Disarmed the bomb via a simple game of "mastermind"
-Saved the world

Now for the best part: I've been hand-drawing maps and drawing characters from the game... I'm going to scan all the pages tomorrow and post em here (8 pages of drawings, about 15 drawings in all. I drew the game as I envisioned it, giving it a MUCH darker tone than the NES).

Kick Master NES Nintendo Power Scans

2011-11-03T09:09:00.000-05:00

Another title I'm just now digging into, Kick Master haunts used game stores all over America. Most will probably dismiss it because of the generic title, but new player will undoubtedly discover much depth and adventure with Kick Master. From Issue 28 of Nintendo Power (1991), enjoy these awesome scans! They covered quite a few levels, and nothing compares to the Nintendo Power strategy guides.

Kick Master starts like any other platformer, but an experience system which increases your available combat moves, rocking music, and jaw=dropping boss fights separates this one from the pack.

Pixel Art: RPG Sprites 2

2011-11-02T15:21:00.000-05:00

An 8-Bit RPG Party complete with (from right to left), a hero, cleric, monster (no equipment, but strong physical attacks), soldier, and wizard.

I tried to make them as small as possible, but I wasn't very strict about this.

Song of the Week: Phantasy Star Tower Theme

2011-11-02T09:48:00.003-05:00

Phantasy Star has some of the best music on the Sega Master System (plus it's my favorite 8-Bit RPG!).

The Tower theme has a tension too it, and drives the player to explore. There is a subtle note of triumph in the song as well; it gives me the impression that hard times are going to follow but victory eventually awaits.

Vice: Project Doom Review and Nintendo Power Scans

2011-11-01T11:15:00.006-05:00

Vice: Project Doom is a champion among games. It unabashedly copies the Ninja Gaiden formula, but with improvements. You play as Hart, a secret agent who has no qualms about killing people left and right. Armed with a laser sword, spy car, grenades, and a gun, you hack your way through 11 stages of men, monsters, and giant radioactive rats. Released in 1991, it managed to stand out against the SNES thanks to the Nintendo Power spread and high-quality.

Some stages play like Spy Hunter, with you driving, and an overhead perspective. Others are similar to light gun arcade games (Jurassic Park, House of the Dead). These stages keep the gameplay fresh, and, most importantly, feel 100% polished.

But the real meat is the platforming, and Vice: Project Doom doesn't disappoint. You can duck and run, and attack while ducking and running; the environment will collapse around you; enemies drop power-ups (and coins which will grant a 1UP with 100). Enemy drops are very generous, so once you start to get the hang of things taking a hit here or there doesn't completely trash your chances of beating the stage.

The challenge is fine-tuned, with a nice progression of difficulty. Overall, however, Vice is easier than Ninja Gaiden, but harder than Super Mario Bros. 3 (for whatever that's worth).

In-between stages present a cinema-driven story. As the title suggests, you are, I suppose, a narcotics officer. The Bad Guys are using some substance, "gel," to turn people into mutants and monsters. Aliens get involved, and the story degenerates into hilarity and awesomeness. The music is sometimes brilliant, sometimes not-so-brilliant, but most tracks fit the mood of the stage well.

Vice: Project Doom received significant Nintendo Power attention, including the cover spread. A creepy thought that while your character is hopping and bopping through stages, monsters lurk in the third dimension watching you. And why identify this mutant with the reader? I never even noticed the guy in the background until I really started to look at this image. It's fucking bizarre.

The Nintendo Power article covers up to stage 9, and shows off the nice boss artwork and grand scope of the game. Vice: Project Doom is an 8-Bit epic--don't miss it!

Clash at Demonhead Nintendo Power Scans

2011-10-31T09:35:00.004-05:00

Clash at Demonhead is know as Dengeki Big Bang! in Japan (the main character's name is Bang). Thank god they changed it for North America, but too bad they waited until 1989/1990 before releasing this gem. Clash at Demonhead was, I think, somewhat overlooked; however, Nintendo Power ensured that many people would buy this game despite the SNES hovering in the near-future.

From Issue 10, 1990, this four-page spread is short, sweet, and packed to the edges with helpful tips. You'll be conquering this game in no time.

If the name "Clash at Demonhead" sounds familiar, it might be because it's the name of Scott Pilgrim's ex-girlfriend's band (they sing an awesome Metric song, "Black Sheep," in the movie).

I've never given this game the attention it deserves, and after finally demolishing Kabuki Quantum Fighter last night--well, this game is next! It's the Mega Man metroidvania that everyone always wanted: branching paths, cool graphics, horizontal shooting, challenge, shops, money, and campy anime cutscenes.

The best part is that this game is dirt cheap everywhere, so cheap, in fact, that you've probably overlooked it in your collecting zeal. I'd like to say more about it, but to be honest I haven't played much. Hopefully after beating the game I'll have some more comments on it. In any case,

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Kabuki Quantum Fighter NES Cheats & Game Genie Codes

2011-10-30T15:43:00.000-05:00

They really packed the codes into Kabuki Quantum Fighter... Nintendo Power featured it in Classified Information, but missed quite a few secrets.

Chip-Life Exchange::
During Boss Fights, you can pause and press UP or DOWN to exchange chips for life or life for chips. 1 Life = 2 Chips. Very, very useful :D

Level Select::
This code is used as a "basecode" for other codes.
At the title screen, press on Controller #2:
A 8 times
B 4 times
right 16 times
Then, start the game: when the "Round 1 Start" message appears, press up or down on Controller #1 to select a stage.

Alter Chips::
After activating the Level Select Code (see above), On Controller #2, press Up and Down to add or remove chips!

Level Win::
After using level select, the A button can be pressed on the second controller in game to automatically clear the stage.

Sound Test::
Complete the game. After the credits, press B and a option for the sound test will appear.

Game Genie Codes::

AAVGKYPA number of lives does not decrease from energy loss
AASSAAPA number of lives does not decrease from time up
AENLSLZA start with one life
IENLSLZA start with six lives
AENLSLZE start with nine lives
PENUXLZA one continue
IENUXLZA six continues
AENUXLZE nine continues
SXEUAESU infinite chip power
NYXIZEYU slow the timer
YZXIZEYU speed up the timer
SXEUAESU + AOEUPEYA special weapons use minimum chip power
SXEUAESU + AOEUPEYA maximum energy
IENUNUZA + IEXLLUZA low energy

Kabuki Quantum Fighter Nintendo Power Scans

2011-10-29T13:13:00.005-05:00

In the February 1991 issue of Nintendo Power (w/ Startropics on the cover), Kabuki Quantum Fighter was introduced to American audiences. The premise was a little wacky, but KQF was solid nonetheless. You whip your hair back and forth to destroy computer viruses and firewalls in an attempt to SAVE THE PLANET from NUCLEAR DESTRUCTION!

Every level you gain a new projectile weapon, but ammo is limited, and that forces the player to make some tough decisions at times. This game is hard as coffin nails, but progresses nicely as you practice and get better.

However, something feels strangely familiar about this game... like it was a really well-done hack of another classic NES game, Batman. Consider the evidence and judge for yourself (and keep in mind this is only my experience with the first 2 stages!)

1. Backgrounds have a similar feel
2. Both games have moving gears which hurt the player
3. Both games let the player cycle through weapons via "select"
4. Both games have "waterfall conveyor belts"
5. Enemies in both games have a small chance to drop powerups
6. Batman and Kabuki are about the same size
7. Jumping physics in both games feels similar
8. Both games feature jumping gimmicks (wall jump and swing jump)
9. Music has a similar tone, although the Batman music is much better

Overall it's rather uncanny... I'd suggest playing both back-to-back, and posting your thoughts below in the comments.

I've been playing this game all morning, and I finally got to level 2-2 only to discover my emulator wouldn't display the vertical levels correctly. Bummer. Enjoy these scans while I whip and climb my way back to level 2-2!

Was this one of your favorite NES games? If you've never played it, hit the roms sites and start immediately.

Banners of 8-Bit City 3

2011-10-24T16:14:00.009-05:00

It's finally times for round 3 of the banners of 8-Bit City. Its interesting for me to look at these because it shows a distinct movement over the last 6 months away from pixel art towards collage, pastiche, and abstract expressionism.

If you're new to the site, the banner at the top is always changing, and changes with an increasing frequency.

If you like these banners check out the first collection of them!

Also, the second collection! That makes over 50 banners so far.