(April 5) Retrovirus
After several years in remission, the infection has returned in full force
and is spreading rapidly. Its re-emergence isn’t entirely surprising and
can usually be traced as the resistant strain of new console introduction,
which begins life as a strong antiviral, gradually becomes less potent.
After several years, the underlying condition returns in new strains
manifesting as new obsessions. The novelty of motion controls and high
definition visuals acts as a placebo, masking the symptoms for a short
time. However, genetic structures present since birth have consistently
proven resilient and the subject cannot escape the underlying condition.
A battery of tests has
been performed, results have been analyzed, the diagnosis was quite
simple. There is a human need and desire to relive fond memories of the
past, regardless of the constant pushing and pulling affecting the cranial
area. To be sure, some complications may arise. You may experience strong
emotions triggered by flashbacks of being chased around a maze by ghosts,
which is actually a rather common side effect. You may have nightmares
about guided missiles aimed at your cities with limited defenses.
Your prescription to ease this sense of ennui is quite simple but highly
effective. Time spent away from the tedious, life-sucking, largely
inconsequential console battles is always a good idea. The overall
prognosis is fairly positive, but as one ages, worry about becoming
fossilized becomes more apparent. That said, striking the right balance
between old and new makes a lot of sense. A bit of time away from the war
is a good idea, since it will refresh your energy and give strength for
the battles ahead.
(March 22) The
Contenders
While I was away for the past few weeks,
I decided that the best use of the voice module blog would be to focus on
reviews for older systems and leave the industry commentary to the
experts. It's not that I don't enjoy regaling you with master of the
obvious readings on the NPD numbers, its just that I'd prefer not to be on
that merry-go-round every month. Looking on the search engines, there's
enough commentary on Playstation Move and Project Natal to fill an
encyclopedia - and they aren't even on the shelves yet. It's probably
getting a bit late for me to try and keep up with the bloggers on the
latest news, and also kind of embarrassing since I'm almost 40 now. The
bright side about this approach is that I can concentrate on other
interests - which currently involves returning to my roots as a classic
gamer. You know its kind of time to do this when you're more excited about
homebrews than the latest titles at Gamestop. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed
my recent series on the Sega Saturn, but I'm kind of stuck. I enjoyed the
Saturn 'shmups series so much, but I haven't yet decided which older
console to focus on for my next wave of reviews. I have several candidates
in mind, so let's go over them. I should decide by the end of the week,
and hopefully be back in the swing of things soon.
(Intellivision) This was a very cool
system which had a very unique visual spirit that rendered the games in
its own distinctive style. Those who remember the early 80s will know that
the console was famous for its sports games and sophisticated sims like
Utopia. The console also had some very good arcade translations, which
don't get enough attention these days. Additionally, third party
developers like Imagic made some truly outstanding exclusive games for the
system. This is definitely a strong contender since it hasn't gotten as
much respect as it deserves for being so far ahead of its time.
(Atari 5200) The Atari has long been one
of my favorite consoles, despite its occasionally flaky controllers. The
arcade-quality conversions were the system's hallmark and there were loads
of very cool games that only came out for this system. Some of my all-time
favorite classic games were on the system, with superb visuals and
excellent gameplay throughout its surprisingly consistent library.
Unfairly maligned, this system deserves a fair shake. Of course, to truly
appreciate the 5200, you need to grab a multicart and a joystick adaptor
and this console delivers on its potential.
(Colecovision) Its been a long time
since I picked up and played the system. I guess you can say that it's
been sitting around unappreciated for too long. Now, that I have finally
rediscovered it, I think its safe to say I've fallen back into it. The
console's famous arcade translations were the highlights, and there were
also several innovative titles that really made the system shine. The
Colecovision had a broad library of interesting titles and, like the 5200
was a very consistent platform in terms of quality. There are several
games that I would like to explore that I haven't had time to do, so this
might be a good choice as well.
In closing, I'm looking to focus on one
of these three classic system for a week or two of focused reviewing. I'd
like you to give me some advice, so I can start on the next series soon,
so please let me know if you have any preferences out there.
