No. Really. That was my reaction.

While I was/am a huge Sega fan, I never bought a Dreamcast and instead stayed with my Sega until Sony released the Playstation at which time I jumped ship. I went on to get the PS2 and I’ve since moved on to the PS3 and haven’t looked back…until now.

I headed over to the blog for Hypertension [the forthcoming Dreamcast title] and expected to be underwhelmed by a YouTube video or two.

What I got really surprised me. What I got was a kindred spirit.

When developers get obsessed with having the best and brightest with regards to graphics, they seem to lose site of what really matters – the story and the inherent fun that is gaming. Correction: the inherent fun that should be gaming.

Now, I’m not saying that all modern games are crap because that’s just not true and do I really want to go back to playing games on my NES or Sega? No.

But do I agree with Corbin that a lot of modern games just aren’t as much fun as older titles? You betcha.

This does a great job of summing up why TDGMods is coming out with a Dreamcast game some 10 years after the release of the console:

This game will not appeal to new gamer’s – period, unless they are into the retro gaming era. It’s strictly for the ones who grew up, like myself, on sprite based graphics and ludicrous storylines/gameplay, etc. Kudos to any 14 year old kid who plays the game and enjoys it, but we already knew we were targeting a specific demographic when we released that first teaser in the beginning of this year.

I won’t be getting Hypertension.

I still don’t own a Dreamcast [though you can get a Dreamcast on Ebay for $60]. But I will say that I think it’s awesome that TDGMods is doing this for themselves and other like-minded folks out there who want to get another taste of what gaming used to be like.

Image|Amazon

Post from: EveryJoe

Dreamcast Game Brings It Back Old School

When it came down to it, Sega tried to take on the PlayStation 2 and lost miserably and basically disappeared into obscurity.  Interestingly enough, it appears that the Dreamcast has gotten a second wind.

What’s responsible for this reappearance?  Some online retailers are selling the console, brand new, for the low low price of just $99.  I think it’s cool but I do see a couple potential problems.  The first is that finding games is probably going to be tough.  I have read that you can find a good number on eBay but I’m sure the selection isn’t great and there’s no guarantee about the condition of the games.  The second issue is that massive controller.  With Sony trying to go forward with an improved version of their controller and the Nintendo Wii basically having the sweetest one out there, that big one for Dreamcast is going to feel really clunky.

Still, there’s no substitution for nostalgia or a low price so I can understand how this could take off.  I plan on checking it out myself.  Maybe now that I’ve opened my heart to more consoles, I can finally own a Dreamcast.

image: ThinkGeek.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Sega Dreamcast Making a Comeback?

How did the guys up at Arthur’s Hall come up with the idea of giving the world such a list of video games? Shatner (yes, after William Shatner), Arthur’s Viking Assistant, gives us the details:

I had a discussion with Arthur the other day regarding the question, “Are video games manly?” While wasting your life away on a couch playing video games isn’t quite as manly as killing small animals for food, or going to war against the forces of tyranny, we decided that in the end, video games are a manly form of entertainment.

Here’s how I went through Arthur’s Hall’s list:

Pro Wrestling on the Nintendo Entertainment System … check. Counter-Strike on the PC … check. Double Dragon on the NES, in the Arcade, and on the Sega Master System … check. Street Fighter II on multiple systems … check. Ikaruga on the Sega Dreamcast and Nintendo GameCube … what the hell’s Ikaruga? Tecmo Bowl on the NES … never played it since American Football is a very alien sport in my country. Metal Slug on the Neo Geo … check. Custer’s Revenge on the Atari 2600 … yeah, saw it when I was younger but didn’t understand the object of the game (which was to order General Custer to, uhmmm, ravish a young Indian girl). Mike Tyson’s Punch Out on the NES … check. And finally Contra on the NES … perfect!

Then I thought, “Waitaminute! Where’s Leisure Suit Larry?

Leisure Suit Larry is the series of adventure games written by Al Lowe (hail to the chief!) and published by Sierra On-Line from the 1980s to the present. The character, whose full name is Larry Laffer, is a balding, dorky, double entendre-speaking, leisure suit-wearing “loser” in his 40s who spends much of his life trying, usually unsuccessfully, to seduce attractive women.

Undoubtedly, Leisure Suit Larry is the manliest game of all time … that is, if Larry is a bit more manly looking. But where’s the adventure in playing a good-looking, hunky guy in his 40s with the goal of chasing, always successfully, nubile young and attractive women?

Here’s a short overview courtesy of Wikipedia:

Leisure Suit Larry originally stemmed from ideas of Sierra’s first adventure game Softporn Adventure created by designer Chuck Benton. The Larry games were one of Sierra’s most popular games series during the genre’s heyday when it was first released in the mid 1980s. As such, they remain well-known among fans of the type today. The series stands out among Sierra’s catalog in that they are the only games the company produced that contain significant sexual themes.

In general, the games follow Larry’s escapades as he attempts (and mostly fails) to convince a variety of young nubile women (rendered with increasing sophistication throughout the series) to have sex with him. A common link between the games are Larry’s explorations of luxurious and cosmopolitan hotels, ships, beaches, resorts and, more commonly, casinos. One of Larry’s trademarks is his manner of introducing himself: “Hi, my name is Larry; Larry Laffer,” a reference to James Bond’s introduction style, “My name is Bond; James Bond.”

Because of the nature of the games, the first and third episodes of the series featured an age verification system, which consisted of a series of questions to which the authors reasoned only adults would know the answer. However, many of the questions were United States-centric and this frustrated some non-U.S. gamers. Also, the multiple-choice questions did little to deter adolescents with some patience and a notepad.

Post from: EveryJoe

10 Manliest Video Games of All Time: What, no Leisure Suit Larry?!?