I had a dream…

I had a dream, a Resident Evil dream. That’s right folks, I was dreaming of playing the original GameCube BioHazard 0 version and by God, I will do it in real life. Better yet, I will record and upload the play through on my YouTube channel.

I’m not stranger to video games dreams although I don’t game as much as I used to due to work and life in general but my love and passion stay the same. For some reason this dream made me want to relive the memories again. I have previously played and completed my English versions so I placed an order for the Japanese editions which by the way look way cooler than the English covers.

I will most likely play them on Dolphin emulator as I heard nothing but good things about it even though I’m yet to install it. Never the less I’m excited to relive the experience as I haven’t touched GameCube games for some time.

I’m still deciding whether or not I should stream or simply record it so subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me on twitter as I post my updates as soon as they go live. Take care for now.

Recent eBay orders

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So it’s been a few months as I took an unwanted break from blogging and writing as a whole. The reason, of course, is me being busy with YouTube as I fine tuned the channel’s intro and overall quality. Never the less, writing and blogging is something I always enjoyed since a young age and will continue to do so. I’m also deciding my next game to write a guide on at GameFAQs so that should keep me busy. Oh and I managed to clear some of my backlog games and on a strict mission to clear as much as possible before purchasing anything else.

Speaking about orders, let me share my recent purchases off eBay. I will be doing a video about what’s on my eBay watch list soon so make sure to subscribe to my channel to catch the video as soon as it goes live. So here goes:

Sonic Adventure International – SEGA Dreamcast

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Sonic Adventure International is an updated version of the original game. Due to the limited test time, the Japanese versions ended up with a few bugs. SEGA later re-released an updated version titled International which has both Japanese and English voice acting as well as new cameras. Most of the bugs were fixed as well. Being a die hard retro SEGA fan, I was happy to grab this off eBay.

MZS Blue Pivot Brake Clutch Levers For Kawasaki KX250 2005-2008

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Now I have no idea what this part does or how important it is as its this was never meant for me. A part of many I ordered for my brother’s bike. Not gonna lie though, it looks sick!

Sega Saturn Street Fighter collection trial version

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I have always been fascinated with Demo and Trial versions. They are after all a dying breed. Physical Demos are a thing of the past. Street Fighter, Sega Saturn and Demo? A must have.

Classic Mario Amiibo

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I always wanted a huge action figure collection to display on shelves. The problem is, most are overpriced. So I thought until Amiibos were released. This is the third one I ordered as its out of stock locally. Soon I will hopefully set them up to give the gaming office a brighter feel. Check out the pickup video I did:

Street Fighter 2 Movie – Sega Saturn

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The most interesting item so far. This is supposed to be a Sega Saturn version of the Street Fighter 2 movie. The thing is, as shown on the back of the CD case; there is a gameplay image meaning there is more to do. I will test this out once I order the 1080p upscaler to properly play my retro games on my BenQ Monitor.

So there you have it folks. Those were my top 5 recent purchases even though I have tones more wichih I may do another post about. Hope you enjoyed reading this blog and I will catch you in my next article. Checkout my YouTube channel for more content as well as my Twitter and other social media.

Why Sonic Jam will always be the best retro Sonic port ever

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What’s so special about Sonic Jam you ask? After all, we had over 10 ports of old school Sonic games on every platform imaginable. The difference my friends is that Sonic Jam was one of the first of what you now call Remasters.

Released on June 20, 1997, in Japan with two months gap between the western version, this gem was sadly underappreciated and went completely under the radar to this day. SEGA desperately needed a Sonic game on their new system and while that Sonic game wasn’t exactly what many have hoped for, we got a true remastered version of the first three games.

Graphics

You will notice right off the bat that the graphics are crystal clear with added effects in some areas. The resolution was also bumped upbringing the SEGA Mega Drive classic into a new era. Everything looked amazing and clear.

Once you start playing, you feel like an old school Sonic that we all love is reimagined for the 32-bit era. You just have to experience it to feel it. It’s like playing your favourite console game on PC with 60 FPS. Amazing feeling. Everything about this port looks cool.

Sadly from here on out, SEGA used the original mega drive (Genesis) version or even worse, used an emulator when porting the games. Yes the IOS version looks cool and whatnot but it’s nothing when compared with Sonic Jam’s version.

Sounds

Having the game on a compact disk, SEGA made sure to remaster the music making it CD quality. Every sound sounds amazing thanks to the quality update. Enemies and stage music alike got updated and fixed where needed eliminating any unnecessary noise. Yes, the music starts a little late on some stages due to the CD loading but that’s hardly noticeable.

What’s New

We finally made it to the best section of this post! For starters, the Sonic Dash was added to Sonic 1 and extra animations him leaving a trail behind when running. The clouds move as you scroll by as well.

For Sonic 2, 3 and Sonic and Knuckles many fixes were added making the gameplay smoother than ever. A new Easy and Hard modes were thrown in as well as an Original mode where you get to play the games on their classic difficulties.

And we have the 3D Sonic world. In this mode, you run around doing mini-missions, unlock art, videos and Music. All three original digital manuals are present in both Japanese and English. You can also uncover secrets as you explore this small but cool world.

In short, this was the perfectly remastered port. I just wished they would have ported this to the PC so we could easily enjoy this gem without getting a Saturn (for the average gamers).

The USA version is a little expensive on eBay so I suggest getting the Japanese version as its box is cooler but that’s just me and I own both. The bottom line, get this game if you want to experience the best version of the classic Sonics.

And playing with the Saturn controller is the Icing on the cake. 10/10.

Steam and Digital are hurting the gaming industry long term

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Whats going on? We thought you love Steam? Relax, I still do and I have over 50+ games but that’s about to change. Conspiracy theories aside, the digital age is taking the entertainment industry by storm and there is little that can be done at this point. Getting the game to download while you’re browsing the internet hassle free is something that many got used to. Fantastic sales throughout the year, what’s not to like?

The Monopoly

Monopolies are bad, that much is agreed on. They kill the competition which in turn kill the motivation to improve and innovate. Why do you think Steam is not considered with its poor customer service? Because there is no real alternative. Sure EA Origins is catching on as well as the fantastic GOG.com, but Valve is the pioneer to PC digital games distribution and judging from how things are, they will likely stay at the top for many years to come unless something tragic happens.

Steam machines are failing and the Steam OS is a joke and yet Valve is not even concerned the slightest, why? Because they are on top and can afford to screw up. Where will people go? Basically, the people have a choice to either accept any changes Valve may see fit or move to a smaller platform with the many features that they got used to are missing.

One might argue that once the new platform gathers a large crowd, the features and games will start coming in. Not true as catching up to large competitors is not as easy as the normal consumer thinks it is, just ask Microsoft’s Xbox division.

In short: No competition, no creativity.

Killing the Creativity

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I’m sorry but hard, a physical material will always be Superior to soft copy. From the amazing box designs to the smell of a new item and placing it on your shelve or in a dedicated collection corner, all of these things make physical copies what they are. Sure, all your games will be gone once your house catches a fire but having your entire house burned has a way less chance than the digital company going out of business or changing the policies (see next section).

Physical media has and always will have a special feel of ownership. No matter how flexible the digital provider may be, it will never beat the feeling or owning an item you can touch.

You are NOT in control of your own games

Valve can at any time deny you access to your own games or simply take away specific game with or without a reason. Don’t believe me? Google it. Once Valve goes down so will your games. Yes, Valve unofficially promised that in the unlikely event that they go under you will have a chance to download your games. Good luck downloading over 1 TB worth of games in the short amount of time they will give you supposedly they stay true to their word in the first place.

Playing games offline is also a problem to many as Steam offline mode is as reliable as your new politician. In short, a game can be pulled off your library with or without refund for many reasons including copyright expiration or simply the refusal to renew a yearly contract. Anything can happen and you can’t do anything about it because you own nothing. On the other hand, I’m still playing Need for Speed Road Challenge years after it discontinued without any problems. Good luck finding this gem digital legally.

. . .

There is hope, GOG.com demonstrated that it is possible for DRM free games to sell well and Witcher 3 is a fine example. Downloading digital DRM free games is a considerable alternative to owning physical copies as I can print my own covers from the likes of VHBOXART. Take a look at this beautiful fan created master peace.

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Digital distribution is taking over, at least in the USA. If you are like me, support GOG.com or buy PC games from Amazon UK unless the game requires Steam to activate. Steam is not the devil and Valve is not the New World Order yet so I will continue to use it for the cheap price and what not but if I get the choice between Steam and a DRM-free physical version aka the Witcher 3, you know which one I choose.

Why I buy used games and you should too

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I have been gaming since the age of five or even younger if I can recall. I been through the generations and seen first hand how the gaming industry was changing. Over the years, I have bought many used games and the number keeps getting bigger and bigger. Here are my reasons to keep buying used games:

  • They are cheap

Used games prices are not what they used to be, still they are cheaper than buying new ones by around 40-60% and that’s not an easy difference. Yes, I have a job and save money meaning I can afford to pay full price but why should I considering the crap developers are pushing new days which brings us to point 2.

Jokes aside, games can be costly in many countries across the globe including where I live. Used games market makes sure that everyone has the chance to enjoy this wonderful hobby. And NO, used games are Not killing the industry. Lazy development and microtransactions are!

  • Lazy development

Gone are the days where developers worked hard to make the best possible game they can. New days, remasters and incomplete full of bugs games are released with features locked behind microtransactions and DLCs. Milking the consumer for less and less content is becoming a habit for most developers.

Saving money and working smarter eliminating the unneeded features like real life celebrities doing the in-game voices is one. Working with better, more optimised engines is also a good alternative. Making a game for the sake of getting rich gets you nowhere, just ask the big shots.

  • Not worth getting new

The harshest reason of them all. simply, new games are not worth getting new. Most of them at least. Call old timer all you like but games used to be better in every aspect. The original Playstation and Saturn pushed the limit and the Dreamcast continued. New days, it’s a quick cash grab and broken mess.

The story in most games is piss poor and the gameplay is shorter than a newborn guinea pig. Let’s face it, just like music the gaming industry became all about money. Yes, good games are still being made but Call of Duty proved that releasing the same game every year is much more profitable than putting in hard work that may not pay off aka Shenmue.

. . .

Good games are still around, not in the quantity they used to be in though. One can only hope.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Xbox 360 release

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Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is released on Xbox 360 for only $3.74 and that’s a good thing. Fans of GTA and retro nostalgia gamers can now revisit an updated version of the best PS2 GTA game.  I for one own the original Xbox version and I am yet to play it. The 360 version offers updated resolution and achievements so I might just give it a go considering the low price.

We are yet to hear any news on the PS3 port but I believe it will eventually come. Anyway, great news and hope to see more of old school games ported AND optimized with a great low price. I already am in the process of completing my Sega arcade collection Xbox 360 and looks like I will be adding this to my non Sega to buy list.

What can Capcom do next?

CapcomWhat was once an unstoppable leading force is a straggling company today. Who would have thought that Resident Evil would become absolute trash, Street Fighter a rerelease sellout and Megaman go extinct? What angers me the most is that nobody asked for this stupid change. Resident Evil was doing great, I remember waiting for part 3 and going crazy when a class mate brought it bragging. Why did Capcom completely ruin the highest selling horror game and keep insisting on going nowhere.

Why did Megaman go bye-bye when Megaman X was doing great? I ask myself what happened as I brows eBay for retro Capcom games? Would it hurt any one if Capcom released Final Fight 4 on 3DS or even Xbox live arcade?

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Why do I have to replay Resident Evil Code Veronica instead of Resident Evil 6? I don’t know if anything can be done at this point but as they say; better late than never. Capcom should start making things right before its too late including and not limited to:

  • New Street Fighter
  • New 2D Megaman X style game
  • Port the Megaman X collection to arcade, PSN and Steam
  • Resident Evil 2 remake
  • Final Fight port or even new part

I must give credit where credit is due: Capcom is trying hard with PC gaming and is cross porting the games along with great optimization. I want Capcom to be successful as they are one of the last old school game makers that did great games. I know that we can not always control the destiny of the things or people we love but I really hope for the best.

Wii U Super Smash Bros. Bundle on Amazon

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The upcoming Nintendo’s signature fighter Super Smash Bros for the Wii U is now live on Amazon via a bundle package. The box includes the game, a repackaged GameCube controller and the controller adapter all for $99.99. Personally, I think this is a great offer considering you NEED a proper controller to play fighting games and while the GameCube controller is not that amazing it is still better than Nintendo’s iPad for the Wii U.

You will also be able to use the controller on other games which is a win unless Nintendo will only allow you to use it only on Super Smash which would be a stupid business discussion.

Call me old school but I still find the best way to control a game is a simple controller. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all triad to control games via other methods than the controller and failed miserably. Sometimes you gotta understand: if it ant broke, don’t fix it.

The adapter itself looks normally good which is a good thing as no fancy designs required. Great deal although some may say little pricey but you cant complain on the things given inside even though many would argue that Ninntendo should have made GameCube controller ports on the Wii U. Guess they thought the iPad controller thing would shape the future, guess not.

Get it at: Super Smash Bros. Wii U from Amazon

Daily Pickups: Animal Forest Ninntendo 64

While shopping on eBay I came across these collector items and couldn’t pass the deal. While I am little tight on cash as I need to spend it on my car and bills, little retro joy couldn’t hurt.

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Not many know that Animal Crossing as well as some other GameCube games were also released on the Nintendo 64 in Japan. 64 was still popular in Japan that Nintnedo decided to support it with some of the GameCube ports like the above Animal Forest (Japanese name for Animal Crossing).

Although I’m still not sure how I will be able to play it considering that everything is in Japanese. Yes I know the game and yes I will most likely make my way around but some stuff just needs reading and answering. Never the less, this is something I wanted for sometime. There are some difreeance between this and the GameCube port, listed bellow and taken from the Animal Crossing wikia:The real-time clock made a new feature for games.

  • A player catches a Herabuna, an Animal Forest-only fish.
  • Questions are asked to determine your look.
  • The Able Sisters and their shop are not in Animal Forest; thus, designs are not available.
  • When fish are released in the N64 game, they bounce along the ground and into the water instead of diving straight in.
  • Insects are not restricted by acres and can freely wander into other acres. Banded Dragonflies and similar, airborne insects cannot fly too far out to sea in the N64 game, but in Animal Crossing there is no limit.
  • Some of the wallpapers and carpets from Animal Forest were redesigned or removed in Animal Crossing.
  • Some of the clothing from Animal Forest, for example, the N Logo shirt (G Logo in Animal Crossing), are redesigned or removed in Animal Crossing.
  • Two sets of stationery from Animal Forest, the New Year’s Card and the Fortune Paper, are redesigned.
  • The holidays from Animal Forest are either changed or removed in Animal Crossing.
  • Tom Nook wears slightly different uniforms.
  • The Wishing Well from Animal Crossing is a Bell Shrine in Animal Forest. On New Year’s Day, instead of tossing a coin in the fountain, the player shakes the thick rope in the middle and the bells ring.
  • The input keyboard from Animal Crossing is a dial that contains the letters, numbers, and symbols that appear on the screen in Animal Forest.
  • The dial input system in Animal Forest (taken from a fan-translated copy)
  • In Animal Crossing, Gulliver would give the player a rare furniture piece for saving him. In Animal Forest, he gives the player a random furniture piece.
  • In Animal Crossing, three items could be stored in container furniture such as dressers, wardrobes, etc. In Animal Forest, only one item can be stored in those kinds of furniture.
  • In Animal Crossing, a player’s initial home had a wooden box that had a college rule journal on top. In Animal Forest, this is not included, so this means this feature was either not included or both items have to be bought from Nook.
  • In Animal Crossing, the catalog has a section called “Handhelds” where umbrellas, pinwheels, fans, balloons and tools could be ordered. In Animal Forest, this section is called “Umbrellas” and only umbrellas can be ordered from that section. This means pinwheels, fans, balloons, and tools cannot be ordered from the catalog.
  • In Animal Crossing, the player could store multiple airchecks in Stereos, Radios, etc. In Animal Forest, only one aircheck could be stored in them.
  • Buildings such as Tom Nook’s shop, the Post Office, and the Dump have slightly redesigned logos in Animal Crossing.
  • There is no Museum, thus there is no Blathers. The Faraway Museum still exists, and fossils can be sent there for identification.
  • Taking a trip on Animal Forest requires the player have 1 Controller Pak to save travel data on, and two Controller Paks are needed to travel directly. In Animal Crossing, an extra Memory Card is used to save travel data, and the player can travel directly to the other town if 2 Memory Cards with town data are in use at the same time.
  • e-Reader support was added to the Japanese and North American releases of Animal Crossing.
  • Mayor Tortimer was not a character yet, and no gifts could be obtained from him.
  • During the Cherry Blossom Festival, all the villagers sit on mats like the Japanese do.
  • Katrina wore a white headband instead of the normal veil that she wears.
  • Instead of buying stationary as a pack of four, only one piece of paper can be bought at a time.
  • In Animal Crossing, a Money Rock appears for every player in a village each day. In Animal Forest there is only one money rock per town per day, no matter how many people are playing.
  • There was no tropical island and there was no Kapp’n.
  • Villagers were not affected if a player hit them with a net.
  • Blanca does not exist.
  • The live version of DJ K.K. uses a different set of guitar riffs, which were most likely changed due to their similarities with the song “Get Ready for This” by 2 Unlimited.
  • Stella2
  • Stella’s original design.
  • Items looks different when on the ground. Stationery is a paper bag with a leaf on it, clothing are treasure chests, and tools are toolboxes. These aesthetics were later re-used for Animal Crossing: Wild World.
  • Mystery items for sale at Nooks. (early January?)
  • Bluebear’s and Stella’s original designs were also slightly different than now, and their appearances were tweaked to the current design in DĹŤbutsu no Mori + and Animal Crossing. Some of the other villagers have gone under these tweaks as well.
  • There were no coconuts in Animal Forest.
  • When getting bad fortunes identified by Katrina, slightly different effects happen. This can include tripping and falling half as frequently or less malfunctioning of the friendship of other villagers.

One thing is for sure, I will be using the Expansion Pak to displayed the game in a higher resolution 640×480 from 320×240. I will update you all how it goes along with my progress. Very excited to play this soon.

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Latest pickups: Sonic Adventure 2 GameCube NTSCJ version

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My latest eBay hunt, Sonic Adventure 2 new Japanese version. Sonic Adventure 2 was the last Sonic game on the legendary Sega Dreamcast system. Apart from the exploring section, the game shined and provide that a respected 3D Sonic is possible. The game lets you control the good and the bad side meaning you can try to destroy the world or save it although the ending is one, different story approach is always welcomed.

I already own the 10th anniversary Dreamcast edition so I was original looking for an american version but came across this and since I like the Japanese packaging I figured, what the hell.

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I am hopping that like the original Dreamcast version; this will have an option to switch to English voices and subtitles.


Pre-order The Evil Within $59.95 & FREE Shipping.

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