Game Review: Wild Gunman for NES

Rating: 85 out of 100

Grab some Shasta and connect your NES Zapper gun. Its Vintage Game Spot’s first review of Nintendo’s “light gun series.” Just a little note, if you have a plasma or LCD television, the light gun will not work on your TV. That’s right, technology has caught up with the all mighty Nintendo. For more on this read my previous blog, “WHAT A PIECE OF… Antiquated Equipment: The NES Zapper.”

Wild Gunman was developed by Nintendo as an arcade game in 1974 and was modestly successful. It was released for the NES in 1985. The game was made famous by Michael J. Fox when he played it in Back to the Future II and made reference to it in Back to the Future III.

The game is very straightforward. Armed banditos come out and try to shoot you. You have to shoot them first. If you shoot them before they draw their weapon, you lose. If they shoot you first, you lose.

Overall the game is very fun. The graphics and audio are classic 80’s and give a real feeling of nostalgia. The game play is very easy to pick up on and you never get bored with it. My roommates had never played it before and they became almost instantly addicted. The cartridge is available almost everywhere classic games are sold and isn’t very pricy. I don’t quite remember how much I spent for mine but I would venture to say it was $5 or less.

CULTURAL REFERENCES: I am a big fan of the Back to the Future trilogy. In fact they were my favorite movies in the 80’s (ok, they tied with Star Wars, but still.) In Back to the Future II, Marty goes into the Café 80’s and finds 2 kids (one played by a young Elijah Wood) trying to figure out the Wild Gunman arcade game. He demonstrates it to them, to which they reply “You mean you have to use your hands? That’s like a baby’s toy!” (See video below for that clip.) In Back to the Future III, when Marty uses the Colt Peacemaker to shoot every target at the town dance, the Colt salesman asks him where he learned to shoot like that, to which Marty replies “7 Eleven.”

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE: Don’t forget to vote for your favorite game system on the poll located on the top of the column on the right! VOTE! PLEASE VOTE!

WHAT A PIECE OF... Antiquated Equipment: NES Zapper

I have seen this issue pop up in a few places, and even appear on eBay with people selling their “broken” NES Zapper guns. But guess what? Your gun probably isn’t actually broken.

The main problem is the NES Zapper was made 25 years ago, with the technology of the day, particularly CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) Televisions. Plasma and LCD televisions just don’t display an image in the same way. It might be clearer and cleaner and prettier, but it is never truly black and white and has a refresh rate that the NES just doesn’t recognize.

Here is basically what happens when you play a game with the NES Zapper:

1. You aim and pull the trigger

2. This causes the NES to change one frame of the screen to black (background) and white (target.)

3. If the phototransistor in the zapper gun detects the black (or nothing at all) in that single frame it registers a “miss.” If it detects white in that single frame, it registers a “hit.”

4. The dog holds up a dead bird and peppy music plays if you hit your target, the dog laughs at you if you don’t. (Had to throw a Duck Hunt reference in there.)

Can you modify the gun to register hits and misses on an LCD, Plasma or anything else? Probably not. Can you change the settings of your TV to make the NES register hits and misses? No. Get used to it. The simple answer is if you want to play zapper games, you need a CRT television.

And for those of you who are holding your breath, hoping that the SNES’s Super Scope will work on your flat screen, Stop holding your breath before you pass out. Guess what? The SNES Super Scope uses the exact same technology as the Zapper. So if you don’t have an old TV, then no Bazooka Blitzkrieg for you.

So what is the good news? EVERYONE wants a flat screen TV these days. No one wants their bulky old CRT anymore. This means there are MILLIONS of them going unused. They are in peoples’ garages and basements, in thrift stores and flea markets. You can even drive around on trash day and find perfectly good working CRT televisions awaiting their final resting place at your local dump. What does this mean for you? Well obviously it means that you can get one for a few bucks (or free if you don’t mind grabbing one sitting beside rotting garbage.)

So this weekend, instead of waking up late and wondering around your house in your underwear for a few hours, drive around and find a nice, big, extremely heavy tv and play some Duck Hunt, Hogan’s Alley or Wild Gunman.

Don’t believe me? Think you can play Duck Hunt on your new 197 inch plasma screen with it’s wicked awesome SRS and its fancy PIP and awesome ABCDEFG? Check out this video! (Not my video, please give credit to the original YouTube user)

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE: Don’t forget to vote for your favorite game system on the poll located on the top of the column on the right! A lot of people have voted for the SNES, which is probably my least favorite vintage system and I really don’t think it did much to further the video game industry, but one man’s trash is another’s treasure. Anyway, VOTE! PLEASE VOTE!

Game System Review: Atari 7800 ProSystem

So my compulsive eBay watching has finally payed off! Thats right, I have my very own Atari 7800 Pro System. As most of my faithful readers know, the Atari 2600 is probably my favorite platform, and with good reason. Its cheap, fun, simple and has an abundance of titles that can be found almost everywhere for a bargain. The 7800 may just knock the 2600 off its high horse.

The 7800 was originally supposed to replace the Atari 5200 and was slated to be released in 1984, but that was shelved due to a combination of factors such as the video game crash of 1984 and the Atari company being sold the same year. That could have been the end of this story, but it wasn't.

With the release of the NES in 1985, video games were back with a vengeance and the new owners of Atari thought it would be a good idea to re-release the 7800, which they did in January of 1986. There were several problems with the 7800, none of them being the system's fault. Competing against the Sega Master System and the hugely successful Nintendo NES proved extremely difficult. Nintendo had exclusivity agreements with it's software developers so the titles produced for NES wouldn't be appearing for the 7800. There were also a number of canceled peripherals for the system, including a High Score Cartridge and a planned connection to laserdisc players. These broken promises led to a lack of confidence in Atari. The company also didn't give the system much financial backing, especially when compared to the advertising the Nintendo juggernaut roled out. This led to slow sales and eventual cancelation. Very few game titles were developed for the system.

The Atari 7800 ProSystem is not without it's redeeming qualities though. Like I said before, most of the problems with the 7800 was poor advertising and poor timing. Most 7800 owners will agree that it's biggest selling feature is nearly full backward compatibility with the Atari 2600, meaning those with an extensive library of 2600 games could play them on their new machine. There were several very good titles developed for the 7800, but less than 100 titles total and none of them enjoyed the fame and notoriety of many of the NES titles being released at the same time.

For the vintage gamer the Atari 7800 Pro System has a certain allure to it. It's rarity compared to the 2600 (3.7 million sold versus more than 30 million Atari 2600's), its sleek almost futuristic design, it's front control ports and push buttons all make it more desirable than the 2600. Another huge bonus is the 7800 is about a decade newer than the 2600. This means the electronics in it are a decade newer and less prone to failure. All these factors are reflected in the price these units can fetch. The 2600 can easily be found at your local vintage video game store for $40 and online for between $20 and $50. The rarer 7800 can go for anywhere from $50 to $150 and actually, I haven't seen one locally in several months. The prices are very dependent on functionality, bundled games, controls, etc. I got my 7800 on eBay for $33 including shipping. This low price means I didn't get any games and only one controller. This was fine by me since the 7800 can play all my 2600 games as well as the eight 7800 games I picked up along the way. The 7800 also accepts the paddles and joysticks I already had for my 2600.

The games developed for the 7800 are GREAT! They are fairly easy to find for a reasonable price, have great graphics and just enhance the entire Atari experience. I recommend Choplifter, F-18, Donkey Kong Junior and Pole Position II. (ALL games I will be reviewing by the way)

If you are familiar with the 2600, picking up the 7800 will be a breeze. The controllers are a bit hard to get used to, and i actually prefer using the 2600 controllers, but to each his own. Other than that, there really isn't much difference between the systems. If you are reading this while looking at the two systems and wondering which one to buy, go for the 7800. The backward compatibility with the 2600 combined with the (admittedly small) library of 7800 games and the sexy sleekness of the unit itself just make it a better buy. It will look great on your shelf next to your NES and Sega Genesis.


ON A DIFFERENT NOTE: Don’t forget to vote for your favorite game system on the poll located on the top of the column on the right! A lot of people have voted for the SNES, which is probably my least favorite vintage system and I really don’t think it did much to further the video game industry, but one man’s trash is another’s treasure. Anyway, VOTE! PLEASE VOTE!

Game Review: LadyBug for ColecoVision

Rating: 90 out of 100

YES! Finally! It’s the Vintage Game Spot’s VERY FIRST ColecoVision game review! I am brand new to the ColecoVision, so bear with me if I make few slight mistakes, and feel free to discuss them below.

Ladybug came out as an arcade game, of course, in 1981. It was ported to the ColecoVision in 1982 and was moderately successful. I picked up my copy at Oogie Games for $5 so it can’t be that uncommon.

It was inspired by Pac-Man and once you play it you can tell why. But there are several twists that set it apart from Pac-Man. First off, you are a ladybug, hence the name. Instead of ghosts you are chased by bugs. You eat little dots that are arranged in a maze like in Pac-Man, but unlike Pac-Man there are several bonus dots. There are also skulls that if you eat them, you are killed instantly. On the plus side, if the bugs eat them they are also killed.

One of the major differences between Pac-Man and LadyBug is that the maze can be rearranged by pushing on doors located throughout the maze. Also unlike Pac-Man, where the ghosts seem to almost randomly move about the maze, the bugs actually chase you and can be lured by you into the skulls mentioned earlier. There is also a countdown located around the perimeter of the screen to tell you when the bugs will come out of their center square.

The more I play this game, the more I like it. The game play is so familiar due to everyone being used to Pac-Man that within a few minutes you are already on your way with no instruction whatsoever. Being able to change the maze yourself creates many opportunities and challenges not seen in Pac-Man. If you are lucky enough to be able to get the fruit/vegetable that appears stationary (and usually in the most bug infested part of the maze) then you score a nice bonus. The more levels you complete the faster the game goes, and the more challenging it becomes. The graphics aren’t wonderful, but its 1982, what do you expect!

A ColecoVision system: Hard to find and about $50. A bottle of Shasta: $3. An action game that makes you think: Priceless


ON A DIFFERENT NOTE: Don’t forget to vote for your favorite game system on the poll located on the top of the column on the right! A lot of people have voted for the SNES, which is probably my least favorite vintage system and I really don’t think it did much to further the video game industry, but one man’s trash is another’s treasure. Anyway, VOTE! PLEASE VOTE!

How to find ColecoVision Game Cartridges

OK, if you own a ColecoVision you have probably run into this problem: Tons of stores, flea markets, etc that carry old Atari games but none that carry ColecoVision games… or so you think.

The first rule to ColecoVision games is they look nearly identical to Atari cartridges, so a lot of the time when they are purchased in bulk, sellers will just stuff them in boxes of Atari games and not give them a second thought. So get ready to dig through a ton of Atari games.

The main difference that makes ColecoVision games stand out is the back. Most Atari cartridges have a simple back side that is just flat. The ColecoVision cartridge has a recessed portion with tabs which are designed to hold the controller insert card. Sadly, 99% of the time this card is missing. Another huge difference is Atari games are labeled upside down when compared to the ColecoVision. Note the pictures. Atari games are on the right, ColecoVision games on the left. You will notice the Atari side label (slightly pealing off on the top right hand picture) is on the bottom. The ColecoVision game (top left) has the cartridge contacts on the bottom. You can also clearly see the indentation in the back of the ColecoVision cartridge (bottom left) WARNING: Coleco made games for the Atari too! Just because it says Coleco doesn’t mean ColecoVision! Check the back for the indentation and make sure it says ColecoVision!

Once you have dug through a hundred copies of Missile Command, Combat and Space Invaders for Atari you should have come across at least 10 ColecoVision games. Sellers might get it in their head that it should command a higher price, when it (in most cases) shouldn’t. Just let them know there is a much lower demand for ColecoVision games, so they can either sell them to you, or they can hold on to them until they rot. In some cases, when you are friendly with the person selling or you are a repeat customer, it’s not a bad idea to school them on ColecoVision games. You might make a new friend, the best kind of new friend, a new friend that will set aside ColecoVision titles for you in the future!

It is one of those relationships that benefit both parties. They sell something they would normally have to sit on or throw away, and you don’t have to go through more trouble than Indiana Jones (minus the Nazis everywhere) to find new games.

At the flea market this weekend I talked to 3 different video game retailers. Only one knew he had ColecoVision games mixed in with his Atari games. The other two were clueless. One didn’t even know what Colecovision was and wanted to know if they could be played on the Atari. Those two were glad for the information and promised to hold back any ColecoVision games so I could have first grabs next weekend. The one who actually knew he had ColecoVision games mixed in was so impressed with the simple fact that I knew it that he gave me a bundle deal of 9 Atari 5200 games, a ColecoVision power supply, 3 ColecoVision games and 2 Atari 7800 games all for 20 bucks! So it pays to know your stuff!

So educate yourself, get out and dig, make some friends and have some fun! Who knows what you will end up with!

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE: Don’t forget to vote for your favorite game system on the poll located on the top of the column on the right! A lot of people have voted for the SNES, which is probably my least favorite vintage system and I really don’t think it did much to further the video game industry, but one man’s trash is another’s treasure. Anyway, VOTE! PLEASE VOTE!

Game Review: Choplifer! For Atari 7800

Rating: 70 out of 100

The history of Choplifter is pretty much backward of the games I have reviewed in the past. Almost every game I have reviewed started life as an arcade game. In contrast, Choplifter started out as a game on the Apple II computer. In the game you rescue various hostages from various buildings and return them to base. It came out in 1982, a year after the Iran hostage crisis. Coincidence? Apparently. It was ported to arcade games in 1985 and made it’s way to the Atari 7800 in 1987.

Game play is pretty simple. You lift off, you shoot a building, hostages spill out, you land and let them get on board. You have to watch out for other helicopters, jets and tanks that will shoot you down. Once you pick up the freed hostages you return them to your base and go again.

The game is pretty fun to play and is extremely popular so finding a copy isn’t that hard. I picked mine up at Oogie for a few bucks. It is fairly easy to pick up on and a joy to play, until you get to frustrated at the damn jets! I love playing it, until I inevitably get shot down by one of those damn jets which are almost impossible to shoot down. The tanks and helicopters are easier to get rid of, but it eventually gets so infested with enemies that you die.  

I would recommend picking up a copy, even if it just sits on the shelf. Choplifter has some pretty cool artwork on the cartridge and the box, if your lucky enough to find one with the box.

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE: Don’t forget to vote for your favorite game system on the poll located on the top of the column on the right! A lot of people have voted for the SNES, which is probably my least favorite vintage system and I really don’t think it did much to further the video game industry, but one man’s trash is another’s treasure. Anyway, VOTE! PLEASE VOTE!

VIDEO OF CHOPLIFTER FOR ATARI 7800: Note, this video was made by Classic Game Room. I am not associated with him, but I HIGHLY recommend you check out some of his videos. He really knows his stuff and does great video reviews. 

Play Classic Arcade Games Online FOR FREE!

This is just a really quick posting to tell you about a very exciting website I found. No I am not paid to promote them, no I don't get anything out of it at all. It is just because it is fricken awesome! You can play classic games such as Astroids, Dig Dug, Frogger and many many others! No need to install anything!

The games start up very quick and are a pleasure to play. The graphics are very close to the original and its a great way to spend downtime or break time at work. It is, however, no substitute for popping in a Space Invaders cartridge in your vintage 2600 and going to town on those ships. So play away, but don't forget those original systems and cartridges!

Here is the link!
http://free80sarcade.com

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE: Don’t forget to vote for your favorite game system on the poll located on the top of the column on the right! A lot of people have voted for the SNES, which is probably my least favorite vintage system and I really don’t think it did much to further the video game industry, but one man’s trash is another’s treasure. Anyway, VOTE! PLEASE VOTE!

Game Review: Carnival for ColecoVision

Rating: 70 out of 100

Carnival for ColecoVision is another port from an arcade game. It came out for the ColecoVision in 1982. The name is slightly misleading as you don’t get to choose from different carnival games. It is one game: The Shooting Gallery.

Even though it is not really action packed, it is probably one of the funner classic games I have found. You control the gun and shoot various items as they scroll past your screen in one of three levels. The higher the level you shoot the items at, the more you score. If the ducks make it to the bottom level they take flight and if you don’t hit them pretty quickly they go down and eat some of your bullets, shortening the game. After killing everything on the screen you get to kill bears that increase in speed depending on how many times you hit them.

There is a bonus box in the upper left corner which you must hit before it goes away! It comes back ever so often so keep your eye out. The flags at the top center aren’t there for decoration either. You can shoot them and get a few more bonus points. And speaking of bonus points, if you shoot the letters “B O N U S” in the right order to spell out the word “bonus” guess what you get?

I picked it up for a few bucks at the flea market and it was totally worth it. It is not one of those games you get addicted to, but is easily one you can spend an hour a week playing off and on. The graphics are pretty good. The music is annoying after awhile but can easily be turned off by shooting at the music note in the far right corner.

I would recommend this to just about anyone. It is an easy game to pick up on, it plays well and its just plain fun and different. It is one of the first games I found for ColecoVision so I don’t figure there will be any problems finding it.

Check out the video below to see an extremely corny original commercial for the game.

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE: Don’t forget to vote for your favorite game system on the poll located on the top of the column on the right! A lot of people have voted for the SNES, which is probably my least favorite vintage system and I really don’t think it did much to further the video game industry, but one man’s trash is another’s treasure. Anyway, VOTE! PLEASE VOTE!

How To Keep Your Vintage Cartridges Looking and Working Like New!

Today I am going to talk about a few situations that really annoy me and can be fixed with a few dollars worth of materials and/or some basic common sense.

First, as most of you know, when games get REALLY old the labels start to come off. I HATE THIS! I hate seeing a cartridge with no labels. And I REALLY hate when people write notes on them to tell you what they are. Here is a super easy tip of the labels start coming off of your game:

1. DO NOT USE SUPER GLUE! It bleeds through paper and is just plain to messy. You will end up with a really crappy looking cartridge. The only thing that looks crappier is someone who uses clear tape to reattach their labels.

2. Keep your cartridges away from the air conditioner/heater and away from direct sunlight. I know it says it on the back of NES cartridges, but use your head. Air conditioners and heaters take moisture out of the air, glue dries out and the labels come off. Direct sunlight will eventually discolor your cartridges.

3. DO NOT blow in your cartridges. The chemicals in your spit and moisture from your breath are actually very bad for the games. Don’t blow in the game system itself either.

Here are some great alternatives to keep your games in tip-top shape without killing your bank account:

1. Labels coming off? Go to the arts and crafts aisle at your local big box store and pick up a dollar thing of stick glue, the kind you used in grade school. Clean the cartridge with a paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol then apply a bit to the effected area and hold it down until it sticks. If the entire label has come off, apply a good coat to the entire label and reapply it firmly. Cleaning the cartridge with rubbing alcohol is very important as it gets rid of old useless glue, debris and dirt.

2. Video game storage: Like I said before, don’t store your games near heaters, air conditioners or direct sunlight. Remember this are basically 30 year old electronics and need to be treated as such. I keep mine all in a bookcase. It has 6 shelves so I use 2 of them for my systems, 1 for controllers, and 3 for games. It is set to where there is no sun on them and is on the opposite side of the room from the air vent.

3. Cleaning your games: Everyone has come across the problem of your games not working. Dust gets into the pins and you get squat. Most peoples’ first solution is to blow in them. That is about the worst thing you can do. It may work for the short term but will deteriorate your games in the long term. All you need is a can of compressed air like used to clean out computer keyboards, rubbing alcohol and Q-tips. Blow out your machines with the compressed air occasionally with the compressed air, and clean your cartridges with the q-tips dipped in alcohol.

If your games come in the original box, leave them in it! It is rare to find games in original boxes so the boxes themselves are rare, and are an excellent way to show off your collection while keeping them away from light, heat, cold and liquid. Following some basic guidelines and using your head will save you lots of trouble down the line.


ON A DIFFERENT NOTE: Don’t forget to vote for your favorite game system on the poll located on the top of the column on the right! A lot of people have voted for the SNES, which is probably my least favorite vintage system and I really don’t think it did much to further the video game industry, but one man’s trash is another’s treasure. Anyway, VOTE! PLEASE VOTE!

ColecoVision Update!

Ok, so I just got the ColecoVision two days ago and I was upset that I couldn't play it because I didn't have a power cord. Well guess what I got today? Yup, thank you Gary at the Super Flea Market. So tonight is the night. My loyal fans are going to get their very first Vintage Game Spot ColecoVision game review!


ON A DIFFERENT NOTE: Don’t forget to vote for your favorite game system on the poll located on the top of the column on the right! A lot of people have voted for the SNES, which is probably my least favorite vintage system and I really don’t think it did much to further the video game industry, but one man’s trash is another’s treasure. Anyway, VOTE! PLEASE VOTE!