80’s Gamer Mancave: The Complete Vintage Video Game Experience!

The popularity of Man Caves is growing by leaps and bounds. The feminine touch, once confined to the Kitchen, has spread to the living room, dining room, bedroom, bathroom, hallway and even the lawn! This leaves the average guy wondering what part of the house is HIS part of the house.

By now, most people are familial with the DIY Network show “Man Caves,” hosted by former Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Tony “the Goose” Siragusa. The show follows Goose as he transforms unused garages, attics, basements or spare rooms into the ultimate monument to testosterone. But what about the average blue collar guy that doesn’t have $20,000 to sink into transforming their spare room into a man cave?

Well, if your reading this, you already know that I love vintage video games. I also love almost anything from the 1980’s. So guess what theme my man cave takes on? Now I am far from rich. In fact, I am usually playing catch up on the utility bills. But for next to nothing, I turned my extra room into an oasis of 80’s tech that my roommates often refer to as “That 80’s Room” all without spending more than $200! Here’s how:

FURNITURE: First off you need furniture, and since you will probably be sitting on your butt for several hours playing video games, you need comfy furniture. The great thing about an 80’s themed room is it requires 80’s themed furniture. This is something the world has in abundance. You can find old furniture at thift stores, flea markets, garage sales, estate sales, or even sitting out by the curb on big trash pick-up day. I picked up a very vintage looking dining table with 4 swivel chairs at the local thrift store. It had been sitting around unsold for quite some time so I was able to get it all for $5. I recycled a bookcase I found on the curb down the street from my house, which was free, to hold my systems and games.

ELECTRONICS: No man cave (especially a vintage video game man cave) would be complete without a huge compliment of electronics. Lets start out with the tv. It is a mid-1990’s 27 inch Magnavox that a friend was just going to throw out when he upgraded to flat screen. (NOTE: It is important, not just for nostalga but for functionality, to get an older tube type tv as opposed to plasma or flat screen because for some reason, attachments such as the NES lightgun DO NOT work on flat screens!) So the TV was free.

GAMING STUFF: Connected to this is a Playstation 1, an Atari 2600, an Atari 7800, and my RetroN 3 which plays NES, Super NES and Sega Genesis games. I also have more than 150 games for the systems mentioned above. All of this was mostly aquired through trade. I would venture to say that I spent less than $100 in actual cash on all my video games and systems.

And what 80’s themed room would be complete without a rockin’ Hi Fi system? This actually proved to be the hardest thing to get. Everyone over the age of 30 has a record player sitting in their basement. The downside is that most of them don’t work anymore. I bought 4 record players before I got one that worked. Of the other 3, one had a seized up motor, the other had no sound, the other had to many problems to mention. BUT since most of these Hi Fi all in ones are just sitting around collecting dust, you can get them very cheap. For all 4 I paid a total of about 20 bucks. The one that actually worked cost me $2. It is also my favorite as it includes an AM/FM stereo and a built in 8-track player! I also picked up some records for 25 cents each!

The great thing about putting a man cave together like this is that it is almost a hobby just assembling the room. My room is not finished, as I want to keep adding little touches here and there. At the top of my list right now is a working Apple Macintosh Classic computer, and some more wall hangings.  I’ll keep you up to date!


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: Wall Street Kid for NES

Rating: 73 out of 100

Introduced in 1990, Wall Street Kid for NES is probably the most fun tycoon strategy game I have found for the NES. In the game you are the heir of the $600 billion Benedict fortune, but to prove you are worthy you are given $500,000 to invest. You must make enough to buy a house, a yacht, and finally the family castle. You must also maintain a good relationship with your fiancé/wife, and maintain good health. If you succeed, you get the billions, fail and you get squat!

The gameplay is, at first, hard to pick up on, but once you get the hang of it, its fun and challenging. If your looking for a no holds barred 8-bit thrill ride, look somewhere else. It’s a strategy game, pure and simple. The “save codes” are a bit complex. If you write them down, make sure you write down where they are shaded digits or regular. Otherwise you will end up losing your progress. That being said, once you get the hang of it, you can play the entire game from beginning to end in about 2 hours, less if you are really good. I can actually get through the entire game in about an hour now. But there are always curveballs, so watch out.

The game throughs a bit of humor at you with the names of the companies, which are essentially spoofs of real companies such as Yapple instead of Apple, Firedman’s instead of Freidman’s, Charles Schlob for Charles Schwab, YBM for IBM, Strayhound instead of Greyhound, and Carnivore Cruise Lines instead of Carnival Cruise Lines.

The game is fairly easy to find, and since its not in high demand. I picked up my copy at the Cheektowaga Super Flea in Cheektowaga, NY for $2.  I have seen them online, I have seen them at Oogie Games, and I have seen other copies at the flea market, all for between $5 and $10. For the price, it is well worth it. If you are into strategy games I definitely recommend you pick this one up.

HINT: The stock tips are a VERY useful way to make money. Sure they may cost $1000, but they are worth 100 times that!

CHEATER'S CORNER: 

To get to the cheats, simply go into the "saved game" section instead of new game and enter one of the following codes. 

Code: 24[!][?]9 Q[X][%]2[K] [%]2[D]3[?] 01[D]31 02[D]3[L] 03[D]3H 04[D]3Y [%]2DB7 [!]0[Q][M]3 4C0[O]3 [%]2

Effect: Start Game on Monday, April 5th at 9:00 with $999 Million+ Cash/$360 Million+ Stocks/Max.Stocks(999)/Full Portfolio.

Code: MCAIB 10W0? SH40Q 2020E 0?%4? %4?%4 2V8MK CQ208 M30C0 C

Effect: Final week of game

Code: L50UB %452? %4?%4 ?%4?% 4?%5V 60W0D 0C0M3 0C08

Effect: Mansion

Code: MC50W %2W0! 7H10E 2030Z 0?%4? %4?%4 1P8MC CQ208 M30C0 C

Effect: Skip to week 15

Code: G1HGL L3%34 6?%4? %4?%4 %4?%5 E62%2 70C0M 30C%2

Effect: get the Yacht 






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: Ms. Pac Man for the Atari 7800

Rating: 95 out of 100

FINALLY THEY GOT IT RIGHT! If you read my last blog on Pac-Man for the Atari 2600, you will know how much I disliked it. That is because of its poor graphics and sound. It was nothing like the arcade game.

In sharp contrast, Ms. Pac-Man for the 7800 is a fantastic port of the Ms. Pac-Man arcade game. The sound is great, the coloring is awesome, the graphics are top shelf.

Here is a little history about Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man that I left out of the last review simply because of my lack of enthusiasm for Pac-Man on the 2600:

    The original Pac-Man was released in 1980 and became an instant hit. As an arcade game, the original Pac-Man grossed more than $2.5 Billion dollars in quarters. Ms. Pac-Man came out 2 years later as an unauthorized sequel to the original. The only real difference between Mr and Ms is that Ms. Pac-Man has a sexy red bow on her head. The unauthorized sequel probed to be so immensely popular that the original developer, Namco, adopted it as an official version.

    The game was ported to more home gaming systems than I care to list and all did fairly well. In fact, the Atari 2600 version of Ms. Pac-Man won Video Game of the Year at the Electronic Games Arcade Awards in 1984.

Game play is extremely easy to pick up on. Its just like Pac-Man. You go around the screen eating dots and avoiding ghosts. Simply contacting a ghost kills you. Bonuses include eating fruit that occasionally bounces around the screen and eating the ghosts after you stun them by eating the larger dots. It is, however, almost impossible to win. But still loads of fun.

This is one of those games you never get sick of. It is just as fun the first time as it is the 1000^th time. I personally like to sit with my roommates and play it, switching off each time one of us die. The game is so well known and so fun that everyone from 5 year old son to 65 year old grandma will have a great time playing. So grab a pizza, some soda and some friends and have a mini-Ms. Pac-Man tournament!


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: Pac-Man for the Atari 2600

Vintage Game Spot Rating: 50 out of 100

This review will be short and to the point because of my lack of enthusiasm for this particular version of this AWESOME original arcade game. 

OK everyone has played Pac-Man and if you haven’t, you are obviously not a vintage gamer. Shame on you. Anyway, in Pac-Man you go around trying to gobble up all the dots while avoiding the four ghosts (Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde) who kill you on contact. The larger dots change the ghosts into eatable targets. It is a port of the extremely popular arcade game of the same name. That is pretty much where the similarity ends.

Released in 1982, over 12 million copies were produced in anticipation of extremely high sales. But, like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the game was rushed into production and become a huge flop. Copies of the game were returned to store en mass and more than 7 million copies went unsold.

The game play resembles the arcade game but the colors are different, the graphics are horrible and the sound is way off.  The game does somewhat function like the arcade version if you can get past the differences in sight and sound. It is just very hard to get over it being such a horrible port!

Because so many were produced, the cartridge is VERY easy to find. You can usually get it for just a dollar or two at your local game store. It is nice to have in your collection, if only to say that you have it. But if you have the option, I recommend getting this game on another platform.

The Vintage Game Spot Mini-Update

I just wanted to give a quick update on some (for me) REALLY exciting news. As you know, the Atari 2600 is my all time favorite system. Well I have upgraded! Yes, that's right. I recently purchased an Atari 7800 ProSystem on eBay. The deal was just to good to pass up. I acquired the system, the AV and power cable and 1 remote for the low low price of $33 including shipping! Another plus is that it has been tested and is working. The down side to the purchase is there is only 1 remote, and it didn't come with any game cartridges. But you know me, always prepared. I ran out and traded some rather sucky Playstation games that were gathering dust for some 7800 games. So in the near future expect reviews of the Atari 7800 as well as 7800 games such as Pole Position II, Ace of Aces, Choplifter, Food Fight and many many others!

Game Review: Space Invaders for Atari 2600

Vintage Game Spot Review Rating: 93 out of 100

Space invaders is probably one of the greatest arcade games ever created. It was so popular and addictive that when released in Japan, it caused a nationwide shortage of 100-Yen coins.  This popularity carried over to the Atari 2600 port of the game. It was released for the 2600 in 1980 and quickly became the very first “killer app” for ANY video game platform, quadrupling the sales of the already popular console. In it’s first year Space Invaders for the 2600 sold 2 million copies, becoming the first game in history to sell more than 1 million copies. The game was also ported to other systems, with hit or miss popularity. It was somewhat successful on the Atari 5200 but was received poorly on the Nintendo NES.

The game has spawned MANY cultural references, many continuing today. My favorite modern cultural reference is on the Comedy Central cartoon Futurama. One of the main characters, Fry, controls a real life gun that shoots down “Invaders! Possibly from space!” controlled by Lrrr of the planet Nintendu 64 (A spoof on the character Lrrr, ruler of the planet Omicron Persei 8.) Fry declares that all he needs to win is a 2 liter bottle of Shasta and an all-Rush mix tape. After failing to shoot down the last ship, Fry says “I could never get the last ship! My brother always got it for me!” After landing, Lrrr says “Instead of shooting where I was, you should have shot at where I was going to be.” As a demand for conquering earth, the invaders demand “A million allowances worth of quarters.”

Like most Atari 2600 games, the gameplay is very simple. The player controls a moveable gun on the ground. Right above him are 4 green shields. Above that, in a square grid pattern are four different kinds of ships that drop bombs while moving back and forth, descending as the game progresses. The goal is to destroy all ships before any of them reach ground level. If you are killed, or any of the ships reach the ground, you lose. If you are able to destroy all ships, you win. Simple right? Did I mention that after awhile your shields disappear? Did I mention that the more ships you shoot down, the faster and more aggressive the remaining ships become?

This is one of my favorite games. It never gets old and most of the time you don’t win. There are several varieties of 1 and 2 player games on the cartridge so you can always mix it up. The overwhelming popularity of the game means that you can easily find it at flea markets, swap meets, game stores and garage sales, usually for only a dollar or two. The only downside is… honestly I can’t think of a downside aside from the addictive qualities of this game and the nostalgia it brings back to anyone over the age of 30. If your younger, try it. You’ll like it. If your older, get your kids to play with you. Its hours of fun. In short: BUY THIS GAME AND PLAY IT! You will have no regrets!

Game System Review: Atari 2600

Paul’s Review: 97 out of 100

Today I get to tell you about a video game system that is probably my favorite system of all time, and probably one of the most recognizable pre-nintendo video game systems: The Atari 2600!

The Atari 2600 made its debut in October of 1977 and was not officially discontinued until January 1, 1992, after 14 years and 2 months. This makes it the longest-lived home video game consol in history. During this time more than 30 million consoles were sold, and (for better or for worse) more than 900 unique games were created for the 2600.

The original Atari 2600, at the time called the “Atari VCS” (Video Computer System), the system took on its numeric name in 1982 to distinguish it from the newly released Atari 5200. The “2600” came from the system’s part number, CX2600. The original system can be distinguished by it’s distinct wood-grain front. Later models looked more like a miniature Atari 7800 than the original 2600. These are often casually referred to as “2600 Jr.”

The 2600 is credited with sparking a revolution in home gaming, and, perhaps more notably, the main factor in the video game crash of 1983. Many arcade games of the era were ported for the 2600 including the vastly popular Galaxian, Asteroids and Space Invaders. On the flip side, many games were so horrible that they killed consumer confidence in the entire industry, leading to the massive decline in video game sales in 1983. Most notable of these would probably be hugely unpopular E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Based on the hugely popular movie of the same name, the game was rushed to the market so it could be released for the 1982 Christmas season. This gave developers only 5 weeks after securing the rights to the game to completely develop, produce and market it. Atari completely lost control of the creative process for its 2600 games, leading to some real stinkers. Nevertheless, there are MANY awesome titles for the 2600.

Game play on the Atari 2600 is a very easy and very pleasant experience. Almost every game is easy to pick up on and impossible to master. There have been times when I have gotten a new game and played it all day, often getting my friends and roommates involved, who also end up playing it all day. The graphics are simple by today’s standards but groundbreaking for 30 years ago, and the controllers are easy to pick up on: a directional joystick and 1 button.

  

I had one of the wood-grain Atari 2600’s handed down to me when I was very young. I think it originally belonged to my aunt. I played it, gaining a few fond memories before I got my first NES for Christmas in the mid-1980’s. Over the years my original Atari was lost, the games and controllers scattered to the wind, being replaced by a sucession of video game systems such as the NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, Playstation and Xbox.

That would have been the end o this story if I hadn’t started getting nostalgic a few months back. When beginning this blog, I sat around thinking about what I could write about and quickly decided to see how hard it would be to get my hands on an old Atari.

It was actually surprisingly easy. As most of you know, I trade for most of my games and systems, but just for the sake of giving an example, I am going to list approximate cash values. The system I was able to locate at the flea market, the local used games store and various sources online for anywhere from $20 to $150 depending on bundled games, controllers, functionality, etc. I paid about $30 for mine, which included 10 games in their original boxes, a plethora of manuals, controllers, attachments, etc. The only thing that was missing was the power adapter which I located locally for 10 bucks.

The best thing about the Atari 2600 is the availability of games. As I said before, there are over 900 titles for the system. The best part is that, even though they are 30 years old or older, they are surprisingly abundant and easy to find. I highly recommend you start your collection with Asteroids, Space Invaders, Pitfall, Video Olympics and Donkey Kong. They are some of the most popular games made for tha 2600 and if you look around you can find them for $1 each. If you are a good negotiator you might even be able to bundle many games into a lot to make the price even lower. I once picked up 32 different titles for $5 and a Wii remote I never use.

So grab a 2 litre bottle of Shasta, a cheap frozen pizza and a Rush mix tape and settle in for a night of fun…. 80’s style!


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!

Retro gaming craze: What's old is new again

REPRINTED FROM AZCENTRAL.COM

Today's video games may boast photorealistic graphics, surround sound and worldwide multiplayer matches via the Internet, but many still long for the days when games were, well, simple.

You know, when you didn't need to master 14 buttons just to beat a level or suffer from vertigo because of a dizzying first-person perspective.

If you've got a sentimental spot for bustling arcades of the early '80s -- or sitting on a shag rug in front of the boob tube, with an Atari beside you -- then you'll be happy to know there are many ways to regain the glory of the "golden age of gaming" -- in 2012.

Retro to go-go

Many of the game apps for smartphones and tablets are the classics from yesteryear. You can download authentic versions of "Ms. Pac-Man," "Galaga," "Centipede," "Asteroids" and "Space Invaders," to name just a few -- many of which are just $0.99 cents apiece. Some, like Atari's "Missile Command" and "Breakout," are completely free.

But a touchscreen might not feel right to video game purists. If you agree, a couple of the iCade accessories can help. ThinkGeek.com's iCade ($99.99) is a tabletop arcade cabinet that lets you drop in your iPad tablet to play classic games -- complete with a red-topped joystick, responsive buttons and faux coin slot.

Coming soon is a smaller version, the iCade 8-Bitty ($24.99), a Bluetooth-enabled gadget designed to work with an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Android device. The wireless game controller sports a vintage D-Pad and button layout reminiscent of retro 8-bit game consoles from the '80s and '90s, such as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Sega Master System. The battery-powered device will work with many hundreds of games, with a full list available at thinkgeek.com/icadegames.

TV time

If you prefer to play these digital diversions on your big-screen television, all three video game consoles -- Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii -- offer downloadable versions of retro games.

The Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) for Xbox 360, for example, offers nostalgic titles like "Asteroids," "1942," "Frogger," "Choplifter," "Defender," "Dig Dug" and "Bomberman." Most of these titles are 400 to 800 Microsoft Points (or $5 to $10 each).

Sony's PlayStation Network (PSN) for PlayStation 3 also houses many downloadable titles for a couple of bucks apiece, like "Crazy Taxi," "Mega Man," "Crash Bandicoot," "Yar's Revenge," "Marvel Pinball" and "Worms." Some games are new spins on old favorites, like "Space Invaders Infinity Gene" or "Galaga Legions DX."

Nintendo's Virtual Console on the Nintendo Wii, has dozens of classics from older Nintendo systems, including games from "The Legend of Zelda," "Super Mario Bros.," "Metroid," "Final Fantasy," "Mega Man" and "Bomberman" series. These timeless adventures usually cost between 500 and 1200 Wii Points, or about $5 to $12 per game.

Go big and go home

If budget permits, you might consider picking up the Gamerator ($3,499) for your basement or "man cave." This custom-built, full-sized arcade cabinet contains nearly 100 video game classics €" including "Beer Tapper," "Joust," "Mortal Kombat," "Dragon's Lair 20th Anniversary Special Edition" €" plus you can also connect new video game consoles, if desired, to the 26-inch flat-panel HD screen with dual joystick and trackball controls.

Speaking of beer, there's a special surprise for those who'd like to sip a cold one while playing: inside the Gamerator is a built-in tap and keg fridge for your favorite brew.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/2012/05/03/20120503retro-gaming-craze-whats-old-new-again.html#ixzz1tqbSJPKU

Game Review: Super Mario Brothers 2 for NES

Part two of our three part review on the Super Mario Brothers Trilogy for NES!

The Vintage Game Spot Rating: 73 out of 100

Super Mario Brothers 2 is the 1988 sequel to the hugely popular Super Mario Brothers. It is actually based on a retooled non-Mario game from Japan called Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panikku, which is why it bears so little resemblence to Super Marios 1 or 3.

There are a few extra characters compared to its predecessor, namely Toad and Princess Peach.  Each character has its own special ability (e.g. the Princess can fly and Luigi can jump higher) and there is much less emphasis on shooting the bad guys. Instead you pick them up, or pick up turnips or bombs planted in the ground, and throw them at other bad guys, bricks, or the main enemy at the end.

This game was listed as #18 on the 100 Best NES Games by IGN.

Paul’s Review: 75 out of 100

I didn’t like this version as much as the first or third Super Mario Brothers but it is still a very good game. The graphics were somewhat lackluster, but still a huge improvement over Super Mario Brothers. The music was also a lot better.

I did like that you had more characters to choose from, but wished there was more shooting. The things you picked up were slightly hard to aim when throwing and there was no scoring system.

It is, however, a very fun game to play, and being a member of the Super Mario Trilogy for NES gives it instant fame and credibility. Game play is easy to pick up on, even without a manual. The game as a whole is challenging and engaging.

Aaron’s Review: 70 out of 100

Good game also a classic. Wasn’t as popular as the first and third games but that’s pretty much how it goes with any trilogy. But still a lot of fun.Mario was a good character couldn’t jump very high but still all right. He’s just the classic character in all these games. Luigi is one of the better characters. He can jump a lot higher than any of the others but when jumping he’s a little harder to control. Toad was alright about the same as Mario in the game: nothing to special. The princess was in my opinion was the best character because she could float and was a lot easer to control when she is in the air than Luigi.

This was a great game over all. the graphics are a lot better than the first Super Mario Brothers but not as good as Super Mario Bros. 3. One thing I really had fun with in this game is when you have to battle the Yoshi looking creatures at the end of each world but I never really understood the eagle head that you have to go through after killing him, but that’s the Japanese for you thinking they know how Americans think and what we want to see.

Game Review: Super Mario Brothers for NES

The next three reviews will be over probably the most well known video games of all time: Super Mario Brothers one, two and three for Nintendo Entertainment System. There is hardly a person alive that has not played one, or all three of these games, and they have spawned so many TV shows, cultural references and sequals that they deserve a high place in the annals of video game history. So here we go…

The Vintage Game Spot Game Review Rating: 90 out of 100

Super Mario Brothers for NES was released in 1985 by Nintendo and is arguably the most well known game of modern times. It was developed from the arcade game of the same name, which came out in 1983. The game is often credited for the success of Nintendo and for bringing the country out of the Video Game Crash of 1983.

In the game you control either Mario or his brother Luigi (2 player mode only) as they move through the Mushroom Kingdom and do battle against Bowser to save Princess Toadstool while killing enemies such as Goombas and Koopa Troopas.

Paul’s Review: 100 out of 100

This is the first Nintendo game I played when I originally got the console back in the 80’s so my rating might be more based on the good memories rather than the actual gameplay. That being said, the game is very well developed, the characters are memorable and fun. The gameplay is engaging and challenging without being overly difficult. Overall one of the best games ever made for NES!

Downsides would include the fact that there is no way to save, and when you die, you have to repeat the game from the very beginning. Also, player 2 (Luigi) doesn’t begin play until the first time Mario dies, which, if Player 1 is good at the game, can be a very long time. BUT I still gave this game a 100 due to its nostalga, notoriety and just plane funness (yes I made that word up) to play. 

This is truly one of those games you can just sit and play for hours on end without getting bored. In fact me and the roommates have played it more times than I can count in just the past month. 

Another huge plus to this game is it was included with new NES systems as the bundled game so there are MILLIONS of copies out there. It makes it one of the most affordable games at your local flea market or used video game store. If you have never played this game, I suggest getting your hands on a copy. If you have played it but don't have a copy currently, I suggest going out and getting it. You can't go wrong with this game!

Tyler's Review: 80 out of 100

I wasn’t ever much of a Mario fan, but this game is a classic favorite amongst all gamers. Born in 1992, I was not around for the release craze, however my older sister was, she is a big vintage gamer, so essentially I was raised on it, since this game in particular has always been one of her favorites. Looking back at the game today it has brought back numerous fond memories. Super Mario Brothers has made history, nobody will ever forget the adventures of this Italian, princess saving plumber Mario, along with his brother Luigi. 

I’ve always enjoyed the hidden levels, and the gameplay is quite amazing for 8-bit. I wish it was available to play 2-player at the same time instead of turn based, but it is an old game, can’t expect too much. Overall, this is a great game and I would recommend it to anyone, although I would question a person’s sanity if they have never played it before!

Video of the Game
Here is a video review of the game, published on YouTube by Classic Game Room. He is a GREAT reviewer and has great footage of old games. Disclaimer: I am in no way connected to the Classic Game Room and offer a link to his video as information only. Any copyright or intellectual property, actual or implied is owned by him not me.

Check out what’s Up for May on VGS!

HAPPY MAY 1ST EVERYBODY!

FINALLY the day has come! My Atari 2600 should be in the mail today! So this week be prepared for quite a few Atari game reviews! I will be reviewing Atari classics such ans Vanguard, Asteroids, Missile Control, Combat and Donkey Kong!

I will also be reviewing the Atari 2600 itself, as well as other system reviews such as the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System. and Sega Genesis.

I also have several game reviews for other systems in the works. Some are popular games such as Super Mario World for SNES, Super Mario Brothers 2 and 3 for NES, Zelda for NES and Galaga for NES. Some are some more obscure and much less popular games.

And as mentioned before, this weekend I will be trading off some unused equipment for yet another 20 Atari games! Add to this the upcoming articles on the Video Game Crash of 1983, how to build a cheap game room and portable gaming systems and you can see that May is going to be an exciting month here at The Vintage Game Spot!

STAY TUNED FOR MORE!