IC Forum Archive

exodus · Posts: 385

http://www.insertcredit.com/reviews/gamemachines/

there you go. this is pretty much an informational review, not for the pretty words.

aderack · Posts: 5018

Yeah, Europeans are weird. Weird!

Except Chaz. He has the power of citrus.

exodus · Posts: 385

recap is also good. he's a different flavor of european. more spicy.

[edit]
HAH. I wrote 'images to the left' when I meant right. neat.

leoboiko · Posts: 281

Isn't the screenshot labeled as "King of Fighters" on page 137 really Last Blade?

Rud13 · Posts: 3277

It also uses European Slang (beat'em up = fighting games).

exodus · Posts: 385

leoboiko wrote:

Isn't the screenshot labeled as "King of Fighters" on page 137 really Last Blade?

yeah, there are some errors. actually there's a rather lengthy corrections page.

Takashi · Posts: 820

Can you check if the Timex Sinclar/Computer clone deal is treated in the Spectrum section of the book? It's fairly important to me.

exodus · Posts: 385

Takashi wrote:

Can you check if the Timex Sinclar/Computer clone deal is treated in the Spectrum section of the book? It's fairly important to me.

sure, I'll do that when I get home.

btw, I haven't forgotten about you. your feature (remember that?) is mid-edit and will go up this month. It's not time sensetive, so I think it'll be fine.

I'm also adding my own commentary and clever words, so we're gonna have a co-credit on this. Send me an email if you want to use your real name.

chazumaru* · Posts: 480

Is that the same german guy from that magazine "Gameface" that talked to us in the press room during the TGS?

exodus · Posts: 385

different guy, but probably equally crazy!

exodus · Posts: 385

Takashi wrote:

Can you check if the Timex Sinclar/Computer clone deal is treated in the Spectrum section of the book? It's fairly important to me.

it is covered, but not at length. I'll type it here for you:
Timex TMS 2068 - 1983
The technically enhanced US license retailed for $199 with a new case, cartridge port, two joysticks ports and sound chip and wasn't compatible with European Spectrums. 20 games were released on tape, six on cartridge. The predecessors TS 2000 and 2048 were planned but never sold. In 1984, Timex stopped production.

there you go.

Takashi · Posts: 820

exodus wrote:

there you go.

Yep, that's mostly what I expected. Maybe I should write a book about the darned machines. I think I sorted out enough drama and political intrigue from my sources for one. I just need to find the people.

Geez. The feature. I'll get back to you.

Szczepaniak · Posts: 815

Nice review, sums it up well. It's a good book, despite the flaws. I'd recomend it anyway, I found it very interesting.

There was one major problem though, and quite a serious one.

The in-game screenshots are quite possibly the WORST I have ever seen in a printed publication, bar none.

I don't quite understand what they were doing, but nearly EVERYTHING has pixel distortion. This is very annoying, especially since the majority of magazines that cover old games (GamesTM and NEW Retro Gamer to name two), do not have this problem.

It's just sloppy, really sloppy. I mean, hell, even the biker on the back cover is distorted. Hasn't their art and design guy heard of non-aliased resizing whilst maintaining the aspect ratios? I'm not even a professional arts guy, I learnt that in high school art class!

Sorry, but pixel distortion annoys me greatly. Other mags can handle it just fine, so there's little excuse here.

But the hardware photos are excellent, and I still like the book.

A good book and a good write up Brandon.

...

No wait! I also didn't like some of the personal opinions they overlaid onto some game descriptions!

But other than those two gripes... good book.

aderack · Posts: 5018

EVERYTHING MUST BE PRESERVED IN AMBER.

BEEP BEEP.

exodus · Posts: 385

Takashi wrote:

exodus wrote:

there you go.

Yep, that's mostly what I expected. Maybe I should write a book about the darned machines. I think I sorted out enough drama and political intrigue from my sources for one. I just need to find the people.

Geez. The feature. I'll get back to you.

rock. and if you wanna do that speccy thing for me, I'd take it. I'm seriously working on things in earnest now, as you've seen. So! Lemme know if you need help contacting folks.

I also remembered two other things I want to put up. aderack, remember the retrospective of all SNK handheld fighters? I'm gonna clean it and put it up. I mean...there's lots of info in it, and that's good enough for something, right?

Szczepaniak: winnie forster just emailed me - I'll tell him about it. It didn't bother me tooooo much, but I get your point.

Rud13 · Posts: 3277

That NGPC article sounds sexy.

Szczepaniak · Posts: 815

exodus wrote:

Szczepaniak: winnie forster just emailed me - I'll tell him about it. It didn't bother me tooooo much, but I get your point.

Erm... ok? Feel free!

I should probably contact him myself and give some feedback. I feel almost guilty complaining about in-game screens, because the hardware photos and everything else is awesome.

aderack · Posts: 5018

exodus wrote:

aderack, remember the retrospective of all SNK handheld fighters?

No!

chazumaru* · Posts: 480

So, I have very little access to the net until next sunday, for various reasons. Just wanted to add that the last WS game is not Judgement Silversword but Dicing Knight. The game's release was mentioned on IC.

exodus · Posts: 385

damn. I checked that too...I thought dicing night came out before?

[edit]
shit, you're right. I don't even know how to read my own website!