We took a trip down memory lane in the last post and featured a couple of old gaming consoles that were part of our childhood. How about a couple more?

Console: Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom) - Japan
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Discontinued: 1995
After a disastrous release including a product recall, the Famicom bounced back and became the best-selling console in Japan. This is mostly due to the success of console-specific games like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda (as opposed to the multi-platform Pac-Man of times past) and to a new business model of software licensing agreements with third-party developers. Even greater success would be found in America’s launch of the system.

I remember this console very well. The main game we played back then was Super Mario Bros and I bet you remember those times very well also.

Console: Game Boy
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Discontinued in: 1999
You’re looking at one of the most successful, popular and long-lived gaming machines of all time. In addition to the backwards-compatible Game Boy Color, it’s sold nearly 120 million units since its 1989 release, with several colors and limited-edition variants spicing thing up in between. Yes, it had fugly, blurry green graphics that looked kinda crappy even then, but its battery life and software support were so impressive you couldn’t not own one. This little machine also supported multiplayer via link cable, spawned the very first Pokemon game in 1996 and was initially bundled with Tetris - perhaps the smartest move Nintendo has ever made.

Aha, this one was very popular when I was in my teens. Never had one but enough of my friends did that I had a lot of playing hours spent on it.

Gaming consoles have really come a long way since video games were first invented, don’t you think? I am relatively young but I still remember playing with some of the ancient consoles that kids of today would not recognize. That is why I was very much amused when I read the series of articles over at Games Radar which detailed the consoles of the different decades, starting from the 70s. Of particular interest to me were the consoles of the 80s. (Yeah, I think I just gave away my age range. Oh, well.)

This I remember oh so well:

Console: Game & Watch - Japan
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Discontinued: 1991
These LCD electronic games came in different models - all of which have resembled an iteration of the Game Boy or DS at one point. The Game & Watch pioneered left-handed directional control with the d-pad, seen on every console and handheld in the modern age.

I never had my own Game & Watch but my schoolmates who were fortunate enough to have on were of a sharing nature so we all got our turn.

And how about this?

Console: Atari 5200 Super System
Manufacturer: Atari
Discontinued: 1984
Created as a powerful successor to the 2600, the 5200 competed with the Intellivision and ColecoVision once it hit the market. Unfortunately, Atari spent more attention on the oversaturated (and far more popular) 2600 rather than their new console. Also, Atari underestimated the value of backwards compatibility - at least until they released an adapter the following year. Generally considered a failure, the newer controller also featured a pause button which has since been seen everywhere in the world of gaming.

Ahh, this one we were fortunate enough to have. Of course, with so many kids in the (extended) family, we had a heck of a time trying to get our gaming urges satisfied.

Photo courtesy of www.brianapps.net

I came across a short article by Christopher Dawson over at ZDNet posing the question “Do game consoles have a place in primary education?” His rationale is as follows:

However, the new game, Cosmic Family, is a slick game filled with puzzles and animation. While the puzzles are engaging, the Wii itself, with it’s motion-sensitive Wiimotes, takes a remarkable amount of coordination and sensitivity to operate.

As I watch the kindergarten teacher work to develop just this sort of skill, I have to wonder if there might not be a place for systems like the Wii (with a limited selection of appropriate software, of course) in early elementary education, just as there is for desktop or laptop computers.

It seems to me that the Wii could be a great tool for developmental work, as well as occupational or physical therapy for particular students with identified needs in these areas. The parent in me feels a knee-jerk sense of horror at the thought of Nintendos in classrooms or gymnasiums. However, the technologist in me sees some new tools that just might take us beyond technology for the sake of technology.

I understand how a parent can feel that sense of “horror” at the thought of video games in school. But then again, it really depends on your perspective. If you see video games as a tool to enhance your children’s educational experience, it would probably be a sense of elation and not horror that you would feel.

I think the bottom line here is control and discipline. Just like any other school subject, the idea of using video games for educational purposes should be monitored and guided strictly. I think that it is a perfectly good idea to expose young children to technology - learning and fun together, don’t you think so?

I knew this day would come! I have always thought that one day, hotels would feature video games as part of their offerings. It is but logical – video games are not only for children but adults as well. Actually, there are already many hotels which offer video game consoles in some of their rooms, especially those catering to families.

This concept being employed by the Westin chain of hotels is somehow new though – adding Wii consoles to their hotel fitness centers. Here is more information on it:

Looking for a fun way to work out on the road?

Hotel companies across the nation are putting more money into their fitness centers as surveys show travelers are putting a high priority on them.

The folks at Westin recently added a twist to their fitness offerings: a video game. Nintendo’s Wii system, to be specific.

Last week, the hotel brand by Starwood Hotels & Resorts installed the gaming system in its fitness centers at hotels in Bellevue, Wash., and Times Square in New York as part of a pilot program.

This month, the system will be added to Westin properties at the Galleria in Houston, Kansas City, Mo., Hilton Head Island, S.C.,

St. Louis, San Francisco, Toronto, Hollywood, Calif., and Savannah, Ga.
Other locations will be added later, pending guest feedback, a spokeswoman said.

The Wii systems will be integrated into the WestinWORKOUT program and will be preloaded with several popular games.
(Opt for boxing rather than bowling if you really want to raise your heart rate.)

The systems will also incorporate the Wii Fit program, which leads users through various exercises, including yoga and strength training, and is scheduled for release May 19.

Maybe I’ll stay at a Westin hotel the next time I hit the road…

The Game Developers Convention was recently concluded and the awards are out. Nintendo enthusiasts will be happy to know that Nintendo got the Developers Choice Award. This is an excerpt from GoNintendo.com:

The 2008 Game Developers Conference has honored Nintendo with a Game Developers Choice Award. The Legend of Zelda®: Phantom Hourglass for Nintendo DS™ won for Best Handheld Game of the Year. The game continues to enjoy strong momentum in the U.S., with more than 1.1 million copies sold since its Oct. 1, 2007, release.

Nintendo received nominations in three categories: Best Game of the Year (Super Mario Galaxy™), Best Handheld Game of the Year (The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass), and Best Game Design (Super Mario Galaxy). The awards were presented during an annual ceremony the night of Feb. 20, 2008, at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. The awards are among the highest honors in game development, acknowledging excellence in game creation.

Obviously, Nintendo is not on its way out in the gaming scene. Based on the events that went on in the Game Developers Convention, it is quite the opposite. Nintendo fans must be jumping in their seats right now. To be honest, though, this did not really come as a surprise. After all, Nintendo has always proven to be reliable when it comes to satisfying its customers. Just look back into your childhood and the chances are that you will remember – with a certain degree of wistfulness – a Nintendo game or two.

Are you ready for the second half of this list? Here goes…

Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal
This one’s for the Wii. We all love Looney Tunes – who does not? Yet the game released for the Wii just ruined everything. Check out what 1UP has to say about this game:

It’s painful watching Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal strive for mediocrity. With such a creatively flexible license (evident in Duck Amuck for the DS, releasing the same day), it’s even more disappointing to see it abused so haphazardly in an uninspired, glitchy, sometimes broken action-platformer. Calling Arsenal a hack-n-slash would be overcomplicating matters — it’s really just hack, at best. It’s too simplistic and childish for any passing intellectual enjoyment (even the classic Looney Tunes humor is put to poor use), and far too difficult in practice for anyone young enough to enjoy it to actually play it.

It’s sad.

Deal or No Deal
The game for the DS does not do the real game show any justice at all. I know how exciting watching the TV show can be. I couldn’t wait to play the video game. I wish I had saved that money for something else. The guys at Gamespot hit the nail right on the head:

By all accounts, making a game based on NBC’s hit game show Deal or No Deal should be the most idiot-proof concept in the world…It might not make for an especially interesting video game (it certainly didn’t in the PC version released earlier this year), but if the template is followed correctly, it should be, if nothing else, functional. However, Deal or No Deal for the DS somehow manages to screw it up, turning in a completely broken translation of the game.

The thing about being too engaged in newly purchased game consoles such as the Playstation and Xbox consoles is that time flies when you are having fun. A game console aimed for all ages, people are too glued to their television playing their favorite games such as NBA Live, Tekken or even Gran Turismo that they end up lacking sleep from playing until the wee hours of the morning.

Such produces a hypnotic type of a trance for gamers that simply want to complete a level or stage in storylines that these games have to offer. The game developers are not to be blamed since it is really their job to make the game as addicting as possible.

Self-discipline among the people who endorse and play this game should be done internally. It is their duty to ensure that they know when to stop even if they don’t want to. Besides, they can pull-it out anytime they wish to, when they have nothing else to do in real life.

[tags]playstation, xbox, games, sleep disorder[/tags]

Tags: games, PlayStation, sleep-disorder, Xbox

It has been a common tradition that game consoles would come to a point of having to engage in price drops since immediate demands of purchase for them would not be selling as forecasted. Part of this can be attributed to their outrageous prices such as that of the Playstation 3 and the Wii series. The cost for owning one is simply too much and waiting for some time for prices to be lowered has been an expected trend as can be seen from previous game console installments such as the PS2 and the Xbox offers.

People are simply waiting in line before the price drops hit the markets. The initial purchasers will always be there, largely composed of game addicts who go for distinction and allow their excitement to get the better of them. While these people may afford to burn the extra cash, price discounts are offered after some time since not resorting to such may leave them with a heap of game consoles that will just gather dust and eat up their inventory space.

[tags]timezone, ps2, ps3, xbox, wii[/tags]

Tags: PS2, PS3, timezone, Wii, Xbox

Game controllers for most game consoles of PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo have become another aspect of needing to satisfy the demand for possible damages or worn out game pads today. The wearing out process is only normal considering that with the rising addiction that most gamers employ on their time in playing, they tend to wear out the buttons and the joysticks from excessive use.

It is a good thing that such game controller pads are available anywhere today. Depending on the wear and tear of such controllers, people end up trying to purchase a new one once their old ones start to loose their purpose, like delayed reactions of commands once pushed and also no response coming from moving the stick pad controllers.

While some may not be inclined to buy new ones and have their old controllers fixed, it will still come to a point where the controller would evidently have to be replaced, meaning beyond repair states. For some people, it would be best to replace now rather than wait until the time comes when controllers would become a rarity.

[tags]game controllers, ps2, ps3, nintendo, xbox[/tags]

Tags: game-controllers, Nintendo, PS2, PS3, Xbox

The more advanced a gaming package the higher the need for better hardware specifications. Such has been the method adopted by PC games, PlayStation and Xbox today. The sequels to game consoles have been done for the purpose of providing better quality game play and graphics above all. It is quite obvious that the higher fine graphic turnout has become the darling of most game enthusiasts today. While it is true that preference for overall game play is important for hardcore gamers today, these are sometimes overshadowed by high resolution graphics that people get people glued to the fine graphic representations used in most games like role playing and sports games today.

There have been a number of revisions on games today, a lot of where improvement in representation once the game console is in use can be significantly noticed. War games, sports and arcade games have been the sought after preferences in demands for gaming preference today.

Among the games notable for such innovations include that of Gears of War, Gran Turismo 4, NBA Live Series, and the Raw vs. Smackdown sequels. A lot of them are highly touted and rated based on actual gamers’ experience.

[tags]playstation, ps2, ps3, xbox, xbox360, online gaming, graphics accelerator[/tags]

Tags: graphics-accelerator, Online Gaming, PlayStation, PS2, PS3, Xbox, xbox360