Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Box Art Wednesday.




As promised to Richard yesterday I have posted Sega Genesis box art this afternoon but this time they are titles for the Sega CD 32X!

Does anyone else think that the illustration of Watson on the Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective looks just a little like Ed Asner?

People Like Us-Talking Heads

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Battle for Atlantis!





The Xbox Live Game Room launched last week to varying degrees of acceptance. While I am enthusiastic about being able to play two arcade games I've never even heard of and the joy of revisiting old Intellivision and Atari games...most players are not as impressed as we at the Victory Vault and for quite understandable reasons. At the moment there is about 15 games available for purchase and spread across three systems. Arcade, Atari, and Intellivision titles.

Most players I have talked to are reserving final judgment on the Game Room until more titles come out, which is what is scheduled to occur every week throughout the summer.

The title that I really took a shining to is called Battlantis, short for Battle for Atlantis, though I've found nothing beyond a very short wikipedia entry in terms of background history. It was released to the arcades in 1987 by Konami and seems to have had a sequel but that looks only to have been available in Japan.

In the game you fill the shoes or sandals of Cripeuss the III and attempt to repel the monsters invading your castle. While most sites compare its formula of game play to that of Space Invaders as the main monsters move back and forth firing their spells, spears, and arrows at you before dropping another level you must also be on guard for the monsters that run straight at your parapets and if not stopped they will climb up and strike you down where you stand. In later levels you also have to contend with flying enemies that will try to swarm down and unless you have obtained a power-up that allows you to shoot sideways...it's the end for Cripeuss.

I enjoy this game quite a bit but I'll not fool anyone for this is a very, very tough title. I've only been able to advance to level 4 but at the very least it seems the game is made up of clearly recognizable patterns to the enemy movement. So with time and patience I am sure I'll be able to reach the end...someday.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Oh, adding a new bit starting with today's post. Music of the day. Richard asked what might be playing through the Victory Pellet Vault as I observed my world domination schemes and for that inquisitiveness I promise tomorrow's Box Art Wednesday will be featuring Sega Genesis Titles.

It's Still Rock & Roll To Me

Monday, March 29, 2010

Just to finish off that Tron bug I have.



Still had a lingering Tron thing going on over the weekend so I figured I would post that last two items I had secured.

First up is a Tron poster by those awesome cats over at Mondotees.com, made specially for the Alamo Drafthouse screening of Tron back in 2008. Brad Klausen is the artist responsible for this great piece of work and he also used glow in the dark ink on it!

I noticed at the top that Arcade UFO is listed as a sponsor, you might remember they were the arcade that won the Stride: Save the Arcades online game a couple of months back.

The Stitch, my wife and I both love this alien scamp, in Tron gear is a new item that will be offered at the San Diego Comic-Con this year by MINDstyle. I have a feeling that I'm going to be really missing out on some nice photo opportunities and merchandise this summer by not being able to attend. Sigh.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Saturday Supercade signing off!




"End of line."
So the last posting for the day is an item I've posted the box cover for in a previous entry. The Tron boardgame is something I did not see on the shelves locally so I feel I was robbed of what looks to be a pretty neat game judging from the pictures.

According to the Toy Archive site, the boardgame offers actually three different 'modes' of play. The first part of the game consists of the player using his lightcycle to follow the arrows, encountering recognizers and tanks as they travel until they reach the MCP tower where they need to use their character (As seen in the last picture) to flip a disc at the tower to try to topple it over.

The second game offering is Arena (Last picture) in which two characters fling their disc into the center ring, trying to knock out the colored chips of the opposing character. The third offering is described as being basically the same game...but shuffleboard.

I like that the characters you can choose as your playing pieces. Tron, Sark, Yori, and Dumont. So you can't play Flynn but you are able to choose as your boardgame representation, Barnard Hughes. I am so behind that idea it hurts!

Still some more Saturday Supercade!


"On the other side of the screen, it all looks so easy."
The Tomytronic hand held game from 1981 so they say...but didn't Tron come out in 1982?

On a side note I don't know what that Starfox item is next to the Tron box...if you know what it might be please post a comment.

Still Saturday Supercade!






"Uh oh. A Recognizer!"
If you take a moment to go and visit 80's Tees, www.80stees.com, you will find they have a pretty nice selection of Tron shirts that you can order and wear proudly around your domicile or workplace.

I particularly enjoy the Recognizer shirt and the Encom Software Development shirt.

Some more Saturday Supercade!



"Whatever you do or whatever you learn will be imprinted on this disc. If you lose your disc or fail to follow commands, you will be subject to immediate de-resolution. That will be all."

Papercraft is such a mystery to me that those artists that can create the images you see posted above are akin to Sorcerers in mine eyes. A big thanks to Paperkraft.blogspot.com for the above images.

Saturday Supercade!



"I'm going to have to put you on the Game Grid."
Looks like it's going to be Tron posts for this Saturday Supercade today as I've found some items both new and old...mostly new though that I'm excited to share with you.

First up we have the Tron "Big Figure" thankfully posted by j. Pidgeon on Flickr, it seems only 150 of these were ever made, and if you look at the bottom pic you can just barely see a switch on the right hand side...this piece of art lights up!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Friday Flyers break for Alan Bradley.




Wow! Thanks to IGN for taking the time to interview one of the greatest men in the history of Encom. I know you probably aren't reading this blog, Mr. Bradley, but if you happen to stumble upon it through a link or some such...just know that there are many, many of us that are supporters of your and Kevin Flynn's dream.

Friday Flyers.




Click the pics to Embiggen 1982 size!
I like the fact that one of the biggest draws to purchase the Beezer retro-kit is that you can cover up that old Galaxian art on the side of the cabinet while kids watch in awe. Look at how that guy is standing in the last panel, "All right...money is going to roll on in."

Thursday, March 25, 2010

It must be Thursday.

You know what? I like Street Fighter. I like the characters and I even have a little collection of graphic novels about those characters. I am not however any good at playing Street Fighter. So you know this guy pictured above has to be a great player to get a scene depicted from the game tattooed on his arm.

If I meet this guy in an arcade...assuming I could find one...I would just hand over my two tokens to him and call it even. Smile and shake hand, walk away with my digital dignity intact. Maybe even visit a tattoo parlor on the way home and get inked with a Mappy on my back or something.

Thanks to Kotaku for the awesome pic.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Box Art Wednesday.




Click the pics to Embiggen!
Looking at that middle picture for Space Tunnel...am I the only one that thinks it looks remarkably like Xevious?

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

"Lead on Adventurer, your quest awaits!"

My dear wife puts up with many, many things and with a smile...sometimes a strained smile but a smile none the less. But she has yet to let me dress up as Dirk the Daring nor has she clothed herself as Princess Daphne.

This couple get a huge thumbs up from us here at the Victory Pellet Vault. Bravo!

A big thanks to Dragon's Lair Fans for the picture.

Monday, March 22, 2010

It's a secret to everybody.


Well, some really awesome Farmville fan on Facebook has gone and made a hay tribute to Link from the NES version of the Legend of Zelda. The only question that pops into my head is whether I am going to copy this player.

I think that will be a yes.

By the way, we at the Victory Vault received almost a foot of snow on Saturday night...Shoveling a path to the street is a young man's job. I swear that if a young person of any gender had offered to handle that snow for me I would have given them the video game system of their choice in payment. Alas this was not to be and I have the back pain to prove it.

Thanks to Joystiq for the picture up above.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Saturday Supercade!



Click to Embiggen!
How long has it been since you've taken a moment to pause and think about Dart, Babe, Pakrat, Tempest, Morphea, and Martin Champion? We here at the Victory Vault have a veritable shrine constructed to that once Atari cartridge tie-in turned comic book series.

Interested in picking up a complete run? No, we will not sell you our copies. But I reckon you can go to any of the Vintage Stock comic stores and pick up almost all of them for under ten dollars. Hey, if you do...tell 'em we sent you!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Friday Flyers...Xenozoic Tales Edition.






The Retroist a couple of days ago posted on the forums a query as to how many people remembered the Cadillac and Dinosaurs animated series on CBS. Being a huge fan of the comic it was based on, Xenozoic Tales, it reminded me of the arcade game that was released at the same time as the animated series.

Click the pics to Embiggen. Kwahoon!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

It must be Thursday.


What more can you say?
Well, actually there is a bit more I can comment upon this afternoon. Early this morning, thanks to vast tankards of coffee, I was able to finish God of War 3. Let the trumpets sound and I will wear a crown of laurel on my head in honor as I go about my tasks this day. Actually...just let me take a good two hour nap and we'll call it square. Ha, ha.
This photo above was taken at the midnight release of GOW 3 at a Best Buy...this man is a bigger fan of Kratos than me obviously. Not to mention that clerk is an awful good sport about all of this.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Box Art Wednesday.



The letter B is brought to you today by the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

"The measure of a man is what he does with power."



God of War 3.
Was it worth the wait? Absolutely.
The Pantheon of the Olympians found themselves a few soul shy this morning as I rode astride a few of the Titans assaulting Mount Olympus itself, hacking and slashing my way through the common foot soldiers until the might Poseidon himself died beneath my less than tender hands. Though the God of the oceans , the Earth-Shaker, was not the last to fall before I saved my place. Hades (Seen in the third pic) too fell to the Blades of the Exile as well as Pirithous, and lastly...before work at least...Helios, which is the unfortunate chap in the middle picture getting his head separated from his neck.

The opening of God of War 3 reminds me greatly of, well, Casino Royale actually. I have it posted below for your viewing pleasure.



Monday, March 15, 2010

Yeah, but what have you done lately?


God of War 3 shall be mine at midnight. I am pretty excited about this to say the least and while I shall not have the next day off as has become custom on GOW game releases I am sure the rising sun will find me hacking and slashing with glee.

However this reminds me of one my game boasting achievements from way back in 2005. Conquering God mode on the original game within a day. Now back then I remember being given a bit of respect at my local Gamestop for this feat.

But I am more interested in your accomplishments, dear readers. What victory have you snatched from our digital masters that you feel is worthy of praise?

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Still, still some Saturday Supercade.


You know what a party needs? Party favors! So why not have them resemble Super Mario Bros. characters?

Still Saturday Supercade!


Now THIS is a birthday party!

Saturday Supercade!




First posting up this morning doesn't have anything to do with video games. But it does have everything to do with a new Shogun Warriors robot...in this case it happens to be an officially sanctioned Storm Trooper with firing fist and blaster. If I had the spare change I would absolutely buy this! I wonder if there was ever a Shogun Warriors video game?

http://starwars.super7store.com/