Still Saturday Supercade!

From the Official 2010 report on Agricultural Affairs: "Gaming pumpkins make Halloween at least 100% better!"

Saturday Supercade!

Things are getting a little spooky around the vault!

What better way to begin the celebration of Halloween than some awesome Atari 2600 Haunted House art? Even better, thanks to Playeronepodcast.com we have the above photo of Haunted House pencils...that is just so incredibly awesome that I can think of no better word for it at this moment!

Friday Flyers Break...For Tron Legacy!

Tron Night 2010. Was it worth a combined driving time of 7 hours to see 30-35 minutes of scenes from the upcoming movie? I believe my friend Bit from the original Tron says it best, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes."

I've included this little 55 second clip by way of ComingSoon.Net just to wet your whistle without really giving anything away. I will say my head was spinning after watching the preview last night, wanting to talk about every little thing that made my synapses explode in utter geek happiness. The film seems to be far more dramatic than it's predecessor. There is a dark tale I believe we will all enjoy when we get to see the full feature on December 17th.

Let us hope, dear readers, that this will not turn into another Scott Pilgrim incident where the fan base just doesn't show to support the film. Let's hope that Disney has a blockbuster on their hands and we shall get to see more of Sam Flynn and his adventures on the Grid.

It Must Be Thursday.

Yah! Sorry about no real gaming news today but I'm headed off to another city, braving the open highways, swollen creeks, and possibly undead bears to go and attend Tron Night 2010. 20 minutes of footage will be screened from Tron: Legacy at various Imax 3D theatres across the world tonight...so if for some strange reason I do not make it back...it's been fun.

Box Art Wednesday...Halloween Edition!

Oh, my friends, look at what we have here! The ultra rare and some say mythical Universal Monsters and more importantly, Monster Squad, Atari 2600 titles. Unfortunately I was unable to secure the boxes for Monster Squad, The Wolf Man, nor Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. I've spent almost everything I have in the bank for these rare items but the Gypsy I bought them from swears that there is a Frankenstein and The Mummy cartridge in the back of her wagon.

I'd probably be even more ecstatic about these purchases if not for two things:

1) I was able to post some screenshots of the gameplay. My primitive computer won't let me.
2) When I purchased these titles I was bit by the Gypsy's dog, well, it was more like a wolf.

At least she threw in the Invisible Man title for free after that...huh...never noticed how bright the moon is tonight...friends, it seems so very hot here in the vault...Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

And So Our Story Begins...

Well, Lionhead studios certainly knows how to make a game...and as the photos I've taken above prove they also are a fair hand at crafting a collector's edition to boot.

Coming in a tome-sized hardcover 'book' you will find the game when you open the cover of the book as well as a secret compartment at the bottom that slides out and reveals a set of playing cards create by Lionhead studios that depict all the manner of people and creatures you shall encounter while journeying in Albion. There is also a metal Guild Seal coin to "assist players in making critical decisions that will impact the fate of the world forever." which has a blue side for Good decisions and a red side for Evil.

The collector's edition also contains some downloadable content to help your Hero place his or her foot in the right direction on the trail of overthrowing your evil brother and freeing the good people of Albion.

Best of all, the thing just looks pretty nifty on my shelf.

Great Scott!

I can officially say that I am just all manner of worked up over this upcoming Back to the Future episodic games by those fine folks over at TellTale Games...and this video just makes the wait for the official trailer of the title on December 2nd all the harder. So please allow me to introduce the voice of Marty McFly for the upcoming games, Mr. AJ LoCasico!

Thanks to LazyGamer.net who say that the game takes place six months after Back to the Future Part III...this is...heavy.

Saturday Supercade!

All manner of awesome artwork this Saturday Supercade! From the WWII inspired propaganda posters, I particularly enjoy the Dig-Dug one, to a Pac-Man chair and Super Mario Bros. table showing 4 stages of the classsic NES game!

Everyone have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday.

Friday Flyers.

Click the pics to make 1998 size!

I never had the chance to play the Lost in Space pinball game but I sure wish I could have because the flyer makes it look like it was a nice little table. Check out some of the awesome table action thanks to YouTube and the Pinball Wizard!

Now of CarnEvil I can proudly say that I have beaten it, not in an arcade but at a local gas station...on a Halloween night dressed as Ash from the Evil Dead series. I loved this game so much but it sure ate the quarters. Check out the incredibly awesome opening from YouTube!



I'm not quite sure just how much money I've spent playing Monster Bash, I'd probably be too afraid to know the real answer but for many years it was at a local amusement center and I would stop off after work in the afternoon and plug in at least five dollars worth of tokens! Check out this table review by dadofducks from over at YouTube.

It Must Be Thursday.

Getting ever closer to not only Halloween but next Tuesday the 26th when you can download the new Red Dead Redemption DLC, Undead Nightmare, and lay low the walking dead with Holy Water, Zombie Bait, set them on fire, or even better use zombie pieces in your blunderbuss to transform the living impaired to a fine red mist. Yee-haw!

Box Art Wednesday.

Click the pics to make Atari 2600 size!

Intellivision's Astrosmash was reworked for the Atari 2600 and released by Mattel's "M" network as Astroblast. Just like in its original form, Astroblast requires you to control of a laser cannon trying to destroy falling asteroids and other debris.

Spacemaster X-7 is probably based on the sci-fi 1958 movie of the same name, at least I assume it is since 20th Century Fox games released it. In terms of gameplay you are tasked with destroying enemy bases, they are protected by shields that expand and shrink so you need to time your shots well...and not touch the shields.

I haven't been able to really find anything about Sprintmaster other than you compete against the console or other players on a variety of tracks, dirt, pavement, and ice. Barriers also litter the tracks to add difficulty to the gameplay. I was able to find a YouTube video for it at least.

When you are through checking out the above video, make sure to head over to www.Retroist.com to check out all the cool Halloween themed posts that are being made! I believe there is even a game review of John Carpenter's Halloween for the Atari 2600.

Mega Man Meet Lego.

Thanks to the awesome talents of Raphael Phillips we can now see what Mega Man Lego figures would look like...if the world were more perfect. A big thanks to the 8-Bit Cubist for the heads up and the photos you see above.

When you are through wishing you too lived in this world where Lego Mega Man figures were stocked on toy shelves make sure that you hop over to Retroist.com for all manner of awesome Halloween fun.

Thanks NES For All The Memories!

Closing out this 25th B-Day celebration for the NES we have Mega Man 2, Spy Hunter, Punch-Out and at the top a River City Ransom Mod. I think the Spy Hunter, Mega Man 2, and River City Ransom artwork are particularly awesome. Thanks to Joystiq once again for the images seen posted above...and no matter how you celebrated the Nintendo Entertainment System's 25th birthday I very much hope you enjoyed it.

Angel Land?

Well, here is another excellent NES Mod suitable for the system's 25th B-Day celebration! Thanks to Joystiq.com for the above photo of the modded NES depicting the secret ending of Kid Icarus after having been turned into a teenager by Palutena, and just before he gets the kiss.

Nintendo Units Worthy Of The TriForce!

A big thanks to Kotomiblog and Videogameblogger for the above photos of these Legend of Zelda inspired NES mods. A worthy tribute to the 25th B-Day of the system! I'm not sure about the rest of you readers but I wouldn't mind having one of these beauties on my gaming shelf.

Happy B-day to the NES!

Feel that something special in the air? Why that would be millions of excited gamers across the globe as they rise wearily from their beds to discover that the Nintendo Entertainment System has turned 25 years old!

Super Mario Bros., Excitebike, Kid Icarus, Duck Hunt, Metroid, and Legend of Zelda to name only a few of the early titles that I burned hundreds of hours playing in my youth. Good memories.

Of course how does one celebrate a day like this? Well, you can do what I'm going to do and play some M.U.L.E. but I personally think that should be done everyday. I guess I'll just have to browse this crazy series of tubes to find suitable photos worthy of the 25th birthday celebration of a classic gaming system.

A big thanks to Kotaku for the heads up and to Smithore.com which is just an incredibly awesome site about M.U.L.E. so make sure to head over there and give them a look!

Pardon me but I need more tea and I should see if the Vault has anymore of the Nintendo cereal in stock.

Saturday Supercade!

I figured you all were due a break from my Tron and Lego madness...it seems that another type of madness has overcome me these last few weeks. Movie Madness! You'll need to hop over to the Retroist site to see what I am talking about. http://www.retroist.com/

Now since it is the month of haunts and haints what could be better than pieces of artwork that deal with the supernatural and those that hunt them. The third pic has nothing to do with that...I just though loyal reader, Vinvectrex, might get a kick out of this hat he can order off of CafePress.

Have a great weekend everyone and see you on Monday!

Saturday Flyers?

Click the pics to make 1986 sized!

Those darn Radium Chimps accidentally locked me in the decontaminate chamber the other day thereby causing me to miss a Friday Flyers post! Luckily my good robotic friend, Tupa01, heard my cries of protest and has set me free. So let us make up some lost time shall we?

I haven't been able to really find any information about Express Raiders but thanks to Youtube we can watch a few minutes of gameplay...hit the coyote for points!


Empire City 1931 appears to be a first person shooter using an 8-way joystick. Thanks again to Youtube we can see some of the arcade action, not to mention how sorry we feel to see whomever is playing this shoot that innocent lady.


Darwin 4078 was released into the arcades by Data East and was a vertical shooting/spaceship game much like Xevious. There is an interesting use of Darwin's law as your ship which looks like a tiny microscopic organism may transform up to 10 ten times with varying weapons and defense capabilities. Once again we go to the all powerful YouTube for some footage of the gameplay!

It Must Be Thursday.

Mr. Driller, son of the main character from Dig-Dug, thanks to Namco celebrates with the rest of the world the safe return of the trapped 33 Chilean miners. I really do not know what to say...

...except thanks to Kotaku for the above pic, they too seem just as confused by the picture.

Box Art Wednesday.

Another Box Art Wednesday and we have a collection of NES titles that I've in the past like to classify as shelf warmers from back in the days when I worked at a local video store. The NES titles that you could always no matter if it was Christmas break find in the exact same spot on the shelf.

Bee 52 was developed by Code Masters and released by Camerica in 1992. You take on the role of Bee #52 in this flying side scrolling as you navigate the obstacles that come your way, you can also fire straight ahead with the A button and with the B button you will sting the enemies below you. Check out the video below thanks to Nesguide.com!


Is Best of the Best: Championship Karate based off the 1989 movie starring James Earl Jones, Eric Roberts, Chris Penn, and Sally Kirkland? I'm not sure but the game came out in 1992 so I guess it could possibly be meant to ride the coattails of that popular VHS tape back in the day. Of course the title's original name was Panza Kick Boxing...so maybe not. NesGuide.com comes to our rescue again with the video below!


Finally we have Crystal Mines, developed by Color Dreams in 1989. I've mentioned before that since Color Dreams didn't offer officially licensed NES games they had to reverse engineer the machine to get past it's "lock out" chip. I've never played this title though I do like the box art with the robot and the Earth Golem looking very much like it has just been woken up with the mining machine on its back. Once more let us all give a big thanks to Nesguide.com for the video posted below!