tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-470120630821529582024-03-08T04:41:11.193-08:00I Bleed GamesSometimes the Universe creates something beautiful.
Sometimes it creates pure crap.
This is the latter.
Welcome to I Bleed Games. A blog dedicated to the love of all things gaming, comics, collectibles, movies, and other nerdy pursuits, and the hope to share that love with all of you.
Sit back, relax, pause that FPS, put away your d20, and put your Detective Comics issue 27 back with its bag and board.
I've saved us a corner booth at Milliways.I Bleed Gameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00603171367650194080noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47012063082152958.post-52951608889917381482014-09-14T16:29:00.001-07:002014-09-14T16:29:07.192-07:00Is that a gaming console in your pocket?..Ep 6<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The turning of the
century brought with it a sea of promises:
Airplanes falling out of the sky, bank accounts being wiped by computer
viruses, social collapse, civil unrest, World War III, Skynet (again), and the
most terrifying of all, a boy from West Philadelphia – born and raised – wanted
to party like it was still 1999. The Willenium had arrived. Once it did,
though, we simply realized we’d woken up to yet another day. Our robot
overlords deemed it unnecessary to enslave us..yet.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Despite the let down
and lack of apocalyptic events in 2000 – I voted radioactive mutants –, on June
11,<sup> </sup>2001 North America got its hands on a device that made millions
of gamers glad the world hadn’t ended a year before. With graphical
capabilities that rivaled the SNES, a button layout that felt natural and efficient,
and a continuing library of games that have always been the cornerstone of
Nintendo’s handheld repertoire, gamers on the move were introduced to the next
big thing; The Game Boy Advance!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Ep 6: [Insert
blasphemous Revelations reference here.]<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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So you might be wondering why I’m doing another piece on the
Game Boy. After all, I’ve already <a href="http://ibleedgames.blogspot.com/2014/08/jeez-i-said-it-was-soon-didnt-i.html" target="_blank"><b>I’ve already outlined Nintendo’s Game Boy family</b></a>. Well, in
my eyes, the GBA deserves its own special write up. Here we saw a handheld that
<i>truly </i>lived up to the “home gaming on
the go” achievement so long sought after. With this incarnation, Nintendo hit
the mark in a big way. What had often been a vague imitation of home console
gaming, one which was limited by the technology available at the time, the GBA
while not on par with the polygons and anti-aliasing, was a home console in
your hands. With a continued expansion of Nintendo’s excellent first party
library and an open acknowledgement of gaming years past, the Game Boy Advance
revitalized the handheld market in a truly meaningful way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I remember my first experience with the GBA. Now – and it
pains me to admit this – at 15 years old I was less worried about the video
game world as I was about getting one of the junior year girls in school. I
know, I know, it is a crime against humanity. I’m just as ashamed, but in the
interest of journalistic integrity I feel it pertinent to be honest with you,
audience. All half a dozen of you deserve that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anyway, I had a long ride to school each morning and one of
the guys on the route was as much an obsessed gamer as I had once been. One day
he produced from his backpack something that I can honestly say is the reason
why I have these series of articles. Handing me his Game Boy Advance and a copy
of Castlevania that morning sparked back into life the fire that had cooled
after my teenage hormones had erupted. There it was in my hands. I was holding
a bona fide SNES, on the bus, 15 miles from my house and TV! It was then that I
felt the shame of walking away from such a dear friend as video games.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The first rumblings of a new handheld from Nintendo were
heard through Electronic Gaming Monthly way back in 95’. Rumors of something dubbed
<i>Project Atlantis</i> stirred among the
gaming insider community. Supposed to be the next step in gaming, it was said
this little handheld would feature an LCD screen, system-to-system
connectivity, and graphical abilities far beyond Nintendo’s previous devices.
The industry was buzzing…Then we got the Game Boy Color. A collective, “WTF!?”
was heard from gamers and the industry alike. What had all that talk about
evolution been? Where was that awesome LCD and SNES quality graphics? And
though the Game Boy Color was just as popular as its predecessors, in the back
of the minds of gamers, the whisper of evolution continued.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In 2001 that whisper became a roar of triumph. The GBA was
released to the wilds and gamers clambered over each other to get a piece of
the action. Featuring a vibrant LCD screen, outstanding graphics, and
eventually the blockbusters that were Pokémon LeafGreen/FireRed, the GBA was
destined for as much a successful run as the rest of the Game Boy family. This
while using only two AA batteries and providing as much as 15 hours of game
time! Of course, let’s not forget the accessories. Along with its own share of
third party peripherals, the GBA was eventually armed with a wireless adapter
that, though released so late as to not catch on in a meaningful way, had the
ability to network up to <b><i>40 </i></b>systems at once! GameCube
linking, an e-Reader, the ability to play cartoons and video, and of course
backwards compatibility all worked to make the GBA what brought me – and likely
many other gamers who’d lost their way – back into the fold. Handheld gaming
and the GBA in particular saved my soul from eternal damnation. Well, maybe not
that extreme, but at the time it seemed like it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ah, but now we get to the really fun stuff! In 2003,
Nintendo followed up their GBA with a redesigned, ultra-efficient, frontlit
(then backlit in 2005) screen having, nostalgia inducing masterpiece: The Game
Boy Advance SP! Far from a simple redesign, the SP brought with it not just a
new clamshell design, but bolstered features and something handhelds had been
in desperate need of for years. The SP had an internal, rechargeable battery.
Gone were the days of buying jumbo packs of Energizers. This was a huge
convenience that was welcomed by gamers. Not just rechargeable, on top of it this
battery also offered 10 hours of gaming with the lit screen on – another fantastic
feature in its own right – and a whopping 18 hours of standard play. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course, what game system is anything without excellent
games? Along with the continuation of handheld staples the GBA also saw
releases of revamped and upscaled versions of classic game series. Metroid,
Sonic, Final Fantasy, The Legend of Zelda; all had rereleases on the GBA.
Graphical capabilities had met or surpassed the titles’ original releases and
new features, levels, and gameplay all added to the feel of modern day classics.
Though it continued a trend of Nintendo regulars being the dominant force, it
didn’t matter that we were playing our 50<sup>th</sup> version of Mario Bros.
The gameplay, the system, the feel of it all made these series shine in a way
they never had on any handhelds prior. Say what you will, but damn if Nintendo
doesn’t know how to release a first party title that blows everyone away!<o:p></o:p></div>
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But, as is the case, everything comes to its inevitable end.
In 2008, Nintendo discontinued the GBA. Save for the Game Boy Micro – yeah…that
<i>isn’t</i> getting its own article, folks –
the Game Boy Advance was officially the last console to be given the Game Boy
name. The family had come to its close and while the curtain fell on a pedigree
like no other, the Nintendo Game Boy left the world on a high note. It will
forever be known as the greatest example of handheld gaming and every gamer
alive today owes at least a little something to what is the finest dynasty
video games have ever seen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Keep on gaming, folks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>*Fun Fact: The Game
Boy Advance was released with case and buttons that mimicked the original NES
console. It was my favorite…<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>That’s all. K, bye.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
I Bleed Gameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00603171367650194080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47012063082152958.post-76033013426418098732014-08-31T08:22:00.002-07:002014-08-31T08:28:50.298-07:00Is that a gaming console in your pocket….Ep 5<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>I love my Genesis. In
fact, aside from still owning one (Well, two. I “acquired my mother-in-law’s) –
as all video game enthusiasts should – I continue to purchase accessories and
games from garage sales and thrift store shelves, even if I already have them –
again, as any retro gamer should. I grew up with the Genesis primarily. I still
remember my father’s friend playing Sonic on his archaic, back lit, 70”(or
something, I was a little kid) big screen TV. When he handed me the controller,
at all of 5 years old, it was game over. Or game on as it may be. So when Sega
introduced a handheld that was what amounted to a portable Genesis…well, I
nearly exploded with excitement.<o:p></o:p></b><br />
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<b>Ep 5: Home is Where
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Let’s take a quick trip back in time to 1995. 9 year old me
is checking out the Star Wars action figures and Jurassic Park sets at my local
KB Toys – look it up if you never had the pleasure of visiting the now defunct
retail outlet – wondering how many my mother could be conned into purchasing
for me (sorry, Mom). As I cautiously bring my selection to the register I look
over the counter at the glass cases that contain the big prizes. Video games
are expensive, they have always been and my parents were much more likely to
only purchase games during major holidays, not when I got straight A’s on my
report cards…or begged. So I always just looked and pined for the day when I
didn’t have to worry if my mom said “no” to the latest Sonic or Zelda games.
This day however turned into a day that I will never forget. This was the first
time I saw the Sega Nomad. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If you aren’t familiar with the Sega Nomad, don’t worry. The
system had a 2 year run and never really amounted to much sales-wise. It was
big, clunky, drank power by the gallon, and cost and arm and a leg. What made
this handheld so amazing and so tantalizing to a young gamer was the games it played.
This handheld system played friggin’ Genesis games!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Released in 1995 at a whopping $180, the Nomad wasn’t Sega’s
answer to Nintendo’s powerhouse, the Game Boy. This was Sega trying its
damnedest to destroy Nintendo on even the home market. One could conceivably
think that if the Nomad had been successful, any subsequent handhelds would
have carried over the trend of cross platform playability, thereby allowing
Sega to control home markets and handhelds with the same exact library. Take
your Sonic 3 with you on the bus to school? Oh, hell yeah! Sadly, even with the
absolute best graphical capability and being able to take advantage of the
Genesis’s library the Nomad was on its last legs the moment it was released.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, you would think that a handheld system that could play
home system games would be a brilliant idea, and in concept it certainly is.
The problem is that with that kind of graphical power in a handheld device,
power consumption is MASSIVE. The system required <b>6</b> AA batteries and still gave the user only <b><i>2 hours </i></b>of gameplay with
rechargeable batteries being flat out recommended against by Sega – they
claimed an issue regarding voltage, Ni-Cds don’t have the 1.5V needed. Oh, you
could buy a rechargeable battery pack, but that takes your already near $200
investment and added $80 more to it. This combined with its issues adapting the
Genesis add-ons like the 32X made for a tough sell.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Still with a library of games nearly 600 strong, the Nomad
managed to squeeze out roughly 1 million units sold across its life. When you
consider its ability to display those games on a handheld screen, it really is
an amazingly powerful system that had a ton of potential to it. However, in the
portable gaming world, battery life is a huge concern. Battery eaters almost
always have a hard time keeping up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One thing that can be said is that the Nomad gave another
glimpse into the future of gaming. Consider what the Wii U control pad allows
the user to do. Take that game being played on the screen and shrink it to a
portable device to take it with you when you head to the kitchen. Or the PS
Vita and its literal cross platform abilities. These abilities have come
before; hell the Nomad was even close to having touch screen capability like
the DS and 3DS. And this is what makes these ancient handheld systems worth
remembering. Their innovations, though failed at the time, paved the way for
future systems to take advantage of better technology to mirror those fantastic
concepts of the past.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Not every console is a winner. The Lynx, Neo Geo Pocket, our
Nomad here, they may not have been the sales kings of their days, but they all
helped to shape our modern handheld gaming landscape. We may not always
remember them, and as new generations of gamers are born, a lot of them will be
forgotten entirely, but for us old timers, they are precious memories.
Thankfully the handheld market continues. With greater technology, amazing
games, and even 3D capability, the newest generations of handhelds offer
fantastic gaming experiences and innovations that would make their forbearers
proud.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hmm….3D capability…I wonder…<o:p></o:p></div>
I Bleed Gameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00603171367650194080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47012063082152958.post-84723224066811501952014-08-23T08:16:00.000-07:002014-08-23T08:16:03.276-07:00Is that a gaming console in your pocket?...Ep. 4<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Not every device hits
the mark, but some of them damn sure try. Today we look at what I have always
considered the number two spot on my top 5 list of handhelds. With excellent games,
fantastic graphics, and the ability to connect with Sega’s swan song, the
Dreamcast, this little handheld was a personal favorite when I first
experienced it back in good ol’ 1999. Join me as I return to the land of the
handhelds in this week’s “Is that a gaming console in your pocket…”, as we look
at the short lived, but impressive Neo Geo Pocket.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Well, ok. Technically it was the Neo Geo Pocket <i>Color</i>. But hey, the original only had
10 games and was an Asian market exclusive for barely a year before it was
discontinued. However its successor, with a full color display, had at least
the graphical capability if not the game library, of any console on the market.
Released in 1999 – the same year the original NGP was released – the NGPC
brought with it some of SNK’s more popular titles. Games like Samurai Showdown,
King of Fighters, and SNK vs. Capcom showed both graphical capabilities as well
as taking advantage of the system’s analog style thumbstick. Playing those fighting
games with the thumbstick’s smooth motions was a fantastic experience that made
super-moves and combos an ease to input.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another feature that was of interest on the NGPC was its
ability to connect to not just other systems, a trait that other consoles
shared, but the optional cable to connect with the “too soon” Sega Dreamcast.
This allowed cross platform interaction light-years before the current gen
systems. Though the Dreamcast had nearly as short of a run as the original NGP,
this connectivity was a sign of what was possible with tying in handhelds and
home consoles. Another option released only in Japan (they go all the cool
stuff in the 90s and early 2000s) was an add-on that allowed for wireless
connectivity between handhelds, which allowed multiple players to join together
for gaming sessions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sadly, even with these features coming from a price point of
only $69.99, the NGPC was basically doomed from the start. With powerhouse
titles like Pokémon and many years of player base, Nintendo was as always the
dominant player in gaming. There was also the notorious habit of ignoring
third-party developers by the corporate heads; something these execs should
have known by then (and by now) would cause a seriously deficient library of
games. With this unfortunate combination in place, the NGPC faced the same fate
as its predecessor. Discontinued in 2001, this was the last SNK would see of
the handheld market shares and with crippling financial issues a few years
later, the SNK brand folded entirely.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Still, for the short time it was around, the NGPC had some
impressive technical aspects, and though a small library, some exceptional
games. For a young me, playing this system way back in ’99 with some Type-O
Negative playing in the background, this system was the future. I saw the
potential in it. The graphical ability, the sleek casing and thumbstick, and
that connective ability with one of the unsung heroes of gaming I had and
always will have fond memories of this little system that was gone before its
time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>*Fun Fact: Despite
being one of the rarest handhelds out in the wild, the NGPC and its games are
valued at some of the <i>lowest</i> prices! For
the avid collector of retro gaming, this means a lot more bang for your buck. In
fact, the highest price value estimated on anything NGPC related – mint in box
mind you – is Real Bout 2, which is only valued at $499.00. This would be
compared to the Pokémon Edition Game Boy Color (which is still four away from
the top) at an astounding $774.99!** If you can find them, NGPC games and
systems are very affordable comparatively speaking.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>(Prices taken from
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I Bleed Gameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00603171367650194080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47012063082152958.post-62318447568323054602014-08-21T22:59:00.002-07:002014-08-21T22:59:36.121-07:00Is that a game system in your pocket or are you just happy to see me.<div class="MsoNormal">
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Sometimes it’s hard to remember that handheld gaming –
barring inclusion of what can be considered prototypes like Nintendo’s Game and
Watch line – is 25 years old. That’s a quarter of a century! What may be more
surprising to those who were unaware, who forgot, or are too young, is that
even back in the beginning there was a system that already had features that
wouldn’t become the norm for over a decade later. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Announced during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 1989
– the same exact time as the Game Boy – a handheld developed by what can be
considered one of the grand-daddies of the industry was shown to the world for
the first time. Atari had partnered with Epyx, a company over a decade old at
the time and facing the fallout of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Epyx hand been in the
early stages of developing a handheld system dubbed the Handy Game, but as can
be expected of a company facing financial distressed, they didn’t have the
capital to produce it themselves. Atari, with its long history of gaming and
pedigree name and reputation, saw a great promise in Epyx endangered handheld.
So in 1989 they let the world know there was a wild cat ready to be released on
the gaming market.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dubbed the Atari Lynx this handheld, one released the <b>same time </b>as Nintendo’s Game Boy, had
features and specifications that were light years ahead of their competitor.
Featuring a color display, 3.5” screen, a wonderful case design – one Nintendo
would mirror with their Game Boy Advance – and maybe most importantly and
technically impressive, a networking system. That’s right, folks! One of the
very first handhelds ever to be released featured the ability to start a LAN
party. Not just a few units either. The Lynx could network up to 17 systems!
Before even home computers becoming normal in households, this handheld gave
people the ability to connect with their friends and game together.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Unfortunately, being light years ahead of the competition
isn’t always enough to put a system on top (I’m looking at your Dreamcast). The
Atari Lynx came with a price tag of $180. This was double the Game Boy’s
seemingly bargain price of $90. For whatever technically reasons, the Lynx was
also released with moderate distribution at the end of the year. Nintendo on
the other hand was able to release their Game Boy in large quantities and in
time to hit the Christmas season. Along with a library of games that couldn’t
quite capture the early 90s gamer imagination and the release of Sega’s Game
Gear console in 1991, the Lynx struggled to keep sales up. The final nail was
Atari’s leaving the console behind in 1994 to focus on their final home
console, the Jaguar. By 1996, Atari had closed all internal game development. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Atari Lynx was a technical marvel. In the early days of
modern gaming, the Lynx did what even home consoles couldn’t do. It had
features that wouldn’t surface again until the late 90s, when Nintendo debuted
the original Game Boy Advance and it game from a company that even today young
gamers can recognize by logo. Atari had a stand out system. As if they had
traveled a decade ahead in time, Atari saw the potential of handheld gaming.
However, with a price tag double the competition, a late and low number
release, and games that were not as captivating to audiences, the Atari Lynx
was shoved to the background. The brand that had such a high pedigree just a
few years earlier – a company that dominated the home console market once upon
a time – was unable to gain the following and reverence that they believed
their portable console would bring. It was Atari’s first and last true handheld
system. It was just so ahead of its time that it suffered against the more
accessible gaming the Game Boy offered. The Lynx saw the birth of handheld
gaming first hand, and it left a legacy that even its competitors would follow
in their own future systems. Take a look at your 3DS or Vita and remember that,
though Nintendo dominated the market, there where systems that influenced the
future of portable systems over 20 years later.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As for the early game market, even the Atari Lynx didn't
suffer the same fate as what can be looked at as the Sasquatch of the handheld
world. Rarely seen, big, smelly, and more than likely to break your bones...<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><b>Fun Fact: Feel like
trying your hand at independent game development? Want that retro feel to be
legitimate? Why not grab yourself a piece of the Atari Lynx? Hasbro released
the rights to develop for the Lynx in the late 90s. Everything about the Lynx
is currently on public domain. If you have the savvy and can find the
equipment, there is still a dedicated market for new Atari Lynx games. You may
not become a millionaire, but Hell; you can say you worked on game development
for a system from none other than Atari. Street cred, yo... Street cred.</b><o:p></o:p></i></div>
I Bleed Gameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00603171367650194080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47012063082152958.post-1544109449489674132014-08-21T10:48:00.003-07:002014-08-21T10:48:45.408-07:00*Gasp* a double dose of handheld gaming goodness! You're so lucky!<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ep 2: The New Kid in Town.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Though my first gaming experience was with the original NES,
I truly cut my teeth on the Sega Genesis. With faster gameplay, beautiful
graphics, and the very first game I ever perfected (Sonic 3 was my first-hand
introduction to Super Sonic) it seemed fitting that this second entry in my
continued look at portable gaming be the history of Sega’s answer to the
juggernaut that was the Nintendo Game Boy, the Sega Game Gear.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Released in the US on April 26<sup>th</sup> 1991, the Game
Gear was what Sega hoped would topple the Game Boy’s solid gold tower. Nintendo
had dominated the handheld market and as their main home console competitor, it
seemed only fitting for Sega to release a handheld dedicated to taking the Game
Boy out of the running. They were looking for a system that had features that
would place it on the minds of gamers, that would outshine the Game Boy in
technical specifications, and that would show Nintendo they weren’t alone in
this arms race. To do that, Sega would attack the Game Boy’s weakest link:
They’d have a full color display.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It seems trivial in today’s market, and for any of the
younger readers perhaps an unheard of caveat, but there was a day where the
fact that a handheld system featured a color display was deliriously exciting. It
was with this plan in mind that Sega brought to the world a portable system
that could go toe to toe with not just the NES, but arguably their own home
system. Sega even went so far as to create the famous <i>1984-</i>esque commercial featuring a dystopian society held in
oppression by the Game Boy’s boring
colorless screen. The Game Gear featured a backlit, full color 3.2”
display and since it was based on the Master System home console, was able to
have a huge library of popular titles released for it very quickly. With
everything from stand-alone Sonic adventures to the punishingly difficult <i>Ninja Gaiden</i>, the Game Gear library was
full of console quality games. For the first time, gamers could feel like they
were taking their home consoles with them on the bus ride to school.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Following Nintendo’s brilliant marketing ploy, Sega also capitalized
on the gamer’s seemingly engrained nature to collect. In time the Game Gear too
was released in promotional packages. With a special blue casing accompanying <i>World Series Baseball </i>the Game Gear also
had its share of special colors and themes. Sadly, aside from the before
mentioned, nearly all of these special color schemes were Japan-only exclusives.
Along with accessories that did everything from allow you to play longer, care
of a giant external battery pack, to screen enlarging magnifying lenses, the
Game Gear was a completionist’s dream*.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course, all this graphical power and technical ability
came at a cost. Before the days of rechargeable batteries, the handheld gamers
were tethered to pack of Duracells. Needing a whopping <b>6 AA batteries </b>the Game Gear had a battery life of only 4 hours.
Needless to say, if you had a school field trip, be prepared to grab some extra
batteries for the ride home. This gluttonous consumption of batteries
translated to a huge expense and being primarily a kids’ market (let’s face it,
folks, gaming was a kid’s world once upon a time) a parent would be less likely
to purchase a $190 system that blasted through batteries faster than Sonic runs
through a Special Stage. It’s sad, but true. The system had a piss poor battery
life and that hurt its sales numbers. Of course there was also the biggest faux
pas that a game company can make with their system, a serious lack of third
party partnerships. Though a solid second place in the market, the Sega Game
Gear was drastically eclipsed by Nintendo’s handheld to the tune of more than
50 million units by the end of the Game Gear’s run in 1997. Not even the gorgeous
display and substantial first party library could push the system to dominance
above its rival. Sometimes the hot new girl in school just doesn’t have the
allure of the girl next door, I suppose.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Despite the setbacks, the Game Gear was a turning point in
the portable gaming market. While there had been color display portables
before, the Game Gear showed the world at large that the handheld market was
not relegated to monochromatic ports and offshoot games. It shaped where
handhelds would go from there on, and though it took quite a few years later,
even the House that Miyamoto built would go for broke on a change to their
handheld that mimicked a lot of the Game Gear’s features. The portable gaming
arms race had hit fully begun with the release of the Game Gear, and its
explosive entry pushed the boundaries of handheld gaming by ironically making
it more similar to the home consoles. The gaming world had seen what a handheld
could do and got a glimpse into what Sega had in store for future portable consoles.
But that story is for another day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Good Gaming, everyone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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*<b><i>Fun fact: There was even an accessory that allowed you to watch your TV
on the console. Although a novel idea this accessory was short lived. The Game
Gear TV Tuner can now be found on auction sites and retro gaming forums for as
little as $17. If you are looking to start your Game Gear accessory collection,
it’s an interesting piece to start with.<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
I Bleed Gameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00603171367650194080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47012063082152958.post-15839533496314007752014-08-21T10:26:00.005-07:002014-08-21T10:44:42.664-07:00Jeez, I said it was "soon" didn't I?<div class="MsoNormal">
Few things for me have been more life changing than my
introduction to video games. From my father purchasing an original NES that
just so happened to make it into my room after he got bored with it to the Xbox
360 and Playstation 3 sitting on the shelves under my HDTV right now, I got bit
by the bug young and have never looked back. I became a man obsessed before I
even started elementary school and that obsession hasn’t waned in over two
decades.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In all those years one thing has been a huge interest of
mine. It can allow me to satisfy two of my most basic nerdist urges; collecting
and gaming. That thing is the magic that is the handheld gaming console. From
the early days of boiled cabbage screens, 8-bit graphics, and enough heft to
crack a toe should a friend mistakenly drop it on your foot, handhelds have had
a very special place in my heart. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“I can play my Sonic at home AND on the bus ride to school?
Sign me up!”<o:p></o:p></div>
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So now, I’ve decided
to highlight those handhelds. Those pocket(ish) sized machines that have
allowed gamers to sever the umbilical – just temporarily of course – and get
some sunshine while they take Bowser town and save the Mushroom Kingdom. Our
story begins in 1989…</div>
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<b>Is that a gaming
console in your pocket? Or are you just happy to see me?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Episode 1: The O.G.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Conceived by Gunpei Yokoi, the Nintendo Game Boy opened the
gates for the handheld gaming device. And by broke the gates I mean blew them
off the hinges. Gamers could now play the franchises they loved on the go.
Metroid, Legend of Zelda, and of course Super Mario Bros. all had multiple
titles released for the console. Together with other Nintendo first party IPs
and myriad third party developer titles, the Game Boy showed the world that gaming
was no longer stuck in the living room. Now everything from the playground, to
the college dorm, to a businessman’s international flight, was able to be an
arcade.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The original Game Boy was no beauty, though. From the huge
size, to the drab color scheme, to the oddly tinted greenish, greyish, brownish
screen, the Game Boy wasn’t going to win any modern art awards. But with 10-12
hours of battery life and more games than you can shake a stick at, the Game
Boy was a juggernaut and gamers bowed to its awesomeness.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Eventually the criticisms of its looks and advancements in
technology allowed Nintendo to redesign the system to a more elegant and
aesthetically pleasing form. The Game Boy Pocket was sleeker, had a better
resolution screen, and came in different colored casings. While the battery
life was lower than the previous model, the Pocket found its market with the
newest generation coming into the gaming world. This sleek look also followed
the system to its next incarnation, the Game Boy Color.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Released in 1998, the game Boy Color was a major leap
forward for Nintendo’s handheld market. After stiff competition from Sega and
their Game Gear handheld, the consumers wanted something more modern for the
Game Boy. Nintendo answered with a pocket sized system with a 56-color display
and a feature that would become the trademark for the handheld market for years
to come; backwards compatibility. The Game Boy Color had the amazing ability to
take a regular Game Boy game and add some color to the once monochrome graphics.
It sounds trivial, but adding a tinge of blue to my copy of Pokemon Blue was
like seeing it for the first time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After years of success and millions upon millions of units
sold, Nintendo took another leap for their handheld. Rivaling the SNES in graphical
capability and feature a drastically redesigned housing, the Game Boy Advance
stormed onto the scene in 2001. New millennium, new Nintendo. Still with a slot
that would accept older Game Boy cartridges, the GBA now feature a “horizontal”
design and left and right shoulder buttons. This redesign saw success with a
new list of games and ports of classic SNES games. There were some flaws with
the design, though. The GBA’s smaller cartridge port made classic Game Boy
catridges stick out of the top of the machine and Nintendo continued with the
same caveat that gamers had griped about for over a decade; the screen was not
backlit. This made play in sunlight and dimply lit rooms as difficult as
always.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Obviously aware, and finally responding, Nintendo once again
put out a redesign of their handheld flagship. This design was a major step and
features a mechanism still seen on Nintendo’s portable consoles. A hinged lid
allowed the player to close the system and protect the screen. It also finally
had a backlit display, complete with dimmer, to allow for play in any light
level. Together with a limited run color scheme that mimicked the old NES
console 2003’s Game Boy Advance SP was perhaps not the biggest selling, but
certainly most acclaimed, Game Boys ever. It also is this author’s favorite
handheld. I still have my SP and continue to play it to this day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sadly, nothing is forever and 2005 found the last Game Boy
iteration. Technologically impressive, but poorly received, the Game Boy Micro
was the final run for Nintendo’s original handheld platform. Featuring a very
slim design that is roughly the size of the original NES home system’s
controllers, the Micro packed a ton of punch into a small package. All the
features of previous generations were stuffed together in a housing that was a
mere half an inch thick. Unfortunately, due to poor marketing decisions and the
introduction of Nintendo’s next portable platform, the Nintendo DS and
questionable omissions of well received
features – the Micro was not backwards compatible – the console did not sell
well and was not well received by the gaming community.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was the twilight of the Game Boy. Nintendo’s portable
powerhouse was finally retired and the new generations of handheld consoles
were out and in the wild, but the legacy of the O.G. of the handheld world
would live on. In 2009 the Nintendo Game Boy was inducted into the National Toy
Hall of Fame. The Game Boy had solidified itself in the annals of history. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The system that showed the world that video games weren’t
stuck tethered to the homes of gamers was a giant leap forward and a large
factor in why video games are what they are today. It is only fitting that the
first entry in this series be dedicated to that forerunner, that giant grey
brick that soon became synonymous with handheld gaming and gaming culture.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>*</b><i><b>Fast Fact: The “Game Girl” Despite gaming being known as a male dominated medium,
in 1995 research showed that the Game Boy boasted a whopping 46% female
player-base! That was nearly double the amount of the NES and SNES combined!
Who says girls aren’t gamers? (Gainesville Sun, Jan 15, 1995) </b><o:p></o:p></i></div>
I Bleed Gameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00603171367650194080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47012063082152958.post-28300683549955078652014-08-21T10:22:00.002-07:002014-08-21T10:22:18.434-07:00Trial by fire.Low and behold, a new article is soon to be revealed.<br />
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I've got something in my pocket, would you like to see it?I Bleed Gameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00603171367650194080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47012063082152958.post-59634940980629872102014-08-21T10:17:00.001-07:002014-08-21T10:17:56.261-07:00In the beginning...Prepare thy selves, for thou art soon to be brought before the most awesome and powerful of the realms great orators.<div>
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Or you know, I've got a blog and am self obsessed.</div>
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So here starts the beginning of my adventure. I will force you to come along. I get lonely.</div>
I Bleed Gameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00603171367650194080noreply@blogger.com0