Arcade Game Review Sky Diver

This week we are taking a quick look at Atari's Skydiver from 1978. Sky Diver is a simple, fun game that that has some electro mechanical elements to it. You control the game with a metal parachute pull handle style mechanism. This is used for both releasing your parachute, and guiding your character left and right as they float down. There are also letters that light up on the cabinet that relate to what you are doing in the game. If you want to play Sky Diver at home there's a port of the game on the Atari 2600 VCS. You can also pick up the fairly recent Atari Flashbacks Collection that includes both the arcade version and the Atari 2600 VCS version of Sky Diver.

Lets Look at Some Star Wars Arcade Games!

While I sit back, sipping a Yub Nub cocktail, watching the first Ewok's movie, I figured why not make a post that includes all of the different Star Wars arcade games we have recorded? Click on the jump break below for the videos and May the 4th be with you!

Tapper Arcade Review!

Here's a very quick look at Bally Midway's Tapper from 1983. This is the original version that is loaded with Budweiser references. Pretty crazy that Anheuser-Busch sponsored an arcade game! Actually, a year ago they teamed up with Big Buck Hunter in an effort to help conserve wildlife.

You can play the Tapper arcade game from this video at D.A. Long Tavern located inside Funspot. I always make sure to get a couple of pints of Budweiser and give Tapper a play whenever I am at Funspot. I guess the Anheuser-Busch sponsorship worked!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Raw Thrills Arcade Review!

Here's a quick review of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game by Raw Thrills. All I can say is, holy crap they really managed to create a new 3-D beat'em up that also has the feel of the classic Turtles in Time arcade game by Konami. If that is not enough, they throw in so many easter eggs for the old school fans that you can not help but gush about this game. Bottom line; if you see it, play it.

Justice League Heroes United Arcade Game Review

This game is just... well it's just bad. I remember how excited we were when this game was first announced. "A new beat 'em up arcade game? SIGN US UP!" Unfortunately with too many shades of Fighting Force, the game is something less desired. Thankfully Raw Thrills is bringing us a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game that has been getting great reviews while on location tests and at trade shows. 

Be sure to check back this weekend for the triumphant return of the Arcade Hunters Podcast!

Crazy Tower Redemption Game Review!

Here's a video that was originally meant to be a part of our Christmas Mayhem last year, but we ran out of time. While it may have nothing to do with Christmas (or winter), I am stretching it really thin by including it based on the game's developers, Adrenaline Amusements who are located in Canada.

Crazy Tower is well worth a play if you see one. While the gameplay is very simple (think of it as a three dimensional Stacker), the hologram display will flood your brain with memories of SEGA's Time Traveler or Holosseum.

Be sure to give Crazy Tower a few plays in order to see all of the wackiness that happens as the tower gets taller!

Frontierland Shootin' Arcade!

Big memories with this one! It amazes me how this original opening day attraction has managed to stick around as long as it has. This is a MUST when I am in the Magic Kingdom. I remember my first time playing it back in the late 80's and thinking how amazing the animated objects were. I was shocked, stunned, and baffled at the size of this shooting gallery and the amount of targets (my previous experience had been random carnivals and oddball amusement parks). I love how a cemetery (Boot Hill) is included along with some skulls, desert animals, light up buildings, and other scenery to help create a Tombstone feeling. The best part is the transition from day to night. Be sure to bring a few quarters the next time you head over to the Magic Kingdom and give the Frontierland Shootin' Gallery some love!

Coastal Amusement's Ice Man Videmption Game Review

Keeping with the Christmas-ish theme, today we have a look at the fairly new videmption game, Ice Man by Coastal Amusements. You may notice just a striking resemblance to SEGA's Plants Vs. Zombies arcade game. While I have not had a chance to play Plants Vs. Zombies, images and videos I have seen seem to indicate at least a resemblance in the art department. While some of you may scream foul, copycats in the arcade industry are just about as old as the industry itself. Think of some of the many pinball games from the past where it seems like the only difference is the playfield art, or the countless Pong style clones that were around.

Be sure to check back tomorrow when I will be writing about some of my favorite arcade related Christmas commercials as the mayhem continues!

The Wizard of Oz Coin Pusher Review

2600 returns with a look at a new redemption game that has been sweeping the arcades, it's none other then The Wizard of Oz coin pusher from Elaut USA. This game has been making a killing everywhere I've seen it. It looks like at this arcade the operator even put in a Wicked Witch figure as a makeshift topper! (Hence why 2600 shot the video vertically so he could get the whole machine in frame)

Unlike your run of the mill token pushers this game has a lot of extras that make it really addicting. First of all you get a joystick that can control where you drop the tokens and you also have control of a fire button to shoot as many as you can. They also have special Wizard of Oz token chips and cards that can be redeemed at the prize counter for even more tickets. Some folks might want to collect the cards or you can just trade them up for big bonus tickets!

Everywhere I've seen this game offered people are lined up to play it from Hersheypark and even Universal's Islands of Adventure (When the Florida state law allowed redemption games) and I've been hearing the game has been a real earnings monster! So next time you see it in your local arcade, give it a whirl! It's a lot of fun!

Robotron: 2084

From 1982 we're checking out a true arcade classic, it's none other then Williams' Robotron: 2084! Designed and programmed by the Vid Kidz, Larry DeMar and Eugene Jarvis this game has stood the test of time and will forever be an arcade classic.

In the distant year of 2084 the robots have all revolted! Now it's up to you to save the last human family and destroy all of the robots that stand in your way. The game's twin stick shooting mechanics are fantastic for this game because you can shoot while you run away. It's been said Eugene had the idea after playing long rounds of Stern's Berzerk.

This game had been ported to a number of home consoles and even had a spiritual sequel that came out on the original PlayStation called Robotron X, which was released a few years later on the Nintendo 64 as Robotron 64. Well worth checking out! This formula worked so well that Williams brought it back in the 90's for one of my favorites, Smash TV which had it's own sequel, Total Carnage!

This game that's in the video that's in my pal's Dave's collection was actually rescued from the trash! It was just going to be thrown out! Thankfully Dave was able to get it home and the fine folks at Eldorado Games where able to fix the board and our other friend Mike from the Long Island Arcade Club gave the monitor a total overhaul and together with Dave they bought a new control panel overlay and rebuilt the joysticks and fixed the lights in the buttons and it's playing amazing now!

Hopefully you folks enjoyed the video! I've wanted to check out Robotron for a while now and whenever you go up to FunSpot it's next to impossible to get on it sometimes because folks have gotten very good at it.

Nicktoons Nitro

Yes, we're alive! Gerard has been getting ready for the beginning of a new school year and I just got back from Orlando with a ton of new videos that I'm in the process of working on!

Gerard recently checked out Raw Thrills Nicktoons Nitro. This is a sequel to Nicktoons Racing with updated tracks and characters. What I love the most is they included Danny Phantom and Invader Zim as playable characters and tracks. Kinda wish they had a version in the 90's with Ren and Stimpy sharing a car going against Doug Funnie!

Twinkle Star Sprites Japanese Arcade Version

Well, Neo-Geo Month's gone on a bit longer then we wanted, but here's the final part of the videos we took in our makeshift studio. Since Gerard's MVS is equipped with a Universe BIOS chip, it allows you to play games in home AES mode and The arcade MVS version. You also have the option to switch the game's language. Since we played Twinkle Star Sprites using English AES mode that includes the extra story into we decided to show off the original Japanese language version that's free of the butchered English translation. The main character Lord Run for some reason became Lord Ran and few other characters had their names changed.

Other then that it's the same great game. Also during the video we talk about the other Japanese home ports like the Dreamcast and the Sega Saturn that included a bonus disc and a brand new, although VERY pervy animated opening, exclusive to the Saturn version.

Samurai Shodown II Arcade Review

Almost forgot to post this one here! Neo-Geo Month Continues with one of the console's most popular fighting game, Samuari Shodown II! This game was a huge hit in the arcades and it even got it's own dedicated cabinet which is REALLY nice, but I've never seen one in person.

If you listened to the "4 Bright Buttons" episode of the Podcast you'll hear how I spoke about the first game being HUGELY popular in my local arcade, well the sequel gave us what we wanted. More fighters, more moves and a really, REALLY poor translation that you can't help but love.

The thing about this series is it doesn't play like many other fighters where their all about scoring huge chain combos. It plays almost like a real sword fight. Where if you score a heavy attack you'll take off a huge chunk of damage to your opponent. It's really slow, but if you can pull off one it's so satisfying.

SNK changed the series up a bit with the last few games that had some more focus on combos. While I like some of the added characters I still come back to the tried and true gameplay of the SSII. I'd say my second favorite is the final game in the Neo-Geo series and the last official game released on the system, Samurai Shodown V: Special. That game took what the fifth game had and perfected it with some gruesome fatalities that for some reason ended up being toned down and the game had to be recalled to "fix" the issues. 

It's a great series and well worth checking out, but as Sarge and I would say, STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THE SEN ON THE XBOX 360! It's like SNK/Playmore took a huge shit into a DVD case, slapped the Samuari Shodown name on it and put it in stores for 60 bucks. It's a disgrace to a once great series.

The King of Fighters '98

Part two of the Neo-Geo videos is here for your enjoyment! This time we're checking out which many consider to be the finest game in the long running series of SNK's King of Fighters, The King of Fighters '98!

Come along as we ramble on about our time with this classic. It's kind of sad seeing that KOF won't be making an appearance at this year's EVO in Las Vegas. I hope that rumor going around of SNK/Playmore looking for more workers is hopefully a good sign we'll be seeing another KOF in the near future. If they do, I hope they'll bring back Oswald from XI!

Also, as you may have seen the podcast didn't go up this past week. We've got one recorded but due to all of the weather and people getting sick it's going to be a few days before it gets uploaded. Sorry for the wait! 

Computer Space: Arcade Review

Since Gerard's covered under over 20 inches of snow up in New Hampshire I guess I'll have to fill in the introduction for his newest video. From 1971 here's a look at one of the very first video arcade games, Computer Space. Loosely based off Spacewar! you control a space ship out to blow up flying saucers and that's pretty much it. The game was a bomb when it came out. People found the game too difficult to play and to understand which is why they decided to base their next game off of the Brown Box prototype which we all know ended up ushering in the age of Atari.

We're going to have a podcast up later in the week! So be on the lookout for that soon! 

CES's Galaxy Games: Ms. Pac-Man

Here's the final video from Flipperspiel Wunderland in Las Vegas. This time we're checking out something I've never seen. Back in 1998 a company called CES (Creative Electronics and Software) created a cocktail table arcade game called the Galaxy Games MVS. (MultiGame Video System) Like the Neo-Geo MVS the unit supported cartridges that operators could buy and change out to have different games. The games on the first menu are the typical bar favorites, card games, bowling games, hockey and golf. In three of the carts they got the rights for some arcade classics. One they got the rights from Stern to have Berzerk, the other cart was licensed by Atari for Centipede and the one here is the cart from Namco with Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man. But unlike the classic Bally/Williams cocktail tables that came out in the 80's (And in 1999 with the Class of 81' edition) this is a totally unique two player game!

This version of Ms. Pac-Man is a co-op multiplayer game. Unlike Nintendo's Pac-Man Vs. and Namco's newest arcade hit, Pac-Man Battle Royal, this game you must work together with the other player to clear the maze...but if you want you can sabotage the other player. Two Pac's start off in the maze together if you meet up in the maze you'll pass through each other just like the ghosts do. If one player grabs a power pellet then both players can go after the ghosts, but the scoring works the same, so if one player eats 3 ghosts and the other player grabs the 4th, they'll get the big bonus.

The biggest difference with this version of the game is the controls. Galaxy Games came standard with a track ball, so you've got to use that to play the game. It takes a bit getting used too but it isn't as bad as playing it on a smart phone with swipe controls. I think a game like Bezerk would be a lot harder trying to play on a trackball then Pac-Man.

So once again I'd like to give a very special thank you to Zack and Adam from Flipperspiel for having me there. It's a great place to visit if you're in the Las Vegas area, especially if it's after hours at the Hall of Fame, which is funny because Sal from the Hall came over to play a couple of games after his shift.

So thanks all for checking out today's post! Gerard should have the new episode of the podcast up soon and this weekend I'm working on getting even more pinball videos for you! So like, favorite, follow and subscribe and stay tuned for more!

Popeye Arcade Review

Sorry folks! This was meant to go up yesterday but I was busy with other obligations. So here it is today for your viewing pleasure! A review of one of my favorite arcade games, Nintendo's Popeye! As a kid growing up I loved watching old Popeye cartoons like the famous Popeye Meets Sinbad the Sailor and even Popeye Jr. so of course I was excited to play this game. I still remember the one time my parents took my brother and I to Chuck E. Cheeses and pushing over a footstool so I could reach the controller. I had the home port on the Atari 400 computer, but never the VCS and of course I had the NES version.

The arcade game has a lot of charm and personality. It looks like your playing a cartoon. The characters are nice, large and well drawn. I love the extra bits of animation like when you knock Bluto (Yes, I know it's Brutus but I never called him that) into the water. Bluto in this game HATES Popeye. For a big guy he can leap like a track athlete. He'll constantly lunge at you, wave his arms to knock you off the stage and of course toss bottles at you. You've also got to watch out for the Sea Hag and her Vulture. In the first three round the Sea Hag will pop up every once and a while to toss a bottle at you but when you go through a second time she stays on the screen tossing skulls at you. It's a game I'd love to own one day.

Make sure you stay tuned with us. Gerard's planning on putting up a solo podcast I did soon all about my trip to Las Vegas and we'll have our final video from Flipperspiel, CES's Galaxy Games!

Atari's Tournament Cyberball 2072

For those of you who listen to the Arcade Hunters Podcast you know we did an episode all about sports games called "The Impossible Games" that was from the immortal Play Value webseries where one the "experts" famously says, "How do you make a sports game in the arcade, that's like impossible!". Well in 1988 Atari did the impossible with their game Cyberball. It was such a hit they ended up making two upgrades to the game, the second being Cyberball 2072 and the one you're about to watch here Tournament Cyberball 2072. The Tournament upgraded fixed some bugs from the previous version and added in over 100 new plays, rookie mode for beginners and a new mode called "Game Breakers". This series was so popular for Atari they ported the game to many systems including the NES, Lynx and even a few years ago got a re-release on Xbox Live Arcade.

This cab here at Flipperspiel Wunderland is one of the deluxe four player cabs that Atari made and I haven't seen one in years. Adam was telling me he got it locally. A woman had it outside for a long time and there was chunks of the control panel missing but everything inside the game was fine. After haggling the woman down he was able to get the cab for 100 bucks! After holding it in the back people saw it and got really excited to play the game again so Adam worked and brought the game back to life. The game looks like it just came off the Atari line from 1989!

It's a really fun arcade football game and it's worth checking out! Big thanks to Adam and Zack for letting me film!

Crazy Kong and Donkey Kong 3

Since I was away last week I asked Gerard if he could throw up a video or two in his backlog. The first one up is a look at Falcon's Crazy Kong. You might notice how I use the old website address. Yeah, this one's been on the back burner for a while, so disregard the old website address, unless you want tips and tricks for shitty cell phone games.

Crazy Kong many people think is a bootleg, but Nintendo actually did license the game to Falcon to be released in other countries where Nintendo didn't have a large market. Some of these games did make it to the United States like the one above that was donated to ACAM at FunSpot. From what I was reading they used old boards from Konami's Kicker, hence why Jumpman yells, "HI-YA!!!" when he jumps. What's surprising is the game does have a cult following and people go for the world record in the game just like Donkey Kong. Also like Donkey Kong the game does have a Killscreen, but there's less levels then in the original DK.



The second up is a look at one of my personal favorites, Donkey Kong 3. The game has a lot of love/hate with folks. It's more of a shooter and not a platformer like the rest of the DK series. You play as Stanley The Bug Man (Mario's cousin in the Saturday Supercade show on CBS) and you have to fight off Donkey Kong who's just crashed through your greenhouse. The game plays like a shooter where you have to defend the rows of plants below Stanley and also have to defend yourself against the onslaught of bugs and Donkey Kong himself. I find the game to be a lot of fun, but some people don't care for it since it's the same objective in every level. Just spray DK enough till he runs away, defend the plants and you're pretty much done.

Hope you enjoyed these two videos of more in Nintendo's Donkey Kong arcade history! We've still got to do Donkey Kong Jr, but coming soon we've got a look at Popeye! An almost spinoff of Donkey Kong.

Donkey Kong II Jumpman Returns

After The King of Kong broke out of the indy film market and made it's way onto G4, Donkey Kong was at an all time high. Back in 2008 when we attended the tenth FunSpot tournament they introduced a new game, based off the original Donkey Kong called, Donkey Kong II Jumpman Returns. It was there we met the designer of the game, Jeff Kulczycki. We had a great interview with him but unfortunately somebody stole the mini tape it was on along with a Twin Galaxies score book.

When we spoke to Jeff he told us all about this project that took over three and a half years to complete. He was telling me he owned a Donkey Kong machine in his home and the game was never programmed to have an option for Free Play. Some folks will drill a hole into the machine that you can press and it will trick the game into thinking you put a credit into it, but he wanted to keep the machine original. So while he was working on the freeplay and high score save he was looking into the code from the game that the designers used back in 1981 to create levels in the game and that's when it dawned on him. He could use the code in the game to come up with a brand new game! That game is Donkey Kong II: Jumpman Returns or D2K for short.

In D2K Jeff added in four new stages to go along with the first game's original four. These stages can be brutal. As you see in the video I was unable to make it up to the fourth stage he programmed in. Also he added in a million digit into the score, so no more rollovers! He also fixed an early bug in the game which would allow barrels to go over Jumpman if he was standing just right on the ladder as well as killing off the game's famous Kill Screen. So if you've got the skills you can marathon the game as much as you like.

If you'd like more information on how to add this to any Donkey Kong you can hit up his website below! And for the few arcade operators you can run the both games in coin op mode so it's a win-win for everybody! He also offers free play kits for Phoenix, Frogger, Dig Dug as well as enhancements to Dragon's Lair and Space Ace!

Jeff's Rom Hack