Another late podcast, as Summer is in sight, and E3 looms ahead. Some minor audio issues with the podcast, but still the same podcast-y goodness we can expect from Paul and Jonah.
The news includes:
All that and Listener Feedback.
Now here is another interesting video game for the Atari 2600, the game Dragon Fire consisted of two game screens, one which you ran across a bridge while fireballs were shot at you, you had to duck or jump over the fireball. This screen was a side-scroller style screen (although it doesn’t actually scroll), at the other end of the bridge was a castle door which you’d enter to get to the next screen.
The second screen was more classic “overhead but not really” screen where you ran around this black screen picking up treasures while a dragon at the bottom shot fire at you from below.
As the game increased in level jumping fireballs became more challenging (on the first screen) as you ran because they would come quicker, more often. The second screen would get very difficult very quickly as the dragon would increase in speed and fireball spitting. You could tell how hard the dragon would be as it would change colors from lighter to darker black as you progress stages.
When you finished collecting all the treasure an exit would pop up in the corner and you had to run to it without being burned by the fireballs, that dragon would turn from left to right nearly instantly too! Then, you’d jump into the exit and be back on the bridge again, but this time it was harder. You could die up to 7 times before the game was over (just to show you how hard it is, they gave you a bunch of lives).
The game was tough, frustrating, hard to replay because you were just so nervous and jittery from the last attempt. Graphics were “okay,” nothing to rave at but it was, after all, the 2600.
You can hear all we had to say about DragonFire for the Atari 2600 on Episode 79 of the TD Gaming Podcast!
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This week we’ve got some crazy statistics that says Red Teams beat Blue Teams. According to a study published last week in a Cyberpsychology & Behaviour journal, during a study of 1,347 matches between “elite teams” in Unreal Tournament 2k4 … and all things being equal, the red team won 55% of the time. Huh?
EA Gets Sued by…The People? The class-action complaint focuses on Electronic Arts’ actions since 2004, when Take-Two Interactive’s NFL 2K5 was released at a $19.99 price point and sold more than 2.9 million copies in the US, according to NPD figures.
Wii and USB! Someone browsing the web came across a Job posting for Nintendo of America. The job posting was for a “Software/Hardware Tester” who can execute a “test plan for Wii’s USB devices.”
Analysts baffled that GTA didn’t move Hardware. How does a game with such powers of popularity manage to NOT sell consoles? Truely a mystery, or expected?
This weeks podcast also discusses the best game cinematic sequences, what are your favorite? Leave us a comment!
This weeks flashback is Where in the World is Carman Sandiego and we start our gaming history on Role Playing Games.
The latest sexual harassment scandal rocks, and things are not steady with the developer. Bad puns aside, the industry continues to have to grow up from dude-bro heaven to actual places of business.
All that, as well as the following news items:
Let us know what you think.
@Better Than Life
Above title is a reference to the popular UK TV series Red Dwarf. Better Than Life was a virtual reality headset that rendered anything that you ever dreamed off. However, it was banned because people using Better Than Life would spend all their time in the virtual world and eventually starve and die.
I don’t think VR will fail. Simply because too many big players are investing into it. Microsoft, Facebook, Apple and Sony are all bringing out a separate headset. And no-one can fault them. VR and AR have a lot of potential, especially outside video games.
My experience with AR on the 3DS was limited but I was impressed nonetheless. Seeing your tabletop transform into a fire breathing dragon was pretty cool and it’s sad Nintendo never followed up on this feature.
I think there is so much interest in VR and AR because it was a big sci-fi hook in the 90s. As Paul mentioned, there was the Lawnmower Man. There was also Johny Quest. Now, in 2015, the 90s kids have turned into working adults and are willing to shell out a lot of money for their childhood dreams. If there was ever a time for a VR revolution, it is now.
Will it be as successful as the mobile revolution? Don’t think so. My iPhone is with me wherever I go. But I don’t see taking Oculus Rift on the train. VR and AR devices will be anchored to your house and will probably be as revolutionary as a VHS player. Which is not a bad thing really.
@Thanks a lot Nintendo for region locking your products because I really don’t feel discriminated against because I live in Europe
Wow.That is one sweet Humble Bundle. If only the codes worked outside of US I would probably have more than 2 Wii U games. Thank you Nintendo for catering to ALL your customers.
On a different note, Paul raises a serious point. Since the creation of Humble Bundle and Steam sales I accumulated a lot of games on my Steam account. So far I have properly played maybe 15. Adding it to the countless PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, GBA, DS, 3DS, PSP, Wii and Wii U titles, in terms of playing new games I should be sorted for the next 50 years. And yet I keep buying more. It is turning from a habit into a disorder. But if a game costs £1, as my friend puts it, “I could skip out on that can of coke”. It’s strange. In 2005 here in UK it was almost impossible to find a game under £10. How things have changed.
@World of Warcraft: Broken Wings and Raging Tears
My stance on this topic is that whoever wants to see more content will look for it and therefore not fly. On the other hand, whoever wants to zoom past on his legendary mount “Dragon-Hoof-That-Was-Forged-From-My-Dad’s-Credit-Card”should be free to do so. I don’t see why WoW can’t have both.
Great show guys!
@VR/AR: I think the whole VR thing has been a long time coming, I think it’s been mostly that the hard ware wasn’t easy to use, as pointed out that Mobile phones are. Between clunky headsets, tvs requiring glasses and price tags. I’m still waiting for Holodecks personally. I do like what I have seen with the Altered reality hardware where a virtual bad guy can pop out through your device in your own environment.
@Oh What do you do with the funny little things, they go no wings: (that was reference to the Animated Hobbit movie) I can see why this has made many angry, you give they a great feature something they had been demanding for awhile. Then take it away, talk about pissing in their cornflakes and smiling about it. I remember a area just above Ironforge I could never get to because of the restriction of flying. I, like you Jonah, haven’t played WoW in years but being able to get to these hard to reach places needed flying and now they want to limit that. So you’ll have your taxi but I guess the fancy mounts are all grounded. I don’t think Blizzard can afford to give reasons for people to quit their servers. Several have already commented that they have stopped playing.
@FFXV: This is a series that really does need it’s Final iteration. They’ve gone into a direction I no longer want to follow. It’s a shame too cause it was one of my favorite series. I think it goes with my point when you two can’t keep the latest ones straight.