Blogger Archive: singlebanana 
[img width=300 height=415]http://images.wikia.com/egamia/images/e/e4/MontezumasRevenge.jpg[/img]
SPECS:
Game: Montezuma's Revenge: Featuring Panama Joe
Genre: Platformer (multi-screen)
Year: 1984
Publisher: Parker Brothers
Developer: Parker Brothers
Designer(s)/Programmer(s): Robert Jaeger
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 5 = Rare
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1
Average Cost: approx. $25-$30 loose depending on condition
Also Available On: Apple II, Atari 5200, Atari 8-Bit, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, Sega Master System
Tagline/Description: "Wherever there's mind-twisting mystery, hair-raising adventure, and non-stop action--PANAMA JOE is sure to be there. And in MONTEZUMA'S REVENGE, he's got more than he bargained for as you help him through 24 danger-filled chambers in the Aztec emperor's fortress. The stakes? Priceless treasure. And lots of it. But finding necessary keys, torches, swords, and amulets is no small feat as PANAMA JOE tries to avoid deadly snakes, menacing spiders, and bouncing skulls. But then disappearing floors, bridges, and laser walls are no picnic either! It's up to you to lead this undaunted adventurer through the labyrinth of chambers in an attempt to solve the riddle of the fortress and escape with the loot!"
Continue reading Montezuma's Revenge
[img width=300 height=250]http://www.thecollaredsheep.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Mario-Sun.jpg[/img]
June was another scorching month, not only in terms of temperature, but also in submissions to the RFGeneration database. During the month, there were 8,503 total submissions, of which, 5,647 were games and the other 2,856 were hardware. In June, image submissions lead the way, with a total of 3,856 (3,768 games/88 hardware).
Continue reading RFG Thanks: June 2012
Well, February has come and gone and for most of us, including myself, I'm very glad it is over. Around RFGen, things got hairy for a bit and the site was down for several days. While the monthly thanks is normally a time to express our gratitude to our highest submitters and most dedicated approvers, I'd like to start off this post by thanking those who worked tirelessly and diligently to get our site up and running again. Without your hard work and countless hours, many of us would have lost the database information which houses our collections and the continual updates that many of us have worked so hard to put together. But most importantly, I thank you for saving a community where great people meet to share ideas on gaming and enjoy being members.
Continue reading RFG Thanks: February 2012
[img width=700 height=393]http://i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/necrom99/Converter/DSCN1108.jpg[/img]
TODAY, TOMORROW, & YESTERDAY
A few weeks ago, I was informed by a friend that a new video game store/arcade would be opening in town. I became really exciting after learning that the guys opening it were former employees from a used book/music/game store that I regularly frequented and I knew they were really into gaming. This past Saturday was their grand opening and needless to say, I've already been 3 times....did I mention they were closed on Sunday? They have an array of arcade cabinets/sit downs, 10 pinball machines, and an incredible variety of games for modern and retro gamers alike, including a very nice selection of Famicom games.
Continue reading For the Love of Famicom!
[img width=425 height=308]http://notaniche.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/thanks-a-ton-ad.jpg[/img]
This past month, we saw a bit of a drop in submissions from 3,795 in July to 1,698 in August. With end of summer vacations and school starting back up and many gamers trying to put in some quality time on the sticks before they have to return, it's certainly to be expected. We would like to take a moment to thank all of you for your submissions and the time that some of you put into approving these submissions to make our site a better community for gamers and collectors. Out of the 1,698 submissions, 1,627 involved games, while the remaining 71 were hardware. Just over half of those submissions (853) were images.
The top submitters for the month of August, with over 100 submissions, were:
raffa1985 - 432
Tynstar - 254
Shadow Kisuragi - 174
NES_Rules - 163
Sirgin - 149
BoxInTheBack - 104
I would like to point out that raffa1985 and BoxInTheBack are two of our newest members at RFGen (both since April of 2011) and kudos go out to them for jumping in quickly and making a great impact to our site.
The top approvers for the month of August include Shadow Kisuragi (723), who took over the lead from ApolloBoy from July, ApolloBoy (187) and NES_Rules (109).
Again, thank you to all who submitted information to our database. Let's keep those submissions coming throughout September!
[img width=300 height=400]http://www.theoldcomputer.com/game-box-art-covers/Atari/2600/Box-Scans/f/Frankenstein%27s%20Monster%20%281983%29%20%28Data%20Age%29.jpg[/img]
SPECS:
Game: Frankenstein's Monster
Year: 1983
Publisher: Data Age, Inc.
Developer: Data Age, Inc.
Designer(s)/Programmer(s): unknown
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 5 = Rare
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1 to 2 players (turn based)
Average Cost: approx. $10 - $25 loose depending on condition
Also Available On: exclusive to the Atari 2600
Tagline: "In the cold dark night you make your way through the ghoulish castle of Dr. Frankenstein. There you must prevent him from his completing his creation. Your only chance is to gather stones from the dungeon and bring them to the tower where you must build a barricade around FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER before he has accumulated enough energy to come alive. To succeed you will have to move fast, avoiding poisonous spiders, vampire bats, and terrifying ghosts. Complete the job and the village will be safe forever."
Continue reading Frankenstein's Monster
[img width=359 height=504]http://cdn1.gamepro.com/box/box_138001-hd.jpg[/img]
Specs:
Game: We Love Golf!
Year: 2008
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Camelot Software Planning
Controls: Nintendo Wii Remote
Number of Players: 1-4
Average Cost: $5 used - $20 new
Also Available On: Exclusive to the Nintendo Wii
Continue reading We Love Golf!
[img width=370 height=444]http://vectrex.playntradeonline.com/ppf.jpg[/img]
Specs:
Game: Pole Position
Year: 1983
Publisher: General Consumer Electric (a Milton Bradley company)
Developer: Namco, Ltd.
Designer(s)/Programmer(s):
Rarity (according to RarityGuide.com): rare - 80% out of 100%
Controls: Vectrex Control Panel
Number of Players: 1
Average Cost: around $100+ CIB
Also Available On: Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-Bit, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, DOS, Intellivision, TI 99/4A, VIC-20, ZX Spectrum, arcade cabinet, and various Namco gaming compilations.
Tagline: Do you possess the skill, dexterity and courage to pull out from the crowd for qualification in one of the exclusive starting positions or will you end up as an also-ran?
Continue reading Pole Position - Vectrex
As you know, there is much to celebrate this month at RF Generation. We just hit 4,000 members and this month marks the site's 7th year in existence. RF Generation has always prided itself in creating a free community for collectors, sellers/traders, and others who are generally interested in all things video gaming. However, RF Generation would not be where it is today without the hard work and dedication of its staff and site members. During our 7th anniversary celebration we are encouraging all members to participate in an all out blitzkrieg of submissions to our site (http://www.rfgeneration.c...s/Lucky-Number-7-1709.php).
The staff at RF Generation would like to take this moment to thank all submitters, and especially those who pounded out huge numbers in the month of April:
[img width=379 height=247]http://intrawebnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/chuck-norris-thumbs-up.jpg[/img]
Overall Submissions: 2,317!!!
Top 5 Submitters:
1. Shadow Kisuragi - 375
2. aeroc - 313
3. raffa1985 - 308
4. ApolloBoy - 189
5. Sirgin - 146
**your name could be here for May!!!**
Additional submission info and statistics are located here:http://www.rfgeneration.c...p?action=submissionreport]
For those of you who made submissions, but did not make our Top 5, please know that every submission is appreciated and counts toward making RF Generation the best database of classic and modern gaming on the internet. We challenge each of you to make at least one submission a month if possible, whether it be an unlisted game, an update to a current listing, a variant, or even a scan of a game, box, manual, etc. of a piece of software/hardware that you own that is not currently available. With 4,000 members, one submission a month would greatly improve our site.
A special thank you to all of the staff (especially the database approvers, who have to look over all of these great submissions) for donating your time so that others in our community may benefit. Keep up the great work everyone!
[img width=300 height=390]http://images.videogamescheats.org/atari-2600/bank-heist-atari-2600/thumbs/2600_bank_heist.jpg[/img]
Specs:
Game: Bank Heist
Year: 1983
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
Developer: Fox Video Games, Inc.
Designer(s)/Programmer(s): Bill Aspromonte
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 5 = Rare
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1
Average Cost: approx. $10 loose
Also Available On: exclusive to the Atari 2600
Tagline/Description: "Alright you guys, listen up. This is the plan. Lefty, you'll drive. Mugsy, ride shotgun. Fingers, I want you in the back with the dynamite. Any coppers get wise, you let 'em have it! OK now, here's the map of the banks in this town. They're all cherries just ripe for the pickin'. All you gotta do is stay a step ahead of the heat. Now, you got any questions? What's that? What am I going do? Boys, boys, you know I'd love to go with you, but I've got important business to attend to. I gotta stay here and play Bank Heist so I can find out what our next heist will be!"
Continue reading Bank Heist
[img width=300 height=390]http://www.theoldcomputer.com/game-box-art-covers/Atari/2600/Cart-Scans/s/Solar%20Fox%20%281983%29%20%28CBS%20Electronics%29.jpg[/img]
SPECS:
Game: Solar Fox
Year: 1983
Publisher: CBS Electronics
Developer: Bally Midway Manufacturing Co., Inc.
Designer(s)/Programmer(s): Bob Curtiss
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 3 = Scarce
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1 - 2 (turn based)
Average Cost: $2 - $7 loose
Also Available On: coin-op, Commodore 64
Tagline/Description: On a daring mission to save energy-starved Earth, you must navigate your Starship through a complex matrix of precious solar-cells. The faster you clear the matrix, the greater your reward! Ominous Sentinels oscillate along the perimeter and riddle the energy field with fireballs. Their slightest touch will reduce your ship to ashes. Defenseless, you must weave in and out of their path until the last solar-cell is secured!
Continue reading Solar Fox
[img width=285 height=350]http://www.atariguide.com/c2/Laser_Gates_283.jpg[/img]
SPECS:
Game: Laser Gates (aka. Inner Space)
Year: 1983
Publisher: Imagic
Developer: Imagic, VentureVision
Designer(s)/Programmer: Dan Oliver
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 5 = Rare
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1
Average Cost: $10 - $25 loose, depending on condition, label fading is fairly common
Also Available On: Atari 8-Bit (as part of a compilation called "1-2-3 Imagic") and on the Atari 2600 by Zellers as "Laser Volley" - also available for the Atari 5200 as a part of a homebrew compilation called "AtariMax" (http://www.atarimax.com/5200sd/documentation/)
Tagline/Description: "The thousand galaxies quake at the news: the Cryptic Computer, the galactic defense synthesizer which has maintained peace for the five centuries since the Wars on Zevon, has malfunctioned! Four Failsafe Detonators inside the Computer will now initiate universal self-destruct! The Governors of Enderby order the Dante Dart into action. Only it can spiral down through the nearly impenetrable defenses of the Computer in order to reach and destroy the Detonators!"
Continue reading Laser Gates
[img width=250 height=325]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT1BW5HssmdpnGuDNKwRgOOGyqfQz3KHLXrp5DfgxlWcPiQeVZE[/img]
SPECS:
Game: Pengo
Year: 1984
Publisher: Atari, Inc.
Developer: Coreland, Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Designer(s)/Programmer: Mark Hahn
Sound: Andrew Fuchs & Jeff Gusman
Graphics: Courtney Granner
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 6 = Rare+
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1-2 players, alternating turns
Average Cost: currently $25 - $45 loose
Also Available On: coin-op arcade, Atari 8-bit, Atari 5200, Commodore 64, Game Gear, also released as "Pengon" for the Dragon 32/64 and TRS-80 CoCo, released as "Pepen ga Pengo" on the Sega Mega Drive (Japan)
Tagline/Description: "Go skating on thin ice! Race Pengo, the lovable penguin, around a frozen lake. Rearrange huge blocks of ice. Your goal: Line up three jewel-embedded blocks for dazzling points! Your enemies: SNO-BEES! Their touch puts you in deep freeze!"
Continue reading Pengo
[img width=400 height=456]http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5278/367095-room_of_doom_large.jpg[/img]
SPECS:
Game: Room of Doom
Year: 1982
Publisher: CommaVid, Inc.
Developer: CommaVid, Inc.
Designer(s)/Programmer: Irwin Gaines
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 6 = Rare+
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1
Average Cost: varies upon condition and number listed at auction, $25 - $65 loose is typical
Also Available On: exclusive to the Atari 2600
Tagline/Description: "ESCAPE! Your mind throbs, trapped in the Room of Doom, the fiendish gunmen are trying to annihilate you. Shots come from secret portals that mysteriously open and close. Watch out! The gunmen have unleashed a hydra-headed monster; it relentlessly pursues you. Don't panic! Your marksmanship can stun it, but only for a moment. Should it remain in the Room of Doom too long; the monster becomes invulnerable to your bullets. Dodge the gummen's firepower; shoot them in return when the secret portals open and Escape....But where? The next Room of Doom awaits. An even more diabolical chamber with rapid-fire gunmen and devious monsters trying to destroy you. Can you survive through the full gauntlet of Rooms and escape unscathed? Only you can test your skill in this latest video challenge from CommaVid."
Continue reading Room of Doom
PRESSURE COOKER
[img width=254 height=340]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KqLKZFRTHM8/SgX93HlNQCI/AAAAAAAAA5U/sMB8X--V4yM/s320/Pressure_cooker_boxart.jpg[/img]
SPECS:
Game: Pressure Cooker
Year: 1983
Publisher: Activision, Inc.
Developer: Activision, Inc.
Designer(s)/Programmer: Garry Kitchen
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 4 = scarce+
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1 - 2 (turn based)
Average Cost: $5 - $10 loose
Also Available On: exclusive to the Atari 2600
Tagline/Description: "Sounds like lunchtime at 'The Grille.' And behind the counter? None other than Short-Order Sam. A man who was born in grease. Normally thrives under pressure. Except today. You see, Sam's automated kitchen is totally out to lunch. And, with hundreds of hungry customers waiting, he could sure use a helping hand. So grab your apron and get cookin'. Come on. After all, how can you turn down a man whose initials are S.O.S.?"
With the recent demise of Guitar Hero, I became inspired?? to review, Pressure Cooker, one of the more uncommon titles developed by Activision for the Atari 2600. During the 2600's lengthy run, Activision developed some of the best and most memorable titles for the system, including River Raid, Spider Fighter, Megamania, Kaboom!, H.E.R.O., and the game which holds the #2 spot on the 2600s all-time best seller list, Pitfall!. Pressure Cooker was developed in 1983 by Activision, a company formed by group of former disgruntled Atari employees who founded their own company in 1979 and became the first third party software company to sell their wares to Atari during the 2600 era. Recently (in 2007), Activision merged with Blizzard Entertainment, the company at the forefront of PC gaming, to form the video gaming Megalodon, Activision Blizzard, Inc.
[img width=237 height=300]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VTa96vVto6w/SRehW0n7NiI/AAAAAAAAAEk/pMqFe-rhwag/s320/victayback.jpg[/img]
Pressure Cooker is one of the first in a long line of action/kitchen video games that includes Burgertime, Piece o Cake, Diner Dash, and the more current Cooking Mama, to name a few. Its a frantic and fun-filled kitchen adventure in which you control a short-order cook whose job is to fill fast-paced hamburger orders. While burgers and buns move down a conveyor belt on the left side of the screen, ingredients fly at you from dispensers on the right. Your job is to catch or reject these ingredients (which consist of cheese, onions, tomatoes, and lettuce) and place them on the burger to accurately fill customer orders at the bottom of the screen. Once you have assembled your burger, it's off to the wrapping room to drop it off in the correct, color-coded wrapping machine and begin the process all over again. Be sure to catch or reject all the ingredients and don't let any hamburgers fall off the end of the conveyor belt, or you'll lose performance points! If your performance score drops to zero, you are fired and the game ends. As you successfully create orders, the game difficulty increases as the conveyor belt gets faster and the orders become more complex.
Overall Points vs. Performance Points
In Pressure Cooker, the scoring system is based on an overall points system, while instead of having lives your characters survival in the kitchen is determined by performance points. You begin with 50 performance points and these can be deducted or increased (to a maximum of 99) by poor or good performance respectively. For every 10,000 overall points that you score, you gain 10 additional performance points. You will lose performance points for the following reasons:
Wasting or doubling up on an ingredient = -1 point;
Dropping the hamburger in the wrong colored chute or missing the chute = -5 points; or
A hamburger falls off of the conveyor belt = -10 points.
Once you run out of performance points, the game is over. Overall points are gained by catching ingredients (+5), dropping correct ingredients on a burger (+10), and dropping a burger into the correct wrapping chute (+100). Bonus efficiency points are also awarded at the end of each round. Scoring over 45,000 overall points could have won you a bitchin mail-in patch from Activision back in the day.
[img width=250 height=325]http://www.atarimania.com/goodies/hi_res/pressure_cooker_patch.jpg[/img]
**check out all of the Activision patches at AtariAge**
http://www.atariage.com/2...s/activision_patches.html
Pressure Cooker is a great game and even though I'm partial to shmups like Spider Fighter and Megamania, its one of my favorite Activision titles. The graphics are colorful and actually pretty nice and well-defined. Cheese is represented as an orange square, but then again, cheese is basically.....well, an orange square. The controls are one of the more disappointing aspects of the game. The precision needed in grabbing ingredients and rejecting them can be cumbersome at times due to the rigidness of the Atari joystick and losing performance points because of this can be frustrating. The music and sounds of the game are fluid, but the music does become rather tedious and tiring after only a short time.
However, what really separates Pressure Cooker from other 2600 titles, and makes it stand out, is its very original concept and its replay value. Though a kitchen-based platform doesn't seem like the most interesting of games, the focus required to react and the quick decisions that players must make to read the orders at the bottom of the screen, catch moving ingredients, place them on moving buns, and drop them in the correct wrapping chute, creates a gameplay environment that borrows from and incorporates the best concepts used in puzzle, strategy, and tower defense games. Such challenging and fast-paced action always makes you want to come back for more. Pressure Cooker is a great game, and at a fairly affordable price, is a must own for any Activision and/or Atari 2600 fan.
**video courtesy of AwesomeRickyC**
b]RATINGS (on a scale of 1-4: 4 being the highest):[/b]
Controls: 2
Graphics: 4
Sound Effects/Music: 3
Concept: 4
Replay Value: 3
Cart/Box Art: 2
Overall Score: 3.00
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