Well well, it has been too long since we have done one of these, and honestly, too long for me to be away. This summer was really busy working on our house & my job and family. With winter coming soon, and more time being laid off due to the freezing temps and piles of snow, I will have more time to be active on the site. So i figured we could pick up where we left off, with a new interview! Also look for new reviews, interviews and other content. As well as a ton of updates in the DB. This time I ask singlebanana a few questions. He joined in summer of last year and has been a great contributor of articles and is currently on staff as a blog writer. READ HIS BLOG!
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Rich aka singlebanana Preview
Location: Summerfield, North Carolina
Where does your screen name come from?The name actually comes from my frustration with the game MarioKart 64. My friend and I played the game when we would unwind during grad school. We noticed that every time you were in the lead and ran over a box, the majority of the time all you got was a dreaded single banana.
MarioKart has wasted many hours, How did you find RFG?A guy I went to high school with, DevIancE on RFG, knew I was a collector and directed me to the site.
What made you stay and become part of RFG?I enjoyed the articles, blog posts, and the ease and thorough nature of the database. Plus, I've met some great people to trade games with.
Have you ever met or personally know anyone at RFG?Just DevIance.
 [img width=246 height=184]https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=eb08b03467&view=att&th=1324c2cb81f66d37&attid=0.3&disp=thd&realattid=f_gsckyt5r2&zw[/img]
Basics
Number of Games Owned (at time of printing):1,605 (a mere infant compared to some on here)
Number of Games on Wishlist (at time of printing):140
Number of Systems:Around 25
When did you start collecting?I guess I've been "collecting" since I was five (1982 to be exact), but I just realized I was an addict this year when the volume of games I was buying really started to increase.
What was your first system you owned?Sadly, the notorious Atari 5200. Asked for an "Atari" for Christmas expecting to get a 2600, which all my friends/family had. Neither I, or my parents knew that a new system had just been released. It was an awkward Christmas morning. Ironically, I'm looking to purchase one now...go figure.
What was your first game?Got a few games all at once that fateful Xmas morning, so here goes: Congo Bongo, Galaxian, Pac-Man, and Popeye.
Man, Santa didn't like you much, What was your first game you bought yourself (if different from above)?T & C Surf Designs for the NES, had that sucker on layaway for 6 months...enter disappointment.
6 months of waiting for that? What made you decide to buy that particular game?I was into skateboarding at the time, guess I thought it would be "gnarly."
First game you ever beat?Contra for the NES. I actually beat it the first time I played it over at a soccer team sleepover at a local rec center. 30 men code of course.
I was gonna say, first time, holy crap. Have you ever broken anything due to frustration from a game?I kicked a folding chair once that just happened to fold up and topple directly toward my bedroom window in slow motion. Luckily, only one pane of the window broke. My parents still don't know about this, so I'd like to keep this information hush hush. I believe the game was Kid Icarus, which yes, I finally beat.
Kid Icarus was really fun, hard but fun, and I can see why you broke a chair with that haha! But we will keep that on the down low.
Interview
Are you collecting now, if so what anything specific?I'm a cartridge guy. I primarily collect for the Atari 2600 and NES that I grew up on, but I'll grab a few of the more popular/recommend games for SNES, Genesis, SMS, and N64 when I can. I also have a Vectrex fetish that stems from spending summers at my great grandparent's lake house and a convenience store within walking distance that had a Tempest cabinet.
When did you feel a tipping point from gamer to both gamer and game collector?Earlier this year when I found myself going to flea markets every weekend to "hunt."
More of this flea market hunting, we never have them around me, sucks  What are your goals as a game collector, how have you developed them, and how do you feel about your progress toward them?I'd like to put together a complete collection of loose NES games and grab as many 2600 titles as possible, though I know the impossibility of doing so. I feel like I have a pretty good start on the former.
Big goals are good to have, how many games, systems, etc. are "enough"? enough? - "does not compute"
What's your proudest moment as a game collector?Finding a prototype of Gremlins for the Atari 2600, which I bought at a local thrift shop in NC for $2.16.
What's your least proud moment as a game collector?Passing up on a complete boxed 5200 system and about 8 games for $40. In my defense, the controllers were beat up and missing grips. I felt that if someone had treated the controllers that bad, then the system was probably shot as well. The flea market where I saw it was a few hours out of town and when I returned a few weeks later, it was gone. It still haunts me.
I know we all have those stories, don't worry, they happen to us all! If you had to give part of your collection away for a worthy cause what part would it be, and why?Definitely the N64, I converted from Nintendo to Playstation in college and never had one until this year. Wow, giving up a fairly cheap system...upon reflection, this answer is pretty selfish.
Wow really the N64? Where/how do you store it all?I just moved into a new home in April of this year. Luckily, it has a third floor with a playroom for my kids and a small office for myself. My wife has been kind enough to let me turn it into my gameroom.
Nice, I need to add on to our house for that! What's your favorite part of your collection?Right now it's my Vectrex, but I suppose that's subject to change. I get pretty geeked over the vector graphics and the overlays.
What about a favorite series?Big fan of the Bust-A-Move puzzle games.
What is your guilty pleasure when it comes to gaming?The kids games on the 2600, especially Cookie Monster Munch and Big Bird's Egg Catch. Ironically, I don't have the latter yet, but I remember the bouncing hens on their nests well.
I am seeing a trend here in these interviews, always going back to the kids games. What is the most valuable part of your collection(Value or sentimental)?There is nothing too valuable in my collection, but I'll go with my Vectrex.
What game do you have the most nostalgia for?Probably Grand Prix on the 2600. My grandmother use to play it with my cousin and I when we were very young. I distinctly remember the electrocution sound of running into other cars in the game and my grandmother's high pitched scream when she would crash.
A grandma that plays is cool in my book. What would you like to improve in your collection?I'd like to beef up my 2600 collection, which is currently around 336 games.
What do you think was your best deal while game buying?Snagging Aero Fighters (SNES) from a flea market vendor for $5.
What item in your collection do you feel you overpaid for?Pole Position and Polar Rescue (CIB) for the Vectrex.
Good spending is crucial in collection. What do you feel is the strangest or weirdest item in your collection?Several months ago, I purchased a Panther light gun that looks like a semi-automatic handgun for .99. From the research I've done, I have only been able to find one online that is similar and plugs into a PS1. This one has an Atari/Genesis plug on the end. I'm sure it's for a bootleg system, but I think it's cool.
What item(s) do you not have in your collection that people are surprised to hear you don't have?Probably an XBox 360 or a PS3. I'm not adverse to having newer consoles and do own a Wii, but I honestly wouldn't even know what to buy if I ever considered purchasing one. I'm just the kind of person who is not in a hurry to get his hands on a new system or game. Even with Wii titles, I tend to wait to buy used copies or new ones that have dropped in price considerably.
Not to surprising, I don't have any of the new age systems at the moment! Is there any way you'd ever stop collecting? Maybe if my wife put her foot down. She's not a gamer (though she can be tempted by the occasional game of Warlords), but she's very cool and supportive of my collecting.
Nice, sounds very similar to mine. She did ask me to get rid of a few things that weren't my favorite and I was fine with that. Do you have a funny story about your collection?My friends and I will call in for a mental health day about once a year to game. We fittingly refer to as "Nintenday." There have been songs written about our exploits. Is that too weird?
That is awesome, I would do the same but I get the entire winter off to play!  Have you ever had to move your collection to another house? What was it like? Yeah, I recently moved my collection in April. At the time, I had just under 1000 games. Our old house was very small, so I had everything in our guest room and boxed up to keep it out of site. Since everything was already boxed, the move was quite easy....except for hauling everything up two full flights of stairs at the new place. We used movers for the larger stuff, but of course I did the games myself and wouldn't let anyone else touch them.
If your significant other told you no more games, what would you do? I'd probably have to concede. If she told me I'd have to sell the ones that I already have, then there would be an issue.
What percentage of your games are still sealed?less than 1%
What percentage of your game have you actually played? Completed?probably about 50% played; as far as completed, probably well under 5%. Can you ever really "complete" Atari games though? I could totally score some Activision patches if they would still let me send off for them.
Do you own any complete collections (every game for a certain system)? No, but I'm working toward a complete NES collection at the moment and am very close to completing an originally released Vectrex collection.
[img width=246 height=207]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/collections/necrom99/Vectrex.JPG&sizex=246[/img]
I am the evil interviewer with these questions....
What is your favorite game of all time?Missile Command is my favorite. I'm not sure why, but I've always loved this game and pick up copies for various systems whenever I can and Warlords would be my multiplayer selection
Least Favorite?Since E.T. is too generic, I'll go with the Swordquest series on the 2600. What a bunch of nonsense!
Others
Do you collect anything else besides games?Vinyl, a few G.I. Joe action figures (1982-1987 exclusively) when I find them, DVDs, and many books which I'll probably never read.
What do you outside of games? Work, spend time with my wife, wrestle with my 2 year-old daughter and newborn son, drink with friends, listen to indie music and attend shows.
What other features would you like to see more of at RFG (Example: Reviews, Articles, Interviews, Previews, etc)?I'd like to see more pre-NES game and console reviews.
Agree, if I played more Pre-Nes games I would love to review, I just don't get into to many. Do you have a question for the next interview?What is your favorite gaming cabinet of all time?
Sweet look for that question coming up in the new interview. Thanks for your time!
Click the banner below to check out more of singlebanana's, collection, RFG Profile and many more picture of his awesome collection.
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The time has come after the busy holidays to get you guys some new content. I have posted a review about a DS game that I have just played beaten and shelved, look for that right here. Now with that in the bag it is time for another Interview with the People of RFGeneration. This time an Editor from across the pond in the UK steps up and takes his turn, none other than Ga5ket.
 Anton aka Ga5ket
Location: Nottinghamshire, UK
Where does your screen name come from?Back in my motorcycle days at university I had a bike that I blew 5 head gaskets in 3 weeks, hence the name
How did you find RFG?I hung around racketboy's forums for a while, but they didn't really understand the collecting obsession, and someone there mentioned RFG
What made you stay and become part of RFG? It's the first (and only site) that I've ever come across that caters properly for Euro releases. Every other site seems to list US releases with a small note about the Euro version. The community was an added bonus. Plus now I'm an editor it'd just be rude to leave at this point
Have you ever met or personally know anyone at RFG?Data and I work for different branches of the same company, and we've got together a few times
Basics
Number of Games Owned (at time of printing): 1694
Number of Games on Wishlist (at time of printing): 0, on RFG, but about 4000 on paper
Number of Systems: Including variations, 51
When did you start collecting? Not really sure about games, but I've collected something of one form or another most of my life
What was your first system you owned? Dragon 32. Dad bought it for me way back when, been programming and gaming ever since.
What was your first game? Probably Quest or Madness and the Minotaur
What was your first game you bought yourself (if different from above)? No idea, but it'd be for the Dragon
First game you ever beat? Franklin's Tomb on the Dragon. It's a text based adventure, and I remember my friend and I spending hours playing it.
Have you ever broken anything due to frustration from a game? Not that I remember
 [img width=246 height=184]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/collections/ga5ket/figures20080912.JPG&sizex=246[/img]
Interview
Are you collecting now, if so what anything specific? Bundled games & peripherals, but just about anything I find really
That is always a good thing because you can usually find a deal somewhere on something you like. When did you feel a tipping point from gamer to both gamer and game collector?I've always collected, it just took a while to admit it
Yeah it is kind of like a habit, sometimes it takes time to realize what has happened What are your goals as a game collector, how have you developed them, and how do you feel about your progress toward them? I'm aiming for a full set of Dragon games, although I can't see it ever happening. I have a passion for bundled games, i.e. ones that come with a controller or similar, so I'm picking those up as and when I find them
That is a pretty impressive goal, how many games, systems, etc. are "enough"?
I didn't realize that I had to have a limit?
Well no there is no limit, hey sometimes people finally realize we collector types have way to many games!  What's your proudest moment as a game collector? My longest serving friend donating his Dragon 32 to me, along with a ton of games
That is a true friend right there, anyone who donates games to a collector's cause is a true friend. What's your least proud moment as a game collector? Selling my original Dragon, back in the 90s
Where/how do you store it all? The media boxes and billy bookcase system from Ikea. I'm rapidly running out of space though, so I need to have a bit of a rethink
[img width=246 height=184]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/collections/ga5ket/Nintendo.JPG&sizex=246[/img] 
Ikea is a great place to pick up storage things like that. I really like the way you have things set up. What's your favorite part of your collection? The Dragon stuff (see a pattern emerging here?)
Yes, the pattern is a good thing though, it shows you have a passion and really enjoy that system.What about a favorite series?
Difficult one that. Probably PS1 era Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid, Ratchet & Clank or Bioshock
Sorry that can be difficult. What is your guilty pleasure when it comes to gaming? Female characters in games. Nothing weird, or maybe it is! Given a choice between male and female I always pick female. No idea why.
No doubt, same here. And if there is a choice, I will always pick the dark sinister type that may not be on your side in the end. What would you like to improve in your collection? A proper stand up arcade cab, probably Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters. I loved that game back in the day
What game do you have the most nostalgia for?Sonic the Hedgehog 2
What is the most valuable part of your collection?I don't think there's anything especially valuable
What do you think was your best deal while game buying? ICO, original release with art cards. I found it in a charity shop for 3
Awesome, that is a great game BTW. What item in your collection do you feel you overpaid for? Bioshock 2 Collector's edition. Bought it once at full price to keep sealed, and then again when I found it in a sale so I could enjoy the contents. I don't regret buying it, but I could have just waited and bought 2 copies at sale time
I have done similar things so don't feel bad. What do you feel is the strangest or weirdest item in your collection? It's not a game, but it's related. It's a MGS4 Ga-Ko alarm clock. It quacks and shakes it's head.
That is sweet, although my wife would probably not like it What item(s) do you not have in your collection that people are surprised to hear you don't have? SNES games. I think I only own about 4, but it was just never part of my scene growing up, so it doesn't have the same draw for me as say the Mega Drive or Master System
Really? Quite different from the last interview with bickman who was crazy about his SNES. Diversity makes us who we are! Is there any way you'd ever stop collecting? Death or financial crisis maybe?
Do you have a funny story about your collection? Not that I can think of
Have you ever had to move your collection to another house? What was it like? Not really, been here 15 or so years now, I guess it's grown mostly during that time
That is probably a good thing, it is difficult to move and people really don't understand what it means to be gentle with totes full of games. If your significant other told you no more games, what would you do? Never happen. She buys them for me too. She bought me a 320Gb PS3 a couple of months ago because she knew that the limited space on the original 40Gb one (that she bought me) was winding me up. In fact thinking about it, she's bought all my PlayStation consoles.
Sounds like you have a keeper! What percentage of your games are still sealed? Less than 1%.
What percentage of your game have you actually played? Completed? Probably about 20% max, sadly
Do you own any complete collections (every game for a certain system)? No, and I don't think I ever will. I only (usually) buy games that I intend to play, so no Barney for me
Actually, that's not quite true, I'm attempting a sealed collection of Tiger Game.com just cuz
[img width=246 height=184]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/collections/ga5ket/Misc.JPG&sizex=246[/img]
Well, Barney can be fun according to bickman, he revealed later in undisclosed notes of the interview he plays it frequently.... Anyways, I am the evil interviewer with these questions....
What is your favorite game of all time (Top 5 if you need to)?Original Tomb Raider, Ratchet & Clank, Bioshock, Gran Turismo, MGS4 in no particular order
Least Favorite? Halo. Not generally a fan of FPS or online multiplayer. Can't see what all the fuss is about. Let the flaming commence.
The funny thing is, I have Halo, but I also don't like FPS as much. I have never played it online and barely made it past the first stages without regretting turning it on.
Others
Do you collect anything else besides games? SF Books, over 1200 and still counting. Records, mainly metal & 80s. Gaming memorabilia.
Sweet, metal rocks What do you outside of games? Time with the family, camping (UK style), hiking
Do I need to ask what UK style of camping is??? Finally, what other features would you like to see more of at RFG (Example: Reviews, Articles, Interviews, Previews, etc)? As we're a retro community I'd like to see more reviews. We've got some really good bloggers now, and the quality of stuff they're putting out is great. More I say! Oh, and image submissions.
Agree, Reviews and image submissions, non-stolen images ahem, would be great. Lastly, do you have a question for the next interview?If you had to give a part of your collection away for a worthy cause what part would it be, and why?
Sweet look for that question coming up in the new interview. Thanks for your time! Below you can find Antons RFG Collection.
Click the banner below to check out more of Antons, collection, RFG Profile and many more picture of his awesome collection.
[img width=468 height=60]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/banners/RFGFullbanner01.gif[/img]
And on a last note, the end of the year is approaching quickly, make sure you add a few more submissions to get your yearly total just that tad bit higher! And always I am open to suggestions/comments and everything else. Please let me know via PM or email if you are interested in being interviewed. Thanks again!
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Fossil Fighters
Platforms:Nintendo DS, DSi
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Red Entertainment
Release Date: August 10th 2009
Genre: RPG
Number of Players: 1-2
ERSB Rating: E for Mild Fantasy Violence, Crude Humor
Overview
On the outside, Fossil Fighters sounds surprisingly similar to a Pokemon copycat, but after "digging" a little deeper I found it more enjoyable than Nintendo's other monster battler. I found hectic and addicting as you find new fossils and begin cleaning them with a drill and hammer. If you do it satisfactory then you are rewarded with a new fossil or parts to an existing making them stronger. Sounds like it would kind of on the childish side? True, but the elements of side quests and a love interest or two in the game is exactly what it needs to appeal to the older generation as well.
Story
The game starts by you going to an island, Vivosaur Island to be exact, to do some digging, cleaning and fighting! Kind of a weak story as you meet characters along the way in the likes of Dr. Diggins, BB Bandits, a crazy guy that shakes his hips as well as a few ladies, even some strange human-like race. The story was good, not great but really wasn't a huge deal to me as I was more inclined to go after new fossils and have some more battles than really progress through the story. I actually put more hours into the game after I beat the story and decided to work on my side quests and Fossil collection.
Game Play
Game play can be split up into two different areas. The first is collecting fossils. You use a sonar which beeps when you are near fossils on the top screen of the DS to give you a general location for the buried treasure. Then it is simply wonder over and throw your pick-axe into the ground and bingo. Sometimes you may have to battle a person to get your treasure. But we can touch on that later. You can also find jewels or other rare fossils which can be sold once cleaned.
After digging a few fossils up, take em back and clean them using the stylus as a pointer. Hammer at first then the drill to clean up gently. I almost feel like a dentist after completing this part of the game
[img width=480 height=358]http://dsmedia.ign.com/ds/image/article/101/1015045/fossil-fighters-20090818005538702.jpg[/img] This was probably the most entertaining part of the game for me as you could always increase the strength of your "Vivosaur" by cleaning the fossil better.
The second part of the game play was the battles you take on. Some mandatory, others were not. Each player is sized up with the three vivosaurs you take into battle, and the weaker of the two players gets first turn. Status effects can come into play during battle and also attack/defense effects that each vivosaur has. Each team has different combos and can make for a pretty good time experimenting.
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Sound and Graphics
Overall the sound wasn't terrible. But I am used to playing more RPG's and getting good composing etc so I think that is why it didn't really stand out to me as much. Most of the time I had it turned off and had other music on. The graphics are not good. I wasn't impressed with them at all and if you do compare it to Pokemon, you will be saddened to find out Pokemon had a large advantage. I read a review about it before and it said, "The art on the box is way, way more impressive than what you're going to get in-game. " and I would have to agree.
Trivia
Released in April of 2008 in Japan under the name Bokura wa Kasekihorida which means "We are Fossil Diggers"
Sequel also released in Japan in 2010 under the name Super Kasekihorida
Idea was thought of in 2004, and started being developed in 2005.
IGN didn't like the game much and gave it 5.3 while Gamespot gave it 7.5.
Closing
Overall I really enjoyed this game a ton. Sure it may be a little like Pokemon and the graphics may struggle slightly but it still was a blast. I spent over 57 hours playing through and still didn't get everything accomplished that I wanted to. I may or may not pick it up again later but I am hoping the sequel heads on over seas for us to enjoy. Adults and kids alike can pick this up and really enjoy it.
(Trivia courtesy of Wikipedia, Screenshots from IGN, Gamespot, RFGeneration.)
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