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Posted on Nov 17th 2007 at 01:27:59 PM by (OatBob)
Posted under Classic Gaming, Casio, Loopy, Japan, My Seal Computer, SV1000, for girls

Casio LoopyIn 1995 electronics giant, Casio, made a second unique venture in gaming, after their first failed attempt.  (ルーピー, Rupii) Loopy - My Seal Computer SV-1000 was the first game console marketed entirely towards young females.  Like the PV-1000, this console also failed to gain popularity; though it does have some curious features.  First off, there is only one controller port, limiting any possibility of two-player gaming.  Also, the console itself has a built-in "Seal" printer, or thermal sticker printer, that uses heat to burn an image onto chemically treated stickers.  This seal process is similar in function to the Game Boy Printer, but not in black-and-white.
Casio Loopy
The controller is quite simple with a single D-pad, a start button, and four buttons arranged in an arc to the right side.  The alternative peripheral was a mouse controller, which was sometimes bundled with one of two games.  The only other hardware items available for the Loopy were replacement Seal cartridges.

The Loopy game library is almost a joke in itself.  Casio published all 11 titles throughout the console's short two-year lifespan.  All games also tend to have the same themes.  Painting, dress-up/makeover, and romance stories are all that were offered.  The art programs make the most use of the Seal printer, and seem to have little value otherwise.  While the system claims uses 32-bit RISC processing, it appears technically unimpressive due to the nature of the software available.

Nothing gives a better impression of the Loopy than a look at the game offerings available.

Continue reading Girly Console Review: Casio Loopy - My Seal Computer SV-1000



Posted on Nov 9th 2007 at 08:14:55 AM by (OatBob)
Posted under Classic Gaming, Future Gaming, Education, EA, SimCity, OLPC, laptop

The One-Laptop-Per-Child program (see laptop.org) is a long running effort to make an internet-accessible computer available to the masses at an affordable sub-one-hundred-dollar price point.  Decades in the making, this is one of the greatest humanitarian efforts towards improved education ever, and will certainly be used by children worldwide in the near future.

The program turned down the free and almighty ubiquitous Linux ALL HAIL! and other commercial software systems in favor of a proprietary one, yet they accepted a meaningful donation from one of the biggest companies in the video game industry.  Electronic Arts is donating the original SimCity to the OLPC program.  The "SimCity" and "Sims" franchises are the largest PC game franchises ever created.  In education, it found use in over 10,000 classrooms and even some national tournaments.

Originally released in 1989, SimCity was originally a game where the user could control his own municipality.  The unintended benefit to players was that they learned about real-world community services and how to properly manage resources.  The appeal of the game was the complex balance of how to: manage taxes and the economy, design roadways, supply water and energy to business and residences, provide law enforcement and medical services, and  be prepared for fires or natural disasters.  Decades after initial release, the game is expected to be a welcome introduction to children getting acquainted with their new laptops.


Source: Business Wire



Posted on Oct 18th 2007 at 12:28:04 PM by (OatBob)
Posted under Nintendo, Famicom, Family Computer, Classic Gaming, end

[img width=250 align=right]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/hardware/J-027/bf/J-027-H-00020-A.jpg[/img]Nintendo Co., Ltd. is ending official repairs of the original "Family Computer" on October 31, 2007.  Originally released in 1983, the Famicom was Nintendo's first venture into the home console gaming market.  While many of us are surprised that they still support a system so long dead (the last game was Adventure Island 4, in 1994), all that can be said is that you can't expect them to support it forever.  By comparison Sega of Japan quit servicing Dreamcast units last year, even though they continue to sell new Dreamcast games through Sega Direct.  After ten years of discontinuation of a system, the semiconductors required for replacement parts become difficult to find and purchase in quantities that have a guaranteed availability.

The Famicom isn't alone.  The Super Famicom, Nintendo64, Game Boy Pocket, and Game Boy Light are also slated to end repair service support in the near future.

It isn't all doom and gloom for gamers.  The Wii Virtual Console service offers the same games on the Wii and should free up use on aging hardware for at least the more popular titles.

So long Famicom, and farewell.

Source: ITmedia News


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
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Dreamcastit's thinking

Dreamcast "new" releases...
2007
Triggerheart Exelica
Karous (last commercial release)
Last Hope
2008
Wind and Water: Puzzle Battles
2009
DUX
Last Hope: Pink Bullets
Rush Rush Rally Racing
Irides: Master of Blocks
2010
Fast Striker
2012
Gun-Lord
2013
Sturmwind
DUX 1.5
2014
Redux: Dark Matters
Neo XYX by NG.Dev Team
2015
Alice's Mom's Rescue
James & Watch 'Arm'
Elansar & Philia
The Ghost Blade
Pier Solar HD
2016
James & Watch: Tooth Cracker
Leona's Tricky Adventures
Orion's Puzzle Collection
Xia & The Goddesses of Magic
2017
Escape 2042 - The Truth Defenders
Rush Rush Rally Racing: Reloaded
Alice Dreams Tournament
Breakers
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