My name is DukeX007X a.k.a Y.C and welcome to my blog. I am a Video game enthusiast, collector, a general geek of electronics, a happy Father of one cool Toddler and a happy Uncle of 2 beautiful Nieces! I have decided to make this blog, to show my progress in different projects of my beloved hobby as well to show interesting and fun things that involve fatherhood.
Once again congratulations to FarSight Studios for getting 105% funded on their Terminator 2: Judgment Day Pinball Project! They were able to collect $62,360 within 30 days! They have also signed and sealed the deal with Studiocanal for the Terminator 2 property and with Arnold Schwarzenegger for his likeness and voiceover in the table. And what's even better, they will be releasing Terminator 2 in Table Pack 17 later this month for Mobile devices!
Below are a few pictures of what Terminator 2 Table will look like in Pinball Arcade:
Like I've said in a previous post this table is one of my favorite when I was a kid and as shown below, it still is as an adult!
Playing Terminator 2: Judgement Day at Arcade Odyssey!
My friend ROL sent me this link a couple of days ago that introduced me to Super Mario Bros. Crossover.
In case you were like me, what is Super Mario Bros. Crossover? This is what the developers have to say: Super Mario Bros. Crossover is a fan-developed flash game created by Jay Pavlina and Zach Robinson (Ryuza) from Exploding Rabbit. It is a remake of Super Mario Bros on the NES, and appears just as the original version did, but gives players the option to play as characters from other games in addition to Mario, and comes with more features, such as cheats, difficulty levels, new modes of play...for more, play the game!
The other cool thing is that the latest version of the game has added some features from another game that was released only in japan called Super Mario Bros. Special, which is the true sequel to Super Mario Bros. This information was also a first for me. One thing is for sure, I never imagined I would see Mega Man in a Super Mario level or even Bill Rizer from Contra.
I've only played a few minutes of the game so far and I have to say it's really cool. If you are one that knows about the original Super Mario Bros. on the NES or Video Games from the late 80's & early 90's, you will really appreciate this game!
You can play the game by clicking here or by selecting Super Mario Bros. Crossover Button on the right side navigation menu.
Introducing the new addition of an unreleased game to my Video Game collection. My Secret project is finally complete - Starfox 2 was originally scheduled to be released by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1995 but was cancelled. Who says that would stop me from obtaining it? Sure some time has passed, but the nerdy kid within just couldn't let go. Before we get into details of how I obtained this rare game, let's talk about my experience with the announcements, then the fall of the anticipated Starfox 2.
A little on where it began....
Being a fan of the original Starfox game, as a kid I was looking forward to the sequel. For its time, Starfox was an amazing game featuring advance 3D graphics only commonly seen in the arcades and action packed game play. Nintendo announced this game would be using the SuperFX chip to provide the 3D graphics. In other words, a massive hype was surrounding this game. Keep in mind, these types of 3D graphics were not common on home consoles in the early 90's so it was kind of a big deal, especially for nerdy kids at that time.
If you would like to know more about the original Starfox game, click here.
Here is a video of myself demonstrating a Playthrough of StarFox
The History & Anticipation....
In early 1995, I received my subscription magazine of GamePro (a dedicated video game magazine that was my primary source of video game news between 1992-2001) in the mail featuring an article showing games appearing in the Consumer Electronics Show which to my surprise, included Starfox 2. And the best news yet - the game was coming out later that year!......or so I thought.... This small snippet enticed my appetite for the game. It threw some features that were major improvements over the original game, such as fly in any direction, strategy elements for defending your home base and multiplayer! This was a definite must have.
Gamepro - March 1995 Issue w/ StarFox 2 Article
Later that year, I received my GamePro magazine in the mail and realized there was a mention that Starfox 2 has been delayed until 1996. Scratching my head I shrugged and thought ok...it's just next year. Although I felt a slight disappointment, I was looking forward to 1996 because of Starfox 2 now and also because a lot of new stuff was happening that year. Nintendo's new system was finally being released, The Nintendo Ultra 64 (name was later changed to Nintendo 64) which has crazy graphics that will blow all other consoles out of the water. I was also looking forward to Quake - a new first person shooter game completely rendered in 3D for the PC developed by id Software - the guys that made DOOM.
Gamepro - August 1995 Issue w/ StarFox 2 mention in Article
The End?....
1996 came and went and no mention of StarFox 2 for the SNES. Gamepro or any other magazine for that matter did not provide any updates. Discussion groups, video game chat rooms and dedicated internet sites all had speculations and threw around the idea that the game was cancelled. Nothing was officially said so I always thought there still might be hope; that is until I saw the raw power of the Nintendo 64 displaying Super Mario 64 in a demonstration kiosk at my local Blockbuster. That is when I finally realized the end of the SNES era is drawing near. Still without official word from Nintendo, I was convinced that the final nail was hit on StarFox 2's coffin when an announcement was made for a 1997 release of Star Fox 64 and rumors of it using assets of the "unreleased" StarFox 2. In other words, an indirect way of saying no StarFox 2 for the SNES. Once again I shrugged it off with disappointment and moved forward...... I will wait for Star Fox 64. But one question always remained on my mind "how would the StarFox 2 game be had it actually been released?"
Emulation & Alphas
Unfortunately, I do not have exact dates for this time period, but I remember around 1997-1998 I got into video game emulation for my Windows 95 & 98 PC. Shortly after, around 1999, I stumbled upon a StarFox 2 Beta ROM which at the time I was unaware that it was actually an alpha version (a very preliminary version of a game that sometimes doesn't look like or provide the same content as the final product) instead of a Beta version (in some cases like an alpha version; however, the beta version tends to look closer to the final product). At the time the SNES emulator of choice was the SNES9X which I used to run the alpha version of StarFox 2. I was really excited thinking I was going to finally get to play StarFox 2! You see, in my mind I thought I was going to play the version that resembled the Gamepro articles above. Instead I got a flickering and glitch filled version that somewhat resembles StarFox 2. I am not sure what state the Super FX emulation was in at the time but I can tell you one thing, the game didn't run well. I was happy I got to see the multiplayer select screen and see some things that were different from the original StarFox. But once again, I still wish I could have seen StarFox 2 the way it was pictured in the articles above.
StarFox 2 - Alpha Version (Title/Menu Screen)
StarFox 2 - Alpha Version (Multiplayer/Battle Character Select Screen)
StarFox 2 - Alpha Version (Multiplayer/Battle Gameplay)
StarFox 2 - Alpha Version Video Demonstration
The above video illustrates the way the alpha version of StarFox 2 looked back in 1999. Note: If you suffer from Epileptic Seizures due to repetitive flashing images, please do not watch! I don't remember what version of SNES9X I ran back in '99 however, to recreate the experience I used ZSNES v1.51.
StarFox 2 - Alpha Version Multiplayer/Battle Demonstration. This video doesn't have the same problem like the other video with the flickering images. This video was done using ZSNES v1.337.
The above video was created for fun. This video shows my wife (DukesGirl) and I (DukeX007X) battling it out in the Multiplayer portion of the alpha version of StarFox 2. My wife is player 2 and I was player 1. I was going to let her win but she complained the entire time saying the game was horrible, so I had to take her down to China Town! Sorry my honey bunches of oats. ;)
Farewell StarFox 2
It's 1999, by this time I have beaten Star Fox 64 several times, I've encountered the horrible StarFox 2 alpha that barely ran correctly on a SNES emulator for the PC and I am moving on to a Sega Dreamcast. It was time to let go of the idea of StarFox 2. The conversation of StarFox 2 would sometimes come up in conversations among friends as a "what if" situation but nothing more would come out of it. So long StarFox 2, it was a good few years of speculation and hopes but this game will never be. Goodbye...........
Fast Forward 14 Years Later
It was a nice morning on February 25, 2013, I sat down in front of the computer and checked my e-mails. I received a YouTube newsletter which didn't have anything that interested me until I reached the "We think you'd like....." section:
WTF?!?!? This can't be..... Rubbing my eyes and doing double takes at the screen. This has to be fake.......these damn trolls are going to pay for toying with my emotions! After I saw the above 6 min video which left me with my mouth open and for the moment, seems like it came from somebody that knows what they are talking about, all I could think about was: I must have this now! I left You Tube, opened another tab and started the hunt for some answers!
Research, Research & more Research
I kept saying to myself how could I have missed this?! Scouring Google I found the following links regarding StarFox 2:
- Snes Central: StarFox 2
http://www.snescentral.com/article.php?id=0077
- Wikipedia: Star Fox 2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Fox_2
- Digital Press - Forum Thread: StarFox 2 Reproduction Cart
It felt like I was under a rock all these years........the complete beta leaked out to the Internet around 2002. Looks like the site SNES Dev had a tutorial on how to build a prototype cart which was first published around 2003 and finally Aeon Genesis translated StarFox 2 to English and polished it up in 2004. Basically, a fully working StarFox 2 game that can actually be made to run on real SNES hardware and it's in English! Let's Start!
Decisions, Decisions....
I have two options for this project. 1. Make the StarFox 2 cartridge myself or 2. Purchase a reproduction version of StarFox 2. Looking at the pros and cons of both options, the easiest and more pleasing is option number 2. Option one is not complicated, I know how to solder, I understand what needs to be done to write to an EPROM and I know how to follow a diagram to get that EPROM installed to an existing SNES Cartridge. However, due to time constraints, no EPROM writer or correct EPROMS was going to add further delays to me finally getting to play StarFox 2 on actual SNES Hardware. It seems at this point, going with a reproduction copy would be the quickest way (I know if I really wanted to play it right this instance, I can get the ROM and run it on an SNES emulator and play it right then and there; however, I wanted to experience this game on actual SNES hardware). So I started to look around and it seems that they had either very shady forum users that would make you a StarFox 2 cart or online stores dedicated to this sort of hobby. After reading more forums that talked about SNES reproduction carts, I went ahead and checked out one of the recommend sites called Gamereproductions.com. At first the site has a "not being constantly updated" look to it. Reading the FAQs it informed me that I would be receiving the cart in one month. Although I've never used their services before, I ordered anyway and requested the services of making a StarFox 2 cart.
StarFox 2 Standard Gray Cartridge by Gamereproductions.com
The Process
Gamereproductions kept in contact with me throughout the process of the cart being developed. As a special request I asked if it was possible to use a different colored cartridge housing instead of the traditional gray, and Gamereproduction told me if I mail them any color housing they would gladly install the PCB on the housing I provide. However, the housing has to have the extra spaces for the additional pins that the Super FX chip used. I jumped on ebay and purchased DOOM for the SNES because it sported a red color housing. Once I received DOOM, I contributed by working on getting the housing ready for StarFox 2.
Removing DOOM label - c'mon it's for a good cause ;)
DOOM sticker remains - I am sorry
DOOM label removed along with label area and entire housing cleaned.
The red cartridge housing is ready to go, sent the cartridge to Gamereproductions and patiently waited for the entire process to be completed. In the meantime, I kept reading about more stuff regarding StarFox 2 and found another reproduction company called TimeWalk Games. Not only do they do very high quality reproduction games, they also do reproduction packages and manuals. Whoa! I can now have my StarFox 2 look more complete with the box, manual and mid-size poster? Once again, where do I sign up? TimeWalk Games had more or less the same FAQ and for anything they do, it would take a month. I requested the services anyway..
StarFox 2 Box Art Design By Timewalk Games
It's Almost Done!
The first thing that I received was the reproduction box for StarFox 2. The box was crafted just the way it was described. The colors were rich and clarity of the art and letters are equivalent to an original SNES box. Cardboard thickness is more or less the same as an original box as well. The manual is printed on semi-glossy paper which looks like the original. However, in some small details it looks like it was printed in lower quality compared to an original SNES manual. Another nice touch is the cardboard insert they included with the box, which is appropriately sized to fit an SNES cartridge inside. They even included the SNES cartridge label that matches the box art. The mini poster included with the box is on glossy paper and is high quality; however, the paper used seems to be too stiff and caused some undesirable creases, nevertheless it's a nice addition to the collection. Along with all the services that they have provided, they also include a free gift which is a Donkey Kong scratch off game. What makes this scratch off game really cool is that it's an original scratch off game from 1982. The overall experience I've had with Timewalk Games has been an excellent one. From the communication all the way to the delivery of the product, TimeWalk Games is quick and straight to the point. I highly recommend them for their reproduction boxes!
Check out pictures of the cartridge, box art and inside goodies for StarFox 2 below.
StarFox 2 Game, Alternative SNES Label, Box, Free Gift and Manual
Close up of StarFox 2 Game and Alternative Label
Close up of StarFox 2 Box, Free Gift and Manual
StarFox 2 Box - Front
StarFox 2 Box - Back
StarFox 2 Poster and Cardboard Game Cartridge Insert
1982 Topps Donkey Kong Scratch Off Game - Front
1982 Topps Donkey Kong Scratch Off Game - Back
A month later I received an e-mail advising me the work has been complete and that StarFox 2 has been shipped. They provided a tracking number and now the real count down can begin.
It's Here!
The moment of truth! I finally received StarFox 2. Gamereproductions.com did an excellent job with the label and developing the cart. The label was printed on quality sticker paper that is equivalent to an original SNES label. The art Gamereproductions.com choose wasn't the best I've seen. However, the quality was still top notch. I was curious to know what game they used to build this cartridge, so I looked up the model number that was located on the top of the PCB. The game was Stunt Race FX. This is the correct game to use to develop a StarFox 2 cartridge. According to SNES Dev it seems Gamereproduction.com followed the same tutorial to build their carts. The craftsmanship was excellent. The work was neat and clean. I've seen some pictures online of other people's StarFox 2 carts and some are just straight up ugly.
Front Side of Stunt Race FX PCB with StarFox 2 EPROM Installed.
StarFox 2 EPROM. Notice CR2032 Battery has been moved.
Back Side of Stunt Race FX PCB with CR2032 Battery installed. Notice the battery was moved from the front to the back to make room for the EPROM.
Red DOOM Cartridge with StarFox 2 Label applied. PCB not installed.
Red DOOM Cartridge with StarFox 2 Label applied. PCB installed.
Top view of the StarFox 2 Label.
Quick Review
Enough of the technical jargon, on with StarFox 2. I inserted the cartridge into my SNES and the game booted up right away. I decided to try the normal mode difficulty level to try out the game. Before I go any further, I want to make a mention that I will be looking at the game as it was 1995 and not compare it with Star Fox 64 or any other modern game. Graphically the game looks better than the original StarFox. The game is still using the flat shaded polygon graphics with sprites plastered on them to make the objects more appealing. There were also a few changes to the arwing design especially when selecting different characters as well as the long awaited feature of being able to fly in any direction. This differed from the original StarFox in the sense that the original game kept you flying on rails. The sound effects and music were similar to the original StarFox and in some cases some effects sound exactly the same. The music once again doesn't disappoint and several scores have already become some of my favorite. The controls while flying feel a bit more responsive compared to StarFox. StarFox 2 has also included a sight in front of the arwing so you know exactly where you're shooting. The only complaint with the controls only come up when you transform your arwing to the walker. The walker at times feels sluggish and a chore to move and in the heat of a fight you sometimes see yourself shooting at a wall or the air. It took me about an hour to beat the game the first time on normal mode. I did a lot of exploring and messing around (c'mon I've been waiting 18 years for this LOL) and in my opinion, playing StarFox 2 in normal difficulty was actually easier than the easiest difficulty in the original StarFox. Below, I have posted myself doing a playthrough of StarFox 2 in normal difficulty.
StarFox 2 Title Screen. Running on actual SNES Hardware.
StarFox 2 Credits. Running on actual SNES Hardware.
StarFox 2 Debriefing. Running on actual SNES Hardware.
StarFox 2 Ranking in. Running on actual SNES Hardware.
StarFox 2 Normal Mode Playthrough Video
Closing Thoughts
After playing this game every free moment I had, I have to say that this 18 year old game was very fun to play. Sure the graphics are very antiquated and the puzzles and level design are very simplistic but the core of the game and the history surrounding it makes it all the better. I suggest playing this game any which way you can. Preferably, on an actual SNES.
Whatever happened to DOOM?
For the people concerned about the DOOM Game, I assure you I did the right thing. I requested Gamereproductions.com to apply the label below to the Gray cartridge that was originally meant for StarFox 2. Gamereproduction.com did the services for an additional small fee.
The above label was created by ~nio107 at Deviantart. I found it using Google Images.
New DOOM label on Gray Cartridge
Top of New DOOM label on gray cartridge
Gray DOOM cartridge with new label applied. PCB not installed
Pinball Arcade: Terminator 2 Judgment Day Kickstarter has Surpassed their Goal ..... So Far.
Pinball Arcade: Terminator 2 Judgment Day Kickstarter page: http://kck.st/12T2LXC
A partial congratulation is in order for the Far Sight Studios Team as of 7/19/2013 5:10PM EST the Kickstarter page shows they have surpassed their goal! However, it's still too early to celebrate. Until 7/21/2013 9:25PM EST the project gets officially funded. I feel confidant that project will get funded!
While organizing and cleaning up my e-mails, I found a 2012 newsletter of one of my favorite video game importers Play-Asia.com. In the e-mail was a link to a YouTube video of the pre-show before the 2012 Tokyo Game Show. In this video the host takes you through Super Potato, which is one of the most popular retro/classic video game stores still standing today in Akihabara, Japan. The video is entertaining and informative regarding the Super Potato store walk through.
I've used Play-Asia.com to obtain a few Japanese exclusive games for the Playstation 2 several years ago. Since I was a kid I've always wanted to visit Japan, especially Tokyo to experience their arcades, stores filled to the brim with rare electronics not sold in the USA and of course the culture. Hopefully, when my son gets older maybe we can plan a trip over there...... Check out the video to see one of the MANY video game retro/classic stores that Tokyo has to offer.
I just backed Pinball Arcade: Terminator 2 Judgment Day on Kickstarter http://kck.st/12T2LXC
My experience with The Pinball Arcade has been a great one. So far this is one of the most accurate Pinball simulators/emulators out there. If you're one that remembers the days of Visual Pinball & Visual PinMAME for Windows 98, then I guarantee you will enjoy The Pinball Arcade.
Terminator 2 the Pinball game was one of my favorite Pinball machines when I was a kid. Sure there were many other pinball machines at the time that were awesome but none that offered so many features and offered the theme of one of my all time favorite movies with voice acting provided by none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger!!
Check out the Kickstarter link above and help FarSight Studios bring the Terminator 2: Judgment Day pinball table to game consoles and mobile devices for a whole new generation to enjoy!
Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there……It’s a tough job but somebody has to do it.
Being a Father is amazing even though with this job you get less sleep and sometimes you don’t know where all the patience comes from when dealing with the child ;)
Quick update: It’s been busy the last few weeks, Secret Project #1 has been completed but I am still working on the materials to introduce it. Stay tuned!
This will be a project for the future. One of the first things I want to accomplish with this device/project is making a small and cheap computer that will run basic software that my son and oldest niece can use and not have to worry that the kids will break something. Also my friend Professor X might jump in and use this device to make an evil robot that might just take over the world. Keep your eyes open!!!
The TegraZone Android app allows you to search and download the best Android games that are optimized for your NVIDIA Tegra powered smartphone or tablet.
I currently own an Asus Nexus 7 tablet and hands down it has the best looking graphics for a mobile device.
This is an old link I found sometime in 2012. It talks about the month by month development of one of my favorite PC games from 1993 called Doom. This link will take you to the Game Developers Conference vault, where you can see the discussion of the development and illustrations of never seen pre-release builds of Doom. This session is one hour long so check it out when you have some time.
A few weeks ago I received a newsletter from Smithsonian.com titled, "We Had No Idea What Alexander Graham Bell Sounded Like. Until Now". The Smithsonian has been sitting on these discs for decades with no idea what was recorded on them. After reading the article, it's incredible that modern technology was used to obtain the sound embedded into these wax & cardboard discs from 1885.
In case you didn't know Alexander Graham Bell was the inventor of the telephone. If you have Netflix, you can catch two interesting documentaries about Alexander Graham Bell.
An A&E Biography titled - Alexander Graham Bell: Voice of Invention (1996) and The History Channel's Modern Marvels: The Telephone (2005) In Netflix it shows the date 1995 but the actual date of the documentary is 2005.
Finally Secret Project #1 has been finally completed! After several months of research I have finally obtained everything to have, what I consider a mind blowing addition to my Video Game collection. I am currently preparing some materials to share with all of you and provide a proper reveal of this project. Please Stay Tuned!
For anybody that is interested in keeping up with updates on the blog as with Emulation 101, please click on the button labeled “Stay updated by E-mails” to use Blogtrottr on providing you with e-mail updates whenever a post is created. The service uses Tumblr’s built in RSS feed to obtain the information, then shoot an e-mail to the subscriber and conveniently enough, you don't have to sign up; however, you do need to confirm your e-mail address is valid by confirming a confirmation e-mail the service sends you before you receive any updates. So far I have been playing around with it for a few weeks and it seems to work well. I have to give thanks to my friend ROL for this suggestion. Also, he provided this one quote, “If it’s not in your e-mail inbox, it did not happen” which I find true if you don't regularly check sites on a constant basis. One thing is for sure, the majority of people check their e-mails all the time. So give it a try and subscribe.
Emulation 101 as mentioned is a work in progress and currently is being worked on a Video Game console by console basis. Right now I am working on covering Nintendo 64 emulation. Like I mentioned on a previous post, I recently found N64oid which is currently one of the best N64 Emulators for Android devices. I was so impressed that I decided to do my long overdue pet project. I am working on a tutorial and review for the N64oid. I am hoping this should be completed in the next couple of weeks. For now check out the Emulator section of Emulation 101 to download my favorite N64 emulators for the Android & Windows OS. If you don’t know where to start, don't worry tutorials are coming. Stay tuned!
Just wanted to say Happy Mother's Day to my MAMA from her niño, to all the Mothers and Grandmothers out there and especially a Happy Mother's Day to my wife. Thank you for always being there and for your unlimited amount of support. I love you!
This is extremely awesome! Watch the video first then read below after! Try to watch the video in HD if possible.
What you saw is an example of Hyper-lapse photography, which is "a technique combining time-lapse and sweeping camera movements typically focused on a point-of-interest". We've all seen this type of photography in one way or the other, but did you think you would see it by using Google maps? This team called Labs from the Teehan+lax company, created the above video using Google Maps Street View. You can actually create your own Hyper-lapse animation with Google Street View Hyper-lapse. Click the link above this post to learn more about this project. If you're going to use this application please make sure you're running Chrome on a fast computer.
Happy Easter everybody, sorry for the lack of updates. These past weeks have been hectic! Lots of real world work (non-fun) and chores that needed to be handled....But enough of that, on to the updates!
Update #1
I have received the second part of Secret Project # 1. Sorry no pictures of the second parts contents. it will ruin the surprise. However, I will be posting a hint in the next couple of days that somewhat pertains to the project.
Update #2
Secret Project #2 - oh no :)
Update #3
I am currently working on additional pages that will be added to Video Games, Electronics & Babies. You will notice on the right hand side is a button titled Emulation 101. Originally Emulation 101 should have been completed 12 years ago but with lack of time and other interests at that time, the site was never made, but only an idea jotted on a piece of paper with a rough picture I created in Photoshop. Now in 2013 emulation has attracted my attention once more. I've been keeping up with emulation for years for my own personal interest. In the last couple of weeks I have found an emulator that works surprisingly well on my Nexus 7 that I must share how to install, setup and get all the benefits from it. Originally this was my basis for Emulation 101: provide tutorials, reviews and downloads to people that want to get started with emulation but don't know how. If you click on the button on the right you will only get a temporary place holder, so for now please stay tuned.
Update #4
Last week my wife and I placed our son in swimming lessons for toddlers and it was awesome! My son enjoyed the exercises and the pool very much. Due to his age, I have to be with him in the pool at all times and I have to say I enjoyed the classes as well. The swim school has a very organized and clean facility as well as friendly and patient instructors. If you're ever considering to put your child in swimming classes, try to do it as early as possible. In this case our son is 2 years old. The older they get, it will be harder to teach them as I noticed some older kids in other classes were fearful, having a hard time and were crying their lungs out. All in all learning how to swim is important and I highly recommend anybody with a kid to sign them up.
That's all I have for now. Please keep your eyes open, I should be posting more stuff tomorrow. And on that note, I will be trying to do my blog updates around the early part of each week due to my work schedule and real world activities (non-fun).
