Useful and entertaining retrogame reviews

[mr_lou]

Dunno if anyone has seen any of these videos at YouTube, but I just stumbled across them this week because I've been home sick with the flu all week and bored out of my mind. So I've been browsing YouTube among other things, and thus found these videos I want to share with you.

The Irate Gamer show has been a quite entertaining time-killer, and very helpful to me too as a game-developer infact. This guy (Chris Bores) reviews retro games, and brings up some very odd facts about them, that really makes you wonder what the game-developer was thinking when developing these games. There's entertainment in those videos, but also useful stuff to think about for us game-developers. And Chris is very thural in his research in my opinion.

http://www.youtube.com/irategamer

Some of us might go around thinking that we can never be as good as the pro's, but those thoughts will probably change after watching a few of these videos.

Since it's a relative old show now, and since he has made tons of videos so I've seen far from them all, but here are a few of my favorites:


Home Improvement - A video game always contains monsters?

Predator - Absolutely no consistency with the movie

E.T. - This is what happens when game-developers are pushed into developing a game in 6 weeks instead of the usual 3-4 months.

Tetris - Who actually deserved the copyrights in your opinion?

Super Mario Bros II

So far though, I haven't found a single one of his videos that aren't worth watching. So dig in, or bookmark for later.

Cheers

[Gryzor]

Hey Lou,

Hope you're feeling better....

I don't particularly like his style of reviewing, it usually comes out as 'forced', but he does make some interesting points indeed...

[mr_lou]

Hey Gryzor

Yea thanks. I'm feeling better now.

I don't understand what you mean by "forced".

Anyway, at first I didn't much like his harsh style either, but his face expressions sometimes are just hilarious, like e.g. in Home-Improvement when the dinosaur appears. Watching his videos are kinda like watching a sitcom to me.
If by "forced" you mean that it's clear to see he's acting, then I understand. But that's part of what I like.

I've later discovered that The Angry Video Game Nerd (I think) also does a similar thing; reviewing retro games, only I think this guy came first, and now there's a kind of flame war going on between the fans of each reviewer.
I've then watched a few videos by AVGN, but I have to admit my favorite is The Irate Gamer. Maybe you'll like AVGN then, check it out. 

[ukmarkh]

If you like crazy facial expressions, you should check out PAULISTHEBEST for Amstrad and Speccy reviews on youtube... I think the guys is pissed in nearly every review i've seen, I could be wrong, but he certainly sounds like he's had one too many.

[mr_lou]

Thanks for the suggestion. I found him at http://youtube.com/paulisthebest3uk and watched a few videos.

I think, that while watching The Irate Gamer is kinda like watching a sitcom, watching AVGN or Paul is kinda like watching a documentary. It's just not as entertaining in my opinion.

[MacDeath]

It's good, fun and well done, yet a bit too much Nintendo for me.

.I'm not that Nintendo fan for the same reason I'm not a C64 fan.

Because I prefer Sega and Amstrad...

[mr_lou]

Yea, I would have liked some Amstrad reviews in the same style too, but I don't think that's available. But some games are kinda the same of course, like e.g.
this review of Ghostbusters by AVGN.

We need more Amstrad videos on YouTube!

[MacDeath]

Problem, it seems quite difficult to produce proper video from CPC.

Emulator seems to delay the sounds, and as youtube do it too...
It need a proper re-work of the sound-track.

And concerning video takes from a real machine...
How could we do it ?

A  "Y" cable from the video output of the CPC to a DVD-writer and to the screen  ?
would it work ? no power loss or parasites ?
Would need a bit more electronic so the signal would be stabilized...(some diodes perhaps ?)

[mr_lou]

Problem, it seems quite difficult to produce proper video from CPC.

First, record with a cam yourself sitting infront of the real machine. In these scenes, don't use a CRT TV for the CPC, as it will flicker on the video.
Then record from emulator.
Then mix the clips together with some video-editing program, while inserting speech.

[redbox]

And concerning video takes from a real machine...
How could we do it ?

I was thinking about this and thought that maybe I could use:

A scart output for the 6128 plus
and
Something like this SCART to USB capture device

Not 100% sure if you could plug the SCART output from the CPC into the SCART to USB device via a coupler though?

[awergh]

The few videos I watched were entertaining though I'm sure the PC version of Alladin was much better then the one he reviewed.

I might like AVGN better but I'm undecided.

Yea, I would have liked some Amstrad reviews in the same style too, but I don't think that's available. But some games are kinda the same of course, like e.g. this review of Ghostbusters by AVGN.

I was sure the game wasn't that bad.

Although I guess I didn't get so far to find out that.

I'm starting to wonder why many of the Amstrad games I own not that great? I guess thats the problem with only having a small selection of tapes.

[khisanth]

Ghostbusters on the amstrad/c64 was fine, kept it simple etc. but what they did on the NES is unforgivable!! buying your equipment mid game? fuel? cars crashing into you?


and that stairway level is the biggest insult ever!!! did the coders not want you to finish the game?!