01/29/2012    Trying to get things back on track here at DVGI by making sure everything is properly updated.  That means the game lists, article indexes, editorial stuff, all the reviews - everything I have ready to go updated and active.  Back during the week of Christmas 2011 I was visiting my old stomping grounds and decided to take a trip out to what used to be my local flea market.  That's right, I made a trip to the Sales Yard, somewhere I hadn't been in a long time.  I didn't come away with a ton but I did pick up a couple Nintendo 64 games and a Game Boy title as well as Blade Runner for the PC.

Aside from that not a lot has been going on.  I've resumed contributing to Retrogaming Times Monthly, which really is still the best free online gaming newsletter on the planet.  Even in the months I wasn't able to contribute, I continue to read and enjoy the newsletter.  The only thing I wish would change is the advice I take for myself - that people would develop their submissions into a column that would run every month.  One off articles are fine and keep things fresh but some of the content lately has been excellent.  However I fully understand how you can get stuck in a loop once you fall into writing a monthly column rather than a single time article or special feature.  No more excuses for me though, from now on NES'cade will run every month, regardless of anything else, that's my commitment to RTM readers and staff.  Even when I have a special one off article, such as a show report, NES'cade will still be featured.  I certainly don't write enough here at my own website, so RTM is just what I need to keep my creativity flowing.

That's not to say that content here at DVGI is at a standstill.  Far from it actually.  I'm working on additional game reviews, peripheral reviews and maybe a couple new editorials.  Enough with the future, here are the updates for today.

• Publications updated to catch up to the previous issue of Retrogaming Times Monthly.
• Game Boy master list update - Boxxle (loose).
• Nintendo 64 master list update - Star Wars Rogue Squadron (loose), Wave Race 64 (loose).

I'm sure I don't need to explain what it is an homage / rework of but in case you missed the Atari era and one of the most forgotten gaming icons of all time, I'll tell you.  On the Atari 2600 Activision pretty much made the best games.  Even though there are some other awesome titles, Activision pushed the hardware in a direction that redefined the platform.  They also had the coolest box art.  Colorful, vivid, bright, just awesome.  The game "Pitfall!" (subtitled as Pitfall Harry's Jungle Adventure) really launched the side scrolling platform and adventure genres in the way we think of them.

I took the Pitfall! game box and went to work redesigning it to fit a Christmas motif.  The easiest way to compare this is to look up a scan of the box cover.  However in case you might miss a few things, here are all the changes.  The Activision logo is now Santavision.  The title of the game is Christmas!, subtitled as Kris Kringle's Holiday Adventure.  Pitfall Harry has become Kris Kringle complete with a red suit, beard and hat.  The jungle background is now cloaked under the darkness of night.  The crocodiles are caroling, one in a top hat, one with earmuffs and the other with antlers.  Instead of gold bars being hidden behind the tree, they're now a stack of gifts.  The scorpion is holding a candy cane in its claw.  A stocking is hung on the brick wall with a little doll inside.  The text inside takes a bit from the objective and rules of the original game...

This took a long, long time to complete.  Total time I think was somewhere around 30 and 35 hours of work getting the original scan ready for a reprint and then doing all the edits.  Remember, I don't use Photoshop since I think it produces results that stand out as being too clean.  All the work on this project was done with Micrografx.  This took roughly seven times as long as the previous year's card, a green and red rework of a Space Invaders playfield with the invaders wearing Santa hats, and the saucer being towed by a pair of reindeer.  Really I have no idea how I'm going to do better than this card next year.  I'm sure I'll think of something but I don't think I'll be topping this one.

So there it is, no real update but something I thought would be fun to share.  Before anyone asks, no the source file will not be posted and no I will not print the cards again.  Basically if you get a Christmas card from me then you would have one - I only print a single run each year and there are never any extras - even for myself.

01/08/2012    Review of the unsung NES puzzle classic, Adventures of Lolo is up.  See, told you that I would have content this year.

• Review - Adventures of Lolo (NES), well all know it but how many of us have taken a serious look at this great game?

• Nintendo Entertainment System master list update - removal of Power Blade 2 (loose).
• Sega Saturn master list update - Arthur to Astaroth no Nazo Makaimura: Incredible Toons (JPN) (complete).
• TurboGrafx-16 master list update - Bonk's Revenge (case / booklet).
• Wii master list update - Back to the Future the Game (complete), Animal Crossing City Folk (complete).