Featured Posts
To Knock Off Or Not To Knock Off
Many of us classic gamers became entranced with arcade games back in the early 80's. Magazine articles, TV news reports, and, of course, actually seeing blockbusters like Space Invaders, Asteroids, and Pac-Man wherever we went got us curious. Video arcades, however,...
Video Game Trading Card Spotlight – Phil Campbell
Our next Trading Card Spotlight features Phil Campbell who currently is displayed on card number 364, from the Superstars of 2012 Collection. There is no one better in the world at the arcade game Space Harrier. Phil is the current world record holder on the Space...
The Game Scholar: Plug and Plays – By By Leonard Herman, the Father of Video Game History
Following the success of the NES Classic in 2016. we’ve seen the SNES Classic, the forgettable PlayStation Classic and the well- received Genesis Mini. Although these gaming machines are referred to as dedicated consoles, they are not derived from the early ‘70s...
Beefcake: By Earl Green
The Most Unexpected Retro Arcade Package Ever I have to admit, this one just completely floored me. It's been sitting on my PlayStation game shelf for nearly half a year, and I've never even popped it into the machine. (Tough year, eh?) But when I did check it out, I...
Sex, Drugs, Rock ‘N Roll, and Video Games
As humans, we think too much. We alone among all creatures KNOW we are going to DIE. This is because our analytical minds are too smart. There's something wrong with everything if you analyze it enough. Thinking causes pain. Thinking drives you insane. The more...
The Walter Day Report: The Birth of An Arcade – By Walter Day
“Hey!” shouted a cheerful voice from a truck stopped in the middle of Ottumwa, Iowa’s bustling East Main Street...“Where can I finda video game arcade around here?” Two men, precariously perched on two tall ladders in front of a modest storefront, swung around and...
Five What-Ifs That Could Have Changed Your Favorite Retro Games
Old School Gamer shares five awesome What-Ifs that will make you think differently about your favorite retro game experiences. What if Ric Flair Was a Playable Character in WCW/nWo Revenge?: The best-selling wrestling game on the Nintendo 64 (Yes, more than...
Interview with Jerry Greiner
In November 1999, Jerry Greiner, better known as classic video game dealer Jerry G, announced he was going out of business after many years. In February 2000, shortly before the official announcement that he had sold his business, I caught up with Mr. Greiner to get...
Sonic Adventure Review by Henry Hutcheson
Wow! All I can say is WOW! Sonic Adventure, a game responsible for Sega's comeback, is truly amazing. The Blue Blur is back, bringing with him an array of new characters, faster moves, and awesome graphics. This time around, Sonic’s old nemesis, Robotnik, has attacked...
Video Game Trading Card Spotlight – Si Janna
Our next Trading Card Spotlight features Si Janna who is displayed on card number 354, from the Superstars of 2012 Collection. A huge fan of Street Fighter 2, Si has played and mastered multiple arcade games in his gaming career. He has maxed out the scores for...
Interview with Fred Thorlin
Fred Thorlin was Director of APX -- the Atari Program Exchange -- from 1982 through 1984. APX was -- and remains -- a rare software distribution model in which Atari would encourage end users to create software for their 8-bit computers, then sell the software through...
In Defense of Joystick Nation By Earl Green
I remember picking up Joystick Nation at the oddly-named Little Professor book store in Green Bay late in 1997. I was so enthused at the thought that someone had written a book about video games then and now that I snatched it up and gladly paid the steep cover price...
Brett’s Old School Bargain Bin: Tetris Attack and Zoop- By Brett Weiss
Two of my favorite action puzzlers are on the Super Nintendo: Tetris Attack and Zoop. Both are dynamic, fun, and easy to pick up and play for gamers of all ages. You can get a complete copy of Tetris Attack for around $20 ($10 cartridge only) and a complete copy of...
Space Invaders: The Instant Video Game
It’s one of the legends of the Atari era – the famous “Coke Wins!” cartridge for the 2600, originally designed as a premium, mail-in-your-proofs-of-purchase type item from the Coca-Cola Company. But for those who have actually seen the game, it’s very easy to see that...
Puzzle De Pon Platform: By Mike Mertes
Many people would look at a screenshot of Puzzle De Pon! and automatically assume that its a Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move game. In actuality, it is not. Don’t feel bad though, despite having played Puzzle De Pon! for years; I thought the differences in the games were...
Breakout(R) exclusively for Intellivision Amico – Gameplay Demo Trailer!
Intellivision® is proud to show off its exclusive version of Atari®'s Breakout®, only available on the Intellivision Amico™ console launching 10.10 2020. Although the game will start off in original "vertical mode", it won't take long to utilize the full 16:9...
From Sprites to Cels: Classic Games That Turned Into Toons
Any look back at classic video game merchandising would be remiss in its duties if it didn’t mention some of the most highly visible - and yet least memorable spinoffs: Saturday morning cartoons. Video games had quickly been picked up as a theme in cartoons; does...
Qa$hing in on Q*bert By Earl Green
Let's say you're a major toy manufacturer named Kenner. Let's say it's late 1983, and your last big license - a little summer flick called "Return of the Jedi" - is now but a memory, with no sequels in sight. TV is a barren wasteland of variety shows and programming...
25 Years of PlayStation: A Retrospective.
The PlayStation has been in my life for years, practically since it came out. It was the very first home video game console I've ever owned and I still have my original console to this day. 25 years ago the original PlayStation hit the shelves and ever since Sony...
Video Game Trading Card Spotlight – Dennis Bartlett
Our next Trading Card Spotlight features Dennis Bartlett, who is displayed on card number 285, from the Superstars of 2012 Collection. Dennis was fortunate enough to have grown up Ottumwa, Iowa where the Twin Galaxies arcade was first opened. He was in attendance...
Five Galar Pokemon That Will Take You Back to Where It All Started
Pokemon Sword and Shield are the newest games in the Pokemon series, filled with a ton of new things to do and obviously, new pocket monsters to catch. But what if you haven’t been around for the past few games? Why should you jump in, all over again, on a new...
The Next Best Thing to Being There By Earl Green
Once upon a time, many years before Game Boy Color, MAME, and Namco Museum, there were low end console games and there were battery-operated LED-display games. Back then, it was roughly an equal trade-off. Did you prefer blocky, clunky graphics that moved with some...
Toys of Tron By Earl Green
In the summer of 1982, there was no hotter ticket in Hollywood than a new Disney movie that boasted impressive computer graphics, including some scenes created entirely with computer animation. The movie, of course, was Tron, and although it ended up as more of a cult...
Space Firebird By Kyle Snyder
Space Firebird is a game that seemed to taunt me for several summers. From the summer of '81 through sometime in '83, I would always run across a Space Firebird machine when I either didn't have a quarter or didn't have the time to stop and play. The 7-11 on the...
