Starting on Friday, November 5th, and continuing until Sunday, November 7, Midwest Gaming Classic will take over the Wisconsin city center of Milwaukee, with more than 150,000 square feet of retro and modern home video game consoles, pinball machines, and arcade video games , Tabletop role-playing games, computers, tabletop board games, crane games, collectible card games and air hockey. "And more! Whoops! Get your tickets here.
But this is not just a classic Midwestern game-this will be the 20th anniversary of the trade show! (As a few friends share their love for Atari Jaguar, this of course has come a long way.) To commemorate the 20th MGC, I (Matt) decided to rank 20 random video game systems I own, Or the random system is currently sitting at the Milwaukee Records headquarters. This is a personal ranking (remember: if I don't have it, it won't appear in the list), so expect a lot of puzzling choices, maybe I'm a bit overly passionate about the Sega CD.
Ha ha. Nintendo’s notorious Virtual Boy is neither a virtual reality system nor a successor to the Game Boy. Instead, it is a weird stilt headset, you put it on the table, lean on it, and then pull your eyes to the point of blindness in order to enjoy some crude red and black 3D graphics. A true disaster through and through. The Virtual Boy was originally priced at US$180, but I bought mine in Toys “R” Us for around US$25 in 1996. The strange thing is that I played a lot. In my dorm. At the university. Wario Land is still good!
Gosh, the electronic handheld craze in the 1990s was indeed...something. These games-many made by Tiger Electronics-were ubiquitous at the time, occupying a strange space between the video game system and the sock filler. In the end, they are nothing but glorified digital watches. The pinch is interesting, but a little slow (the manual is necessary) and a little hard to read. I'm not sure about the source of this Star Wars handheld device, but it occupies a fixed place on my desk. I like the way Darth Vader is showing the game.
The 2000 remake of Mattel's 1977 classic handheld is more primitive than the Star Wars game, but it gets points for its historical importance. This is the original intention of the video game football-through a series of red LED dashboards and some deafening BEEPS. They should re-release this thing every year and have star players like Madden in front. Oh yes, extra points for the useful "If the game fails, try fresh batteries" sticker on the back.
When I absolutely have to simulate playing games with legal ROMs I already own, my laptop-equipped with multi-platform OpenEmu-is the way to go. However, to be honest, accessing so many simulated game legal ROMs for games I already own is a bit daunting, and usually results in endless scrolling and very little play. (Think of it as Netflix.) However, OpenEmu is great, and using it to play locally released Space Raft games is a constant gift. (See it? I have a physical copy!) Speaking of Space Raft, creator Jordan Davis will launch the full arcade version of the game at MGC this weekend. check it out! (Also: I really need to clean my screen.)
First of all, I can't seem to find my Nintendo DS (I know it is somewhere!), so apologize for not having photos. Secondly, I think DS is a bit like a lost system, a sturdy handheld device with an excellent handheld device (3DS) on it. I remember playing a lot of Professor Layton's games on this thing, the whole dual screen/stylus thing is very interesting. I have no idea. Like I said, this is a lost system. (In my case, it really lost.)
Arcade1Up focuses on the 3/4 scale version of the classic stand-up arcade game, covering everything from Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga to NBA Jam and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The best part? You assemble things yourself, a bit like IKEA furniture. So interesting! (The not-so-good part? They are a bit expensive, and the bottom risers are sold separately.) This cabinet is probably the best of the early 1Up versions. It contains not only the excellent Final Fight, but also the excellent 1943, the excellent Strider, and the all-time The worst/most terrible/least impossible game, Ghosts'n Goblins. The Cornhole suit is not included.
I admit here that although I think SNES is one of the best systems ever, I don't have SNES. I have never owned an SNES. Why? I don't know, this is just one of them! Happily, I do own this recently released "mini" SNES, which is full of hit songs: "Super Mario World", "Super Metroid", "Past Link", "Star Fox" and so on. Indeed, many of these games can be found "for free" on the Switch's online service, but does the service have Final Fantasy III (fainted), Super Mario RPG (so weird!), and damn EarthBound (ahha!!!) !)? Readers, it doesn't. My friend Rick Katschke from Milwaukee Records chose this special mini for me, and I will always be grateful.
Just like Betamax and VHS, Sega's Master System is technically superior to Nintendo Entertainment System, but it was taken away from the software department. Too bad: games like the original Phantasy Star and the original Ys are excellent, and they are rarely released games on the NES. I like this thing to play cartridges and those little cards. (In front of you, TurboGrafx-16!) Also, I remember playing ALF on the main system, which is weird. This particular console belongs to Josh Hoppert, the advertising director of Milwaukee Records, and is more or less a Columns machine.
Ah, Sega CD, an expensive add-on that makes us believe that the future of gaming involves watching crude stamp-sized videos and occasionally pressing a button or two. Well, it convinced me. For all its shortcomings, I like — and still like — the Sega CD. Night Trap is not a game, but it is a fun interactive movie, a few years before the "Let's Make Fun in the 80s Horror Movies" craze. The sewer shark is a cry, hey! Listening to CDs (some with bonus graphics) on video game consoles was very exciting at the time. In addition, the lunar calendar. This Genesis/Sega CD belongs to Josh. It's a pity that he doesn't have the kind of game that can make his own Kris Kross video.
This is the most powerful system I have, but it is one of the least I play. Seriously, I think I have completed half of "Horizon Zero Dawn" and nothing more. Hate players instead of games (system): I simply don't have enough time to play 800-hour open-world games like Red Dead Redemption 2 these days. I wish I did it, but I didn't. Before Breath of the Wild, the last open world game I completed was GTA5. In any case, PS4 is obviously an incredible machine (I have a Pro model), and the on-demand PS Now service is clearly the future direction of development. But this is a personal ranking, because I don't play PS4 very often, so it ranks 11th.
Wow, this brings me back to when portable systems were truly portable. Folded up, this little guy fits in the palm of my hand. Neat! It is backward compatible with Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, and the actual Game Boy Advance games are always top-notch. More tidy! I like this little thing very much, even if the backlight drained the battery in about three minutes. I really need to find the charger and start shaking some Final Fantasy V.
When I think of GameCube (and I think of it often), I think of Paris Hilton holding a picture that looks like a wallet. You know, because for some reason it has a handle. Is there anything that can summarize the early 00s more succinctly? maybe not. Thankfully, the GameCube library has aged more gracefully: Wind Waker, Super Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime and the original Animal Crossing are all cold classics (yes, even Sunshine). I will never forget to buy my GameCube (and Animal Crossing) at the Grand Avenue Mall, and then put it on my lap and take the bus home, like a newborn baby. Years later, I still play my OG GameCube from time to time, and obviously I have 20,000 Tony Hawk games.
I can swear that Wii is the best-selling home game console of all time, but Wikipedia tells me it is the fourth. (PS2 ranks number one? Huh.) Anyway, Wii is a ubiquitous casual gaming giant that proves that reliable games and beautiful motion control gimmicks can outperform raw power. It was difficult to find Wii at first. I remember driving to Toys R Us at 5 am just to buy one. Many years later, Wii can still be found in family gatherings, just waiting for everyone to be interested in Wii bowling. Hell, the virtual console (RIP) alone is enough to rank the Wii in the top 10.
Starting my 3DS for the first time in 8,000 years, I was immediately shocked by everything it had, for whatever reason, it didn't. folder! background! theme! What to give, Nintendo? Take my money and let me use Monster Hunter stuff to handle my Switch home screen. Anyway, I like 3DS, and I may be the only person on earth who likes 3D effects. I also like Nintendo’s introduction of the classic Nintendo and adopts what makes 3DS unique (its 3D effect) and releases a version without that unique thing (2DS). Eight years later, with the release of Switch Lite, history repeats itself. But anyway, 3DS is/is the best.
Xbox 360 was very popular at the time, but I think its reputation will only grow over time. It is very powerful. This is a main force. This is a sturdy and sturdy machine that seems to exist forever. (Wikipedia tells me its official lifespan is 2005-2016. Wow!) When I think of Xbox 360, I think of Halo 4 and GTA 5. These are my two favorite games of all time. I also thought about the feeling of having a real online console for the first time, and how incredible it is to use it for various multimedia purposes. (I still use it as a DVD player, ha.) I don't know, maybe I like/like it very much, because I have a later model, and I have never dealt with the red death ring. What's wrong, friends who are late!
The original PlayStation was not particularly good (try to play games like Resident Evil or Tomb Raider today), but it represents a huge leap in technology, and I must give it the reward it deserves. Early works such as "GT Racing" and "Tekken 3" changed the rules of the game, and later works such as "Final Fantasy VII" and "Metal Gear Solid" have an amazing range. In addition, you also own games such as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and PaRappa The Rapper. Oh, and the smart Qube game, which may have the best soundtrack ever. I remember I picked up my first PlayStation (had to borrow money from a friend to get it) when I was in the fourth grade of high school, and only played a demo CD for a few weeks. I miss the demo CD!
Genesis does what Nintendo does not. do you remember? good time. In any case, in the late 1980s, not any system could allow NES to compete with its money-it needed a great system like Genesis. Where do Sega’s 16 powerful nations start? Licensed sports games, such as the Madden and NHL series? Fascinating role-playing games such as Phantasy Star 2, 3 and 4? Things off the wall like Earthworm Jim and ToeJam & Earl? A little mascot named Sonic the Hedgehog? Genesis is like a fleet farm: if you don't have it, you don't need it. Of course, the entire "explosive treatment" thing is 100% marketing BS, but Genesis's avant-garde attitude is no joke-these games are faster, more fashionable, and more mature than any game launched by Nintendo. In addition, EA has ported a lot of strange PC games, such as Starflight and Rings Of Power, these games are great.
I was stunned when I first saw a running NES. It was in my cousin’s wooden panelled, beanbag basement (a perfect environment), and he was playing the first Super Mario Bros. I can't believe how big this game is, and how it is filled with so many obscure secrets such as hidden squares and distorted areas. Before that, my frame of reference for home video games was the Atari 2600. But what about NES? It's really great. It also ruled the world and took over all aspects of popular culture. Hell, for many years, the word "Nintendo" is a word similar to Xerox, representing all video games. NES was the first system I used when I was growing up, and it is still by my side today. As you can see, there are some games around my house, and I stuffed about 300 games in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy box that an old roommate found on the side of the road. I love you, Nintendo.
Nintendo Switch is the perfect modern gaming system. Well, it's perfect for me: I can't exaggerate the role of Switch in my middle-aged, business, and child 2021 lifestyle. If I am in the mood to sit on the couch and play some random Super Mario Maker 2 lessons, I can do it. If I have more time and want to rediscover the miracle of Breath of the Wild and see it on the big screen, I can do it too. Seriously, this thing can switch between the handheld and the console, and how easy it is to do it, how genius is it? There is also the fact that you can also play millions of indie games on this thing. Like I said, I love you, Nintendo.
You can hate me if you want, but Sega Dreamcast is the Cadillac of video game systems. Is this a short-lived failure? Yes. Is this the last nail in Sega's home game console business? Yes. Are there such incredible games as Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi, Shenmue, Sonic Adventure and Phantasy Star Online? You bet it does. Oh, this is the first home console with online connectivity out of the box, and the controller — with those VMU little things — is great. I like the arcade style of Dreamcast-no console has been implemented before, and no console has been implemented since. It is just a great, unique and perfectly realized machine. It burns quickly, but it burns very brightly. I love me some Sega Vortex.
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• Midwest Gaming Classic will return to the center of Wisconsin on November 5-7
• Disgraced video game champion Billy Mitchell issued a "statement" at the Midwest Classic Game Tournament
Matt Wild weighs between 140 and 145 pounds. He lives east of Milwaukee.