Dead Fantasy I

Video Games | Dead Fantasy I

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

So if you're a fan of the "Final Fantasy" or "Dead or Alive" series of games, a guy by the name of Monty Oum created a series of videos that has the female characters of each series facing off against one another. The animation is fantastic, and I always find it interesting to see what kind of new content people can make by mashing up assets from games.

Arm Champs II at the York Beach Arcade

The arcade at York Beach, ME is called 'Fun O Rama,' and I've been going there for over 25 years now. Every time I visit, I end up playing something for the first time. On Wednesday, it was "Arm Champs II," an arm wrestling game that feels like a cross between "Over the Top" and "Street Fighter." You are pitted against a variety of colorful characters as you literally arm wrestle the robotic arm of the machine. I can only imagine these fell out of style after some kids had their forearms shattered. Seriously, my arm was hurting after two matches and a bonus level strength test. Still, I did amass a 2-0 record, so I guess that makes me the arm champ.

Star Wars at the Happy Hampton Arcade

We visited friends in Hampton Beach, NH yesterday and spent some time at the Happy Hampton Arcade. Among the great old games was "Star Wars Trilogy Arcade," a sit-down featuring a combination of FPS and vehicle combat in missions based on the original trilogy. I played the Hoth mission and took down some AT-ATs with my snowspeeder.

Brian

Boardwalk Arcade's 'Boardwalk Bank and Loan'

One of the best ticket-based games at the Boardwalk Arcade, this one's an oldie and a goodie. You use the air gun to shoot the small targets, earning tickets for every few you hit. Most of the targets animate when hit, like the bank teller who hides under the teller counter, or the spitoon that rocks and makes a clanging noise when hit. Good stuff.

Brian

Chasing Ghosts : Retro Gaming Film

My friend just brought this film to my attention. It is called "Chasing Ghosts." You can visit their website and find out the next time it will be on cable. I do not have cable, so I'll need to find it on DVD somewhere. Drop by our forum and let us know if you've seen it and if you enjoyed it. I know I loved "King of Kong, A Fistful of Quarters." I you haven't checked that out, I'd go out and get it now. Check out their site. It used to be a cooler site. Don't know what happened. We'll talk about that film more on the show and do a blog write-up for it. GAME ON!!

Boardwalk Arcade in Wells, ME

So the family made our first trip to the Boardwalk Arcade at Wells Beach last night. This place has been here since at least the early 80's, and some of the original games from when it opened are still here. Like many arcades, most of the games are now ticket-based, but there are still a few stand-ups as well. Over the next few days I'll post some pics of indidual games.

Brian

Arcade Games Referenced in Film and TV

We've been having a discussion on the show about video game machines popping up in films and TV. There have been a lot of great examples given on the forums and I'd like to share one of my favorites so far. I have not seen this movie, but I'm going to have to get my hands on a copy ASAP. I can see that I will love it. Enjoy! Thanks Niceguyeddie!