arcade Keyword
Game On Exhibition
Ok odyssey fans I’ve finally got you real gaming article. Now you can finally shut up about my gaming cred Colin.
Queensland Library hosted “Game On”, an exhibition on the history of Video games which was presented from the 17th Nov, 2008 through to Today. I was lucky to catch it on it’s final day. The exhibition featured old old OLD SKOOL Arcade machines, including classic spacewar cabinents through to today’s current tech with the Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3 making an appearance.
Exhibits included pretty much EVERY handheld gaming console, a timeline of working, playable consoles (which included the Sinclair, Magnavox and Famicon) and a mockup of the original Spacewar oscilloscope game that started it all. While I could have done with more information on the games and systems, it was a nice trip down memory lane. Tegan and I were a little disappointed in our own way that Soul Calibur didn’t make an appearance. Me as it’s Dreamcast incarnation is still rated in the top 10 best games of all time by Game Rankings, and her as it’s the only game she can play.
It was cool seeing the Lynx and Game Gear handhelds in all their double A chewing glory and getting an insight into the planning that went into GTA3. It’s just a pity that all of you that haven’t gone to see the exhibit yet have missed out! Fail.
I was unable to take my camera in, due to some bullshit rule, but Tegan went rogue and snuck in her Olympus, taking a few cheeky snaps which you can check out after the break.
Street Fighter Whoopage
Yesterday I got a chance to play what seemed to be a dodgy import of Street Fighter IV. I was wandering around an arcade in China Town and spotted it hidden in a Tekken 5 cabinet.
Now I must say that while I am a Street Fighter fan, I have never been that crash hot a player. I can seldom pull off moves and would have only won a handful of fights. I take joy in watching other players mastering the game, in awe of their speed and accuracy. Street Fighter IV is the perfect game for me. The animations, art style and backgrounds are a delight to watch. Players who dominate can pull off beautifully animated sequences and the dust, flame and brush stroke effects are fantastic. While some of the faces the characters make are awkward (such as the much discussed Ryu “o” face) the characters are big, beautiful and move smoothly between their animations.
At this arcade they had two cabinets linked, and I challenged a seasoned player. Needless to say: I had my arse handed to me within a few seconds. I tried the single player arcade mode, had a couple of wins before being thumped by the fat clown dude, Rufus. The controls were tight, smooth and the game very enjoyable. Well worth dropping a few bucks on.
Anyone who is interested in checking it out, and is in Sydney go to Galaxy World above the Paddy’s Markets at the top of Market City. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures, but I did get a sneaky video of my opponent which you can see after the break.