My Gaming History : Commodore Amiga A500

Commodore Amiga A500(1987)

In 1993, I swapped to my friend, my SNES and complete collection of games in exchange for his Commodore Amiga A500 plus its 512kb RAM module. A very good swap as it gave me access to a truly powerful multi-tasking computer system and access to hundreds, if not thousands of games.

Further reading :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiga
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiga_500

XBOX 360: On its way back

I received an email this morning telling me that my XBOX 360 had been repaired. The courier is due to deliver the working unit in the next seven days.

XBOX 360 : Too much to hope!

Wow, the status of my XBOX 360 stays unchanged. Delivered by the courier to the Service Centre, but they are still awaiting for delivery!

My Gaming History : Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Super Nintendo Entertainment System(1992) UK

In 1992, I brought a SNES, my main reasons were the advanced graphic chips that were capable of more colours on screen, sprite rotation, sprite scaling and games like F-Zero and Street Fighter II.

Further reading :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Nintendo_Entertainment_System

Just Cause : My Achievements(4)

30 Side Missions Completed

Completed 30 Side Missions - 15G


I Want a Super-Potent Weapon

Completed Collect Mission 3 - 5G


15 Takeover Missions Completed

Completed 15 Takeover Missions - 25G


Slippery When Wet

Completed Collect Mission 11 - 5G

Condemned 2 : My Achievements(1)

EPA (Environmental Pwnage Area)

You've half-nelsoned your way to success - 25G

General : If you go down to the woods today

Here are a few photographs of my families walk in the woods. It was quite pretty really.

My Gaming History : Hungry Horace

Psion Software, Hungry Horace(1982)

The first computer game that my family purchased for our ZX Spectrum 48k.

Hungry Horace was probably one of the first icons of the new age of 8-bit gaming and inspired at least two more games, "Horace and the Spiders" and "Horace goes Skiing".

The aim of Hungry Horace was to eat the green stars and the fruit dropped by the park keepers and then escape the maze. Ringing the red bell allowed Horace to eat the terrified park keepers.

Further reading :
http://www.worldofspectrum.org

My Gaming History : Sega Megadrive

Sega Megadrive(1990) Europe

In 1991, I purchased my first games console it was 16-bit Sega Megadrive. However, my version of the Megadrive was a modified Japanese import, the notable difference was the grey areas shown above like the reset button were dark red and it could play cartridges from every region.

Another of my favourite things about the Megadrive was the solid build of the cartridges.

Further reading :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Mega_Drive

TuxPaint.org

I love this application, when I originally reviewed it, I was using Microsoft Windows XP. This time it is Ubuntu 7.10 and I have to say, that I am impressed with how responsive the package is, very nice work. Anyway, Tux Paint is an art package designed for young children and it is perfect!

Oh and if your interested, any pictures your child draws and saves are in .tuxpaint/saved of their home directory as PNG files.

Requirements:
Linux, Ubuntu Distro

Packages:
tuxpaint_0.9.16-1_i386.deb
tuxpaint-data_0.9.16-1_all.deb

Developers Website:
http://www.tuxpaint.org/

Screenshots:

My Gaming History : Olivetti PC 286i

Olivetti PC 286i(1989)

Brought by my father to run his business, this was my first introduction to an IBM PC clone. Costing around £1,200, it had 4 megabytes of RAM, 40 megabyte harddisk, an Intel 80286 12 megahertz processor, Video Graphic Array(VGA), keyboard and 14 inch monitor. My father also purchased MS-DOS 3.3 and Microsoft Windows/286. This is also when I started playing games like those shown below.

Origin, Wing Commander

Virgin Games, Super-Off Road

Accolade, Star Control

Further reading :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80286
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ms-dos
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_2.1x
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wing_Commander
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Off_Road
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Control

Update 02/08/2009 : Changed Screenshots for Star Control and Wing Commander.

My Gaming History : Amstrad PCW 9512

Amstrad PCW 9512(1987)

Ok, not a gaming computer and brought by my family as an electronic typewriter, but it gave me the opportunity to write my own games in the BASIC programming language provided with the hardware. Note the 3 inch disk drive that Amstrad was pushing as standard, the massive 512kb of memory and the built in monochrome monitor.

A French advert for the Amstrad PCW 9512.

Further reading :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amstrad_PCW
http://www.fvempel.nl/

XBOX 360 : Waiting for delivery to Service Centre

The courier say they have delivered and the service centre say they are waiting for delivery, nothing like confusing the customer!

Bully Scholarship Edition : My Achievements(4)

TOUR DE BULLWORTH

Travel 100 km on the bike. - 25G


MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Complete All Missions - 75G


GRADUATE

Complete Chapter 5 - 40G


SHARP DRESSED MAN

Collect 250 clothing items. - 25G

XBOX 360 : Delivered to Service Centre

According to the courier my XBOX 360 has been delivered to the Service Centre at 1:14pm.

My Gaming History : Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k

Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k(1982)

In 1983, my parents decided that it was time to buy our first home computer, originally for the family, it quickly became my personnel toy. A gateway to BASIC programming and of course games, but I will discuss games for the ZX Spectrum on individual basis due to number and influence on my childhood.

Further reading :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum
http://www.nvg.ntnu.no/sinclair/contents.htm

My Gaming History : Grandstand Star Force

Grandstand Star Force(1984)

Christmas present 1984, another basic Space Invader, but what is interesting from my point of view was I remember playing it in Woolworth and almost achieving the 3000 points required to finish the game.

Further reading :
http://www.handheldmuseum.com/

XBOX 360 : Start the clock!

Start the clock my broken XBOX 360 is with the courier service.

XBOX 360 : Swapping your harddisk between XBOX 360s

Question; Can you swap your harddisk onto another XBOX 360 without it causing any issues?

Answer; Yes as long as you have a connection to Xbox Live, so that you can play your XBLA games.

XBOX 360 : Cold Turkey!

Less than 24 hours since my XBOX 360 failed and I have brought another XBOX 360 until my original XBOX 360 is repaired and I going to keep the repaired one in case my new one fails. I think, I have a problem, I knew that when I shouted at the shop assistant "Look, I don't want any extras or an HDMI cable, my XBOX is broken and I am going COLD TURKEY!"

Breaking in less than 24 hours, I must be a hardcore gamer and a hopeless addict!

My Gaming History : Grandstand Mini-Munchman

Grandstand Mini-Munchman(1981)

Grandstand's LCD Pac-Man clone and I loved it. In fact, I swapped something for this handheld game in about 1983. The objective of the game was to eat the fruit and avoid the ghosts in a maze that was overlayed on the display. Interestingly, they are valued at £25 to £30 in the current market.

Further reading :
http://www.handheldmuseum.com/
http://www.antiques.dk.com

XBOX 360 : Labels for the Courier

The labels for the courier arrive via email at 2am this morning, all I need to do is package up my XBOX 360 and give them a call to start the repair process.

Szeredi Miklos, Spectemu

Another ZX Spectrum emulator for Debian/Ubuntu, I really like this one because it does run in a window, but the user interface is run in the terminal. Please note, it only emulates the 48k ZX Spectrum.

Requirements:
Linux, Ubuntu Distro

Packages:
spectemu-x11_0.94a-5_i386.deb
spectemu-common_0.94a-5_i386.deb
spectrum-roms_20021001-1_all.deb (non-free & incomplete ROMs)

Developers Website:
http://www.inf.bme.hu/~mszeredi/spectemu/

Screenshots:

XBOX 360 : Red Ring of Death!

No, it's not HAL 9000, its my XBOX 360, my baby, it died and Microsoft say two to three weeks to repair it!

I wouldn't mind so much but I really looked after it, it had loads of air space and I dusted it. This means I am going to have to go outside!

Condemned 2 : My Achievements(19)

Flambe

Earned with the liquor burn method - 25G


GOOOAAALLLL!

The foosball piece was used successfully - again and again - 10G


Sleuth

You earned a PERFECT with your investigative skills - 10G


Beat Cop

You've taken on a mission and survived - 10G


The Plumber

Your pipe is your friend - 25G


Self Medicated

You've bandaged your wounds - 25G


Anger Management

You've expressed a wide range of emotions - 10G


Sidekick

You've assisted in scanning evidence in MP - 10G


Rush Champ

You've defeated the SCU 5 times in Bum Rush - 25G


Magellan

You've played each map several times over - 25G


Survivor King

Bum Rush Survivor 5 times - 30G


A La Mode

You've tasted each Multiplayer mode 5 times. - 25G


Cut Throat

You've performed 25 finishing moves to take out your opponents. - 30G


MP Overachiever

You've won a Deathmatch game with 15 kills without dying. - 50G


Punch Drunk

Fist Fight! Fist Fight! - 10G


Just The Facts

You've collected the evidence 10 times - 25G


Collector

You've collected the evidence 5 times - 10G


Brick Wall

You've blocked incoming attacks 5 times. - 10G


The Final Word

You completed your first environmental finishing move. - 10G