New Scaratings

Never heard about MAME before. YODA, explained it to me tonight. As I understand it, it is a program that you load on your computer that allows you to play virtually all of the old arcade games. I'm still a little fuzzy on how I get the old arcade games loaded to my computer so MAME can let me play them.

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"The game is afoot."

Cloudy, I'll try to explain MAME. It stands for Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator. Based on info from WiKipedia, an Italan dude wrote computer software to emulate computer chips on an arcade machine's circuit board. Then he downloaded the software part of other chips, and with a little hocus pocus magic (or so it will seem), he was able to play an arcade game (I think the first one was Pengo) on his computer, using the keyboard for button/joystick controls. Since then, many people around the world have contributed code to emulate more chips, CPUs, and other hardware, and have uploaded game code ("ROMS"). MAME can emulate over 4,500 different arcade machines, although many of the newer ones are not functional yet.

Some people, including me, took an old arcade cabinet and added MAME instead. What I did was took a non-functional Joust cabinet and ripped out the CRT monitor, circuit boards and control panel. I then mounted a 22" PC monitor where the CRT was. I took a computer, installed MAME, downloaded the ROMS and got that part running. With the help of my brother in law, I built a four-player control panel using arcade-style buttons and joysticks you can buy on the 'net, and wired it to the computer using a keyboard controller board. When all was said and done, I had an up-right cabinet where I could play any arcade game from pre-Space Invader days to games so new I hadn't seen them in arcade parlors. I even went so far as to add emulating software for the Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Game Boy, Sega Genesis, a few other consoles as old as the Atari 2600, and some others I never tested.

There are sites out there where you can buy pre-built MAME cabinets, or plans to build-your-own, but it just the cabinet. you need to know people (like me) who has the MAME software and ROMS. I wish I could get my cabinet down from my mother's condo. With a little work, I could be playing 1942 again[/quote]
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Sounds pretty simple to me... I might try to put one of these together tomorrow, if I can find a spare hour or two, and if the people, who sell this stuff will accept my old Diners Club credit card that might have expired back in the mid 1960's.

Just being silly. I am in awe of you guys, who can actually do this stuff.

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"The game is afoot."

Never played "Doom", though I'm pretty sure I've got the game somewhere. I understand that it is a classic. Might be wrong, but I think there were a series of "Doom" games.



Here's a link to watch some video of "Doom" game play:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr-lQZzevwA

The original "Castle Wolfenstein" I'm talking about may be different from the one you mentioned. (There have been several.) The very first one was extremely primitive. It was a look down from above game, where you moved your little guy from room to room. The rooms were simply outlined from an "above" perspective.



Here's a link to watch some video of the original "Castle Wolfenstein" game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJNAXh-LVnk

The "Marble Madness" I played was on my PC. Though I may be wrong, I believe you controlled your marble from the keyboard. Where I always died was at a place where you had to get your marble across some kind of pond, with stepping stones that would be there for a second, then sank back down. I never could do it, and I'm thinking that I had to be pretty damn close to the finish.



Here's a link to watch some video of "Marble Madness":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlpHUwri46k

Anyone out there ever play "Marble Madness" and beat it...? If so, please let me know how close I was to getting to the end.[/img]

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"The game is afoot."

There is an online game called "Strike a Match". It is a real time came, where you compete against real people. I haven't played the game for years, but when I did, I loved it, and often beat the know-it-alls, whom I played against. Basically, it is a word association game, with several rounds. Each round is a little different, and they tend to become more difficult as you progress.

Here's a link to it:

http://www.boxerjam.com/sam/

It's on the Boxerjam web site, which has a lot of other games, which you can also play head to head against other people, who think they know more than you do. Give it a try, and see if you can put them in their place.

p.s. At first "Strike a Match" will be difficult, but after going through the learning experience of screwing up and losing a bunch of times, you will figure it out. If anyone tries it, let me know, and I will give you some tips, if you want. Heck, maybe I should start playing it again...

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"The game is afoot."

I've only played Marble Madness at an arcade. Never beat it but came within one level of doing so at my prime (around the sixth level). It certainly does not appear to be a game that emulates very well with a keyboard. If you could get your PC version to respond to a trackball, you may get better results.

I'm not sure how closely your PC version emulates the arcade version. I don't recall any ponds in Marble Madness; I do recall acid pools on Level 3, but that wasn't all that close to the end of the game.

-- RWM

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"...It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don't. QED...."

Another live online game I used to play against other real players was called "Slingo". It was a game to play, when you were totally bored, didn't want to use a lot of brain energy, but still wanted to go out there and kick somebody's ass. The game was kind of a cross between Bingo and Slot Machines. Haven't played it for a long time, but in the day, I wasn't bad. Though mostly luck, there is an element of strategy involved.

I tried to Google it a little while ago, and found a bunch of links. It looks like the old "Slingo" game has expanded in many directions, and I'm too tired to try to find the old one that I used to play. Heck, if it's raining, your car is in the shop, and you've got nothing to do, go ahead and see if you can find "Slingo" to play online against other people, with nothing to do.

You can also get "Slingo" on a CD to play on your computer at home, but that ain't as much fun as going on line and kicking somebody's ass...

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"The game is afoot."

I never played "Marble Madness" at the arcade. Didn't even know that is was an arcade game, but you guys are teaching me a lot of stuff that I never knew.

I'm thinking that the arcade game and the old DOS version of it might be a little different. It took about a half an hour to get to the pond with the sinking stepping stones I was talking about. I can't imagine an arcade game that would run that long, but maybe I'm wrong again.

Here's a link to some "Marble Madnes" video of game play. I'm not sure if it is the PC or the arcade version of the game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlpHUwri46k

Anyone else have any input on this?

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"The game is afoot."

Marble Madness was one of the faster arcade games. A good player could complete it in about 10 minutes, tops.

Actually, there are (or were) arcade games that I could play for half an hour. Marble Madness was not one of them. Galaga is a game where I can play for over an hour; there are a few others. I once saw someone play a QBert game at the local 7-11 that lasted just under a day. He started at 12:30 one afternoon, and wasted about 200 lives at 11:00 the next day to end the game.

-- RWM

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"...It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don't. QED...."

You don't. someone built a ROM reader that reads the software off the cartridge and stores it to a file. All the cartridges have been converted to a file format that the emulator can read.

Sometime after Easter, when I can drink again, I'll bring over a few of my hard drives and a 12-pack, and I'll set you up

I am amazed...! Staying alive on an arcade game for an hour is incredible. The guy at the 7-11, you told me about, who kept going on "Q Bert" for nearly 24 hours has to be truly an "Arcade Game Wizard". I could seldomly stay alive on any arcade game much beyond 10 minutes, before I used up all of my alloted lives. Hell, back then I was fairly young, and usually sober too.

Back to the "Marble Madness" question, I think that there must be some differences between the arcade game version, and the DOS PC version that I played. There was no way that anyone could beat the DOS PC version in 10 minutes, no matter how good they were.

p.s. Your 7-11 guy story reminds me of the movie, "The Last Starfighter". The guy didn't happen to disappear shortly after his amazing accomplishment, did he...?

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"The game is afoot."

Thanks YODA,

That sounds good to me. However, forget about bringing the 12-pack. I'll get the beer. Hell, we'll probably need a case. Is Miller Lite okay with you?

Got another question for you. Can you get joy sticks and game pads with USB connections to plug into your computer, to play these games the way we used to? I,m assuming that you can play them on the keyboard or with a mouse, but the old controls would be so much easier.

"Zombies Ate My Neighbors" here we come...!

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"The game is afoot."

Can you escape "The Crimson Room"...?

Just click on this link, and see if you can figure your way out.

http://www.pibmug.com/files/crimson_room.swf

I'll give you a few clues. Viewing angle of the room and things in it are critical to finding things you need. Getting the correct viewing angle is very difficult, and takes a lot of trial and error to get right. Watch the dancer's right hand near the end, look for the "X", and don't do anything until the dance flick is over, and the screen goes pure red. The creator of the game throws a crafty trick at you right at the end, that you must figure out to be able to complete it. I have never seen this trick in any other game I have ever played. (Think that the creator of the game likes to be visited, and a plane ticket to Japan is probably out of the question. He's left you a clue in a drawer, which you probably already have in your inventory.)

Here's a link to a video that walks you through much of the game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMYibbzJlVs

Good luck, and let me know how you do.

p.s. The graphics are primitive, and the solution isn't really all that hard, especially with my clues.

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"The game is afoot."

Yes, you can use USB joysticks and other devices with MAME.

You don't. someone built a ROM reader that reads the software off the cartridge and stores it to a file. All the cartridges have been converted to a file format that the emulator can read.

Sometime after Easter, when I can drink again, I'll bring over a few of my hard drives and a 12-pack, and I'll set you up[/quote]

Thanks YODA,

That sounds good to me. However, forget about bringing the 12-pack. I'll get the beer. Hell, we'll probably need a case. Is Miller Lite okay with you?

Got another question for you. Can you get joysticks and game pads with USB connections to plug into your computer, to play these games the way we used to? I,m assuming that you can play them on the keyboard or with a mouse, but the old controls would be so much easier.

"Zombies Ate My Neighbors" here we come...![/quote]

Yes, you can use USB joysticks and other devices with MAME.[/quote]
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YODA,

Where do you get game pads and joy sticks to play these old games, that will work on a PC running Windows 7? I'm guessing that they would have to have a USB connection.

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"The game is afoot."

Now that everyone has escaped "The Crimson Room", you have a few more rooms to get out of. They are:

"The Viridian Room"
"The White Chamber"
and
"The Blue Chamber"

I don't think you guys need me to give you links to find them. Just Google them, and I'm sure you will find sites, where you can play them on line.

They are all very similar to "The Crimson Room" in how they are played. Go ahead and give them a try. I think most of you will find these games quite different from the games you normally play.

What the heck, go ahead and try them. It won't cost you anything, and you might even enjoy them.



................... The Viridian Room ............................................................ The White Chamber ........................................ The Blue Chamber

Here are the links:

"The Viridian Room"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0E5CQs9 ... re=related

"The White Chamber"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgT8uoUx ... re=related

"The Blue Chamber"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xnqotxX ... re=related

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"The game is afoot."

I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I have purchased and played quite a few "hidden object" games. Yep, most of them are pretty much mindless, but they do provide a little fun when you're bored. (I will say that they are a mite better than playing solitaire.) The "hidden object" genre seems to have exploded, and with so many of them out there, some of them are actually not all that bad. (When I have time, I will post a list of them I've played.) However, right now I will just recommend one that is pretty damn good. "Alabama Smith, in the Quest of Fate" is a very good game. The hidden object parts of it are secondary to the game plot, and the puzzles and problems you need to figure out. I highly recommend it! It's quite difficult, and I guarentee you that you will not be able to waltz through it, without getting stuck a lot of times. The game actually gives you clues to figure out what to do. Most of the clues are not very obvious, but they are there, and if you're very good, you might be able to beat the game without having to resort to a walkthrough. However, if you are a mediocre player, as I am, you will most likely need to consult a walkthrough more than once or twice.

"Alabama Smith, in the Quest of Fate" is a strong CLOUDY recommendation for gamers, who like to be challenged and try to figure things out.

Has anyone out there played some "hidden Object" games?

Here are a few links that show short videos of the game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gzWZL8pHo4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf7-Wdl58y0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfdELgJE2b8

These videos do not do the game justice. It is a complex game, and extremely challenging. I really don't think it should be considered as one of the mindless hidden object games, even though there is a minor hidden object aspect to it.

Once again, I strongly recommend "Alabama Smith, in the Quest of Fate". I think you can pick it up for less than ten bucks, and if you are a gamer, I know you will love it...!

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"The game is afoot."

Why is it that very few females have played arcade or computer games, and so many males have...? Is it in the genes? Is it in the culture? Is it that females have more important things to do? Whatever it might be, I would guess that male computer gamers outnumber females by at least 100 to 1. (Probably much more.) I have met more than a few women in my life, and none of them I have met have ever played any computer games beyond solitaire that comes with Windows.

Anyone got any theories...?

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"The game is afoot."

That goes all the way back to the early 80's living in arcades at the time. Even then you really wouldn't see many girls in there. there'd be a few every now and then. maybe they felt uncomfortable with the odds of men to women being what they were, who knows. you could go on for days on theories about this though. I think though, simply put, the interest in playing video games and hanging out in dark noisy arcades just wasn't [and probably still isn't] there for women, while some of us guys, it was probably about all we thought about then. lol

I can understand the arcade argument, and agree with you. However, why don't women play computer games, that they can play in the privacy of their own homes? It can't be because there are no female computer game heroines, who star, kick butt, and solve difficult problems. Many of the very best computer games I've played feature female characters. These female characters are tough, smart, and get the job done.

God willing, tomorrow I will try to give you a list of a few of the computer games I have played, that feature females. There are a bunch of them.

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"The game is afoot."

Best Buy and Walmart should have them for under $30 each. I bought two of them for my arcade machine a few years back. Made it cool to fly a plane or space ship with two joysticks

This is a misnomer. I've met literally hundreds of female gamers. They're out there, they just aren't in the same places as the men, in a lot of cases, and, when they are, usually don't let off that they're female since they don't want to be harassed constantly.

Used to play an online game with a girl for forever who used a voice modulator to make it sound as if she were a man so that people wouldn't hit on her/harass her all the time. She played with us for over half a decade and I don't think to this day that 99% of the people in that group ever found out she was female.

Thanks, I'll check them out at Best Buy.

Gotta ask you a question... Two joysticks...? How can you play two at the same time? CLRBER isn't flying co-pilot with you, is she? lol

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"The game is afoot."

Oh, I forgot about the online games. Yep, you are probably right. There were a gazillion gals playing "Strike a Match" and "Slingo" online back when I used to play those games. (Even dated one of the "Strike a Match" babes once.) However, I think there may be a reason why women get into online games. A lot of online games let players chat with each other while playing, and I do believe that women like to talk. (It will be interesting to see how much trouble I've just got myself into with the "ScaRatings" gals...)

p.s. However, I still don't think many females buy a computer game in a box at Best Buy, and take it home to play.

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"The game is afoot."

Okay, I didn't do any research, so my list of computer games where female characters kick butt, will come off the top of my head. I'll do the best as my memory permits, but I'm sure I will miss a bunch of them.

"Jill of the Jungle" (Old DOS game)
"Ms. Pac-Man"
The entire "Tomb Raider" series (Laura Croft really kicks butt in 9 of them, and there may be more.)
The entire "Nancy Drew" series (I believe there are 23 of them now, and for sure more to come.) (There are also also 2 Nancy Drew hidden object games.)
"Journey to the Center of the Earth" (Starring Ariane)
"Return to Mysterious Island" (Starring Mina)
"Syberia" (Starring Kate Walker)
"Syberia II" (Starring Kate Walker again)
"Syberia III" (Not sure if it was ever released, but it was on the drawing boards)
"The Longest Journey" (Starring April Ryan)
"Mata Hari, Betrayal is Only a Kiss Away"
"Still Life 1" (Starring Victoria McPherson)
"Still LIfe 2" (Starring Victoria McPherson again)
"Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" (I think there are something like 17 more of these educational games, and I'm sure there are more to come.)
Heck, there are bunch of "Barbie" games out there too.

Yep, I gave in and did a tiny bit of research, because my memory leaves a lot to be desired these days. I am sure there are many more, but I'll stop here for the time being.

I have played all of them, with the exceptions of "Syberia III" (which may not exist yet), any of the "Barbie" games, and I only played part of the 1st "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" game. All of the ones I've played from start to finish are darn good games, and I highly recommend them.

If anyone wants to chip in with some I've missed, please do.

(I might add that "Zombies Ate My Neighbors" allows players to choose to play as either a male or female character at the beginning.)

GO GALS...!!!

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"The game is afoot."

Here's a link to a site that did some research on the question of how many males vs. females play computer games:

http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol11/issue4/hartmann.html

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"The game is afoot."