Recently I acquired an interesting pirate 2 in 1 Famicom cartridge:
On the title screen, you can select two games:
Neo Geo X Gold Limited Edition
A second-hand Neo Geo X Gold Limited Edition was in the mail this weekend. The best thing about it (besides it being cheap) is there are no signs of use, just some minor damage on the packing materials and some fingerprints on the glossy screen.
Pyramid Plunder and ReVival Chase Super CD-ROM²
This was in the mail today: two brand new Super CD-ROM² games for NEC PC Engine.
Pyramid Plunder by Aetherbyte:
Continue reading Pyramid Plunder and ReVival Chase Super CD-ROM²
New Arrival: Deus Ex: Human Revolution Collector’s Edition
Look what came in the mail today: The collector’s edition of Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
Basically it’s just the augmented/limited edition plus a very fragile toy with exchangeable hands and arms in a cardboard box. This will keep me busy for some time (the game, not the puppet).
Repair an Xbox 360 Controller
If you drop an Xbox 360 controller, don’t let it land on its bumper buttons. The micro-switches break easily on the inside. They might still work, but need more pressure to be triggered. This problem plagues old Sega Saturn gamepads too.
To open Xbox 360 controllers, you need a special Torx security screwdriver with a hole in the tip, size T8H. If you don’t have this rather unusual screwdriver, you can break the tiny pins in the screws and unscrew them with a regular T8 or T9 Torx screwdriver. Seven screws need to be removed (yellow circles). One of them is hidden behind the white sticker with the barcode and not behind the black sticker where I looked for it first (red circle).
The PC-FX Memory Manager
Because the internal storage space (32 kB) is limited, sooner or later every PC-FX owner needs an FX-BMP memory backup module (128 kB).
The module is powered by two AAA batteries and has its own place behind an access door in the PC-FX front expansion port.
Continue reading The PC-FX Memory Manager
Datach Joint ROM System
The Bandai Datach Joint ROM System is an add-on for the Nintendo Famicom. It plugs right into the cartridge slot and comes with its own small cartridges. The games are enhanced with barcode cards, similar to the Mattel HyperScan.
The retail package with one included game, Dragon Ball Z: Gekitō Tenkaichi Budokai, is rather easy and cheap to obtain.
Additional games are very rare and even rarer and pricier when the corresponding barcode cards are included. I’ve seen some bootlegs of those games on regular Famicom carts but never tried them so far. Update: Pirate Dragon Ball Z Famicom Cartridge.
How to Play Super Real Mahjong P.V FX
Have you ever wondered how to play (and win!) one of those numerous Mahjong games that exist on almost every game console? I’m not talking about the in the West well-known matching game but about the real Chinese or Japanese Mahjong, usually played by four players. If you are not familiar with the Japanese language or characters, winning is almost impossible because not many translated games exist.
I’ve found two games so far that taught me how to play (and win) in a couple of weeks:
- The Japanese Mahjong browser/flash game by GameDesign
- FunTown Mahjong on XBLA by Microsoft Game Studios
Update: Some games of the Yakuza series proved to be good Mahjong teachers as well.
Continue reading How to Play Super Real Mahjong P.V FXNew Arrivals: Wizardry and Conveni Wars
These were in the mail today: Two games that make use of some special peripherals. No, not the Power Glove, but the ASCII Turbo File and the Epoch BBII Interface. More about them later.
Connecting a Keyboard to a GameCube
Last year I was tempted to import an expensive and rare official ASCII / Sammy Keyboard Controller for the GameCube, but I’ve found a way cheaper alternative for now: the ebest e-Keyboard Converter for PC/PS2/GC/XBOX. It costs approximately 1-5 EUR and connects a standard PS/2 keyboard to a PC and PlayStation 2 (via USB), GameCube and Xbox (via proprietary connectors).
Continue reading Connecting a Keyboard to a GameCube