DuckandCover

If it makes you feel better, I'm planning on snagging one after Christmas. For some reason, I've had this irrational desire to play Masters of Teras Kasi again.

I'd have to agree with that. I managed to snag one on Ebay for $20.00, but that was about two years ago. Given the trading on Ebay now, around $35.00 is probably going to be a good price.

I think that the argument for Crypts of Chaos as an early RPG could be made. You have "hit points" and accumulate charges for items and treasure as you traverse the crypts, doing battle with a wide variety of monsters. It's a fun dungeon crawl, one that I still find addictive. The game's prgrammer John Marvin indicated in an interview on CyberRoach that he was an avid Dungeons and Dragons player, and that D&D heavily influenced the game's design.

I have to agree with the argument that much of a given system's popularity has to do with what developers create for it. If my memory is correct, wasn't there an enormous surge of 2600 sales associated with the relase of Space Invaders for the system? A lot of consumers wanted to play that game in their own home. Intellivision and Colecovision both had some incredible games, but with the ongoing popularity of the 2600, I never thought that their catalogs could compare with the number of Atari offerings. Back in the day, I remember admiring those other systems, but never being really eager to obtain one of them. I was pretty content with the variety of 2600 games.

The only "current" games I purchase are titles for the PC, but even those I wait on until they're going for $19.99 or less. I've looked on Ebay for used Gamecubes and have thought about taking the plunge, but I haven't committed yet. For some reason, most modern console titles don't really appeal to me. Stiil, I'm sure there are some GC treasures out there. I'm just willing to wait until they're good and cheap.

H.E.R.O. is one of the best 2600 games ever. Definitely worth the search and expense. Crazy Climber is the only cart I've paid what I consider a large amount of money for. Unlike many other rare carts, Climber offeres some great gameplay. I'm also glad to see that someone mentioned Room of Doom. It's quite an addictive game. Being a big Berzerk fan, I really took to Room of Doom quickly, and have burned up many happy hours with it.

Great find! Congrats!

Ditto!

I agree that we should own our possessions, not the other way around (although, as a new homeowner myself, I can totally relate to the "home owning you" idea). For the most part, as much as I enjoy material possessions, I really want the things I value most to be family and other important relationships...people. I can understand perhaps having to give something away to prove that it doesn't rule you. If I felt that was what I needed to do, I believe that I could. Having already given away systems and game collections, I can honestly say that it would hurt, but if I honestly believed it was necessary for my growth, I could follow through.

I still enjoy playing Video Chess to this day. My other 70's faves would include Outlaw, Air Sea Battle, and...heh...Human Cannonball.

Although there are a few exceptions (F-14 Tomcat, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Crypts of Chaos) for the most part, there is a real beauty to the plug and play simplicity of many 2600 titles that's hard to beat. The outstanding gameplay that the best 2600 carts offer has enabled them to endure and be enjoyed by discriminating (and nostalgic) gamers decades later. In a day where 3D graphics and "immersion" rule most game designs, I wish more designers would recognize the value of solid gameplay.

I'd certainly second the nomination of Gravitar. That's a tough one, even for the reflexively gifted! I never could get far with Double Dragon either. I always felt like the bad guys were having a field day pounding me into the concrete. Frustration put a stop to my attempts on that one, but I'm sure I'll give it another try sooner or later. I'm also a fan of Dragonfire, but once you hit the higher level the game is insanely (impossibly?) fast.

I'm pretty sure all of my stuff would simply go to my son. My wife has a lot of respect for collectibles, and my son is hooked on the NES, so it would all be well taken care of.

I hate to admit it, but I've also been on something of a modern trip myself lately. Most of my gaming time seems to be devoted to my PC. I've devoted time to a variety of FPS games, as well as Terminal Reality's Nocturne, which I recently scored on Ebay for a measly $1.75. It's a pretty intense, creepy game. That's not to say I've abandoned classics. I've also been trying to solve Infocom's The Witness and, during Atari sessions, I've experienced a readdiction to game 9 of Haunted House. The NES is hooked up, but lately my son's taken it over playing Kirby's Adventure.

I know I'm in danger of getting roasted for this one, but what the heck. I believe that what you dwell on cognitively can have a strong impact on your subsequent actions. Psychology owns out that what many individuals, particularly children, see modeled tends to influence their behavior. Mind you, I'm not saying that the GTA3 playing teen is going to go out and shoot and run over innocents, but I wonder if, over time, aggressive responses might be more natural to him or her? Sort of a breaking down of previously held taboos. Blasting away at starships, chomping ghosts, and even doing battle with the nazis don't impact ones thinking the same way that a game that encourages flagrent lawbreaking and harming unarmed bystanders in a virtual "modern world" does. Just my two cents. I'm off to put on some flame retardant clothing.