Do you mind telling us what you do for your day job?

Collection Agent / Emotional Punching Bag

What are some other hobbies you enjoy, outside of video gaming?

Writing, reading, self-loathing

Was there a specific moment or game that made you fall in love with gaming?

Watching everyone else have fun while lacking my own console, until I got my 360 and Dragon Age: Origins.

Do you remember the first gaming system you ever owned or played?

NES

Do you remember the first video game you ever played?

Super Mario Bros.

How has your taste in games changed over the years?

Not really.

What is your favorite gaming genre and why?

Fantasy RPG. Because I hate reality.

What is your favorite game or series and why?

Pokémon. Literally my most standout memory from childhood was getting Blue Version for my birthday, and not having a Game Boy yet.

Do you have a standout favorite video game character and why?

Professor Oak. Best father figure in gaming. Gives you a WMD and says don’t ride your bike inside.

Do you have a favorite gaming system and what makes it stand out to you?

Game Boy Color. Long road trips, playing by the flashing street lamps, using Pokémon to escape my difficult childhood, etc.

What’s a hidden gem or underrated title you wish more people knew about?

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. My favorite LoZ game.

Is there a piece of music or sound effect from a game that instantly brings you back?

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 is the soundtrack of my youth.

If you could bring back any classic game for a sequel, what would it be and why?

Zombies Ate My Neighbors. It was stupid fun. I was obsessed with it on my friend’s modded Gen 1 Xbox.

Are you more of a player or a collector?

I prefer the term “Curator.”

Do you own a certain game, system, or piece of gaming history that you are particularly proud of?

My Pokémon collection. I have games, manga, cards, toys, and even art of myself and my wife as trainers.

What are your thoughts on emulation compared to original hardware?

Emulation is the future. Classic hardware won’t live forever. That doesn’t mean I don’t want the original stuff. Like hipsters and vinyl albums in the early 2000s.

How do you feel about the whole homebrew scene?

Homebrew is gaming. Don’t make me reference Ready Player One at you.

Are there any gaming misconceptions or myths you’d like to debunk?

You’re still a gamer even if you don’t finish games.

How do you feel retro gaming influences modern titles today?

Modern gaming is all about being clippable and ranked. It’s stupid and I hate it. I miss a game just being fun and telling a story.

If you could spend an hour with any game developer, past or present, who would it be and what would you talk about?

Peter Molyneux. I want to know how he feels about modern gaming and its avoidance of storytelling.

What makes a game “vintage” to you, personally?

Ten or more years old.

What do you think you bring to the TVG crew?

I’m the good-looking one.

As many of you may have noticed, The Vintage Gamers website recently underwent a visual and structural overhaul. This change wasn’t simply aesthetic—it was a necessary evolution.

Our previous theme, while nostalgically charming, had grown incompatible with modern PHP standards. As newer versions of PHP rolled out, the old theme began causing functionality issues behind the scenes. In order to keep the site operational, we were forced to temporarily roll back to an earlier version of PHP—a solution that bought us time, but not sustainability.

Rather than remain shackled to outdated infrastructure, we decided to modernize. The current theme you see today is part of that transformation. It’s cleaner, more responsive, and built to handle the latest backend technologies with greater stability. Our goal is to ensure that The Vintage Gamers continues to be a reliable hub for retro gaming content without compromising on performance or security.

That said, the new design is still a work in progress. There are features and finishing touches yet to be implemented, and we appreciate your patience as we fine-tune the experience. From layout enhancements to improved accessibility and expanded archive browsing, exciting updates are on the horizon.

As always, we’re committed to preserving the past—without being stuck in it. Thank you for being part of the journey.

Stay tuned. Game on.

—Scott
Founder, The Vintage Gamers

#1: Ernest Scared Stupid

Ernest Scared Stupid is a fun little Halloween movie from the early 90s; prime Nintendo territory. In one scene Ernest helps a group of children build a tree house, complete with defense system to ward off the local bullies. This defense system becomes a much bigger plot device later in the film. Part of the defense system includes a canned dog food cannon, controlled by dual Quickshot joysticks. While the idea of such a tree house and defense system excites my childhood mind, seeing the creative way the Quickshot joysticks were repurposed excites both my childhood and adulthood mind.

#2 Ernest Saves Christmas

Yet another Ernest film, so the use of Quickshot joysticks isn’t such a surprise, yet they were used to control Santa’s sleigh this time. I’m starting to wonder if the creator of the Ernest character had stock in the company behind Quickshot, or acquired a warehouse full of their joysticks and just decided to use them up as much as they possibly could. In this scene Ernest is trying to fly Santa’s sleigh, but the controls seem quite confusing. After a few moments of utter chaos, Ernest finally figures it out and he goes on to save Christmas. You can see that many other toys and items were used to create this control panel. It’s interesting to look at and see what else they used.

#3 Trailer Park Boys (Season 4 Episode 8 “Working Man“)

Trailer Park Boys has been one if my all-time favorite TV shows since I watched it on Youtube back in 2009. Admittedly it took me quite a few marathons of the first seven seasons to finally catch that Jim Lahey is using the top section of a Quickshot joystick on his explosive vest. If you’re familiar with the episode it can first be seen when Jim is in the gas station bathroom, looking into the mirror. After that it is clearly visible in the final showdown in the middle of the street at the end of the episode. This show used a lot of video game stuff properly, but to my current knowledge this is the only repurpose of video game peripherals.

#4 Ghostbusters II

Pilot controls are ready! Dr. Stantz repurposed an NES Advantage to march Lady Liberty (aka Libby) through Upper New York Bay and down the streets of New York City. If I had watched this scene as a kid I would have lost my mind. Sadly it was only much, much later that I watched either of the movies, but it still gives me the chills at how great this scene is. Seeing an NES advantage being used as their main controls only makes it that much more special. I guess one could say, their love for repurposing NES peripherals keeps on lifting me, higher and higher!

Again, I’ve seen plenty of video games used properly throughout media in the 80s and 90s, but I think it’s more fun to see how props departments repurposed them to make something completely new. I love creative thinking and solving problems by using unlikely solutions. Currently these are the only examples I can think of, so if you know of more please do let me know.

]]> 6855 https://www.thevintagegamers.com/2024/11/castlevania-anniversary-collection/ Thu, 14 Nov 2024 20:59:22 +0000 https://www.thevintagegamers.com/?p=6875 I rarely spend money on video game franchise anniversary collections, even if it does include one of my favorite games of all time. When it comes to the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, well, I’m still not about to break that habit. At the time of writing this Epic Games is giving it away for free (November 14-21, 2024), so it was a no-brainer to click that button and add it to my collection. Thanks Epic Games!

The Castlevania Anniversary Collection includes the three NES classics: Castlevania, Castlevania II Simon’s Quest, and Castlevania III Dracula’s Curse. It also includes the two Game Boy games that were, uhm, well they were: Castlevania The Adventure, and Castlevania II Belmont’s Revenge. It also includes both the Super Nintendo entry Super Castlevania IV and the Sega Genesis entry Castlevania Bloodlines. There is one more game that the gaming world outside of Japan had been chomping at the bit to get a hold of that was released in this collection: the Nintendo Famicom’s Kid Dracula. I’m not sure why they didn’t also include the Game Boy version, just for good measure, but that’s fine. As an added bonus most of the games include their Japanese counterparts as well.

All of the games included are just as good as you remember them, or in the case of Castlevania The Adventure it’s slightly better than you remembered on the Game Boy, but only just. Since the version I own is the PC version I have to say the games run very smoothly. The only chugging issue I’ve had was, as previously implied, Castlevania The Adventure, but it was built that way. The collection includes a lot of interesting features such as save states, screen filters and screen frames. You can also modify your controller layout to whatever fits your playing. I did notice the layout from The Adventure was different to Belmont’s Revenge, so I swapped those around to make them match.

I’ve not found anything egregiously wrong with any of the games or the way it runs, but I’ve not really sat down to get stuck into any of them for too long either. I would imagine each version of this collection should be just as polished for whichever platform you purchase it on. If you’re lucky enough to have snagged it for free from Epic Games, congratulations. If you’re thinking about purchasing it, even I would say it’s worth it. From a collector’s standpoint the value for money is great. Sure, I love to own the cartridges, but this allows me to pack them away safely and enjoy the games I love in a more modern way. Am I more willing to purchase anniversary collections after this experience? No, but that’s because I’m a cheap ass.

]]> 6875 https://www.thevintagegamers.com/2024/10/the-vintage-view-podcast-episode-12-nintendo/ Tue, 22 Oct 2024 14:26:12 +0000 https://www.thevintagegamers.com/?p=7306

Nintendo Retrospective: Legacy & Iconic Games

In this episode, we dive into the world of Nintendo, exploring its rich history and iconic games that have left a lasting impact on the gaming world.
Join us as we share personal stories, discuss our favorite Nintendo memories, and enjoy some playful banter with our special guest, Andrew!

Deep Dive:

• Setting the Scene:
  Let’s jump into the colorful and imaginative world of Nintendo. From the launch of the NES in the 1980s to the revolutionary Nintendo Switch,
  we explore how Nintendo has continually shaped the gaming industry with its innovative consoles and beloved franchises.
• Favorite Nintendo Consoles:
  We each share our favorite Nintendo consoles and the reasons behind our choices. Discover what made these consoles special to us and how they influenced our gaming lives.
• Iconic Games and Franchises:
  Nintendo has given us some of the most memorable games and characters in gaming history.
  We discuss the impact of franchises like Super Mario, Metroid, and Donkey Kong.
  Discover why these games have stood the test of time and continue to capture the hearts of gamers.
• Off-Topic Shenanigans:
  As always, the conversation takes a fun turn with our signature off-topic shenanigans. Enjoy the playful banter as we poke fun at each other’s gaming skills and preferences, and share a few laughs along the way.
• Special Guest – Andrew:
  We’re thrilled to have Andrew join us for this episode. His insights and stories add an extra layer of fun to our discussion.
  Get ready for some great conversations and hilarious moments as we chat about all things Nintendo.

Closing

Thanks for joining us on this nostalgic journey through Nintendo’s legacy.
We hope you enjoyed our stories and had a few laughs with us.
Don’t forget to subscribe, comment, and like this video to support Vintage View.
Stay tuned for our next episode where we’ll dive into another exciting topic from the world of retro gaming. See you next time!

]]> 7306 https://www.thevintagegamers.com/2024/10/the-vintage-view-podcast-episode-11-childhood-dream-consoles/ Tue, 22 Oct 2024 02:23:43 +0000 https://www.thevintagegamers.com/?p=7304

Trip Down Memory Lane: Childhood Console Dreams & Gaming Nostalgia

This week, we took a trip down memory lane to chat about the video game consoles we dreamed of having as kids and the games that made us want them.
Join us for a fun and lighthearted episode filled with nostalgia, gaming talk, and plenty of laughs, featuring a special guest appearance by Andrew!

Deep Dive:

• Childhood Console Dreams:
  Remember the excitement of flipping through gaming magazines and catalogs, dreaming of the perfect console?
  We share our personal stories about the consoles we longed for as kids. Scott and Sam both had their hearts set on the elusive Neo Geo,
  while Scott also yearned for a TurboGrafx. Andrew, on the other hand, was green with envy over his brother’s PlayStation.
• Games That Sparked the Desire:
  What made us crave those consoles? We delve into the iconic games that captured our hearts and imaginations.
  Whether it was the thrill of Metal Slug on the Neo Geo, the unique charm of Bonk’s Adventure on the TurboGrafx,
  or the groundbreaking experiences of Final Fantasy VII on the PlayStation, these games were the driving force behind our console dreams.
• Off-Topic Shenanigans:
  As always, we couldn’t stay on topic for long! The conversation takes a humorous turn as we poke fun at each other’s gaming quirks and preferences.
  Enjoy the playful banter and camaraderie that makes Vintage View so unique.
• Special Guest – Andrew:
  We’re excited to have Andrew join us for this episode. His insights and stories add an extra layer of fun to our discussion.
  Get ready for some hilarious moments and great gaming chat.

Closing

Thanks for tuning in to this nostalgic and entertaining episode of Vintage View.
We hope you enjoyed our trip down memory lane and had a good laugh along the way.
Don’t forget to subscribe, comment, and like this video to support Vintage View.
Stay tuned for our next episode where we’ll dive into another exciting topic from the world of retro gaming. See you next time!

]]> 7304 https://www.thevintagegamers.com/2024/10/beating-breath-of-fire-the-20-year-saga/ Fri, 18 Oct 2024 05:00:00 +0000 https://www.thevintagegamers.com/?p=6839 In late summer of 2001 I was gifted my first Super Nintendo console and some games. In about 2002 or 2003 I purchased a copy of Breath of Fire and went straight to work on getting to the game’s end. After many hours had been invested something else took my interest and Breath of Fire was packed away. I can’t remember what it was, but whatever it was took me away from Breath of Fire so long that I totally forgot where I was and what I had left to do. If you’re in to old RPGs you’ll know, unless it’s your favorite RPG that you’ve played through a few times already, picking up where you left off is damn near impossible. Throughout the years I attempted to figure out where I was, but I kept drawing a blank, getting frustrated and just packing the game away again. Not this time!

Yes, it’s a photo of my TV screen.

One of my favorite playable demos was that of Rally Cross 2. The demo started off as if I was playing the full version. The 989 Studios logo showing up, followed by that unforgettable deep, digitized voice saying “9-8-9 Studios!”. Then the loading. Back in the day there was a lot of loading. Although I knew the demo was limited, I still played what was available. I must have played it hundreds of times. The racing alone was amazing, but Rally Cross 2 offered the ability to create your own track! Sadly the track editor was only advertised, it wasn’t available until the full release. The demo led me to believe this game was going to take the racing genre on the Playstation in a whole new level. Gran Turismo had already revolutionized racing games, but if Rally Cross 2’s demo was to be believed, amazing racing and the ability to build your own tracks would become THE standard.

Well, since that didn’t come to be, we all know Rally Cross 2 didn’t revolutionize the racing genre in the way that demo had me hoping it would. It took me quite a few years before I actually even got my hands on a copy of Rally Cross 2. To say I played that demo hundreds of times might be an underestimation, so when I finally found a copy I was excited to experience the masterpiece I expected it to be. I was quickly let down. I’ve played a lot of rally style racing games and I fully understand the controls are usually slippery. Rally Cross 2 has controls that make oil on teflon seem more controllable. I tried to stick it out, but I simply couldn’t get the hang of it. So, I went back to the demo. The controls were a bit slippery, but far, FAR more easy to control.

Now that I have the complete version though, how about that track editor? It’s actually kind of fun, albeit simplistic. You’re given a grit where you place tiles of track. You can create a circle track, or a winding track, but the only rule is you need to make a complete circuit, or else it won’t work. Where the track begins, it must also end. I believe you can even create shortcuts on the track, but I’ve not tried it. The normal tracks have shortcuts, so I don’t see why you couldn’t make them with the track editor. The issue, again, is that you’re racing against AI that don’t have to adhere to the same slippery controls as you. Even on your own track you may find it difficult to eke out a win.

One thing I’ve thought about is maybe it’s an experience curve. Maybe the car in the demo is set up for later in the game when vehicles become easier to drive. A tactic used in some racing games is to make the beginning car(s) so horrible the player strives to get a better car, that performs better. Maybe if I stuck to it, suffered through all the frustration I could unlock the same car used in the demo, as well as the same track, and compare them to some degree. Then I feel it could be a definitive conclusion as to whether the demo accurately represents the finished product, or whether it has been changed far beyond what the demo prepared me for. Maybe I’ll try that and report back, pending that I still feel as if Rally Cross 2 sorely let me down after I had been so hyped to give it a try.

The tutorial is a very straight forward and simple option to turn your copy of Super Mario Bros. into the, at that time, highly sought after Fancy Mario. Simple cut a trace between the mirroring pads and solder the other two together. You may also find one is bridged with solder already, this will require you to desolder that pair and solder the other pair. Each set will usually be marked with V and H, for obvious reasons. This flips the normal mirroring and gives you exactly what you get when you’re playing Fancy Mario. Although I already had Fancy Mario on a multicart, I’m always a tinkerer and decided to use a spare copy of Super Mario Bros. to create my own version. It was just as simple as the 133MHz tutorial made it out to be.

Mirroring Pads on Gyromite

Fast forward to 2024 and I’m a bit bored, so my brain is creating its own problems to solve, much to the dismay of myself and my therapist. As I’m looking through my NES collection I remembered my copy of Fancy Mario and wondered if I could modify it by adding a switch so that I could choose which version I wanted to play. I found the lowest profile switch I could find and modified the cartridge to fit the switch into. Then I soldered three wires to the game’s PCB as well as the switch and I was done. It works! My own version of Fancy Mario that now can be switched back to normal Super Mario Bros., should I want to play it.

Ugly Soldering, but functional

This mod is also super simple, firstly you follow the normal tutorial for making your own permanent copy of Fancy Mario. This time you’ll need to stop before you solder the two pads together, instead you’re going to solder a wire between the common pad and the center lug of the switch. Then you solder two more wires to the opposing mirroring option pads and connect those to the top and bottom lugs of the switch. My soldering isn’t the best with such small wire and solder pads, but I did ok. It does work, and that’s really all I was hoping for.

All finished!

This modification does have one major drawback that I kind of saw coming, but still failed to circumvent. This is totally playable on an NES top loader and any of the Famiclone style NES consoles, but this is NOT compatible with the original NES toaster console. Even though I used the lowest profile switch I had it still hits the metal crossbar on the cartridge cradle. If you’ve removed this crossbar, or are using some other form of cartridge insertion device in your NES console that does not have this metal crossbar, you should be good to go. Using a Game Genie may also be a workaround, but original, unmodified NES consoles are a no go.

I’m not even sure Fancy Mario is still popular, sought after or has even been thought about by anyone other than myself in the past ten years, but this mod is a fun little project to add a bit more playability to an already incredibly playable game. With Super Mario Bros. being as ubiquitous as it is you shouldn’t have any problem finding a copy to use for this mod. Maybe play around with different switch placements. I wanted to keep the label complete and this seemed like the best place for a switch, but I still didn’t manage to make it fit into the original NES console.