Welcome back to The Rom Report, currently in Issue Eight. Here's where you'll find what retro games from the NES, SNES, Genesis, and Gameboy eras will work on a modern day device such as the Nintendo DS with the help of homebrew emulator software!I came across this back-issue of Retro Gamer at a local magazine shop and I bought it for just RM 10 (3 USD). It is a pretty good read, better than some of the retro games websites that I usually visit online.As such, this issue of The ROM Report is inspired by that magazine issue which featured the NES on the cover. Later on, you'll find a substantial number of NES games featured on this edition of The Rom Report.As usual, I'm using the R4DS Slot-1 solution to run a variety of emulators required to run all these retro games on the Nintendo DS. The emulators are:
SNEmulDS - For SNES Games
nesDS - For NES Games
Lameboy - For GameBoy Color Games
jEnesisDS - For Sega Genesis Games
For a full list of emulators, please refer to The Rom Report Part VI.Before I get on with the results, I'll need to re-iterate that emulators are not perfect, therefore even if a game might seem to run excellently on an emulator, I'll say that the game "runs okay". On the other hand, "not okay" is a catch-all phrase for games that cannot run on the emulator or are unplayable due to major glitches.With that out of the way, here are the games that I've tried out:
Adventures of Lolo (NES) - Runs OK. This is a puzzle game in the vein of Bomberman. You play as a rotund purple creature in a quest to rescue his princess (Lala). Curiously, Lolo and Lala appear as the bad guys in some Kirby games. Both games are developed by HAL Laboratory Inc.
Balloon Fight (NES) - Runs OK. For all you retro gamers out there, this is a classic on the NES, along with Excitebike and Ice Climber.
Castlevania III - Dracula's Curse - Runs OK. Looks prettier than Castlevania II but with graphical glitches on and off.
Crystalis (Gameboy Color) - Runs OK. SNKs Zelda killer does in fact play a bit like the Zelda of old, but in a sci-fi setting.
Crystalis (NES) - Runs OK. This is the same game which was ported to the Gameboy Color.
Dragon's Lair (SNES) - Runs OK. Another platform hack and slash and like Rastan Saga II, I really like the graphics.
Earthbound Zero (NES) - Not OK. This is a major disappointment as I couldn't get the Demiforce version of Earthbound Zero, which is the English version of Mother 1, to run on nesDS.
Frogger (SNES) - Runs OK. I'm actually pleasantly surprised at what pretty graphics the SNES is capable of, and Frogger is a good example. Played on a smaller screen like that of the DS serves to accentuate the graphics even more.
Ikari Warrios (NES) - Runs OK. SNK's offering on the NES feels like a pushover in the starting 30 seconds but quickly ramps up the difficulty. Apparently the game was inspired by Rambo.
Maniac Mansion (NES) - Runs OK. Lucasfilm Games' (now LucasArts) "point and click" adventure game was heavily censored when ported over to the NES to conform to Nintendo's policy. For a list of what was left-out, read the Expurgation of Maniac Mansion. As for the "point and click" part, you use the d-pad to move a cursor on the screen.
Popeye (NES) - Runs OK. An arcade conversion for the NES, it's pretty fun to play on the DS. I used to play this alot on the NES clone called Micro Genius.
Rastan Saga II (Genesis) - Runs OK. A platform hack and slash, I actually liked this game, with its colourful pallete and rather fun gameplay. Best played on jEnesisDS and not PicoDriveDS.
River City Ransom (NES) - Runs OK. A platform bash-em-up, I like the fact that you can throw weapons (chains, knuckle dusters) at opponents. The graphics remind of me of South Park.
Startropics (NES) - Runs OK. Nothing much on this as I'm still adverse to RPGs with really crappy graphics or boring premise.
Sweet Home (NES) - Runs OK. Feel's abit like Resident Evil with a haunted castle/mansion and a bunch of people looking for something.
Wrecking Crew (NES) - Not OK.
Sunday
Nine Over Ten 9/10 Holiday Season Shopping Guide for Xbox 360 Owners
Welcome to Nine Over Ten 9/10's 2007 Shopping Guide for the Holiday Season. Looking for a gift for your gamer friend, or someone who is into Japanese anime figurines and collectibles? You just about came to the right place.
If you have a friend who owns an Xbox 360, chances are his machine would be spending the entire holiday season at Microsoft due to 3ROD, but if he's lucky to have his machine with him, here's some games that you should look into to spread some holiday cheer! Games come with no region protection unless specified:
If you have a friend who owns an Xbox 360, chances are his machine would be spending the entire holiday season at Microsoft due to 3ROD, but if he's lucky to have his machine with him, here's some games that you should look into to spread some holiday cheer! Games come with no region protection unless specified:
- Half Life 2: The Orange Box - This value for money compilation features Half Life 2: Episode 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2. And it comes with Half Life 2 and Half Life 2: Episode 1. Available at Play-Asia, USD 49.90, with free shipping. Click here for details.
- Gears of War (Platinum Collection) - No holiday will not be complete without a classic or two, and here's one which should stand the test of time. If your friend doesn't have this game, kindly enlighten him. Besides, at USD 29.90 with free shipping, it wouldn't burn a hole in your pocket to get him this. Click here for details.
- Assassin's Creed - This, is a rather pretty next-gen game from Ubisoft. It's new and shiny and comes with alot of hype (and some good reviews) to back it up. A bit expensive at USD 64.90. But don't worry about the shipping fees, it's free (with a price tag like that you would expect some concessions as well). Click here for details.
- Call of Duty 4 - What was formerly a franchise featuring World War 2 era combat, Call of Duty 4 takes a shot at modern warfare instead, and it takes no prisoners. Available at Play-Asia at USD 64.90. Click here for details.
- BioShock - The spiritual successor for System Shock 2, BioShock places you in Rapture (lol), a city underwater, instead of a space ship with a really creepy computer. Available at Play-Asia at USD 49.90. Click here for details.
- Halo 3 - Like Gears of War, this is gonna be a legend (if it's not already one) on the Xbox 360. Available at Play-Asia at USD 59.90. Click here for details.
- Viva Pinata (Limited Edition) (NTSC-J) - Sick and tired of buying a shooter for your friend year in year out? Check out Play-Asia's weekly special which is Viva Pinata Limited Edition at USD 14.90. Click here for details.
Friday
The Rom Report - Part 3: More SNES Games on the Nintendo DS
Welcome to the third installment of The Rom Report! Today we'll look at several SNES games that I've tried to run on the Nintendo DS using SNEmulDS, and without further a do, here's what really works, what works somewhat and what doesn't work at all.
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past -This is a classic on the SNES, and even though it plays well on the SNEmulDS, the sound is totally skewed, with loud static being the order of the day. Recommended but play it with the volume turned off.
- Metal Warriors - A platformer from LucasArts and Konami featuring mechs, this game is prone to hang at the options screen and actual gameplay lags with a number of graphical glitches. Gamer beware.
- Prince of Persia - This Broderbund classic looks pretty, but you'll need to adjust the emulator's GFX settings constantly to let the game look the part. There are Minor but manageable graphical glitches both at the title screen and in-game. A difficult game to play notwithstanding, it's hard not to like an old classic like PoP.
- Prince of Persia 2 - Graphical glitches are somewhat worse compared to its predecessor and the lack of sound makes it a flop on the DS.
- Samurai Shodown - A personal favourite of mine, this 2D brawler is in the vein of Street Fighter, but with weapons. The graphics are sharp and a marvel to look at despite playing the game on the small DS screen. There's a minor glitch whereby the life bar doesn't seem to show a decrease when hit. No worries though, it starts flashing when you or your opponent is near K.O. Recommended.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time - Another personal favourite of mine, this time it's from Konami. Control one of the four Ninja Turtles through 2D platform levels full of enemy ninjas and a boss at every end. Recommended.
- X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse - This is a rather tough game in terms of difficulty, or maybe it's because of the controls that lag abit. I faced no problems running this game.
- Zombies Ate My Neighbours - Graphical glitches abound on the main menu but once past that, you'll find the game not hard to love, as it is with the campy title. It's recommended that you set the emulator speed to normal, instead of the default "Fast" to cope with the frantic gameplay.
Monday
Nine Over Ten 9/10 - Now Reporting From Dubai
Getting myself adjusted to Dubai time wasn't really a problem. Coming here once last year was already a test of sorts and I found that hitting the gym is a good way to work off that jet lag. It is almost winter time now in Dubai. The day light hours are short and the sky turns dark around 6 p.m.
The oppresive heat is still there, but lesser in intensity than that of the summer I came last year, so walking around in the streets in mid morning is now a viable option.
I'm currently staying in the Mayfair, in Deira, nearby the famous clock tower landmark. The difference between staying here and the Coral Boutique last year is that Deira is a much more lively area compared to the surrounding area of the Mall of the Emirates, where the Coral is located.
Despite the lack of a nearby megamall (nearby as in 300 meters nearby), Deira is the old hub of Dubai with streets littered with rows of shops, supermarkets and other ammenities and of course home to the Gold and Spice Souks.
Staying in Deira gives you the opportunity to try out cuisine from a variety of origins, have an Arabic Shawarma, join a midnight Filipino food buffet, try out MSG laced chinese food, have a go at Lebanese or even Pakistan food. Don't be surprised to see "brains" on the menu.
Word of caution though, the traffic here is horrible so if you are planning on driving during your stay in Dubai, staying in Deira might not be a wise option.
Also, if you are planning to join the pedestrian crowd in Deira, do keep BOTH eyes out for traffic. Trust me, you'll need them as this horn-happy, accident prone place might give your travel insurance a run for its money.
The oppresive heat is still there, but lesser in intensity than that of the summer I came last year, so walking around in the streets in mid morning is now a viable option.
I'm currently staying in the Mayfair, in Deira, nearby the famous clock tower landmark. The difference between staying here and the Coral Boutique last year is that Deira is a much more lively area compared to the surrounding area of the Mall of the Emirates, where the Coral is located.
Despite the lack of a nearby megamall (nearby as in 300 meters nearby), Deira is the old hub of Dubai with streets littered with rows of shops, supermarkets and other ammenities and of course home to the Gold and Spice Souks.
Staying in Deira gives you the opportunity to try out cuisine from a variety of origins, have an Arabic Shawarma, join a midnight Filipino food buffet, try out MSG laced chinese food, have a go at Lebanese or even Pakistan food. Don't be surprised to see "brains" on the menu.
Word of caution though, the traffic here is horrible so if you are planning on driving during your stay in Dubai, staying in Deira might not be a wise option.
Also, if you are planning to join the pedestrian crowd in Deira, do keep BOTH eyes out for traffic. Trust me, you'll need them as this horn-happy, accident prone place might give your travel insurance a run for its money.
Thursday
Arigato, Sumimasen... Japanese Nintendo DS Games
Looking through my Nintendo DS games library (which currently stands at 29 titles) for some writting material for the upcoming 1 year anniversary of my blog, I realised that I have 9 Japanese titles, seven of them for the Nintendo DS and two for the GameBoy Advance.
Jon's comment on my previous post did highlight an issue whereby while Japanese games tend to be really great, the language barrier makes their target audience a rather limited one. Short of taking Japanese classes, there is pratically no way that I could enjoy Mother 3 the same way a Japanese speaking/reading player can.
What can you do to make your Japanese gaming experience a better one? Well, start by choosing games that do not require much reading or better still, games that rely on symbols and non-Japanese characters to interact with players. In other words: "Import friendly"
Action games such as Jump Ultimate Stars and sports games such as Winning Eleven DS do not require much reading from players, and games such as Electroplankton are almost totally language barrier free. Should you need to know how "import friendly" a Japanese title is, head over to Gamebrink for English reviews of Japanese DS titles and look out for the "Import Friendly?" section in each review.
More information about a game wouldn't heard (afterall, knowledge is power), so don't forget to scour forums and review sites.
The second step would be to get a good guide. Guides are usually created by players to assist other players in navigating or going through the motions of playing, in this case, a Japanese language game. One site that I always go to for guides would be GameFaqs. The search option is pretty good, and you'll just need to key in the title of the game, and you should be good to go.
The last point that I'm about to mention, is rather moot and it can be epitomized in one word: "WAIT". While it is almost impossible to see an English version of Jump Ultimate Stars (due to licensing issues), some games have successfuly survived the conversion to English with some not without drastic changes (e.g. Elite Beat Agents, the English version of Ouendan).
Even so, not all Japanese games are translated to English, hence the moot point. I for one, would prefer the Japanese version of some games over their English counterparts due to the fact that they have better and more interesting box art (yes, looks do play a part in the whole purchasing process).
It's interesting to note that some Japanese games such as the Gyakuten Saiban (Phoenix Wright) series of games and Theme Park DS come with dual-language options of English and Japanese, but these are more of an exception than norm.
Back to my own collection of Japanese games, the games that I've enjoyed the most are Winning Eleven DS and Warioware: Made in Wario. Football is a universal game, you don't need a user manual/translation guide to play a footie game...that's what I always say and Warioware's mini-games are in two words a "no brainer".
Jon's comment on my previous post did highlight an issue whereby while Japanese games tend to be really great, the language barrier makes their target audience a rather limited one. Short of taking Japanese classes, there is pratically no way that I could enjoy Mother 3 the same way a Japanese speaking/reading player can.
What can you do to make your Japanese gaming experience a better one? Well, start by choosing games that do not require much reading or better still, games that rely on symbols and non-Japanese characters to interact with players. In other words: "Import friendly"
Action games such as Jump Ultimate Stars and sports games such as Winning Eleven DS do not require much reading from players, and games such as Electroplankton are almost totally language barrier free. Should you need to know how "import friendly" a Japanese title is, head over to Gamebrink for English reviews of Japanese DS titles and look out for the "Import Friendly?" section in each review.
More information about a game wouldn't heard (afterall, knowledge is power), so don't forget to scour forums and review sites.
The second step would be to get a good guide. Guides are usually created by players to assist other players in navigating or going through the motions of playing, in this case, a Japanese language game. One site that I always go to for guides would be GameFaqs. The search option is pretty good, and you'll just need to key in the title of the game, and you should be good to go.
The last point that I'm about to mention, is rather moot and it can be epitomized in one word: "WAIT". While it is almost impossible to see an English version of Jump Ultimate Stars (due to licensing issues), some games have successfuly survived the conversion to English with some not without drastic changes (e.g. Elite Beat Agents, the English version of Ouendan).
Even so, not all Japanese games are translated to English, hence the moot point. I for one, would prefer the Japanese version of some games over their English counterparts due to the fact that they have better and more interesting box art (yes, looks do play a part in the whole purchasing process).
It's interesting to note that some Japanese games such as the Gyakuten Saiban (Phoenix Wright) series of games and Theme Park DS come with dual-language options of English and Japanese, but these are more of an exception than norm.
Back to my own collection of Japanese games, the games that I've enjoyed the most are Winning Eleven DS and Warioware: Made in Wario. Football is a universal game, you don't need a user manual/translation guide to play a footie game...that's what I always say and Warioware's mini-games are in two words a "no brainer".
Saturday
Of Mechs, Mecha and Werewolves a.k.a The "Gimme a Prize" post
I was watching the Night of the Living Dead earlier on Cinemax and it made me realised that horror is pretty much a staple in both cinema and video games. You have games about vampires (Vampire: The Masquerade), ghouls (Clive Barkers's Undying), zombies (Resident Evil franchise), crazed computers (System Shock) and not to be left out, skinwalkers (a.k.a. werewolves) (does Twilight Princess count?...just kidding)
But since it's Mech Week, we are not gonna talk about horror here. I know, howl as much as you want at this blogger, but your horror fix will have to wait till Halloween.
I don't suppose you guys know from whence came the insipiration for Mechs in videogames, or sci-fi in general? I don't either. On one hand, you have Japanese-inspired mecha, like that of Gundam and Macross. These tend to be more humanoid in nature, despite being named "mecha", which denotes their mechanical status.
On the other hand, Mechs are more utalitarian and "tool"-ish in their western rendition. Unlike Japanese mecha, animation is not a domain of theirs and they are most often found in books (sci-fi), video games, board games and movies! Go to the sci-fi section of any English bookstore and you'll find that Mechs are quite difficult to miss.
One incarnation that has set itself in western popular culture would be the BattleMechs from the BattleTech universe. The popular franchise does span the above mentioned media (movies, books, games, etc). I don't think I've an answer for the question I asked earlier, but if you do, pray tell. :)
Still want a horror fix? Easy. Drop by a Cathay cineplex near you for a horror movie marathon.
But since it's Mech Week, we are not gonna talk about horror here. I know, howl as much as you want at this blogger, but your horror fix will have to wait till Halloween.
I don't suppose you guys know from whence came the insipiration for Mechs in videogames, or sci-fi in general? I don't either. On one hand, you have Japanese-inspired mecha, like that of Gundam and Macross. These tend to be more humanoid in nature, despite being named "mecha", which denotes their mechanical status.
On the other hand, Mechs are more utalitarian and "tool"-ish in their western rendition. Unlike Japanese mecha, animation is not a domain of theirs and they are most often found in books (sci-fi), video games, board games and movies! Go to the sci-fi section of any English bookstore and you'll find that Mechs are quite difficult to miss.
One incarnation that has set itself in western popular culture would be the BattleMechs from the BattleTech universe. The popular franchise does span the above mentioned media (movies, books, games, etc). I don't think I've an answer for the question I asked earlier, but if you do, pray tell. :)
Still want a horror fix? Easy. Drop by a Cathay cineplex near you for a horror movie marathon.
Friday
Halo-ED
While everyone is waiting for Halo 3, giggling like school girls, I'm still playing Halo CE for the PC. The following are snippets from this afternoon's HALO session. The map was Hang 'Em High, and the multiplayer mode was set to Slayer.
On an elevated walkway where the Rocket Launcher and Plasma Grenades were located, two opponents were rushing each other, John Woo style.
D: BRING IT ON!!!!!
J: WARGHHHHHH!!!!!!
D: DIEEEE!!! *shoots several shots from his pistol
J: WARGHHHHHHH!!!! *shoots several shots from his pistol
D: I'm not afraid of you!!!!!!!!
J: *presses the Tab key to switch to the bazooka he just picked up, followed by a left mouse-click.
D: What....SHIT!!!!
----
It was a battlefield out there...and it was raining plasma grenades.
*BOOOM
J: Hey..
*BOOMMMMMMM
J: HEY!!!
J: You are supposed to throw the plasma grenades at me so that they'll stick at me.
D: OOOOOOOOOOOH.....
.
.
2 minutes later.
J: WARGHHHHHHH..Get this thing offa me!!!!
D: WAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAWAHAHHAHAHAHHAA
----
Funniest message to pop up on screen today (map: Battle Creek, mode: Slayer)
so-and-so was killed by an erection
On an elevated walkway where the Rocket Launcher and Plasma Grenades were located, two opponents were rushing each other, John Woo style.
D: BRING IT ON!!!!!
J: WARGHHHHHH!!!!!!
D: DIEEEE!!! *shoots several shots from his pistol
J: WARGHHHHHHH!!!! *shoots several shots from his pistol
D: I'm not afraid of you!!!!!!!!
J: *presses the Tab key to switch to the bazooka he just picked up, followed by a left mouse-click.
D: What....SHIT!!!!
----
It was a battlefield out there...and it was raining plasma grenades.
*BOOOM
J: Hey..
*BOOMMMMMMM
J: HEY!!!
J: You are supposed to throw the plasma grenades at me so that they'll stick at me.
D: OOOOOOOOOOOH.....
.
.
2 minutes later.
J: WARGHHHHHHH..Get this thing offa me!!!!
D: WAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAWAHAHHAHAHAHHAA
----
Funniest message to pop up on screen today (map: Battle Creek, mode: Slayer)
so-and-so was killed by an erection
Tuesday
Subang Jaya 10KM Run - 1 Hour 1 Minute and 12 Seconds.
I got up at 4 a.m. (my usual time when it comes to running races) and it was raining. By the time I left home at 5.45 a.m. I was wearing a jacket driving the car to MPSJ.
The turn out to the run was pretty good. There were people parking cars in the residential areas surrounding MPSJ and also in front of the HSBC building. As it was still very cold, I ran up and down a portion of the stadium's track before stretching. No point stretching cold muscles, yes?
Out of the 6 entrees that I submitted, 4 of us showed up. It was a pretty good turn-out considering the two that didn't turn up had an interview and class respectively.
The race started somewhat on time, and suprisingly there wasn't any enclosure for us to enter, we just needed to stand at the starting point on the road in front of MPSJ. The start was okay in my book. The narrow road made for a bit of jostling around for some clear space to run in but after several minutes things did clear up.
The track..or circuit as my friend called it, that we were running on was a very fast one. Consisting of long stretches, the roads were generally flat, and I ran the first 3 km without before slowing down to take a Power Bal gel. By the time I reached the half-way point, I was already proceeding at a better than normal pace...but where was the drink station?
Come to think of it, the race details didn't mention anything about a drinks station. Shocking eh? It might be trivial to some but I think most people would appreciate the sight of a drinks station during a run. No matter, I proceeded with the 2nd half of the run with a even better pace.
The only problem I had during this run was the big left hand curve in the second half. I'm pretty wary of these kind of road conditions as they only serve to aggreviate my left knee. But the good thing is, the knee didn't act up during the run, although now I'm sitting with it bent..straightening it will only cause pain.. a lot of pain.
One of my church members is aware of my knee problem from the previous race and asked me this morning about it. I told him I just ran another race this very morning. Hehe.
During the final stretch nearing MPSJ, passing the HSBC building, I lost abit of focus as I thought, the end was near and I already been expanding my energy to finish off the race (my watch showed 52 minutes), but I forgot that the 10 km runners have to run pass the MPSJ building before making a U-turn back!
Brr. So much for thinking that I managed to dip under an hour for this run...I'll get that in the next run. Anyways, I arrived at the finish line at 1 hour 1 minute and 12 seconds. Which is not bad, an improvement actually over the previous one. My friends came in a little later.
---
Some people ask me why do I run? My answers usually would be to get a better time, and to enjoy the scenery. Actually is more of the former than the latter, since the focus is on the road and on my pace and staying out of other people's way.
And there's a bonus of the camaderie among participants. I find it easier to say hi and pick up a conversation with a stranger during or post-run, rather than someone on the street. I spoke to one uncle at the parking lot, and he commented that the competition was tough this year. Apparently the last person to receive a medal ran a 48 minute race!
This uncle ran a 50 minute race..and was abit disappointed for not getting a medal this year, unlike previous years. No problem uncle, there's always next year to prepare for :).
The turn out to the run was pretty good. There were people parking cars in the residential areas surrounding MPSJ and also in front of the HSBC building. As it was still very cold, I ran up and down a portion of the stadium's track before stretching. No point stretching cold muscles, yes?
Out of the 6 entrees that I submitted, 4 of us showed up. It was a pretty good turn-out considering the two that didn't turn up had an interview and class respectively.
The race started somewhat on time, and suprisingly there wasn't any enclosure for us to enter, we just needed to stand at the starting point on the road in front of MPSJ. The start was okay in my book. The narrow road made for a bit of jostling around for some clear space to run in but after several minutes things did clear up.
The track..or circuit as my friend called it, that we were running on was a very fast one. Consisting of long stretches, the roads were generally flat, and I ran the first 3 km without before slowing down to take a Power Bal gel. By the time I reached the half-way point, I was already proceeding at a better than normal pace...but where was the drink station?
Come to think of it, the race details didn't mention anything about a drinks station. Shocking eh? It might be trivial to some but I think most people would appreciate the sight of a drinks station during a run. No matter, I proceeded with the 2nd half of the run with a even better pace.
The only problem I had during this run was the big left hand curve in the second half. I'm pretty wary of these kind of road conditions as they only serve to aggreviate my left knee. But the good thing is, the knee didn't act up during the run, although now I'm sitting with it bent..straightening it will only cause pain.. a lot of pain.
One of my church members is aware of my knee problem from the previous race and asked me this morning about it. I told him I just ran another race this very morning. Hehe.
During the final stretch nearing MPSJ, passing the HSBC building, I lost abit of focus as I thought, the end was near and I already been expanding my energy to finish off the race (my watch showed 52 minutes), but I forgot that the 10 km runners have to run pass the MPSJ building before making a U-turn back!
Brr. So much for thinking that I managed to dip under an hour for this run...I'll get that in the next run. Anyways, I arrived at the finish line at 1 hour 1 minute and 12 seconds. Which is not bad, an improvement actually over the previous one. My friends came in a little later.
---
Some people ask me why do I run? My answers usually would be to get a better time, and to enjoy the scenery. Actually is more of the former than the latter, since the focus is on the road and on my pace and staying out of other people's way.
And there's a bonus of the camaderie among participants. I find it easier to say hi and pick up a conversation with a stranger during or post-run, rather than someone on the street. I spoke to one uncle at the parking lot, and he commented that the competition was tough this year. Apparently the last person to receive a medal ran a 48 minute race!
This uncle ran a 50 minute race..and was abit disappointed for not getting a medal this year, unlike previous years. No problem uncle, there's always next year to prepare for :).
Thursday
To Gwen or Not to Gwen?
If you were to look at my work desk today, you'll find lotsa tickets. There's like a bunch of entry tickets for the Adidas King of the Road run and then there's the couple of tickets for the upcoming Gwen Stefani concert. Which for the record, don't belong to me. I'm just the mule swiping my credit card and delivering tickets.
And this brings you, dear reader, and me to the main point of this post. There's no doubt that I like No Doubt alot (lol), but as much as I would like to see their frontwoman sing live, Gwen Stefani isn't really stellar without her band mates. But her albums as a solo artiste is still one of the better ones I've heard.So to go to the concert..or not to go? It might be a once in a lifetime sort of thing.
Where's that 20cent coin when I want it.....
And this brings you, dear reader, and me to the main point of this post. There's no doubt that I like No Doubt alot (lol), but as much as I would like to see their frontwoman sing live, Gwen Stefani isn't really stellar without her band mates. But her albums as a solo artiste is still one of the better ones I've heard.So to go to the concert..or not to go? It might be a once in a lifetime sort of thing.
Where's that 20cent coin when I want it.....
Monday
Harry Potter and the Deathly Price Wars: Part Two
Tumultous times here in Hogwarts, I mean Malaysia as the Harry Potter boycott saga continues with:
- One Cabinet Minister saying that the price war is good for consumers. Click here.
- The Malaysia Bookseller Association telling hypermarkets to "Stick to your discounts on milk powder, rice and other food products" and not bestselling books like Harry Potter. Click here.
- Carrefour will continue selling the books at the current price, unless the Trade Ministry stops them and Borders has ran out of stock. Click here.
- Readers complaining that the action of the Big 4 deprived them of the books especially those not living in the vincinity of the hypermarkets. Click here.
The director of one of the Big 4 even mentioned returning the books (click here) to the distributor. Might as well burn them while you are at it. I would actually recommend discounts or bundles, I don't think the marketing/sales/PR departments are as daft as their upper managements' decision making process, surely they can come up something to sell the books.
Won't work you say, how 'bout this, Borders gave a discount since launch day (20% off with purchase of any other item...just buy a damn pen along with the book if you lack imagination) and managed to sell off their books by yesterday!
Besides, I'm sure that there are readers out there who would throw economics to the wind and prefer to buy the books from bookstores and there are those who don't live near hypermarkets as opposed to bookstores to begin with.
I don't think what the hypermarkets did is wrong, it's a free market afterall. But not selling books, I think the Big 4 has a bigger social obligation to fulfil rather than just profit margins. After all, they are bookstores!
Saturday
You Have Very Nice Veins
Part 1:
"Fill this up"
"But I did this earlier."
"Where?"
"When I was registered just now...I don't think I can now"
"When was that?"
"An hour ago"
"An hour? Can-lah...go fill it up"
Part 2:
"You have very nice veins"
"I know and you know what, I hate needles"
"I was about to ask you that. I hate them too, but I've to go through this every 3 months"
"Why?"
"It's an appraisal thing"
"This gonna hurt? I don't go hospitals much..so I don't know"
"Ant bite"
.
.
"Clench and unclench"
.
.
"That wasn't so bad after all"
Part 3:
"She said I have nice veins"
"Of course la, badminton player.. even I also miss nice veins, we bloodsuckers"
Part 4:
"What's this tablet for?"
"It's for the pain"
"But I'm not in pain.."
Part 5:
"You know what, I'm probably the only non-sick person warded here"
"Do you want me to come over with a fruit basket?"
"What for? I'm not sick"
"So you can watch me eat"
"I'm not sick! Don't come!"
Part 6:
*reaches for a strange instrument...
*brain: biopsy?!
Checks ear
*reaches for even stranger looking instrument
*brain: biopsy?!
Checks nose, both nostrils
*reaches for a metal tongue press and an instrument with a mirror
*brain: biopsy?!?...don't be nuts
Checks mouth/throat.
Part 7:
"Nak makan apa untuk sarapan?"
"Ada apa untuk makan?"
"Nasi lemak, bihun goreng"..."chicken chop, sphagetti"
"Eh?...ada ke?"
"Takde la"..."Takde? Kantin bungkusla.."
"...nasi lemak...milo panas satu"
Part 8:
"Bang, ni GameBoy ke?"
"Oh..yang ni...canggih sikit"
A small boy was left his own devices as his dad was sleeping in the ward and his mum had left for work. Knowing how boring a hospital stay can get (even for a visitor), I let him play with the DS, while I went about my own business.
Suffice to say the DS was the babysitter (and quite an effective one at that) the entire morning; the most I did was change cartridges, and showed him how to get around a level or two of Castlevania. And he referred to NSMB as "game lompat-lompat". Hehe.
"Fill this up"
"But I did this earlier."
"Where?"
"When I was registered just now...I don't think I can now"
"When was that?"
"An hour ago"
"An hour? Can-lah...go fill it up"
Part 2:
"You have very nice veins"
"I know and you know what, I hate needles"
"I was about to ask you that. I hate them too, but I've to go through this every 3 months"
"Why?"
"It's an appraisal thing"
"This gonna hurt? I don't go hospitals much..so I don't know"
"Ant bite"
.
.
"Clench and unclench"
.
.
"That wasn't so bad after all"
Part 3:
"She said I have nice veins"
"Of course la, badminton player.. even I also miss nice veins, we bloodsuckers"
Part 4:
"What's this tablet for?"
"It's for the pain"
"But I'm not in pain.."
Part 5:
"You know what, I'm probably the only non-sick person warded here"
"Do you want me to come over with a fruit basket?"
"What for? I'm not sick"
"So you can watch me eat"
"I'm not sick! Don't come!"
Part 6:
*reaches for a strange instrument...
*brain: biopsy?!
Checks ear
*reaches for even stranger looking instrument
*brain: biopsy?!
Checks nose, both nostrils
*reaches for a metal tongue press and an instrument with a mirror
*brain: biopsy?!?...don't be nuts
Checks mouth/throat.
Part 7:
"Nak makan apa untuk sarapan?"
"Ada apa untuk makan?"
"Nasi lemak, bihun goreng"..."chicken chop, sphagetti"
"Eh?...ada ke?"
"Takde la"..."Takde? Kantin bungkusla.."
"...nasi lemak...milo panas satu"
Part 8:
"Bang, ni GameBoy ke?"
"Oh..yang ni...canggih sikit"
A small boy was left his own devices as his dad was sleeping in the ward and his mum had left for work. Knowing how boring a hospital stay can get (even for a visitor), I let him play with the DS, while I went about my own business.
Suffice to say the DS was the babysitter (and quite an effective one at that) the entire morning; the most I did was change cartridges, and showed him how to get around a level or two of Castlevania. And he referred to NSMB as "game lompat-lompat". Hehe.
Sunday
Siemens Run
I just got back from the Siemens Run 2007, and in a word, it was a BLAST! And I even got videos of Reshmonu performing at the Dataran stage after the race.
More about the race. It started a little late around 7.40 a.m. YAB Rais Yatim flagged us off at the Dataran. The course was pretty tough, as it led runners right into the Bukit Tunku area. I don't really like going up extended inclines, but that was the nature of the course. The downhill portions were pretty smooth, it was going up that made life abit difficult.
In any case, I like the way the organisers ran this race. There were small billboards indicating distance to the finish line throughout the entire race. And the water stations, there were so many of them along the way that I lost count. There was even one in the first kilometre!
I finished the race in an hour and fifteen minutes, not really a good time as I finished the KL International Marathon 10km race in an hour, but that was a walk in the park compared to this.
But despite all the very nice organization, and all the fun activities at the finish line, the abundance of sponsored drinks available at the Dataran (Powerbar, 100 Plus, Milo, Vitamilk, plain old mineral water), a massage tent, a recovery centre with inflatible pools to put your hot feet in, and having Reshmonu perform on stage, the disappointing part was the attendance.
I'm not expecting something to rival that of the KL International Marathon, but come on, give these guys (the organizers) a break. Are you people still tired after the Penang Bridge Run?
It was rather appaling to see not many answer the call to a good cause. I understand that the proceeds from the race go to charity. Case in point, I was talking to a lady manning one of the tents and found out that Siemens donated to the National Cancer Society.
So, this time next year, get off the couch, switch off that LCD TV of yours, and go running in the Siemens Run.
And before I forget, here are the videos. A little small though, since I was recording with my phone and I couldn't get closer without blocking the view for a number of people.
More about the race. It started a little late around 7.40 a.m. YAB Rais Yatim flagged us off at the Dataran. The course was pretty tough, as it led runners right into the Bukit Tunku area. I don't really like going up extended inclines, but that was the nature of the course. The downhill portions were pretty smooth, it was going up that made life abit difficult.
In any case, I like the way the organisers ran this race. There were small billboards indicating distance to the finish line throughout the entire race. And the water stations, there were so many of them along the way that I lost count. There was even one in the first kilometre!
I finished the race in an hour and fifteen minutes, not really a good time as I finished the KL International Marathon 10km race in an hour, but that was a walk in the park compared to this.
But despite all the very nice organization, and all the fun activities at the finish line, the abundance of sponsored drinks available at the Dataran (Powerbar, 100 Plus, Milo, Vitamilk, plain old mineral water), a massage tent, a recovery centre with inflatible pools to put your hot feet in, and having Reshmonu perform on stage, the disappointing part was the attendance.
I'm not expecting something to rival that of the KL International Marathon, but come on, give these guys (the organizers) a break. Are you people still tired after the Penang Bridge Run?
It was rather appaling to see not many answer the call to a good cause. I understand that the proceeds from the race go to charity. Case in point, I was talking to a lady manning one of the tents and found out that Siemens donated to the National Cancer Society.
So, this time next year, get off the couch, switch off that LCD TV of yours, and go running in the Siemens Run.
And before I forget, here are the videos. A little small though, since I was recording with my phone and I couldn't get closer without blocking the view for a number of people.
Monday
Fan-boys: Keeping the Faith
Hop into any message board or forums with regards to console gaming and it would be not uncommon to find people expounding the virtues of the consoles manufactured by the companies that they practically worship (e.g. the big three: Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo) and the irony being that some of these consoles are not even out in the market yet.
So what makes these "fan-boys" tick and behave the way they do, which can be way beyond civilized conversation (example: "Sony suxor, Nintendo rawks, Microsoft can s*** my b****")?
Is it because of the pleasure obtained when gloating about the features of a particular console or the honor of becoming the spokesperson for a. a well know game developer, b. a console manufacturer or c. the boss of a huge video games publisher?
I offer you a better explanation. Blind faith. These fanatics have absolute faith that their console manufacturer "gods" can come up with something that will totally blow their minds. This is a fact that makes civilized conversation totally useless when it comes to them as nothing else matters (or has any relevance) except their faith in their "god".
As for me, I am just a bystander having a good laugh. It is amazing how much rubbish can be produced when a forum thread titled "Console X beats Console Y in feature Z?" Instead of the normal intellectual discourse that should take place, the forum becomes a battlefield. Get a laugh or two out of this.
Saturday
Some PC Games, are better played with a Game Pad
If you are gonna play games like Shadowrun, Overlord and Halo 2 on a PC, you would be better off investing in an Xbox 360 controller rather than simply playing with your trusty keyboard and mouse combination. The reasons are pretty simple:
- Mouse-aiming is crippled in Shadowrun. You actually get penalized for accurate shooting.
Quoting a Gamespy review:
"The fast-aiming ability of the mouse has been negated by an accuracy penalty when aiming via mouse (as opposed to plugging in a gamepad). Abilities add either a generous auto-aim (Smartlink) or conduct area-effect (Strangle) as to negate the need for accurate shooting." - Overlord's controls are more finely-tuned on the Xbox 360 controller, and offers more options compared to using a keyboard and mouse.
Quoting a 1UP review:
"Problem is you need finer control than the keyboard-and-mouse setup offers on the PC. Play enough battles requiring simultaneous attacks from a gremlin horde and your antihero, and you'll notice a huge difference when using a gamepad.
As is now becoming the standard, Overlord maps its controller layout to the ubiquitous Xbox 360 pad -- the left stick moves the master, and sweeping the right stick gives total control of the minions. So if you don't already own a gamepad, add that to the price tag." - 4 words when it comes to playing Halo 2 with an Xbox 360 controller: "Force Feedback" and "Auto Aim"
Quoting a Gamespot review:
"playing with a controller is a bit closer to the original console experience, right down to force-feedback support. This creates some really weird and potentially unbalanced trade-offs in multiplayer. By default, a player with a mouse will be able to turn more quickly and, if that player is skilled, more accurately than a gamepad user. Gamepad players can increase the right-stick sensitivity to turn faster, but they also get another benefit that feels downright dirty.
Like the console version, the PC game employs a certain amount of auto-aim when you're using a gamepad. This makes sticking to other players for up-close shotgun blasts or melee attacks significantly easier with the gamepad, and there doesn't appear to be any way to disable it or even detect that another player is using a pad. After pumping up the gamepad's sensitivity, we found ourselves doing more damage when armed with a gamepad"
Letting Strangers Drive Your Kart
I was at the bookstore cafe again today (refer to this post) getting some Mario Kart DS WFC action when a 7-year old decided to approach and ask me what I was playing.
Seeing that I was playing a racing game, he no longer needed an answer but instead proceeded to give comments on my racing style, the opponents and the kart that I was using. The interesting part came when he asked whether he can give it a go.
As with the previous casual gaming experiment, the kid just wanted to know how to get the kart moving. He proceeded to play for more than an hour while I had coffee with the proprietor of the shop.
Seeing that I was playing a racing game, he no longer needed an answer but instead proceeded to give comments on my racing style, the opponents and the kart that I was using. The interesting part came when he asked whether he can give it a go.
As with the previous casual gaming experiment, the kid just wanted to know how to get the kart moving. He proceeded to play for more than an hour while I had coffee with the proprietor of the shop.
Tuesday
Matriculation
For a boy who dislike outdoor activities and cherish the phrase "home sweet home" such as myself, going for a Pre-U lifetstyle means parting with my closest friends and family.
Yes, like MOST people who appealed for entry in matriculation, I'm currently feeling nervous yet exciting right now. Nervous because I do not know what lies ahead of my path ; exciting because I can finally try to live on my own, without relying on my mom and dad.
As you can see, or probably not if you haven't view my profile yet, my hometown is in Segamat, Johor. And guess what? I got an offer to matric at Penang - KMPP (Kolej Matrikulasi Pulau Pinang)! Consider the distance which will take approx. 7 to 9 hours of car journey, going there is also a problem. In fact, I had hear comments from people saying that KMPP is one of the best matriculation center available in our country if compared with other. I don't know whether this is true, or not. However, I do agree that living in a duty free country and a country far from my hometown will definitely increase my experience by a TON.
When it comes to living outside by your own, friend is indeed played an important role. Based on this fact, I hope I will manage to find some good friends when being there. Since there is only 10% of chinese students there, I think the odd for me to live with my another 3 roommates (malay) will probably higher than living with Chinese. I'm not a person that is race discrimination. It's just... Well, it will be quite comfortable if your roommates is with the same races as you did, don't you think so too?
By the way, wish me luck ya? I'm going for KMPP due 29th May 2007. It's kinda rush for me though. Thought I can enjoy my 2 weeks of holiday. Well, guess it's fate!
Yes, like MOST people who appealed for entry in matriculation, I'm currently feeling nervous yet exciting right now. Nervous because I do not know what lies ahead of my path ; exciting because I can finally try to live on my own, without relying on my mom and dad.
As you can see, or probably not if you haven't view my profile yet, my hometown is in Segamat, Johor. And guess what? I got an offer to matric at Penang - KMPP (Kolej Matrikulasi Pulau Pinang)! Consider the distance which will take approx. 7 to 9 hours of car journey, going there is also a problem. In fact, I had hear comments from people saying that KMPP is one of the best matriculation center available in our country if compared with other. I don't know whether this is true, or not. However, I do agree that living in a duty free country and a country far from my hometown will definitely increase my experience by a TON.
When it comes to living outside by your own, friend is indeed played an important role. Based on this fact, I hope I will manage to find some good friends when being there. Since there is only 10% of chinese students there, I think the odd for me to live with my another 3 roommates (malay) will probably higher than living with Chinese. I'm not a person that is race discrimination. It's just... Well, it will be quite comfortable if your roommates is with the same races as you did, don't you think so too?
By the way, wish me luck ya? I'm going for KMPP due 29th May 2007. It's kinda rush for me though. Thought I can enjoy my 2 weeks of holiday. Well, guess it's fate!
Monday
Introduction
I've been playing computer games when I got my first computer during my early teens. I started off with Wolfenstein 3D, from which I got hooked to 3D shooters such as id Software's Doom, Doom II, Doom III, Quake, Quake II, Quake III Arena and Quake IV.
I am never a fan of "realistic, one shot kill, team-based" 3D shooters such as Counterstrike or Rainbow Six but when it comes to team-play in a sci-fi setting, Unreal Tournament 2004's Onslaught mode had me at hello.
Aside from 3D shooters, I also have a penchant for strategy games, be it real-time or turn-based. From building theme parks in Bullfrog's Theme Park game, I went on to building transportation networks in Chris Sawyer's Transport Tycoon. I dabbled in the SimCity series but the only title in the series to hold my attention long enough to produce a decent end-game would be SimCity 2000.
In terms of turn-based strategy games, I had my fill with Sid Meier's Civilization series in which my favourites are Civilization 2 and Civ 4. Heroes of Might and Magic 2 further expounded the appeal turn-based strategy games by making the "just one more turn" itch so much harder to scratch.
Just recently, two RTS games had grabbed my attention, Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. Westwood Studio's (and subsequently EA's) line of Command and Conquer games have always established the bar in which other games strive to achieve or overcome. Red Alert 2 represents the perfect balance between presentation, game play and storyline which I think has not been surpassed by any RTS game yet.
Advancements in computer games such as hyper realistic graphics, physics algorithms and improved artificial intelligence have all led to increased demands for more powerful computer equipment. As a PC gamer, it is quite difficult "keeping up with the Joneses" in both technical and monetary terms. So from hardcore gamer, I decided to become a casual player. How did I do that? I bought a Nintendo DS.
Sunday
Two Situations
Here are some situations whereby you might find casual games on handheld consoles to be quite handy. I can only think of two at the moment.
1. Babysitting kids
The game is not for you to play with, but rather it's for the kids. If you are babysitting a hyperactive child or basically any kid that has already been exposed to video games, chances are you will have a better chance of keeping the kid occupied with a video game rather than with anything else. If your underage charge starts asking for Grand Theft Auto instead of Mario Kart DS, tell him that playing the game will make him go to hell. Kids are gullible that way.
2. Waiting for your date
Waiting is probably the activity that you do most when you are dating someone who is either a vain pot or a metrosexual. They tend to spend A LOT of time in the bathroom or in front of the dressing table before stepping out with you.
It is normal to be feeling excited over how your date will look like but this only happens at the start of the relationship, the feeling of excitement will soon be replaced with boredom. Short games on your PSP or Nintendo DS will help alleviate your suffering.
1. Babysitting kids
The game is not for you to play with, but rather it's for the kids. If you are babysitting a hyperactive child or basically any kid that has already been exposed to video games, chances are you will have a better chance of keeping the kid occupied with a video game rather than with anything else. If your underage charge starts asking for Grand Theft Auto instead of Mario Kart DS, tell him that playing the game will make him go to hell. Kids are gullible that way.
2. Waiting for your date
Waiting is probably the activity that you do most when you are dating someone who is either a vain pot or a metrosexual. They tend to spend A LOT of time in the bathroom or in front of the dressing table before stepping out with you.
It is normal to be feeling excited over how your date will look like but this only happens at the start of the relationship, the feeling of excitement will soon be replaced with boredom. Short games on your PSP or Nintendo DS will help alleviate your suffering.
Thursday
Buying on a budget
Purchasing original games can be quite expensive, not unlike supporting any other good cause. Take it this way, when someone doesn't pay for services rendered by you, it would definitely leave more than just a bitter taste in your mouth.
Nintendo DS games are in particular more expensive then their PC counterparts. Perhaps it is the materials used to manufacture those cartridges or the fact that no form of localization has been done on any of the titles on the DS or maybe it is due the lack of a large enough customer base to drive prices down.
It might seem a bit discouraging but there are some ways to stem the assault on your wallet. Here are some tips if you are on a budget:
Nintendo DS games are in particular more expensive then their PC counterparts. Perhaps it is the materials used to manufacture those cartridges or the fact that no form of localization has been done on any of the titles on the DS or maybe it is due the lack of a large enough customer base to drive prices down.
It might seem a bit discouraging but there are some ways to stem the assault on your wallet. Here are some tips if you are on a budget:
- Instead of "New", think "Secondhand". Pre-owned games tend to sell for much lower prices compared to their retail counterparts. No need to worry about the condition of the games because as far as original games are concerned, they are usually pretty well treated by their owners. I scour a particular Internet forum for bargains and I bought 3 games for an average of RM 60 each. A new game would cost around RM 130 a title.
- Wait. Patience is a virtue and instead of rushing out to grab a hot new game, wait for all the hype (and price) to go down before purchasing the particular game. Besides, waiting allows you to evaluate the game in terms of reading/watching reviews and hearing what your fellow gamer friends have to say about the game. You don't want to rush into things and part with your hard-earned cash for the very latest half-baked trash.
- Bargain Bins. From where I come from, I rarely see bargain bins for Nintendo DS games in game shops, but the same does not apply to game shops like Dubai or the online stores of Play-Asia.com and YesAsia.com. You can get bargain prices for brand new games with the benefit of free shipping as well (applies only to the online sites)!
- Be nice to your game shop owner. This is generally for the more experienced gamer who most likely has a tendency to do his or her shopping rounds in just a few places. Make nice with the shop owner and you probably get a discount.
- Research, research, research. Just like how location is important in real estate, it pays to do some research on how prices are for games selling in different locations where you can actually purchase them (so don't go too far). This applies if you are new to video gaming or are a casual gamer who isn't accustomed to purchasing games all the time. Why is research important? It helps a person in this kind of scenario:
"Once, a guy asked in an online forum where to get a Nintendo DS and a reply came back saying he should get it from a shop he trusts. How would a guy establish a level of trust if he is totally new to video games and has not purchased anything from any video game shop in the first place?"
Wednesday
Popular Sites for Roms Download
If you are a Nintendo DS/Lite owner, have a flash cart, you would probably searched on the Internet via popular search engine such as Google.com by the keyword "NDS roms download". As you may know, you may probably having a hard time finding a ideal site which accumulate and organize all Roms with the exact order.
To make you finding NDS roms easier, I had decided to share some of the websites that offered NDS roms download to ease your searching pain.
Before linking to the websites below, there are several statements to read:-
* All sites posted and linked below does not contain malware and spyware
* All sites posted and linked below does not require you to register an account in order to download the file, unless stated with [R]
* All download speed results are tested via Streamyx 1MBPS
1. DS-ROM-NEWS [DS]
To make you finding NDS roms easier, I had decided to share some of the websites that offered NDS roms download to ease your searching pain.
Before linking to the websites below, there are several statements to read:-
* All sites posted and linked below does not contain malware and spyware
* All sites posted and linked below does not require you to register an account in order to download the file, unless stated with [R]
* All download speed results are tested via Streamyx 1MBPS
1. DS-ROM-NEWS [DS]
- Do not tricked by the website title "NEWS" as this site offered great amount of NDS roms for download.
- This site does offer 2 download sites and has a great download speed. I can reached average download speed of 40-55 kbps per file.
- Although this site does not has a decent user-interface or other graphic elemental design, just some plain text, it does offered every single roms that had been uploaded.
- The only drawback is you will need to enter image verification code for each download. It's kinda hard to tell which one is o, O or Zero (0).
- All roms are packed in .rar format to minimize the file size. HTTP direct download.
- Unlike DS-ROM-NEWS, this site does offered a wide range of roms to download. Ranging from GameBoy, Mame, NeoGeo, Snes, GBA and even NDS.
- All roms are compressed and packed by using 7zip, which indeed has a better compression ratio than WinRar. So the file size has been tremendously reduced and you can download the roms in just a couple of seconds.
- Great and ideal site for 56k modem users.
- HTTP direct download
- Strictly NDS roms only
- This site is updated only once in a while, which means you probably won't find the latest roms available for download.
- Uses eMule direct download links. User will required to install eMule before proceeding and initial a download progress
- Speed varies and depends on the total of uploaders / downloaders
- Roms ranges from popular title such as Nintendo GameBoy to Sega Saturn and Sony PS2 ISO's.
- HTTP direct link download
- Download speed is decent
- A forum had been setup to discuss and find the latest roms. Like any other forum, you had to register in order to post a thread or reply to a post.
- Frequent updates
- Roms include GBA, PSX, NDS, N64, PSP and even roms for classic console!
- Although popup may occur one time (perhaps?), it can be closed with no cookie trackback
- No registration required to download roms
- Clean, sleek view of rom list. Also include a sort function
- Fast and reliable download speed via HTTP protocol
- Forum provided to discuss the games (registration required to post)
If you had any other great links for roms download, please leave a comment and I'll update them as soon as possible.
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