The Gamer's Quarter

Westacular · Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2006 12:54 am Post subject:

Wow, that's an awesome introduction. Why are people from Montreal always so cool?

B coma · . Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 279

My girlfriend and I played Sega CD Dungeon Explorer once, until we ... died.

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

Hi, I'm Alice. You may recognize me from such forums as the Insert Credit forums where I go by the name Nana Komatsu.

I registered to comment on the podcast mostly.

Six · . Joined: 15 Jul 2006 Posts: 313 Location: montreal

Pijaibros · Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 8:38 am Post subject:

That name "Nana Komatsu" intrigues me. I may be the only one who thinks this, but I keep imagining an Ice Climber driving a mighty bulldozer when I hear that name.

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

The name comes from a character in the Nana manga which is pretty good. I only chose it on IC because someone had already registered 'alice', and I figured it would be better not to confuse people now.

Pijaibros · Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:07 pm Post subject:

Ah, that clears it all up then. I've never read manga, there's so much of it that I would have no idea where to even begin. So I wouldn't have ever guessed it.

I used to work at the manufacturing plant of Komatsu while I was stuck in college. My favorite character(s) in Smash Bros are the Ice Climbers and so that was the image I got in my head upon reading your name.

Wilkes · milky wilkie Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 256

Komatsu comes from the construction equipment brand.
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J.Goodwin · . Joined: 31 Jul 2006 Posts: 297 Location: North Shore, MA

I'm Jeremy, not Jon.

I'm 28 years old, a native of Boston's North Shore, a bit more than 6'1", 185 pounds, and a Scorpio/Sagitarius cusp.

I can't remember the first arcade game that I played, and honestly, I can't recall the most recent one either (although it was almost certainly more than two years ago, at GameWorks in Schaumburg, IL. I did walk into a Dave & Busters in Pasadena or thereabouts, but a brief walk through convinced me that there wasn't anything I wanted to play).

Early on, I played games on the Atari 600, with a memory expansion pack added to the back and a 5 1/4" floppy drive. Games included Jumpman, and Super Cobra, among others.

My first console was a SEGA Master System II, which I bought when I went to Toys 'R Us with $120 in my pocket ready to purchase an Atari Lynx. When I realized that I could not buy the $99 Lynx and a game too, I went around the other side of the aisle and picked up the SMS2 with an extra controller and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

The easy availability of $20 and under games on the SMS gave me the opportunity to play classics like Ys: The Vanished Omens, Phantasy Star, Miracle Warriors: Seal of the Dark Lord, Lord of the Sword, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Astro Warrior, Hang On, Space Harrier, Enduro Racer, and many many others.

Later, I would "convince" my brother to take his hard earned money and purchase a Turbo Grafx-16, which I almost immediately confiscated. Bomberman, Dungeon Explorer, Neutopia, Neutopia II, Dungeon Explorer II, Cosmic Fantasy 2, Sinistron, Dragon's Curse, Soldier Blade, Splatterhouse, Lords of Thunder, Gates of Thunder, Bonk's Adventure and Revenge, Devil's Crush, Alien Crush, Bomberman '94, Hot Blooded High School Soccer and so so many others.. This was the first console that I started picking up imported games to play, after I had traded in the TG-16 for a Duo through TurboZoneDirect.

Eventually, the guilt caught up with me and I sent the Duo to my brother in Seattle. I just recently purchased a Duo-R, and I'm awaiting it's arrival with great expectation.

Next up was the SEGA Saturn. An import gamer's wet dream. Radiant Silvergun, Saturn Bomberman, NiGHTS into Dreams, Burning Rangers, Sonic Jam, Panzer Dragoon, Zwei, Saga, Pocket Fighter, Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo, Marvel Super Heroes, Puyo Puyo Tsu, Madoh Monogatari (am I the only American who has played this?), Puzzle Bobble 3, Albert Odyssey, Fighter's Megamix, Fighting Vipers, Grandia and the Digital Museum, Guardian Heroes, Rayforce, House of the Dead, Virtua Cop, Virtual On, SEGA Rally, Shining Force III Chapter I, Silhouette Mirage, Steep Slope Sliders, Daytona USA, Dead or Alive, D&D Collection, Marvel vs. Street Fighter, Metal Slug ... Wow, what a console.

My Saturn phase fell into my Oklahoma college years, and I purchased a Dreamcast my senior year, when it released in Japan. The Dreamcast needs no call-outs, I think everyone here should be familiar with it's greatness.

During the intermediate period here, I purchased an N64, briefly owned a Super Nintendo, and picked up a SEGA Genesis to play my old SMS games on when I found a PBC in the back of a Funcoland shop in Schaumburg. I've also owned a Gameboy, GBA, NeoGeo Pocket and GameGear, but I own none of those now, and I probably won't ever own a branded portable again, I just don't get enough use out of them.

I bought a used Xbox when I was living in Chicago, and got a lot of mileage out of it before recently upgrading to the 360. I owned a GameCube, but it didn't get much play, outside of the Zelda classics disc (by this point I'd released my N64 from it's captivity).

Hm, apparently the word "Lynx" gives the board fits.
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Gamertag - FalcomAdol -- Don't Click Here 触手
Playing - Ninety-Nine Nights - Xbox 360

J.Goodwin · . Joined: 31 Jul 2006 Posts: 297 Location: North Shore, MA

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

You have excellent taste in games in my oppinion. Welcome to that boards. You should tell us your XBL Gamertag so we can have more friends to compete with in Galaga.
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“The average man has a secret desire to be a swaggering, drunken, fighting, raping swashbuckler.”
-Robert E. Howard in a letter to a friend circa Decmber 1932

"There is no place in this enterprise for a rogue physicist!"

J.Goodwin · . Joined: 31 Jul 2006 Posts: 297 Location: North Shore, MA

Lackey · . Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 1107 Location: Canada

Six! I think I might know you?
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| Little bird fighting against a bat sect game |

Six · . Joined: 15 Jul 2006 Posts: 313 Location: montreal

I think you might!

Lestrade · Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 12:55 pm Post subject:

Sylvestro Buccelli · . Joined: 04 Aug 2006 Posts: 1

Hi! My name is Juan David and I registered here because I like to write about several things, inlcuding of course videogames. Someone may know me from the IC forums, though I post very few times, but I recognize some of you from the same place. I'm also an inphography, photography and digital art enthusiast and amateur. I study English Philology.

Pleased to meet you.
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They call it a Royale with Cheese.

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

Lackey · . Joined: 11 Jul 2005 Posts: 1107 Location: Canada

Six · . Joined: 15 Jul 2006 Posts: 313 Location: montreal

ronintendo · . Joined: 13 Aug 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Anytown USA

My name is Matt and I read The Gamer's Quarter. I'm 23 and am majoring in Japanese, scheduled to get my bachelor's this year.

The first game I ever played was an old R-Type upright at some skating rink I used to go to when I was a kid. It's still probably one of my favorite series ever, due to it's emphasis on atomsphere and dark themes. I never could beat the first one as a kid, yet that may also be the reason I liked it so much. Today I still play a lot of shooters (it's been almost nothing but Under Defeat lately) and action games but I'll play pretty much anything as long as it's good. I lived in Kobe, Japan from October 2005 to August of this year as an exchange student and would like to go back as soon as possible.

In my spare time I write, listen to music and try to go to a lot of shows. I'm interested in learning more about cinema and am taking a few classes to that end. Not much else to say other than that. Anyways, hello!

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

Laco · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 12:32 pm Post subject:

Hi, I'm Lachlan. I'm 22, about 6'4, live in Sydney and am just finishing a computer science degree.

My earliest memory of gaming is probably Seaquest or Enduro on my parents atari 2600 (which is still sitting at home somewhere). The other games I can recall are Galaxian, Jr Pacman, Skiing, Boxing, and Frogger. Though it seems strange to me now, they actually used to play games other than spider solitaire and freecell! I remember they once had a $10 bet with one of their friends, as to whether or not he could reach the fourth day in Enduro. He managed it with time to spare, a feat that amazed my then 6-year-old self. I guess I should try it myself sometime, but I worry it'd be too easy and my dreams would be broken.

Later they got an Apple ][e, which provided endless fun with games like Sabotage, Hitchhiker's Guide, Goldfields, Lode Runner, Carmen Sandiago, and Bard's Tale. I don't know if I can forgive my dad for getting rid of it one day when I was away, without even telling me!

Visiting family friends with children about our ages, their NES would always make an appearance. A Boy and his Blob was a lot of fun, although pretty complicated. I remember the notes section of their manual actually being used (!), to write down what all the jelly beans did. They didn't have many games, but I remember Ski or Die and TMNT.

I convinced my sister in about 1994 to contribute to a 'Gameboy Fund'. I thought I'd probably be the one getting the most use out of it, but she did end up playing it a fair bit. Her perseverance in Donkey Kong Land 2 was pretty incredible - she got much further than me in that game. What else did we have? Tetris, Super Mario Land 2, Hyper Lode Runner, Wildsnake, and F1 Race.

I used the same strategy in about 1997 to get an N64. It came with the requisite Super Mario 64, and also Diddy Kong Racing. I remember mum mentioning the other mothers in the shop telling her to get Goldeneye instead, but she wasn't sure whether I would be interested. Needless to say, Goldeneye was obtained in short order, and 4-player deathmatch basically dominated my social life for the next few years. It also made me into a bit of a Rare fanboy for a while there! The 64 is probably the console I had the most fun with, mostly due to the incredible multiplayer. From Mario Party/Kart with my sister and (female) neighbours, to warping my high school friends' brains with fully 3D combat in Forsaken, to epic Wipeout races and Perfect Dark slowmo battles with the guys in my first share house, every MP game left a good memory. Which is not to say that the SP games weren't awesome either - Banjo-Kazooie and Zelda: Ocarina of Time spring to mind.

Fastforward to now. In the intervening years I've mostly been a PC gamer, but about six months ago I bought myself a 'Cube with Zelda: Wind Waker, RE4, Eternal Darkness, and Viewtiful Joe 2. I can't say I've really gotten into any of those except Zelda, but I'd like to grab Metroid Prime and Paper Mario 2 sometime. Then about 2 weeks ago, I bought myself a PS2, mostly due to my longing for Guitar Hero and Shadow of the Colossus (to which TGQ issue 4 contributed in no small part!) I was never much of a Sony lover, but (to my mind) the sheer number of titles released for PS2 means it has some of the best. I'm still working my way towards playing more of Ico, Rez, both Katamaris, MGS3, GT4, Amplitude, Gradius V, and Soul Calibur 3.

At the rate I seem to be purchasing consoles now, I'll probably have a 360 within a few months, then both Wii and PS3 soon after. Now I just need a TV; playing consoles through a TV tuner on PC isn't much fun.

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

Laco · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 1:51 pm Post subject:

I had a lot of fun playing SC2 on a friend's Xbox. I'm not really a fighting-game kind of guy, but the weapons give it something.. special. I'm actually looking for a copy of Frequency, it seems harder to find than Amplitude. Rhythm-based games are sort of irrelevant at this point anyway though, the lag on my tuner card makes them pretty impossible to play. Which is sort of funny, when I bought the PS2 mostly for Guitar Hero.

I've played a bit of Rez, it's kind of fun. I think I'm up to the third level or so. However, I can't help but feel I'm missing something, somehow. I mean, the visuals are sort of mesmerising, and the vibration effects are cool (though not in the same way as in that immortal GGA article Smile

) but I'm just not seeing why it's so highly regarded. Anyone care to put me in my place?

I'm definitely a PC gamer at heart (see sig), but part of the reason I'm getting into consoles again is the social aspect. Not even multiplayer, necessarily; it's just much more fun for a group of friends to gather around a TV in a living room than a PC monitor in an office. It's mostly Live that attracts me to a 360, especially Live Arcade. (Is that wrong, wanting to buy a $600 console just to play casual / arcade games, the likes of which I can already play on PC / MAME?) Well, that and Dead Rising.. and the couple of Xbox games which I own but can't play without access to an Xbox anymore.

Anyway, thanks for the welcome (and the wonderful magazine, of course!)

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

helicopterp · . Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 1435 Location: Philadelphia

Laco · Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 8:24 pm Post subject:

Yeah, I definitely want to get Ikaruga. I played it on a friend's Dreamcast a couple of years back. There's an online store in Australia that sells new copies for $70, but I've heard the PAL version has issues (no 60Hz mode, and they didn't account for the change in game speed). I guess I might get freeloader and ebay an NTSC version. Your other suggestions are also on my list (although I already have a mountain of stuff to play!)

This is the great thing about getting into a console at the end of its lifespan; all the games have already been released, and you can just pick and choose the best Smile

.

Ghostface Killa · . Joined: 02 Oct 2006 Posts: 22

my name is ghostface hows it hangin my gobbies include wikipedia editing and the luxuries of life

calintz · . Joined: 07 Jun 2005 Posts: 17 Location: Nagoya

hey all ^^

i registered a year ago (i think) but never got back cos I kinda forgot about this place. Now that I have found it again, I think I shall stay for awhile...

oh yeah, introductions, hey?
well, they call me yubi where I live, and that is in Nagoya at the moment, well for a year and a half on university study and work.

um...what else...
An Australian born, half Filipino, half Hong Kong chinese...

oh yeah, and I'm a Mac user...

♪(*^ ・^)ノ⌒☆
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...九龍で会いましょう...（*☼＿☉*）

TheRumblefish · . Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 258 Location: Florida

calintz · . Joined: 07 Jun 2005 Posts: 17 Location: Nagoya

being a mac user? quite good actually.
since i'm mainly a console gamer, a mac is pretty enough for surfing the net and chatting...

yes. i like pretty things.
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...九龍で会いましょう...（*☼＿☉*）

FortNinety · Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 10:25 am Post subject:

The name is Matt (Hawkins). A few folks around here know who I am. I dare call them friends even? Sup dhex, ShaperMC.

The skinny is that I'm a Brooklyn based cartoonist and video game designer, though I'm mostly a writer these days. I contribute regularly to Nickelodeon Magazine, as well as Gamastura, plus I have a regular column over at GameSetWatch (but who doesn't these days, right?).

I'm also really into comedy, foreign films, robots, and I totally love hot dogs.

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

Vienna beef hot dogs?

Also, welcome man. It took you long enough.
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“The average man has a secret desire to be a swaggering, drunken, fighting, raping swashbuckler.”
-Robert E. Howard in a letter to a friend circa Decmber 1932

"There is no place in this enterprise for a rogue physicist!"

FortNinety · Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 11:58 am Post subject:

Mr Mustache · . Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 167 Location: Queens

Hi guys, I was sad that that other forum stopped working, and this seemed like the best alternative out of three.

Currently, I am sad that Twin Peaks (season 2) has not yet made it to DVD, but hopeful that someday it will, and that I will be able to find a suitable stop-gap in the meantime.

I am playing Metal Arms, even though it is not an important game, nor a particularly good one. Diversity makes up for some of it's shortcomings, and it reminds me a bit of Jet Force Gemini, but I really just want to finish it.

It is too long. I dislike long games, unless they are made by Nintendo, or on a PC/Mac.
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Straight up

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

There are three alternatives?

Mr Mustache · . Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 167 Location: Queens

Including this one.
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Straight up

DaleNixon · . Joined: 08 Jul 2005 Posts: 179

Hi Mr. Mustache

Mr Mustache · . Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 167 Location: Queens

Hi Dale, this place is nice. The hearts seem like a good motivational tool.
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Straight up

dessgeega · Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2006 10:31 pm Post subject:

we might make you go on a fetch quest before we give you one, just a heads up.
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FortNinety · Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2006 7:50 am Post subject:

DaleNixon · . Joined: 08 Jul 2005 Posts: 179

Mister Toups · Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2006 8:35 am Post subject:

dessgeega · Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2006 8:37 am Post subject:

the second season of twin peaks makes me ;_;
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friedchicken · . Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 496 Location: Port Land, OR

Mr Mustache · . Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 167 Location: Queens

I am willing to go on fetch quests, provided it will make the villagers happy.

(Toups hit the nail on the head)
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Straight up

Wilkes · milky wilkie Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 256

sup mr. mustache I have a title and am big business on this forum
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Mr Mustache · . Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 167 Location: Queens

Hi wilkes, congratulations on your 100th post!
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Straight up

Wilkes · milky wilkie Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 256

understanding the inherent flaw in replying to that post itt
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Legal Step · . Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 81 Location: Los Angeles