Shadowrun (Sega Genesis)

Shadowrun for the Sega Genesis is an adaptation of the pen and paper RPG of the same name. Shadowrun is interesting because it combines fantasy with a near future cyberpunk environment. Though based on the same source material, this game was developed separately from Shadowrun for the Super Nintendo and is a different game.

Like the Super Nintendo version, the Sega Genesis version is also third person, turn-based action RPG. However, there are a number of differences otherwise. The Sega Genesis version is not as good when it comes to graphics and sound. However, it does have more open-ended game play which some people may enjoy more. In any case, fans of Shadowrun or RPG fans looking for something different than your typical fantasy based RPG will probably enjoy this one.

The story involves you investigating the murder of your brother. There are three main storyline branches that can be explored separately or all at once. The mystery is not completely revealed until all three subquests have been resolved.

Unfortunately, neither this nor the Super Nintendo version has been re-released. You will have to hunt down the original cartridges or use an emulator to play. However, a Kickstarter based sequel called Shadowrun Returns was developed in 2012 that ties into the plots of both the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis version of the game. Due to its success, two more sequels for developed, Shadowrun Dragonfall and Shadowrun Hong Kong. I haven't played them yet but they get generally good reviews and provide the same basic style of gameplay as opposed to being "upgraded" to some 1st/3rd person 3D action based game. They are all available via Steam and GoG for Windows, OS X and Linux.

Compute! (December 1981)

Compute! was one of the earliest home computer magazines. Early in its history, it focused on 6502 based machines. In 1981 that meant the Commodore CBM/PET, Apple II, Atari and OSI. The December 1981 issue includes:

Compute! (December 1981)

Extreme Ghostbusters (Game Boy Color)

Extreme Ghostbusters for the Game Boy Color is a bit of an obscure title. It is based on an animated series of the same name which was in turn a sequel to The Real Ghostbusters which was a spinoff of the Ghostbusters movie.

I remember watching The Real Ghostbusters and so I’m somewhat familiar with that one but I had never heard of Extreme Ghostbusters. It would have been targeted at a younger audience than me so I guess that is understandable. That and it only lasted for one year. The Real Ghostbusters had a much more successful run that lasted around seven years.

At any rate, I discovered a few interesting things when looking this stuff up. Apparently, The Real Ghostbusters was created by Dan Akroyd and Harold Ramis of Ghostbusters (and other) fame. In addition, many of the episodes were edited and/or written by J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of Babylon 5. This must have been an even more kick-ass show than I remember. I’m going to have to see if I can track down all of the episodes somewhere.

As for Extreme Ghostbusters, neither the cartoon nor the game are nearly as interesting but YMMV, especially if this was something you watched or played as a kid.

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (257-260)

All of the photos in this set were taken in 1968 and were all probably taken in the Lansing, Michigan area.

The first photo was taken in April 1986 and is labeled "Ballet Graduation - Preschool Scott Julie - 4/68".

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (257-260)

Digital Archaeology: Dell Latitude D610

The Dell Latitude D610 is a Pentium M based laptop that was a slight upgrade to the D600. While looking nearly identical, there are enough internal physical differences to make swapping parts like the motherboard, LCD, Keyboard, etc. between the two impractical.

Digital Archaeology: Dell Latitude D610

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (253-256)

None of the photos in this set are labeled meaningfully or dated. They mostly appear to be from the 1970s and are probably all from Lansing or elsewhere in Michigan.

The first photo shows a boat on a lake. There have been other photos from what I believe is this same trip to the lake in previous sets.

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (253-256):

Byte (April 1984)

Subtitled "The Small Systems Journal", for most of its life, Byte wasn't strictly a "home" or personal computer magazine. It covered computers that would have been used by businesses, hobbyists, etc. though it did also, of course, cover home computers. In the early to mid 1980s, issues tended to be huge with this one coming in at about 564 pages. The April 1984 issue includes:

Byte (April 1984)

Lethal Weapon (NES)

Lethal Weapon is a side-scrolling action game released for the Nintendo in 1992 which was a pretty late release for that system. Despite the name, it is really based on the first three Lethal Weapon movies, not just the first one.

As far as games based on movies go, this one is probably better than most. The graphics and music are excellent. However, it is not without its drawbacks. The biggest drawback is the fact that this game is really, really hard. Expert gamers intent on their next harder challenge may enjoy this one but more casual gamers will just find themselves frustrated.

Lethal Weapon consists of three levels each of which contains three stages. You use both the main characters from the movie, Murtaugh and Riggs, and swap between them throughout the course of the game. While a character is not being used, he gains back some of his health. The characters have slight differences. Riggs can jump higher, pick up knives and has a special high kick attack. Murtaugh can pick up crates and has a stronger punch. Some other items can be picked up along the way as well, including grenades.

In addition to the NES version, there were also a number of other versions. The Game Boy version was essentially a port of the NES version but with a slightly cut down number of stages. There was another version of Lethal Weapon developed and released for the Super Nintendo, Atari ST, Amiga, Commodore 64 and DOS based PCs but this version is substantially different from the one released for the NES and Game Boy.

Lethal Weapon has not been re-released and probably won't given that it is a movie license (though I hear another movie is coming). While it is a nice looking and sounding game on the NES, it is hard to recommend because of its difficulty. However, if you are a masochist or a really big fan of Lethal Weapon, it might be worth picking up. Otherwise, give it a try on an emulator and see how you like it.

Screen shots above are from the NES version of the game.

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (249-252)

All of the photos in this set are from the late 1960s and they were all probably taken in the Lansing, Michigan area.

The first photo was processed in January 1966. It is labeled and while I can't quite read it all, it says something about a 1965 MRPA program. I think MRPA stands for Minnesota Recreation and Parks Association. I'm not sure what the point of this program was...maybe a fundraiser? But it was probably in late 1965. Photos from this same event have shown up in previous sets.

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (249-252)

Mountain King (Commodore 64)

Mountain King is a game that was released by CBS Electronics in 1983. The basic goal is to descend into a diamond mine, retrieve a crown and bring it back out again. Obviously, it isn't quite so simple and there are certain challenges that must be overcome. First, you have to collect 1,000 points worth of diamonds. You then must find the flame spirit. The flame spirit is necessary to gain entry to the temple the crown is in which also must be found. Assuming you accomplish all of this, you must make it back out of the mine before time runs out. Be careful as there is a spider guarding the depths of the mine and bats bats will try to steal the crown from you. Once you complete your task, you begin again but with less time.

This game got pretty good reviews when it was released. However, I don't think it has held up as well as some other classic games. The graphics are pretty weak for this type of game regardless of what version you are playing. Sound and music are put to pretty good use though you may found the music repetitive as it consists of two musical pieces by Edvard Grieg, including 'Hall of the Mountain King' from which the name of the game is derived.

This game was released for a variety of systems, including the VIC-20, Commodore 64, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit computers, and ColecoVision. Graphically, the 8-bit computer versions are not as much of an upgrade as you would expect over the Atari 2600 version. This game has not been re-released as far as I know so you will have to track down an original or use emulation to play it. It isn't the best game but it is a fairly unique little platform game that's probably worth adding to your collection for whichever of the above systems is your favorite if you can find it cheap (which you probably can).

Screen shots above are from the Commodore 64 version of the game.

PC World (September 1990)

PC World was one of the most popular PC specific magazines for a long time throughout a good portion of the 1980s, the 1990s, and well into the 2000s. The September 1990 issue includes:

PC World (September 1990)

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (245-248)

None of the photos in this set are labeled or dated. However, I believe they were all taken at the same time and place, probably in the early 1970s. These appear to be from the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan. There was an earlier set from the same location and probably the same day. There appears to have been some kind of event going on but I haven't been able to figure out what it was.

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (245-248)

RUN: The Commodore 64/128 User's Guide (April 1990)

RUN was perhaps my favorite computer magazine. It was dedicated to Commodore 8-bit computers which primarily meant the Commodore 64 and 128. Things were definitely winding down commercially for the Commodore 64 in 1990 but a few major games were still coming out and RUN would be published for a couple more years. The April 1990 issue includes:

RUN: The Commodore 64/128 User's Guide (April 1990)

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (241-244)

Most or all of the photos in this set were taken in the early 1970s, probably in the Lansing, Michigan area.

The first photo is undated and features flowers, perhaps at the photographer's house. It is likely from some time in the 1960s or 1970s.

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (241-244)

PC World (May 1988)

PC World was probably the most popular computer magazine from the late 80s until it ceased publication. It shrunk considerable in later years but it the late 1980s it still had large issues with this one coming in at nearly 340 pages. The May 1988 issue includes:

PC World (May 1988)

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (237-240)

All of the photos in this set are from the mid to late 1960s and were probably all taken in the Lansing Michigan area.

The first was processed in December 1966 and is labeled "Explosion". I'm guessing the damage to the house in this photo was caused by a gas explosion. This is probably near the home of the photographer who lived in Lansing.

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (237-240)

Dragonfire (Imagic)

Dragonfire was originally released by Imagic for the Atari 2600 in 1982. It's one of Imagic's better games and while it is relatively simplistic as most Atari 2600 games are, it is fun enough to keep you interested.

Commodore 64

Game play is fairy straightforward. There are two unique stages. In the first stage you are attempting to cross a draw bridge, from one side of the screen to the other, while avoiding fireballs from a dragon that you can either attempt to jump over or duck under. The second stage switches to an overhead view inside the castle. In this stage you are attempting to collect the various treasures that are scattered about. In this stage the dragon lobs fireballs at you from the bottom of the screen. Once you have collected all of the treasures, a door will appear and you can exit. After this, the stages repeat only the fireballs come faster.

Atari 2600

While Dragonfire was initially released for the Atari 2600 in 1982, it was ported to various other systems over the next few years. Later in 1982 is was released for Intellivision. In 1983 it was released for the VIC-20 and Spectrum. In 1984 it made its way to the Apple II, Commodore 64, ColecoVision and the TRS-80 Color Computer. While the graphics are better on the later version, game play is very similar and just as fun on the 2600 as on the other versions.

Atari 2600

I am not aware of any rereleases for this game so you will have to track down an original if you want to play it. The Atari 2600 cartridge is pretty easy to come by and worth having if you are a collector for that system. Cartridge versions are also available for the VIC-20, ColecoVision, Intellivision and CoCo. I believe all the others were disk based.

Read more: http://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2020/01/23/dragonfire-imagic/

Computer Shopper (July 2001)

By 2001, Computer Shopper was no longer the phone book sized monstrosity it once was in the late 1980s and 1990s but this issue still weighs in at almost 250 pages. The July 2001 issue includes:

Computer Shopper (July 2001)

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (233-236)

None of the photos in this set are labeled or dated. However, I believe they were all taken at the same time and place, probably in the early 1970s. When I started this project, ChatGPT didn't even exist yet. However, AI has become a big help in identifying where some of these photos were taken. For example, ChatGPT identifies these as having been taken at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan.

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (233-236)

Laser Invasion (NES, 1991)

Laser Invasion was a 1991 game by Konami for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It's sort of a strange hybrid 1st person shooting game. You can use the controller but much of it is really designed for the NES Zapper light gun (or Konami's own LaserScope which is a head mounted version of the same thing).

There are a three main parts to this game. In the first part you pilot a helicopter (and shoot stuff) but landing the helicopter at the end of the stage is a specific challenge as well. In the second part, the screen scrolls right to left while you try to shoot the bad guys. The third part is a sort of a 1st person explore and escape the maze type of thing. The game consists of missions which usually include all three parts. All in all it's a pretty average game at best. It's something you might want if you really like light gun games but something to avoid otherwise.

Digital Archaeology: Floppy Disk #14 – DEC84.DOC

This post includes the contents of DEC84.DOC. Similar to the last few posts in this series, this appears to be a report that gives details on the usage of the SIG (how many hours each user spent in the SIG, etc.). This is in the form of an e-mail from someone named KELLY who was presumably an employee of Delphi. The e-mail is dated January 18th, 1985.

Digital Archaeology: Floppy Disk #14 – DEC84.DOC

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (229-232)

All of the photos in this set were taken in the early 1970s and were probably all taken in Michigan.

The first photo was processed in June 1972 and features the ticketing area for a ferry that goes from mainland Michigan to Mackinac Island.

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (229-232)

Compute! (February 1983)

Compute! was a popular computer magazine for home computer users in the 1980s. In 1983 it was subtitled "The Leading Magazine Of Home, Educational, And Recreational Computing". It covered various popular home computer systems and even had spinoffs dedicated to particular systems such as the Commodore 64 and Apple II. The February 1983 issue of Compute! includes:

Compute! (February 1983):

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (225-228)

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (225-228)

I believe that most of the photos in this set were taken in Michigan but they are undated.

I think the first three photos were all taken near Cross Village in Michigan along the shore of Lake Michigan. The church seen in the second photo would be Saint Ignatius Catholic Church. These are undated but my guess is that they are from the 1970s or possibly the early 1980s.

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (221-224)

I believe that most of the photos in this set were taken in the early 1980s, probably in the Lansing, Michigan area.

The first photo is undated but look early 80s-ish. It looks like it features a young woman with her baby and maybe mother and grandparents. Maybe this is family of the photographer.

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (221-224)

Compute! (March 1989)

Compute! was a popular computer magazine for home computer users in the 1980s. It covered various popular home computer systems and had spinoffs dedicated to particular systems. The most popular of those was probably Compute!'s Gazette which covered Commodore's 8-bit computers. The March 1989 issue of Compute! includes:

Compute! (March 1989)

Digital Archaeology: Codex (Floppy Disk) #9 (part 8)

A summary for those that haven't been keeping up with this series:

I found a number of 5.25" disks at a thrift store several years ago. I finally got around to acquiring a 5.25" disk drive and extracting the contents a while back. Since then I have been posting the contents here.

Based on the contents, at least some of these disks were apparently once owned by someone named Connie who used to run the “Close Encounters” Special Interest Group (SIG) on Delphi in the mid 1980s.

A specific definition of this SIG was found in a document on one of the disks: "This SIG, known as 'Close Encounters', is a forum for the discussion of relationships that develop via computer services like the Source, CompuServe, and Delphi. Our primary emphasis is on the sexual aspects of those relationships."

This service was text based and was accessed via whatever terminal program you used on your computer to dial in to Delphi’s servers. Many of these disks have forum messages, e-mails and chat session logs. All of this is pre-internet stuff and I don’t know if there are any archives in existence today of what was on Delphi in the 1980s. In any case, much of this stuff would have been private at the time and probably wouldn't exist in such archives even if they existed.

This post includes the contents of OCTDA.DOC and OCTPOL.DOC. These are announcements about various polls that can be voted on from October and November 1985. There is significant overlap but unique stuff in both.

See the previous post here.

===

OCTDA.DOC

===

                                                                                            

30-OCT  BRIEF POLLS & DATABASE

New in the Fantasies Database:  Party Time by Crosscuts

The Woman's Day polls have been submitted to the Database in the General
Information area.

New polls have been added by Rodm.  Please vote!


26-OCT  BRIEF TRANSCRIPTS

The transcripts of the Conference on Sex Magazines is now in the Open Forum
database.

The Conference on "Why Marry?" is now in the Open Forum database.

3-NOV  BRIEF TWO POLLS MOVED

The polls on the number of Sig Members and Teenagers Within The Sig have been
moved to the General Information Database.
 

=== OCTPOL.DOC ===

30-OCT  BRIEF POLLS & DATABASE

New in the Fantasies Database:  Party Time by Crosscuts

The Woman's Day polls have been submitted to the Database in the General
Information area.

New polls have been added by Rodm.  Please vote!


23-OCT  BRIEF SIG MEMBERS POLL

Be sure to cast your vote in the new poll titled "SIG MEMBERS."


19-OCT  BRIEF CO TIME POLL

Check out the new poll on conference time.  Let me know what time is best for 
you to be able to attend (without being late).  Thank you.

5-OCT  BRIEF WD POLLS

Please vote on the Woman's Day Polls #1 thru #7!

3-NOV  BRIEF TWO POLLS MOVED

The polls on the number of Sig Members and Teenagers Within The Sig have been
moved to the General Information Database.

Metroid (NES)

Metroid was one of the killer apps for the NES. This game is frequently ranked high on top 10 and top 100 lists. In terms of game play, it isn’t fundamentally different than 2D platformers like Super Mario Brothers. You run, jump and battle enemies in a 2D environment. The difference is that Metroid is more of an adventure game. The world is larger and more open ended and there is more of a process of discovery in that there are things to find, some of which must be found to complete the game. In other words, exploration is an important part of the game.

In Metroid, you play the role of Samus who is sent to destroy Mother Brain, the biomechanical creature that commands the Space Pirates. It seems that the Space Pirates have attacked a research vessel that was carrying parasitic life-forms discovered on another planet called Metroids (hence the name of the game). The Space Pirates intend to use these creatures as biological weapons.

There have been many sequels over the years. The original Metroid has been re-released a few times as well. The original Metroid is available as a bonus upon completing the 2004 game Metroid: Zero Mission for the Game Boy Advance. Metroid: Zero Mission itself was an enhanced remake of the original. There was also a standalone Game Boy Advance version released in 2004 as part of the Classic NES Series. In addition, the original Metroid was released for the Wii Virtual Console in 2007 and for the 3DS Virtual Console in 2012. This is definitely a must play game for all fans of video games and there are plenty of ways to give it a try.

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (217-220)

Most of the photos in this set were taken in the early 1970s.

The first photo was processed in June 1971 and is labeled 'Red Rocks Theatre Denver'.

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (217-220)

PC World (October 2001)

PC World was one of the most popular PC specific magazines for decades. The magazine began life in March 1983 and the last issue was published a little over 30 years later in 2013. It was still going strong in 2001 and the October 2001 issue includes:

PC World (October 2001)

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (213-216)

Vintage Photos - Lot 6 (213-216)

Commodore User (February 1990)

Commodore User (February 1990)

Dig Dug (1982)

Dig Dug (1982)

Dig Dug is an arcade game that was released by Namco in 1982. It was one of the immensely popular games during the golden age of arcade gaming. It was originally described as a "strategic digging game" and was pretty unique for the time and remains so today.

_Arcade

As the title character, you spend your time digging through the earth in order to defeat various enemies. This can be done in one of two ways. First, you can inflate them with a bike pump. It works as a sort of spear gun so this attack has a short range. Once impaled, You can inflate them until they explode or if left partially inflated (perhaps because you had to flee from another enemy) they will float harmlessly for a brief time. You can't move around during the inflation process so sometimes you have to cut and run. The other way you can kill enemies is by digging under a rock which would cause it to fall on any enemy following you. The longer a round lasts, the faster the enemies will move. Enemy speed also increases (as do the number of enemies) as the levels increase.

_{Atari 2600}

Dig Dug was hugely popular and has seen literally dozens of ports over the years. Initial ports included early video game systems like the Atari 2600 Intellivision as well as 8-bit computers like the Commodore 64 and Apple II. However, every generation of video games systems has seen a re-release of some kind of this game.

_{Commodore 64}

More recent releases of Dig Dug, which are mostly emulations or near arcade perfect ports with added features, include Namco Museum Vol 3 (1996 for the PlayStation), Namco Museum / Namco Museum 64 (1999 for the Nintendo 64, Dreamcast and Game Boy Advance), Namco Museum 50th Anniversary (2005 for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox), Namco Museum Remix (2007 for the Nintendo Wii), Namco Museum Essentials (2009 for the PlayStation 3) and Namco Museum Switch (2017 for the Nintendo Switch), and as a bonus in Pac-Man Party. It was also released as part of the Xbox Live Arcade series for the Xbox 360 and on Steam for Windows. There's probably a few I've missed.

_{Atari 8-bit}

There were also a few sequels that came along (including Dig Dug II) but these were not nearly as popular or as good. If you want to give Dig Dug a try than any of the releases above from 1996 or later are fine. The early home ports are good as well but they aren't going to give you an arcade perfect experience. The 8-bit computer versions or the later NES version are generally going to be better than the other 1980s console versions.