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The Game Genie is Magic

To celebrate Retro Tuesday today I am dialing the time machine back to awesome and talking about Galoob's magnificent Game Genie. Buckle up kids, the Game Genie allowed you to enter video game worlds you didn't know possible and often times more glitchy than before!

First time I was exposed to the Game Genie was when @WhiteboySlim showed it to me. It was a gold half cart that connected to the end of any Nintendo game. After you switched on the Nintendo a screen came up to enter a code and after the code was entered you could start the game. Game Genie came with a manual for how to essentially mod or cheat at a game. The only mod I remember was in Super Mario Brothers... Read All To celebrate Retro Tuesday today I am dialing the time machine back to awesome and talking about Galoob's magnificent Game Genie. Buckle up kids, the Game Genie allowed you to enter video game worlds you didn't know possible and often times more glitchy than before!

First time I was exposed to the Game Genie was when @WhiteboySlim showed it to me. It was a gold half cart that connected to the end of any Nintendo game. After you switched on the Nintendo a screen came up to enter a code and after the code was entered you could start the game. Game Genie came with a manual for how to essentially mod or cheat at a game. The only mod I remember was in Super Mario Brothers where Mario could jump really high. This allowed you to jump over the flag and if you did that and continued right, the map would continue without end.

Oh right, check out this awesome Game Genie commercial from the 80's. I remember this one as it was released during the Bill and Ted era and the commercial totally rides that 80's skateboard to paydirt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xi4m2qnZaY

The Game Genie manual recommended you try out random codes on games and see the effect. I remember us trying a bunch of random codes on Gradius and most of them scrambled the screen and other less awesome things. I am not sure if we hit pay dirt with any of the codes but it was fun trying things out. We always wrote them down in case we hit Genie gold so we could do it again.

Game Genie lives on in PC gaming now in that some games offer a console mode to change things if you desire. Proliferation of mods allow you take your game to a level Game Genie didn't, Skyrim being one modern example. That said, the ghost of Game Genie lives on in most emulators as all the major emulators support game genie codes.

Game Genie is one of those awesome things from the past that I don't see make the transition into the modern console era. In a world where console manufacturers are making systems more closed, a system to allow you to mod your game sanctioned by Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo seems unlikely. The openess of the PC system allows this but not as retroly awesome or one stop as the Game Genie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Genie
http://gamehacking.org/w/images/2/2a/Game_genie_nes_screen.png (the code screen)

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 08/14/2012 at 03:40pm

! comment I saw on the Game Genie commercial "For rich kids who sucked at video games

Travis Admin wrote on 08/14/2012 at 04:50pm

I hit paydirt with one. I managed to edit a known code for Ninja Gaiden to basically plow through everything without trying. Essentially, you stand next to something, and it's dead.

I loved the Game Genie. Not for the cheat factor, but because I felt like I was doing something that I shouldn't be able to. I WAS HACKING THE GAME.

Tungsten wrote on 08/14/2012 at 08:47pm

I loved it for the weird stuff: playing as the bad guys, replacing all of one sprite with another etc. You were able to actually make Shining Force II (my favorite game) a two player game, although with real intelligence, the enemy pretty much always won.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/15/2012 at 12:36am

I agree, the Game Genie was game modding / hacking! Never hit as much pay dirt as your guys, then again I never owned one just played it at other peoples houses.

Playing as bad guys sounds awesome, that kind of rings a bell but nothing comes to mind immediately. Would be kind of interesting to play Mario as a Goomba!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 01/25/2014 at 01:10am

I loved the Game Genie! I'm happy that I can still use one in an emulator, that and Pro Action Replay. I always found it more fun to play a game where I can't die, I know it sounds lame, but I just enjoyed many games much better that way.

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New Borderlands 2 trailer dropped this morning. This one

New Borderlands 2 trailer dropped this morning. This one features the villain Handsome Jack and showcases a little of the four playable classes.

Can't wait to head back to Pandora. Thinking of playing the Gunzerker or Assassin at launch. What class will you roll?

Decided to treat myself to playing more Skyrim this evening.

Decided to treat myself to playing more Skyrim this evening. As I was walking around I noticed a Dragon flying around and breathing fire on something so I decided to investigate. I snuck up on the Dragon and started attacking it and then I was dead. Apparently something one hit killed me and as my death animation was happening I noticed the club of a Giant. Apparently the Dragon was fighting a Giant. I had saved right before I came up on the Dragon so I held back and watched the fight. I snapped a few screen shots and the Dragon was easily bested by the Giant. Not wanting to waste the Dragon's death, I snuck up and nabbed the Dragon's scales, bones and then nabbed its... Read All

jaelte wrote on 08/13/2012 at 08:21am

Yes. You can stash gear in your houses. Once you buy a house, you can also purchase upgrades for various rooms, which sometimes include weapon/armor racks for display purposes. Those are great when you have gear that looks cool/ridiculous that's no longer worth wearing.

Travis Admin wrote on 08/13/2012 at 02:13pm

The first house you get will almost definitely be Whiterun, and you only get one chest by default (if I recall correctly). You'll definitely want to purchase upgrades for it so you can segment things out into different containers.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 08/13/2012 at 02:21pm

With house upgrades you can smith and do alchemy (alchemize?) along with stashing your stuff. It's also handy for stashing a spouse.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 08/13/2012 at 02:22pm

I didn't read the previous comments thoroughly, but oh well :)

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/13/2012 at 03:06pm

Thanks everyone, I have 3.5k gold now and I need 5k for the house. I am going to save up in the next few sessions for it so hopefully I can get it soon.

Looking forward to stashing a spouse in the house.... with a mouse. In Skyrim.

Travis Admin wrote on 08/13/2012 at 08:11pm

Before you know it, you'll have hundreds of thousands of gold with very little to do with it. I just started thinking of it as another progress indicator, like level.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/14/2012 at 05:11am

Awesome. Hopefully I can find a way to have that spill over IRL! I wonder, could I hook up a 3D printer to Skyrim to transfer my in game gold to real life?

Wait no, all 3D printers do is make sweet statues right now.

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In the didyoueverplaythat category: Little Big Adventure

http://holyfile.com/upload/screenshot2621-2.gif

In the didyoueverplaythat category: Little Big Adventure 2

I asked for this for Christmas at some point before the age of 16, having played the original Little Big Adventure. Originally a french game I believe, it never got much exposure here in the states. My father had to go to three or four stores to find it, but I'm glad he did.

The game is a true action adventure, kind of like a semi-isometric zelda with more humor and story elements, along with a few Monkey-Island esque puzzles. It's on GoG.com if you have $6 to kill and don't mind a game from the very early 3D era.

So... didyoueverplaythat?

I know many players are looking to Blizzard to fix many of

I know many players are looking to Blizzard to fix many of the problems Diablo 3 shipped with to make it a more fun experience. Today, Blizzard dropped some details on the upcoming 1.0.4 patch meant to address many of the issues plaguing players right now. I delved through the post and am bringing you the best bits from my perspective:

You will get your individual gold find and magic find in co-op games. They averaged the ability with your party which led to decreased drops when you played with friends compared to what you could get soloing.

They are lowering the health multiplier for monsters in co-op games. Hopefully this makes co-op games less brutal and more fun.

... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 08/10/2012 at 07:08pm

This will make me come back. It seems that they focus too much on making it easier, rather than making it less frustrating, though. Those aren't the same. Invulnerable minions was fine, just not with some of the other crazy things.

In addition to increasing legendary drops, they're also buffing the stats on legendaries to make them more, well, legendary. Can't wait to see the further changes to legendaries.

hardeyez wrote on 08/10/2012 at 11:08pm

Yeah, I might come back after this, if drops improve and the time spent doesn't feel like a waste (like it does now, I haven't upgraded my equipment since about 4 acts ago...) and the repair costs stop bankrupting me :)

Chowda wrote on 08/10/2012 at 11:28pm

This is only one update of several coming from the dev team. I think we'll see 5-7 blog posts in total detailing the changes. They are definitely saying the right things! Let's hope they deliver and sooner than later.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/11/2012 at 05:30am

I agree, looking forward to the next posts about it to drop.

Tungsten wrote on 08/11/2012 at 02:52pm

Looks good. Still really waiting for PVP. Nerfing the leet packs will make HC a little less... scary as hell.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/11/2012 at 06:04pm

Agreed. Still in Nightmare act 3 though.

Travis Admin wrote on 08/12/2012 at 12:43am

Hell is a lot of fun. Inferno is just brutal for my tastes though. I think they could keep the difficulty where it is, but simplify and improve item drops and elite packs (which they are doing) to make Inferno seem less of a chore. I am really looking forward to getting back into Inferno when 1.4 comes around.

Tungsten wrote on 08/12/2012 at 05:10am

Random Suggestion: What about a horde mode? Just stick a group in an arena and sick elite packs on 'em until they crack.

Travis Admin wrote on 08/12/2012 at 05:43am

That would be loads of fun. I love the jar of souls event but thought it ended just when it was getting good. I figured it would at least end with an elite pack.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/12/2012 at 06:11am

That kind of mode would be fun. See how many rounds one could survive. Kind of like ut2004.

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A popular video game site recently wrote an article about

A popular video game site recently wrote an article about everything they knew about Borderlands 2. Its a really great high level primer on Salvador The Gunzerker, Maya The New Siren, Zero the Assassin and Axton the Soldier. It also goes into detail a bit about the arch villain Handsome Jack and the other enemies you will fight this time around on Pandora.

If you have read everything ive posted on Borderlands 2 so far, not much is new, but if you missed a few posts and want a good view of what the game will be, you should check it out.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2012/08/08/everything-about-borderlands-2.aspx

Picked up this gem out of the bin at a GoodWill today. Even

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7CWtrFuiqMM/Trf8dd2s9BI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/ozuFgEG0XMQ/s1600/civilization33.jpg

Picked up this gem out of the bin at a GoodWill today. Even if I only get through one complete game it will be well worth the $1.99

Timogorgon Member wrote on 08/09/2012 at 11:14pm

Wow! Nice find for a bargain bin. I usually only find terrible shovelware games in the bargain bins.

Travis Admin wrote on 08/09/2012 at 11:55pm

You gotta love Goodwill finds. That's a particularly good one!

jdodson Admin wrote on 08/10/2012 at 12:51am

I have it as well. Tried my hand at it a few times. It's pretty hard. Let me know how you fairs and if you have any hints.

Tungsten Post Author wrote on 08/10/2012 at 01:16pm

This was a good one. It had StarCraft, Diablo II, and Total Annihilation (best RTS ever) . I would have gotten Total Annihilation instead, but it was missing the second disc. I'm pretty sure you could play it without it, but I didn't want to risk the $2. :)

jdodson Admin wrote on 08/10/2012 at 06:48pm

I believe I have Total Annihilation on GoG and should try it out as I have heard awesome things about it.

Tungsten Post Author wrote on 08/11/2012 at 04:20pm

If you do have it, find the 5000 unit patch. Trust me, it makes the game... epic.

jdodson Admin wrote on 08/11/2012 at 06:05pm

Really? Cool. I got it for like $10 with a few other games once so I have it and will check that out.

Tungsten Post Author wrote on 08/12/2012 at 02:43am

I just picked it up (for the 4th time?) off of GoG. Couldn't resist the temptation.

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I couldnt resist posting this picture!

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/304725_518656818151763_1828683181_n.jpg

I couldn't resist posting this picture!

Recently Blizzard updated Starcraft to version 1.5 and

Recently Blizzard updated Starcraft to version 1.5 and changed the UI and added several interesting features. Snipped from the article:

"Patch 1.5.0 Arcade has finally arrived, and it brings sweeping changes to the Battle.net experience. The new Arcade offers the StarCraft community an exciting new way to discover, rate, and play a wide array of community and Blizzard created games, as well as a plethora of options that will help you swiftly find the kinds of experiences you’re looking for. Meanwhile, the StarCraft menu has consolidated all the competitive and cooperative StarCraft II gameplay you’re familiar with into one easy to navigate place. With the new Battle.net... Read All

Blizzard dropped Diablo 3 profiles today. The profile for

Blizzard dropped Diablo 3 profiles today. The profile for my most recent character, a Barb by the name of Discipline is shotted above.

Here is the profile for my account:

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/jdodson-1332/

This is my highest level character, Snuggy Bunny a Witch Doctor:

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/jdodson-1332/hero/3331502

Snipped from the D3 site:

"View your heroes’ gear, stats, and skills. How high have you raised your characters’ attributes? What are they wielding in each slot? What are their most prominent gear bonuses? What skills comprise their current build? Nuance awaits you in the Heroes tab.

Track your game progress. How many acts have you... Read All

Tungsten wrote on 08/07/2012 at 03:34pm

Here's mine:

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/Tungsten-1411/hero/24042013

Not the highest level, but it's my highest HC Character (hence the 13k HP)

hardeyez wrote on 08/07/2012 at 11:45pm

http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/Hardeyez-1191/ with my 2 chars (the DH is mine, the witch dr is my daughter's)

hardeyez wrote on 08/07/2012 at 11:54pm

oh and here's insano chowda's http://us.battle.net/d3/en/profile/chowda-1109/ he's spent WAY too much time on it... :)

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/08/2012 at 02:06am

Tungsten: Like how many of your char names are Steaks! :)

Hardeyez: Cool. Looks like we don't create many characters either. I only have 3 and its because I didn't like the Female Barb's voice, rolled a dude.

Tungsten wrote on 08/08/2012 at 09:45pm

I decided to name all of my HC characters after meat. Helps me get into the frame of mind that they could die at any time. Kind of macabre.

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