Kids today don’t know what they’re missing.

Sure, that’s something that every generation says as they get older, but in its own way, it’s true. And while there are new things to fill that void for younger generations, it is rare to find a true sense of overlap between the old and the new.

In this case, what the youth of today are missing out on is the arcade scene. Sure, there are places like Dave & Busters (which are relatively rare, what with only 55 establishments spread across the continent), or a themed shack at an amusement park. You might even find some old rundown and mislabeled games sitting around a bus terminal, but those aren’t the same as what many were able to experience throughout the 80s and 90s.

Once upon a time, arcades were glorious, joyous places that were as easy to find as your nearest shopping mall. In fact, it sometimes seemed as though malls were legally required to have at least one arcade in them up until the turn of the century.

Arcades were frequently darkened places, lit up primarily by the glowing marquees and flashing screens of dozens of upright video game machines featuring titles both old and new. Screens boasting the high scores of the very best the local populace had to offer would be accompanied by the booming soundtracks and effects of every game in the vicinity, all competing for your attention, and through that, your quarters.

Sure, some would host skee ball, air hockey, or other such games which added to the lights and sounds of the atmosphere, but the video games were what it was all about. Together, they produced a delightful symphony of chaotic stimulation which all seemed to come together to input one thought into a young mind: fun. It was like the then-contemporary version of being a kid in a candy store.

But as years went on and home video game consoles became more and more advanced, the arcade scene has gradually faded out– particularly in North America; Japan’s have seen better days, but they still have a better one than we do right now. What is left rarely provides anything new or exciting any more, while the classics have seen better days… days when it didn’t cost a dollar for one round at a game made in 1982.

In short, the impact just isn’t the same. Could the sensation of playing a game in an arcade ever truly return? Would it?

Fast forward to today, as Bandai Namco has set out to recreate the arcade experience at home with its Namco Generations line of titles. After years of trying to change their classic franchises to fit what seemed big at the time– just look at any of the numerous Pac-Man spin-offs– they have returned to looking at what made those games great in the first place, and gone on to enhance them in such a way as to appeal to fans both new and old.

Though the Namco Generations line would officially begin in 2010′s Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, its roots would go back to 2007′s original Pac-Man Championship Edition, which itself would be followed by the original Galaga Legions. And much as the original Pac-Man Championship Edition was further evolved into its DX sequel, so too was Galaga Legions.

Common throughout all four games is the aesthetic. While Super Mario Bros. helped break the medium away from black screens with its blue skies, Namco Generations brings them back, with graphics rendered in neon colors which simply pop and manage to evoke that same sense of vibrant glowing which filled the arcades the original titles debuted in back in the early 80s. In the case of the Galaga titles, this is further enhanced by different space-themed backgrounds which race by as you blast wave after wave of incoming insects, the eponymous Galaga.

This is accompanied by a techno-infused soundtrack which manages to pump out plenty of bass, with laser and explosion sound effects which seem to boom forth from your television. Together, these make the Namco Generations titles feel like you’re back in the arcade, only with a more modern twist. Leaderboards and Achievements help round out the sensation, as you can play to see who is not only the best in your circle of friends, but the world at large.

It’s almost surreal, in a way. Bizarre Creations, the creators of Geometry Wars, were basically doing something very similar when they released their games, but something about Galaga Legions DX and the rest of Namco Generations just feels so much more complete. Whereas Bizarre managed to create something which felt like it upheld the tradition of classic arcade shooters, Bandai Namco feels almost as though they have reinvented it, as playing one of the Generations games feels much like the first time one stepped up to a Pac-Man or Galaga arcade machine.

Speaking to this game specifically, Galaga Legions DX sacrifices a few aspects of its predecessor, but it gains so much more.

For starters, one should note that Galaga Legions itself is a significant departure from the original Galaga. Rather than firing one single shot after another at lines of space-bugs as they attempt to close in on you for the kill, Galaga Legions has you firing a rapid stream of lasers as wave after wave of bugs come on-screen, following neon trails which give you a clue of how they will be moving.

There is even an option to simply have your ship constantly fire automatically, which comes in handy. You also have two invincible “satellite” guns, which can be placed and positioned in various spots on the screen by tapping the right analog stick in one of four directions, leading to a bit of optional strategy as you determine the best way to engage the next swarm of Galaga.

Galaga Legions DX follows the same premise as its predecessor, but changes how you engage the enemy. Gone is the automatic fire, and rather than being able to position the two satellite guns around the screen, they instead operate in two configurations, which you can toggle between with a click of the shoulder button/bumpers.

The Blue Satellite “power” configuration is called “Focus Fire,” and true to its name, focuses all of your firepower in a single direction, which you can move in 360 degrees around your ship with the right analog stick. The Red Satellite is known as “Diffuse Fire,” and is considered the “skill” configuration; your satellites move independently around the ship, with a central laser always firing upward. With Diffuse Fire, you can fire in three different directions at once, which is handy as Galaga begin to swarm in from both sides. No matter which you prefer, it is best to master using both, as there will be times when not switching to the right configuration can spell death.

There is only one power-up in the game, which tends to come at the last level of an area, or throughout a Championship mode match. Some earlier titles in the series contained a feature where one of the Galaga would swoop in and “capture” one of your ships; by defeating the bug with your next ship, you could free the original, and the two would unite side-by-side, giving you two shots at once.

In Galaga Legions/DX, blasting away at a black hole-like orb on the screen won’t get you an extra ship, but instead somehow convert a whole swarm of Galaga to your side, where they will move according to the formation of your satellites, unleashing a barrage of blasts upon the enemy. Of course, these guys aren’t invincible, and can easily be worn down by the opposing Galaga if one isn’t careful. Even so, the rush of having that much firepower on your side is exhilarating.

It may go without saying, but the game does not really have much of a story, though some of the neat effects and sound bytes could easily lead one to believe otherwise. Galaga Legions DX is about getting the highest score you can, and doing that is a little trickier than one might think. Rather than simply blasting as many bugs as you can, your goal is to try to wipe them out as quickly as you can. This is accomplished by finding and taking out certain Galaga, whose destruction can eliminate large masses of the enemy swarm.

Beyond those gameplay differences, the biggest changes to Galaga Legions DX are that it is bigger, has more options, and is ultimately… more forgiving, truth be told.

Whereas the original Galaga Legions had five areas to complete, DX features nine. The original game had two modes, Adventure and Championship, with the former allowing you to clear one area after the next, and Championship allowing you to try for the best score in any one of those five you wish.

Unfortunately, DX forgoes the Adventure Mode, which makes the computer voice announcing that you’re “moving on to the next area” seem a little out of place, as actually moving on to the next area requires you to back up a couple of screens to select a different one to take on. Even so, you are presented with nine areas to take on, a Championship mode, and even a Time Trial Mode, in which you can race to clear the Galaga from any single stage of any area, including Championship, in the best possible time.

A more recent, but temporary, addition is the “Championship Score Attack Tournament,” which takes place from November 11th to November 22nd, 2011.

Galaga Legions DX goes beyond the original in other aspects, too. One which should be familiar to fans of Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is the “slowdown” feature, which basically slows everything on the screen down when danger is immediately imminent. In addition, you have three levels of difficulty to choose from for each area, and while the Easy mode tones things down a bit from the original Galaga Legions‘ sole difficulty level, it still has its challenging moments, especially as you ascend to higher-numbered areas. And if that wasn’t enough, you can also destroy shots fired by the enemy here, too.

Together, these two features make Galaga Legions DX a more ideal introductory game than the original. In fact, combined with the new weapons layout, it can make playing the original Galaga Legions seem even more challenging when you return to it.

The last big addition is an aesthetic one: While the original Galaga Legions featured three different skins to choose from (including one modern and two retro-themed), DX has a whopping seven, with the modern style, five representing various games from the series’ history, and a recently-added “Namco” skin. This is a particularly fun one, as your spaceship is replaced by a laser-shooting Pac-Man, with two smaller Pac-Men acting as his satellites as you blast away at legions of ghosts.

Better still is that the further you go with this skin, the more you see characters from other classic Namco titles pop up, each with the same neon glow as the other characters seen in the Namco Generations titles. In fact, it leaves us wondering when Bandai Namco plans to give Dig Dug the same treatment Pac-Man and Galaga have received.

In the end, Galaga Legion DX is a terrific throwback to when arcades ruled, and provides an addictive gotta-shoot-em-all experience to boot. You’ll find yourself drawn in as you constantly blast away at an enemy who never seems to end, looking for that weak link which will completely ruin their attack.

It’s also worth noting that much like Pac-Man Championship Edition and Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, Galaga Legions and Galaga Legions DX provide fairly different experiences built around the same premise. If you’re new to the series and have to choose one, DX is the way to go, but once you’ve mastered that, the original Legions may make a worthwhile additional investment.

Finally, on a personal note: If you have never been a fan of the original Galaga, even after playing it, don’t be too quick to write this game off. I was never a very big fan of Galaga either, but I fell in love with Legions, and DX is even better still. At the very least, it’s worth downloading and trying the free demo.

This review is based on the Xbox LIVE Arcade version of Galaga Legions DX provided to the reviewer by Bandai Namco.

“I Am Error” is a new feature in which our very own Wesley Johnson will pick a few games along a theme, discuss them here on the site, and then record a podcast later in the month about those games. That’s where you come in! We want your own thoughts on the game either here in the comments or via email so we can discuss them on the new show. – Ed. note

Younger gamers may be under the impression that the world of rock music and video games first met in Guitar Hero. Well, listen here, whippersnappers: that’s completely untrue! Real-life rocknrollers have been appearing in video games since the early 80s. In this month’s “I Am Error,” we take a look at three examples of the aforementioned unholy union – Journey: The Arcade Game, The Thompson Twins Adventures and Revolution X.

If you’ve played these games in the past or have a way to play them now, please do so and email us your thoughts on them. Or you can leave a comment about your experiences below. We’ll talk about our time with each title and yours on a the upcoming companion podcast to this feature.

Journey: The Arcade Game

In 1984, the band Journey went their “separate ways”, at least until the mid-90s. Thankfully, fans missing the rock were able to fill the void with Journey: The Arcade Game, which released the year before the hiatus began.

This release, much like every other video game in the 80′s, had a simple premise – you must visit five alien planets to recover Journey’s stolen musical instruments. You play as a different band member on each of the planets; once you recover the instrument used by your playable character, you select another. The character designs all had the same body with a different black and white headshot or Steve Perry & Co. on each of them. Realism!

Once all the instruments are collected, you’re treated to a virtual concert of Journey performing “Separate Ways.” The music you hear during this segment is a looped version of the track played from a cassette player housed inside the arcade cabinet. Want to check out the ending without going through the trouble of playing the game? Check this out:

The Thompson Twins Adventure

The year after Journey: The Arcade Game first emerged, The Thompson Twins Adventure released. In this graphical text adventure for the ZX Spectrum, you accompany the group, whom you may remember for the hit “Doctor! Doctor!”, on a quest to, well, find a doctor. Why exactly do they need a doctor? According to a few online sources, it’s never actually stated, though it appears to involve hallucinations. Why are they hallucinating? Judging from a few photos of the way the Thompson Twins dressed, it appears to involve drugs.

One interesting tidbit about this title: it was one of the only (or the only) video games released on vinyl. To play the game, ZX Spectrum owners had to record the vinyl to an audio-cassette and then hook their tape players up to the computer. Good thinking, Thompson Twins! (wired.com)

Revolution X

Midway’s Revolution X, our last game of the month, came to the arcades in 1994 and was ported to consoles shortly thereafter by Acclaim. The game was a light gun rail shooter featuring the music and likeness of Aerosmith, a band I’m fairly certain few arcade-dwellers dug at the time of its release. Set in a dystopian 1996, Revolution X puts players in the shoes of someone attending an illegal Aerosmith concert. The New Order Nation (N.O.N.), an evil conglomerate responsible for outlawing most youth-friendly entertainment, catches wind of the concert and sends their troops in to kidnap Aerosmith. Armed with a trusty gun that shoots CDs, you embark on a mission to save Aerosmith and end N.O.N.’s tyrannical reign.

Supposedly Midway had plans to make a sequel using Public Enemy, but felt part one wasn’t successful enough to warrant a sequel. This information came from Wikipedia, so that’s a mighty big “supposedly.”

This article was originally published on InsulinFunk.net.

In a real life fight, some people will scratch, claw, bite, and pull hair in order to win. They will use whatever tools will give them an advantage, regardless of how unfair it might be. These are the type of people whose first move in combat will always be the kick to the groin. These are the type of people that always have an over-shield in Halo or an RCP 90 in Goldeneye.

To some, they are cheap bastards, to others they are simply taking advantage of what the game provides.

I have seen battles between people that exploit every advantage the game provides and those that try to play the game with a sense of honor. It often leads to harsh words, ill will, and punches in the arm. Neither one understands how the other can play that way.

When I play an FPS, I subscribe to a martial code. I do not abuse body armor or rocket launchers. I do not camp out at spawn points. I don’t steal a couple kills when the phone rings and you have to put the controller down. I would rather die an honorable death than win unfairly.

To some people this makes me honorable. To others it just makes me an idiot.

I often feel like I am playing a different game than everyone else. I don’t want games to be about finding the overpowered weapon or the perch no one else can see or hit. I want games to be a test of skill; either I beat you or you beat me. I want to win because I am better than you. I want you to win because you are better than me. I don’t want to have to worry that I only won because my gun does three times the damage of yours or you won because you had armor that let you absorb more punishment than me. I don’t understand the thrill of spamming an unblockable move over and over or making your kills with an overpowered weapon.

I grew up in the halcyon days when an arcade was still a viable business. Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat sucked up hundreds of my quarters. You would put in your quarter and start battling. Gamers would put their quarters up on the screen to signify they “got next”. Sometimes there would be a line of people waiting to take you on. There was something so satisfying about crushing a line of guys. Other times you would see a gaming Titan obliterating all comers. You would see guys that were so good that it was worth 25 cents just to watch them annihilate you.

There was still trash talking, but it was kept to a minimum because there was no anonymity. If you were a jerk you had to do it to a guy standing 6 inches to your right. You wouldn’t dream of talking trash to the 25 year old on his lunch break who smelled like cigarettes and weed. I hear kids on Xbox Live cursing up a storm and I wonder,  “Would they be like this if they were 6 inches to my right, staring 2 feet up at my chin?” Sure, people still abused glitches and unfair advantages (Guile’s Slow Sonic Boom to throw move for one), but it felt like that was the exception rather than the rule. Because again, you had to do it to the guy 6 inches to your right.

I hear kids talk about Care Package cheats and the mods they got for their controllers and I feel like they’re missing the point. A victory attained through cheating just feels hollow and empty. If you beat someone by cheating did you really win? Or did your modified controller win?

No game has achieved perfect balance. There is always that one weapon or character or move that is a little too powerful. There will always be people that will exploit that weapon to achieve victory. Maybe they’ll read this and think twice about spawn camping. Maybe they won’t pick up that rocket launcher when the other guy has a pistol.

More likely, they will be invisible with an over-shield, hiding in a hole in the games geometry, reveling in their victory, completely oblivious that they did anything wrong.

“Friday Old Games” is a series of articles in which we review a game from the older generations of consoles, share why we picked it, and whether or not it holds up with time.

The first thing that sets Paperboy apart from other games of it’s day is the story. Paperboy isn’t out to save a princess and he isn’t trying to save the world. He is just a guy trying to do his job.

Paperboy’s only goal is to deliver to his fellow townsfolk their newspaper. Sure he might knock over a few headstones, or break a window or two, but he is just a kid trying to earn a little money. I like to imagine that Paperboy is saving up to take his dream girl out for a night on the town.

The goal of the game is simple: deliver papers to your customers. You get more points for getting the paper in the mailbox and bonus points for destroying the stuff of non-customers.

Your delivery route takes you down the most dangerous street in the world. Battle hardened soldiers would hesitate before venturing down this street, and the protagonist is no Captain America. You face countless obstacles from dogs, crazy old ladies, r.c. cars, tornadoes, breakdancers, even Death himself. It is like stepping into the “Hurt Locker,” you’re just waiting for something to pop out and kill you. At the end of the street is a training course where you can hit jumps and throw papers through targets for more points. Performing well on the training course is a key part of getting high scores.

The game forces you to strike a balance between speed and caution. If you go too fast you won’t have time to dodge the dozens of obstacles in your path. If you go too slow a little dog or little old lady will most likely chase you down from behind. I like to go a little faster than is probably sensible and chuck the papers as I fly by. I pretty much rely on providence to insure that my papers make it to the mailbox.

"Things were quiet. A little TOO quiet."

Why did I pick this game?

This was one of those old school games that I grew to appreciate over the years. When I was a kid I didn’t understand the simple genius of the premise. I was also put off by the game’s brutal difficulty. It wasn’t until I married my wife that I really played Paperboy for any length of time. It was her favorite game when she was growing up so we had to play it. I went out and found a Midway Arcade Collection and she insisted we play on hard. Playing Paperboy on hard is like standing in a circle of runes and calling out the names of ancient sleeping Lovecraftian gods. It’s not going to end well.

Even though I died a lot and reset numerous times (and might have yelled at the television once or twice) I still had a fun time. There is something about Paperboy that makes me want to go for a perfect run. I convince myself that I am always on the verge of perfection. If only I hadn’t ran into the r.c. car or the little old lady hadn’t surprised me, I could make it all the way to Sunday. It is that feeling of always being on the cusp of greatness that keeps me coming back.

Is it worth playing now?

Captain America and I highly recommend this game. Paperboy did receive a couple of updates and sequels, but none of them ever seemed to quite capture the magic of the original release. I recommend either tracking down an old NES copy or picking up a Midway Arcade Treasures. Or if you have one of those newfangled next gen systems you can download it.

"Mappy is Clearly Evil"

Editor’s Note – The following is a story as my shaky memory recalls it from my childhood. All factual errors are due to mankind’s ongoing struggle against an imperfect mind.

Around the time that Jesse started grade school, our mom finally noticed just how much he had been playing the NES. It was a LOT. Basically, any waking moment that he could get his grubby little mits on it, he would throw down with some “Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!”.

The rule was put in place that he was only allowed to play on the weekends. The up side was that we had just found a video store that did 99cent rentals on all their NES cartridges. For a couple years, we had a great time trying out lots of different games. Usually they were ones we saw in Nintendo Power or EGM, but every once in a while, we would choose something completely at random that caught our eye.

I can’t remember which one of us decided to pick up “Mappy-Land”, the console-only sequel to the arcade game, but I’m pretty sure it was Jesse. We booted up the game to find a cheesy platformer in which you were a cartoon mouse trying to collect ice cream cones or other various objects depending on the level, then reach the end of the stage with said collected objects. When you got to the end of the level, if you hadn’t collected every single ice cream cone, or didn’t do it fast enough, you would get a message that said, “Sorry Mappy, but you are late for the Birthday Party.” Replace “Birthday Party” with various other obligations the mouse-cop was probably dreading attending in the first place and you get the gist of what was a terrible game.

The next game we put in did not boot. Instead, the console would reset over and over again.

Nowadays, we know that replacing the PIN connector on an NES is a cheap and simple way to make it run like new again. As kids, we knew nothing about that. All we knew was that from the time we rented “Mappy-Land” onward, our NES never worked the same. Looking back, it was probably just a dirty cartridge, being a rental, but we could rarely get it to boot up in such a way where it wouldn’t get stuck in a reset loop.

For years, we hated Mappy and all (both) of his gaming titles, blaming him for the destruction of our beloved console. Even today, we joke about how horrible his crimes against our gaming youth were. The moral of the story is, keep your gaming gear in good condition so you don’t have your own “Mappy Incident”.