I am using this space to rant and rave about my feelings about videogames, and the videogame industry as a whole. I will try to include a new letter at least once a month, but sometimes I may not be able to do so.

l welcome all comments and critisms of my writings, and will post the responses near the the original letter. You can respond to any letter, from any month. It doesn't have to be from the current month. So read below, I'd be very interested to know what you think if you have a comment.

I really don't have a subject for this editorial. Basically, I am writing to let you know what's up with this site, and what I have been doing with it lately.

Well, we have a new web provider.... again!!!... The web provider I raved about before (Fresh 3D) has fizzled out for me. I'm not sure what happened. I was able to upload files, then all the sudden I couldn't. I didn't make any changes in my program, so I'm certain the problem was on their end. I have written no less then 3 letters, and have not recieved a reply. So, the site has now been moved again to "Fortune City". This provider limits my space to about 20 MB, but I expect it to be totally reliable. Right now, were at about 10 MB, so we have a little room to grow. After that, we may have to move. We should be good for a year or so though.

Lately, I have been playing "Star Wars: Episode 1 - Racer". This game is totally cool!!! Especially, for an N64 title. Gotta tell ya, this is the fastest racer I've ever played. No shooting, but the speed is incredible. This game already ranks as one of my all time favorite games. Additionally, I've been playing "Blast Radius", "Moto Toon GP", "Lords of the Realm 2" and "Doom 2". I recently bought "Super Smash Bros." also, but I haven't played it yet. As you can probably tell, most of these games are old, but I've been on a kick of playing older games lately. Expect reviews of Smash Bros., Racer, and Moto Toon GP.

If you view this site much, you'll notice some sections take awhile before they get updated. I'm sorry about this, but I have no choice. As a whole, the site is being updated almost daily. Problem is that it's got so big, that keeping up with all the sections is impossible for me. Right now, I am the main contributer to this site. The others on the title credits contributed at first, but soon left for other pursuits. I do get some help from readers, but I am the only one working on this full time now. Another problem is that I like to play games more then review them. I do not rush reviews in any way shape or form. You can be 100% certain my reviews are only given after ample playtime, but you can't be certain they will be quick. Still, there is alot of material on this site, and should be useful to anyone who loves video games.

Well, I better go now. Episode 1 racer is calling me!! I just love that game!!!

The recent announcment of the "Playstation 2" (or PSY, or whatever it's being called) has caused many to label the Sega Dreamcast effectively DOA (Dead on arival). The Playstation 2 is supposed to be 20 times as powerful as the Dreamcast, and many don't feel Sega has a chance. Personally, I believe these nay-sayers to be in grave error. I won't go into system specifications in this letter, but I will say why I think Sega will succeed, and make speculations as to the future of this excellent new system.

Sony's claim of being 20 times more powerful may or may not be true. On paper, it certainly looks like the case. You must remember though, at the current time, this system could really just be vaporware. Yes, it is true that Sony has shown some pretty awesome looking demos, but remember, these are just demos. They are not actual games, or even games in progress for that matter of fact.

Consider this: It takes pretty close to a year for a developer to produce a decent game for almost any platform. You must also consider the fact that games are released in Japan  6 months to 1 year before they are released in the USA. So, if we use the same time scale for Playstation 2, it would be almost 2 years before a US release, and that assumes that the developers were given the development kits right now, or very very soon (which I don't believe is going to happen). Yet another thing to consider, is the fact that most game corporations choose to release their systems just before the busy holiday season (Usually around September). This adds another delay. To me, it doesn't look like we will see a US release of Playstation 2 anytime before September 2001 (despite what Sony may claim now). If they do, it will not be a decent release with loads of quality software like everyone is hoping. Third parties simply will need more time. So, if I am correct in this thinking, Sega will have a 2 year lead time in the US. Plenty of time to establish itself as a dominate (if not dominating) force in the videogaming world.

In my opinion, Sony is just throwing out figures to ward off the early Dreamcast adopters. Much in the way (I feel) Nintendo did with the N64. Remember what happened with the N64?? Delay after delay after delay!!! (or, rather a marketing ploy to keep people from buying another 32/64 bit gaming system. Again, this is only an opinion, especially since I don't want a Nintendo lawsuit for defaming them or something). If I am not mistaken, the N64 was released 2 years after I first heard of it's intended release date. What I'm saying is this: Sega still has a great deal of time to re-establish itself before the superior Playstation 2 is launched.

Did I just say the Playstation  2 was superior? Yes, I did, and I believe it to be true. Only a moron would believe that Sony (or any other company for that matter) would release a inferior system given the extra development time that they have. Personally, I believe that Sony is not even making a system for the same generation as Sega. I think they are gonna bypass a generation, and use the lead time to up the technology considerably. This doesn't mean they are in-herently superior. Sega will do the same thing to them a few years after the PSY is released. It's the nature of the business. One will always be more powerful, and that one will probably always alternate between the major players.

You must remember. Sony still has a long way to go. They still have to produce cost effective (reliable) chips, get out development sets, teach programmers how to use the system, and a host of other things. I can promise you one thing. Even if the system is released relatively quickly, it will be many years before it can realize it's true potential. That is if the system comes in at anything close to it's current specifications (which do tend to change). Given the fact that the Dreamcast will be on it's second (or 3rd, 4th, 5th, ect..) generation of titles before the PSY is released, and given the fact that there will be a steap learning curve for the Playstation 2, I really believe it will be a long time before the PSY games look and play significantly better then Dreamcast (Maybe 3 or more years from now).

The Dreamcast still has a great chance of success given this enourmous lead time (I'm telling you, the PSY won't be here in a year. Mark my words!!!) it has. Another factor that really helps is that the Dreamcast is very easy to program, and to port PC titles to. PC developers won't miss their chance to make more money. Many many developers will be porting their PC titles to the Dreamcast because it will be cheap, and easy. Sega knew this when they aligned themselves with Microsoft (By using the Microsoft CE operating system), and it was a very wise choice indeed.

I believe Sega will be a major player in the 128 bit wars. It may not mow Sony over, but it will be a decent running mate. They could blow it still, but I hardly think so. The choices they are making now show they are putting much effort to ensure the Dreamcasts success.

To me it really seems that Sony is trying to do Sega, what they (and others) did to the Atari Jaguar. They hyped their upcoming (far upcoming) systems to the max, to stop people from buying the current technically superior hardware. Remember the Jaguar? It was technically way ahead of everything else for at least 1 1/2 years. Tempest 2000 was simply awesome!!!!!!! It easilly beat everything the current competors had to offer (3DO, SNES, Sega CD, 32X) with it's mind blowing visuals, awesome sound, and near perfect gameplay. This game is what the Jaguar was capable of. It was ahead of it's time, and should've been a great system for years to come. The hype surronding the yet to be released systems, and some bad choices from Atari in the past, forever killed it's chances of success. Had the system been left alone to stand on it's true merits, I'm sure it would've succeeded.

Well, it doesn't matter how good hardware is, bad press can still kill a system. However, unlike the Jaguar, I believe the Dreamcast will succeed. Sega has put some real thought into this system, and the strategy looks quite stable. (Sega should know what to do, especially since it's failed so much in recent years.)

Right now, Sony is confident, but I think a little too confident. Sega has a great system, they are sure to have a large decent library of games, and have a good lead time at any rate. I don't know about you, but I'll be one of the first to buy a Sega Dreamcast!!!!!!!

If you have been paying attention to my writings lately, you know that this site has been off to a slow start this year. If you haven't, then I'll give ya a brief update.

Basically, for some un-known reason, my life has been very un-stable and filled with problems this past year. First it was legal problems, then it was marriage problems, then I had to move (several times), and last but not least, I need to find a new web provider (for the second time).

Most of these problems have ended for me now. The legal issues are about finished (I think), The marriage is back on track (I think), I have moved into a new house, and I have finally found a reliable web provider. I understand this, as I have always believed that "what goes down, must come up"!! or, something like that  :)

Anyway...

Several months ago, I ran out of web space, and needed to find a place to move this site. The generous folks at "Riftwar.com" provided me 10 free MB of space to host my site. I was quite happy, and went through the process of moving it. For a while I thought I was all set to resume normal updates. Well, I was wrong. Riftwar, which would be a great choice for smaller sites, was not too good for this site. It was down often, the mail was somewhat un-reliable, and they never replied to my request for more space once I ran out (I asked then about this before I moved there, and they said OK. Once I was there though, they never increased my space). I am very grateful for all they have done for me, but sadly I needed to move on. I know they are going through major changes right now, which may be part of the problem, but Xcessive Gamer needs to have a reliable provider to handle all all the traffic it generates.

I believe I have finally found that reliable provider in Fresh 3D. Although I am new to this provider, they seem to be perfect for me. I have more space, I haven't seen them down yet, and they quickly replied to my request to get the space in the first place. Another big plus is the fact that they only host gaming and gaming related (hardware) sites. This should generate traffic for both me, and them as they place banner ad's on my site to increase traffic for their sponsors.

As of this writing, the site is finally settled into it's new home. There is alot to do to move a large site like this. There are many files to upload, there are loads of links to change, and the site needs to be promoted heavilly among the other gaming sites. All of this takes time!!! So far, I have uploaded all of the files, and have changed all the e-mail links. These links were a major hassle for me. It's partially my fault though. When I designed this site, I didn't know how large it would grow to. My biggest mistake was to place an e-mail link to myself on each and every page. If I knew how much it would grow, I could've easilly set it up in frames, but I didn't. So, rather then change one link in a frame, I had to change links in each and every page seperatly. This was no easy task, as there are about 700 files in this site, and a large portion of those were HTML files that had to be checked, changed, and re-uploaded to the Fresh 3D site. Well, live and learn. I'm just glad to have finally finished that task, and hope I don't have to move again anytime soon!

I still have alot of link checking (not my e-mail links) to do, and still have alot of site promotion to do. After I finish, I promise updates will come again, and they will be rather quick. I expect to be making very regular updates within the week or so. As far as your concerned, the updates begin immediatly. The reason is, I was making ocassional updates before, I just wasn't able to place them online as I wanted. I just plain didn't have the space. So if your a regular visitor, you will begin seeing new content as soon as you read this letter. Remember, not all sections change at once (as some are intended to be archives), but overall there will always be new content to view in this site.

In conclusion, I'd like to just say "Thanks" to all who have helped, or have sticked with this site. Especially: Riftwar, Fresh 3D, and most of all my regular readers, and contributors. Thank you, and please keep reading!!

 

I haven't written in awhile, so I'm sure some of you are wondering where I've been, and what I've been up to. Well, I gotta tell ya. It has been very hectic in my life the last couple of months. So hectic that I have not had much a chance to make updates to this site.

I'll give you the short version of why I haven't been writing, and let you fill in the blanks. First off, I was going through what would've been a nasty divorce. Lawyers were contacted, I was moved out (homeless for the first time in my life :(  ), and it looked like I would only be seeing my kids on the weekends. There was even a replacement for me, who lived within walking distance of my "former" home....... I was one un-happy gamer indeed!!

Since then, things have changed. Quite drastically I might add!! For one, I am no longer going through a divorce. My wife realized that (her words) "It wasn't all my fault", and that she wanted to still be with me. For another, we bought ourselves a new house. A verrry nice new house!!!!!! So, as you guessed, I have been quite busy moving around. First, I moved all my stuff to my dad's house (and believe me, I own alot of stuff), then I moved it all back to my former home, then I moved it all out of there, and into the new house.

So far, the marriage is going very good. We have been together 12 years, and I really don't expect us to break up again. maybe we needed this shakeup to realize what we really wanted!!

Now, about this site. I fully plan to be making regular updates, but it may take a little while to be noticable. I have to  change the links all over this site, as I am now on a new server. Believe me, this is one hugh site to go through and change everything. I will do it though, and will keep posting other updates while I am working on that.

Keep checking the site. I got alot of mail while I've been gone, and plan to post most of it when I can. I may not be able to post all of it, but a large portion is quite good, and I will find a suitable place for it on this site. I have also bought alot of games recently. I will be putting up many reviews in the coming months (particulary Playstation reviews), so I hope you plan to visit often.

Well, I finally have to break down and admit it. The Playstation is the best all-around gaming system available!

Until several months ago, I was still partial to the Saturn. Not because of any technical superiority, but rather due to the large library of cost-effective games available. Technically a little inferior, but not far behind the Playstation, it was definetely a good system to choose. Today, it is more of a good memory, then a viable gaming system. Games are hard to find now, and the ones you do find are no longer low cost as they have been (due to the fact there are less available). Things sure change fast in the gaming world.

The PC is still the ultimate, but I can't really say it's my favorite. To get the best gaming experience from a PC, you must be running a really high-end system, and you still can't play sitting on your couch. There is also this in-consistancy to games as they all run at different frame rates. The processors vary so greatly, that it's impossible to know exactly how well a particular game will perform on your system. Personally, I like games optimized for a particular system (like Playstation). They just feel better to me.

The Nintendo 64 is................... Well, let's just say it's not my favorite system. The machine has awesome visuals, but it is severly hampered by high cost cartridges, and game size constraints. In long games you find a severe overuse of graphics, and in most games music is looped. When the system was first released, this wasn't as apparent. Now, with the second and third generation Playstation games available, you can easilly see the N64's shortcomings. It does have some good games, but these seem to trickle in rather then flood in like the Playstation hits do.

I have to admit. Sony did an excellent job with the Playstation. I never expected it. I was remembering all those awful Sony Imagesoft games on the Sega CD, and I just didn't think they had it in them. Now, Sony has completely dominated the market, and shows no sign of stopping. Even with the Sega Dreamcast due for a US release soon, it's hard to see how Sega could put a dent in Sony. Right now, dozens of games are being released for Playstation each month. If history holds true, there will only be a handful available for Dreamcast during the first year. Sony has such a hugh lead now that they could delay the Playstation 2 for a year or two, and still rest comfortably in the lead.

Sony is on top, and will be on top for quite awhile. Definetely into the year 2000. Beyond that, it's future depends on the decisions they make now. If they play their cards right, they will remain on top. If they don't, Sega, Nintendo, and others could to eat them alive.

Here's what I feel Sony needs to survive past 2000. First, and formost, the next system must have good internet support. It needs a good modem, and games designed specifically to take advantage of the Playstation 2, and the internet in general. Next, it needs awesome graphics. This is a no-brainer. Any company would be foolish if they didn't include the best graphics technology will allow (within certain price constraints). Many other factors will come into play also. They need a decent set of development tools. Developers need to develop high quality games quickly, and easilly. They need to keep costs low for developers. If developers pay too high a price per CD (DVD, or whatever) they will soon jump ship. They also need to make sure the new system is backward compatible. I know this approach hasn't always worked in the past, but this time it is a must! The Playstation was way too good for it's own good. If gamers can't play all their old Playstation titles on the Playstation 2, they will find little need to buy the new system. The old one is great, and will be great for awhile. They aren't going to abandon it that quickly, and few gamers keep more then one system hooked up at a time (not counting all you hardcore gamers who would take the time to read this). A few more things.... Good advertising....... Cool Mascot....... Save anywhere feature........ Mega RAM...... Fixed disk space (whatever you would call it)..... Analog controllers......... ect.. ect...... Of course, Sony probably knows all this.  That's why you can expect them to be here quite awhile!!
 

I have been talking to some of my friends lately, and realized that not too many of them know much about emulation. I don't understand why, it's been around for years. It could be because of the steps involved into getting an emulator. It could be due to the availability of ROM's. Maybe it's because of something completely different. I don't know. What I do know is that many people don't have a clue on how they work. I decided to write today to tell a little about how they work, and how someone can get them. This is not intended to be an in-depth article, rather, it is a brief summary of the emulation scene in general. More of a get-me-started article. For those wishing to know more, there is a wealth of information available on the internet.

An emulator is a program that allows one machine to mimic the functions of another machine. An example of this would be a PC, performing the functions of a console system such as the Sega Genesis (or Arcade board, or Gameboy, ect..). With a good Sega Genesis emulator properly installed on a PC, it has the ability to play games designed for the Genesis system.

To play games for an emulator, you must either have (depending on the emulator) a ROM game image, or a CD. ROM's contain the exact game, not a copy because they are derived from the actual game cartridge. ROM's are available to download throughout the internet, but some have very questionable legality (more on this later). Most ROMS take only a few minutes to download, however a large game can take hours even at 28.8.

Each console requires a different emulator. Additionally, there are sometimes dozens of emulators available for certain systems. Choice of an emulator should rest on several factors. 1) Speed of the emulator- Some of these things are definetely memory hogs. It's not uncommon for a system capable of running a game such as "Quake II", to completely bog down trying to run a game designed for the 16 bit SNES. Your choice should rest on the speed your computer is capable of. 2) Availability and compatibility of ROMS and CD's- Some ROMS are very hard to find (due to questionable legality), and not all ROM's work with all emulators. The programers of the emulator are responsible for how well the program emulates the cartridge. Choose an emulator that plays the games you like, is legal, and has a good easy to find library of games. If you don't, it won't be much use to you. 3) Functions of the emulator- Some emulators don't have many functions, and others do. You will find some have sound, some don't. Some allow joystick support, some don't, ect.. Usually, more functions require a faster CPU, but this is not always the case. 4) Finally, price- Most, but not all emulators are free. Some are shareware, and require a registration fee to use.

Legality!!!........ This is a hugh issue to emulator users. Sites that contain ROM images are being closed down left and right for alleged copyright infingment. For this reason, the Xcessive Gamer site will not provide ROM images, nor will we directly provide links to ROM images. We are not lawyers here. We do not know all the in's and outs concerning the law here, but we can offer some of our feelings and opinions on this subject. So, here it goes.... Most sites state that it is legal to download and run ROM images, as long as you own the original cartridge, or delete it in 24 hours. The reasoning is that if you own the cartridge, you are protecting your investment by backing it up. If you don't own the cartridge, you are using the ROM for evaluation purposes only. This seems kinda sticky to us. Surely, if the copyight holders allow backup copies, then it is OK. I myself haven't read that before concerning cartridges though. Yet, I don't know the law, and many sites state this is OK. Concerning ROM images in general, not all copyright holders are protecting their work. Sometimes a game has been released to the public, and the copyright holder only retains certain rights to protect it's usage. An example would be a shareware game that has outlived it's usefulness (profitability) to the creator. They may release the game as freeware (freely copy and distribute), but retain some rights to keep people from making dirivitive works (Like adding one more world to Mario, and trying to profit from the creators greater work). There are numerous cases like this, so to say all emulation is illegal  is completely wrong. It is our belief that emulation is legal in certain cases, and in certain cases it is not. This is largely dependent on the original copyright holder.

Running emulators are dependent on the creator. Some were created for DOS, (in which case you need DOS commands and switches). Some were created for Windows 98, ect. ect.. ect... Each emulator has different requirements to run, so it is always best to fully read the documentation.

Here is an example of obtaining and running the popular emulator "Genecyst" for the Sega Genesis. First aquire the emulator. This is available on many internet sites, and is available freely to download. Performing a search on your computer will most likely reveal dozens of sites that contain the emulator. After the download, you must install the program. You do this by unzipping the files to their own directory. Once you have the program in it's directory, you need to obtain ROM images. Do a search again, unzip files again, place files in their own directories. All you do then is run the Genecyst program (It's DOS, so you must be in DOS mode, or open a DOS window). In Windows 95, clicking the file should open up a DOS mode with the program running. You then run the ROM's by clicking the LOAD ROM window, and selecting the ROM as you would any other file. It's really quite easy, it just sounds complex when you first hear of it.

In conclusion I'd like to say: Emulation is pretty cool. There are thousands of games available, and all are perfect copies of the original. Yes the legality is questionable in some cases, but in some it's not. It's up to you the user to seek out what is legal and what is not.

 

Holy Smokes!! Look how long it's been since I've written a letter here. I hope you haven't taken this as a sign that we have been lacking updates lately. No, quite the opposite! I have been playing and reviewing so many games lately that I just haven't had time to write here. That's the problem with a site as large as this. No matter how hard I try, it's just impossible to keep every section updated when I'd like to. That doesn't mean were not growing, because we are growing pretty fast, it just means some sections suffer while the others grow.

With that off my mind, I think I'll just write about the site and gaming industry in general. This will sorta be a no title letter, as it will be about anything that comes to mind as I write.

Nintendo 64- If you have been paying attention here, you have noticed the Nintendo 64 section is growing very slowly. Matter of fact, it's kinda like watching moss grow. Not too much happening! The thing is that since this is a "review what we play" site, and we haven't been playing our Nintendo 64, not too much is happening in this area. I for one am very disappointed in Nintendo. When I first got mine, I was awestruck. The initial games were amazing!! Games like Mario, and San Francisco Rush just blew me away!! I thought this would be the system to beat. Now that the system has been out for awhile, I am very bummed. There just isn't that many quality games coming out for it. Sure, there are a few, but they are always expensive. I usually find much better deals for the Sony Playstation. Why pay $50-$70 for a Nintendo title when you can get a handful of great games for the same price on Playstation. Heck, in my area it's not uncommon to find decent older Playstation titles for $10-$20. Now and then there are "must buy" games coming out on the N64, but not too often. Currently, ours is in my boy's room. It will probably stay there until some decent "must have" software appears.

Sega Saturn- Yes, yes!! I know the system is dead! Everyone keeps telling me that. Problem is that I'm just starting to buy for it. It just makes good sense. Many games are retailing for $5 to $10 in my area. Can't beat those deals. The software usually high quality, and many of these games aren't available on Playstation. I don't recommend everyone run out and buy a Saturn, but if you have one there are deals to be found. You can bet lots of reviews will begin to show here for Saturn in the up-coming future.

Sony Playstaion- All hail the Playstation!! I admit, I had my doubts about it when it was first reveled, but I no longer do. I was thinking of those crummy Sega CD titles that Sony produced. Boy, they sure cleaned up their act. Sony marketed this system perfectly. With gobs of software, and a perfect pricepoint, I say Playstation is the best system for 1998 (and 1999). The PC has a few better titles, but dollar for dollar Sony can't be beat!

PC- If you have buckets of cash, and can afford a high end PC, this is actually the best gaming experience you'll get. Can't play on your couch, but you won't need to with the awesome titles available (you'll be glued to your seat so to speak- no more relaxing while you play). I for one can't keep up financially with the technology, but if you can, go for it.

Gameboy/Nomad- I'm probably gonna get hate mail for this, but why in the world would anybody want a Gameboy??!! I don't care if it is color now, the technology was outdated years ago. I prefer my Nomad anyday. It's 16 bit, can be found for under $50, and has a hugh library of titles to choose from (it plays all the Genesis titles). Yes, I know they aren't making new games now, but have you actually played the 600+ Genesis titles already available. Don't you think you can find a dozen of so good ones in that batch??

Well, I guess that's it for now. I want to go back to game playing. Just gotta decide which to start with....Resident Evil 2, Test Drive 5, Bloody Roar, DarkLight Conflict, Project Overkill, Legacy of Kain, Lords II, Vs., Doom II, Sky Target,  or Golden Axe- The Duel??? These are just a sampling of the games I'm currently playing with the intent of reviewing. Expect to see the reviews here soon!! Gotta go now,
 

Many of you have written to complain about my lack of current updates to the site. I decided it was time to address the issue, and give you an idea on how Xcessive gamer is doing, and where it is heading.

First off, Xcessive Gamer is not a large corporate site with lots of staff to cover it's every need.  Xcessive Gamer is basically a one man site, with ocassional help from some outside editors. I wouldn't mind having a regular staff, but the inability to pay tends to shy most people away from committing on a frequent basis. We do get alot of help from readers for codes and some tips, but generally I myself (Gary V. Ambrose II) seek and place most of the information on this site.  I would like to include every game and code available, but time concerns do not allow me to do so.

Second, Lately I have been into a little trouble with the good old USA legal system. This is not site related, but nontheless it has been consuming alot of my time lately. So much, that I barely have had a free moment to even play a game, let alone review it. My current legal problems are expected to last quite awhile, but I also expect to have much more time to review the games that I choose to play as time progresses.

I'm sure some are wondering what I did, and I am not shy about telling. I was Drunk Driving, and caused an accident. This is something I have been against all my life (I'm even against drinking), and I end up doing it myself. I find it very hard to believe myself that it happened, because I remember almost nothing of that night, but nevertheless I am responsible, and must pay my dues (Which are severe in this area!!). I am very sorry for what I did, and would advise anyone who thinks of doing so not too!! There is too much at risk. In this case there was even injuries (not to myself). I don't even know the extent. He is getting around OK (no wheelchair, casts, ect...), but I don't know how he feels, and if he will have any lasting pain. I pray he has a complete and full recovery!!!!!

So, now you know why updates have been slow, now I'll tell my intentions of where the site is going.

When I first started the site, it was for fun, but I also wanted a professional site that could become a business someday (by selling ad space, games, ect..). I always wanted it to be mainly for fun though. I didn't want it to be a pain to run like so many businesses. However, in my attempt to get content out quickly, it was becomming a pain. I was no longer playing games for fun, All I cared about was having lots of reviews and codes. In this way, I got away from what I intended the site to be. Yes, I would still like to make some money off it, but no, I don't want to play for business, I want to play (and review) for fun.

Here's how it's gonna go now. I will buy, and play the games I choose. Not because they are the most popular, but only because those are the ones that have appealed to me in some way. I will not rush my game playing!! I will play till finished, then write the review (Or at such a point I feel confident to give an accurate review). You can expect regular updates, but they will be based on my interests (Which in most cases will be in yours too).

Don't get me wrong, I'm not lessening XCESSIVE GAMER in anyway. I just want more accurate reviews, that are completely un-rushed, and un-biased. Gaming is about fun, and that's what a gaming site ought to be about!!
 

First of all, if your using this as a reference as what system to buy, make sure the date of this review is kinda current. Things change quickly in the gaming industry, so what is said today may not pertain to tommorow.

My personal opinion is that right now there are no clear winners in the 32/64/PC gaming wars. All have their strong points, and all have their weaknesses. The best system is the one that fits the user's needs most closely.

Take the PC. In my opinion it is currently the ultimate gaming system. That is if you can afford the latest processer (Pentium II 300 MHZ), lots of RAM (64+++), a great video card (VooDoo), a cool 15" SVGA monitor, an awesome sound card, high-tech speakers, an expensive flight stick, ect... Then, if you have all this you will have the ultimate gaming system. At least for a year, because after that you will already have been outdated. The point is, if you have the cash, you can have the flash. Problem is, all that cash doesn't equal as much flash as you might think. Games are definetely better on a $3000.00+ system, but they are the same games that are usually ported to the Playstation, N64, Saturn, ect.. Read my lips! If you buy a system like this for only games, you are wasting your money. It will cost much, and depreciate quickly. On the otherhand, if your rich, or just have another legitimate reason for buying a system like this, I say "Go for it!". It's about the best available right now.

Sega Saturn. This is a 32 bit gaming system that is very low cost, and very high-tech. Many think it is inferior to the Playstation, but I disagree. I agree that the Playstation is better then Saturn in terms of certain graphic effects, like light sourcing, ect.. but savy programmers can mimic any effect Playstation can do in hardware with good coding. The main problem with the Saturn turned out to be that it was harder to program, and concentrated on 2D more then 3D. Currently, the Playstation has a much larger market share, and Saturn sales are way down. Very few 3rd parties are producing games on Saturn, and even Sega seems to have left it off now. The best thing about Saturn right now is the price of games. Sega has a large library for Saturn, and most seem to be at rock-bottom prices. Heck, I've bought games that were $50.00+ a year ago, and paid $5.00 now. Sure sign that the system has died, but very cost effective today. You have a large library to choose from. If you want great games, and are real budget consence, I'd say go Saurn.

Nintendo 64. This is a 64 bit gaming system that seemed to promise it's users everything. I'll admit, when I first bought mine I thought it was the ultimate. I only had one game (Mario 64), but it was probably the best game I have ever seen at that time. I expected many more games of that quality, and quickly (Like Sony produces games). It just didn't happen! Games for N64 are very few and far between. I admit, most are pretty good, yet none as good as Mario 64. There's not enough either! It's been here over a year, and I'm really getting sick of seeing the same games in Babbages. The Playstation isle always has many new titles, and N64 hardly has any. Still, N64 has much promise. They are a big strong company, and seem to support their products forever (Look at Gameboy). They are very expensive ($50.00-$80.00), but usually are of a high quality. Too bad they didn't produce on CD because their games are miniscule compared to the size of the other systems. They have a few problems due to size, such as looping of music, length of games, ect.. but the games they produce hide it well. Nintendo 64 also has many graphic capabilities that Playstation/Saturn just can't match. So, I you want expensive, but generally good games. I'd say go N64! It definetely has a future (If not really a present).

Sony Playstation. This is the top notch console system today. It is low cost, games look great, and there is a large library of games to choose from. Sony seems to have it all right now. They are the number 1 selling console system today. Playstation will be a good bet for awhile, so if your choosing and have it in mind, I'd say go for it. It will be several years before the system begins to die. The downside of the Playstation is: 1) Games not as cheap as Saturn. 2) Not as powerful as the PC or Nintendo 64. 3) Already has a large library, and most generes have been previously covered. It may stagnant.

In conclusion, I'd like to say. All the current systems have their strength's, and weaknesses. The choice really depends on what the user is looking in their system. I'd suggest that if your looking to buy, read above to better understand what you really want. Just make sure you buy one of them, all are fun!!!!!

 

Many people have asked me how we get the games that we rate. The answer is that they come from many sources.

If they are are demos, we either get them from the game companies, or we seek out and download them ourselves. We try to rate the games that are sent to from the manufacturer first, because we feel this is the proper thing to do. We are still completely honest in our reviews. If we get a game for review that is crappy, it doesn't really matter who sent it in. We will tell it like it is. (So be forwarned if you created a game. Don't send it to us unless your confident that it's good.)

Another way we get our games is the old fashioned way. We buy them. This is our primary method of getting games for review. It would be nice to have a constant supply of free new games to play, but sadly this is not the current case. It is however possible for the future, as the site gains readership. We are already gaining at a very fast rate, and I don't expect it to stop.

We don't do much renting here. This is mainly because we love games so much that we are always buying new ones to satisfy our cravings. If we ever ran low on supply, we would rent, but we haven't ever came close to that yet. Matter of fact, right now I have over 100 games here that I have not reviewed, but would like too (And that's not including demos). I just don't have the time to get to them all at once. So anyway, rest assured that we will always have new reviews included in our site.

While I'm thinking about it, I have an issue I'd like to address. One of speed in adding reviews.

Believe me, We are constantly adding reviews, links, demos, ect.. to this site. Yet, sometimes it is not as fast as some would like. We could rush our reviews, but we may miss some features, and it really wouldn't benifit our readers. For this reason, we have decided to "not be on a time schedule". We play the games until we feel we are finished, then we rate them. We may miss some current games this way, but at least you know the games we review will be reviewed correctly. We're much more concerned with the quality of our content, rather then quanity.

In closing, I just like to say "Book mark this site". As time progresses, we will greatly expand, and offer the reader top quality reviews, codes, ect.. of all the systems they play.
 

Violence in Video Games (10/29/97)

I'd like to address the issue of violence in video games. Much has been wrote about this issue, but rarely do you hear a gamer who is opposed to violence in games.

I guess, I am the exception to the rule. It's not that I'm opposed to violent games in general, I'm just opposed to the gratutious violence that you currenty see in many video games.

Take a game like Mario, or even Sonic. There is violence spread throughout both of these games. But, it is not gratutious violence. The violence exists only to give a reason for the character being in the environment. To properly set a story, or create an adventure, a little violence must be tolerated. I have absolutely no problem killing an enemy in these kinds of games. I also have no problem with games like war simulations that the violence only serves to create a more realistic environment. My problem is with games like Blood, ect.. that the violence only serves to gratify the players need to kill.

In my opinion, games with excessive violence as their theme, only serve to harden the hearts of their players. I believe that there are certain people, who after viewing and interacting with all this violence, tend to act out in the same manner toward society. This is not to say all people do. There are probably some who it doesn't affect at all. But in general, I think games like these tend to harden players, and give them the general sense that violence is the way to solve problems.

Take a game like Virtua Fighter 2. In a game like this, you fight, but it is in a more respectable way then in a game like Mortal Kombat 4. In Virtua Fighter you are trying to better your opponent, by using the moves available to your player. You fight, one gets knocked down, and he gets up. You fight again. The game is not trying to glorify the violence, rather it is using the skill of besting an opponent as it's drawing factor. In Mortal Kombat, on the other hand, the main drawing factor is the killing of the opponent. The players reward for winning is getting to see the other player suffer a horrifing death. The game is more violence based then it is skill based. Granted, there are some of each factor in both games. There is skill involved in beating an opponent in Mortal Kombat, and there is violence involved in knocking someone out in Virtua Fighter. My point is this, the main drawing factors to these two games is totally different.

I would like to see developers use games to promote a skill, or create a relistic scenerio, rather then to promote gratutious violence. Games like these actually have socially redeming qualities. Skills can be taught, true stories can be told, and gamers could actually learn from games. All in a fun and enjoyable manner. I mean, as a society do we really want to turn out an army of kids that think it's acceptable to beat someone up just to see them bleed? I know I don't. I like games as much as the next guy, but these games are being viewed by kids. I think the industry should show some restraint. I'm not takling about censorship (because I'm opposed to it), I just want some real thought given to who's actually playing these games.

Do I have a solution? No I don't. I don't believe in censorship, and the ratings system does nothing to stop young children from seeing these games in the arcade (although it is a pretty good system for home based games). You could say it's the parent's job to keep kids from questionable material. Yet in every arcade you see Pac Man, Daytona, ect.. side by side with Mortal Kombat 4. What fun loving parent would totally ban their kids from games? How can parents keep their kids from viewing all the excessive violence, without totally barring their kids from the arcade? I don't have the solution, but I do have ideas. I will bring up these ideas in a future letter. I will say one thing: The industry better come up with some ideas pretty quickly. If they don't, congress will move to make it's own policy on games, and you can bet it will be much harsher then if the industry does it themselves.

Do you have a possible solution, response to this letter, or opposing view? if so e-mail it to us. We'd be glad to hear from you, and welcome all views on the subject.

Sincerely,