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MelRep Released!
The prototype game known as "MelRep" has been released! MelRep, you may recall, is a number puzzle game discovered by Dutch collector Bas Kornalijnslijper back in 2004 (the real title is unknown; the nonsense word "Melrep" was written on the EPROM label and became the game's de facto name). Now, thanks to efforts from Bas and other collectors, MelRep is being given a limited cartridge release as Videopac 68, complete with English manual and Videopac-style label and box insert! Only 68 copies are being offered. The game is PAL, but supposedly runs with only minor cosmetic issues on NTSC machines. The cost is 25 Euros plus shipping from the Netherlands. Click here to order your copy before they're all gone! Thanks to Bas for making yet another "lost" prototype available.
More Sections Return!
Surprise! More site sections are back up! Say hello to old friends:
- J.G. Munchkin section
- G7400 Import Guide
- Master Strategy section
- Links section
- Quest for the Rings: In Depth
- Showdown in 2100 A.D.: In Depth
These would have been back online sooner if I hadn't had to spend so much time fixing bizarre Internet Explorer CSS bugs. Oh, IE, why must you make life so difficult? Nevertheless, I'm glad to get these sections back up. The In-Depth reviews aren't really linked anywhere yet, but I'm working on it.
Isolated links and images are still broken throughout the site, and a few pieces of old content (like some game reviews) are still missing, but all the major site areas should be back now except for the FAQs section. I've saved it for last because, frankly, a lot of the information in it was out of date anyway. I'll do something to update it before I bring it back.
The site's almost completely restored now, can you believe it? I can't wait to finish it because I'd rather be adding new content instead of endlessly cleaning up old stuff. I've got some ideas... stay tuned!
Media Returns... Mostly
Work continues on bringing back the old sections of the site. I've managed to get the Media section back online for the most part. You'll notice a fair number of broken links and missing images in it right now, but that is primarily because of other old content that hasn't been restored yet. My plan right now is to restore the old sections as best I can, then update old or outdated information, then troll the site to find and fix broken links, then start filling in missing information in the site's database, and then, hopefully I can start adding some actual new content. It'll take a while. In the meantime, there's a new "random image" feature on the Box Scans, Cartridge Scans, and Screenshots Media pages that's worth checking out.
Broken Contact
Never fails... apparently the Contact Me page is having some technical difficulties, as is the form to submit game ratings. I'm aware of it and will try to get everything fixed soon.
The Site Is Not Dead!
Hey, how about that, I finally got around to my poor, neglected web site. That was the longest dead time the site has ever gone through, and I apologize. If you care, the delay started when ClassicGaming mandated that hosted sites could no longer use vertical skyscraper banners. The only banner size left that wasn't totally obnoxious was the the 720-pixel-wide Flash leaderboard banners. Unfortunately, even that didn't fit in with my old 640-width site design. Almost nobody uses 640x480 resolution anymore, I reasoned, so maybe I should bite the bullet and redesign the thing. I'd been wanting to do it anyway. And what the heck, maybe I could fix some of my slipshod PHP coding while was at it.
Well, all that takes time and energy, and those are two things I just don't have as much of as I used to. This site has been online for over 11 years now. I started it as a wide-eyed college kid who could sleep 15 hours a day, play video games until 3 a.m., and still find enough time to bang out a two-page web site using HoTMetal and Paint Shop Pro 3.11. Now I am an adult with a full-time job and the web site is way bigger than it was in 1997. The sad reality is that I just can't devote myself to it like I used to.
But I'm not willing to let it go away. It took me a really long time, but I finally finished the redesign, and ported all the content that was previously ported to PHP, plus a little extra. Here are the sections that are currently up:
- Articles
- Collectibles
- News Archives
- Games Database (not all old content is up yet)
- Game Reviews
- Contact Me Page
Some of the Game Reviews are being rewritten by the way. I originally wrote most of them in the very early days of the site, and they were so brief as to be almost pointless. The new ones should be more entertaining. There are also one or two new collectibles listed. I know of more, but you have to start somewhere.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the rest of the site will be coming back too, eventually. And maybe I can even get back to posting regular news updates one of these days. But in the meantime, keep an eye on Videopac.nl; it seems to be where most of the O2/Videopac action is on the 'Net these days.
By the way, I'm retiring my old Yahoo email address as it has been utterly harvested by spammers. I'll keep checking it for now, but if you want to contact me in the future, use the new Contact Me Page. I've hidden my new email address behind a verification form this time. Lousy spammers.
So there you have it. The site may have slowed down a lot but it will live on. Thanks for sticking around!
The Games Database and I Have Returned!
Well, the site's been a bit stagnant lately, and I'm sorry about that. You see, months ago I innocently turned my attention to bringing over the Games Database to the new site. While doing this, I noticed that A) The old database schema was pretty bad, B) There was a lot more information I could include by revamping the schema, and C) How long could such a revamp really take? Famous last words, eh? Actually, revamping the schema went fairly quickly. I busted out Microsoft Visio and PHPMyAdmin and had something basic working within a week. What's been taking me so long is adding all the new data. Thanks to diligent researchers like Maurice Simon and online forums like those at Videopac.org, there is a lot more Odyssey² information available nowadays, and it's really taking me a long time to sift through all of that knowledge. I've also had some unfortunate setbacks in terms of personal and work-related busyness and a strained trapezius muscle that makes it uncomfortable for me to use a computer. So this project is taking me a lot longer than I had anticipated.
Following one delay after another, I've decided to go ahead and "launch" the new Games Database even though it's still missing a lot of data. Until I finish adding everything, you'll see it reporting some crazy things, like there are no known boxes for games released in Brazil (of course there are; I just haven't added them to the database yet). But there are a lot of improvements too, including:
- Ability to more easily share information between related games
- Ability to list game and cart variations even if photos are not available
- Better, more modular layout
- More advanced search capability
- Easier to maintain and expand
Overall, this database is just designed better, which gives me the opportunity to do more with it in the future. The hard part is finding the time to do everything! But in the meantime, please head on over and take a gander at what's there so far. Normally I'd ask all my readers for contributions and error reports, but there's not much point to that yet since I already know of so much that needs to be added. I'll keep working on it, although I'm probably going to turn my attention to other sections first. There's still so much content I need to bring over from the old site; I should probably have finished that before getting distracted with the database. Oh well, live and learn.
Incidentally, I've also been organizing my O2-related photos and I have some cool stuff to add to the site when there's a place to put it. All of it WILL be added eventually – I promise! Thanks for your patience.
Articles Section Back Up
I've finally managed to bring another section back online: Articles. Sorry this is taking me so long. The articles themselves went fairly quickly, but I ran into some problems with the image viewer page (due to my relative ignorance of PHP, I'm afraid). But I'm making progress!
I'm probably going to turn my attention toward the Games Database next. I have most of the data in place already, although I'm taking this opportunity to improve the database schema a bit. Hopefully things will start to go quicker from now on.
Calculator Is Coming
Having trouble with the subtraction problems in Math-A-Magic? Well, soon there will be an Odyssey² program to help you. It's called Calculator! and it's coming soon from Packrat Video Games. This "application" cartridge was developed by René van den Enden and boasts artwork by Earl Green and a manual by David Flemming, and contains special features when played with a Philips G7400. The folks behind Calculator! have been a bit mum regarding details, saying only that "it does more than a typical calculator." Hmmm. But at only $16.95, at least it won't cost much to find out what. Finally, you can harness the awesome power of the O2 microprocessor to balance your checkbook!
The Videopac Base
O2Home's New Home!
Welcome to the new place! Yep, the site's on a new server now. Note the new URL:
http://odyssey2.classicgaming.gamespy.com
Please note: lots of stuff has yet to move over. See, ClassicGaming decided some time ago to change their hosting services. They moved to an entirely PHP/MySQL-based platform, and Monday they shut down their IIS servers. That wouldn't be a problem, except that large parts of this site used to be in ASP, which requires IIS to run. Also, I didn't know one lick of PHP a month or so ago (I'm a VB.NET/ASP programmer). So I took a crash course in PHP, and have been porting the site as fast as I can. So far, I'm mostly finished laying the groundwork, so to speak, but the only pages that actually work right now are the main page (you're looking at it), and the News Archive. Unfortunately, ClassicGaming shut down its IIS servers before I had the chance to finish everything, but I'm continuing to work on it.
The backend of the site may be different, but the actual site contents will stay pretty much the same, at least at first. The database I'm using is more robust now, so I plan to move more content into it. The news stream is now in the database, for example. I also changed the masthead up there, finally retiring the old O2 box art collage I made so long ago. I figured since the site moved, a new masthead might be in order. The only other change to note is that big old skycraper ad to the right. ClassicGaming's hosting package is pretty good, but ads are necessary to pay for everything. I had a choice of several ad styles, but I thought the skyscraper was the least distracting. At least the old horizontal banners that used to divide up the pages are gone.
So like I said, most of the site is AWOL right now but bear with me, it'll be back soon!
Mr. Roboto Contest!
Are you the kind of person who's always looking for secret messages and hidden conspiracies everywhere? If so, Mr. Roboto! designer Ted Szczypiorski has a contest for you! Apparently there is a secret message hidden throughout the Mr. Roboto! cartridge and manual. The first person to find it will win fabulous prizes, including:
- 13" x 19" poster of the Mr. Roboto! cover
- Autographed copy of Ted's next O2 Cartridge
- $25 gift certificate to PackRat Video Games
For some hints and details about how to enter the contest, head on over to Ted-Foolery. Good luck!
More on Melrep
Bas Kornalijnslijper has some further news to report regarding Melrep, the unusual numbers-game prototype he discovered in 2004. Bas discovered some additional game variations, bringing the total up to three. Here is how Bas describes them:
- Game with numbers by changing them with two pairs and finally you have a correct row.
- Game with numbers and changing with numbers on the keyboard (I do not know how this game works at this moment).
- Very different game as nr. 1 and 2; a game with numbers. You play against the computer by betting with numbers and try to end at 1.
Bas hints at a possible cart release of Melrep sometime between now and next year. The first run of Bas's other recent release, Spider-Man, has now sold out. However, a second run (which will have a different cover and no personalized number) should be forthcoming. You can reserve your copy at www.bas-ditta.info.
Odyssey 2000 Becomes Odyssey Mania!
Odyssey 2000, the premier Odyssey site in Brazil, has changed its name to Odyssey Mania and moved to www.geocities.com/odysseymania. New features on the site include:
- Mr. Roboto! webpage.
- Updated Odyssey Games List.
- Everything about A Turma da Mô nica, the rumored Brazilian game.
- The "Projects" section is now managed by Rafael Cardoso and is now called "Por Um Odyssey Melhor!" ("For a Better Odyssey!"). Now you can test some game projects!
- The ODYSSEY AVENTURA ON LINE section is being rebuit, now with real scans of the magazine. Issues 1 and 2 are fully readable.
- New Gamelist version (0.55.5) for O2EM Launcher.
Odyssey Mania is in Portuguese of course, but you can translate it through sites like AltaVista's BabelFish. It's always worth checking out!
Mr. Roboto Now On Sale!
Mr. Roboto!, the great new homebrew from Ted Szczypiorski, is now on sale at Packrat Video Games! For $22.95 plus shipping, you receive the cartridge (complete with authentically styled label) and a manual that looks like it came right out of the early 1980s. It's a good deal for a great game!
Ted has informed me that a ROM download of the game is now available at TedFoolery.com; unfortunately the site seems to be down at the moment. I'm sure it'll be back up soon, so keep checking!
Spider-Man to be Released!
With great prototypes comes great responsibility. Or something. Anyway, Bas Kornalijnslijper has risen to the challenge by issuing a cartridge version of the unreleased Spider-Man Videopac prototype! Spider-Man will be released at the April 9th Retro Computer Meeting in Scheidam (The Netherlands). If you can't make it to Scheidam, you're in luck – orders for Spider-Man can now be placed at Bas-ditta.info. The cost is 27.50 Euros (about $35 U.S.), plus shipping. For your money, you receive a numbered cartridge, a manual, and a G7400-style box insert (plastic box not included). The production run is limited to 65 copies, so reserve yours now! The cartridges are PAL, but according to the order site, they should play on NTSC Odyssey² consoles with only minor graphical differences.
Thanks to Bas and the others involved in making Spider-Man available! I'm sure the whole Odyssey² and Videopac community is looking forward to it!
Shark Hunter Released!
Somehow this completely slipped under my radar, but I've just learned that the previously unreleased Videopac prototype Shark Hunter has been issued in cartridge form! Classic Consoles Center has given the prototype the full treatment, using artwork and manual excerpts from the enhanced MSX port of the game to produce the most authentic version possible. The first batch of 36 PAL Shark Hunter cartridges has already sold out, but a NTSC run (plus a second PAL run) is expected within the next 1-2 months. You can reserve your copy now, however. Much like Spider-Man, with your Shark Hunter order you receive the cartridge, manual, and G7400-style box insert (no plastic box). The cost is 29 Euros (about $35 U.S.), plus shipping. Can't afford that? Classic Consoles Center has you covered. Visit the site for a ROM download! Both the PAL and NTSC ROMs are available. Also, be sure to check out the full review while you're there.
I may have to start working extra overtime again to afford all these new releases, but you won't hear me complaining! Thanks to Dieter König, BuckyB and everybody who helped make the Shark Hunter release a reality!
I... Have... the Rumor!
Domo Arigato!
Yesterday, I returned from a week-long vacation (my semi-regular trip back to my home state of Ohio) to find my Inbox overflowing with news about the imminent release of Mr. Roboto!, the brand-new Odyssey² homebrew! In case you've forgotten, Mr. Roboto! is the latest effort from Planet Lander! author Ted Szczypiorski. This much-anticipated title mixes boardgame-style strategy with arcade action, making for a game that's like a cross between Archon and Tron Deadly Discs. I played it at CGE and it's very, very good. And it's being released this weekend!
If all went according to schedule, Mr. Roboto! debuted today (Feb. 25) at the latest meeting of the NorthWest Classic Gaming Enthusiasts (NWCGE), which will continue on Sunday, in Seattle. Cartridges are being produced by – who else? – Packrat Video Games. According to Ted S. himself, more Mr. Roboto! carts should be available for purchase through Packrat's site within a few weeks. A ROM image will be placed on Ted's web site at that time. Ted has already put up screenshots and pics of the manual and label. Check 'em out while you wait for the real thing; it's only a matter of time!
Videopac/O2 Cartridge List Updated
This news is a few days old, but I'm running behind as usual. BuckyB has issued a new version of his Videopac/Odyssey2 Cartridge List. The primary additions to this version are some obscure European country variants (turns out that Hegemonie is Belgian, for instance), However, there is one especially interesting new tidbit: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, a rumored game from Magnavox. This is the first I've heard of that rumor! Perhaps there's another prototype we need to watch out for?
Please note that the cartridge list has a new home: Rene's Retro Computers & Games Site, which is in Dutch (BuckyB's list is in English though). Thanks to Rene Lips for this news.
Two New O2 Commercials!
Two new vintage Odyssey² commercials are now available for download on the Videos page! The first is a very early spot promoting Computer Golf! and various other early sports games. (Yes, there WAS a time when a game like Computer Golf was considered a "draw," believe it or not.) The other is a later spot, advertising the "new" K.C. Munchkin!. This one is classic -- a very '80s-looking family revels in the excitement of K.C. while a very '80s-sounding voiceover talks about how you can program your own mazes. Fantastic! The recording quality of these isn't the best, but I cleaned them as best I could, and I think you'll like them. Enjoy!