Joe Schmieder asked:


Whether you already have a home game room or you’re thinking of adding one to your home there are some “essential things” you’ll need to make your game room “Ultimate”. It’s true you may not need every single one of these items or you may not have the time, space or money to add every single one. But if you do have the time, space and or money and want an “Ultimate” Home Game Room then check out the top 6 items (in order of importance) that you’ll need for your game room to achieve ultimate “game room friendly” status.

#1 Game Table

Since you’re creating a home game room the number one must-have is the game table. Now which game table or tables you have is of course a personal choice. The two best game tables for home game rooms are billiard tables and shuffleboard tables. They’re the best because of multi-player use, the skill of the game and the fun competition each one brings to your home.

If your game room is big enough it’s always fun to have a combination of two different game tables. The best combo idea would be to have a billiard or shuffleboard table plus either an air hockey, foosball or ping-pong table. They say “Variety Is The Spice Of Life” and that is especially true for a home game room.

#2 Three More Great Games

The second must-haves are more great games. Again this is a home game room and to be “Ultimate” you’ll need at least three more great games. These are games that will compliment your table games and add even more variety. The types of games that fit into this category are: arcade games, indoor basketball games, bowling games, crane games, dart games, pinball machines, football games, golf games, pachinko/pachislo games and slot machines.

There are other games you could add but this is a good list to get you started on the right track to creating a fun family game room. These three additional great games are just enough to keep everyone happy. Any less and you could lose that ultimate status, any more and your home game room could become cluttered. A home game room that’s cluttered with games will lose its uniqueness!

#3 – Jukebox

So now that you have the games and everyone is having a blast you’ll want to add some music. The best way to add music is with a jukebox. Stereo systems are good also but they don’t give you that “Ultimate” game room look and feel that a jukebox does.

Don’t worry there is a large assortment of jukeboxes available. Personally I prefer a jukebox from the 1940s. The old songs from the 1920s-1940s are great for all ages and they’re a nice change from the norm. There are some really catchy tunes from those years!

But if you’re not an oldies fan then there are other jukeboxes, like the ones that play 45rpm records. If those are still too old for you then a CD jukebox will do the trick. Some hold a hundred CDs giving you the ability to add a large assortment of music that would be perfect for any occasion. Also the jukeboxes look vintage 1940-ish. Finally if you love technology there are digital jukeboxes. They don’t look so much like a traditional jukebox but you can download music right to them using various methods like from a home computer.

# 4 Game Room TV

The fourth item you’ll need is a Game Room TV. It’s great to have a jukebox and music but when the big game is on New Year’s Day you’ll want your Game Room TV. Whether it’s a 13inch TV attached to your ceiling or wall or a large plasma TV doesn’t matter. It’s having the TV that bumps your game room up to the “Ultimate” level.

Now one of the best TVs to have in a home game room if you have the room is the projector TV with a movie screen. Having one of those is like having your own mini theatre in your home and they’re great for watching sports. It’s probably not a good idea to use one of these TVs for everyday use as the projector bulbs have a limited lifetime. You can however buy a replacement bulb but they can get expensive on some models. The bulbs usually last around 3000 hours and that is plenty for home game room use.

#5 – Refrigerator

The fifth must-have is the refrigerator. The reason being that if you’re creating an ultimate game room then you’re most likely planning on having parties with family and friends. A refrigerator that holds a couple cases of your favorite drink is perfect. You don’t need something large and fancy.

The reason these are good is that you won’t have everyone trouncing into your kitchen all day and night to get a drink. Also it helps keep the party in your game room not to mention your kitchen floors clean. On top of that they’re great for storing extra food for everyday use if your main refrigerator if full.

#6 Game Room Bathroom

The last must-have item on our list is a Game Room Bathroom. Like the refrigerator above it keeps the foot traffic to a minimum throughout the house if you have a bathroom in your game room. Plus adding that additional bathroom to your home is great if you have parties because someone always needs to “go” when your one bathroom is occupied.

Besides the added benefit during parties, adding another bathroom to a home usually increases a homes value. That is always a good thing and it’s just another reason why a bathroom in the game room is the number six must-have item.

There are many more items that can be added to your home game room. For example neon signs, clocks, pictures, posters, pub lights and so on. But this is a list of must-haves to push your game room up to the ultimate level.

Of course not everyone has the room or the money to add a bathroom to the game room. Or has the space to add so many different games. That’s ok because game rooms aren’t about having the biggest and best things. They’re about having fun with family and friends. Also creating the “Ultimate Game Room” isn’t done overnight. It takes time and that is part of the fun in bringing your game room to life. Set a budget if you need to and take as much time as you like in adding your favorite game room items. In the meantime have fun using your game room with family and friends as much as possible. And never forget that “Families That Play Together, Stay Together”.



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JT asked:


Nintendo has the longest history of creating quality games out of all the three current console makers. Some of the most memorable characters and franchises have been built and evolved over the last twenty years across multiple consoles, culminating in hundreds of amazing games. Though millions and millions have enjoyed popular titles such as Super Mario 64, Mario Kart and Zelda, there are some games that didn’t get the recognition they deserved and sold poorly in comparison.

Here I dig out ten of these titles. While they were a critical success, they failed to get in many gamers hands deserved for one reason or another. Most of you would have played some of, if not all of these games, but there are also many people that missed out on these gems.

The ten games after the jump all deserve your time to track down to see what you’re missing. Luckily eBay makes this an easy task.

1. Chibi-Robo! (Gamecube/Wii)

Chibi-Robo! can easily be classed as the Gamecube’s last classic, released late into the consoles life. Though it was an odd concept where you controlled a robot cleaning different rooms in a house in order to earn ‘Happy Points’, the game was a joy to control and offered a charming experience. Luckily those that missed it first time round on Gamecube will be able to give Chibi a second chance later this year when Nintendo re-release it on Wii with updated controls. Don’t let the idea of the game put you off. Chibi-Robo! is a little gem.

2. Okami (Wii/PS2)

Perhaps the biggest injustice in the history of videogames is Okami. Originally released on PS2 where sales were hugely underwhelming, Capcom gave Okami a second chance on Wii due to fans outcries that the games paintbrush mechanics would ideally be suited to the wiimote’s capabilities. They were right. The game is even better on Wii and quite frankly one of the most stylized and freshest games of the decade. The moment when you revive a blossom tree and se the landscape come to life is one of my favourite moments in gaming.

Though it is a very high accolade to compare Okami to Zelda, this should be the case as Okami holds its own next to Nintendo’s masterpiece. In my opinion, this deserved to sell millions but gamers largely ignored it. If you have not played this then I urge you to try it, you will not be disappointed.

3. Sin & Punishment (N64/Wii)

This is really in this list for Europeans. The game never saw release in Europe during the N64 days and has only recently become available on the Wii Shop. No matter where you are from, this Treasure developed game is well worth hunting down if you have never played it.

There are fewer more intense and exciting games than this on N64 and on any Nintendo console for that matter! Though it hasn’t aged particularly well in the looks department it is still a joy to play and one hell of a hectic shooter.

It is what Treasure do best and why I cannot wait for the Wii sequel to arrive some time this year.

4. Chrono Trigger (SNES/DS)

Many gamers reading this may be too young to remember Square’s Chrono Trigger the first time round on the SNES, which is why it is in this list (also another game that never made European shores until this years DS version).

Classed by many as the best 2D RPG, Chrono Trigger is an absolute must play game if you are a fan of the genre. Even 14 years after its release the game shines with a fantastic storyline, a brilliant battle system and a beautiful soundtrack. Well worth hunting down on your DS or SNES.

5. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem (Gamecube)

Gamecube exclusive – Eternal Darkness was a gripping psychological horror game from Ubisoft. Though there have been many scarier and better looking horror games before and after this, no game has managed to quite mess with your head so much as Eternal Darkness.

The whole game from beginning to end was a hugely enjoyable experience. Few people witnessed the sanity meter in this game playing with your mind such as reversing controls, the hallucinogenic graphical effects or the game controller pretending to have been disconnected.

Seeing as the Wii plays Gamecube games, there is little excuse not play this if you haven’t already. Also Ubisoft if you are reading this – can we have a sequel, please?!

6. Blast Corps (N64)

While most people were playing Goldeneye and Banjo Kazooie during Rare’s N64 days, many gamers seemed to miss another of the developers treasures – Blast Corps.

Blast Corps was a clever puzzle/action hybrid game where you controlled a bulldozer. It was a far cry from Goldeneye, Jet Force Gemini, Banjo and all other Rare games but the quality and great gameplay remained. It seems quite boring on paper but clearing a path for your truck to drive through was great fun!

7. Zack & Wiki: Quest For Barbaros Treasure (Wii)

Highly rated Zack & Wiki failed to attract consumers attention and sold very poorly for such a high quality title. It is full of original uses for the Wiimote’s controls and though it was released early in the consoles life-span, few games since have put the wiimote to such original use. The game itself looks good, is fun to play and is full of excellent puzzles.

Personally I think the name change to ‘Zack & Wiki’ put some people off but no-one should be put of trying this Capcom developed game, especially as it can be found so cheaply in bargain bins!

8. Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat (Gamecube)

This is 2D platforming at its best. Nintendo opted for the use of the bongo peripheral on the Gamecube for the controls of this game. Players needed to bang the bongos and clap to make the Donkey Kong run and jump. To anybody that has never played this, that may sound very weird and not particularly appealing but in true Nintendo style, they pulled it off in style.

Donkey Kong: Jungle beat was a joy to play, even if it did make your arms hurt1 The graphics were vibrant and gorgeous to look at and it is still one of my favourite platformers to date. For some reason the masses largely ignored the title which is a huge shame Like Chibi-Robo! Nintendo are re-releasing the title on Wii with motion controls, but how this will fair up to the original remains to be seen. If you still have your Gamecube hunt this down with the bongos as it is a classic that screams to be played. It’s not the longest game in the world but the replay value of trying to beat your ‘banana count’ score will keep you coming back for more.

9. Beyond Good & Evil (Gamecube)

Another Ubisoft entry that was criminaly ignored by the masses and another Gamecube exclusive. Beyond Good & Evil was a good all round action adventure set in a strange world of humans, animals, robots and aliens.

The game creators invented a lovable cast and tasty looking world to explore, sewn together with a good storyline. The game also had novel features such as the lead characters ability to take photo’s during her adventure. It may not sound like much but this game’s total was more than the sum of its parts.

Hunt it down, it deserves your attention.

10. GTA: Chinatown Wars (DS)

This is a little borderline putting GTA: CW in this list. By any means the game has not ‘flopped’ and lots of handheld gamers have picked it up. However, many of the Playstation and Xbox GTA gamers seem to have shown little interest in the DS rendition as recent sales figures have shown.

GTA: CW holds its own very well with its fully-fledged 3D cousins on Xbox and Playstation. The sheer volume of content Rockstar have crammed in to the limited DS hardware is phenomenal. Nothing has been left out of Chinatown Wars. There is a full, vibrant, living city with so much to do it’s mind boggling. Everything you have come to expect from the series (and more) is here in the DS version. It looks great, plays great and is currently the highest rated DS game on metacritic.

Personally I found GTA: CW much more fun than GTA IV and every bit as good as any GTA game before it. It seems many people are missing out on this gem. If you own a DS, you should own this game, simple.

For more Nintendo news, views and speculation go to my website http://www.nin-ten-do.com



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Beteo Games asked:


With more and more people having an iPhone, so is the increase in demand for quality and fun applications for it. As the age of ownership of the iPhone getting younger and “savvy-er”, Having really cool games for the iPhone is an era on the rise and an era to watch out for software developers. But where does the future hold for the iPhone gaming world depend on?

The App Store for the iPhone and iTouch has a list of really cool applications that can help either entertain, or help people make life more convenient, but iPhone gaming on the other hand has its own focus.

For the past year, or maybe years, it has shown promise to be in line with the popular gaming consoles in the likes of Sony and Nintendo.

More Practical with the Economic Issues without the Sacrifice of Fun

More people are finding iPhone gaming more practical and less expensive other than some cartridges. I think another reason behind this is that they can enjoy a wide range of games from all genres without paying too much. If a new game is desired, the flexibility of having a new one in a snap is what makes the iPhone gaming really cool and shows a lot of promise.



Fresh Blood

But other than the software developers that we commonly see, the generation that shows another great potential in the iPhone gaming is the rise of the independent software developers. Maybe unknown at present, but the vision of new exciting games from fresh blood is in indeed the next level in iPhone gaming. Remember that the main stream developers nowadays started somewhere, from being independent to where they are right now.

Cost-wise, independent producers can produce the same quality at a lower price while building a name and trust to their soon to be customers. And isn’t it great to have a first hand experience to a really cool game before it goes mainstream?



“Promise of Coolness”

There are many developers out there, and most have that stage of lower quality production because they are just starting. I guess that is where boys are separated from the men. But there are few developers out there that create a “promise of coolness”, and one of those is Beteo Games. You can visit them at BeteoGames.com (http://www.beteogames.com)

Bradley and Bryan Cimo, pursues the applications and games development for Beteo, backed-up with 15 years experience. Indeed, Beteo Games is one of the promising game development companies to watch out.

Companies like Beteo games will show the iPhone gaming aficionados that cool, new and exciting games really come from anywhere. So expect more fun to come to the screens of your iPhone.



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