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Magnavox released the first video game console, the Odyssey, in 1972, predating the Pong machines by three years. However, the games were all included on the circuitry; the cartridges were nothing more than a series of jumpers to select the game. When the Fairchild Channel F and the Atari 2600 released in 1976 and 1977 respectively, which both featured programmable ROM cartridges, Magnavox responded with the Odyssey2 (also known as the Philips Videopac G7000, the Philips Odyssey, and a few other names around the world). While inferior graphically and with a smaller library than it's competitors, the Odyssey2 managed to last until the crash of 83.

Odyssey2 fans have always had to deal with a lot of crap from the people who play the "mainstream" machines. "Haha, your system doesn't have cool arcade games!" or "Tee-hee, your game console only has one sound channel!" or "Ho ho ho, you spent $39.95 for Out of this World!/Helicopter Rescue!" are just some of the barbs we have to take with gentle good humor. And they hurt, dammit -- that one about the $39.95 cuts to the bone, let me tell you. Yet we persist in playing the Not-quite Ultimate Computer Video Game System because we know that beyond the lackluster educational games and mediocre sound effects, there are some truly good games on this bulky silver beast. Yes, we've learned to appreciate the Odyssey2, and with an open mind, maybe you can too. I'm here to help.

There have been a number of classic video game cartridges that have garnered surprising sums on the auction block over the years. On any given week on Ebay, or on dedicated fan sites, you can find plenty of titles changing hands for a couple hundred bucks. Notoriously rare Atari 2600 games like Tooth Protectors or Chase the Chuckwagon (which you got by sending in labels from dog food) trade for sums that far exceed the fun you're ever going to have with such rotten games. But every once in a while a retro cart comes along that goes for not hundreds, but thousands of dollars.

You sit alone in your living room, pounding on a 13 button controller, yelling into a microphone at a 12 year old boy who is up way past his bedtime. You curse, you swear... the surround sound is turned on full volume as the warm HD glow of the t.v. fills the room. Suddenly, the door opens and your girlfriend walks in. You are embarrassed, you are shamed. You are clearly in love with your video games.

On June 12th, 2006 Jason Lindholm wrote an article about his Top 5 Favorite NES Games. I'm also an avid gamer and the Nintendo was my first love so I hold many NES games near and dear to my heart. Today's video game systems have more in-depth storylines and better graphics but nothing beats the old classics. I have my own top five favorite games from the Nintendo but I thought I'd also add some comments about Jason's choices also.

I am a big video game fan. I can't even count how many nights of sleep I lost because I had to finish that one last level, or got involved in a complex storyline.

What Video Games Are People Buying These Days?

Ten Video Games that Made Gaming What it Is

A Trip Down Video Game Memory Lane

The first person shooter game Golden Eye, based off of the James Bond story, seems to be amongst the top titles celebrated from releases for the cartridge based video game system the Nintendo 64. However, I never really got into the fad of playing that one and really in general tried to keep my interactions with the Nintendo 64 to a bare minimum. However, one of my siblings owned the machine and thus on occasion I would find myself playing on it. Here are the top five games, picked by me, based on what I had fun playing.

In celebration to the 20th Anniversary of the release of Famico (known as NES in North America) in Japan, Nintendo released a line of Famico games emulated on the Game Boy Advance. Less than half of the titles managed to travel overseas for a domestic U.S. release. They were known as the Classic NES titles. Keep in mind the NES was the console where many of the most recognizable video game franchises started. It is the virtual who-who's of the gaming industry. Here are the top five Classic NES titles for the Gameboy Advance.

When Gunpei Yokoi was tragically killed in a road traffic accident in 1997, he left behind a portable video gaming legacy the likes of which we're unlikely to ever see again.

With the recent announcement of Genesis games being playable on the Revolution, I thought this would be a wonderful time to review some classics. Ever since Super Mario Bros was released on the NES, the platformer has been a constant genre in the video game industry. While many of the platformers were simply Mario clones, the 16-bit era was kicked off with Sonic the Hedgehog and never looked back. The Genesis had an especially great selection of interesting and unique platformers that helped Sega compete with Nintendo and the more powerful SNES.

In Japan, shortly after the introduction of Nintendo's Famicom (Japan's version of the NES), the electronics giant NEC entered into the videogame market with the introduction of their "next generation" system, known as the PC Engine (PCE). The PCE boasted a 16-bit graphics chip capable of displaying up to 256 colors on screen at once, at a number of resolutions. Although its CPU wasn't much more powerful that of the NES, its spectacular graphics chip and six-channel sound bettered the Famicom in every way. It utilized a sleek new card format (PCE games are either HuCards or Turbochips) to hold its software, rather than bulky cartridges. It was also the first console to boast a CD-ROM drive, for full orchestral soundtracks and even (gasp!) full motion video. The PC Engine was immensely popular in Japan, outselling the Famicom by a significant margin.

Reviews of the greatest video games of all time, from classic to modern games.

These reviews are only my personal opinion. Yours may vary depending on taste, expectations, and other criteria. Mine is not the absolute, only what I like. These reviews are here for your enjoyment and to help give you an idea of what games are good and what games to avoid (again based on my personal opinion, worth about two cents, give or take a penny). All games are rated with the simple school grading method (with an "A+" being the best and an "F" being the worst). All games are rated in comparison to other games of the same era. In other words, a game on the 2600 may get a great rating compared to other 2600 games and comparable systems (Odyssey II, Emerson Arcadia, etc..) and may not be as highly rated if compared to a Nintendo game. So keep this in mind. Look for more reviews to be added in the future. Please e-mail your favorite games, reviews you agree or disagree with, or reviews of your own. Thanks and enjoy!

What can one say about Nintendo that hasn't already been said? Nintendo is the Beatles of the video game world; they are the best. Period. Ever since Nintendo launched the NES way back in 1985, they have continued to innovate and expand, and, as such, they hold a special place in the hearts of gamers the world over.

The Nintendo Entertainment System is one of the most iconic video game consoles of all time and was the machine that got many 80s kids hooked on this interactive medium. There's a lot of ground to cover when talking about this landmark console, but hopefully we cover the most important points here.

Classic Video Games Revisited

In the world of action-RPGs, Falcom's Ys series is the sad underdog. Despite the fact that the Japanese practically have a annual holiday for it, Ys has remained unfortunately obscure outside of its homeland. Maybe this due to the burden of being saddled with a slightly unpronounceable name (hint: it sounds like "ease"), and its full title - Ancient Ys Vanished Omens - is a grammatical quandary of tremendous proportions. Or maybe it's because they never really appeared on mainsteam systems in America - the original games were released on the Master System and Turbografx-16 CD, hardly places for them to truly show gamers what they're all about - fast paced action and adventure in faraway lands, damsels in distress, and some of the best music in the history of all video gaming.