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Microsoft Game Room - Pitfall, Super Breakout, more - 5/5, supposedly

UnbreakableVowUnbreakableVow Registered User regular
edited July 2010 in Games and Technology
THIS WEEK'S GAMES (4/28/10):

Basketball
Megamania
Night Stalker
Pitfall!
Rack 'Em Up
RealSports Volleyball
Super Breakout


What is Game Room?

This trailer kinda explains it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxiC5h08-aI

Essentially, they're taking the best parts of Sony's PlayStation Home (your own little "area" to tool around with, virtual arcade games, your own customized Avatars) and leaving out the bad bits (creepy-ass avatars, people continually wanting to dance with you/rape you and asking if you're a chick, fucking queues to play virtual arcade games!).

The Game Room application itself launches for free. To get some actual games though, it'll cost you. The pricing is such: $3 per game per system. $5 per game if you want to play it on both 360 and PC. If you pay $3 for one and want to play it on the other system, you can upgrade for the additional $2 instead of buying it again. A really neat feature (not sure entirely how useful it is to most people though) is shared save games; I can finish the first two levels on Centipede on my PC and then pick up that saved game on my 360. Players have the option to individually purchase single rounds on a game (coin-op style) for 40 MS Points ($.50), but I can't see any sensible people actually doing this.

Also, if I buy, say, Crystal Castles, you can totally come chill at my arcade and try a free demo of it if you're unsure about the game (which makes that 50-cent idea even more ridiculous).

Please note that these games are presented exactly as they were in their original arcade/system form; no enhancements or tweaks of any kind, except for the ability to hold down Left Trigger (or its equivalent on PC) and start rewinding if you fuck things up.


What games are available for Game Room?

Here's everything so far
Adventure
Armor Battle
Asteroids Deluxe
Astrosmash
Battlantis
Centipede
Combat
Crystal Castles
Finalizer
Football
Jungler
Lunar Lander
Millipede
Mountain Madness: Super Pro Skiing
Outlaw
RealSports Tennis
Red Baron
Road Fighter
Scramble
Sea Battle
Shao-Lin's Road
Space Armada
Space Hawk
Star Raiders
Sub Hunt
Super Cobra
Tempest
Tutankham
Yars' Revenge


Old games? Psh. I'm all about the meta-gaming.

Game Room has you covered! Each game comes with nine medals individually, which work toward your overall Game Room Achievements. It comes with an Achievement list totaling 1000 points. Click the spoiler to see the Achievements.
There are 56 achievements with a total of 1000 points.

My First Theme (5 points)
Place a Theme in your arcade

Theme Filler (20 points)
Place 5 unique Themes in your arcade

Fancy Arcade (20 points)
Theme an entire arcade with unique Themes

My First Mascot (5 points)
Activate a Mascot in your arcade

My First Decoration (5 points)
Place a Decoration in your arcade

Proptastic (20 points)
Place 5 arcade Decorations in your arcade

My First Game (5 points)
Place a Game Cabinet in your arcade

The Visitor (5 points)
Visit a Friend's arcade

Show Me! (5 points)
Visit the Showcase Arcade

The Player (5 points)
Play a Friend's Game Cabinet

Room Filler (20 points)
Fill an entire room

My First Win (5 points)
Win a Challenge

My First Challenge (5 points)
Send a Challenge

Challenge Chief (5 points)
Win 10 Challenges

Challenge Master (20 points)
Win 20 Challenges

Too Cool for my Score (20 points)
Beat your own High Score in a game

My Blisters have Blisters! (5 points)
Play a game for 1 hour continuously

Arcade Junkie (20 points)
Spend 4 hours total playing games in your arcade

Retro Addict (20 points)
Spend 8 hours total playing games in your arcade

Go to Sleep (20 points)
Spend 16 hours total playing games in your arcade

Machine not Man (20 points)
Spend 24 hours total playing games in your arcade

Matchstick Eyes (20 points)
Spend 36 hours total playing games in your arcade

My First Medal (5 points)
Win your first Medal

Medal Variety (5 points)
Win a Medal of each Type (Point Buster, Survivalist, Time Spender)

Double Trouble (20 points)
Win 2 Medals of each type (2x Point Buster, 2x Survivalist, 2x Time Spender)

Medal Collector (20 points)
Win 3 Medals

80s Skilled (20 points)
Win 6 Medals

Game Beater (20 points)
Win 9 Medals

Arcade Hustler (20 points)
Win 12 Medals

Retro Expert (20 points)
Win 15 Medals

The New Old Schooler (20 points)
Win 18 Medals

Medal Enthusiast (20 points)
Win 21 Medals

Arcade Shark (20 points)
Win 24 Medals

Can't Touch This! (20 points)
Win 27 Medals

Retro Master (20 points)
Win 30 Medals

Check My Skillz (20 points)
Win 33 Medals

Minted (20 points)
Win 36 Medals

Medaltastic (20 points)
Win 39 Medals

Fly Skillz (20 points)
Win 42 Medals

Medal Masher (20 points)
Win 45 Medals

I Like Shiny Things (35 points)
Win 48 Medals

Level Up! (20 points)
Reach Level 2

Level 5! (20 points)
Reach Level 5

Level 8! (20 points)
Reach Level 8

Level 11! (20 points)
Reach Level 11

Level 14! (20 points)
Reach Level 14

Level 17! (20 points)
Reach Level 17

Level 20! (50 points)
Reach Level 20

Medal Smasher (20 points)
Win 10 Medals of each type

Medal Mad (50 points)
Win 20 Medals of each type

Point Buster (20 points)
Win 5 Point Buster Medals

Point Slammer (20 points)
Win 10 Point Buster Medals

Survivalist (20 points)
Win 5 Survivalist Medals

Survival of the Fittest (20 points)
Win 10 Survivalist Medals

Time Spender (20 points)
Win 5 Time Spender Medals

Time Crazy (20 points)
Win 10 Time Spender Medals


Wait, what are all those "Challenge" Achievements?

So this is pretty neat. You may have surmised from the rewind feature that the game is constantly tracking progress. What this allows you to do is to make your own challenges and send them out to your friends. So, let's say I make a certain point total in a certain amount of time on a certain level; I can use the challenge process to throw this out to my friends and hope that they man up. They probably will, since these things count toward your Game Room Achievements.There are other modifiers on this idea, but I'm a bit unclear as to what exactly those are, so we'll see more as Game Room is released.


Sounds awesome! Sign me up!

Naturally the more friends you have vested in playing these classic games, the more you'll enjoy it since you'll have some new challenges heading your way. Send me a PM or post in the thread with your Gamertag if you want it posted in the list:
Archgarth - DoctorArch
AZChristopher - AZChristopher
BitTWist - BitTwist
CDiggity - CDiggi7y
CowShark - CowShark
Damagemanual - damagemanual248
ShadowoftheKatamari - Kuribos Hat
UnbreakableVow - DesmondHumeWins
Yellow Ranger - fireboy80x

UnbreakableVow on
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Posts

  • Dox the PIDox the PI Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    That's one hell of an OP you've got yourself there!

    Dox the PI on
  • UnbreakableVowUnbreakableVow Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I go a little overboard sometimes, often unnecessarily

    UnbreakableVow on
  • urahonkyurahonky Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I'm intrigued. I'll download it and give it a shot as soon as it's available.

    urahonky on
  • AstaleAstale Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Depending on the games they end up offering, could be pretty fun. Not my cup of tea, mind you, but then I have crippling social phobias. Coin idea sounds like a gimmick thing 'cause it's an arcade' though, not something they realistically intend to be a money-making mechanic.

    Astale on
  • UnbreakableVowUnbreakableVow Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Well that's the thing

    I don't really do the whole multiplayer thing either, outside of Rock Band, and even that's with people I know

    But taking on the challenges of people here on the forums in single-player modes? Shit yeah, I will do that all day

    UnbreakableVow on
  • alexanderswangalexanderswang Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    correct one thing : March 24, 2010

    alexanderswang on
    There is always a way.
  • LBD_NytetraynLBD_Nytetrayn TorontoRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I'm iffy on this. I like the sort of idea of setting up and running my own little arcade (sort of a dream of mine; classic arcade/eating establishment or something), but something about this just hasn't quite resonated with me yet.

    Might be that starting lineup. What can I say? If I had an arcade, it would have Super Contra, TMNT, Pac-man, and other fun stuff like that.

    LBD_Nytetrayn on
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  • CorriganXCorriganX Jacksonville, FLRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Jungler! woo. Jungallos all up in it.

    CorriganX on
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  • fragglefartfragglefart Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    All over this as soon as it launches. Challenges sound awesome/evil.

    fragglefart on
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  • CherrnCherrn Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I love the idea of this, but having never owned an Atari system, I have no nostalgia for any of the games on the list. I hope they'll get some actual arcade games on there down the line.

    Cherrn on
    All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
  • Zilla360Zilla360 21st Century. |She/Her| Trans* Woman In Aviators Firing A Bazooka. ⚛️Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Hmm, this, or paying for games that should now be in the public domain anyhow...?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAME

    Game Room just seems to me to be another way for Microsoft to Nickel and Dime people. There's even free flash recreations of many, if not all of these games. I'll try it, but I doubt that myself or anyone I know would be willing to hand over any money for individual titles.

    Zilla360 on
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  • SandersSanders Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I see they still have yet to take out the aspects of this that turns what could be a very interesting and enjoyable way to play arcade games into one of the dumbest fucking ideas by Microsoft.

    Last I checked you were limited to one visitor in your game room at a time and they can only play a demo of your games. What's the point of having an arcade or a virtual world if you are the only person who can use it? Rather quick launch the games instead but I guess I am not part of the population that likes playing private virtual room managers.

    Also, the pricing is terrible. I can buy the Atari 80 Classics in One! pack for $15 off steam (or $3.97 used on amazon) that comes with 13 of these games along with 67 others, or buy just those 13 from Microsoft for $39

    As for .50 a play. Gametap has 14 of these games in their $5 a month bundle, which would be cheaper than giving each of those games one try each, along with access to about 300 other games.

    So really you are left with that, achievements? Surprised they have not started selling gamer points for cash at this point.

    Sanders on
  • Zilla360Zilla360 21st Century. |She/Her| Trans* Woman In Aviators Firing A Bazooka. ⚛️Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Sanders wrote: »
    So really you are left with that, achievements? Surprised they have not started selling gamer points for cash at this point.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender_%E2%80%93_The_Burning_Earth :P

    Zilla360 on
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  • OptyOpty Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Zilla360 wrote: »
    Hmm, this, or paying for games that should now be in the public domain anyhow...?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAME

    Game Room just seems to me to be another way for Microsoft to Nickel and Dime people. There's even free flash recreations of many, if not all of these games. I'll try it, but I doubt that myself or anyone I know would be willing to hand over any money for individual titles.
    Uh, a good chunk of these (if not all) aren't in public domain since their copyright hasn't run out.

    Opty on
  • Zilla360Zilla360 21st Century. |She/Her| Trans* Woman In Aviators Firing A Bazooka. ⚛️Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Even so, they're still overpriced.

    Zilla360 on
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  • TurkeyTurkey So, Usoop. TampaRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    If they're overpriced, people will just play them on Facebook or something.

    I'm pretty interested in that rewind feature.

    Turkey on
  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2010
    The going rate of Atari carts is around the 3$ or so mark.

    I mean, that's like, one burger at Burger King. Without a drink or fries.

    FyreWulff on
  • Zilla360Zilla360 21st Century. |She/Her| Trans* Woman In Aviators Firing A Bazooka. ⚛️Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I'd prefer to go to Subway... :P

    $1 a game would be more reasonable, but MS already knows that.

    Zilla360 on
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  • chasmchasm Ill-tempered Texan Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Great OP. I'll likely be getting this, especially since my birthday's Wednesday and my family's getting me $100 worth of points.

    chasm on
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  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I agree that the inability for visitors to play your owned games makes this whole thing pointless. Why would you load up your arcade room and walk around with your avatar instead of just quicklaunching the game you want to play?

    Figgy on
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  • RakaiRakai Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    The only thing that would make this interest me is if they got all those mid-90s co-op arcade games and added online multiplayer so you and friends could just pick up and play the various arcades as if you were in an actual 90s arcade.

    Rakai on
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  • brynstarbrynstar Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    My favorite thing about this is how aggressive the release schedule is. I'll definitely be checking it out each week.

    brynstar on
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  • UnbreakableVowUnbreakableVow Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Figgy wrote: »
    I agree that the inability for visitors to play your owned games makes this whole thing pointless. Why would you load up your arcade room and walk around with your avatar instead of just quicklaunching the game you want to play?

    I believe I've heard something about an alternate method (i.e. quicklaunch), but don't quote me on that.

    Things have been strangely quiet about this leading up to its release.

    EDIT: Also FyreWulff, man, what's wrong with your state? Double cheeseburgers are $1 at Burger King

    UnbreakableVow on
  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I don't have any personal interest in this thing myself, but I just wanted to say that the challenge idea is the best thing ever and more games need to do that. It pretty much should be default for challenging singleplayer games to be able to challenge your friends like that and if they respond, they get rewards.

    Morninglord on
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  • MargaretMargaret Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I'll be there day one for Crystal Castles and Tutankham. Helloooo nostalgia.

    I noticed the achievements mention levelling up. Can someone explain how you level?

    Margaret on
    XBL: MagWheels
  • UnbreakableVowUnbreakableVow Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I haven't heard anything about that aspect yet...

    The OP will be a bit more fleshed out when it hits

    UnbreakableVow on
  • Santa ClaustrophobiaSanta Claustrophobia Ho Ho Ho Disconnecting from Xbox LIVERegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Figgy wrote: »
    I agree that the inability for visitors to play your owned games makes this whole thing pointless. Why would you load up your arcade room and walk around with your avatar instead of just quicklaunching the game you want to play?

    I believe I've heard something about an alternate method (i.e. quicklaunch), but don't quote me on that.

    Things have been strangely quiet about this leading up to its release.

    EDIT: Also FyreWulff, man, what's wrong with your state? Double cheeseburgers are $1 at Burger King

    I think he's going for something more...flavourful? I mean, I get the double cheeseburgers, too. But only because they're cheap.

    Which is also why some people aren't feeling this. They're cheap. Anybody who believes there is a better alternative to this isn't going to be happy with this no matter what. But I'll keep an eye on this next week. I have about the same interest as that Hasbro collection, but I just don't see too many people on my friends list who also have it.

    Santa Claustrophobia on
  • UnbreakableVowUnbreakableVow Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I was under the impression that MAME wasn't exactly legal

    Which would make this the best legal way of doing this, right?

    Either way, it's certainly the only way it's done on consoles right now

    UnbreakableVow on
  • Santa ClaustrophobiaSanta Claustrophobia Ho Ho Ho Disconnecting from Xbox LIVERegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I never suggested that the alternatives would necessarily be legal or acceptable. I think the legality of MAME depends on whether or not the rom has been made available by the copyright holder for such a use. But I think that's a rare case.

    Still, some people are just cheap anyway. On the surface, $3 seems a bit pricey and for me, I'm not too hyped on the initial list of games. But I'm not opposed to this. 1 vs 100 needed a companion anyway.

    Santa Claustrophobia on
  • ZephosZephos Climbin in yo ski lifts, snatchin your people up. MichiganRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    so this comes out this week, yay!?

    Zephos on
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  • UnbreakableVowUnbreakableVow Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Yay indeed

    It seems no one cares though :(

    UnbreakableVow on
  • Santa ClaustrophobiaSanta Claustrophobia Ho Ho Ho Disconnecting from Xbox LIVERegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Yay indeed

    It seems no one cares though :(

    Well, it's not original, it's not really free, there are better alternatives, the game selection is weak.

    I mean, put quotes around any of those and you have the basic arguments in a nutshell. And that's before starting a Console War about it.

    As I said, I'm interested, but I need to see more of it in action. As long as it isn't such a bad rip like the Hasbro thing (I don't care how 'convenient' it is to not have discs, $70 for the 'full' set of games is a freaking rip off compared to B&M store prices.) I'll likely get in on some of this.

    Santa Claustrophobia on
  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    If there was the ability to visit your friend's arcade and play the games with him, I would bite. Without that, it's pointless to me. I don't care one tiny bit.

    Figgy on
    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • Renegade WolfRenegade Wolf Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Figgy wrote: »
    If there was the ability to visit your friend's arcade and play the games with him, I would bite. Without that, it's pointless to me. I don't care one tiny bit.
    There is isnt there, One of the achievements is too do with visiting a friends arcade.

    Renegade Wolf on
  • ZephosZephos Climbin in yo ski lifts, snatchin your people up. MichiganRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    i know theres cheap flash versions out there of most of these, but i'll probably throw 3 or 6 bucks down this week. I love me some Lunar Lander, so its worth dropping the 3 bucks at least on that to give the game room a test drive.

    Zephos on
    Xbox One/360: Penguin McCool
  • UnbreakableVowUnbreakableVow Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I'm getting Centipede, Tempest and Jungler (that last one pretty much just because of Giant Bomb)

    Zephos, add me as a friend so I can try out Lunar Lander when you get it. I've never played it.

    UnbreakableVow on
  • ZephosZephos Climbin in yo ski lifts, snatchin your people up. MichiganRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    i'm terribly unreliable when it comes to online, i'm on a bandwidth cap so its not very often :(

    Zephos on
    Xbox One/360: Penguin McCool
  • TurkeyTurkey So, Usoop. TampaRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I'm tempted to buy Jungler just because of the name.

    Turkey on
  • CherrnCherrn Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Turkey wrote: »
    I'm tempted to buy Jungler just because of the name.

    Have you been known to Jungle?

    Are you a Jungalo?

    Cherrn on
    All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
  • brynstarbrynstar Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Cherrn wrote: »
    Turkey wrote: »
    I'm tempted to buy Jungler just because of the name.

    Have you been known to Jungle?

    Are you a Jungalo?

    I think GiantBomb did more to raise awareness of Jungler than anyone else in the history of humanity.

    I'll definitely download this, as the absurd weekly release schedule practically guarantees they'll have something that interests me at least once or twice a month.

    brynstar on
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