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NEC TG-16/TE/TurboDuo => TG-16/TE/TurboDuo Discussion => Topic started by: Gentlegamer on February 15, 2016, 03:40:28 AM

Title: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: Gentlegamer on February 15, 2016, 03:40:28 AM
Posted at HG101 Feb 7 -

Alfa System is a developer that even more passionate gaming enthusiasts will rarely talk about, but anyone heavily interested in games has probably played at least a few of their titles. Alfa has worked on everything from excellent shoot-em-up series like Down Load and Shikigami no Shiro, the light gun shooter Elemental Gearbolt, and several installments in Namco's massive Tales Of... RPG series. In their early days, however, they worked exclusively on games for the PC Engine and its various CD accessories. While being released in 1991 caused Sinistron to quickly get lost in the crowd both in Japan and in the US due to the former country already having a several flashier CD-ROM games available and the latter's game playing populace being fixated on the SNES and Sega Genesis, Sinistron is still worth a look today for its solid level design and some original ideas.

(http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/sinistron/sinistro-004.png)   (http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/sinistron/sinistro-014.png)

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/sinistron/sinistron.htm

This reminds my I should take this on for the 2016 challenge.
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: Gentlegamer on February 15, 2016, 04:17:05 AM
Sinistron may be best well known for being featured in the Ultimate Gaming Rig scam that ran for several years in game mags of the era.

(http://www.gamesetwatch.com/magweasel/ugr01.jpg)

http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/11/column_game_mag_weaseling_15_y_1.php
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: johnnykonami on February 15, 2016, 05:55:13 AM
Sinistron may be best well known for being featured in the Ultimate Gaming Rig scam that ran for several years in game mags of the era.

http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/11/column_game_mag_weaseling_15_y_1.php


I remember this!  It was a scam?  I didn't realize that.  I may have even put in the initial entry once.
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: Gentlegamer on February 15, 2016, 10:29:59 AM
Sinistron may be best well known for being featured in the Ultimate Gaming Rig scam that ran for several years in game mags of the era.

http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/11/column_game_mag_weaseling_15_y_1.php


I remember this!  It was a scam?  I didn't realize that.  I may have even put in the initial entry once.


You pay to enter several rounds. The linked article assumes there were winners, but if so, don't you think the ads would have a little blurb with past winners?
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: incrediblehark on February 15, 2016, 02:04:49 PM
I entered that once when I was a kid, luckily I didn't have enough money to keep playing each round. It wasn't until years later when I read about it being a scam.
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: johnnykonami on February 15, 2016, 02:16:03 PM
You pay to enter several rounds. The linked article assumes there were winners, but if so, don't you think the ads would have a little blurb with past winners?

Yeah, I know I didn't pay for anything like that for sure, that would have stopped me dead in my tracks.  You'd think they could just make up names for past winners all day long if the whole thing was a scam.
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: Dicer on February 15, 2016, 03:22:31 PM
One of my fave hu shooteys...

Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: Gentlegamer on February 15, 2016, 03:27:05 PM
Challenged it this evening... first three stages are easy, then the asteroid stage destroys you.
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: NightWolve on February 15, 2016, 04:26:31 PM
Sinistron may be best well known for being featured in the Ultimate Gaming Rig scam that ran for several years in game mags of the era.

http://www.gamesetwatch.com/magweasel/ugr01.jpg

http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/11/column_game_mag_weaseling_15_y_1.php

Oh wow, I remember that! I believe I entered it a few times too. So it was a scam all along ??
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: ParanoiaDragon on February 15, 2016, 06:36:21 PM
I don't think I ended up playing that scam, though, it's possible I did a round or 2, memory be fuzzy!
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: 780racer on February 15, 2016, 09:59:51 PM
That is pretty crazy to saw the least, but really cool to learn about this. Has there been any other big scams related to NEC?
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: ccovell on February 16, 2016, 02:15:37 AM
16-bit*
TurboBooster just to get AV
TTI would work harder than NEC to promote the Turbo
SuperGrafx
PCE Shuttle
...

quite a long list, actually.



*graphics
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: TheClash603 on February 16, 2016, 05:38:23 AM
I remember winning the Ultimate Gaming Rig.
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: NightWolve on February 16, 2016, 05:45:17 AM
???

EDIT: Oh right, there was a $5 entry fee. I can't imagine I entered it more than once or twice come to think of it...

So, how do they know it was a scam, the company that ran it got prosecuted ?

Were gaming mags so desperate for ad revenue that they were totally clueless about these guys and let their magazine customers get suckered in ?

EDITx2: Hm, does seem like a great scam idea when you think about it... It's in the comments section where you have 2 people claiming the contest operator would weasel out when you won... :/

M0therf--ker, I want my $5 back!!!!!
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: DragonmasterDan on February 16, 2016, 05:54:00 AM
???

Oh right, there was a $5 entry fee. I can't imagine I entered it more than once or twice come to think of it...

So, how do they know it was a scam, the company that ran it got prosecuted ?

Were gaming mags so desperate for ad revenue that they were totally clueless about these guys and let their magazine customers get suckered in ?

If you notice the rules there's a tiebreaker question at the end. If the total value of everything in the ultimate gaming rig is 5,000.00 and they have 500 winners of the tiebreaker the rules state that "winners will split the value of the prices". So 500 people who put at minimum 11.00 each into the contest win 10.00 each at a loss of 1.00 per person.
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: ginoscope on February 16, 2016, 07:16:11 AM
???

Oh right, there was a $5 entry fee. I can't imagine I entered it more than once or twice come to think of it...

So, how do they know it was a scam, the company that ran it got prosecuted ?

Were gaming mags so desperate for ad revenue that they were totally clueless about these guys and let their magazine customers get suckered in ?

If you notice the rules there's a tiebreaker question at the end. If the total value of everything in the ultimate gaming rig is 5,000.00 and they have 500 winners of the tiebreaker the rules state that "winners will split the value of the prices". So 500 people who put at minimum 11.00 each into the contest win 10.00 each at a loss of 1.00 per person.

That is so bad yet funny at the same time.  No shame stealing money from kids lol.  Seeing that pic brought back memories of seeing that in game mags.  I never did enter this contest I was always a skeptic even at a young age.
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: csgx1 on February 16, 2016, 07:58:24 AM
I remember seeing those ads, but never entered.  My parents would have never allowed me to entered if I asked them for the money. 

It's sad that the contest ended up being a scam to take money from kids. 
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: ccovell on February 16, 2016, 10:29:22 AM
You should see the bullshit that was in Japanese gaming mags of the time.  "Unleash your psychic powers!"  "Increase your height in mere weeks!"  I should do an article on it sometime.

Typical bubble-era flaky aspirationism.
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: EmperorIng on February 16, 2016, 11:15:45 AM
It sure is annoying how inconsistent HG101 is on referring to games based on their original Japanese title or their localized title. Especially since Sinistron is the bastardized port with features removed for the American release. Why give it top billing?

It's sad that the contest ended up being a scam to take money from kids.

Though fitting, when you consider the video-game industry at large.

Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: esteban on February 16, 2016, 11:20:30 AM

It sure is annoying how inconsistent HG101 is on referring to games based on their original Japanese title or their localized title. Especially since Sinistron is the bastardized port with features removed for the American release. Why give it top billing?

It's sad that the contest ended up being a scam to take money from kids.

Though fitting, when you consider the video-game industry at large.

Kids are always targeted. Even "respectable" magazines carried ads for garbage, BITD.

Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: grolt on February 16, 2016, 05:28:03 PM
Lovely little game from the fellows behind another underrated shootie, Cyber-Core. The different ship, shield, charge and weapon types really add a lot of strategy. If Cyber-Core was a good Darius clone, this one goes more for R-Type with challenging portions that must be memorized if you ever want to stand a chance. The 4th level kills me too...one day I will beat it and become a man.
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: Gentlegamer on February 21, 2016, 10:31:45 AM
I made it to level 5.

Now I'm stuck again.
Title: Re: Sinistron - Hardcore Gaming 101
Post by: Arkhan on February 21, 2016, 08:28:56 PM
Challenged it this evening... first three stages are easy, then the asteroid stage destroys you.
Stop sucking.  Dingleberry.