Setting Up a Sega Saturn Emulator...

As Smooth As Silk...

That's how today's injection went!

My father forgot it was injection time until I pulled up in front of the pharmacy this morning.

"What are you doing?" he asked when I walked into the pharmacy.

He was completely elated and gave me a big bear hug and tons of kudos and accolades for remembering my injection like a big boy should do. I keep having to remind my father that I am a 45-year-old man. I can handle my own business quite well thank you.

"Andrew, you can come on back," My nurse Rebecca then told me as soon as I sat down in Kamath Medical's lobby.

Rebecca and I talked about the dangers of over the counter drugs as she prepared my injection. She is currently addicted to Afrin nasal spray after having a bad cold. I told her of the time I got addicted to Benadryl. When I quit, it was the worst withdrawal I had ever experienced. It was gut-wrenchingly awful.

There was a slight pricking sensation in me right bum and then I was headed back to the pharmacy to drop off the next appointment card. I couldn't leave without talking shop about Auburn football, though. Dee Dee was all excited about our new Heisman eligible and contender quarterback.

Matt, the pharmacy's computer guru, asked me about emulation. He was the one that ordered all those game controllers for my birthday back in April. I told him I had a hard drive that was failing and I drastically needed a new one. Matt told me to talk to my father about it and he would order it when he got a greenlight to go.

One Of the Retro Games for the Week...

Gameplay[edit]

Gameplay is most similar to Shining in the Darkness; the player explores towns and dungeons in the first-person view, with battles almost exclusively taking place in dungeons. Battles take place in a turn-based format, maintaining the first-person view but also allowing the player to view allies as they take their actions. One unique mechanic is the "pixie" system, where the player can befriend pixies that will attack enemies as the party encounters them.

I just started this game late last night after I had finished Shining Wisdom. So far, things are interesting about this game and its great reputation that precedes it. Shining Wisdom was a great Zelda-like clone that I recommend as well if you are looking for a more action and adventure-centric game. 

How to use an emulator on your computer

Get Yer Game On...

http://www.freegameempire.com/

I've spent most of the day "ripping" games from their corresponding CDs and DVDs. According to digital copyright law, you are allowed one archival copy of each game you own.

I was a voracious video game consumer around the time the PlayStation came out in the 90's so I have tons of great games along with the Sega Saturn and Sega CD games I also own.

The devil is in the details and now I have to organize all these files and transfer them to my emulation and gaming computer.

A good source to find out about this is to check out the emuparadise website which is the best emulation website. You can get roms, bios, and emulators to get you off to a good start.

Calmness Pervades...

Mom called me at lunch. She wanted to go get a chocolate milkshake from Sonic. Since I am now her designated driver, I told her I would gladly pick her up under the portico in 10 minutes. We both ended up eating banana splits, though. I also got an order of those cheddar peppers which is like crack to a crack addict when it concerns me. Mom ate half of them before I could shoo her away.

"Go get your own Cheddar Peppers," I told mom looking exasperated, but interested at the same time. "Do you want me to order some more?"

Literally in moments another carhop walked out with another order of cheddar peppers.

The Trip Down Yonder Ways and Back...

http://www.diffen.com/

http://www.lukiegames.com/

I hate surprises unless it is my birthday or Christmas, of course. My father dropped a total bomb on me tonight when he told me we have a visit to the psychiatrist in the morning.

"You're going to hate me," my father said.

To Dr. Edwards.we must go. I was going to stay up way late tonight on a moonlit (full moon) computer game binge. Some new games came in via UPS today and I am itching to check them out. Someone seriously pissed in my Cheerios this morning.

"Well, I'll be damned," I profaned among other words of brazen profanity.

It would have made an old sailor or an old salty dog proud.

"I thought you would revolt if I told you too early," my father said. "Get ready to leave at 9:30am."

Dad started to coach me on what to say so we won't have to come back until 6 months.

"Say your medications are working fine," dad told me. "Especially say you are feeling fine."

"We're still getting steak biscuits, aren't we?" a tradition when going to my psychiatrist and my father said yes. "I want two steak biscuits, packs of mustard, and an ex-large Coke."

It kind of softened the blow for all intents and purposes.

"Just don't get the homeless look or look crazy by your attire," my father said rather surreptitiously. "Do some laundry tonight and I am going to burn that baseball cap that you insist on wearing everywhere."

Pacific Theater Of Operations...

I've been looking everywhere online for this old and obscure PlayStation 2 game. I played the original P.T.O. II for the Sega Saturn for hours and hours with great satisfaction. The original Pacific Theater of Operations was released for the Super Nintendo.

I finally found the European version of the game and it works on my North American PlayStation 2 emulator.

I used to couldn't wait until my day off of work at the pet store so I could play this game to my heart's content for the afternoon. There might have some beer involved as well.

I Hope Old Age is Not Afflicting Maggie...

Maggie is about 8 years old now. I awoke around midnight to Maggie whining and putting up one hell of a fuss. She's become gun shy of jumping up on the bed. She will hurt herself if she is not careful.  I finally had to pick up Maggie and put her in the bed with me and she was snoring within 10 minutes. I soon followed her.

My New Retro-Gaming Beau -- Grandia 1 for the Sony PlayStation...

Review of Phantasy Star...

Phantasy Star
Genre: RPG
Year Released: 1988

Why You Need It: Is there any Master System game more revered than Phantasy Star? This epic role-playing game pre-dated Final Fantasy's North American arrival by two years and Dragon Warrior by one, making it the first big exposure to a hardcore Japanese RPG for audiences here. Compared to many RPGs of the era, defined by games like King's Quest and Ultima, Phantasy Star was revelation. The Master System, consistently proving itself to be technologically superior to the NES when in the hands of a capable developer, provided fertile ground for an adventure spanning three planets and dozens of hours. As you gathered up a party to avenge the death of tour brother, you engaged in hundreds of turn-based battles against large, colorful enemies. The overworld maps were lavishly detailed. The game is easy to play and understand, definitely more so than some of the esoteric RPGs that flooded in its wake on the NES.

Japanese commercial for Phantasy Star.

Phantasy Star was not a cheap game for the Master System. Toys R Us sold it for almost $80 when it debuted since the cart had more memory as well as battery back-up. It was almost a dare to gamers. If you were fortunate enough to score Phantasy Star in 1988, though, you were gifted with the doorway to an incredible escape. The game is not exactly cheap to find now, either. But if you want to have any sort of respectable Master System collection, you absolutely must start here. Otherwise, you're just painting over rust.

Article Credit: http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/18/the-7-master-system-games-you-need

Final Boss...

http://lparchive.org/

I was fighting the final boss in Phantasy Star when I heard Charlie pull up to my curb. The Caprica makes a very distinctive noise. Maggie just went nuts. Thankfully, I could pause the game mid-battle. Fried chicken and Charlie is more important than beating Lassic (the final boss) any day.

"The fried chicken man is here!" Charlie exclaimed, laughing as he walked across my yard.

Charlie's hair was blowing about wildly in the wind as usual. I told him we are going to get him a toupee and some super glue to which he chuckled.

"Now dammit! I was born bald," Charlie said jesting.

Heir Charlie was also the bearer of my many medications as well. I was so glad to see him and the Magster was, too! I can get lonely in this little house by myself all day. Dad says that is a good sign that I am recovering. I never got lonely when I was drinking. John Barleycorn was my best friend.

I am loving this game, but the sound is tiresome. BEEP! BOOP!

Bright, Sunshiny Day Ahead...

It is cold tonight for so late in spring, but the day is supposed to be beautiful. My wireless weather station is reporting 39° degrees at 3:36 am. We have patchy frost advisories out for our neck of the woods. I hope it doesn't freeze the tender new grass I have begun growing on my lawn. My yard has transformed from a drab brown to an emerald green in just a week. I know all the yard services are rejoicing after a long winter. It is time to go make some money.

Some of the stuff I had going on tonight or the early morning I should say...

1. Fixed an ailing fan in my emulation/retro computer.
2. Ate me some fried chicken while Maggie begged for more and more. I am saving the mashed potatoes and gravy and the slaw for a snack later in the morning.
3. Dicked around for about an hour trying to get the Samsung Magician application to work with my emulation computer with no luck.
4. Played a few hours of the original Phantasy Star.
5. Got my emulation computer hooked up to a surge protector finally.
6. Organized all the wiring around my main gaming rig computer in the den which was a bird's nest.  

I am excited about going to get another surge protector for another computer today at Walmart. I told my mother I would call her late in the afternoon after I have slept for the day. I will probably have to get mom in a wheelchair as she needs a few things as well.

Retro-Gaming Goodness...

Phantasy Star (ファンタシースター Fantashī Sutā^?) is the first installment in Sega's renowned series of the same title. It was released for the Sega Master System, in Japan on December 20, 1987, and then in North America and Europe in 1988. It is considered one of the pioneers amongst role-playing video games, both for its advanced graphics technology, and for being one of the first story-driven games released in the West. It is also notable for being one of the first games featuring a female protagonist.

This week I am playing the original Phantasy Star that was released to the U.S. public in 1988. Yeah the sounds and graphics are a little rudimentary but I am having fun.  The game is much more difficult that I imagined it being. There were four games in the series and I am going to play them all in the correct order. The other three were released for the Sega Genesis video game console.

Out of the Gate Running...

There were some drowsy times last night at Casa de Andrew. I fell asleep in my recliner about 11 am or midnight and slept a few hours. I fell asleep again until almost 4:00 am and decided to just go to bed. I awoke at 12:00 pm this afternoon refreshed and energized. I was hoping to get some good emulation gaming time in last night, but alas, the stars were just not aligned right. I finally figured how to get my Playstation 2 emulator up and running after much gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair. I was chomping at the bit to play some Final Fantasy games.

Dad was complaining that my kitchen was a little messy last night. I said instead of criticizing me, then try to help me. I needed some paper towels as I am out of usable dish rags as we always called them.  Well, mom called after lunch and told me to come pick up a big packet of paper towels.

Dad was preparing candles for the dinner party on Sunday when I arrived. A lady and friend of the family was on her way to help coordinate the efforts -- a glorified interior decorator. Dad was talking about how my mother and I are royalty. I told him if we were royalty, then he was the King! He calls all the shots and runs my mother's and my life. I told him I was more of a court jester -- a trifle more to be pitied and laughed at.

While I was out, I ran into Fred's which resides just down the street from my parent's house. They had yet another new cashier and I asked her name.

"Elsie," she said shyly.

"My name is Andrew," I replied.

She was another frumpy looking middle-aged white lady. Kathy, the manager, was sitting inside what I call her throne -- a very raised booth where she can see all of the store from her perch. It looks like a large hockey penalty box. I waved as I passed by headed for the section with the mixed nuts and soft drinks. I got a tin of salted and roasted pecans and headed home.

Confusion...

I was confused by Pipe Tobacco's assumption that my father wanted me to quit smoking. He worried when I quit and often tried to put a few packs in with my daily Cokes. He had read that almost 95% of schizophrenics smoked and that playing into the same brain chemistry that was malfunctioning. He was full well prepared to pay the lofty price of cigarettes to help in some sort of way.

Pacific Theater of Operations II…

That’s the game for the Sega Saturn that I am currently playing right now and I am having a lot of fun with it. I am also anxiously awaiting on my Saturn USB game controller for the PC to arrive from China.  They say it may take 15 days to ship from that far overseas.  It was a steal at $23 dollars and free shipping.

I also got a GameCube controller, a Super Nintendo controller, and a Nintendo N64 controller. These are all connected via USB ports for the PC.  The total cost for all game controllers was around $60 dollars.

(Boy, it is really heavily raining cats and dogs here right now – torrential downpour for sure.)

There is also a long forgotten P.T.O. IV for the PlayStation 2 that I am going to have to download and play via emulator on my computer.

Why couldn’t games today be so enthralling?  Like Myst or The Longest Journey?  Now, it is everyone running around and shooting each other in high definition glory.  One ad nauseum game after another.  I’m serious! They are all the same.  Run and gun just in differing environments!

Photo Credit:   http://www.museumofplay.org/online-collections/22/46/109.4723