Genesis 3

photo by Sega Retro.com

I figured that I should end my Sega run with a game system by them. Problem is, most of them are not odd enough, except for the Genesis 3! The Genesis 3 (or as I will refer it to: Model 3), was released in 1998 by Majesco. Majesco is most well known for the Cooking Mama  games that were popular for about 4 months, but in the 90's they focused on rereleasing games and systems.

The Model 3 is a smaller, more compact Genesis. It was sold originally for $49.99, but was later as low as 19.99! It can play most games, but sadly cant use about %25 of the library. The system was made to be cheap as a bag of trash, so it is very light. Just plugging 2 controllers will out weigh it! It doesn't even have a proper power light, as it is just a neon orange sticker under the switch. I could find better quality in a dollar store, and don't make me bring up the incompatibility (even though I will...)!

First of all, the Model 2 fixed a bug in the previous Genesis's. The bad part is that some games took advantage of it, so you cant play them on it. It also cant use any expansions, so the 32X, Sega CD, Master System Converter, and the game Virtua Racing don't work. The only upside is that its region free, and with some modification you can use the 32X, Virtua Racing, and Master System Converter.

What do I think? Don't buy it! When the system is so light that the controllers are heavier, I would pass, especially since there are other models that can do better. Maybe if you find one bundled with a game like Kekcroc (don't worry, this is the last Kekcroc joke on this blog), then you should buy it...

Swatch Access for Dreamcast

photo by Sega Retro.com

Ever wanted to connect your watch to your Dreamcast? No? Dang it... But anyway, the Swatch Access for Dreamcast can do just that (I just realized we're doing a lot of Sega stuff...)!

Apparently this device came out of a partnership with Sega, and RFID enabled watch maker Swatch. Why those 2 companies came together no one will know. Sadly, the partnership sunk before it truly began. The Swatch Access was never released. This may be due to the fact that no one who would by a Dreamcast would also own a Swatch!

Once you supposedly bought one at a place like a movie theater (the exact opposite of where I'd think to buy Sega products), you would shove it into the VMU slot at the top. After that is done, you could hop onto the late 90's internet, and connect your Swatch to websites! I imagine this would be useful to some people,  but not the average Dreamcast user.  The demographics don't match up, and I'm 99% sure this is why it failed...

For the second time in a row, I cant end it off with my opinion (and no, I'm not ending it with Kek again!). Its sad really, that this partnership was made, only for it to end up being  tossed out with Kekcroc (it just cant keep away from me!)! I am a little happy though, because the world was spared from this monstrosity.      

Kekcroc

image by Know Your Meme.com

This is the first "game" (and I use that loosely for reasons I will describe later) that I've covered on Gaming Oddities, and boy, is it a special one. Chances are,  you haven't heard of Kekcroc, and I was in the very same boat until today. But what exactly is the fabled Kekcroc , you might ask. Is it a Ninja Turtles reject, a toddler's attempt at character design, or something completely different  (hint: its the last one!)?

This "thing" (I cant think of a way to describe it) was released for the Sega Genesis in 1993. As I'm sure you can tell by its "unique" art style, this was in no way an official Sega game (shocking, I know.)!
Despite being sold throughout dollar stores in the 90's, we have no game play, and only a bit of information...

The information in question, is, unsurprisingly, that the game has horrible controls, was released on other systems like MSdos, and some random info about the game itself. Apparently you were able to collect "Crocodollars" (cant wait to trade those in at my local bank!), your first weapon was a toilet plunger, and the 5ft level was called Toasty's Castle.  We also have a voice clip of the titular Kekcroc saying "hi, I'm Kekcroc.", but it sounds too good for a Genesis. That, and some other evidence against it, make me question it being a game...

Most of our information comes from 4Chan, a message board known for "less then stellar" accuracy. Also, the fact that Kek is in the name, and Kek being a term for laugh, makes me think its all a hoax. Does Kekcroc's face look like the face of legitimacy? Nope! I'm not even sure if he's copyrighted!

So this would normally be when I'd give my opinion, but considering how this doesn't even exist, I cant do anything about it. At least we can all have a Kek about it (Ha ha! I'm so hilarious!)!
    

Worm Cam

Photo by Nintendo Wikia.com

The Gameboy Camera may have been great, but when the GBA rolled around, I bet most (and by that I mean nobody) consumers wanted a more advanced version. Nintendo did plan on making one, but it never fell through, leaving 3rd party's to fill the void. Thus, the Worm Cam was created...

Surprisingly, this camera uses a watch battery, so expect to have one on you. The pictures are in color, and you can hook it up to a computer. Sadly, this hi-tech device of the future can only store 20 pictures, and lacks external storage. Unless you are luging around a computer running Windows 95 to XP with the right connecters, then you cant take any more then 20. Not like you would want to take it with you, because the quality of the photos is horrible. Imagine printing off a photo from a camera from the 1800's, and throw it in the trash because its worse then that! The only saving grace is that the camera is rotatable, so you could essentially take selfies 10 years before the word existed!

The Worm Cam may have been ahead of its time, but not by more then a month. It is basically a cheap digital camera that is probably made by actual worms, and isn't worth your time. I bet those Disney cameras you see at the dollar store are better then this...

The lego Harry Potter Fiasco

image by Wikipedia,org

As a way of mixing things up, I've decided to branch out, and recall some tales from my life on earth, to a varying degree of  "accuracy". Tis time I tell the story of how I slayed the fowl EB Games!

As no one on here knows, I'm actually a big Harry Potter fan, and when I saw a copy of Lego Harry Potter for the DS, in the used games section at EB Games, I had to get it. we asked the cashier if the game worked, and he said yes... I later would never trust him, because when I looked at the game in the car, it looked like it was dropped in the toilet! I shrugged it off, and took his word for it.

When I got home I booted the game up. Everything  was normal, until I got to a certain point, where the game would freeze! I panicked, and rushed back the next day to EB games (incoming over exaggeration!!!)!

I slammed the door open, ready to fight the manager! we readied our stances, and dashed forward. I managed to strike the first blow, knocking her back. She got up, and unsheathed her sword. I did the same, and the battle truly began! My sword clashed with hers. I could feel the metal fly off. we put all our effort into pushing each other back, and in the process she knocked the sword out of my hands! I was powerless, unable to fight, when I grabbed the sword out of her hand, and landed the final blow!

In actuality, she actually just gave us a spare copy that they had (even though the guy told us it was the last one...). The worst it got was that she didn't apologise or say sorry. I'm starting to think that the guy who sold the original was trying to scam us, but I do know one thing, that they lost a loyal customer... 

        

Pelican TV Tuner

image by Nintendo.Wikia.com

Ever wanted to watch TV on you tiny screened, non-backlit GBA? No? Well, I'm gonna tell you the Pelican TV Tuner anyway!

This questionable device retailed for 79.99 USD (personally I think that's more overpriced then movie theatre popcorn). By plugging it in you can watch your favorite shows, but only with a Game Boy Advance cart plugged in to this behemoth. I like to think of it as a leach, using the cartridge slot to get access, but uses its own battery's, and has its own speakers. As you can see in the picture, it came with a stand, you don't have to hold it when enjoying your Saturday night football.

Surprisingly, there exists not 1, not 3, but 2 different models of the TV tuner (I got you there, didn't I?)! Another model exists for the Game Boy Advance SP, to make it fit better due to the different shape. This version simply rests under the SP, and has a narrower slot. If your looking to buy one, just be warned, it wont work in the US, because it is an analog only device, and that is not used there. You still can hook it up to different devices, like a DVD player, and play all the pirated movies you want.

This product may be a product of its time. Because it uses a dated video game system (at least to the rest of society), and its main input isn't even used, I'd recommend you prosed with caution. If you really want to get your hands on it, then go for it, but I wont endorse it. This ends our look at the Pelican TV Tuner.

Sega Activator

Photo by SegaRetro.org 

                                                                           

Motion controlled gaming. We've covered that before (I'm getting Wii bowling ball flash backs), but this is different! The Sega Activator was released in 1993, and billed as the perfect martial arts simulator for the little street fighter in your life who wants to kick things in the face. By waving your arms and legs you could make the characters move on the screen. If you ever wanted to feel like you were in a life or death fight, then this is for you!

The ring of false promises would be placed on the floor, and hooked up to your Genesis. Despite it being marketed for fighting games, it's compatible with most games. Sadly, it was not as precise as a normal controller, so it was useless for basically every fighting game, as they provide quick and precise inputs. The device actually used lasers that erupted (presumably from the depths of heck) from it to sense movement. If a laser hit a non flat surface, like a fan, then it would disrupt the signal. as you probably guessed, no one bought it (which is likely why we're covering it) for the reasons above, and after a few months it was discontinued. Surprisingly, a refined version of the Activator was used for an arcade game based on the anime Dragon Ball Z, and was way better then this.

   The Activator may have been a failure, but it laced the gravely path for basically every crappy 3rd party Wii controller. whether its a good or bad thing is for you to decide...                     

U-Draw

Photo from Venture Beat.com

Finally, a gaming oddities that I actually owned (sadly...)! When I was younger I bought it, and thought it was pretty cool, but after no game store would except it, I left it at a school. But what exactly is the U-draw? Is it a precursor to the Wii U, a device for drawing, or a glorified slab with a pen attached? I'll say only one of them is true...

This monster of a device was released in 2010 for the Wii, before the chaos was unleashed for the Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2011. Its main gimmick was that you could hook it up and draw things on it. This would be fine in concept, but the control was so centered on the pen that games were almost exclusively designed around it. Although the Wii version was somewhat of a success, the other versions were failures. After doing some "scientific" research, I came across a game know simply as "Disney Animator". This mysterious title was said to be the device's "killer app". Sadly, the beacon of hope that that game could have been was never released, and soon after, the company who made it was picking up its bags. Nothing of the game was ever shown...

Enough rambling, lets get to the meat of this metaphorical sandwich! Everyone wants to know what it was like, and I think 3 words sum it up perfectly: Surprisingly Not Trash (TM). The Wii version came with Udraw Studio. This was an art game, were the only goal was to DRAW (this may be too intense for some of you)! The game was ok. It got all the basic points that an art program should hit, but was about as lacking in depth as a bag of chips lacks in actual chips. That, and the fact that the pack-in game was the $90 dollar equivalent of a pen and paper. There were other games, but I only remember having 2 others. One was Pictionary. It wouldn't be that bad, but there was no 1 player option, so I rarely played it. The other one was based on the TV show The Penguins Of Madagascar, or as I call it: The Spin Off That Nobody Asked For Of Madagascar. It was ok, and you controlled the characters by moving the pen. The game was ok at best.

So what do I think of the U-Draw? I'm sure your asking that. Well, I think that it was an invention to serve a need that wasn't there. When you can emulate the whole device with just a pen and paper, I don't see a desire to buy it. The other games weren't impressive, and no hardcore gamer would touch it with a 50 foot stick. Would I recommend you buy one? Heck no...     







 

Wii Bowling Ball

 With a system like the Wii using motion as the main way of controlling, it was only a mater of time before every 3rd party accessory maker jumping on the bandwagon. As a result, this monstrosity was created.

Source: http://www.gamerbolt.com/7-weird-gaming-accessories/ 

To use the glorified cannonball the Wii remote must be inserted into it. Any game would work, but it was primarily made for bowling games, obviously.  Sadly, the only thing this was good for was breaking windows.

If anything, this should serve us a toasty lessen, that chucking a giant plastic ball at a TV should never replace the real thing.   

 

Homework First

For some kids in 1990, parental locks meant literal locks! Homework first, an "add-on" for the NES was the way parents could lock children from enjoying a nice round of Zelda.

Source: http://nerdfarmblog.com/the-blog/the-nintendo-lock-for-the-nes/

This lock would go over the cartridge slot, and prevent anything from being put in. Although the lock may look ingenious, it had 1 fatal flaw:  the lock would still let you play any game already in the slot. If some parent forgot to take out the game, the lock would be useless! 

Only one question remains, would this have been effective in disciplining children? I certainly doubt it.