TheBasement News

Reflections by John: NES

John Amos — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:36:00 +0000

This is my excited face.I am a changed man. In the coming weeks, I have vowed to experience the quality of console gaming the past has provided most youth with. The difference for me: this will be the first exposure I will have to almost every single console that others grew up with.

We begin with the seed of console history - the Nintendo Entertainment System. At first, I was anxious to begin working with the console, and learning about the games others had talked about all through my childhood. However, our first attempt failed, due to a blinking red power light, but we would not let that stop us. It was to be expected; it is an old system. My hopes were not yet disturbed, and we went so far as to purchase a "new" system - same result. None of the old tricks worked; blowing on the cartridge, jiggling it and moving it around inside of the console, repeatedly resetting it, even using different TVs and power outlets - all for naught.

By now, it is a week after our initial endeavour, and I've grown weary of the machine; I endured countless hours of trying to get them to work. But luck finally found us, and Dan Bush found his hiding in the dark. After a solid week of not being able to play, I quite literally jumped with joy when I read the text that not only had he found another console, but one which actually worked.

I press what?After jumping through hoops to get our video recording equipment to work, I finally held that simple rectangular controller in my hands... and didn't know what I was doing. "Press Start," they told me, as I pressed A. Eventually, I got the hang of the simplistic device. Some of you may laugh, but I was genuinely bewildered!

Naturally, I had to start with Super Mario Brothers, at which I thoroughly failed. Now, I never did well using my thumbs for controls back in my youth, but this was embarassing. Aside from that, the game was an absolute blast! The music is like a drug; you just want to keep playing. This made it that much harder when Dan and Adam told me to move onto the next game.

Joust. An absolutely beautiful creation, even though it isn't original to the NES. It is a very easy concept to understand, made easier by a single button to determine altitude and only half of the D-pad in use. Again, the music and graphics were enjoyable; not new to me, but certainly fun. Finally, I played (or tried to) Wolverine, which isn't worth talking about from my perspective - it was embarassing, that's all you need to know.

Even after all the frustrations the NES caused me, I still got a great kick out of playing it. The games were fun, and trying to make them work in the first place just made them feel real somehow. It is sad to realize how long it took me to experience such a wonderous world of console gaming, but it's better than never at all.

Want to watch John fail at Mario? Just too lazy to read? Watch his experience here.

JAATGH: NES

TheBasement Staff — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:45:00 +0000

John's Awesome Adventure Through Gaming History follows our very own John Amos on his expedition through gaming console history. Join us for a special series as Dan Bush and Adam Edelen attempt to mentor John towards gaming nirvana.

In this installment, John discovers the Nintendo Entertainment System in all its glory... along with its faults. Watch John traverse through the worlds of Super Mario Brothers, Joust, and Wolverine. Prepare to be amazed by incredible wit and skill... or lack thereof.

20min in TheBasement: Ep37

TheBasement Staff — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:21:34 +0000

This Week: The summer gang chows down on chocolate while they discuss sightings of Darth Vader, sweet new mainframes, new and some seemingly pointless Apple products, Blu-Ray's successor, a flash drive that doesn't want to wait for USB 3.0, and new court rulings on DRM fair use laws.

Be sure to check us out LIVE every Tuesday night, 10pm EST/ 9 CST at TBtvLive.com!

Question? Comment? Please email us at tbtv@tothebasement.com, or leave us a voicemail at (505)-333-TBTV!

Stay tuned for our upcoming shows The Midnight Movie Show and TheBasement Abridged!

Men in Black III: 5/25/2012

Dan Bush — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:33:51 +0000

They make this site look goood.In 1997 Director Barry Sonnenfeld brought Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith together in an unlikely pairing to save the world. Based on the comic book series of the same name, Men in Black became a sci-fi classic still adored by fans today. In 2002 the fantastic duo joined forces yet again, with neuralizers and noisy crickets in hand. A decade later, science fiction enthusiasts will have the pleasure of enjoying yet another mission with the MIB in 2012 (pending the possible end of the world, of course). This time, however, fans will enjoy seeing aliens explode IN THREE D! We won't know if this addition to the franchise will become yet another beloved classic, or an insult to MIB fans everywhere, but we are itching to find out.

GameChunk: Episode Arthritis

TheBasement Staff — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:50:30 +0000

This Week: Dan and Adam sit on the floor and talk about Oddworld (barely), the future of 3D, the death of 1 vs. 100, Sony's idea for uses of 3D, news on Kinect, Plants vs. Zombies finds itself on a new platform with new tricks, the death of another great game development team, Activision gains a member of Kevin Butler's family, and of course another segment of "What We've Played".

Be sure to check us out LIVE every other Tuesday night, 10:30pm EST/ 9:30 CST at TBtvLive.com!

Question? Comment? Please email us at tbtv@tothebasement.com, or leave us a voicemail at (505)-333-TBTV!

Stay tuned for our upcoming shows The Midnight Movie Show, TheBasement Abridged, and John's Awesome Adventure Through Gaming History!

20min in TheBasement: Ep36

TheBasement Staff — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 02:29:06 +0000

This Week: While the summer gang try to outdo themselves in being ridiculous, they manage to talk about whether the chicken or the egg came first, the wasted lawsuits performed by the RIAA, the real reason a death ray doesn't exist, the coolest shoes a girl could own, the interactive floppy drive, new footage of Apollo 11, and Google's increasing drive to become Bing.

Be sure to check us out LIVE every Tuesday night, 10pm EST/ 9 CST at TBtvLive.com!

Question? Comment? Please email us at tbtv@tothebasement.com, or leave us a voicemail at (505)-333-TBTV!

Stay tuned for our upcoming shows The Midnight Movie Show and TheBasement Abridged!

Boxee Box Goes Gold

Dan Bush — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:49:14 +0000

The oddly shaped wonder will be available for purchase this November. Check back later when we present a video showing a prototype box being broken by our own Adam Edelen.

Related: Media Players: Compared (http://stories.tothebasement.com/stories/2009/10/16/media-players-compared.html)

20min in TheBasement: Ep35

TheBasement Staff — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 02:23:06 +0000

This Week: The summer gang talks about Avatar rereleased in theaters, UFO sighting in China, a lawsuit on Apple and AT&T for new policies, new toys for Pokemon Black and White, surprising stats on XP usage, Mii's for the 3DS, ThePirateBay hacked, the US falling behind in broadband speeds, and telescopic eyes...for old people.

Be sure to check us out LIVE every Tuesday night, 10pm EST/ 9 CST at TBtvLive.com!

Question? Comment? Please email us at tbtv@tothebasement.com, or leave us a voicemail at (505)-333-TBTV!

Stay tuned for our upcoming shows The Midnight Movie Show and TheBasement Abridged!

Source: Microsoft says 74 percent of work PCs still use Windows XP, extends downgrade rights (update) (http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/12/microsoft-says-74-percent-of-work-pcs-still-use-windows-xp-exte/)
Source: Pokemon Black and White to feature video chat, 'pass by' mode (http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/12/pokemon-black-and-white-to-feature-video-chat-pass-by-mode/)
Source: Lawsuit Accusing Apple and AT&T of an iPhone Monopoly Granted Class-Action Status (http://gizmodo.com/5583639/lawsuit-accusing-apple-and-att-of-an-iphone-monopoly-granted-class+action-status)
Source: Mysterious minuscule Apple-branded display emerges (http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/07/mysterious-minuscule-apple-display-emerges.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss)
Source: James Cameron's Avatar is officially returning to theaters on August 27th (http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=32895)
Source: Nintendo's Miyamoto says Miis could make the jump to the 3DS (http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/07/nintendos-miyamoto-says-miis-could-make-the-jump-to-the-3ds/)
Source: The Pirate Bay compromised by SQL injection exploit (http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2010/07/pirate-bay-compromised-by-sql-injection-exploit.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss)
Source: FCC broadband plan will put US in "second tier of countries" (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/07/fcc-broadband-plan-will-put-us-in-second-tier-of-countries.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss)
Source: Blazing UFO Causes Chinese Airport Closure (http://gizmodo.com/5583648/blazing-ufo-causes-chinese-airport-closure)
Source: Telescopic eye implant approved by the FDA (http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/telescopic-eye-implant-approved-by-the-fda/)

GameChunk: Episode Darkness

TheBasement Staff — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 02:51:09 +0000

This Week: Dan and Adam break down NASA's game release for the moon base, a brand new Duke Nukem, Fable III episodic, Rock Band senior designer leaves for smaller pastures, Sega to revive Saturn games, Dan and Adam feel strongly about Microsoft's GameRoom, Mario Party...without Mario and friends, and comparing Xbox Live Gold and Playstation Plus.

Be sure to check us out LIVE every other Tuesday night, 10:30pm EST/ 9:30 CST at TBtvLive.com!

Question? Comment? Please email us at tbtv@tothebasement.com, or leave us a voicemail at (505)-333-TBTV!

Stay tuned for our upcoming shows The Midnight Movie Show and TheBasement Abridged!

Source: Rock Band senior designer Dan Teasdale leaves Harmonix for Twisted Pixel (http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/02/rock-band-senior-designer-dan-teasdale-leaves-harmonix-for-twist/)
Source: Sega thinking about downloadable Saturn games (http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/30/sega-thinking-about-downloadable-saturn-games/)
Source: Duke Nukem Trilogy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Nukem_Trilogy)
Source: Microsoft to Release Fable III in Downloadable Episodes (http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/fable-iii/1102926p1.html)
Source: NASA Invites Gamers To Explore Moonbase Alpha (http://kotaku.com/5580737/nasa-invites-gamers-to-explore-moonbase-alpha)
Source: Xbox Live Gold vs Playstation Plus: How Do They Compare? (http://www.tested.com/news/xbox-live-gold-vs-playstation-plus-how-do-they-compare/515/)
Source: No more Mario: hands-on with Wii Party (ahttp://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2010/07/wii-party-preview.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss)
Source: Sony Confirms More HD Conversions of PS2 Classics (http://ps3.gamespy.com/articles/110/1102466p1.html)

20min in TheBasement: Ep34

TheBasement Staff — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 02:29:08 +0000

This Week: BP can read the future, Microsoft moves to the battery business, HP officially owns Palm, the cable of the future, the scam behind LCD price-fixing, electric car drivers have bright future, Lucasfilm accuses the makers of Spyder III of copying their lightsabers, and solid proof of Dell's "legendary" customer service.

Be sure to check us out LIVE every Tuesday night, 10pm EST/ 9 CST at TBtvLive.com!

Question? Comment? Please email us at tbtv@tothebasement.com, or leave us a voicemail at (505)-333-TBTV!

Stay tuned for our upcoming shows The Midnight Movie Show and TheBasement Abridged!

Source: BP Foresaw its Doom in 1970s "Offshore Oil Strike" Board Game (http://gizmodo.com/5580239/bp-foresaw-its-doom-in-1970s-offshore-oil-strike-board-game)
Source: Microsoft's InstaLoad Tech May Revolutionize Battery Use (http://www.tested.com/news/microsofts-instaload-tech-may-revolutionize-battery-use/516/)
Source: HP: webOS smartphones, slate PCs and netbooks on their way (http://www.precentral.net/more-hp-webos-smartphones-slate-pcs-and-netbooks-their-way?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Precentralnet+%28PreCentral.net%29)
Source: How Network Cables Will Replace HDMI, DisplayPort (http://www.tested.com/news/how-network-cables-will-replace-hdmi-displayport/514/)
Source: HannStar Display shells out $30m to settle LCD price fixing case (http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/04/hannstar-display-shells-out-30m-to-settle-lcd-price-fixing-case/)
Source: The First Electric Freeway Is An Oregon Trail (http://gizmodo.com/5578718/the-first-electric-freeway-is-an-oregon-trail)
Source: Lucasfilm Thinks the Spyder III Arctic Laser Is a Little Too Much Like a Real Lightsaber (http://gizmodo.com/5576742/lucasfilm-thinks-the-spyder-iii-arctic-laser-is-a-little-too-much-like-a-real-lightsaber)
Source: Dell Knowingly Sold 11.8 Million Computers With a 97% Failure Rate (http://gizmodo.com/5576237/dell-knowingly-sold-118-million-computers-with-a-97-failure-rate)

20min in TheBasement: Ep33

TheBasement Staff — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 01:57:10 +0000

This Week: Adam joins Dan and John in the original Basement to talk about Hulu's final Premier version, Kinect coming to TVs and more, Seaman announced for the 3DS, suspected features for Windows 8, WiFi for your devices with Ozmo, Google Me officially announced without any details, porn receives its own domain, and lightbulbs begin using nutrition facts.

Be sure to check us out LIVE every Tuesday night, 9:00PM (CST) at live.tothebasement.com!

Have a topic idea for a future show? Email us at 20min@tothebasement.com.

Source: Rumor: Google Rolling Out "Google Me," Their Facebook Killer, Very Soon (http://gizmodo.com/5573953/rumor-google-rolling-out-google-me-their-facebook-killer-very-soon)
Source: Ozmo's WiFi PAN available Q4, is this the end of Bluetooth's reign of terror? (http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/23/ozmos-wifi-pan-available-q4-is-this-the-end-of-bluetooths-rei/)
Source: Windows 8 leak: an App Store for Windows, IE9 beta in August (http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/06/leaked-windows-8-slides-an-app-store-for-windows-ie9-beta-in-august.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss)
Source: Kinect Gesture Tech Coming To TVs and HTPCs (http://www.giantbomb.com/news/kinect-gesture-tech-coming-to-tvs-and-htpcs/2235/)
Source: Yoot Saito teases possibility of Seaman on 3DS (http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/24/yoot-saito-teases-possibility-of-seaman-on-3ds/)
Source: Porn sites get their own domain: '.xxx' (http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/06/25/xxx.domain/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29)
Source: Lightbulb Labels Will Start To Look Like Nutrition Facts (http://gizmodo.com/5574591/lightbulb-labels-will-start-to-look-like-nutrition-facts)
Source: What You Get for Hulu Plus's $10/Month Subscription (http://www.tested.com/news/what-you-get-for-hulu-pluss-10month-subscription/497/)

20min in TheBasement: Ep30

TheBasement Staff — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:13:14 +0000

This Week: From three camera angles, Dan and John talk about jet mounted telescopes, Adobe's digital publishing platform, The Oatmeal schools you yet again, del Toro drops The Hobbit, the next Apple TV, how to get to Neptune on a budget, and Europe's new electric vehicle fueling stations.

Be sure to check us out LIVE every Tuesday night, 9:00PM (CST) at live.tothebasement.com!

Have a topic idea for a future show? Email us at 20min@tothebasement.com.

Source: We Could Get to Neptune and Back in 5 Years for a Mere $4 Trillion (http://gizmodo.com/5552488/we-could-get-to-neptune-and-back-in-5-years-for-a-mere-4-trillion)
Source: Jet-Mounted Telescope Sees First Light (http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/06/sofia-first-light/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29)
Source: Adobe's Digital Publishing Platform behind Wired app, uses CS5 tools and will be available to all (http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/adobes-digital-publishing-platform-behind-wired-app-uses-cs5-t/)
Source: "Bwahaha!" says Adobe. "We Were Behind Wired's iPad Magazine All Along!" (http://gizmodo.com/5552270/bwahaha-says-adobe-we-were-behind-wireds-ipad-magazine-all-along)
Source: What your email address says about your computer skills (http://theoatmeal.com/comics/email_address)
Source: Guillermo del Toro drops out of directing 'The Hobbit' (http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/31/guillermo.del.toro.drops.out.ew/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29)
Source: Music For Deaf People Headphones Produce "Sound" Through Synesthesia (http://gizmodo.com/5551200/music-for-deaf-people-headphones-produce-sound-through-synesthesia)
Source: $99 Apple TV with iPhone OS Rumored to Rumble with Google TV (http://www.tested.com/news/99-apple-tv-with-iphone-os-rumored-to-rumble-with-google-tv/359/)
Source: The next Apple TV revealed: cloud storage and iPhone OS on tap... and a $99 price tag (http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/the-next-apple-tv-revealed-cloud-storage-and-iphone-os-on-tap/)
Source: Europe gets first fast-charging EV station, hungers for more (http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/26/europe-gets-first-fast-charging-ev-station-hungers-for-more/)

20min in TheBasement: Ep28

TheBasement Staff — Wed, 19 May 2010 17:18:39 +0000

This Week: The whole gang talks about upcoming uses for webOS, Disney to close Star Tours, the laser's birthday, how Google StreetView has piggybacked WiFi from homes for years, a Virgin Galactic competitor for half the price, and Jupiter's missing belt.

Be sure to check us out LIVE every Tuesday night, 9:00PM (CST) at live.tothebasement.com!

Have a topic idea for a future show? Email us at 20min@tothebasement.com.

Source: HP says webOS coming to slates and web-connected printers (http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/18/hp-says-webos-coming-to-slates-and-web-connected-printers/)
Source: Disney to Close Original Star Wars Rides By September 8 (http://gizmodo.com/5540250/disney-to-close-original-star-wars-rides-by-september-8)
Source: The laser turns 50, we hope to still be that cool at that age (video) (http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/15/the-laser-turns-50-we-hope-to-still-be-that-cool-at-that-age-v/)
Source: Google StreetView cars grabbed traffic from open WiFi networks (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/05/google-says-wifi-data-collection-was-a-mistake.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss)
Source: Google Snooped On You For Three Years, But Is "Profoundly Sorry" (http://gizmodo.com/5539395/google-snooped-on-you-for-three-years-but-is-profoundly-sorry)
Source: Space Adventures undercuts Virgin Galactic -- announces $100,000 space tourism flight (http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/13/space-adventures-undercuts-virgin-galactic-announces-100-000/)
Source: The Before and After of Jupiter's Belts (http://gizmodo.com/5537697/the-before-and-after-of-jupiters-belts)

GameChunk: Episode Armadillo

TheBasement Staff — Wed, 19 May 2010 04:30:15 +0000

This Week: Dan, Adam, along with guest John Amos discuss the pending Roller Coaster Tycoon feature film, a possible new look for the PSP, the new Scribblenauts, Steam now for most computer platforms, and of course recent and upcoming games like the awesome Super Mario Brothers Crossover and Red Dead Redemption.

Be sure to check us out LIVE every other Tuesday night, 9:30PM (CST) at live.tothebasement.com!

Have a topic idea for a future show? Email us at gamechunk@tothebasement.com.

Source: Next PSP Could Have Touchscreen, Dual Cameras and a "F**king Powerful" Processor (http://gizmodo.com/5541073/next-psp-could-have-touchscreen-dual-cameras-and-a-fking-powerful-processor)
Source: Super Scribblenauts unpacking adjectives this Fall on DS (http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/17/super-scribblenauts-ds/)
Source: Sony Readies a Rollercoaster Tycoon Adaptation (http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/05/13/sony-readies-a-rollercoaster-tycoon-adaptation/)
Source: Rollercoaster Tycoon corkscrews its way from computers to the big screen (http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=32123)
Source: Valve Will Give Linux Users Steam, Too (http://gizmodo.com/5537795/valve-will-give-linux-users-steam-too)
Source: Steam for Mac launches with free Portal, 63 games (http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/05/steam-for-macs-launches-with-free-portal-63-games.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss)
Source: ENOUGH PLUMBERS (http://www.notdoppler.com/enoughplumbers.php)
Source: Super Mario Crossover Game (http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/super-mario-crossover-game)

Gdgt live: First Look

Adam Edelen — Thu, 13 May 2010 03:36:08 +0000

Boxee Box via Boxee.tvI've just come back from from gdgt live and I have to say that I was impressed by the whole experience. The event took place in an art gallery so it was not too big but they still managed to fit a lot of people into the event. There was all of the cool things that I was expecting like the Windows 7 phone and the Boxee Box. One surprise was the popbox which is a system that should be a rivial for the Boxee Box. One thing that I found weird was that at Boxee's booth they didnt actually have the box at all, they instead had a mac running the Boxee software. The Boxee Box itself was actually found a couple feet away at the D-link station where they had the box just sitting there not even plugged in and the remote for it was nowhere in sight which was honestly what I was looking forward to. Within the next day or so I will be uploading some video footage of the event. Stay tuned.

Related: Boxee Official Site (http://boxee.tv)