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GameSpy’s Top 50 Arcade Games of All-Time

Oh, sweet, sweet arcades. Back before modern consoles and the Internet rendered the arcade both technologically and socially obsolete, we spent untold hours feeding quarter upon quarter into these addictive machines. We’ve turned said memories into an all-time top 50 list. That’s right: These are GameSpy’s picks for the top 50 arcade games of all-time, carefully selected and ranked by a dozen-strong panel of GameSpy editors and writers, representing all manner of arcade aficionados.

These are the big five:

1. Ms. Pac-Man
2. Donkey Kong
3. Pac-Man
4. Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
5. Star Wars

Hello my dear ol’ fans! It’s me, your good ol’ buddy from the past: Q-bert!

I know Arcadegame Heroes from the 80ties like I am have seen better days but now I am back! And I started my first blog to keep you guys updated of my trips all over the world and further galaxies. I have seen many countries on this dark & damp planet and many stories must be told. So don’t hesitate and check my travel blog here, hosted at pongmuseum.com:

Please sign up for my newsletter or bookmark my RSS feed to stay updated.

Yours, Q-bert

Check out the interview with Dennis Lee, Namco Bandai Brand Manager for Pac-Man Party. In this video interview they discuss Pac-Man’s return on the Nintendo Wii as well as cartoon Easter eggs and classic games included with the game.

About Pac-Man Party

View the video here at www.buzzfocus.com

Namco Bandai expects to air 26 episodes of their Pac-Man TV series in 2012.

In the early 1980s, there was a Pac-Man cartoon. In 2012, Namco Bandai now says, there will be a new one. Set in Pac-Land, the original Hanna-Barbera cartoon was more of a Pac-Man sitcom with Pac-Man, his wife Pepper and their baby Pac-Baby. The show lasted two years, going off the air as Pac-Man fever began to wane. Namco Bandai is preparing to unleash a fresh strain of Pac-Man fever upon your television. A recent post on the publisher’s Japanese Twitter account (via Kotaku) reveals that a new, 3D television series starring Pac-Man is in the works.

The company’s announcement mentions a run of 26 episodes planned for a 2012 premiere. No official details were provided, but it’s a safe assumption that this is the (former Marvel Studios CEO) Avi Arad-produced Pac-Man television show that Namco teased back at E3. According to Namco Bandai’s Japanese website, a 26 episode 3D Pac-Man television series will be debuting in 2012. This is most likely the new animated series that Marvel exec Avi Arad is developing in which Pac-Man is a high school student who has to save the world with the help of his four ghost friends, Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde. The cartoon was made public at the E3 gaming expo in Los Angeles last month.

“We wanted to keep Pac-Man the same lovable guy he has always been, but (put him) in the 21st century,” Arad said in June. “We (also) wanted to talk about real stories and … see how they can relate to our lives, being in high school and being a teenager. At the end of the day, it’s the story of a reluctant hero.”

Pac-Man party continues as Namco Bandai has announced a followup to 2007’s excellent Pac-Man Championship Edition: simply, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX. The so-called sequel will launch on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network this fall, adding new mazes, modes and enhancements to the CE formula. In fact, DX sounds seriously “deluxe,” expanding the original Championship Edition’s six mazes to “more than 100 varied and mind-boggling” courses, according to Namco Bandai. Additionally, new modes will include Time Attack Mode, an objective-based Mission Mode and the (devour) Ghost Mode.

“For this 30th year milestone, PAC-MAN Party will continue the icon’s legacy of delivering an engaging experience while bringing people together,” said Todd Thorson, director of marketing and public relations at NAMCO BANDAI Games America. “With a combination of over the top mini-games and a stylish take on the traditional board game, PAC-MAN Party is sure to entertain the entire family.”

Reigning as one of the top pop cultural icons since his introduction in 1980, PAC-MAN remains a global phenomenon that has yielded hundreds of products including video games. PAC-MAN Party continues this legacy by offering a game that captures the spirit of the franchise and provides engaging entertainment that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With more than 45 exciting mini-games, PAC-MAN Party provides a rewarding and challenging social gaming experience regardless of skill level.

From the time-based trials of rolling a giant snowball and knocking your friends off a mountain top, to adventures that require more precision and endurance, players will be fully engaged as they use the Wii Remote’s motion, pointing and button control capabilities.

Depending on a player’s mood, they can select three modes of play. Story mode gives players the opportunity to explore all the game board worlds and meet new characters. Mini-Game mode offers a quick fix for those who want the sudden rush of competition without the commitment. Party mode provides a more in-depth party experience that has up to four friends traveling across different themed boards in a race to collect the most points. To raise the stakes a bit more, players can strategically build and develop property on any given space which will increase their wealth and provide the quickest route to victory.

To help level the playing field and to encourage big comebacks, Power Cookies can be unleashed to increase a characters size or put extra force and speed behind each movement. Adding a bit of retro flavor, PAC-MAN Party will also feature a Classic mode where players can kick it like it was the 1980’s and experience the original arcade versions of PAC-MAN®, Galaga® and Dig-Dug®.

Blue Planet Software, Inc., the company that manages the exclusive licensing rights to the Tetris® brand, today congratulated Pac-Man on its 30th anniversary, which Namco Bandai Games said it is officially celebrating on May 22, 2010. “I personally congratulate my good friend Mr. Toru Iwatani and Namco for having created Pac-Man, one of the greatest computer games of all time” said Henk Rogers, CEO of Blue Planet Software. We at Tetris salute Pac-Man as a pioneer of our video game industry. It is a testament to both our games relevance and staying power that we remain popular on todays most modern technology.

 The Tetris brand is just bringing its own 25th anniversary to a close a celebration that garnered multiple in-person events and over 1 billion media impressions in over 60 countries. The Tetris game was created by Russian-born mathematician Alexey Pajitnov on June 6, 1984. In January of this year, Blue Planet Software and licensee EA Mobile announced the Tetris game surpassed 100 million paid mobile downloads, making it the most popular mobile game of all time. Namco first released Pac-Man in the U.S. on May 22, 1980. Since then, like the Tetris game, Pac-Man has achieved a number of milestones and today both games are two of the most recognized video games in history.

 Both Tetris and Pac-Man have had an incredible impact on popular culture worldwide,? continued Rogers. Buckner & Garcias  “Pac-Man Fever” became the #9 song on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982 while the Tetris theme song has been sampled and covered by numerous groups, including MC Lars and the UKs Doctor Spin. Students have embraced the game as well. The largest Pac-Man game was played in 2004 by New York University students who created a real-life reenactment of the game in Manhattan. The record for the largest Tetris game is held by Dutch students who in 1995 used 15 floors of the Electrical Engineering Department of Delft University of Technology to play the game on the side of the building. We are delighted to share the hearts, minds and fingers of the world with such a worthy colleague”, Rogers said.

Spoke POV is an easy-to-make electronic kit toy that turns your bicycle wheel into a customized display! The project includes a free schematic design, open software for uploading and editing stored bitmap images, and a high-quality kit with all the parts necessary to build your own.

How does this thing work?

A SpokePOV is a ‘stick’ of LEDs with a magnetic (hall effect) sensor on the outer end. When a magnet passes by, the microcontroller takes note. By counting how long it takes between magnet passes, SpokePOV can tell how fast its rotating and quickly blink the LEDS to present an image. Therefore, no matter how fast you are riding, the image will show up correctly! Made by www.ladyada.net

Kits & PCBs available for purchase now!

Specification & Features

• Can be used with road, mountain or BMX wheels!
• 30 LEDs on each side (22 for BMX) x 256 radial pixels
• Runs on 2-3 AA batteries for 10 hours or more, assuming 3000mAh alkalines and 50% image coverage.
• Can run on rechargable NiMH AA’s
• Comes with high-brightness red, yellow, green or blue LEDs
• Automatically shuts off after 3 minutes
• Software runs on any Mac, Windows or Linux computer with Serial, Parallal or USB port
• Design is all through-hole parts, perfect for a first time kit builder.
• With one spoke, total persistence at 15mph. Two spokes, 10mph. Three spokes, 7mph. (Assuming a mountain bike wheel). Looks cool even if not completely persistant.
• Great for safe riding at night, provides excellent side visibility.
• Playa-tested!