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GLaD 31: Uniracers & Spring Cleaning Easter Eggs!


On 03/31/2013 at 10:20 PM by Super Step

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Bing Image Mad Libz: It's very unfortunate to find out that Phil Ramone, a man that worked and produced with artists as varied as Ray Charles, Boston, Frank Sinatra, and Sir Paul McCartney, passed away yesterday. Out of respect to him, I won't involve him in today's Mad Libz, but rather say that when I die, I hope if reincarnation or heaven is real, I live my second life in the French countryside, doing unicycle stunts all over my personally owned Russian nuclear submarine.

Today's game is Uniracers, which is the only game of my older brother's I found the box for. There was a manual for a game called Shadow Man, one for Tetris on GameBoy, but this is the only actual box of his I found:

It was inside the door to the little Nintendo wheelcart below the "gaming TV" we always played on as kids, a Sony Trinitron, which is the same space I found my own N64 boxes. The VCR just atop the TV is what we used to play on, the VCR on top of that one is newer, and you better believe we used this old TV and the older VCR to play our games for ALL of our systems, from his NES/SNES/PSX to my N64/Gamecube and his PS2.

There was a time we had all those systems hooked up at once, as his friend knew how to, and it was a bitch to keep that RF box in place so the picture would stay clear.

That was long after we enjoyed today's game as much younger kids though, as back then it was just the NES, SNES and their games hooked up to this TV. And Uniracers is one that isn't talked about much these days, but we sure played it a lot. It was just a fun, basic, 2D racing game, where unicycles with personalities would do tricks and race to the finish line on these checkered tracks with twists and turns everywhere. 

Oh sure, the backgrounds were incredibly simple, but it was so fun to see the unicycles do flips, wind around on tracks, avoid the wet paint that would slip them up or slow them down, and the music was simple too, but at the time I thought it was rockin'!

But most importantly, it looked like these things were going really fast, making huge leaps, and the way they'd travel through these levels just looked amazing. I think you'll get a much better idea of all that from this video:

Uniracers may not be considered one of the great SNES classics, but it's a classic to me dammit! So simple, yet so fun. A simpler game for a simpler time.

Oh, but that's far from all I found. You may have noticed I've been posting blogs about finding some items I was missing during Spring Cleaning I've been doing. Well, I'm not officially done yet, actually my mom found my Nyko GBA/Gamecube link thing just today, but really it's just the shelf space dusting and organizing left to be done, so here are some pictures of stuff I found on my cleaning spree!

First, I'll post my gaming collections for you.

My DS games, each completely intact, box, game, instrcution manual, everything's accounted for!

Same with my Gamecube games!

Alphabetized except for the Gameboy Player Disc, as it's smaller than everything else. None of these were ever missing, actually for some reason I have two Metroid Prime discs, the second being inside my Gamecube, the first in the box. Maybe I can trade it in for a copy of Super Mario Sunshine if I can put it in a jewel case and find someone that wants to trade?

This is what I have of my N64 games, all of the cartidges are accounted for, but four out of seven boxes are missing, as are four out of seven manuals (the one for DK64 is in its box).

There's actually a second manual thing underneath that 1080 manual that shows you how to do all the tricks, and lays out how to use the N64 controller.

Here's the cartridges that need boxes.

The older handhelds aren't quite as lucky. I still can't find my Game Boy Color, and only found one of my GBA game's boxes, that being Metroid: Zero Mission, which is in its box; the other three of my GBA games are sitting atop my GBA (Mario Kart Super Circuit), in the GBA (Golden Sun), or in the Gameboy Player on the botttom of my Gamecube (Metroid Fusion). In this picture, you can also see some of the items I talked about in previous Spring Cleaning blogs, like the Sandiego Travel Kit, Pac Man game, N64 memory cards in their case, DS cleaner, stylus, the 9999 in 1 Brick Games thing, POGS, N64 jumper pack, and don't forget Pokemon Pinball.

I have yet to find Pokemon Blue, for Game Boy, but I do have the Gameboy itself, as you can see, though I don't think I'll be playing it any time soon....

Played Pokemon Pinball on the GBA before dinner today, though. Looks like time to fill up that Pokedex completely. Oh, and yesterday, Smartcelt was asking what the Gameboy Player on Gamecube looks like. Here ya go:

From the bottom

Front

Controllers: Nintendo one has a bunch of gunk on the control stick I need to clean to improve motion, Mad Catz one is just a POS that likes to not work at random times

You can always tell which is the first player controller from whether or not the Rumble Pak's in it, and if it's colored; usually means it's the owner's in my experience, anyway. That, and I think my older brother may have damaged the grey one when Killer Instinct: Gold pissed him off once, but a) don't quote me, b) don't tell him I said that. Tongue Out

 

Jumper Pak had to be taken out and replaced with the red Expansioin Pak when I bought DK64.

Now for some random, semi-gaming-related stuff

I didn't make the bed yet, don't judge me! Anyway, some printouts from old Toy Story and K'Nex PC games, and a Fire Emblem ad for the GBA version from EGM.

I just remembered I used to have a Paper Mario strategy guide, so I wonder if I'll find that. Never owned the game, but I liked the story so much I wanted the guide to read it. I know, I'm weird, but anyway, there's the Prima guides for Fusion/Prime that had the same release date in NA, one for Majora's Mask, a drawing of Orca from Wind Waker in my 7th grade sketchbook, which reminds me I want to find my HS sketch book, and a Shinobi poster from EGM. Speaking of which...

What's that below the Yu-Gi Oh card decks and the New Yorkers I was subscribed to for a college creative writing class? You guessed it.

Why yes I do have more EGMs than games; guess which is cheaper? Tongue Out

More where that came from:

Need to be numerically put in order still. And that Gamecube cover's seen better days.

The GBA/Gamecube link; what says Nyko clips ino the top of the GBA, the other thing goes to the Gamecube controller port

My job is run by a bunch of nerds that like to help out at conventions, hence why my warehouse key came with a "Game Over Videogames" lanyard with a Space Invaders alien. Cool

Speaking of jobs, I think my old one at Outback Steakhouse is saying something

Happy Easter!

Spring Cleaning sure did help me get a great end to my GLaD month blogs. Hope you've enjoyed them, and I might post more pictures of non-gaming related stuff I found later. Again, Happy Easter, hope yours was a good one!

 

 

 


 

Comments

SanAndreas

03/31/2013 at 10:53 PM

Fun fact: Uniracers was made by DMA Design, which is now called Rockstar North - the studio responsible for Grand Theft Auto.

Super Step Contributing Writer

03/31/2013 at 11:05 PM

Oddly enough, I think I knew about that, but I didn't remember that until you said it. That, or I'm crazy and think I'm remembering now, but actually it's the first time I've heard that. Either way, fun fact there, San Andreas! lol

Halochief90

04/01/2013 at 12:04 AM

Your old gaming set up looks just like my old one; small TV, weak stand, stacked VCR's... all that it's missing is a jungle of wires!

What your collection lacks in size it certainly makes up for in awesomeness. Nothing much can beat Zelda and Metriod. And heck, your Gameboy, Gamecube, N64 and DS collections dwarf mine which is like one game combined!

Super Step Contributing Writer

04/01/2013 at 08:26 AM

Oh, we had the jungle of wires, trust me!

And thank you Smile It's a small collection with a huge Nintendo bias, but money was tight growing up, so when I bought a new game, I wanted it to be one I was going to play a lot. Some of them wound up not having that quality, but oh well. lol

Nicoleb1989

04/01/2013 at 01:03 AM

Im totally jealous of your N64 collection, oh how I would love to have Zelda and DK again, Lucky! lol! I especially miss the Dk games, I remember playing all of them that were on the N64.

Super Step Contributing Writer

04/01/2013 at 08:34 AM

There was only DK64 and Diddy Kong racing from what Wikipedia is telling me. So I guess I played them all too! lol DK64 also had a little arcade machine somewhere you could play the original Donkey Kong game, so there's another DK game on N64. Can't remember if Diddy Kong Racing had a secret game hidden away like that. Zelda and DK are great though, thanks for the kind words. Smile

Cary Woodham

04/01/2013 at 06:15 AM

I liked your other blog better that had Jessica Biel in it.   Just joking! :)

I rented Uniracers once.  Guess someone already mentioned the DMA Design thing.  They also made Lemmings.  When you enter in your name at the beginning of Uniracers, try putting in the word "Sonic" and see what happens. :)

Super Step Contributing Writer

04/01/2013 at 08:23 AM

Did you have that Pac Man toy I showed in this blog as a kid? I was curious. The game isn't here any more, but I'll look up that Sonic thing. I remember Lemmings, played that game a lot when I was stuck at school with my mom.

Cary Woodham

04/01/2013 at 05:35 PM

I looked through all the pictures...I don't remember seeing a Pac-Man toy.

Super Step Contributing Writer

04/01/2013 at 06:09 PM

Fifth picture from top, on the top left, just above the Carmen Sandiego Travel Kit.

Super Step Contributing Writer

04/01/2013 at 06:11 PM

Sorry, it's not very close up, I shouldn't expect you to tell that thing at the bottom is a Pac Man moving along the track at the bottom.

Cary Woodham

04/01/2013 at 06:19 PM

Maybe you can take a bigger picture of it later.

Matt Snee Staff Writer

04/01/2013 at 07:29 AM

well, I see you made it through GLaD.  I'm a couple entries back but I'll make it...  maybe a little late but I'lll make it. 

By the way your collection is dope.  

Super Step Contributing Writer

04/01/2013 at 08:36 AM

I don't doubt you will, and I look forward to them. You've brought up some cool, obscure games.  Thanks for the kind words. Smile

GeminiMan78

04/01/2013 at 09:47 AM

Uniracers was a very cool game, truly under appretiated. I was putting together a series of blogs about underrated gems for 1up and this game was on the list. I published one on Einhander and have a rough draft for Alundra and Uniracers. Need to get back on that. Glad to see I'm not the only one with good memories of this game. I remember my cousin and I would have trick competitions on the half pipe and "sky jump" courses. Nice blog, Laters! 

Super Step Contributing Writer

04/01/2013 at 01:54 PM

It really is under appreciated.

transmet2033

04/01/2013 at 09:48 AM

i should probably doublecheck my gameboys for corroded batteries.

Super Step Contributing Writer

04/01/2013 at 01:54 PM

Yeah, I'm just gald there wasn't a slime monster that formed and jumped out at me.

Surfcaster

04/01/2013 at 01:19 PM

I have that exact Super Mario stand! I still use mine, too. It now has a much bigger, flat CRT on it, but it still has a NES and a SNES sitting in it just like it always did.

Super Step Contributing Writer

04/01/2013 at 01:56 PM

I wonder how many people have that stand. My older brother took the NES, SNES, and his Playstations, and may or may not have sold them, but the stand still stands! lol

GrayHaired

04/01/2013 at 08:55 PM

nice trip down memory lane!

Super Step Contributing Writer

04/01/2013 at 09:23 PM

Yup. It was nice to find a lot of my old gaming stuff.

smartcelt

04/01/2013 at 10:48 PM

What an epic blog! Wow that's a lot of cool stuff there. Thanks for the pics of the Gameboy Player. I remember it now....pretty clever device. I want that Korg DS thing. I will be hunting that down this week.

Super Step Contributing Writer

04/01/2013 at 11:00 PM

I never figured out how to use Korg DS, but it's capable of a lot ... hence why it's so damn confusing to someone like me who's only played drums, guitar, and piano, and only one of those decently. lolI'm still interested in learning how to really use it, though.

Coolsetzer

04/03/2013 at 12:05 PM

I always thought that Uniracers was a cool little title, in which it was like what Excitebike 64 could have been. Nice game collection, btw. You should try to get Dawn of Sorrow. It was my favorite Castlevania DS game.

Super Step Contributing Writer

04/03/2013 at 12:25 PM

I never played Excitebike 64, so wouldn't know, but Uniracers was a blast.

DoS has been on my to-get list for a while now, but I want to get Ghost Trick first I think. If the price is right, I might get both though.

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