When I grow up, I'd like to be a VMR (Valued MicroProse Retailer).

This week's Retro Scan is another Sid Meier MicroProse classic (see my scan of Pirates! from last year) and one of history's most famous combat flight simulator games. I remember trying F-15 Strike Eagle briefly years ago, but I soon gave up on it because I have never been much into flight simulators. What did you guys think about it?

Discussion Topic of the Week: What's your favorite combat flight simulator game of all time?

Taking photos for the SNES plastic discoloration article.
The pink wall didn't help. (September 2006)

If you've read this blog for some time, you'll know that I'm a big fan of shareware games. Specifically, I love shareware from the "golden age of PC shareware," an era I just made up that roughly spanned 1988-1996.

And by "PC shareware," in this case, I mean IBM PC compatible. I was not involved in shareware or BBS scenes for non-IBM computers, so I am not nearly as familiar with them.

With that in mind, take a gander at this new slideshow over at PC World in which I attempt to pick the The 12 Greatest PC Shareware Games of All Time. Whether I have succeeded or failed is not exactly the point, because as I always say, you can never objectively rank greatness. But even if you don't agree with my picks, it should provide a fun journey down memory lane.

When you're done reading it, I'd love to hear from you guys — what are your favorite shareware games of all time? Feel free to bring other platforms into it if you want.

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If you love shareware games, check out my 2009 interviews with the twin titans of PC shareware, Scott Miller of Apogee and Tim Sweeney of Epic MegaGames.

I'd like one of each, please.

Discussion Topic of the Week: Have you ever bought a piece of Nintendo-licensed merchandise? Do tell!

Over at Technologizer, I've written an opinion piece that argues why history needs software piracy.

I had the idea for this piece a few years ago, so it's nice to finally put my thoughts into written form — especially at a time when public debate over digital piracy's role has reached a new high.

I don't claim to be laying down the final word on the subject; instead, I view my piece as the beginning of a broader discussion about piracy's role in the study of history. I hope you enjoy it.

Strange proportions courtesy of Blip's comic book dimensions.

Discussion Topic of the Week: Quick! Favorite space shooter of the 1970s or '80s?

Quite possibly the first ever print ad for Sid Meier's Pirates!

Discussion Topic of the Week: What's your favorite Sid Meier game of all time? Oh, and what did you get for Christmas?

It's that time of year again: the Yuletide. Instead of writing something new and fresh for the season, I thought I'd dredge through the VC&G archives for Christmas material and collect it all in one place.

Below you will find a list of everything Yule-flavored from this site and my freelance work. There are a couple slideshow gems in there that you don't want to miss, so check those out if you haven't already.

I have a soft spot for Christmas, having been raised with the tradition, so this list is for me as much as it is for everyone else. After going through these things again, it's amazing to see how much Christmas stuff I've posted over the years. I hope you enjoy it.

[ Continue reading The VC&G Christmas Collection » ]

When you're done reading that Computer Space piece I wrote, feel free to mosey on over to PCMag and check out this slideshow of 10 game consoles that could transform into PCs. (The title they gave it is kinda confusing, but the content still stands.)

Most of the console conversions featured in the piece are from the 1980s, but there's one more recent example in there that might surprise you. Or maybe it won't, because you guys tend to know a lot more than the average bear. Either way, I hope you enjoy it.

I see great things in your future.

I recently scanned this lovely Nintendo-sponsored Christmas greeting off the back of a 1988 issue of Nintendo Power. You can see the complete magazine back in the full-sized version of the scan (click the image above to see it). In that larger scan, names and addresses have been changed to protect the innocent.

Kinda gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling, doesn't it?

Discussion Topic of the Week: Did you ever receive a NES (or even a NES game) for Christmas? Tell us about your memories of the occasion.