Racketboy

While, this project wasn’t made specifically for game emulation, I haven’t seen a cooler retro-styled PC as far as I can remember.

This guy from England has stuffed an entire Mini-ITX computer and monitor into a 70s National TV set. He replaced the bulky old CRT with a slimmer LCD TV/Monitor, enabling him to use the machine as both a PC and an actual TV. Check out the project at mini-itx.com

I’m wondering if it has any possibilities for video inputs. If so, it would be an incredibly awesome retro gaming machine (for both emulation and real consoles) — if you were willing to put up with the the 9-inch screen and 640×480 resolution.

If anything, maybe this will inspire some additional creations

Thanks to RetroThing for the heads-up!

One of my favorite games of all time (known as Jet Grind Radio in the US) just happens to have one of the best game soundtracks ever. If you’re looking for a good mix of of creative and energetic Japanese music, the best place to start is the soundtracks of the Jet Set Radio series.

Both soundtracks include music that is mostly from Hideki Naganuma and Guitar Vader. It could be mostly classified as in the J-Pop genre, but is a mix Japanese techno, funk, soul, and hip-hop elements that create a very unique and vivid sound.

From Amazon Reviews:

“JGR has some of the sweetest tracks you’ll ever hear. And it’s pretty diverse too. From the techno/dance tracks like ‘Electric Tooth Brush’ to the fresh “classic” types like ‘Grace and Glory’ and ‘Sweet Soul Brother’, there’s not a boring track on here.

This is great music to listen to when you’re on the go, or need something to kick ass to at home. It’s just a shame that people passed this up thinking it was “just game music”. I’ve never heard an album so full of energy like I have here, and I don’t normally listen to music like that.”

“I knew something was up when both I and my brother—who didn’t even play, only watched!—had these catchy numbers stuck in our head for weeks. Jet Set Radio’s got an upbeat, diverse mix of hip-hop, dance, and Japanese-style punk music that is not to be missed.”

And of course, if you liked the first game’s soundtrack, check out Jet Set Radio Future’s soundtrack as well…

From Amazon Reviews:

” ‘Concept of Love’ is the BEST song on the album. That’s the main reason I bought it… but I was taken back with the other ‘new favorites’ I found. I was bummed out to find that this album was missing a few tunes though. Apparently, the U.S. release of the Xbox Game came with a few songs ‘outside the states’ releases didn’t get. “

You can pick up both soundtracks from a number of places. I recommend Amazon.com, but you will probably want to look at the used CD prices as they are MUCH more affordable than the new import copies.

Amazon Links:
Jet Set Radio Official Soundtrack
Jet Set Radio Future Official Soundtrack

Posts In Related Categories:
Music, Dreamcast, XBox

I’m sure you all have your favorite consoles. But have you ever wished you could have that machine in a different color without having to do a custom paint-job? Many consoles over the years have been released in a variety of colors, either in regular or limited edition releases.

UponTheRainbow.com has a comprehensive database of all the colors that each console has been released in. You can hunt through their lists and find that perfect machine. It’s just a shame they don’t have picutres of them all. Then it would be just like shopping in your local car showroom.

I’m also guessing that they are missing some older consoles. Weren’t their different colors of the Genesis or 3DO?