Password Prompts

If you've used a computer then you've been prompted for a password. But have you ever noticed that sometimes you have to enter your password twice and other times you only enter it once. Have you ever wondered why that is? If you think about it logically it's pretty easy to figure out why, because if you enter the password twice you're less likely to make a mistake (i.e. fat finger your password). But if that's the case, then why not always require you to enter your password twice?

The answer has to do with how and when the password is authenticated. The rule is if your password is authenticated right here right now then you only prompt for the password once. If however your password is to be authenticated at a later time, then you should be required to enter your password twice. Let's look at some scenarios.

1. You're logging into your computer. You're password is authenticated immediately upon clicking "Login" so you should be prompted once. If you fat-finger your password, you'll be given an opportunity to reenter your password.

2. You're setting a new password on your computer. Even though you're entering your password now, it isn't authenticated until subsequent logins. So you should be promoted to enter your password twice, to help guard against fat-fingers.

3. Some software requires you to enter your password ahead of time, which it uses to later log you in. Again, since this happens later you should be required to enter it twice.

So that's the rule, but it doesn't mean software designers always follow it. I have seen programs that do not correctly follow the rules.

While on the subject of passwords, I wanted to share another interesting tidbit of info. Obviously passwords are encrypted for security reasons. When you set a new password, the password is encrypted and stored for later use. But I think a lot of people make assumptions about how subsequent logins work. They assume the encrypted password is decrypted then compared against the password entered by the person trying to login. This is completely wrong, in fact it's impossible to decrypt the password once it's been encrypted. So how is it you're able to login? Well the password entered by the person trying to login is encrypted, and then the two encrypted passwords are compared against each other. If they match, then the assumption is made that the two original passwords were the same. (And yes, it is an assumption. It is technically possible for the wrong password to work when logging you in. However, the possibility of that happening are so remote that it's never likely to happen.)

The evolution of video game graphics

I thought it would be interesting to see how the graphical capabilities of the video game hardware has changed over the years. Unfortunately, there is no single indicator of graphical capabilities, instead graphics is a combination of the resolution, available colors, speed of the processor, etc. But I decided to focus strictly on the resolution.

System	Release date	Resolution
Atari 2600	1977	192 x 160
Atari 5200	1982	320 x 192
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)	1985	256 x 224
Sega Master System (SMS)	1986	256 x 224
Sega Genesis	1989	320 x 448
Super Nintendo (SNES)	1991	512 x 448
Sega Saturn	1995	640 x 480
Sony PlayStation (PS1)	1995	640 x 480
Nintendo 64 (N64)	1996	640 x 480
Sega Dreamcast	1999	640 x 480
Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2)	2000	1280 x 1024
Microsoft XBox	2001	1920 x 1080
Nintendo GameCube	2001	640 x 480
Microsoft XBox 360	2005	1920 x 1080
Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3)	2006	1920 x 1080
Nintendo Wii	2006	640 x 480

In graphical form this is what the data looks like.



You could draw a lot of conclusions from this data. Here are a few that stood out to me.

1. Resolution in and of itself is not a good benchmark, if you will, for system performance. The Atari 5200 has more pixels on screen than either the NES or the SMS, but the latter two systems are far superior.
2. The NES and SMS have the exact same resolution, yet many SMS games look better than NES games. This is because the SMS offers more colors (32 on screen from a palette of 64 versus 25 of 48 for the NES). This goes to show how important colors are.
3. For obvious reasons resolution plateaued at the NTSC standard for a while. But what is interesting is how as late as 2006 a new console (the Wii) was still limited to this old standard. That said, the Wii has outsold both the XBox 360 and the PS3, so better graphics do not equal better sales.

Top 6 Nintendo Entertainment System Games

Even though I didn't own an NES, my best friend did. So I've played a good number of NES games. Below are my top 6 NES games. This list was hard for me to come up with, mainly because there are so many NES games and I've played so few of them.

6. 3D World Runner

I think this was the NES equivalent to Space Harrier, which is probably why I liked this game. Not as good as Space Harrier, but still fun. This game is different in that you run on the ground instead of fly, although he is capable of jumping pretty darn high.

5. Gradius

Again, I love my shoot 'em ups, and this is one of the few I've played on the NES. One thing I'll say about this game is it's hard. If you die you lose all your power-ups and you're as good as gone. It's nearly impossible to survive the later levels without your power-ups.

4. Bubble Bobble

My friend and I use to spend hours playing this game. Loads of fun if you have a friend, less fun by yourself.

3. Metroid

I've never even come close to passing this game, but still I pick it up and play it whenever I can. It's fun to explore and see what new weapons and defenses you can find.

2. Super Mario Bros.

It's pretty amazing that such an old game has held up as well as this one did. Usually the "launch titles" with a console are not that good. It takes a while before the programmers really learn how to take advantage of the system's capabilities. So the fact that SMB was the first NES game and shines as brightly as it does now is an indicator of how good this game really is. It's easily one of the best video games EVER, on any system, modern or old.

1. Super Mario Bros. 3

Can there be any other victor on the NES? SMB3 is the pinnacle of NES games. The controls are absolutely perfect, lots of secrets to find, plenty of unique power-ups. This is game is just awesome!

Old School Games I Owned

I thought it would be fun to list the old-school games I owned. These were the games of my childhood, so many memories are contained in this list:

Sega Master System:

• Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars
• Alex Kidd in Miracle World
• Choplifter
• Double Dragon
• Ghost House
• Golvellius: Valley of Doom
• Great Baseball
• Hang-On / Safari Hunt
• Kung Fu Kid
• Penguin Land
• R-Type
• Rastan
• Teddy Boy
• TransBot
• Wonder Boy in Monster Land
• Zillion

Sega Game Gear:

• Columns
• Sonic The Hedgehog
• Super Monaco GP
• Wonder Boy

Sega Genesis:

• Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
• Altered Beast
• Columns
• Ghouls'N Ghosts
• Golden Axe
• Golden Axe II
• PGA Tour Golf
• Phantasy Star II
• Road Rash
• Road Rash II
• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Sonic the Hedgehog 3
• Space Harrier II
• Street Fighter II Special Champion Edition
• Streets of Rage 2
• Super Street Fighter II
• Thunder Force II
• Wonder Boy in Monster World

Sega Genesis CD:

• Ecco the Dolphin
• Ecco: The Tides of Time
• Hook
• Sega Classics Arcade Collection 5-in-1 (Columns, Golden Axe, Revenge of Shinobi, Streets of Rage, Super Monaco GP)
• Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective
• Silpheed
• Sol-Feace
• Sonic the Hedgehog CD
• Star Wars: Rebel Assault

Top 20 Sega Genesis Games - Part 2

Continuing my top 20 countdown from last time...

10. Thunder Force II

There was no Thunderforce 1 on the Genesis, but there was a third and fourth installment. Many consider 3 and/or 4 to be the best in the series, but I prefer Thunderforce II. This is probably because I owned Thunderforce II, I believe it was the second Genesis game I owned after Altered Beast which came with the system. I love the weapon options in Thunderforce II, and I love the mixture of over-head and side-scrolling missions. Every other level is over-head or side-scrolling. This makes it feel like two games in one.

9. Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition

Street Fighter II SCE was the first Street Fighter game to come to the Genesis. It was nothing short of monumental. Street Fighter II is easily one of the largest games ever, so I was incredibly excited when it was available for the Genesis. One thing that set the game apart was it's speed. In hyper mode you could increase the speed so fast that it nearly becomes unplayable. It's impressive the Genesis hardware could even play this game at normal speeds let alone really fast like this.

8. Sonic the Hedgehog

This is the game that finally landed Sega on the map. The first Sonic game was breathtaking. The graphics were so crisp and sharp, and it had great music to boot. But what makes any game great is superb game play, and Sonic definitely has this.

7. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

It was hard for me to choose between the original Sonic and Sonic 2, but I'm going to give Sonic 2 the slight edge. Everything that made the original Sonic so great and then some. In my opinion, this is the pinnacle of the Sonic games, after this the head down hill (no pun intended).

6. Phantasy Star II

If you read my post on top 15 SMS games you know I love a good R.P.G. game, and the Genesis had some great titles in this genre. One of the best was Phantasy Star II. The story line sucked you in and made you want to play. I loved the music in this game. The only downside to this game was the plain background found in the battle scenes. And since you spend a lot of time in battles, this gets old quick. It was great having 8 different characters to play as, able to level-up each and improve your party.

5. Phantasy Star IV

After the HUGE disappointment that was Phantasy Star III, Sega bounced back with a game to redeem all - Phantasy Star IV. Phantasy Star IV returned to the tried and true Phantasy Star II model and improved upon it in a big way. Gone are the plain background during battles, replaced with realistic backgrounds. The magic system was greatly improved upon and introduced combo moves. But Phantasy Star IV had 2 strikes against it which prevented it from being recognized as the truly awesome game that it is. First, it came out very late in the Genesis life-cycle. The Sega Saturn was nearly out, so people didn't want to buy Genesis games anymore. The second strike was it's price. Because of the size of this game it cost a lot to produce, so it cost nearly $100. These combine to tarnish this otherwise awesome game!

4. Streets of Rage

A big genre of games in the early 90s was the beat 'em up. I think Double Dragon started this trend. You just beat up a nearly endless supply of "bad guys." Tons of button mashing, but tons of fun. The original Streets of Rage is crude compared to its refined predecessors, but it's a lot of fun. I forget the guy who created the music for this game, but it has one of the best sound tracks of any game on the Genesis.

3. Ghouls'n Ghosts

Ghouls'n Ghosts is an arcade classic from the late 80s. I think every console at the time has a port of this game. I consider the Genesis port to be one of the best. The controls are tight which make this game fun to play. This was one of the first games I owned.

2. Streets of Rage 2

Often times a sequel does not live up to its predecessor, it's like they only released the game to capitalize on the first one. Well in the Street of Rage series this is not the case. Streets of Rage 2 is flat out awesome. The characters are bigger than the first, the action is more intense, there are tons on new moves, etc. If you love arcade-style beat 'em ups then this is the game for you.

1. Super Street Fighter II

It's not so much that Super Street Fighter II was vastly improved upon the previous game. In fact the main addition was 4 new characters, and I didn't even like the new characters. But it offered refined game play, better graphics and sound, and some new moves for the existing characters. I can't tell you how much I played this game in high school. Looking back I'm amazed my parents let me play video games as much as they did. I mean I spent a LOT of time playing this game. Not to boast, but I became very good at it too. There were very few people who could beat me at this game. My favorite characters were Ken, Ryu, Chun-Li, Guile, and Dhalsim.

Top 20 Sega Genesis Games

I previously posted my top 15 Sega Master System games. To follow up on that here are my top 20 Sega Genesis games. I increased the number from 15 to 20 for several reasons. First, the Sega Genesis had a much larger game library. Also, I included the Sega CD with the Genesis, so I felt it was only fair to increase the number of games in my list. Below is 11-20 and I'll do a second post with the top 10.

20. Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse

Castle of Illusion is a great example of what the Genesis could do. This game has smooth animations, greats graphics and sound, and very fun game play. Even though you think of Mickey Mouse as a child's game, it's a fun game for all ages.

19. Gaiares

The Genesis was known for great shoot 'em up games, and Gaiares is one of the best. Great music and graphics. It has a unique weapon system, you target your drone onto the enemies and you can "acquire" their weapon. Gaiares is definitely one of the harder shoot 'em up games I've played.

18. Revenge of Shinobi

Revenge of Shinobi makes the list despite being incredibly difficult, I would say it's too difficult. If it weren't for the cheat that allows you to have unlimited throwing stars this game would be dang near impossible. But it's still fun to play.

17. Road Rash II

Every old console had racing games. Harder to find were motorcycle racing games. But that's not what sets this game apart. You race on a motorcycle, and you can punch and kick the other racers. This takes "road rage" to a new level. Road Rash II is the second of three games on the Genesis. I think it's the best of the three. The graphics aren't the best, and the sound is very "rough" for lack of a better description. But this game is definitely a blast to play.

16. Space Harrier II

I don't know why I like this game so much. Probably because of its simplicity. Repeatedly mash the button to fire and dodge the columns and weapons fire. This might have been a favorite game from my childhood because it's one of the first games to offer pretty good 3D effects.

15. Sonic the Hedgehog CD

Sonic CD isn't that different from the Sonic cartridge games. But that's a good thing since those are such great games. Sonic CD does offer incredible music the other games can't touch, and by using the Sega CD hardware their is a 3D level which was impressive for its time.

14. Strider

I never owned this game, but I borrowed it from a friend many times. I remember thinking the graphics of this game were some of the best on the Genesis. The game play is top-notch as well. The only downside is this game suffers from slow down, I guess it was just a little too much for the Genesis to handle.

13. Golden Axe / Golden Axe II

While technically 2 games, they are so similar I grouped them into one. The original Golden Axe is an excellent port of the arcade hit, and the sequel offers some refined game play and options. Both great games, especially if you have a friend to join you.

12. Ecco the Dolphin / Ecco: The Tides of Time

Again, two games combine into one for my purposes as the two are so very similar. I wanted to talk a little more about Ecco than the other games. Ecco is, in my opinion, probably the must underrated game on the Genesis. I think many people are turned off thinking the game is a save-the-whales eco-friendly game. That's not what this game is about at all. At it's heart this game is a puzzle game, and a dang good one too! Some of the puzzles are incredibly challenging and fun to solve. If you're going to play this game you must play it on the Sega CD. The accompanying CD music is AWESOME! The music is so awesome I literally listen to is as a sound track... still to this day almost 20 years later.

11. Wonder Boy in Monster World

Wonder Boy in Monster World is probably classified as an "action/adventure" game. It has elements of an adventure game, but with tons of action. This game has a very unique artistic style which set it apart from other games of the time. It also offered some of the best music on the Genesis.


Please continue onto page 2 for the top 10.

The case of the crashing computer

Recently I upgraded my main system to use dual monitors. This can be of great help when developing software. But ever since adding the second monitor, my machine would experience random crashes - about once a day. But these crashes weren't the usual BSOD that occur in Windows, instead both monitors would go blank and the computer would half power itself off. It was like the machine entered standby, except it would not wake up. If you pressed the reset button the machine would power off (huh?).

I quickly ruled out a Windows software problem. A driver crash almost always results in a BSOD which wasn't occurring. So I started to look at the hardware. I suspected the motherboard, RAM, or video card. But how do I find out what? I checked the BIOS event log... nothing. I tried leaving the second monitor off, but it still crashed. My next guess was perhaps the power supply. When a second monitor the video card should use more electricity, and maybe if it used too much electricity the power supply couldn't keep up. My machine has a 400W power supply which should be more than enough.

Then I remembered my computer has an "automatic voltage regulator," specifically the APC Line-R 600. An automatic voltage regulator is like a surge protector in that it prevents over-voltage, but it also protects the system against brief brown-outs and black-outs. It is not a battery backup unit, but it does some of the same. So I tried replacing this unit with a normal surge protector and wouldn't you know it, the crashes have gone away!

So apparently my computer and two monitors could pull just enough energy from the unit to cause it to crash my system.