Retro Gaming

[ScrambledValkyrie]

On 1/9/2019 at 10:10 AM, Mazinger said:

Whoa, CRTs?! They still get used plenty with old-school 2D fighting game tournament because of the need to minimize input latency on screens and the fact old hardware lacks modern ports display ports. There are some very expensive mini-boards that translate analog to digital signals but they are still expensive.

Do you do speed runs and such?

No speed runs for me — I’m not that good. I just like the look of the older games on a CRT. You could say it’s how they were meant to be played. Perhaps a bit of nostalgia as well. And the issue of lag is real. I kept trying to play Mike Tyson’s Punch Out on my Retron 5 and kept failing on the harder opponents. CRT response is much better. 

Some of the analog to digital converters aren’t too bad. The RetroTink is what I’d probably get if I wanted to go back to an LCD. Apparently zero lag and only $100. HD Retrovision also has a similar product in the works.

[Black Valkyrie]

 

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/01/looks_like_retro-bit_is_resurrecting_segas_switch-like_handheld_the_nomad

 

 

[JB0]

More importantly than yet another headline putting the Switch into something unrelated to the Switch...

http://tinycartridge.com/post/181898402967/retro-bit-publishing-new-metal-storm-nes

New copies of Metal Storm, the best Nintendo gravity-flipping, escher-scrolling, lusciously-animated run&gun that you never played.

 

Given the insanel y stupid prices that Nintendo cartridges command these days, ESPECIALLY ones with the slightest hint of rarity to them, this is a breath of fresh air. Beats the hell out of two hundred bucks for a naked cart, which seems to be the going price for an original Metal Storm.

(I did NOT pay two hundred for my copy, as I got it before a bunch of trust-fund kids with more money than sense blew up the market. )

[Black Valkyrie]

17 minutes ago, JB0 said:

More importantly than yet another headline putting the Switch into something unrelated to the Switch...

http://tinycartridge.com/post/181898402967/retro-bit-publishing-new-metal-storm-nes

New copies of Metal Storm, the best Nintendo gravity-flipping, escher-scrolling, lusciously-animated run&gun that you never played.

 

 

I know about it but had no interest back because of the Genesis. 

 

[JB0]

57 minutes ago, Black Valkyrie said:

 

I know about it but had no interest back because of the Genesis. 

 

Exactly. It was a bad time to be a Nintendo game.

[Black Valkyrie]

 

Castlequest AKA Castle Excellent in Japan, for the Famicom and the MSX. 

 

 

[ScrambledValkyrie]

4 hours ago, JB0 said:

More importantly than yet another headline putting the Switch into something unrelated to the Switch...

http://tinycartridge.com/post/181898402967/retro-bit-publishing-new-metal-storm-nes

New copies of Metal Storm, the best Nintendo gravity-flipping, escher-scrolling, lusciously-animated run&gun that you never played.

 

Given the insanel y stupid prices that Nintendo cartridges command these days, ESPECIALLY ones with the slightest hint of rarity to them, this is a breath of fresh air. Beats the hell out of two hundred bucks for a naked cart, which seems to be the going price for an original Metal Storm.

(I did NOT pay two hundred for my copy, as I got it before a bunch of trust-fund kids with more money than sense blew up the market. )

Very interesting. I almost went for their Holy Diver rerelease. I may want to grab Metal Storm and then unload my original copy. (They go for right around $100 on EBay.) Then again, depending on what they charge for the new version, I may not come out that much ahead. I don’t think they do a cart-only option, just boxed with extras.

But either way, it was a cool and innovative game.

[Black Valkyrie]

 

 

 

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

This came out of left field: Vixen 357.  While the translated version has been out there for a while now, it's cool to see it or get the royal treatment.

[ScrambledValkyrie]

9 hours ago, Valkyrie Hunter D said:

This came out of left field: Vixen 357.  While the translated version has been out there for a while now, it's cool to see it or get the royal treatment.

I had never heard of that game until now. Looks to me a little like Front Mission for Super Famicom, but minus the isometric view. I may have to check it out. Of course, the list of games I want to play (or replay) is now way longer than the amount of time I have to actually play them...

[JetJockey]

On 1/21/2019 at 11:55 AM, Black Valkyrie said:

 

 

 

They need to make a new Life Force like they did with Gradius V.

[Black Valkyrie]

 

Check this out, I've tried and it worked : 

 

And I've made a cover for it :  

 

 

[Black Valkyrie]

 

There is even NES Gradius & Gradius 2 enhancement. 

[JetJockey]

15 hours ago, Black Valkyrie said:

 

Check this out, I've tried and it worked : 

 

And I've made a cover for it :  

 

 

 You have the cartridge with the light up eyes? I've never seen that before. And I guess I never played the arcade version as this is the first time I heard different music in the Egyptian stage.

 

I remember some talk here about sealed video game boxes some pages ago. Recently I noticed that Heritage Auctions started putting these up. And they found a ton of sealed games. Here is the article and story on what they found.

 

https://www.watagames.com/learn/blog/post/nes-collection-pedigree/?ctrack=3038085&type=collectorb-1-comic--news--tem013019

 

I'm still not fond on the whole idea of getting sealed boxes graded. As you are just grading a cardboard box. It's not like a comic where they are grading the whole thing. And games are supposed to be played. Last Gamer mentioned in one of his recent shows how he found some old sealed SNES games and just opened them. But if some Panzer Dragoon Saga copies and other rare Sega CD or Nintendo games show up sealed in this collection, they are going to make a ton of money as they have multiple copies.

Edited February 2, 2019 by JetJockey

[Black Valkyrie]

8 hours ago, JetJockey said:

 You have the cartridge with the light up eyes? I've never seen that before. And I guess I never played the arcade version as this is the first time I heard different music in the Egyptian stage.

 

No it's not mine .  I have the rom, added to the NES Classic.  As for the arcade its still different for stage 2 & 4 and the Egyptian stage, the music is actually from stage 4 Life Force arcade and stage 4 Salamander MSX version. 

 

[JetJockey]

On 2/2/2019 at 1:30 PM, Black Valkyrie said:

No it's not mine .  I have the rom, added to the NES Classic.  As for the arcade its still different for stage 2 & 4 and the Egyptian stage, the music is actually from stage 4 Life Force arcade and stage 4 Salamander MSX version. 

 

I've only played the NES Life Force. There are so many versions of these games. I remember Last Gamer recently talking about how he has every version of After Burner and I think Gradius as well. Probably others too. I only tried to get what I thought were the best versions myself. I was looking over my list and recently decided to remove a few games I never picked up like Lunar on PSP. Although it looks good, I think my Sega CD version is probably the best for that game. It's the one I have the most nostalgia for and I prefer the music in that one compared to the others.

[JB0]

SegaCD is definitely the way to go with Lunar. Those games get worse with every remake.

[JetJockey]

4 hours ago, JB0 said:

SegaCD is definitely the way to go with Lunar. Those games get worse with every remake.

I thought the PSP version looked really nice. But I heard about stuff getting cut out and watched a bit of some videos and couldn't believe it. I guess they did it because it was a handheld version. But still many companies put RPGs on handhelds. I can't remember my original reason for not getting the Playstation or Saturn versions. They seem to be nice editions. Working Designs always came up with good packaging. But I that battle music is just better in the original.

 

 

Edited February 5, 2019 by JetJockey

[JB0]

The problems were on Game Arts' side, not Working Designs. Studio Alex no longer existed(because Game Arts screwed them over), and they completely rewrote The Silver Star, in a way that misses almost every point the original had.

Eternal Blue fared better(thankfully, as it is one of my all-time favorite games), but it plays a lot rougher, and there's no world in which a 3-disk Playstation game should have fewer and lower-quality video clips than a one-disk SegaCD game.

[JetJockey]

On 2/5/2019 at 4:55 AM, JB0 said:

The problems were on Game Arts' side, not Working Designs. Studio Alex no longer existed(because Game Arts screwed them over), and they completely rewrote The Silver Star, in a way that misses almost every point the original had.

Eternal Blue fared better(thankfully, as it is one of my all-time favorite games), but it plays a lot rougher, and there's no world in which a 3-disk Playstation game should have fewer and lower-quality video clips than a one-disk SegaCD game.

 

For some reason I didn't like Lunar 2 as much as the original. I remember beating the original over a weekend. And it was a fun RPG. I'll play both again when I get my vintage setup going.

 

Anyone have both a PS Vita and PlayStation TV? How are the graphics on Vita games on modern displays? And I heard there is lag on some titles on the PlayStation TV, is that true?

 

I have a few Vita games. Many titles received PS3 / PS4 upgrades. But I read that the Vita is going to go out of production this year. I usually wait till the last model to get handheld systems. But it looks like I waited too long on the PlayStation TV as they don't make that anymore and I'll have to pay premium.

[Black Valkyrie]

 

Sega CD wins, in terms of the OST. 

  

[Black Valkyrie]

 

New NES / SFC custom covers : 

 

[dizman]

Huh that movie Mazinger design fits really well on a snes era game box, strange choice I like it!

[Focslain]

On 2/8/2019 at 5:39 AM, JetJockey said:

 

Anyone have both a PS Vita and PlayStation TV? How are the graphics on Vita games on modern displays? And I heard there is lag on some titles on the PlayStation TV, is that true?

 

I have a few Vita games. Many titles received PS3 / PS4 upgrades. But I read that the Vita is going to go out of production this year. I usually wait till the last model to get handheld systems. But it looks like I waited too long on the PlayStation TV as they don't make that anymore and I'll have to pay premium.

From what I've seen on my 70" for PSTV, the graphics aren't too bad. I can see individual pixels but not to the point that it takes away from the games.

[JetJockey]

17 hours ago, Focslain said:

From what I've seen on my 70" for PSTV, the graphics aren't too bad. I can see individual pixels but not to the point that it takes away from the games.

No lag? I'm only going to play Ys Celceta and Corpse Party on Vita or PlayStation TV. That's my level of excitement for the system. I have the games already because they had limited editions. And those older niche titles can get expensive when they sell out. I would prefer to play them on TV. The 3DS might be the end of portable gaming for me. I still have a few games to get and finish on that system. I'm playing Hotel Dusk now.

Edited February 12, 2019 by JetJockey

[Valkyrie23]

Ys Memories of Celceta was recently announced as coming to the PS4 as an upgraded port. Just a FYI in case you prefer to play this new HD version on your tv.

[Focslain]

9 hours ago, JetJockey said:

No lag? I'm only going to play Ys Celceta and Corpse Party on Vita or PlayStation TV. That's my level of excitement for the system. I have the games already because they had limited editions. And those older niche titles can get expensive when they sell out. I would prefer to play them on TV. The 3DS might be the end of portable gaming for me. I still have a few games to get and finish on that system. I'm playing Hotel Dusk now.

No lag that I noticed and I use it mostly to play Macross Delta Scramble. 

[JetJockey]

17 hours ago, Valkyrie23 said:

Ys Memories of Celceta was recently announced as coming to the PS4 as an upgraded port. Just a FYI in case you prefer to play this new HD version on your tv.

 

Thanks I didn't know that. The Vita limited edition is still nice to own. They came out with good packages for all of the portable Ys games on PSP and Vita. But I'll just get it again on PS4.

 

10 hours ago, Focslain said:

No lag that I noticed and I use it mostly to play Macross Delta Scramble. 

 

Good. I guess it's a PlayStation TV for just Corpse Party. I don't think I've ever purchased a console for only one game.

[mikeszekely]

Do you need a PSTV, @JetJockey?  Or were you able to find one reasonably priced?  I'll have to look to find all the hook-ups, but I could definitely live without my PSTV.  I bought one when they first came out, thinking it'd only be a matter of time before they got Netflix and that a box that could do Netflix, Vita games, and PS4 streaming would be ideal on my bedroom TV.  Turns out they made maybe three Vita games total that I actually cared for, it never got Netflix, and it was easy enough to just move my PS4 from the living room to the bedroom when I wanted to play it there.  So aside from a short period where I was playing Gundam SEED Battle Destiny on it I've barely used it.

[JetJockey]

6 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

Do you need a PSTV, @JetJockey?  Or were you able to find one reasonably priced?  I'll have to look to find all the hook-ups, but I could definitely live without my PSTV.  I bought one when they first came out, thinking it'd only be a matter of time before they got Netflix and that a box that could do Netflix, Vita games, and PS4 streaming would be ideal on my bedroom TV.  Turns out they made maybe three Vita games total that I actually cared for, it never got Netflix, and it was easy enough to just move my PS4 from the living room to the bedroom when I wanted to play it there.  So aside from a short period where I was playing Gundam SEED Battle Destiny on it I've barely used it.

I don't need a PlayStation TV immediately. I just noticed that Vita production was going to end this year and was considering my options. Especially since there are so few games that I want on the system. It seems like every Vita game has a PS4 version.

[JB0]

Yeah, the Vita died a swift and painful death in the west. It lasted longer in Japan.

I got one early on, because I saw some stuff I liked, and the cost-reduced version they were replacing it with was unappealing to me(replaced the OLED panel with an LCD, changed most of the metal to plastic). It wasn't my wisest expense ever.

 

And yeah, virtually everything I have for it was either a port from something else or was ported to something else. 

That said, the Vita version of Muramasa is objectively better than the Wii version(the new translation isn't terrible like the Wii version's was, even if you don't buy the expansion packs with their new content). And it doesn't look like there's going to be a third release of Muramasa any time soon.

[JetJockey]

On 2/13/2019 at 4:34 AM, JB0 said:

Yeah, the Vita died a swift and painful death in the west. It lasted longer in Japan.

I got one early on, because I saw some stuff I liked, and the cost-reduced version they were replacing it with was unappealing to me(replaced the OLED panel with an LCD, changed most of the metal to plastic). It wasn't my wisest expense ever.

 

And yeah, virtually everything I have for it was either a port from something else or was ported to something else. 

That said, the Vita version of Muramasa is objectively better than the Wii version(the new translation isn't terrible like the Wii version's was, even if you don't buy the expansion packs with their new content). And it doesn't look like there's going to be a third release of Muramasa any time soon.

I remember being disappointed with Sony in that they didn't make the Vita a cellphone when it was released. I wonder if portable video game consoles are about to end though. I think I only played the original Gameboy as a true portable system. Everything else I've used as a small home system. Even with something like Hotel Dusk, unless you are using headphones, the sound on the 3DS is pretty poor compared to even TV speakers.

[mikeszekely]

On 2/13/2019 at 5:34 AM, JB0 said:

Yeah, the Vita died a swift and painful death in the west. It lasted longer in Japan.

I wonder why? The glut of JRPGs?  AFAIK, the Vita's problem in the west wasn't necessarily the software, it was the price of the hardware.  Especially the proprietary memory cards that cost 5x more than a microSD card of similar capacity.

On 2/13/2019 at 5:34 AM, JB0 said:

And yeah, virtually everything I have for it was either a port from something else or was ported to something else.

So did all that porting affect Vita sales?  Or were developers making the ports because they couldn't move enough units on the Vita?

44 minutes ago, JetJockey said:

I remember being disappointed with Sony in that they didn't make the Vita a cellphone when it was released.

Really?  Why?  Hardware-wise, best case you end up with something like the Xperia Play (which would be clunky by modern standards.  Worst case you end up with all touch screen controls.  And either way I expect my gaming hardware to last a lot longer than my phones.

47 minutes ago, JetJockey said:

I wonder if portable video game consoles are about to end though. I think I only played the original Gameboy as a true portable system. Everything else I've used as a small home system. Even with something like Hotel Dusk, unless you are using headphones, the sound on the 3DS is pretty poor compared to even TV speakers.

I hope not.  While I'm not against playing a portable game I'm into while lounging on the couch or in bed, my 3DS has gotten a lot of love from me because it's portable.  I live in Pittsburgh, and my wife's family is in Beijing, so we travel every other year or so for weeks at a time.  Pretty much all I play on those trips is 3DS.  My 3DS library is probably pushing 80 cartridges and maybe 20 digital titles.  And while I'm enjoying the Switch it's just not as portable, as durable, and the battery life stinks.  Not to mention that my Switch library is maybe a quarter of my 3DS's.

[JB0]

43 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

So did all that porting affect Vita sales?  Or were developers making the ports because they couldn't move enough units on the Vita?

I gather it was similar to the PSP problem. Publishers were told they had to release a Vita game for every so many home games. A port was easier than a new game.

[JetJockey]

On 2/16/2019 at 7:13 PM, mikeszekely said:

Really?  Why?  Hardware-wise, best case you end up with something like the Xperia Play (which would be clunky by modern standards.  Worst case you end up with all touch screen controls.  And either way I expect my gaming hardware to last a lot longer than my phones.

I hope not.  While I'm not against playing a portable game I'm into while lounging on the couch or in bed, my 3DS has gotten a lot of love from me because it's portable.  I live in Pittsburgh, and my wife's family is in Beijing, so we travel every other year or so for weeks at a time.  Pretty much all I play on those trips is 3DS.  My 3DS library is probably pushing 80 cartridges and maybe 20 digital titles.  And while I'm enjoying the Switch it's just not as portable, as durable, and the battery life stinks.  Not to mention that my Switch library is maybe a quarter of my 3DS's.

I remember the Xperia Play. I thought it was a bit of a cop out. I wanted a Sony cellphone because back then people were talking about the sales of games on iPhones and other phones. I thought why not make an official Vita cellphone or Nintendo one for that matter. And make real portable video games. Not just games that happen to be portable versions of console games. Or games that are time passers. I guess that's why I get so few portable games. Because most are better on console and portable versions have gimmicks that usually I'm not too fond of.

 

I think for long trips in an airplane a portable with headphones would be fine. But just playing and really enjoying a game like a Hotel Dusk, Kokuga, or other title like the new Metroid. You would want to be plugged into a power source and stereo so you get full brightness without burning out the battery and to enjoy the music.

 

On 2/16/2019 at 7:59 PM, JB0 said:

I gather it was similar to the PSP problem. Publishers were told they had to release a Vita game for every so many home games. A port was easier than a new game.

I guess that's why Ridge Racer 2 on PSP seems to be almost the same game as Ridge Racer 1 PSP. I'm about to take Ridge Racer 2 off my list. I just want to watch a few more videos.