Damo

@InkIdols And that's fine, you're entitled to do that. But we're not talking about Tommy here, but the approach Amico takes with physical / digital games.

@BloodNinja Exactly. The concept is interesting. It's odd that people are so negative about it when they're paying good money to Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft for digital games which they can't re-sell, and don't have any more ownership over than they would Amico games.

@Fugazi8 I'm not arguing with anyone; I'm just pointing out that the piece in question is focused on why this approach is new and different, and why it could be potentially interesting for digital purchases moving forward. It's not about whether or not the Amico will fail.

As for the 'shill' comments, I'd normally ignore them as they're downright hilarious, but you might recall that we've covered a lot of tangental projects on NL - the Evercade, Polymega, SNK, Konami and Sega's micro-consoles, etc. Why was there no outcry there?

The only reason people seem to think we're shills for covering Amico – which, like any new piece of hardware, I'm personally excited by because new hardware is almost always positive for gamers (even stuff that flops is often very interesting) – is because they've taken a personal dislike to Tommy. There's not much I can do about that; Tommy's always been very polite and forthcoming with me, but then again, I've not been hurling rocks in his direction. As for the interview we did where we apparently didn't challenge him, we raised all of the points that were mentioned in the Ars piece and gave him the platform to respond to them. Whether or not you believe what he said is up to you, but he had a right to reply (and for the record, we asked the Ars journalist to contribute as well but never got anything back in the end).

Tommy hasn't offered me a ride in his Ferrari or a free t-shirt (more's the pity, I like fast cars and I try to wear clothes all of the time), but if you honestly think those are the things that tempt a fairly large and successful website that's been running for over 15 years to write something positive, then I'm not sure I can convince you otherwise.

Bottom line, there are some very interesting things happening around the Amico, as well as many worrying things – but finding out how it pans out is part of the fun.

@Meteoroid You've hit the nail on the head.

@WhiteUmbrella "Once the servers are shut down, the physical media is useless. It's no better or more physical than a digital library with Sony, Microsoft or Steam"

That's certainly true of the servers, but at the moment, you can't exchange digital games on any other platform. So this approach is different, irrespective of what you think of the Amico or Tommy.

@Gwynbleidd But that's the whole point of this - it mixes physical and digital. A digital purchase, at the moment, is tied to your user account and cannot be sold. This approach still offers the convenience of digital (one tap and the game is on the machine until you delete it) but allows you to sell your copy if you want to raise cash to buy another game, or if you're bored of it.

It's a different approach to tackling digital ownership and gives the consumer more options. Options are good - physical, digital and this new approach - it's all good for the end user to have that choice.

@Jamie_R We've been following this since it was first confirmed that more than one former Nintendo executive was involved with the system. Plus, this is an interesting approach that could have wider ramifications for digital purchases on other systems, including Nintendo's.

Guys, it would be amazing if you could actually read the entire piece before posting a comment. Tom addressed many of the points being raised in the piece – the focus of which is very much the unique way in which this approach mixes physical and digital ownership.

Everyone's pretty much on the same page that Amico has a mountain to climb, but that doesn't stop this approach from being unique, which is the prime focus of the news item.

@HamatoYoshi There's no accounting for taste, my good friend

@nessisonett 100%. Rob really knows his games, and is hilarious too. Can't think of a better choice tbh.

@frogopus It compares very favourably to LaunchBox. The team behind the Polymega have been matching the database to carts and disc production runs, that's how accurate it is. Whenever a new production variant is discovered, it gets reported (by the beta testers originally, but now by a wider selection as the console is now available) and gets added to the database, which is updated every time there's a firmware update. Having said that, out of over 300 games I've installed, I've had less than 5 which have failed to be detected by the database (and 3 of those are now recognised since the last update).

This is certainly the best option ATM for disc-based emulation, IMO.

@Filbert_Wang You're welcome!

@abdias The originals controllers use the ports on the element modules, not USB, so lag is definitely reduced.

And no offence, but I've used some of these Chinese consoles you mentioned, the databases are hilariously inaccurate and full of mistakes. Polymega is on a totally different level to that.

@KillerBOB @mattmanvsuperman @ramu-chan @abdias

(Apologies for tagging so many of you, just wanted to address the points raised in one post)

Bob at RetroRGB tested the lag and it was around 2-2.5 frames using a wired USB controller, which is in the same ballpark as micro-consoles like the SNES Classic and Mega Drive Mini. Using one of the element module controller ports rather than USB (these accept original controllers) the latency is even less. While it's not going to match the Mister when it comes to lag, it's such a small amount of latency that you'll really struggle to notice.

While Mister keeps being raised as a rival to this, it's really not. Mister can't do Saturn or PlayStation (yet) and doesn't offer the massive database of games.

I think it's this element that people are missing here; if you want an emulation box that just plays ROMs then you have plenty of other options. The thing which makes Polymega stand out (and one of the many things that you're paying for when you drop down all that cash) is the HUGE pre-populated database of 1000s of games. That includes cover artwork, menu art, screenshots, descriptions, release date info, dev / publisher info, etc, etc.

I dread to think how long it has taken for Playmaji to create this database (the menu icons are all bespoke designs rather than lifted directly from the cover), and it's one of the aspects I love the most. You load up your game, it matches it to the database and then you install it. And it's there; it's not some filename, but a properly curated part of your digital collection - a bit like downloading games to your Switch. And you can then use that game to find other games released in the same year or by the same dev or in the same genre and tag them in your 'wishlist'. Polymega is aimed at collectors rather than people who are happy to just download ROMs off the internet.

I've been following and reporting on the Polymega situation for long enough now to realise those who are critical of it often don't fully understand the appeal of the platform, and why it's unique when compared to other options on the market. And, for the record, I've got original hardware, a Mister, both of Analogue's 16-bit FPGA consoles and many other means of playing retro games – but the Polymega has been the platform I've used most over the past 12 months (including Switch, PS5 and Series X). It's simply the most convenient way of accessing my retro collection all in one place (I sadly don't have a lot of room at home so can't have all of my machines connected at once).

@galachef55 I'd just embarrass myself lol

@evanc You learn something new every day! The one I have is from Japan and has different packaging

@BloodNinja @Magician We've got a review for that model coming soon! First impressions are excellent; the form factor is lovely.

@mattesdude I'm not sure it was? Happy to be told otherwise, however!

@SenseiDje You can use one of these

@Boldfoxrd There's demand on consoles, sure, but let's not forget that the smartphone market is huge. They're not releasing games on phones to annoy core fans – they're doing it because it makes more sense financially.

@edannunziata Given that some critics of the Amico and Tommy have suggested that several games - Dolphin Quest included - aren't even close to being finished yet, could you tell us how it's shaping up at the moment? And how freely can you discuss the comms between your studio and Intellivision? Were you in any way warned of a delay? Finally, what's your opinion of the hardware itself, from a developer's perspective?

@HamatoYoshi The comms has been dire, for sure. And I can appreciate it's frustrating to have handed over your cash years ago and not have the product yet. All I can say (as someone who has been using a beta Polymega for a year now) is that the system is brilliant and has exceeded my personal expectations, and I'm sure when units do eventually make their way to those who ordered (I understand the first batch is literally on the water as we speak), they will be very pleased. But none of that changes the fact that it's been a long and painful wait.

@HamatoYoshi Did you read the original news story? We're not 'sticking up' for anyone. The launch has been a disaster, but it doesn't change the fact that the product is excellent.

@BloodNinja We covered Mister here: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/02/hardware_review_mister_fpga_-_a_tantalising_glimpse_into_the_future_of_retro_gaming

@HamatoYoshi As of September, that changes.

@Nietzsche I heard one report (which I can't confirm 100%) that the factory next to where the machine was being assembled was burnt to the ground. That Playmaji has anything to ship at all is nothing short of remarkable when you think about it - combine that with a global parts shortage and the impact of Covid and they literally couldn't have picked a worse time to launch this thing.

@NinChocolate The stick in the photo is the one I got with my Japanese Mega Drive back in 1990. It's built like a tank!

@abdias Retro Freak doesn't do CD-based systems though.

@EmmatheBest Polymega runs original media. So if you have a large collection and you want it all in one place, this is the only machine that does that right now.

@jipiboily Yep, it's got both - I'll add that in!

@ibis_87 It's defo a bit hit and miss with the N64 and DC. Some games run well while others are slow or refuse to run at all.

@TryToBeHopeful Oof! It is indeed. We wouldn't recommend steaming ANY piece of hardware.

@HamatoYoshi Resellers often remove the ROMs, though. That was the case with the units supplied to us by DroiX.

@LegatoSkyheart Of course, can't believe that slipped my mind. I've updated the piece to reflect this.

@noobish_hat As stated in the piece, being able to charge using your phone charger is more convenient than having to carry around a bulky (and slow) AA battery charger. The unit is also lighter with this mod, and can even reserve-charge USB-C devices.

@Jaguar_Wong Even with the bits removed due to the XL install, you can still use AA batteries.

@Jaguar_Wong There's no "tearing up" here - the mod is totally reversible

@Siskan As stated in the piece, this mod is totally reversible.

@Ghost_of_Hasashi Standard AA batteries give you about 15 hours, not 40.

@Ash-Versus No problem!

@BloodNinja No, it's purely cart-based.

@Bunkerneath Apologies, fixed!

@illsellyoursoul Other outlets (and, indeed, anyone who cares to visit their website) have their email address; not our fault that none of them bother to ask for comment before leaping to conclusions.

@dew12333 "Is it just the fact we have newer tv's that causes such a problem for people using the actual consoles instead of buying these machines?"

There are a whole host of issues when it comes to using vintage hardware today. The most obvious is that machines from the '80s and '80s were not created with HDTVs in mind, so just getting the signal to your modern TV is tricky - a lot of TVs don't handle sub-480p signals well and that can lead to lag and muddy image quality. Then there's the obvious problem of older hardware failing over time, which is more common than you might imagine. Another issue is the sheer cost involved; if you were to buy the original hardware supported by Polymega (including the regional variants of each system) then it would cost you much, much more than $450 – and you'd still have issues such as failing components, CD drives which no longer work, etc.

@impurekind It's certainly taller than the OG PlayStation, but in terms of footprint, I'm not sure it's bigger – perhaps a little smaller, in fact. Our review unit is at the office (along with a Mk1 PS) so I'll check for sure next time I'm in. I actually found that the Polymega was smaller than I was expecting - I had in my mind something the size of an OG Xbox!

@cleveland124 Again, I must stress that options are good. I wouldn't talk to someone with four kids who was thinking of buying an SUV and tell them to instead buy a two-seater sports car. This is the same thing; yes, if you're into PCs then it would make more sense to buy a gaming rig and use that for your retro fix, but not everyone has the room for one of those, and even then, it's still not as convenient as a Polymega, which has a streamlined UI, OTA updates and other stuff that takes the pain out of the process. Plus you can use your original games / controllers, etc. Polymega will, in the fullness of time, allow you to legally buy games and support the people who own the IP – something straight emulation doesn't offer.

Is it the perfect option for everyone? Nope, just like Switch isn't the perfect option for everyone, either. But for someone like me, who has limited space under the TV and a massive collection of retro games, it's the dream system.

@cleveland124 Yup, the USB port on the main unit introduces a little more lag, but the controller ports on the EM are much lower latency.

@cleveland124 No one is contesting that - but the team behind this have done a lot of other work which seems to go unnoticed when people compare the Polymega with an 'emulation' box.

First up is the very slick UI, which is a joy to use. The machine also supports original controllers (via additional cost, admittedly), which emulation boxes and PCs don't. They've reversed-engineered BIOS files for the systems which need them (the first time this has been attempted on this scale) and have spent months of time pulling together a definitive database of all of the supported titles. The end game of that work is most likely going to be a digital storefront where people can legally purchase retro games from a wide range of publishers. While that's nothing new as such, a system that can offer access to thousands of games hasn't been achieved yet - at least not to this scale.

So yes, you can compare this to a cheap PC packed with emulators, but that's a very narrow view of what the goal is here. That's a bit like saying a PS5 / Xbox Series X is just a PC in a smaller case.

@blondeandy This does seem to be a bit of an issue at present. UK buyers appear to be paying over the odds for the machine, which is a shame. I'll keep you updated if that changes!

@Azuris "Better" is very much down to personal preference.

I own all the original hardware, an OSSC, all the Analogue consoles, all the micro-consoles and a MiSTer, but I play the Polymega the most out of all of them, because I can hook it up to my TV in the living room and it doesn't take up a lot of space, yet it allows me to access 100s of games in my own personal collection and play them in HD without the need for additional hardware.