@GameGear1991 luckily I still have my setup. I never owned 4 Swords, gave away my original copy of Link’s Awakening once I got the DX version and Twilight Princess has gone missing (only game I have ever misplaced and it’s still remains a mystery how that actually happened) but have everything else except Oracle of Seasons. The Cube is a Zelda beast!
@GameGear1991 I logged in just for this comment. With the GameBoy Player attached, the GameCube allowed you to play every Zelda game up to and including Twilight Princess. You can own 5 Zelda titles on Switch. Once online access ends (inevitably it will) that’s your lot. Even with a modded Wii you can ‘own’ 7 of them.
@GhaleonUnlimited it’s hard to overstate just how popular both Tomb Raider and Lara Croft were in the UK in the 90s; a British video game hero was pretty rare in a big game and it was a British made game too. Lara fitted in perfectly with ‘girl power’ that swept the country due to the spice girls; men wanted her and women wanted to be her! Recently she was voted the greatest video game character of all time by one of our newspapers, above Mario, Sonic and PAC man. While I don’t personally think she is quite as iconic as those characters clearly others do.
@GhaleonUnlimited all true. In terms of killer apps for PS1 though I would say that Wipeout was heavily marketed (with Sony setting up systems in nightclubs to attract 20 somethings to return to gaming, to get away from the ‘kiddie’ image that had been around for a while. Tomb Raider was also a fairly early killer app and again managed to appeal to the more ‘mature’ croud. Again, I was about 12/13 when the PS1 launched, so it kind of flew over my head. Plus by then I had discovered PC gaming, which already did what the PS1 could do but better. Combine that with my Mega Drive them N64 and I didn’t need a PS. I could play games like Resident Evil 2, Dark Forces, Worms and Tomb Raider on a far more powerful machine.
Sorry if this has already been said, but I was under the impression that while it wasn’t successful in the US and Europe, the Saturn was the most popular SEGA system in Japan, to the extent that it is pretty synonymous with the brand there and occupies a similar position in Japanese culture as the Mega Drive/ Genesis does in the West.
I remember the time it was launched. I was a SEGA kid, but after the one-two flops of the Mega CD and 32X in the public consciousness here in the UK the last thing I wanted was another seemingly duff machine (history has of course vindicated the Saturn and the Mega CD as well somewhat. No such luck with the 32X!).
For me as a young teen at the time Sony was associated with TVs and stereos (and the PS seemed to be marketed at older gamers) so I ended up holding out until 1998 when I got an N64. I wonder if that was true for other people as well?
I got this version of the console in this very box design for Xmas ‘96 while on holiday in the US. However, it did actually come with Killer Instinct packed in, with a sticker in the bottom corner to show this. It was a choice between that or a Game Boy Pocket that came with Waverace and a wallet. Looking back the pocket would have been the better choice, but even then I wanted the nostalgia of the OG model. I’d had a Game Gear since ‘91 and felt that I’d missed out on the GB, so I got it just in time for Pokemon.
My sister had had a Game Boy for years already, hers was in the classic ‘cyborg hands’ design package, which had the link cable, headphones and Tetris included.
I actually got a SEGA Game Gear in ‘91 when the Game Boy released. However, one of my best friends had a GB, so we would swap for a week to have a go at each others machines. My sister got a GB the year after, at the airport on the way to the US. I was very envious of the fact that the 6 AA batteries on my GG died after an hour or so but her GB kept going for days!
I finally got an OG GB for Xmas ‘96 and it was my constant companion until I upgraded to a GBC in ‘99. Unfortunately I must have ended up with one of the rare non-Toni’s tough GB as the screen cover fell off and I destroyed it trying to fix it with model glue…
I can’t understand how we have to go any further than ‘if you don’t like it, don’t buy it’ for any form of game, music or film. I would extend that to ‘if you don’t like it, don’t buy it for your kids; it’s your responsibility to gate keep what they are consuming until they are old enough to make their own mistakes’.
As for ‘content warnings’ before I start my game they are actually nothing new. Every Resident Evil game used to begin with one ‘This game contains scenes of explicit violence and gore’ to which I always thought the same thing: ‘’That’s why I’m here!’’
Trigger warnings for re-releases of classic games will have as much impact as the age rating/MPAA/Parental Advisory warnings did back in the 90s when they first came out.
With nostalgia goggles firmly on it’s got to be the Game Boy line, followed by the DS systems and my personal childhood machine the Game Gear (the terrible battery life knocks it down the list). Goggles off and it’s clearly the Switch; a full console in handheld form (with the ability to play HD on a TV) is pretty hard to beat on paper.
Absolutely. There are games I played to death as a kid that I can still blast through. These are like comfort food. There are games that I played but couldn’t beat but I can now. It’s a great feeling to complete something previously unachievable many years later. There are games I wanted to play but couldn’t afford. These are a mixed bag as some are fantastic whilst others have aged poorly. Finally I love retro games for the contrast with a lot of modern games; no updates or internet connectivity nonsense and especially with cartridge games you can turn them on and play pretty much instantly.
At the time this came out I had never played any Final Fantasy game, but was aware from media osmosis that it was either high fantasy or steam punk style (FFVII was very popular) so when I saw the trailers I was just confused as it looked like something totally different. I’m not sure what they were going for; it didn’t look familiar enough to any of the games to appeal to either those who were already fans of the game or to attract new players. It was just all a bit strange…
No matter what you achieve in life there is always someone out there who will want to bring you down. Yes it’s only a game but it’s still pretty awesome that he made headlines. Well done lad.
I have a couple of Bitmap books; the Master System and Game Boy books. They never published the Mega Drive/Genesis one, I believe for legal reasons, which is a real pity as the Master System one is lovely. I will look into the N64 one as it is another of my childhood consoles.
@John_Deacon I had the same happen to my Wii from 2009. Sent it off to get repaired and all sorted for £30. Works fine today.
I bought a cheap Wii online (£11) and modded that one as a backup. I’m more worried that my Wii U will break before anything else as it is now boxed away. My Mega Drive from 1993 is still going strong (only given it a clean inside and out a couple of years ago, the controllers really benefited from a good clean; no more squeaky direction pad!
The best Mario Kart. Less cheap cheating from the AI than MK64, better gimmick than MK Wii and better track design (imo) than MK8 (or at least more streamlined).. Loved the two characters per cart, the music and presentation. The controls were spot on. Many, many an hour was lost on multiplayer to this game.
The SNES vs Mega Drive is a total cliche and has been for a long time (ever since we debated it on the playgrounds of the early 90s). However, it’s like comparing the Ferrari F40 to the Lamborghini Diablo: both are phenomenal machines that will put a big grin on your face no matter which you own (I’d imagine!)
The GBC was the first system that I bought with my own money. I’d had a Game Gear in the early 90s and only got an original GB in 96. The GBC was a very good upgrade from the classic GB: smaller form factor, much sharper screen with no motion blur, only needed a couple of batteries and some of the games were pretty impressive, especially when it gave new life to old monochrome games. My only gripe is the lack of a backlight but a worm light was a cheap solution, especially since the back light is what made the Game Gear such a battery hog back in the day.
When my son was first getting into games I bought him a GBC in Atomic Purple (the see through model) that I found in pretty decent condition. He loves playing it to this day, especially Wario land 2. I then found myself a grape coloured model online in immaculate condition for a ridiculously good price. My original teal model is with a friend and still gets used to this day 25 years later!
I’ve just got into getting SNES stuff since getting a pretty good deal online for a console and all the gubbins. Picked up Street Fighter 2 for £8 and Super Mario World for £12 (both cheaper than the lowest Ebay asking price) as well as Lucky Dime Caper (£2) and Castle of Illusion (boxed £8) on Master System for my son. All in Leeds. Prices are really hit and miss, but occasionally you find something at CEX cheaper than online, plus they have a guarantee on them if they stop working.
@Razieluigi I agree with you. In recent times I’ve found myself buying and reading books on video game history, mainly to fill in the blanks around my own experiences. I started with a ZX Spectrum in the late 80s and was conscious of the 16 bit console wars, but information at the time was so limited to a kid. It’s great to revisit that time and find out what I missed, as well as getting the opportunity to own and play games I could only dream about back then.
@Razieluigi in terms of other ‘lost media’ I saw a statistic once that of all the films ever released only about 50% have ever been released on DVD and from the ones released on DVD only about 25% were subsequently released on Blu Ray (with therefore even fewer released on 4K disc).
It seems strange but if you think about it, until VHS came along in the 80s, owning any visual media was extraordinarily rare. We have been quite spoiled since.
Whilst I will play retro games from time to time on modern systems on a 4K tv, normally everything up to and including the Wii (which is hacked with every virtual console game available on it) is played on a 28’’ wide screen crt tv (similar to the one I had in my 20s). Anything with HDMI is played on the 4K tv.
@UK_Kev good to find a fellow subscriber! Then we both know that there is truth in both of what we are saying.
I’m not in anyway suggestions that DVD playback was the defining reason the PS2 sold so well (the PS1 was such a juggernaut that it was always going to do well, never mind the vast amount of games available on the thing) but it certainly helped, along with its early entry into the market giving it a clear head start, not to mention GTA 3, which made it a must have system on its own.
@UK_Kev ‘At the time, the PS2 was a space saver and a connection saver. Very few people had TVs that could connect Sky/cable, a VCR, and a games console. And now a fourth connection would be needed for this new fangled DVD player.’
Well, there you go. Combine what you’ve said with the money saved of having a dvd player and console in one machine and you can see how it helped sales. I remember what it was like then (I was 19 in 2002 when I got my PS2) and the tv I had only had an RF port!
Not sure what you’re saying about Japan’s adoption is necessarily true (though I’ll admit you may know more than me on that one) but from what I’ve learned of Japanese culture especially with technology they have a long tradition of looking after old tech and selling them to Hard Off and Hard On stores and putting whatever money they get from it towards the new thing. This ties in with the minimalist outlook plus trash has to be paid to be disposed of in Japan, so a lot of stuff ends up sitting in second hand stores. Adams Koralic on YouTube has done a bunch of videos on many consoles’ histories and videos from Japan on this very topic. Great content that he’s been doing for 10 years plus with none of the common place YouTube nonsense that you see these days.
@UK_Kev I think initially that it was more that stores were pushing the DVD player aspect to parents, as a player that also played games for their kids. The machine was a great console (it was my main console from 2002-2009) but the DVD player aspect gave it a massive boost in its early days, combined of course with the fact that it was the follow up to the most successful console of all time at that point, backward compatibility (so PS1 players, who I’d guess made up a large portion of the install base would transition to the PS2) and very little competition for nearly 2 years on the market (with the GCN and Xbox not launching until late 2002) with only the poor old Dreamcast as competition.
@UK_Kev @UK_Kev the thing is that that’s how the PS2 was pushed in Japan. Anecdotally I’ve also read many people’s comments online saying that it was a big factor in them getting a PS2 (it certainly was for me, I got mine brand new for £150 in summer 2002 due to a deal with a new Argos store opening that had an offer of 50 PS2s for half-price on opening day, one per customer (I don’t think I’ve driven anywhere as fast in my life!) I was still using the N64 at the time and had no interest in Sony at all. However, for that price I was getting a console and dvd player for the cost of just the player.
It’s funny that you mention that players dropped on price afterwards. Two years later in 2004 I got a dedicated DVD player for £20 brand new. The eventual price drop on them was insane!
The Xbox was also a DVD player, but you needed to buy the remote and sensor pack to get it to work, which was another cost.
I know that DVDs are ancient tech these days but back in the very early 2000s they were a big deal
@TeamBigRig cheers! I’m lucky that I have 3 CRTs: the widescreen one in my game room next to my modern 4K TV, a 14’’ 4:3 that my son is using at the moment for his Mega Drive and a 20’’ vhs combo in storage (which I rescued from work).
As I have enough space for two large TVs it means that I can rely on using the tv that’s best suited for each system (though I no longer keep them all hooked up just in case). So the 4K has Xbox Series X, Switch and Wii U connected, whilst the CRT has my modded Wii. I then connect my other systems if and when I want to play them.
I do sometimes wish I could run them all through the modern TV but since I have to room to keep the crt it actually makes it easier (and cheaper) to have both.
@TeamBigRig I still have a CRT tv from that era (2003 model) that I run systems up to the Wii through and the PS2 still looks rough through that, even using RGB SCART. The GameCube and Mega Drive look superb though, as does the Wii and Xbox, all through SCART.
I’ve seen several YouTube videos that discuss that the PS2 is the hardest to get a descent picture out of, despite it having component video support like the others.
I shouldn’t really complain though; I was playing PS2 using RF for the first 2 years I had it, until I stopped using hand me down TVs from older family members and bought my own tv that had composite and SCART inputs!
@TeamBigRig the PS2 had massive help getting into homes as it was by far the cheapest DVD player on the market and was pushed as such. The great games followed but man does it look rough these days! I had both PS2 and GCN at the time and the Cube looked (and still looks) a lot better. My friend had the Xbox for the simple reason that it was by far the more powerful system. The hard drive and ability to copy music onto it for custom soundtracks plus being able to do 720p and even 1080i at times was extremely impressive if you had the right tv, which my friend did, along with a 7.2(!) home theatre setup. Looking up at that halo ring was very impressive at the time…
The earliest gaming I can remember was arcades in the late 80s, so it was either Aliens, TMNT or the Simpsons when on holiday on the US in 1988, though it could be PAC-man on a arcade table (with a horizontal screen). On the other hand it could have been on NES or Master System in a shop display.
@qaopjlll that and the fact that it’s ridiculously easy to mod a Wii to have access to the entire Virtual Console library too. Makes it a hell of a decent (and cheap) multi console retro machine!
I remember playing SMB1 in shop displays in the late 80s and early 90s. However, my first true play through was Super Mario Bros. Deluxe on Game Boy Colour. The zoomed in screen made it harder in many respects, but the ability to save and continue from the world map mitigated that somewhat.
I remember reading reviews for this game when it released, but not owning a DS at the time it passed me by. Now prices are a bit silly and there is 0% chance of a port so it’ll remain a mystery to me.
However I have just started playing Dark Descent on Xbox and it has elements of this game plus AVP Extinction from the PS2 so that’s something. Bloody difficult game though; I have a feeling a mouse and keyboard would be a great advantage over a controller…
I was very much on the fence about which console to get that generation. I was still enjoying my N64 and I’d never been interested in PlayStation, outside of Resident Evil games which I could play on the family PC anyway. However, I managed to get a PS2 on 2002 for half-price during a promotion at a new shop opening. Not going to lie; it was the cheapest DVD player around at that price and that’s why I got it!
It was my main system (with my GameCube for exclusives) all the way up to 2009. Played many a great game on it. But boy is it noisy! And it looks like total ass on modern tvs (but fine on an old crt tv). The GameCube and Xbox have aged much better in that regard.
@Uncharted2007 I’m in a similar position; in the UK in the early 90s SEGA was far more popular than Nintendo. I only saw a few SNESs, most people had a Mega Drive. The Game Boy was very popular, that was how most people I knew played Nintendo games. Although the SNES did eventually outsell the MD it was years later as a budget console when SEGA had shot themselves in the foot with the Mega CD/32X/Saturn fiasco!
In fact, people a few years older than me were all about micro computers in the 80s. The NES was extremely expensive and therefore quite rare in the UK. The Master System was far more popular.
Make no mistake; although Nintendo was well known in Europe, SEGA was far more common.
I love the Master System but I wouldn’t say it ‘eclipsed’ home computers in the 80s (at least here in the UK). You were still far more likely to encounter a ZX Spectrum or C64 for example, as the games were a fraction of the price. I definitely knew people who had Master Systems, but it wasn’t until the Mega Drive/SNES that the tide really started turning. Even then, the Amiga was very popular as well.
@shgamer I thought the demo was pretty much spot on (it’s subjective of course). As for Leon’s appearance, he is only meant to be 6 years older than in RE2 (1998-2004) so he’s gone from 21 in RE2 to 27 in RE4. As such it makes sense that he’d not change much in terms of his looks. For me actually it’s his voice that is a little ‘young’ sounding (as in the original RE4 he sounded a bit more weary and jaded yet self-confident compared to RE2). However, given that it seems to be the same voice actor from the remake of RE2 it makes sense in terms of consistency and his actions in the demo alone (being able to counter melee attacks and brutally finish off downed opponents with the knife) probably show that he is far less idealistic and naive than in RE2 remake. I’m waiting to see how much snark we get; I punched the air in joy when he dropped the ‘bingo’ line at the end of the demo 🤣
The Mega Drive is Rocky to the SNES’ Apollo Creed. It may not have won the fight, but it went the distance against the champ and had a hell of a lot of heart that people loved (and still do to this day).
@UK_Kev to be fair there weren’t many games back then that did have save states. At the time I remember a handful of Nintendo ones (Zelda on NES, Mario Land 2 on Game Boy). When Sonic 3 released it was a revelation to be able to save your game on a Mega Drive.
I was a SEGA kid until the N64, but since then I’ve always had a Nintendo system alongside PlayStation or Xbox. My own top 5 would be:
1) GameCube - fantastic library
2) Wii - some classics and a brilliant Virtual Console
3) N64 - my ‘teenage years’ console, lots of good memories
4) GameBoy - pretty much what Nintendo was in the UK in the early 90s
5) 3DS - great games and a solid Virtual Console
I love the NES and DS but didn’t own them when they were out. The GBA is really good but I prefer the older Game Boy. Switch and Wii U are great but not quite up to the level of other modern systems.
As a SEGA kid in the 90s I’m obligated to say the SNES sucks! Mega Drive forever! No surrender!
My Wii U is still set up next to my Xbox 360, Switch and Xbox Series X. My son plays on it regularly, so it never goes more than a week or two without use.
Looking to the future, once the Switch NES, SNES etc apps stop functioning with the end of online support, the Wii U will be even more necessary for retro games that I have bought over the years, alongside my modded Wii.
Saturn makes the most sense; it was by far the most popular SEGA console in Japan (from my understanding they have a similar attitude towards the Mega Drive that those of us in the West have towards the Saturn i.e. not many people got one). This would also have the added bonus for us in the West to experience a ‘lost’ system that didn’t get a chance to shine over here.
On the other hand, the Master System as a mini would be a lot cheaper to do. However, although it was very popular in Europe (especially here in the UK) and Brazil, it wasn’t well known in the US or particularly popular in Japan.
I’m not sure the Dreamcast would work as a mini, certainly not at a decent price.
My take would be that a Master System mini would be the most affordable and if they put as much care into it as the MD minis then it would be a lovely complimentary system (and would parallel them with Nintendo having minis of the NES and SNES). A Saturn mini would be interesting and (if done properly, unlike the PS1 mini) could get some traction from fans and those like myself who missed out on it.
Of course I could be totally wrong and it’ll be a Game Gear mini with a built in rechargeable battery, modern screen and HDMI out plus 30 odd games 🤣
While I came late to the series (SEGA kid in the 90s), I really enjoyed Castlevania IV and Bloodlines when I played them through the Konami Collection last year. However, my favourite so far is still The Adventure: Rebirth on the Wii. It was the first game in the series I completed and it has an absolutely thumping soundtrack.
Before anyone has a go; I do own Symphony of the Night through Xbox Arcade and Rondo of Blood through Virtual Console on the Wii. I’m just waiting for the right time to properly plunge into both of them.
@Wheatly don’t you find that all games ‘take time to get into’ though? Never mind the control scheme but the mechanics of the game have to be learned. In many games the control method is a part of that (it’s like riding a bike; you want to go in a straight line but you still have to learn to steer).
As for Goldeneye I agree with you; though I am a 20+ year veteran of the game on N64 the controls on Xbox were extremely intuitive, though that is after playing twin analogue stick fps games for a long time since. The initial control method on Switch is terrible, but with a bit of button swapping (again, a modern convenience I totally respect) you can get it to play exactly the same way as on Xbox.
That being said, N64 games are the one console I would 100% agree are a real pain to have to get used to on a modern controller set up, due to just how strange the N64 controller layout is. However, as the Game Boy controls exactly the same as the NES, with the GBA a halfway point between the NES and SNES in terms of controls, I can’t see how anyone can struggle with the controls.
If most gamers can handle the multiple buttons on a modern Xbox/PS/Switch Pro controller, surely a directional pad, a, b, start and select is a no brainier?
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Re: Square Enix Staff Discover Cache Of Pristine Retro Games, Some Of Which Date Back 30 Years
That’s a blast from the past! The Living Daylights was my very first video game, packed in with the ZX Spectrum +2 James Bond pack.
It wasn’t very good…😂
Re: Man Sets Record For Most Gaming Consoles Connected To A Single TV
@Deuteros sorry, I think you’ll find it’s spelt Mega Drive. Easy mistake to make, I know.
(Just kidding, both systems are equally awesome!)
Re: Man Sets Record For Most Gaming Consoles Connected To A Single TV
Best system of all time is Genesis/Mega Drive?
Good for him. It’s the correct choice 😁
Re: It's Insane How Much 'Zelda' Is On Switch, And That's Why It's Nintendo's Best Console
@GameGear1991 luckily I still have my setup. I never owned 4 Swords, gave away my original copy of Link’s Awakening once I got the DX version and Twilight Princess has gone missing (only game I have ever misplaced and it’s still remains a mystery how that actually happened) but have everything else except Oracle of Seasons. The Cube is a Zelda beast!
Re: It's Insane How Much 'Zelda' Is On Switch, And That's Why It's Nintendo's Best Console
@GameGear1991 I logged in just for this comment. With the GameBoy Player attached, the GameCube allowed you to play every Zelda game up to and including Twilight Princess. You can own 5 Zelda titles on Switch. Once online access ends (inevitably it will) that’s your lot. Even with a modded Wii you can ‘own’ 7 of them.
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of Jo's New Look In Perfect Dark?
As a fan of the original all the way back to 2000 I only have two requirements for Joanna Dark: that she’s British and that she kicks arse.
That is all.
Re: Is It Time To Change The Narrative On The Sega Saturn?
@GhaleonUnlimited it’s hard to overstate just how popular both Tomb Raider and Lara Croft were in the UK in the 90s; a British video game hero was pretty rare in a big game and it was a British made game too. Lara fitted in perfectly with ‘girl power’ that swept the country due to the spice girls; men wanted her and women wanted to be her! Recently she was voted the greatest video game character of all time by one of our newspapers, above Mario, Sonic and PAC man. While I don’t personally think she is quite as iconic as those characters clearly others do.
Re: Is It Time To Change The Narrative On The Sega Saturn?
@GhaleonUnlimited all true. In terms of killer apps for PS1 though I would say that Wipeout was heavily marketed (with Sony setting up systems in nightclubs to attract 20 somethings to return to gaming, to get away from the ‘kiddie’ image that had been around for a while. Tomb Raider was also a fairly early killer app and again managed to appeal to the more ‘mature’ croud. Again, I was about 12/13 when the PS1 launched, so it kind of flew over my head. Plus by then I had discovered PC gaming, which already did what the PS1 could do but better. Combine that with my Mega Drive them N64 and I didn’t need a PS. I could play games like Resident Evil 2, Dark Forces, Worms and Tomb Raider on a far more powerful machine.
Re: Is It Time To Change The Narrative On The Sega Saturn?
Sorry if this has already been said, but I was under the impression that while it wasn’t successful in the US and Europe, the Saturn was the most popular SEGA system in Japan, to the extent that it is pretty synonymous with the brand there and occupies a similar position in Japanese culture as the Mega Drive/ Genesis does in the West.
I remember the time it was launched. I was a SEGA kid, but after the one-two flops of the Mega CD and 32X in the public consciousness here in the UK the last thing I wanted was another seemingly duff machine (history has of course vindicated the Saturn and the Mega CD as well somewhat. No such luck with the 32X!).
For me as a young teen at the time Sony was associated with TVs and stereos (and the PS seemed to be marketed at older gamers) so I ended up holding out until 1998 when I got an N64. I wonder if that was true for other people as well?
Re: CIBSunday: Nintendo Game Boy
I got this version of the console in this very box design for Xmas ‘96 while on holiday in the US. However, it did actually come with Killer Instinct packed in, with a sticker in the bottom corner to show this. It was a choice between that or a Game Boy Pocket that came with Waverace and a wallet. Looking back the pocket would have been the better choice, but even then I wanted the nostalgia of the OG model. I’d had a Game Gear since ‘91 and felt that I’d missed out on the GB, so I got it just in time for Pokemon.
My sister had had a Game Boy for years already, hers was in the classic ‘cyborg hands’ design package, which had the link cable, headphones and Tetris included.
Re: Anniversary: The Game Boy Is 35 Years Old Today
I actually got a SEGA Game Gear in ‘91 when the Game Boy released. However, one of my best friends had a GB, so we would swap for a week to have a go at each others machines. My sister got a GB the year after, at the airport on the way to the US. I was very envious of the fact that the 6 AA batteries on my GG died after an hour or so but her GB kept going for days!
I finally got an OG GB for Xmas ‘96 and it was my constant companion until I upgraded to a GBC in ‘99. Unfortunately I must have ended up with one of the rare non-Toni’s tough GB as the screen cover fell off and I destroyed it trying to fix it with model glue…
Re: Jack Thompson, The Man Who Tried To Ban GTA, Thinks Video Games Can Be Good, Actually
I can’t understand how we have to go any further than ‘if you don’t like it, don’t buy it’ for any form of game, music or film. I would extend that to ‘if you don’t like it, don’t buy it for your kids; it’s your responsibility to gate keep what they are consuming until they are old enough to make their own mistakes’.
As for ‘content warnings’ before I start my game they are actually nothing new. Every Resident Evil game used to begin with one ‘This game contains scenes of explicit violence and gore’ to which I always thought the same thing: ‘’That’s why I’m here!’’
Re: Poll: Should Retro Game Remasters Carry Warnings About "Offensive" Content?
Trigger warnings for re-releases of classic games will have as much impact as the age rating/MPAA/Parental Advisory warnings did back in the 90s when they first came out.
As in none whatsoever.
Re: Poll: What's The Best Handheld Of All Time?
With nostalgia goggles firmly on it’s got to be the Game Boy line, followed by the DS systems and my personal childhood machine the Game Gear (the terrible battery life knocks it down the list). Goggles off and it’s clearly the Switch; a full console in handheld form (with the ability to play HD on a TV) is pretty hard to beat on paper.
Re: Perfect Organism: An Alien: Isolation Companion Book Gets August Release Date
It shall be mine….
Re: Going Back In Time - Do You Play Retro Games To Reconnect With Your Past?
Absolutely. There are games I played to death as a kid that I can still blast through. These are like comfort food. There are games that I played but couldn’t beat but I can now. It’s a great feeling to complete something previously unachievable many years later. There are games I wanted to play but couldn’t afford. These are a mixed bag as some are fantastic whilst others have aged poorly. Finally I love retro games for the contrast with a lot of modern games; no updates or internet connectivity nonsense and especially with cartridge games you can turn them on and play pretty much instantly.
Re: The Making Of: Final Fantasy - The Spirits Within, Square's Groundbreaking Box Office Bomb
At the time this came out I had never played any Final Fantasy game, but was aware from media osmosis that it was either high fantasy or steam punk style (FFVII was very popular) so when I saw the trailers I was just confused as it looked like something totally different. I’m not sure what they were going for; it didn’t look familiar enough to any of the games to appeal to either those who were already fans of the game or to attract new players. It was just all a bit strange…
Re: Teen Who "Beat" Tetris Told To "Go Outside And Get Some Fresh Air"
No matter what you achieve in life there is always someone out there who will want to bring you down. Yes it’s only a game but it’s still pretty awesome that he made headlines. Well done lad.
Re: Bitmap Books Is Launching 'N64: A Visual Compendium' This Year
I have a couple of Bitmap books; the Master System and Game Boy books. They never published the Mega Drive/Genesis one, I believe for legal reasons, which is a real pity as the Master System one is lovely. I will look into the N64 one as it is another of my childhood consoles.
Re: Does Your SNES Have A Ticking Time Bomb Inside?
@John_Deacon I had the same happen to my Wii from 2009. Sent it off to get repaired and all sorted for £30. Works fine today.
I bought a cheap Wii online (£11) and modded that one as a backup. I’m more worried that my Wii U will break before anything else as it is now boxed away. My Mega Drive from 1993 is still going strong (only given it a clean inside and out a couple of years ago, the controllers really benefited from a good clean; no more squeaky direction pad!
Re: Anniversary: Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Turns 20 Today
The best Mario Kart. Less cheap cheating from the AI than MK64, better gimmick than MK Wii and better track design (imo) than MK8 (or at least more streamlined).. Loved the two characters per cart, the music and presentation. The controls were spot on. Many, many an hour was lost on multiplayer to this game.
Re: Gunstar Heroes Developer Treasure On Why Mega Drive Is Better Than SNES
The SNES vs Mega Drive is a total cliche and has been for a long time (ever since we debated it on the playgrounds of the early 90s). However, it’s like comparing the Ferrari F40 to the Lamborghini Diablo: both are phenomenal machines that will put a big grin on your face no matter which you own (I’d imagine!)
Re: Katsuhiro Harada On Tekken Tag Tournament's Teeth And Scoring An Unexpected Hit
I played this game to death back in the day with a housemate at uni. It got even more fun when we unlocked Tekken Bowl!
Re: Anniversary: Game Boy Color Turns 25 Today
The GBC was the first system that I bought with my own money. I’d had a Game Gear in the early 90s and only got an original GB in 96. The GBC was a very good upgrade from the classic GB: smaller form factor, much sharper screen with no motion blur, only needed a couple of batteries and some of the games were pretty impressive, especially when it gave new life to old monochrome games. My only gripe is the lack of a backlight but a worm light was a cheap solution, especially since the back light is what made the Game Gear such a battery hog back in the day.
When my son was first getting into games I bought him a GBC in Atomic Purple (the see through model) that I found in pretty decent condition. He loves playing it to this day, especially Wario land 2. I then found myself a grape coloured model online in immaculate condition for a ridiculously good price. My original teal model is with a friend and still gets used to this day 25 years later!
Re: CeX Retro Watch: October 2023
I’ve just got into getting SNES stuff since getting a pretty good deal online for a console and all the gubbins. Picked up Street Fighter 2 for £8 and Super Mario World for £12 (both cheaper than the lowest Ebay asking price) as well as Lucky Dime Caper (£2) and Castle of Illusion (boxed £8) on Master System for my son. All in Leeds. Prices are really hit and miss, but occasionally you find something at CEX cheaper than online, plus they have a guarantee on them if they stop working.
Re: Kelsey Lewin Is Leaving The Video Game History Foundation
@Razieluigi I agree with you. In recent times I’ve found myself buying and reading books on video game history, mainly to fill in the blanks around my own experiences. I started with a ZX Spectrum in the late 80s and was conscious of the 16 bit console wars, but information at the time was so limited to a kid. It’s great to revisit that time and find out what I missed, as well as getting the opportunity to own and play games I could only dream about back then.
Re: Kelsey Lewin Is Leaving The Video Game History Foundation
@Razieluigi in terms of other ‘lost media’ I saw a statistic once that of all the films ever released only about 50% have ever been released on DVD and from the ones released on DVD only about 25% were subsequently released on Blu Ray (with therefore even fewer released on 4K disc).
It seems strange but if you think about it, until VHS came along in the 80s, owning any visual media was extraordinarily rare. We have been quite spoiled since.
Re: Poll: Handheld Or TV - How Do You Play Retro Games?
Whilst I will play retro games from time to time on modern systems on a 4K tv, normally everything up to and including the Wii (which is hacked with every virtual console game available on it) is played on a 28’’ wide screen crt tv (similar to the one I had in my 20s). Anything with HDMI is played on the 4K tv.
Re: Best Original Xbox Games Of All Time
@UK_Kev good to find a fellow subscriber! Then we both know that there is truth in both of what we are saying.
I’m not in anyway suggestions that DVD playback was the defining reason the PS2 sold so well (the PS1 was such a juggernaut that it was always going to do well, never mind the vast amount of games available on the thing) but it certainly helped, along with its early entry into the market giving it a clear head start, not to mention GTA 3, which made it a must have system on its own.
Re: Best Original Xbox Games Of All Time
@UK_Kev ‘At the time, the PS2 was a space saver and a connection saver. Very few people had TVs that could connect Sky/cable, a VCR, and a games console. And now a fourth connection would be needed for this new fangled DVD player.’
Well, there you go. Combine what you’ve said with the money saved of having a dvd player and console in one machine and you can see how it helped sales. I remember what it was like then (I was 19 in 2002 when I got my PS2) and the tv I had only had an RF port!
Not sure what you’re saying about Japan’s adoption is necessarily true (though I’ll admit you may know more than me on that one) but from what I’ve learned of Japanese culture especially with technology they have a long tradition of looking after old tech and selling them to Hard Off and Hard On stores and putting whatever money they get from it towards the new thing. This ties in with the minimalist outlook plus trash has to be paid to be disposed of in Japan, so a lot of stuff ends up sitting in second hand stores. Adams Koralic on YouTube has done a bunch of videos on many consoles’ histories and videos from Japan on this very topic. Great content that he’s been doing for 10 years plus with none of the common place YouTube nonsense that you see these days.
Re: Best Original Xbox Games Of All Time
@UK_Kev I think initially that it was more that stores were pushing the DVD player aspect to parents, as a player that also played games for their kids. The machine was a great console (it was my main console from 2002-2009) but the DVD player aspect gave it a massive boost in its early days, combined of course with the fact that it was the follow up to the most successful console of all time at that point, backward compatibility (so PS1 players, who I’d guess made up a large portion of the install base would transition to the PS2) and very little competition for nearly 2 years on the market (with the GCN and Xbox not launching until late 2002) with only the poor old Dreamcast as competition.
Re: Best Original Xbox Games Of All Time
@UK_Kev @UK_Kev the thing is that that’s how the PS2 was pushed in Japan. Anecdotally I’ve also read many people’s comments online saying that it was a big factor in them getting a PS2 (it certainly was for me, I got mine brand new for £150 in summer 2002 due to a deal with a new Argos store opening that had an offer of 50 PS2s for half-price on opening day, one per customer (I don’t think I’ve driven anywhere as fast in my life!) I was still using the N64 at the time and had no interest in Sony at all. However, for that price I was getting a console and dvd player for the cost of just the player.
It’s funny that you mention that players dropped on price afterwards. Two years later in 2004 I got a dedicated DVD player for £20 brand new. The eventual price drop on them was insane!
The Xbox was also a DVD player, but you needed to buy the remote and sensor pack to get it to work, which was another cost.
I know that DVDs are ancient tech these days but back in the very early 2000s they were a big deal
Re: Best Original Xbox Games Of All Time
@TeamBigRig cheers! I’m lucky that I have 3 CRTs: the widescreen one in my game room next to my modern 4K TV, a 14’’ 4:3 that my son is using at the moment for his Mega Drive and a 20’’ vhs combo in storage (which I rescued from work).
As I have enough space for two large TVs it means that I can rely on using the tv that’s best suited for each system (though I no longer keep them all hooked up just in case). So the 4K has Xbox Series X, Switch and Wii U connected, whilst the CRT has my modded Wii. I then connect my other systems if and when I want to play them.
I do sometimes wish I could run them all through the modern TV but since I have to room to keep the crt it actually makes it easier (and cheaper) to have both.
Re: Best Original Xbox Games Of All Time
@TeamBigRig I still have a CRT tv from that era (2003 model) that I run systems up to the Wii through and the PS2 still looks rough through that, even using RGB SCART. The GameCube and Mega Drive look superb though, as does the Wii and Xbox, all through SCART.
I’ve seen several YouTube videos that discuss that the PS2 is the hardest to get a descent picture out of, despite it having component video support like the others.
I shouldn’t really complain though; I was playing PS2 using RF for the first 2 years I had it, until I stopped using hand me down TVs from older family members and bought my own tv that had composite and SCART inputs!
Re: Best Original Xbox Games Of All Time
@TeamBigRig the PS2 had massive help getting into homes as it was by far the cheapest DVD player on the market and was pushed as such. The great games followed but man does it look rough these days! I had both PS2 and GCN at the time and the Cube looked (and still looks) a lot better. My friend had the Xbox for the simple reason that it was by far the more powerful system. The hard drive and ability to copy music onto it for custom soundtracks plus being able to do 720p and even 1080i at times was extremely impressive if you had the right tv, which my friend did, along with a 7.2(!) home theatre setup. Looking up at that halo ring was very impressive at the time…
Re: Talking Point: What Was Your First Video Gaming Experience?
The earliest gaming I can remember was arcades in the late 80s, so it was either Aliens, TMNT or the Simpsons when on holiday on the US in 1988, though it could be PAC-man on a arcade table (with a horizontal screen). On the other hand it could have been on NES or Master System in a shop display.
Re: FlippyDrive Is An Exciting New Disk Emulator For The Nintendo GameCube
@qaopjlll that and the fact that it’s ridiculously easy to mod a Wii to have access to the entire Virtual Console library too. Makes it a hell of a decent (and cheap) multi console retro machine!
Re: CIBSunday: Super Mario Bros. (NES)
I remember playing SMB1 in shop displays in the late 80s and early 90s. However, my first true play through was Super Mario Bros. Deluxe on Game Boy Colour. The zoomed in screen made it harder in many respects, but the ability to save and continue from the world map mitigated that somewhat.
Re: The Making Of: Aliens: Infestation - The Nintendo DS Metroidvania Classic
I remember reading reviews for this game when it released, but not owning a DS at the time it passed me by. Now prices are a bit silly and there is 0% chance of a port so it’ll remain a mystery to me.
However I have just started playing Dark Descent on Xbox and it has elements of this game plus AVP Extinction from the PS2 so that’s something. Bloody difficult game though; I have a feeling a mouse and keyboard would be a great advantage over a controller…
Re: The Making Of: PlayStation 2, The World's Most Successful Video Game Console
I was very much on the fence about which console to get that generation. I was still enjoying my N64 and I’d never been interested in PlayStation, outside of Resident Evil games which I could play on the family PC anyway. However, I managed to get a PS2 on 2002 for half-price during a promotion at a new shop opening. Not going to lie; it was the cheapest DVD player around at that price and that’s why I got it!
It was my main system (with my GameCube for exclusives) all the way up to 2009. Played many a great game on it. But boy is it noisy! And it looks like total ass on modern tvs (but fine on an old crt tv). The GameCube and Xbox have aged much better in that regard.
Re: Talking Point: Does Video Game History Have A "Nintendo" Problem?
@Uncharted2007 I’m in a similar position; in the UK in the early 90s SEGA was far more popular than Nintendo. I only saw a few SNESs, most people had a Mega Drive. The Game Boy was very popular, that was how most people I knew played Nintendo games. Although the SNES did eventually outsell the MD it was years later as a budget console when SEGA had shot themselves in the foot with the Mega CD/32X/Saturn fiasco!
In fact, people a few years older than me were all about micro computers in the 80s. The NES was extremely expensive and therefore quite rare in the UK. The Master System was far more popular.
Make no mistake; although Nintendo was well known in Europe, SEGA was far more common.
Re: Best Sega Console - Every Sega System, Ranked By You
I love the Master System but I wouldn’t say it ‘eclipsed’ home computers in the 80s (at least here in the UK). You were still far more likely to encounter a ZX Spectrum or C64 for example, as the games were a fraction of the price. I definitely knew people who had Master Systems, but it wasn’t until the Mega Drive/SNES that the tide really started turning. Even then, the Amiga was very popular as well.
Re: Round Up: "One Hell Of An Adventure" - Resident Evil 4 Remake Reviews Are In
@shgamer I thought the demo was pretty much spot on (it’s subjective of course). As for Leon’s appearance, he is only meant to be 6 years older than in RE2 (1998-2004) so he’s gone from 21 in RE2 to 27 in RE4. As such it makes sense that he’d not change much in terms of his looks. For me actually it’s his voice that is a little ‘young’ sounding (as in the original RE4 he sounded a bit more weary and jaded yet self-confident compared to RE2). However, given that it seems to be the same voice actor from the remake of RE2 it makes sense in terms of consistency and his actions in the demo alone (being able to counter melee attacks and brutally finish off downed opponents with the knife) probably show that he is far less idealistic and naive than in RE2 remake. I’m waiting to see how much snark we get; I punched the air in joy when he dropped the ‘bingo’ line at the end of the demo 🤣
Re: Poll: What's The Best Sega System Of All Time?
The Mega Drive is Rocky to the SNES’ Apollo Creed. It may not have won the fight, but it went the distance against the champ and had a hell of a lot of heart that people loved (and still do to this day).
Re: Poll: What's The Best Sega System Of All Time?
@UK_Kev to be fair there weren’t many games back then that did have save states. At the time I remember a handful of Nintendo ones (Zelda on NES, Mario Land 2 on Game Boy). When Sonic 3 released it was a revelation to be able to save your game on a Mega Drive.
Re: Best Nintendo Systems - Every Nintendo Console, Ranked By You
I was a SEGA kid until the N64, but since then I’ve always had a Nintendo system alongside PlayStation or Xbox. My own top 5 would be:
1) GameCube - fantastic library
2) Wii - some classics and a brilliant Virtual Console
3) N64 - my ‘teenage years’ console, lots of good memories
4) GameBoy - pretty much what Nintendo was in the UK in the early 90s
5) 3DS - great games and a solid Virtual Console
I love the NES and DS but didn’t own them when they were out. The GBA is really good but I prefer the older Game Boy. Switch and Wii U are great but not quite up to the level of other modern systems.
As a SEGA kid in the 90s I’m obligated to say the SNES sucks! Mega Drive forever! No surrender!
Just kidding, it’s another great system!
Re: Not Used Your Wii U In A While? It Might Be Dead
My Wii U is still set up next to my Xbox 360, Switch and Xbox Series X. My son plays on it regularly, so it never goes more than a week or two without use.
Looking to the future, once the Switch NES, SNES etc apps stop functioning with the end of online support, the Wii U will be even more necessary for retro games that I have bought over the years, alongside my modded Wii.
Re: Sega Wants To Know What Mini Console You Want Next
Saturn makes the most sense; it was by far the most popular SEGA console in Japan (from my understanding they have a similar attitude towards the Mega Drive that those of us in the West have towards the Saturn i.e. not many people got one). This would also have the added bonus for us in the West to experience a ‘lost’ system that didn’t get a chance to shine over here.
On the other hand, the Master System as a mini would be a lot cheaper to do. However, although it was very popular in Europe (especially here in the UK) and Brazil, it wasn’t well known in the US or particularly popular in Japan.
I’m not sure the Dreamcast would work as a mini, certainly not at a decent price.
My take would be that a Master System mini would be the most affordable and if they put as much care into it as the MD minis then it would be a lovely complimentary system (and would parallel them with Nintendo having minis of the NES and SNES). A Saturn mini would be interesting and (if done properly, unlike the PS1 mini) could get some traction from fans and those like myself who missed out on it.
Of course I could be totally wrong and it’ll be a Game Gear mini with a built in rechargeable battery, modern screen and HDMI out plus 30 odd games 🤣
Re: Poll: What's Your Favourite Castlevania?
While I came late to the series (SEGA kid in the 90s), I really enjoyed Castlevania IV and Bloodlines when I played them through the Konami Collection last year. However, my favourite so far is still The Adventure: Rebirth on the Wii. It was the first game in the series I completed and it has an absolutely thumping soundtrack.
Before anyone has a go; I do own Symphony of the Night through Xbox Arcade and Rondo of Blood through Virtual Console on the Wii. I’m just waiting for the right time to properly plunge into both of them.
Re: Poll: Are Game Boy Games Still Worth Playing In 2023?
@Wheatly don’t you find that all games ‘take time to get into’ though? Never mind the control scheme but the mechanics of the game have to be learned. In many games the control method is a part of that (it’s like riding a bike; you want to go in a straight line but you still have to learn to steer).
As for Goldeneye I agree with you; though I am a 20+ year veteran of the game on N64 the controls on Xbox were extremely intuitive, though that is after playing twin analogue stick fps games for a long time since. The initial control method on Switch is terrible, but with a bit of button swapping (again, a modern convenience I totally respect) you can get it to play exactly the same way as on Xbox.
That being said, N64 games are the one console I would 100% agree are a real pain to have to get used to on a modern controller set up, due to just how strange the N64 controller layout is. However, as the Game Boy controls exactly the same as the NES, with the GBA a halfway point between the NES and SNES in terms of controls, I can’t see how anyone can struggle with the controls.
If most gamers can handle the multiple buttons on a modern Xbox/PS/Switch Pro controller, surely a directional pad, a, b, start and select is a no brainier?