Where's the guy who always vigorously defends generative AI as a "tool" in the comments of these Time Extension posts? Must be busy playing WANUS, I guess
@PZT that makes sense, and I doubt Konami wants to spend the $$$ to port it again, which is a shame, but who knows! It might be time for a full remake anyway, though I personally would hate to see the game in anything but the 32-bit pixel style.
I am one of the lucky few to have received a Virtual Boy as a gift the year it came out, and I still have it (and it works, though I had to have it "refurbished" by an expert). I can attest that, yes, as a 15-year-old, I did prefer to play while lying on my back, with the unit resting on my face. No, it wasn't comfortable, but it was much better than the horrible neck / back strain caused by trying to play it as intended, on a tabletop.
I did experience some mild eye strain back then, but I still enjoyed it to some degree. The last time I tried using it, about a year ago, I got a headache almost immediately, and the eye strain was so severe I had to stop after about five minutes.
Still, I am a Virtual Boy sicko and I will be purchasing the Nintendo Switch VB dock thing ASAP and look forward to wrecking my 45-year-old neck, back, and eyes further in February 2026.
Another great backstory I never knew about an interesting game! This is why I visit Time Extension every day.
It would be fun to see Tekken Advance come to the Nintendo Classics line on Nintendo Switch. I think only three Tekken games ever came to Nintendo platforms; this, Tekken 3D on Nintendo 3DS, and Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition.
I just recently picked up Gimmick! SE on my Nintendo Switch. The soundtrack is absolutely superb. I am happy to know he was aware that his work was finally getting the recognition it deserved before his passing.
The "16-bit trilogy" of Super Castlevania IV, Bloodlines, and Rondo of Blood are among my favorite games. I cannot choose a favorite from among those three; all are equally-great and unique to me!
Next time: BBC marks the 25th anniversary of PlayStation 2 in Europe with a Dreamcast taped to a Nintendo 64 that has a PSP sticking out of its cartridge slot
@PKDuckman true. I have Silpheed and Zanac. Loved Silpheed in spite of its 15fps performance. Zanac is good but the lack of sound effects is not great in a shoot-'em-up.
@LinktotheFuture EGGCONSOLE is a series of games for 1980s Japanese home computers, like the MSX2 and the PC-88 series, emulated on Nintendo Switch. I have a couple of them and they're very interesting, but definitely show their age. Most don't have English translations, so they can be tough to play if you can't read Japanese.
I backed this on Kickstarter and was sad for years about its apparent abandonment / cancelation. We'll never get to play it in any form unless someone leaks the build (if it even exists)
"All the bells and whistles" except for "being a finished product you can buy" and "playing games for the largest region with the most manufactured cartridges."
I jest. It looks extremely cool. I wish this was something a manufacturer could create.
I would love to see an adaptation of Duke Nukem that both preserves the 1990s edgy misogyny and also puts it in a modern context, where the humor is that Duke is basically a big dork and he keeps getting in trouble for it.
Also Jon St. John absolutely, positively must voice Duke. Anyone else and it's not Duke Nukem.
Reminder that Dig Dug has some truly out-there official, canon lore, including that the main character from the original game, Taizo Hori, is the divorced father of Susumu Hori, the player character from Mr. Driller.
In this week's Retro XP newsletter, Marc Normandin writes about Solar Assault, the 3D Gradius spinoff Konami released for arcades in 1997. I really hope Hamster will be adding this to the future list of Arcade Archives 2 releases. It certainly holds up better than some of this early 1980s stuff like Strategy X.
As an American, I feel like UK gaming history took place in an alternate timeline where everyone is nostalgic for the Zed Ecks Speccy's astonishing ability to display up to three colours and play legendary games with titles like Biggums Goes to Rhodesia and Alistair the Badger's Adventures in a Car Park
Worth mentioning Mr. Simpson is one of the designers of the Commander X16, a Commodore-inspired DIY / hobby microcomputer he helped create with fellow YouTuber The 8-Bit Guy. The original backers got theirs a couple of years ago, but as far as I can tell it's no longer available for purchase.
One of my elementary school friends had an Atari ST at home, and I was regularly invited to visit and play games on it. He only had a few titles: Star Raiders, Buggy Boy, and Time Bandit. I had never played games on anything other than my NES at the time, and I was enthralled by the superior graphics and gameplay on just those three games.
I remain very fond of the system's keyboard-and-case design, especially those rhombus-shaped function keys, and the charming Windows-like OS with a "busy bee" replacing the mouse cursor whenever it needed a moment to launch something.
The relentless pursuit of pachinko ruined Konami. Hopefully this is the start of a return to the development of quality games for people who don't find entertainment in staring at ball bearings bouncing around under glass.
That's great. Meanwhile, I am still waiting on my orders of Eschatos, Steel Empire Chronicles, and Puzzle Bobble: Everybubble! from Strictly Limited. It will be TWO YEARS and counting as of next month on the first two games.
The visuals remind this old-timer of the "Macventure" point-and-click dungeon crawlers on the original monochrome Apple Macintosh computers, like Shadowgate and Deja Vu. I quite like it!
Lest we forget the first huge RPG hit in Japan was The Black Onyx, developed by Henk Rogers. (Though he was living in Japan at the time, so was it a Japanese game?)
@Kushan I was a teenager when Deep Blue beat Gary Kasparov and I remember it being huge international news. It's astonishing that almost 30 years later we have more powerful chess engines running on hardware that costs a few hundred dollars
The thing about "AI" chess models is that they are already obsolete. The IBM supercomputer Deep Blue beat a grandmaster in 1997. Modern dedicated chess engines can calculate tens of thousands of possible moves in seconds and are effectively unbeatable by humans.
You can't please everyone, especially with topics like this, but thank you for the fair and reasonable explanation of the situation, and for following up on the issues raised by commenters last year.
@buzzdennis I thought so. I hired a modder to do something very similar with mine and it works great. Still gives me an intense headache after 15 minutes or so x/
Comments 312
Re: Nintendo's Ex-Vice President Of Sales Reveals The NES Game They "Couldn't Give Away"
I played Donkey Kong Jr. Math for the first time only recently, after it arrived on the Nintendo Switch NES Classics app. It's pretty terrible!
Re: "You Are Vandalising Your Own History" - Taito Caught Using AI To "Undermine" Its Gaming Past
Where's the guy who always vigorously defends generative AI as a "tool" in the comments of these Time Extension posts? Must be busy playing WANUS, I guess
Re: Preservationist Digs Up Early Version Of Obscure Nintendo Fighting Game 'Joy Mech Fight'
I've recently been playing Joy Mech Fight on my Nintendo Switch. It's pretty good, and impressive for a Famicom game! A bit long, though.
Re: This Modder Has Revived Imagine's Infamous 'Megagame' Add-On Concept, And The Results Are Jaw-Dropping
I am completely floored. What an achievement! I never thought I'd see a SEGA X Board game running on a C64.
Re: Street Fighter 6's Latest Collab Is A Celebration Of One Of Chunsoft's Landmark SNES "Sound Novels"
Coming soon, a Street Fighter 6 crossover with the 1995 PC Engine Super CD-ROM2 all-female time traveler space shooter, Ginga Fukei Densetsu: Sapphire
Re: "It Sounded Way Too Close to Roger Rabbit" - Phoenix Wright Almost Had An Entirely Different First Name
Missed opportunity to name him Sal Desunee.
Re: You Can Now Grab Two Of The Best Castlevania Games For Less Than $5 On PS4/PS5
@PZT that makes sense, and I doubt Konami wants to spend the $$$ to port it again, which is a shame, but who knows! It might be time for a full remake anyway, though I personally would hate to see the game in anything but the 32-bit pixel style.
Re: You Can Now Grab Two Of The Best Castlevania Games For Less Than $5 On PS4/PS5
I love these games so much. I really wish they'd get ported to Nintendo Switch / 2, but I thoroughly enjoyed the PlayStation 4 version.
Re: "I Still Think The Virtual Boy Was Probably Just Too Ahead Of Its Time" - Japanese Developers On Nintendo's Most Infamous Flop
I am one of the lucky few to have received a Virtual Boy as a gift the year it came out, and I still have it (and it works, though I had to have it "refurbished" by an expert). I can attest that, yes, as a 15-year-old, I did prefer to play while lying on my back, with the unit resting on my face. No, it wasn't comfortable, but it was much better than the horrible neck / back strain caused by trying to play it as intended, on a tabletop.
I did experience some mild eye strain back then, but I still enjoyed it to some degree. The last time I tried using it, about a year ago, I got a headache almost immediately, and the eye strain was so severe I had to stop after about five minutes.
Still, I am a Virtual Boy sicko and I will be purchasing the Nintendo Switch VB dock thing ASAP and look forward to wrecking my 45-year-old neck, back, and eyes further in February 2026.
Re: After Burner Meets Devil May Cry In The Super Stylish 'Delivery Must Complete'
I LOVE the aesthetic here. Hope this is a success, and comes to consoles too
Re: 40 Years After It Launched, This Fan-Made Remake Has Given Us The Ultimate Way To Play Super Mario Bros.
I spent a couple dozen hours doing much the same in Super Mario Maker 2, and I was quite pleased with the result.
Re: The Making Of: Tekken Advance, Namco's Unexpected GBA Conversion Of The Classic Fighting Game Series
Another great backstory I never knew about an interesting game! This is why I visit Time Extension every day.
It would be fun to see Tekken Advance come to the Nintendo Classics line on Nintendo Switch. I think only three Tekken games ever came to Nintendo platforms; this, Tekken 3D on Nintendo 3DS, and Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition.
Re: "It Makes Me Happy To Know That Bubsy Is Getting Another Chance" - Bubsy 3D Dev Hopes Revivals Will Lead To "New Fans"
Wait wait WAIT. Bubsy indirectly led to Syphon Filter??!? I never heard this!!! @Damo I would really love to see a feature on this in the future!
Re: The Composer Of Gimmick! Has Passed Away At The Age of 62
I just recently picked up Gimmick! SE on my Nintendo Switch. The soundtrack is absolutely superb. I am happy to know he was aware that his work was finally getting the recognition it deserved before his passing.
Re: This White Limited Edition Vectrex Mini Will Cost $250, Standard Model Starts At $115
@NatiaAdamo oh! I didn't know that... if they're going for authenticity, then bring on the weird grammar lol
Re: This White Limited Edition Vectrex Mini Will Cost $250, Standard Model Starts At $115
Packaging with phrases like "BRING A REAL VECTREX AT HOME" and "MINI ARCADE PLAY HOME" does not inspire much confidence.
Re: Game Changer: Super Castlevania IV - Why Simon Belmont's 16-bit Debut Is A Stone-Cold Classic
The "16-bit trilogy" of Super Castlevania IV, Bloodlines, and Rondo of Blood are among my favorite games. I cannot choose a favorite from among those three; all are equally-great and unique to me!
Re: Random: "Surely They're Trolling" - After The NES-Cart-In-A-SNES Debacle, The BBC Marks Windows 95's 30th With An Apple Mac
Next time: BBC marks the 25th anniversary of PlayStation 2 in Europe with a Dreamcast taped to a Nintendo 64 that has a PSP sticking out of its cartridge slot
Re: Can't Decide Between Shinobi And Ninja Gaiden? This Steam Bundle Should Help
Crossover DLC in both games seems inevitable at this point, and I am absolutely here for it
Re: EGGCONSOLE Versions Of 'Fray' And 'Brandish Renewal' Are Being Removed From The Switch eShop
@PKDuckman true. I have Silpheed and Zanac. Loved Silpheed in spite of its 15fps performance. Zanac is good but the lack of sound effects is not great in a shoot-'em-up.
Re: EGGCONSOLE Versions Of 'Fray' And 'Brandish Renewal' Are Being Removed From The Switch eShop
@LinktotheFuture EGGCONSOLE is a series of games for 1980s Japanese home computers, like the MSX2 and the PC-88 series, emulated on Nintendo Switch. I have a couple of them and they're very interesting, but definitely show their age. Most don't have English translations, so they can be tough to play if you can't read Japanese.
Re: Sick Of Waiting For '90s Arcade Racer To Launch, A Music Label Has Released Part Of Its Vince DiCola-Penned Soundtrack
I backed this on Kickstarter and was sad for years about its apparent abandonment / cancelation. We'll never get to play it in any form unless someone leaks the build (if it even exists)
Re: "We're Going For A Cross Between Mega Man X, Gunstar Heroes, & Kirby 64" - This Upcoming Indie Platformer Deserves To Be On Your Radar
I really like the look of this one! Looking forward to future updates...
Re: Operation Night Strikers' Gun Peripherals Pulled By Publisher, But Not For The Reason You Might Expect
We truly live in the worst timeline.
Re: Poll: How Do You Pronounce "Amiga"?
It's like the old joke about the British guy who tells a friend he took his wife to a large Caribbean island.
The friend asks, "Jamaica?"
The Brit replies, "Nah mate, she came of her own accord"
(See also: Led Zeppelin song title D'yer Mak'er)
Re: After Almost 14 Years, Retro Retailer Rose Colored Gaming Is Closing Its Doors
Ohhhh, this hurts. I've bought a number of items from RCG over the years.
(clears throat) The current geopolitical situation with respect to international import / export costs must surely be to blame, at least in part. Sigh
Re: The 'αSNES' Could Be The Final Form Of Nintendo's Legendary 16-Bit Console
"All the bells and whistles" except for "being a finished product you can buy" and "playing games for the largest region with the most manufactured cartridges."
I jest. It looks extremely cool. I wish this was something a manufacturer could create.
Re: Duke Nukem Co-Creator Responds To Adi Shankar's Claim That His "Dirty" Duke Is "Now Canon"
I would love to see an adaptation of Duke Nukem that both preserves the 1990s edgy misogyny and also puts it in a modern context, where the humor is that Duke is basically a big dork and he keeps getting in trouble for it.
Also Jon St. John absolutely, positively must voice Duke. Anyone else and it's not Duke Nukem.
Re: A New Dig Dug Game Has Just Been Released, But It's Only Playable For 2 Weeks
Reminder that Dig Dug has some truly out-there official, canon lore, including that the main character from the original game, Taizo Hori, is the divorced father of Susumu Hori, the player character from Mr. Driller.
Re: This Week's Arcade Archives Release Is Another Deep Cut From Konami's Past
In this week's Retro XP newsletter, Marc Normandin writes about Solar Assault, the 3D Gradius spinoff Konami released for arcades in 1997. I really hope Hamster will be adding this to the future list of Arcade Archives 2 releases. It certainly holds up better than some of this early 1980s stuff like Strategy X.
Re: The BBC Has Republished One Of The Most Infamous Video Game Documentaries Ever Made
As an American, I feel like UK gaming history took place in an alternate timeline where everyone is nostalgic for the Zed Ecks Speccy's astonishing ability to display up to three colours and play legendary games with titles like Biggums Goes to Rhodesia and Alistair the Badger's Adventures in a Car Park
Re: Digital Eclipse's Next Collection Focuses On The "Iconic" Golden Tee Arcade Series
I have a hunch they'll work with Limited Run or someone like that to produce a console-compatible trackball controller.
Re: This Man Is Buying Commodore
Worth mentioning Mr. Simpson is one of the designers of the Commander X16, a Commodore-inspired DIY / hobby microcomputer he helped create with fellow YouTuber The 8-Bit Guy. The original backers got theirs a couple of years ago, but as far as I can tell it's no longer available for purchase.
Re: Anniversary: The Atari ST, Everyone's Second Favourite 16-bit Home Computer, Turns 40
One of my elementary school friends had an Atari ST at home, and I was regularly invited to visit and play games on it. He only had a few titles: Star Raiders, Buggy Boy, and Time Bandit. I had never played games on anything other than my NES at the time, and I was enthralled by the superior graphics and gameplay on just those three games.
I remain very fond of the system's keyboard-and-case design, especially those rhombus-shaped function keys, and the charming Windows-like OS with a "busy bee" replacing the mouse cursor whenever it needed a moment to launch something.
Re: Bitmap Bureau, We Don't Deserve This Adorable Japanese GBA Version Of Xeno Crisis
@Damo I just want to know where you got that GOREGOUS custom GBA shell and what I assume is an IPS screen
Re: Two New Neo Geo Carts Are Coming To Evercade
@Quick_Man came here to say the same thing. What a bizarre and unfortunate choice.
Re: This Little-Known Evangelion Fighting Game Has Been Preserved
Get in the robot, Shinji!
Re: Konami's Arcade Game Division Finally Breaks Free From The Company's Pachinko Business
The relentless pursuit of pachinko ruined Konami. Hopefully this is the start of a return to the development of quality games for people who don't find entertainment in staring at ball bearings bouncing around under glass.
Re: Strictly Limited Games Cancels Physical PS4 Release Of Parasol Stars & Spica Adventure
That's great. Meanwhile, I am still waiting on my orders of Eschatos, Steel Empire Chronicles, and Puzzle Bobble: Everybubble! from Strictly Limited. It will be TWO YEARS and counting as of next month on the first two games.
Re: Retro Fighters' PlayStation 'Defender' Controller Just Got An Impressive Upgrade
I have the original Defender model and I love it. Best PS2 / PS3 controller I've ever used.
Re: Footage Of Taito's Cancelled F-Zero-Style Racer 'Vertexer' Appears Online
If anyone at Hamster reads this, PLEASE work with Taito to resurrect this lost classic!
Re: New Dungeon Crawler 'Algolemeth' To Feature Soundtrack From Streets Of Rage's Yuzo Koshiro
The visuals remind this old-timer of the "Macventure" point-and-click dungeon crawlers on the original monochrome Apple Macintosh computers, like Shadowgate and Deja Vu. I quite like it!
Re: Yuzo Koshiro's Earthion Confirmed For Switch, PS4, PS5 And Xbox Series X/S
"Limited Run Games will be handling the distribution of physical copies of Earth."
Great, now they're selling copies of entire planets. When will it end? xD
Re: Hamster Announces The Return Of "Namco Month", Teases New Releases For Switch & PS4
I guess it dovetails nicely into the release of Ridge Racer on NS2 (and maybe PS5?) on June 5.
Re: 30 Years Ago, PlayStation Used These Bizarre Ads To Sell British Games To The Japanese
Lest we forget the first huge RPG hit in Japan was The Black Onyx, developed by Henk Rogers. (Though he was living in Japan at the time, so was it a Japanese game?)
Re: Someone Has Created A Version Of Windows For Game Boy, And Yes, It Includes Minesweeper
I'm a sucker for this sort of thing, especially since Windows 3.11 was the OS on my first PC. Now I just want Windows 95 for Nintendo 64 xD
Re: Xbox Creator "Not Impressed" By "Your Fancy Chess AI"
@Kushan I was a teenager when Deep Blue beat Gary Kasparov and I remember it being huge international news. It's astonishing that almost 30 years later we have more powerful chess engines running on hardware that costs a few hundred dollars
Re: Xbox Creator "Not Impressed" By "Your Fancy Chess AI"
The thing about "AI" chess models is that they are already obsolete. The IBM supercomputer Deep Blue beat a grandmaster in 1997. Modern dedicated chess engines can calculate tens of thousands of possible moves in seconds and are effectively unbeatable by humans.
Re: What Happens When An Arms Dealer Publishes Your Video Game?
You can't please everyone, especially with topics like this, but thank you for the fair and reasonable explanation of the situation, and for following up on the issues raised by commenters last year.
Re: A Fix For The Virtual Boy's (Second) Biggest Failing Is Available
@buzzdennis I thought so. I hired a modder to do something very similar with mine and it works great. Still gives me an intense headache after 15 minutes or so x/