Huge RGC fan, even got a T-shirt and Russ has ignited a passion for me tinkering with consoles and handhelds for no other reason than nostalgia and learning new things. Yet I can’t deny that emulation is turning from a niche way to play those older titles to something capable of playing newer and newer titles. The first video that got the strike was for the MIG dumper and cartridge which yes, is handy for game preservation but also usable for convenient piracy. A lot of emulation channels have regularly shown Tears of the Kingdom or Super Mario Wonder when testing hardware. I feel that when this became the case, Nintendo was going to take action. There is a huge difference from showing say, Fzero GX for GC running smd a current gen title. Personally I feel very much that titles only available second hand can only truly be emulated unless you have very deep pockets. When those games are available at standard game pricing it’s hard to make the emulation case.
Duckstation is great and I suspect it took a lot of work. If I, as a user, still have access to it and the user experience is not impacted, then I'm not fussed and I think as long as all contributors are happy, who cares. From what I can see, people are forking it and then raising issues and bugs. So as far as I can see, someone has created and distributed it for free, the license terms have changed and the dev who did the work is now getting threats? If Duckstation goes, then its a huge blow to the emu community.
I'm not as aware of all the goings on of the FPGA community as opposed to the emulation side but across all sides of retro gaming, I just don't understand the toxicity. Death threats over Mortal Kombat?
Late to this and am gutted. I got a NES at the same time that Total Issue 1 came out and had every issue for many years. I loved Thicky and Misery Guts and even bought Mega (despite having no MD or Sega system) as I missed Thicky. I was over the moon when Andy returned to Total a few years later.
I'm gonna sound old now but I think that a lot of what made that a special time to be into games is that you got incredible publications that carved their own identify and it felt kind of rock n roll and exciting because it was so new.
TO be honest - I love the concept but I just hate the FOMO business model. Obviously smaller companies can't print unlimited copies of titles and hope the sell but the limited pre-order window is ultimately artificial. That isn't specific to LRG but they seem to also do it when the product is months or years from being made. There are a number of my favourite games that have received a limited run that I missed or could not afford at the time and I will never be able to buy without scalpers prices.
Citra is a victim of association. They wanted an example made. Yet at the same time, I can sort of see Nintendo's point (and this is coming as a fan of emulation tinkering). I think emulation is amazing and practically the only way for an average person to play backups etc of games on ageing hardware. But with Switch emulators, yes there are devices that can run Switch games at higher quality but as a current gen system that is still launching large games, of course it was going to be used for piracy. When TOTK launched, half the internet was awash with people showing them playing on Yuzu on various devices (a lot before launch). It will have absolutely had an impact on sales. I mean for a brief moment, Valve even had an emulated game on some Steam Deck publicity material. Add in the fact that the devs had a patreon page and.. well, Nintendo are gonna Nintendo.
Late to the party but I've hacked my OG 3DS and 2DS XL recently. Am leaving my New 3DS XL as stock. I've used it to back up all my 40 cartridges to a micro SD on each system for convenience. I won't share them of course.
I personally feel that emulation supports game preservation. If you are someone who just likes the idea of games for 'free' then you'll pirate regardless. But, for most people who have a love of the medium, it is the only way you can access that content. For example, arcade titles. How could I ever play those games again? Where's my Alien 3: The Gun at?
In five years time or whatever, if I want to play a 3DS title or Wii U title that title is dead to me unless I pay whatever the overinflated retro market is asking.
Had mine nearly a year and it is a real game changer for me. I've moved from being a primary console player to using my PC and Steam Deck in combination for most third party games. I remember after I got it going away from work and continuing Elden Ring in a hotel room and it felt as transformative as when I first got my Switch.
Here is what I don't understand. Games were say £60 a year or so ago and now they are £70. I bought Ghost Of Tsushima and TLOU 2 for the £60 per game. Buying Horizon FW then cost £70. I see no difference in what I am getting for that jump. Many publishers have been producing less titles but generating record profits. Why does everyone state that games cost more to produce (which is true) when profits and revenue are generally at an all time high across the board? How does Zelda cost more to produce than BOTW did (when that launched on two pieces of hardware)?
Also, comparing to early 90's prices is not, imo, a valid comparison. Gaming then was, without a doubt, a far more niche product than it is today. From mobile, to console to PC, the game industry has grown substantially. There is also mass competition for gamers money. So we have an industry doing well, profits being high (despite ballooning budgets), more competition than ever and suddenly all AAA new release games are costing £10 more for no reason.
I don't feel that I am getting any more for my money than I was 2 years ago and I see an industry doing well. Just call it out for what it is - increased profitability. We're all still going to buy Zelda and the next big releases but let's not try and justify business.
This is really depressing. AetherSX2 has been an awesome emulator that has helped drive slightly higher end PS2 emulation on Android devices. Without support, this will stop working as Android develops. Sigh.
I have a fair amount of hardware and games for classic systems but without a CRT in the house and the cost of collecting, too many games are now unobtainable. Combine that with the explosion of retro themed devices that can play old games via solid emulation and I tend to back up and play there.
I love the look of this and the form factor compared to my Steam Deck but the battery life really dampens my enthusiasm. I get why it is low as it does so much in a small form factor but still. If I'm right, i think a cheaper less powered device is going into crowd funding from Aya soon so I will keep an eye out!
I remember saving up and getting a converter for my SNES (which I still have, the Universal Adapter ftw) and getting Spiderman/X-Men Arcade's Revenge 6 months before the PAL release. I never really got into the Japanese scene which is disappointing but I often got some real bargains from trade in shops for US versions of games at a time when I couldn't really afford many new titles.
It's a nice handheld. I think they need to get more carts out though they have a very solid line up. Things I'd like in another version would be some more oomph to get more emulators running from their carts.
Wonderful article and tribute. Super Play was always the enemy to me as I was a Total fan (mainly because I could only afford 1 magazine a month with my pocket money) but I remember Edge launching and it feeling so different in terms of audience and presentation. RIP.
Really enjoyed the article. I had a DS because it was cheaper but was always jealous of friends with one. On a whim last year, I bought one off eBay for under £20 and have picked up some great cheap games for only a few pound. Haven't played it much, I just like the design and the piece of history it represents.
Oh and for the record, there are a few good reasons why you'll never see another PS portable. Firstly, mobile gaming is cheaper to make and more profitable. Secondly, with hardware on portables becoming better and better, developing a AAA portable title for something like the Vita is no longer a small side project for a team of 10 devs as in the older days of the cheap DS ports but akin to a significant budget. With a smaller market, what's the incentive?
I sold this for my GC when I downsized my gaming collection and boy do I regret it. Great game, one of the reasons I went with the Gamecube in the first place!
Comments 21
Re: Someone Has Finally Found A Use For The NES Expansion Port
So did I when I was a teenager but then my parents caught me and I had to go to therapy.
Re: Nintendo Is Now Going After YouTube Accounts Which Show Its Games Being Emulated
Huge RGC fan, even got a T-shirt and Russ has ignited a passion for me tinkering with consoles and handhelds for no other reason than nostalgia and learning new things. Yet I can’t deny that emulation is turning from a niche way to play those older titles to something capable of playing newer and newer titles. The first video that got the strike was for the MIG dumper and cartridge which yes, is handy for game preservation but also usable for convenient piracy. A lot of emulation channels have regularly shown Tears of the Kingdom or Super Mario Wonder when testing hardware. I feel that when this became the case, Nintendo was going to take action. There is a huge difference from showing say, Fzero GX for GC running smd a current gen title. Personally I feel very much that titles only available second hand can only truly be emulated unless you have very deep pockets. When those games are available at standard game pricing it’s hard to make the emulation case.
Re: Creator Of PS1 Emulator DuckStation Threatens To "Shut The Whole Thing Down" Following License Change
Duckstation is great and I suspect it took a lot of work. If I, as a user, still have access to it and the user experience is not impacted, then I'm not fussed and I think as long as all contributors are happy, who cares. From what I can see, people are forking it and then raising issues and bugs. So as far as I can see, someone has created and distributed it for free, the license terms have changed and the dev who did the work is now getting threats? If Duckstation goes, then its a huge blow to the emu community.
Re: "I Am Tired Of Receiving Death Threats Over A Video Game" - FPGA Dev Explains Why Mortal Kombat Is Skipping MiSTer
I'm not as aware of all the goings on of the FPGA community as opposed to the emulation side but across all sides of retro gaming, I just don't understand the toxicity. Death threats over Mortal Kombat?
Re: "The Reader Should Be The Beneficiary Of The Writing. No One Else" - A Tribute To Andy Dyer
Late to this and am gutted. I got a NES at the same time that Total Issue 1 came out and had every issue for many years. I loved Thicky and Misery Guts and even bought Mega (despite having no MD or Sega system) as I missed Thicky. I was over the moon when Andy returned to Total a few years later.
I'm gonna sound old now but I think that a lot of what made that a special time to be into games is that you got incredible publications that carved their own identify and it felt kind of rock n roll and exciting because it was so new.
Re: Soapbox: The Trouble With Limited Run Games, And How To Fix It
TO be honest - I love the concept but I just hate the FOMO business model. Obviously smaller companies can't print unlimited copies of titles and hope the sell but the limited pre-order window is ultimately artificial. That isn't specific to LRG but they seem to also do it when the product is months or years from being made. There are a number of my favourite games that have received a limited run that I missed or could not afford at the time and I will never be able to buy without scalpers prices.
Re: 3DS Emulator Citra Is Dead, Along With Switch Emulator Yuzu
Citra is a victim of association. They wanted an example made. Yet at the same time, I can sort of see Nintendo's point (and this is coming as a fan of emulation tinkering). I think emulation is amazing and practically the only way for an average person to play backups etc of games on ageing hardware. But with Switch emulators, yes there are devices that can run Switch games at higher quality but as a current gen system that is still launching large games, of course it was going to be used for piracy. When TOTK launched, half the internet was awash with people showing them playing on Yuzu on various devices (a lot before launch). It will have absolutely had an impact on sales. I mean for a brief moment, Valve even had an emulated game on some Steam Deck publicity material. Add in the fact that the devs had a patreon page and.. well, Nintendo are gonna Nintendo.
Re: Now's The Time To Hack Your 3DS
Late to the party but I've hacked my OG 3DS and 2DS XL recently. Am leaving my New 3DS XL as stock. I've used it to back up all my 40 cartridges to a micro SD on each system for convenience. I won't share them of course.
I personally feel that emulation supports game preservation. If you are someone who just likes the idea of games for 'free' then you'll pirate regardless. But, for most people who have a love of the medium, it is the only way you can access that content. For example, arcade titles. How could I ever play those games again? Where's my Alien 3: The Gun at?
In five years time or whatever, if I want to play a 3DS title or Wii U title that title is dead to me unless I pay whatever the overinflated retro market is asking.
Re: Review: Steam Deck, One Year On
Had mine nearly a year and it is a real game changer for me. I've moved from being a primary console player to using my PC and Steam Deck in combination for most third party games. I remember after I got it going away from work and continuing Elden Ring in a hotel room and it felt as transformative as when I first got my Switch.
Re: Upset By Zelda Being $70? We've Arguably Never Had It So Good
Here is what I don't understand. Games were say £60 a year or so ago and now they are £70. I bought Ghost Of Tsushima and TLOU 2 for the £60 per game. Buying Horizon FW then cost £70. I see no difference in what I am getting for that jump. Many publishers have been producing less titles but generating record profits. Why does everyone state that games cost more to produce (which is true) when profits and revenue are generally at an all time high across the board? How does Zelda cost more to produce than BOTW did (when that launched on two pieces of hardware)?
Also, comparing to early 90's prices is not, imo, a valid comparison. Gaming then was, without a doubt, a far more niche product than it is today. From mobile, to console to PC, the game industry has grown substantially. There is also mass competition for gamers money. So we have an industry doing well, profits being high (despite ballooning budgets), more competition than ever and suddenly all AAA new release games are costing £10 more for no reason.
I don't feel that I am getting any more for my money than I was 2 years ago and I see an industry doing well. Just call it out for what it is - increased profitability. We're all still going to buy Zelda and the next big releases but let's not try and justify business.
Re: 'Death Threats' Force Development On Android PlayStation 2 Emulator To End
This is really depressing. AetherSX2 has been an awesome emulator that has helped drive slightly higher end PS2 emulation on Android devices. Without support, this will stop working as Android develops. Sigh.
Re: Google Stadia "Display Stand Of Follies" Can Be Yours To Own
I have my boxed stadia controller and Chromecast. May bury it as a time capsule so that future generations can ponder over its meaning.
Re: Poll: How Do You Play Your Retro Games?
I have a fair amount of hardware and games for classic systems but without a CRT in the house and the cost of collecting, too many games are now unobtainable. Combine that with the explosion of retro themed devices that can play old games via solid emulation and I tend to back up and play there.
Re: Review: Aya Neo Air - A Steam Deck Rival And Emulation Powerhouse
I love the look of this and the form factor compared to my Steam Deck but the battery life really dampens my enthusiasm. I get why it is low as it does so much in a small form factor but still. If I'm right, i think a cheaper less powered device is going into crowd funding from Aya soon so I will keep an eye out!
Re: Full Of Eastern Promise: The Rise And Fall Of Grey Importing
I remember saving up and getting a converter for my SNES (which I still have, the Universal Adapter ftw) and getting Spiderman/X-Men Arcade's Revenge 6 months before the PAL release. I never really got into the Japanese scene which is disappointing but I often got some real bargains from trade in shops for US versions of games at a time when I couldn't really afford many new titles.
Re: Welcome To Time Extension
Looking forward to it as a big fan of retro and modern emulation/reproduction of games.
If you ever want a free multi-part series on the use of colour across the various biomes of Super Metroid, I'm your guy.
Re: There's Another Evercade Console In The Works
It's a nice handheld. I think they need to get more carts out though they have a very solid line up. Things I'd like in another version would be some more oomph to get more emulators running from their carts.
Re: Feature: A Tribute To Jason Brookes
Wonderful article and tribute. Super Play was always the enemy to me as I was a Total fan (mainly because I could only afford 1 magazine a month with my pocket money) but I remember Edge launching and it feeling so different in terms of audience and presentation. RIP.
Re: Feature: It's Time to Celebrate the PSP, Sony's 21st Century Walkman
Really enjoyed the article. I had a DS because it was cheaper but was always jealous of friends with one. On a whim last year, I bought one off eBay for under £20 and have picked up some great cheap games for only a few pound. Haven't played it much, I just like the design and the piece of history it represents.
Oh and for the record, there are a few good reasons why you'll never see another PS portable. Firstly, mobile gaming is cheaper to make and more profitable. Secondly, with hardware on portables becoming better and better, developing a AAA portable title for something like the Vita is no longer a small side project for a team of 10 devs as in the older days of the cheap DS ports but akin to a significant budget. With a smaller market, what's the incentive?
Re: Feature: Take A Tour Of The UK's Most Incredible Retro Game Store
I go to York quite regularly and am going to make this my next stop. Looks amazing. I cannot wait!!!
Re: The Making Of Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
I sold this for my GC when I downsized my gaming collection and boy do I regret it. Great game, one of the reasons I went with the Gamecube in the first place!