@sdelfin
I owned both as well BITD, and as you allude to, he was in fact a SNES owner BITD, so it did feel like nostalgia clouding his judgement. And when I rattled off examples, he literally did the "well those were just rare exceptions". LOL. The SNES music chip made it easy to add almost CD quality music - it feels almost like cheating. The MD though, the musicians had to work harder when composing, but when they did, it was great. I love synth and chiptunes anyway, hence the preference. I like SID music, despite never owning a C64.
EDIT: Bot_Bot beat me to the answer by a few seconds, lol
@Tibob
The unreleased but leaked on Xbox 360 is incredible.
I bought a JTAG modded system just to play it, and it was honestly worth it (I also unlocked some rare XBLIG that were delisted).
You can swap between N64 graphics and remaster graphics, like youcould on Perfect Dark on 360.
It's still technically a beta. So some things are a bit off. Trevelyan's grenade won't bounce off walls to kill him. Also small glass windows don't shatter, but big glass does.
But it's 95% there, smooth frame rate, great draw distance. Exactly what you want.
If you don't want to buy a modded X360 it can also be emulated on a powerful enough PC.
@h3s - sorry, I'm unsure regarding the fps. Good Q though.
@Martin_H - as a happy pre-orderer of the AES+ ULTIMATE EDITION, I have to say... I actually agree with you. I personally found the NGPC to have a more interesting and diverse library. And while I yearned for a NG throughout my teen years, drooling over the screenshots of £300 games in import mags, the truth is... I could have bought a SNES / MD plus several games, or maybe even just 10x games for one of them (used games were like £20 in my local indie store). And when I finally played the entire library via emulation on my Xbox, it hit me... I'd actually had the better experience having owning both a SNES and MD, and buying games for them over the years. More RPGs, more 2D shooters, more weird puzzle and platform games. Some cool film licenses. Etc.
Still, as an adult who has explored all the consoles of the era, the NG is the last frontier I've yet to experience authentically on real hardware. The 13 year old inside needs to be satiated.
@KingMike I first noticed it with one of the Tomb Raider games on X360. At first I thought the eBay seller had lost it - looked online, and nope, it didn't come with one. As you say, the beginning of the end and now today you're lucky even to have a physical game in the box. I don't understand why manuals were abandoned.
Cost? Paper and monochrome are cheap (I know, I work in print media). The pennies a company saves isn't going to offset the loss of goodwill felt from owning a nice product with lush manual.
Environment? I actually saw this as a "feature" on something. Not games, but some other product, an appliance or something. "No paper instructions is good for the environment!" Absolute nonsense. Paper can be recycled, and even if disposed of, paper will biodegrade, unlike the plastics of everything else. Paper is the most environmentally product we can make.
I miss physical products.
A few mentioned Evercade. A good shout. I have the Intellivision cart (but no Evercade unit, yet), and it's a lovely little package.
Manuals. Real paper manuals. Made from actual real paper. I am weeping metaphorical tears of joy. 😭
I haven't seen one of those with a new game release for... Gosh, 10, maybe 15 years? Has it been that long?
Can we please just take a moment to reflect on the fact that this bundle is bringing back so much of what was once normal, but is now missing from games?
No patches, no installs, no download codes in a box to get a digital only version, no lack of manual because there's a 20 hour tutorial to replace it. Just a beautiful box, printed instructions, and the entire game in the box. A beautiful, intuitive, fun game.
In the era of "you will own nothing and be happy", the fact we'll get to actually own something once again, for a change, makes me jubilant! That Ultimate edition was worth every penny. 😭
"I mean do people even re-read/read magazines from the past"
I have an enormous library of several hundred physical magazines, dating from 1982 (maybe earlier?) to the present day, and I read one or more of them almost every day, and I find them immensely valuable for research.
Release dates, rumours, cancelled games, the evolution of certain events. For example yesterday was reading a March 1994 magazine which claimed In The Hunt would have a SNES port (it did not), and also explored the censorship crackdown at the time, with regards to the US senate hearing, British classification system, etc. It also noted Doom being ported to SNES (quite an early announcement).
Old magazines can provide hard data, and also are a reflection of the cultural zeitgeist.
I'm probably the anomaly here, but I will read and make copious notes quite regularly.
Ernie Katz's thinly veiled racist attacks on Japan and Europe, in his monthly VG&CE columns, have proved a fascinating rabbit hole, for example, and reflect the phobia America felt during the 1980s.
And in case anyone is wondering: old issues of Famitsu would regularly feature sexy gravure models on the cover, with photoshoots inside. Not even game related. They just wanted a cute woman on the cover and inside. I love it!
@-wc-
I've enjoyed our discussions, we've been respectful and I enjoy the ritual of human communication while needing to think and recall events.
So I'd like to respectfully disagree with this statement and offer, not a strawman argument, but a real example which had a wider impact:
"we can safely dismiss secondhand accounts of anonymous random social media accounts of dubious intent as straw men, in this or any other context, frankly"
I am a fan of George Kamitani of Vanillaware. He used to paint, annually, a beautiful year end painting. Gorgeous artwork. Often with light nudity. Not sexual, but artistic. True art.
Your discussion has reminded me of the witch hunt Kamitani underwent. Jason Schrier, and others, repeatedly attacked him and his art. This resulted in him making a joking rebuttal, which got lost in translation, and caused more chaos.
For the longest time it was my desktop wallpaper. It does not arouse sexually, but rather it awakens my heart, stirs my soul, and I am filled with a desire to write and create, to create even a fraction of the artistry Kamitani achieves. I bend my knee to Kamitani's skill.
So now you have your example, not a strawman argument, and not an anonymous second hand source. A known journalist criticising traditional painted art to the point of destroying the artist.
Schrier's unhinged criticisms, and those of other journalists at the time, eventually resulted in Kamitani no longer painting. Criticisms not of sexual material, but pure beautiful art. The world lost something the day he stopped painting.
#justiceforkamitani
I'd like to thank you for questioning me. It encouraged me to strengthen my argument with solid examples, and I am better because of it. Well played.
@-wc- "obviously this isnt true if you take it to logical extremes"
When I said that line to a friend once, they brought up the infamous German news story of the cannibal and the victim who answered an advert, asking me if I thought their mutually consented scenario was acceptable.
This feels like a logically extreme example.
And my conclusion was: I feel like both of them were likely mentally ill and thus the consent was not informed or genuine. They had taken leave of their senses and legally were not capable of making such choices.
So yes, there are going to be extreme edge cases where the belief needs debating and consideration, and provides an interesting thought experiment.
As for consenting to advertising, I dislike ads in general, unless they're especially entertaining. But I suppose the answer is, we could simply not watch TV, or browse the internet, thus not exposing us to ads. When I turn on my TV, load up my web browser, or flick through a magazine, I am consenting to the ads since I know they will exist. And logically, ads of a salacious nature, are best placed within media that appeals to such people. ie: a salacious games advert with babes is best shown during an action movie, not during Golden Girls reruns.
With TE, I pay for the premium of choice not having ads. But if that option were not available, I would accept that I am forced to see them.
I'm not sure if you searched for it on YouTube, and I respect you if you choose not to view it, but if you did view it - what did you think of the German butter advert? (Note: it contains frontal nudity.) How would you react if you were watching TV in the afternoon, say 13:30, and it came on?
You can hate it if you want - I'm not wanting to pass judgement. I'm just curious, given you dislike game ads like that, and I'm assuming this TV ad falls into that same sphere? Or do you feel the TV advert is different, for whatever reasons? It's less provocative, and attempts to be more artistic, I feel.
@-wc-
Valid question. I'm not conflating the two. But I have seen both being criticised, sometimes by the same random social media users. Hence my Q. It's one of several reasons I stopped using socmed (not on twitter, BS, Insta, or active on FB, or even LinkedIn). Because apart from the aggression from people who disagree, I've seen weird hypocritical stances dismissing all nudity. As in, blanket statements stating all of it is bad. I've read tirades on socmed arguing paintings and sculptures "reinforce patriarchal stereotypes about bla bla bla". I zoned out pretty quickly, but sufficed to say, I disagree that old art and antiquity are somehow inherently bad and I disregard such opinions immediately.
To be precise:
I am fine with artistic nudes
I am fine with hypersexual adverts
I am fine with live models in sexy clothing walking around to promote products
I am fine with films / comics / games / etc., containing sexual content, whether it's to support that media product, or simply to arouse its audience via gratuitous inclusion
I can tell and describe the difference between all of the above, and I am cool with all of the above.
I have only one rule which governs my views: between consenting adults there are no rules
@-wc- "If it was still a good strategy for selling games, it would still be happening, because that's how the world works. That's my take."
Exactly! An excellent point you make, and Stellar Blade's massive success I feel proves you correct! There is a lot of rightfully deserved praise given for the very attractive lead character - and its sales reflected the fact there is an audience for such content. The gameplay is solid too, but there's a lot of good 3D action games out there (ie: Vanquish), so the character designs really helped it stand out.
I don't have a PC rig that can play it well enough, but I pushed through the demo despite a low frame rate, and I think the main character is lovely. I would absolutely buy Stellar Blade if I had a powerful PC or PS5.
@Ruka We don't always agree, but I feel like we've got a non-partisan sharing of views here. Solidarity, fellow user.
You make a good point - it's not only sexual nudity, but from what I've seen any sort of nudity, regardless of context, even artistic.
I'm reminded of the interview with the Maniac Mansion dev team and the nude statue on the NES - Nintendo said if they could find a real artistic statue, the could keep it. They found one. But then Nintendo asked them to fix the groin area - not know what they meant the team just removed for less headache.
But that was the late 80s / early 90s. The revolt against anything mildly titillating seems to be a new thing, a new type of social movement.
I have no idea of the sociological causes. I might walk back the puritan speculation slightly. I have a few speculative ideas, but dare not share them. Even admitting to liking the female form is to place a target on one's back!
Yes, I own multiple DOAX and Rumble Roses titles. These games are excellent. Genuinely no shame, only confusion at the controversy these legal products garner.
Hentai, eroge, ecchi, erotica, cheesecake, whatever names you want to apply to the wide umbrella of content that once existed, I am fine with seeing it and owning it. And I am OK with people knowing this.
I dislike these because I hate AI and worry it will make documenting games history more difficult going forward.
But I have also enjoyed "cheesecake" and nudity in my media, and I genuinely do not understand comments saying it's gross, or the intense negative reaction images of women seem to generate.
Putting aside these AI examples, there are plenty of real world examples, especially from Japan. I have old Japanese games magazines which feature full nudity in adverts.
I said something similar in my Hideo Kojima feature: we live in a world where what was once considered healthy and normal (ie: men being attracted to beautiful women) has now been pathologised and deemed bad, or sick, or somehow wrong.
I don't understand - it seems to be an offshoot of puritanism, which deems sex as evil?
It's not wrong to like seeing beautiful women.
If you don't enjoy it, fair enough. You don't have to look at it. Someone mentioned Sega Saturn magazine running a spread on page 3 girls in Sega cosplay. I own that issue. It's cool. If you don't like it, you could just not own that magazine. Or not buy products that use these ads. I agree with @Ruka that I'd like to see a return of sexiness in media. Bring back Gravure models!
As an aside: regarding the ban on booth babe models and F1 models, I went and read comments from these models.
I chose to listen to those directly affected by the bans. And you know what? These women were furious. They were angry that their livelihoods had been taken from them. And honestly, I cannot even reprint what some of them said about the people who demanded the ban. Let's just say that all these very attractive models had some very unpleasant things to say about the people who made them lose their jobs. Very unpleasant things.
I enjoyed and miss gravure models, booth babes, etc. - and I would like to see more beauty in media. I am not ashamed to say I have always enjoyed it.
EDIT: I'm editing my message to state these are just my views, I know many disagree; my views do not represent those the site.Can we all agree that having different perspectives is acceptable?
/END EDIT
Here's a real example of a TV advert I saw on daytime TV in Poland (we had German channels). I won't give the URL link, just in case. But search YouTube for:
Lätta Werbung Bergsee 1998
It's just an every day normal German advert for butter, from 1998, and it was shown in the afternoon alongside the rest of the day time programming.
And it depicts a beautiful woman, naked, fully nude, upper body frontal nudity, nipples and all, walking out of a lake.
And as an advert it's very effective, because nearly 30 years later I'm still thinking about this advert and that butter. I have an eternal crush on the model, whoever she may be.
I am fine with ads like this. I am fine with daytime media showing this. I firmly believe in my heart and soul there is nothing wrong with this, because it's natural for men to be attracted to this woman. It's written into our DNA.
Again, I'm very confused why previously healthy things are now deemed bad.
For anyone offended by images of nude women, do you feel the same about the various art galleries around the world, featuring nude paintings and sculpture? A sincere good faith question.
The female form is not a crime.
Broadly agree with diff comments made by the following:
@Fallingshadow @Exerion76 @slider1983
@themacjesus Hello! Thank you for the interest! I've sort of moved on from this project, and am juggling several other things at the moment. I'm pretty sure every card has fixed results under the silver - based on the one card I bought and scratched, and other cards which I found online prescratched. The symbols are not randomised, I'm pretty sure.
@MegaJ It is? I did not even realise. I'm not kidding - I don't have any special access privileges, nor can I edit my work. I have to email. And I always regarded myself as an independant contractor. And I've put about 30 people on ignore. My apologies - and I say that to you sincerely - I've been operating under the belief anyone can just put me on ignore. If that's not possible I will ask the admins about being ignorable.
Back around 1993, a friend of a friend had one. We visited his house one evening. I played it briefly. For over 30 years I've wanted one, but as my income increased over the years, so did pricing.
This was the easiest £800 that I've ever dropped.
I only hope the team see these pre-orders and realise they're not just producing a product, they have also elected to become historical custodians.
I'm more excited about this than I have been for any hardware in the last 15 years.
It's time to draw a line under this - while I stand by what I've said in the piece, I have removed my comments. Gaming, like any business, is full of contradictions, and I think the more we discuss our perspectives like adults, the better. Peace!
General fiddlyness and a list of things that bug me - chargeable batteries with finite life, or using disposable that need replacing. USB cables that wear out the ports over time. Lag. Problems syncing.
The only benefit is less clutter due to no wires? This hasn't been useful to me.
Also, and this is just a weird psychological thing, I enjoy knowing there is a "physical hardline" that be can be suddenly removed
by physically pulling it. There have been the odd rare instance where this was useful.
I know you can go in a menu and disconnect stuff. But I've liked the immediacy of cables. But I accept this is more a weird personal thing.
I wanted to avoid commenting, but I also want to say something on record - given a lot of comments here and on socmed are saying TE has an agenda.
As a freelance contributor I have never once been instructed to adopt a specific stance, nor censored, despite the fact I hold views contrary to some online (absolute freedom of artistic expression without consequence). This is why I was asked to comment here. I am openly pro AES+ and TE wanted to cover all voices. (I bought the £800 Ultimate edition and look forward to fun discussions with fellow buyers in the other news article.)
I can't comment on editorial decisions for other contributors, but I have never once felt pressured to adjust my POV. Indeed, TE has always offered more freedom to express my views than other places.
It would be a shame for anyone to stop reading TE due to certain articles, when it's a website publishing a diverse range of writers, each with differing (and sometimes conflicting) views. It's a website which respects its contributors.
My personal beliefs mirror @Martin_H
I dislike puritanical moralising - and I've never been told to inject it into my work.
@X68000 I recently met an old arcade operator who had a ton of old MVS carts in storage. Didn't realise the value. I explained the rise in retro prices. Want to put him in touch with someone who could advise, without taking advantage of him. I already suggested joining the NG forum.
@MoriyaMug
Glad you stopped by. I couldn't recall your new username.
I'm tempted to email Plaion and suggest they contact you. Or you could email them.
I don't know the feasibility - a CD to AES conversion? Utilising an unofficial translation? Correcting the elemental bugs? Would you even want to license it?
I have no idea.
And yet... I find the idea amusing.
I finished it already so it's not even for me. But if they can revive the NG hardware like this, anything is possible.
@-wc- Why the aversion to bluetooth? I too avoid it in all my household items, and disable it in stuff that comes with it. Just curious as to your reasons.
@X68000 So... Can you store all the games on an SD card, and then you move them in or out of the 4 slots? Sounds a bit like the NGPC flashcart - unlimited on the SD card, but you need to move / install them to built in flash to load them.
Or are the 4 slots for fast loading, versus any other game where you need to wait as it loads it into memory?
I'm not a fan of wireless controllers do will probably sell / trade those to get an OG stick or the hardwired one, if anyone prefers wireless.
From what I read... The bundled stick is hardwired. The extra sticks are wireless, but you can plug them in via a separate cable?
Is that correct?
The wording made me think the bundled sticks were strictly hardwired?
If this is a 1:1 replica, the console should easily moddable for RGB. Was reading up and the OG system produced a digital RGB signal which would then be converted to analogue.
So a simple bypass of the conversion improved the picture and removed jailbars.
I'm not involved in any managerial decisions, I'm not a member of staff, simply an independant freelancer, and my views should not be seen as indicative of or representing Hookshot Media.
My posts here are because I have a strong personal interest in SNK and the glorious Neo Geo legacy (I interviewed the original creator of Metal Slug from Nazca for example; twice!).
For the record: I also publicly spoke out in support of WayForward when users were criticising them over ModRetro reissuing their GBC games. Calling for the game's boycott, which I found ridiculous.
I don't have a personal interest in ModRetro products so don't say much - but please rest assured that as an individual, I genuinely do not care and will not judge anyone for buying their products. If I had a problem, I would not engage.
Everyone has a right to engage with and buy any legal product that interests them, and they have a right to do this without harassment.
A little basic human courtesy, and leaving people alone to live their lives, would make for a much better experience.
@metaphysician @NatiaAdamo CDI / CD-i / cd~I / seedeeeye uses the Green Book standard from the Rainbow Books, and are perfectly readable in a standard PC optical drive. One of the emulators can in fact boot the disc and run it. I think... I've never bothered. But I can definitely read and copy them in my PC.
It's not like the Dreamcast's GD-ROM format where only certain drives are capable of reading the disc.
The only tricky aspects of the CDI are the BIOS and the video cartridge.
Emulators need the official BIOS currently, which hasn't been cloned, and the video cart is not emulated, meaning several good games cannot be played.
And... I feel like very few people care about the CDI to warrant it?
EDIT: the message I was replying to was deleted. I'll leave my response unchanged below.
@Noiro
Nobody hurt my feelings. I just find moralising to be insufferable.
I will not spare anyone my attitude - not until myself and others can enjoy and engage with whatever legal media they choose, without any excrutiating, insufferable finger wagging from sanctimonious puritans.
If you don't like it, then you should not engage with it. But do not lecture others who choose to engage with it.
I want to engage with media and not be spoken down to about it.
I despise how a vocal minority are trying to force their views onto possible customers.
I want this group to keep quiet and let the rest of us live our lives.
@NeonPizza I live in the UK, I've never used component or S-Video. In fact S-video isn't a thing here. From the 16-bit generation we had RGB via SCART here in the UK. SNES and Mega Drive both running crisp and sharp through SCART. I honestly can't stand playing these through composite. I play my NES through composite, but everything else is SCART.
Even my PC Engine outputs RGB SCART.
And it's also pumped into my Sony Trinitron CRT.
I'm not convinced that the Neo Geo will benefit from composite (yellow, red, white cables) rather than RGB.
I've not actually owned a Neo Geo before. My desire for SCART is based simply on all my 16-bit and 32-bit systems using it.
@DiacloneFx Ah, yes. Ok, that makes sense. I knew the originals had micro clicks. The softness though closely matches the analogue softness of the Vectrex sticks.
I suppose the specific reason they work well for me is one of the specific reasons they don't work for you.
@X68000 Good points. In fairness I had let it go and haven't thought about it in years. This news item just triggered a surge of memories. I guess it was not let go sufficiently.
I've said my peace now.
@NOCDGAMING All on Amazon, or used copies on eBay. Just pick the cheapest.
@Banjo-
That's cool. I don't begrudge anyone enjoying his videos. The source material is quite excellent! But I have a personal grudge with his methods and way of operating, for reasons explained.
If you love his videos, that's excellent. Just be sure to dig deep to find out where that information originally came from.
In a Reddit thread on his retirement, titled "gaming historian announces his retirement from youtube", there was a user called:
Constant-Yak-918
Said user posted a link to this news article, with a screengrab.
I took a screenshot of the post.
As of this morning the post is deleted. Or at least I cannot find it in the Reddit thread.
I don't know who you are, but I salute and thank you for your efforts. I witnessed said efforts, and I also witnessed Reddit trying to censor your attempt at spreading truth.
Let me see if I can embed the image here. I may need to edit this multiple times.
Norm's channel exists because others put in the hard work.
Another example:
Hudson & Nintendo's Obscure PC Games
Volume 2, which I physically posted to him in 2015, had a detailed interview with Hudson staff on these. I would link you to his web page citing his sources, except I can't even find it. I clicked to the 4th page of his episode guide, and the 2018 video isn't even listed! The last entry I could find was a Spyro video.
They openly admit to using the books to get information from videos. Here is a verbatim copy and pasted quote from Kristin, dated 28 November 2017:
"Norm and I enjoy your books and appreciate all the research and effort that went into them. We sometimes use your books as reference material"
I am glad his channel is closing down, so he can now coast off someone else's hard work. And to be clear again: I never said I was the sole person, he's clearly doing this to multiple other writers.
The hiding of the sources is infuriating! Why not just disclose them in the text box of every single video? Why go to the effort to make a little page, hidden away, so you don't have to cite them on the YT page?
I am now going to pack for my travels. I've given hard evidence, and as stated before, Damien has scans of the emails, and also a second person who asked I remove their name from my previous post.
Everything I have to say on this matter is stated clearly in my previous separate posts.
I accused nobody of plagiarism. I accused him of relying on the work of others for his success, without proper credit. Which I have now proven, because it require 4x mouse clicks just to get to that video's citation page, and not every video even has a citation page.
And I accused him of saying yes to copies of my book, and promising a review, which two years later had never materialised and I was given the brush off. I have the email chain of these interactions. He would "LOVE" copies, and he planned to review them! Two years later he gets someone else to reply, saying they had no plans to do so. He did not even have the etiquette to reply to me himself!
@Lunethf
First of all, not once did I say the word "plagiarise". There's an important distinction here. Norm isn't publishing a book, and inside that book are pages lifted wholesale from my books. He's producing videos, using information from my books, and not crediting them in said videos - the credits are hidden behind a URL and multiple clicks, as I said in my first post.
And I specifically did not want to trawl through his video archive again, because I am so angry with him. But I did, just to prove it to you. (This feels like in a court case where the prosecution is dogpiling the witness, demanding they describe in detail the crime committed against them.)
So, important point here, Norm promised me a review in his email dated November 2015. None was ever made, despite his channel being full of book reviews (go look, I'm not citing all of them, I counted at least 10 on his page and 1x magazine review).
Now, open up any of his videos. Does he cite sources?
NO. He says for a list of sources go here, and links to his website.
He deliberately OBFUSCATES where he got the info. Who is going to go to the trouble, of clicking his website, finding the video page in question, and then going: ahh, so that's the book he used!
To be clear here: my accusation is not plagiarism, it's lazy grifting, by using info from my books and then not properly crediting it on the YT video page. Or rather, hiding the credits behind at least 3 or 4 mouse clicks. Click the sources link to his website, click the episodes guide, click to page 2 or 3 or 4 maybe, then click the episode itself.
Look at the info box. Does he list my book? No. But he does say click a link. Follow that link, click episodes, click page 2, then scroll to find the MM video, then click it, then scroll down again: https://thegaminghistorian.com/the-story-of-mega-man-on-dos/
Oh, yes, he does specifically cite my book. But how much effort does the average viewer have to go through to reach that?
Like I said. Coasting on the work of others. The Rozner brothers interview was done by me. And he tries to hide this fact.
And they are not difficult to contact either.
I passed on their contact details to this very website, Time Extension, and Jack interviewed them!
Posting again with specific facts, since I see someone highlighted my message on Reddit (many thanks, happy to talk about this). I am going away for Easter, so won't be able to reply to questions for a couple weeks.
But I sent copies of the emails to Damien and some friends, in the unlikely event anyone accuses me of fabricating this, and it needs verification while I am away.
I have an email from Norman dated 10 November 2015.
He says he would "absolutely LOVE a copy" and says he is planning to review it "sometime in the future".
He gives his address. I send him the books.
Nothing more from Norman until 28 November 2017, when I email asking for feedback on Volumes 1 and 2. (Volume 3 wasn't published until 2018 - so he only had two of them, but that's about 526 and 400 pages.)
Kristen replies, saying they both enjoy the books, admitting they use them for reference material, and saying they've scaled back their book reviews. But adds "Thanks for the understanding!"
I reply saying it's weird Norman didn't reply himself.
Kristin replies: "LOL. Sorry to disappoint."
I couldn't stomach browsing his channel for long, so I never made a note of every single video which grifted off my work, but there were multiple.
As I said earlier: good riddance to him. Absolutely detestable.
EDIT x 2: clarifying who was sent copies of the emails
Comments 920
Re: Check Out Castlevania: Rondo Of Blood Running On The Sega Genesis / Mega Drive
@sdelfin
I owned both as well BITD, and as you allude to, he was in fact a SNES owner BITD, so it did feel like nostalgia clouding his judgement. And when I rattled off examples, he literally did the "well those were just rare exceptions". LOL. The SNES music chip made it easy to add almost CD quality music - it feels almost like cheating. The MD though, the musicians had to work harder when composing, but when they did, it was great. I love synth and chiptunes anyway, hence the preference. I like SID music, despite never owning a C64.
Re: "That's The Magic Sauce" - GoldenEye Designer Explains Why It Feels So Good To Shoot Baddies In The N64 Classic
EDIT: Bot_Bot beat me to the answer by a few seconds, lol
@Tibob
The unreleased but leaked on Xbox 360 is incredible.
I bought a JTAG modded system just to play it, and it was honestly worth it (I also unlocked some rare XBLIG that were delisted).
You can swap between N64 graphics and remaster graphics, like youcould on Perfect Dark on 360.
It's still technically a beta. So some things are a bit off. Trevelyan's grenade won't bounce off walls to kill him. Also small glass windows don't shatter, but big glass does.
But it's 95% there, smooth frame rate, great draw distance. Exactly what you want.
If you don't want to buy a modded X360 it can also be emulated on a powerful enough PC.
Re: The Making Of: Metal Slug - "I Never Thought That It Would Have Sequels"
@h3s - sorry, I'm unsure regarding the fps. Good Q though.
@Martin_H - as a happy pre-orderer of the AES+ ULTIMATE EDITION, I have to say... I actually agree with you. I personally found the NGPC to have a more interesting and diverse library. And while I yearned for a NG throughout my teen years, drooling over the screenshots of £300 games in import mags, the truth is... I could have bought a SNES / MD plus several games, or maybe even just 10x games for one of them (used games were like £20 in my local indie store). And when I finally played the entire library via emulation on my Xbox, it hit me... I'd actually had the better experience having owning both a SNES and MD, and buying games for them over the years. More RPGs, more 2D shooters, more weird puzzle and platform games. Some cool film licenses. Etc.
Still, as an adult who has explored all the consoles of the era, the NG is the last frontier I've yet to experience authentically on real hardware. The 13 year old inside needs to be satiated.
Re: Plaion Answers Ten Of Your Burning Questions About The Neo Geo AES+
@KingMike
I first noticed it with one of the Tomb Raider games on X360. At first I thought the eBay seller had lost it - looked online, and nope, it didn't come with one. As you say, the beginning of the end and now today you're lucky even to have a physical game in the box. I don't understand why manuals were abandoned.
Cost? Paper and monochrome are cheap (I know, I work in print media). The pennies a company saves isn't going to offset the loss of goodwill felt from owning a nice product with lush manual.
Environment? I actually saw this as a "feature" on something. Not games, but some other product, an appliance or something. "No paper instructions is good for the environment!" Absolute nonsense. Paper can be recycled, and even if disposed of, paper will biodegrade, unlike the plastics of everything else. Paper is the most environmentally product we can make.
I miss physical products.
A few mentioned Evercade. A good shout. I have the Intellivision cart (but no Evercade unit, yet), and it's a lovely little package.
Re: Plaion Answers Ten Of Your Burning Questions About The Neo Geo AES+
Manuals. Real paper manuals. Made from actual real paper. I am weeping metaphorical tears of joy. 😭
I haven't seen one of those with a new game release for... Gosh, 10, maybe 15 years? Has it been that long?
Can we please just take a moment to reflect on the fact that this bundle is bringing back so much of what was once normal, but is now missing from games?
No patches, no installs, no download codes in a box to get a digital only version, no lack of manual because there's a 20 hour tutorial to replace it. Just a beautiful box, printed instructions, and the entire game in the box. A beautiful, intuitive, fun game.
In the era of "you will own nothing and be happy", the fact we'll get to actually own something once again, for a change, makes me jubilant! That Ultimate edition was worth every penny. 😭
Re: Random: "This Isn't Real, Is It?" - These Annoying Gen AI Adverts For Retro Consoles Are Fooling A Lot Of People
@SuntannedDuck2
"I mean do people even re-read/read magazines from the past"
I have an enormous library of several hundred physical magazines, dating from 1982 (maybe earlier?) to the present day, and I read one or more of them almost every day, and I find them immensely valuable for research.
Release dates, rumours, cancelled games, the evolution of certain events. For example yesterday was reading a March 1994 magazine which claimed In The Hunt would have a SNES port (it did not), and also explored the censorship crackdown at the time, with regards to the US senate hearing, British classification system, etc. It also noted Doom being ported to SNES (quite an early announcement).
Old magazines can provide hard data, and also are a reflection of the cultural zeitgeist.
I'm probably the anomaly here, but I will read and make copious notes quite regularly.
Ernie Katz's thinly veiled racist attacks on Japan and Europe, in his monthly VG&CE columns, have proved a fascinating rabbit hole, for example, and reflect the phobia America felt during the 1980s.
And in case anyone is wondering: old issues of Famitsu would regularly feature sexy gravure models on the cover, with photoshoots inside. Not even game related. They just wanted a cute woman on the cover and inside. I love it!
Re: Random: "This Isn't Real, Is It?" - These Annoying Gen AI Adverts For Retro Consoles Are Fooling A Lot Of People
@-wc-
I've enjoyed our discussions, we've been respectful and I enjoy the ritual of human communication while needing to think and recall events.
So I'd like to respectfully disagree with this statement and offer, not a strawman argument, but a real example which had a wider impact:
"we can safely dismiss secondhand accounts of anonymous random social media accounts of dubious intent as straw men, in this or any other context, frankly"
I am a fan of George Kamitani of Vanillaware. He used to paint, annually, a beautiful year end painting. Gorgeous artwork. Often with light nudity. Not sexual, but artistic. True art.
Your discussion has reminded me of the witch hunt Kamitani underwent. Jason Schrier, and others, repeatedly attacked him and his art. This resulted in him making a joking rebuttal, which got lost in translation, and caused more chaos.
He apologised publicly:
https://www.reddit.com/r/vita/comments/1e23h0/dragons_crown_lead_designer_george_kamitani/
As someone else said there: no artist should ever apologise for their art style.
I also strongly disagree with Schrier, who argued Kamitani's paintings were sexual in nature.
This is not a strawman argument. My interpretation is that Schrier does not like viewing beautiful images.
My favourite painting of Kamitani's was... The Three Graces. I can't find it online. Three beautiful nymphs, asleep. Not sexual, but pure art.
Here's a different painting:
https://www.siliconera.com/vanillaware-rings-in-the-new-year-with-a-goddess/
After some searching I found this article, depicting the painting. NOT SAFE FOR WORK:
https://tinycartridge.com/post/320992166/nsfw-vanillawares-three-graces
For the longest time it was my desktop wallpaper. It does not arouse sexually, but rather it awakens my heart, stirs my soul, and I am filled with a desire to write and create, to create even a fraction of the artistry Kamitani achieves. I bend my knee to Kamitani's skill.
So now you have your example, not a strawman argument, and not an anonymous second hand source. A known journalist criticising traditional painted art to the point of destroying the artist.
Schrier's unhinged criticisms, and those of other journalists at the time, eventually resulted in Kamitani no longer painting. Criticisms not of sexual material, but pure beautiful art. The world lost something the day he stopped painting.
#justiceforkamitani
I'd like to thank you for questioning me. It encouraged me to strengthen my argument with solid examples, and I am better because of it. Well played.
Re: Random: "This Isn't Real, Is It?" - These Annoying Gen AI Adverts For Retro Consoles Are Fooling A Lot Of People
@-wc-
"obviously this isnt true if you take it to logical extremes"
When I said that line to a friend once, they brought up the infamous German news story of the cannibal and the victim who answered an advert, asking me if I thought their mutually consented scenario was acceptable.
This feels like a logically extreme example.
And my conclusion was: I feel like both of them were likely mentally ill and thus the consent was not informed or genuine. They had taken leave of their senses and legally were not capable of making such choices.
So yes, there are going to be extreme edge cases where the belief needs debating and consideration, and provides an interesting thought experiment.
As for consenting to advertising, I dislike ads in general, unless they're especially entertaining. But I suppose the answer is, we could simply not watch TV, or browse the internet, thus not exposing us to ads. When I turn on my TV, load up my web browser, or flick through a magazine, I am consenting to the ads since I know they will exist. And logically, ads of a salacious nature, are best placed within media that appeals to such people. ie: a salacious games advert with babes is best shown during an action movie, not during Golden Girls reruns.
With TE, I pay for the premium of choice not having ads. But if that option were not available, I would accept that I am forced to see them.
I'm not sure if you searched for it on YouTube, and I respect you if you choose not to view it, but if you did view it - what did you think of the German butter advert? (Note: it contains frontal nudity.) How would you react if you were watching TV in the afternoon, say 13:30, and it came on?
You can hate it if you want - I'm not wanting to pass judgement. I'm just curious, given you dislike game ads like that, and I'm assuming this TV ad falls into that same sphere? Or do you feel the TV advert is different, for whatever reasons? It's less provocative, and attempts to be more artistic, I feel.
Re: Random: "This Isn't Real, Is It?" - These Annoying Gen AI Adverts For Retro Consoles Are Fooling A Lot Of People
@-wc-
Valid question. I'm not conflating the two. But I have seen both being criticised, sometimes by the same random social media users. Hence my Q. It's one of several reasons I stopped using socmed (not on twitter, BS, Insta, or active on FB, or even LinkedIn). Because apart from the aggression from people who disagree, I've seen weird hypocritical stances dismissing all nudity. As in, blanket statements stating all of it is bad. I've read tirades on socmed arguing paintings and sculptures "reinforce patriarchal stereotypes about bla bla bla". I zoned out pretty quickly, but sufficed to say, I disagree that old art and antiquity are somehow inherently bad and I disregard such opinions immediately.
To be precise:
I can tell and describe the difference between all of the above, and I am cool with all of the above.
I have only one rule which governs my views: between consenting adults there are no rules
Re: Random: "This Isn't Real, Is It?" - These Annoying Gen AI Adverts For Retro Consoles Are Fooling A Lot Of People
@-wc-
"If it was still a good strategy for selling games, it would still be happening, because that's how the world works. That's my take."
Exactly! An excellent point you make, and Stellar Blade's massive success I feel proves you correct! There is a lot of rightfully deserved praise given for the very attractive lead character - and its sales reflected the fact there is an audience for such content. The gameplay is solid too, but there's a lot of good 3D action games out there (ie: Vanquish), so the character designs really helped it stand out.
I don't have a PC rig that can play it well enough, but I pushed through the demo despite a low frame rate, and I think the main character is lovely. I would absolutely buy Stellar Blade if I had a powerful PC or PS5.
They've earned my money (when the time comes).
Re: Random: "This Isn't Real, Is It?" - These Annoying Gen AI Adverts For Retro Consoles Are Fooling A Lot Of People
@Ruka
We don't always agree, but I feel like we've got a non-partisan sharing of views here. Solidarity, fellow user.
You make a good point - it's not only sexual nudity, but from what I've seen any sort of nudity, regardless of context, even artistic.
I'm reminded of the interview with the Maniac Mansion dev team and the nude statue on the NES - Nintendo said if they could find a real artistic statue, the could keep it. They found one. But then Nintendo asked them to fix the groin area - not know what they meant the team just removed for less headache.
But that was the late 80s / early 90s. The revolt against anything mildly titillating seems to be a new thing, a new type of social movement.
I have no idea of the sociological causes. I might walk back the puritan speculation slightly. I have a few speculative ideas, but dare not share them. Even admitting to liking the female form is to place a target on one's back!
Yes, I own multiple DOAX and Rumble Roses titles. These games are excellent. Genuinely no shame, only confusion at the controversy these legal products garner.
Hentai, eroge, ecchi, erotica, cheesecake, whatever names you want to apply to the wide umbrella of content that once existed, I am fine with seeing it and owning it. And I am OK with people knowing this.
Re: Random: "This Isn't Real, Is It?" - These Annoying Gen AI Adverts For Retro Consoles Are Fooling A Lot Of People
I dislike these because I hate AI and worry it will make documenting games history more difficult going forward.
But I have also enjoyed "cheesecake" and nudity in my media, and I genuinely do not understand comments saying it's gross, or the intense negative reaction images of women seem to generate.
Putting aside these AI examples, there are plenty of real world examples, especially from Japan. I have old Japanese games magazines which feature full nudity in adverts.
I said something similar in my Hideo Kojima feature: we live in a world where what was once considered healthy and normal (ie: men being attracted to beautiful women) has now been pathologised and deemed bad, or sick, or somehow wrong.
I don't understand - it seems to be an offshoot of puritanism, which deems sex as evil?
It's not wrong to like seeing beautiful women.
If you don't enjoy it, fair enough. You don't have to look at it. Someone mentioned Sega Saturn magazine running a spread on page 3 girls in Sega cosplay. I own that issue. It's cool. If you don't like it, you could just not own that magazine. Or not buy products that use these ads. I agree with @Ruka that I'd like to see a return of sexiness in media. Bring back Gravure models!
As an aside: regarding the ban on booth babe models and F1 models, I went and read comments from these models.
I chose to listen to those directly affected by the bans. And you know what? These women were furious. They were angry that their livelihoods had been taken from them. And honestly, I cannot even reprint what some of them said about the people who demanded the ban. Let's just say that all these very attractive models had some very unpleasant things to say about the people who made them lose their jobs. Very unpleasant things.
I enjoyed and miss gravure models, booth babes, etc. - and I would like to see more beauty in media. I am not ashamed to say I have always enjoyed it.
EDIT: I'm editing my message to state these are just my views, I know many disagree; my views do not represent those the site.Can we all agree that having different perspectives is acceptable?
/END EDIT
Here's a real example of a TV advert I saw on daytime TV in Poland (we had German channels). I won't give the URL link, just in case. But search YouTube for:
Lätta Werbung Bergsee 1998
It's just an every day normal German advert for butter, from 1998, and it was shown in the afternoon alongside the rest of the day time programming.
And it depicts a beautiful woman, naked, fully nude, upper body frontal nudity, nipples and all, walking out of a lake.
And as an advert it's very effective, because nearly 30 years later I'm still thinking about this advert and that butter. I have an eternal crush on the model, whoever she may be.
I am fine with ads like this. I am fine with daytime media showing this. I firmly believe in my heart and soul there is nothing wrong with this, because it's natural for men to be attracted to this woman. It's written into our DNA.
Again, I'm very confused why previously healthy things are now deemed bad.
For anyone offended by images of nude women, do you feel the same about the various art galleries around the world, featuring nude paintings and sculpture? A sincere good faith question.
The female form is not a crime.
Broadly agree with diff comments made by the following:
@Fallingshadow @Exerion76 @slider1983
Re: I've Just Resurrected This Zelda Scratch Card Game From 1989
@themacjesus
Hello! Thank you for the interest! I've sort of moved on from this project, and am juggling several other things at the moment. I'm pretty sure every card has fixed results under the silver - based on the one card I bought and scratched, and other cards which I found online prescratched. The symbols are not randomised, I'm pretty sure.
But that is one heck of a cool find!
@Mases and @Asaki might be interested though?
Re: Talking Point: "We, The Consumers, Need To Vote With Our Wallets" - The Moral Dilemma Of Supporting SNK In 2026
@MegaJ
It is? I did not even realise. I'm not kidding - I don't have any special access privileges, nor can I edit my work. I have to email. And I always regarded myself as an independant contractor. And I've put about 30 people on ignore. My apologies - and I say that to you sincerely - I've been operating under the belief anyone can just put me on ignore. If that's not possible I will ask the admins about being ignorable.
Re: "Humbling And Deeply Inspiring" - Neo Geo+ Production Forecasts Increased After "Overwhelming" Response
Back around 1993, a friend of a friend had one. We visited his house one evening. I played it briefly. For over 30 years I've wanted one, but as my income increased over the years, so did pricing.
This was the easiest £800 that I've ever dropped.
I only hope the team see these pre-orders and realise they're not just producing a product, they have also elected to become historical custodians.
I'm more excited about this than I have been for any hardware in the last 15 years.
Re: Talking Point: "We, The Consumers, Need To Vote With Our Wallets" - The Moral Dilemma Of Supporting SNK In 2026
@81632bit
It's time to draw a line under this - while I stand by what I've said in the piece, I have removed my comments. Gaming, like any business, is full of contradictions, and I think the more we discuss our perspectives like adults, the better. Peace!
Re: Guide: "No Emulation, No Compromise, No Comparison" - Everything You Need To Know About The $250 Neo Geo+ AES
@-wc-
Fair.
General fiddlyness and a list of things that bug me - chargeable batteries with finite life, or using disposable that need replacing. USB cables that wear out the ports over time. Lag. Problems syncing.
The only benefit is less clutter due to no wires? This hasn't been useful to me.
Also, and this is just a weird psychological thing, I enjoy knowing there is a "physical hardline" that be can be suddenly removed
by physically pulling it. There have been the odd rare instance where this was useful.
I know you can go in a menu and disconnect stuff. But I've liked the immediacy of cables. But I accept this is more a weird personal thing.
Re: Talking Point: "We, The Consumers, Need To Vote With Our Wallets" - The Moral Dilemma Of Supporting SNK In 2026
I wanted to avoid commenting, but I also want to say something on record - given a lot of comments here and on socmed are saying TE has an agenda.
As a freelance contributor I have never once been instructed to adopt a specific stance, nor censored, despite the fact I hold views contrary to some online (absolute freedom of artistic expression without consequence). This is why I was asked to comment here. I am openly pro AES+ and TE wanted to cover all voices. (I bought the £800 Ultimate edition and look forward to fun discussions with fellow buyers in the other news article.)
I can't comment on editorial decisions for other contributors, but I have never once felt pressured to adjust my POV. Indeed, TE has always offered more freedom to express my views than other places.
It would be a shame for anyone to stop reading TE due to certain articles, when it's a website publishing a diverse range of writers, each with differing (and sometimes conflicting) views. It's a website which respects its contributors.
My personal beliefs mirror @Martin_H
I dislike puritanical moralising - and I've never been told to inject it into my work.
Engage with the articles that resonate with you.
Re: "Super Sidekicks 3 Or Ultimate 11?" - Plaion Wants To Know Which Neo Geo Games You'd Like To See Re-Released
@X68000
Cool cool. Do you have a website? If not I'll just ping you on here if the time comes.
Re: "Super Sidekicks 3 Or Ultimate 11?" - Plaion Wants To Know Which Neo Geo Games You'd Like To See Re-Released
@X68000
I recently met an old arcade operator who had a ton of old MVS carts in storage. Didn't realise the value. I explained the rise in retro prices. Want to put him in touch with someone who could advise, without taking advantage of him. I already suggested joining the NG forum.
Re: "Super Sidekicks 3 Or Ultimate 11?" - Plaion Wants To Know Which Neo Geo Games You'd Like To See Re-Released
@X68000
Hmm... I might give it a pass then.
Why the hostility to MVS owners?
Do you collect MVS? I have a (private) question about it, and am not sure who to ask.
Re: "Super Sidekicks 3 Or Ultimate 11?" - Plaion Wants To Know Which Neo Geo Games You'd Like To See Re-Released
@X68000
I was genuinely thinking of signing up yesterday.
Is there a divide, between the old money AES owners, and the neauvou AES+ peasantry?
(I kid - I bought the AES+ myself, but I do wonder if some view it like that.)
Re: "Super Sidekicks 3 Or Ultimate 11?" - Plaion Wants To Know Which Neo Geo Games You'd Like To See Re-Released
@damo
So, dedicated Neo•Geo sister site when? Looks like we might be seeing a lot of games for this new hardware platform.
Re: "Super Sidekicks 3 Or Ultimate 11?" - Plaion Wants To Know Which Neo Geo Games You'd Like To See Re-Released
@MoriyaMug
Glad you stopped by. I couldn't recall your new username.
I'm tempted to email Plaion and suggest they contact you. Or you could email them.
I don't know the feasibility - a CD to AES conversion? Utilising an unofficial translation? Correcting the elemental bugs? Would you even want to license it?
I have no idea.
And yet... I find the idea amusing.
I finished it already so it's not even for me. But if they can revive the NG hardware like this, anything is possible.
Re: "Super Sidekicks 3 Or Ultimate 11?" - Plaion Wants To Know Which Neo Geo Games You'd Like To See Re-Released
Neo Mr Do!
It was an MVS exclusive. There are consolised AES carts out there, but an official would be nice.
Blue's Adventure would also be nice.
Super Spy too.
Maybe license Jeff's translation of SamSho RPG and do a cart version?
Re: "No Emulation, No Compromise, No Comparison" - The $250 Neo Geo+ AES Aims To Be A 1:1 Replica Of SNK's Classic Console
@-wc-
Why the aversion to bluetooth? I too avoid it in all my household items, and disable it in stuff that comes with it. Just curious as to your reasons.
Re: The Neo Geo+ AES Saves You Over $92,000 On The Real Deal
@Arcadia_Official
I'd prefer any and all retro game news to be covered, regardless of surrounding drama. So I think we're on the same page.
Re: Guide: Where To Pre-Order The Neo Geo+ AES
@X68000
CD games? HELL YES.
Re: Guide: Where To Pre-Order The Neo Geo+ AES
@X68000
So... Can you store all the games on an SD card, and then you move them in or out of the 4 slots? Sounds a bit like the NGPC flashcart - unlimited on the SD card, but you need to move / install them to built in flash to load them.
Or are the 4 slots for fast loading, versus any other game where you need to wait as it loads it into memory?
What are the loading times like?
Re: Guide: Where To Pre-Order The Neo Geo+ AES
@X68000
Nice - I'll wait to hear your report.
How much was the TerraOnion?
I'm not a fan of wireless controllers do will probably sell / trade those to get an OG stick or the hardwired one, if anyone prefers wireless.
From what I read... The bundled stick is hardwired. The extra sticks are wireless, but you can plug them in via a separate cable?
Is that correct?
The wording made me think the bundled sticks were strictly hardwired?
If this is a 1:1 replica, the console should easily moddable for RGB. Was reading up and the OG system produced a digital RGB signal which would then be converted to analogue.
So a simple bypass of the conversion improved the picture and removed jailbars.
Psyched!
Re: Guide: Where To Pre-Order The Neo Geo+ AES
@X68000
Just ordered the ULTIMATE edition on the UK site - direct from Plaion.
£800 well spent
I have yearned for one for decades.
Hoping it runs flashcarts, I want to play the MVS exclusive Neo Mr Do!, which has long been a favourite on emulation.
Re: "No Emulation, No Compromise, No Comparison" - The $250 Neo Geo+ AES Aims To Be A 1:1 Replica Of SNK's Classic Console
@NeonPizza
I actually use RF for my Mega Drive, for a select few games, to get transparencies and colour blending.
Re: The Neo Geo+ AES Saves You Over $92,000 On The Real Deal
@Arcadia_Official
Fair points!
I'm not involved in any managerial decisions, I'm not a member of staff, simply an independant freelancer, and my views should not be seen as indicative of or representing Hookshot Media.
My posts here are because I have a strong personal interest in SNK and the glorious Neo Geo legacy (I interviewed the original creator of Metal Slug from Nazca for example; twice!).
For the record: I also publicly spoke out in support of WayForward when users were criticising them over ModRetro reissuing their GBC games. Calling for the game's boycott, which I found ridiculous.
I don't have a personal interest in ModRetro products so don't say much - but please rest assured that as an individual, I genuinely do not care and will not judge anyone for buying their products. If I had a problem, I would not engage.
Everyone has a right to engage with and buy any legal product that interests them, and they have a right to do this without harassment.
A little basic human courtesy, and leaving people alone to live their lives, would make for a much better experience.
Re: "Locked And Loaded" - Polymega Is Adding Support For Two New CD-Based Retro Consoles
@metaphysician @NatiaAdamo
CDI / CD-i / cd~I / seedeeeye uses the Green Book standard from the Rainbow Books, and are perfectly readable in a standard PC optical drive. One of the emulators can in fact boot the disc and run it. I think... I've never bothered. But I can definitely read and copy them in my PC.
It's not like the Dreamcast's GD-ROM format where only certain drives are capable of reading the disc.
The only tricky aspects of the CDI are the BIOS and the video cartridge.
Emulators need the official BIOS currently, which hasn't been cloned, and the video cart is not emulated, meaning several good games cannot be played.
And... I feel like very few people care about the CDI to warrant it?
Re: The Neo Geo+ AES Saves You Over $92,000 On The Real Deal
EDIT: the message I was replying to was deleted. I'll leave my response unchanged below.
@Noiro
Nobody hurt my feelings. I just find moralising to be insufferable.
I will not spare anyone my attitude - not until myself and others can enjoy and engage with whatever legal media they choose, without any excrutiating, insufferable finger wagging from sanctimonious puritans.
If you don't like it, then you should not engage with it. But do not lecture others who choose to engage with it.
I want to engage with media and not be spoken down to about it.
I despise how a vocal minority are trying to force their views onto possible customers.
I want this group to keep quiet and let the rest of us live our lives.
Re: The Neo Geo+ AES Saves You Over $92,000 On The Real Deal
Removed
Re: "Locked And Loaded" - Polymega Is Adding Support For Two New CD-Based Retro Consoles
@dustinprewitt
As someone with a huge CDI collection... I WISH!!
But CDI emulation is terrible. It's probably Jag CD, given it's near flawless currently, and 3DO since that's also pretty stable.
Re: "No Emulation, No Compromise, No Comparison" - The $250 Neo Geo+ AES Aims To Be A 1:1 Replica Of SNK's Classic Console
@NeonPizza
I live in the UK, I've never used component or S-Video. In fact S-video isn't a thing here. From the 16-bit generation we had RGB via SCART here in the UK. SNES and Mega Drive both running crisp and sharp through SCART. I honestly can't stand playing these through composite. I play my NES through composite, but everything else is SCART.
Even my PC Engine outputs RGB SCART.
And it's also pumped into my Sony Trinitron CRT.
I'm not convinced that the Neo Geo will benefit from composite (yellow, red, white cables) rather than RGB.
I've not actually owned a Neo Geo before. My desire for SCART is based simply on all my 16-bit and 32-bit systems using it.
Re: "No Emulation, No Compromise, No Comparison" - The $250 Neo Geo+ AES Aims To Be A 1:1 Replica Of SNK's Classic Console
@StyrofoamCup
Thank you! Much appreciated.
OK. So this is essentialy a fresh rerelease with all the old functionality.
Re: "No Emulation, No Compromise, No Comparison" - The $250 Neo Geo+ AES Aims To Be A 1:1 Replica Of SNK's Classic Console
Will it still be able to output to CRT via RGB SCART?
Or is it HDMI only?
Tempted, but ONLY if I can connect to CRT.
Re: Hopes Of Neo Geo Hardware Revival Triggered By ESRB Rating
@DiacloneFx
Ah, yes. Ok, that makes sense. I knew the originals had micro clicks. The softness though closely matches the analogue softness of the Vectrex sticks.
I suppose the specific reason they work well for me is one of the specific reasons they don't work for you.
Re: Hopes Of Neo Geo Hardware Revival Triggered By ESRB Rating
@DiacloneFx
Why are the mini controllers terrible? I got a modded one for my Vectrex and it's super nice. The analogue stick is perfect for Vectrex.
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
@X68000
Good points. In fairness I had let it go and haven't thought about it in years. This news item just triggered a surge of memories. I guess it was not let go sufficiently.
I've said my peace now.
@NOCDGAMING
All on Amazon, or used copies on eBay. Just pick the cheapest.
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
@Count_of_Monte_Fisto
Thanks Count, always warms my heart to know people are reading the trilogy.
@Banjo-
You are the wisest person. Not even kidding - to pause and ascertain facts first is something few do.
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
@Banjo-
That's cool. I don't begrudge anyone enjoying his videos. The source material is quite excellent! But I have a personal grudge with his methods and way of operating, for reasons explained.
If you love his videos, that's excellent. Just be sure to dig deep to find out where that information originally came from.
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
Reddit is deleting any criticism of Norm.
In a Reddit thread on his retirement, titled "gaming historian announces his retirement from youtube", there was a user called:
Constant-Yak-918
Said user posted a link to this news article, with a screengrab.
I took a screenshot of the post.
As of this morning the post is deleted. Or at least I cannot find it in the Reddit thread.
I don't know who you are, but I salute and thank you for your efforts. I witnessed said efforts, and I also witnessed Reddit trying to censor your attempt at spreading truth.
Let me see if I can embed the image here. I may need to edit this multiple times.
Justice for Constant-Yak-918!
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
Typos, typos everywhere! I'm going to stop editing these for typos, but I'm clearly so upset by this that I can barely type efficiently any more.
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
@Lunethf
MESSAGE 2 / 2
Norm's channel exists because others put in the hard work.
Another example:
Hudson & Nintendo's Obscure PC Games
Volume 2, which I physically posted to him in 2015, had a detailed interview with Hudson staff on these. I would link you to his web page citing his sources, except I can't even find it. I clicked to the 4th page of his episode guide, and the 2018 video isn't even listed! The last entry I could find was a Spyro video.
They openly admit to using the books to get information from videos. Here is a verbatim copy and pasted quote from Kristin, dated 28 November 2017:
"Norm and I enjoy your books and appreciate all the research and effort that went into them. We sometimes use your books as reference material"
I am glad his channel is closing down, so he can now coast off someone else's hard work. And to be clear again: I never said I was the sole person, he's clearly doing this to multiple other writers.
The hiding of the sources is infuriating! Why not just disclose them in the text box of every single video? Why go to the effort to make a little page, hidden away, so you don't have to cite them on the YT page?
I am now going to pack for my travels. I've given hard evidence, and as stated before, Damien has scans of the emails, and also a second person who asked I remove their name from my previous post.
Everything I have to say on this matter is stated clearly in my previous separate posts.
I accused nobody of plagiarism. I accused him of relying on the work of others for his success, without proper credit. Which I have now proven, because it require 4x mouse clicks just to get to that video's citation page, and not every video even has a citation page.
And I accused him of saying yes to copies of my book, and promising a review, which two years later had never materialised and I was given the brush off. I have the email chain of these interactions. He would "LOVE" copies, and he planned to review them! Two years later he gets someone else to reply, saying they had no plans to do so. He did not even have the etiquette to reply to me himself!
I hope this has answered your question.
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
@Lunethf
MESSAGE 1 / 2
@Lunethf
First of all, not once did I say the word "plagiarise". There's an important distinction here. Norm isn't publishing a book, and inside that book are pages lifted wholesale from my books. He's producing videos, using information from my books, and not crediting them in said videos - the credits are hidden behind a URL and multiple clicks, as I said in my first post.
And I specifically did not want to trawl through his video archive again, because I am so angry with him. But I did, just to prove it to you. (This feels like in a court case where the prosecution is dogpiling the witness, demanding they describe in detail the crime committed against them.)
So, important point here, Norm promised me a review in his email dated November 2015. None was ever made, despite his channel being full of book reviews (go look, I'm not citing all of them, I counted at least 10 on his page and 1x magazine review).
Now, open up any of his videos. Does he cite sources?
NO. He says for a list of sources go here, and links to his website.
He deliberately OBFUSCATES where he got the info. Who is going to go to the trouble, of clicking his website, finding the video page in question, and then going: ahh, so that's the book he used!
To be clear here: my accusation is not plagiarism, it's lazy grifting, by using info from my books and then not properly crediting it on the YT video page. Or rather, hiding the credits behind at least 3 or 4 mouse clicks. Click the sources link to his website, click the episodes guide, click to page 2 or 3 or 4 maybe, then click the episode itself.
But let's give you these specific examples.
Mega Man on DOS video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwt5yWJqCzU
Look at the info box. Does he list my book? No. But he does say click a link. Follow that link, click episodes, click page 2, then scroll to find the MM video, then click it, then scroll down again:
https://thegaminghistorian.com/the-story-of-mega-man-on-dos/
Oh, yes, he does specifically cite my book. But how much effort does the average viewer have to go through to reach that?
Like I said. Coasting on the work of others. The Rozner brothers interview was done by me. And he tries to hide this fact.
And they are not difficult to contact either.
I passed on their contact details to this very website, Time Extension, and Jack interviewed them!
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
Posting again with specific facts, since I see someone highlighted my message on Reddit (many thanks, happy to talk about this). I am going away for Easter, so won't be able to reply to questions for a couple weeks.
But I sent copies of the emails to Damien and some friends, in the unlikely event anyone accuses me of fabricating this, and it needs verification while I am away.
I have an email from Norman dated 10 November 2015.
He says he would "absolutely LOVE a copy" and says he is planning to review it "sometime in the future".
He gives his address. I send him the books.
Nothing more from Norman until 28 November 2017, when I email asking for feedback on Volumes 1 and 2. (Volume 3 wasn't published until 2018 - so he only had two of them, but that's about 526 and 400 pages.)
Kristen replies, saying they both enjoy the books, admitting they use them for reference material, and saying they've scaled back their book reviews. But adds "Thanks for the understanding!"
I reply saying it's weird Norman didn't reply himself.
Kristin replies: "LOL. Sorry to disappoint."
I couldn't stomach browsing his channel for long, so I never made a note of every single video which grifted off my work, but there were multiple.
As I said earlier: good riddance to him. Absolutely detestable.
EDIT x 2: clarifying who was sent copies of the emails