@GhaleonUnlimited I have a soft spot for Sewer Shark. It felt like watching a cheesy low-budget 80s sci-fi film (which I loved), but you didn't just watch it, you controlled it! Stenchler was even in Total Recall, if I remember correctly, so they got some reasonable actors, who really put a lot of energy into it.
I had fun. And if I have fun with a game, then it can't be a bad game. A bad game is one I derived no enjoyment from (ie: Rise of the Robots).
I beat this section once on real hardware, also having watched a video. It's doable if you follow a specific pattern of actions. Beat the last boss too.
One of my favourite NES games. I still maintain the dam level is easy!
@MontyCircus A good question! It's been so long since I emulated it - I never finished it, but I recall getting some ways in. I don't recall much text? My memories are primarily of navigating the maze, giant crabs in the sea, a large dragon. Whether this superficial experience warrants the spending of a limited budget, difficult for me to say. I might have felt differently if it was my only game that month. I think it's probably more playable than Xanadu, which was pretty obtuse. The CRPG Addict's blog has a write up on it, which might give you a better picture?
@GhaleonUnlimited I have the gun too. Thunder in Paradise is a "great" lightgun game. Cheesy and stupid as hell. So, so stupid. But the stupidity makes it fun.
YES! This is part of an important part of a group of early Japanese Action-RPGs. Your mileage might vary playing it today, but I found it fascinating to play around with.
I believe this actually came out before Hydlide. Or Hydlide's creator saw screens and panicked it would rival him.
High five fellow CDi owner! I too had to get my timekeeper fixed. I did one years ago, but my current machine I botched and had to get a pro to fix it.
Works great now.
I made a topic on GaneFaqs in the CDi hardware subforum, with pics and recs.
What have you played and enjoyed?
For my taste there's a lot of games I liked. Not objectively great, but interesting given the new medium of CDs.
If I had to name one ultimate system exclusive: Laser Lords
I made a diary topic on its subforum on Gfaqs, of my playthrough.
It is insanely complicated for the year it released in. So ambitious. (Also not expensive.) Recommended if you like platform adventures.
@KingMike
Honestly? No. We got Parodious and Twinbee on SNES over here, two cute-em-ups, both of which the US did not get. Plus other examples.
Your wording of "angry" is interesting, because I noticed this in a lot of US publications, well after the millennium. The hatred of Tingle springs to mind. Plus the art style of Wind Waker. The cover art of Ico. Loads of things which were arty, flamboyant, light-hearted, cute, silly, colourful, etc., seemed to generate a feverish rage in some writers. Which is really weird.
GameFan was an exception. Dave Halverson loved that stuff. Others in the US, clearly not so much.
Share some examples if you were thinking of specific things, because I find this cultural divide fascinating.
I want to say the UK was slightly more relaxed about this stuff. We had a history of things like Monty Python, and cute stuff on the 8-bit micros, so whimsical humour, etc., had an easier time.
For Japan they gave Crash Bandicoot bigger eyebrows. Lara should have received the same Crash Bandicoot treatment and had bigger eyebrows too. Like, massive eyebrows. The kind of enormous eyebrows no human could ever conceivably have. Eyebrows that eclipsed even her bosom. EYEBROWS!
@smoreon LOL I only discovered the NTSC / PAL difference in BH after beating the US level. I eventually beat it on normal. Tempted to replay the NTSC version on Easy.
Thank you for Agent 64. Added to my wish list!
Deep State on Steam also GE/PD vibes, with a mix of old school Deus Ex too. Def take a look at that.
It's not GE at all, but I also like Brigand: Oaxaca a lot. It's more like Deus Ex or Sys Shock 2.
@smoreon A good comment. I actually strongly disike it when an Easy mode removes levels, or a game locks the only ending behind higher difficulties. Examples: Contra III (SNES), Arena (GG), Body Harvest (N64), countless others.
However, I never felt this with GE/PD. I've never been able to complete that Natalya hacking mission on 00 Agent, or a couple others, but I finished it on Secret Agent. And even on Agent it still allowed me to explore every level. In fact, you can technically "do" extra objectives even if not needed. For example the Dam. On Agent you can explore the tunnels, and... I forget. Was it hack the mainframes? Or blow them up? You could do it, even though all you needed was reaching the bungee point.
I loved that. When I firsy played the game I found even Agent to be difficult. But weeks of playing and exploring the levels on Agent got me ready for the extra objectives. I'd find keys and think: ooh, can't wait to try higher difficulties to see where this is used!
It encouraged replays.
With TS2, I look at it and think: what's the point of even playing higher difficulties? I've done everything.
I personally see a distinction between a game which prevents you accessing a level on Easy mode, and GE which lets you access (almost) every level, but then adds more stuff later.
This thread reminds me I miss GE/PD. Loved the PD Remaster.
The TimeSplitters series and PD Zero just didn't replicate the satisfaction of GE/PD. And it's not nostalgia. The PD Remaster is still incredible.
Everypne is talking about "Boomer Shooters" that copy... 90s Doom? Meh. I want FPS that replicate GE, PD, and Exhumed. The thinking man's FPS.
Goldeneye convinces me most devs don't know what they're doing, and even the GE team produced lightning in a bottle by accident.
Two cases in point:
1) the Goldeneye remake on Wii / PS3 introduced lame tutorial explanations and QTEs. It was so awful I never even finished the dam, which in the original game WAS the tutorial, and could be finished in like a minute if you were fast.
2) I recently played TimeSplitters 2, described by many as a spiritual successor. I started the first level on Easy, assuming less objectives to get a taste. It took over 30 minutes to finish! GE on lower difficulties was great since it gave you a quick taste, while higher difficulties gave you more objectives and a fuller mission structure.
Both the GE remake and TS2 suffer from bloat. I never bothered playing more of TS2. Excrutiatingly long missions on Easy mode can GTFO.
The original GE was all meat, no fat. Just pure concentrated gameplay that trusted the player not to be an imbecile.
Importantly, the layered difficulties allowed immediate access, quick and easy demoing, plus complexity as you progressed.
Only Perfect Dark replicated this, and only once.
I don't think IO even understands why GE is perfect. Read their words:
"Oh, we guess there must be nostalgia for GE."
They haven't got a clue. GE was good because of smart and intelligent designs, layouts, and objectives. Extremely clever people built it. And even they struggled to keep replicating it.
Nostalgia has nothing to do with it.
I recently played the leaked GE remaster for X360. It's incredible.
I want the next installment to follow up on Elliot and Claris where they've been married for the last 20 years, trapped in a loveless marriage that all began with that "i". He's an unemployed alcoholic who watches reality TV all day, and she's an overweight chain-smoking harpy nagging him to do stuff. They rent a cramped and dirty two bedroom house because they can't afford to buy. They're estranged from their eldest child who joined a cult and now calls themselves Zarjaz the Tainted. Their younger child is a whiny brat who is the result of an affair Claris had years earlier. They struggle under mounting debts and the only reason they don't get a divorce is because they'd both end up homeless.
Suddenly NiGHTS bursts through the door and beckons them to go on a new adventure!!
@Xerox1919 Nice work - thank you for your efforts. It's kind of exciting playing something cold, with no documentation, right? Feels like uncharted territory. If you come across a problem you have only your wits to solve it. A couple of times I genuinely thought: maybe this is a bug and the game is unwinnable? How will I ever know if no one else has ever gotten this far? The "trick" to the last boss, on the game I referred to, was so ridiculous I only discovered it by pure accident.
@JayJ It also works on ODE, which is how I play it. Honestly, it's a lot of fun! There's only the one track, but there's also a track designer to make your own. If I'd been in the audience and got given a copy, I'd have been super excited to have something so fun for free. (I assume it was free to be in the audience...?)
I suppose I inherently like an underdog story. I also enjoy the 3DO and Jaguar. These three are like the horsemen of the apocalypse in the early 1990s. Maligned. Misunderstood. Generally seen as failures. I have owned all three, I have collected large volumes of games for all three, and in their own unique way I love all three.
However, objectively speaking I think the Jaguar is trash and the majority of its library barely playable. Examine the level layouts of AVP, the "best" game on the system. Arbitrarily designed nonsense corridors. I eventually sold my Jag and all the games and now just emulate it.
The 3DO meanwhile is actually quite capable, like a weaker overpriced PS1 or Saturn. Lots of very good quality games that were ported to more popular systems. Lots of obscurities. I now rock a Japanese unit with ODE.
Which brings me to the CDi. It can't be emulated easily or well. It has no ODE option. Meaning for the best experience you need real hardware, which is expensive, clunky, confusing, and prone to breakage.
So already I'm excited because it makes me work to experience it. I will not be denied!
I bought one for the Zelda games because EGM ran a feature saying they were awful, but did not show any screenshots.
What were they hiding?
So I bought a unit and 80 games and films. And I discovered it's honestly fun. Hotel Mario is legitimately a great game. Almost Nintendo quality. And it has a bunch of weird system exclusive multimedia games which are all fun. Not amazing life changing games like Goldeneye or Metal Gear Solid or Breath of the Wild. But quirky weird fun.
I interviewed the developer of the Zelda games and then he passed away from Leukaemia. So I feel a duty to promote his legacy.This interview eventually influenced Dopply, the creator of Arzette.
There are certain games which have never been ported elsewhere, like LASER LORDS, which offer a unique experience you will find nowhere else. This game is so good. It's a complex platform adventure with multi-branching paths and 10 hours of NPC audio.
I like strange stuff. And the CDi is not only strange, but most people don't actually play it for various reasons, they just criticise it. So until emulation is as easy as the NES, I suspect most people will continue to misunderstand it.
As another example, last week I acquired a rare game not on the GameFAQs database. No guides. No online reviews. A platform adventure. And I managed to finish it on my own. And it occurred to me: there are 8 billion people on Earth and right now I am probably the only person playing this lost gem. So I subitted a database entry to GameFAQs and intend to write a guide soon.
Wand of Gamelon and Faces of Evil already have fantastic Windows remasters by Dopply. You can find them on Internet Archive.
So I am overjoyed someone is working on this. Especially since used copies now go for around £1000 on eBay. Current listings are for £1200, while searching for previously sold copies reveals one went for the low price of just £700.
In 2005, I bought this for £40 from a guy in Holland. I held it. I owned it. I sold it after finishing it for £50. I will never, ever get to own it again.
And of all the CDi games emulated this one is severely buggy.
I truly hope the person working on this is able to finish it. Especially with QOL improvements.
It's not terrible. I finished it on real hardware a couple years back. When you first leave the castle, and see the entire village laid out below you, with you standing atop that mountain, it's a nice moment.
Big complaint I had is when in dungeons, you get into a random battle and afterwards it reorients you in the wrong direction, so you start running forward, realise you're going back, turn around, resume running in the right direction, and another battle starts and the whole process begins anew. The problem being the lack of unique textures.
In one instance, in the woods, I thought: it's fine, I recall seeing a rock on the left, and a tree on the right up ahead, so I know which direction to take on the path. And you know what? Facing either direction had a rock and tree in those same positions.
There is a map, but it's not so convenient to open it up every time to check.
@sportymariosonicmixx
I'm going to say... Every single battery, chargeable or not, is going to succumb to degredation at some point. Used regularly or ignored in a drawer. The same with the capacitors in your consoles.
They are not inert substances / objects.
But also, don't worry too much. Just keep an eye on stuff.
In the same way you change the tires on your car, you can change the caps and batteries in your games machines.
It's all part of the natural order.
I'm having the battery and caps in my 3DO replaced as you read this!
POST 2 due to comment size limitations: @SUDDENDESU @PowerPandaMods @PopetheRev28 @Eocene84 @gingerbeardman @gojiguy
@Raku This reply is specifically for you - please do not spread disinformation.
Games can only be donated to the NDL if they're brand new, they don't accept second hand. So they've no interest in what the GPS has. Which leads on to another point you raised:
"in recent years they've gone back and started archiving games which released before that law was implemented" - I was not aware that the NDL had the funds to acquire these. Could you please share your source for this information, so that I may educate myself on this?
The NDL do not have the technical knowledge to migrate games into a digital format. So even if they accepted old donated games, nothing would be preserved.
Currently the GPS is providing technology to them so they can preserve floppy disks that were distributed with books and magazines.
I haven't heard of any attempt to preserve games (floppy disks, tapes, ROM carts, etc.) so it won't happen soon, or the games might biodegrade / rot long before it's ever done.
Another silly rule is that after a book, or a game is added to the collection, the cover and all detachable parts (the spine card / supplements of the game itself) is discarded / disposed of / thrown away! They literally bin related materials.
The "no second hand rule" is a total deal breaker. The GPS has many books they could donate to the NDL, but they are waiting until the NDL change their policies - the GPS believe the cover, illustrations, posters, etc., are part of the essence of the product.
Regarding politicians. Are you talking about Akamatsu Ken? The famous mangaka? If he doesn't manage to change things at the NDL, who will? This is why the GPS is important, to continue lobbying.
Regarding nothing being publicly available, the problem here is communication. The job the GPS does with the NDL and also Cultural Affairs is public. The physical archive is publicly accessible in-person for researchers - it is NOT a private archive. Statements of this nature need to stop - this is not some private collection, every single item can be viewed or accessed, but due to the Japanese law this can only happen on site. They are trying to remedy via the aforementioned sister organisation.
If you've carefully read the article, the main problem is that the GPS is not authorised to publish within Japan, and therefore is starting a digital library in the US for this very reason!
I encourage you to check out their study on game related books not available at the NDL:
The creation of a digital library hosted in the US will provide access to everyone globally, and is intended specifically to address the misconceptions regarding access to the material.
Everything at the GPS is currently publicly available, but only in person, as dictated by Japanese law.
This is a separate reply, from myself the author, based on my knowledge of how the NDL operates. To be clear: the GPS already works with the NDL and Cultural Affairs. The following points are my opinion, and not those of the GPS.
@Raku This reply is specifically for you - please do not spread disinformation.
The Japanese Game Preservation Society is NOT a scam. As stated many times, all the money in, and all the money out, is publicly visible and 100% transparent. If you or anyone else feels that there is in any way any sort of scam or fraud taking place, I strongly encourage you to personally audit all the numbers. The transparency of the funding exists to silence any accusations of misuse.
As the author, speaking personally: I am not even going to acknowledge future accusations of impropriety. As a registered NPO all activities and spending are publicly accessible.
Regarding comments about the National Diet Library, this is also factually inaccurate.
It is an extremely complicated topic, and to detail every point to the level required of it would entail an essay in itself. This is not an attempt to avoid answering - it is an honest statement conveyed briefly. My desire is to give a URL for further reading, but there are none in English. Given your belief in the NDL, this is a matter which needs addressing with a full article, which we will work on. But for the moment, briefly, here are some replies to your various points. To save space I've not quoted you, so you'll have to connect them.
The legal deposit is not enforced in Japan and there's no big penalty, unlike France. So you would be surprised how many books and in particular magazines are NOT available at the NDL. Regarding games, the amount of games in their storage is more a sample than a collection.
It's true that the NDL will send you a photocopy if requested. Except you won't find a list of available games and the NDL won't provide any service for games which are not preserved / digitised.
Regarding releasing binaries (already dumped ROMs), this is illegal in Japan and Joseph would be put in prison. I'm not even kidding. They were punished by the government just for sharing thumbnails on their website.
I've spoken with Joseph for two hours and have his approval for this response. It's brief, even though a detailed comment on every point would warrant an article in itself.
His comments for the choice of location are as follows:
His choice for America is not political - none of this is politically motivated. He firmly believes that one should not make short-term decisions based on current political climates; preservation is a long-term process and this will continue many years down the line.
The NYC law firm is assisting pro bono - without a fee. (My fault for not explicitly stating this in the article - my apologies.)
The USA also has the best set of rules / laws that permit game preservation. More so than Europe. Much of this relates to the "fair use doctrine" which Europe does not have. Joseph is himself a native Frenchman, so he already has an acute understanding and appreciation for Europe. And after examination the legal framework of the US was deemed most optimal.
To be clear: the legislation in the US offers the best framework to benefit every member globally.
As the author I also want to draw everyone's attention to the quoted statements about not requiring an office in America, and not requiring storage in America. The purpose of the American sister organisation is the creation of a publicly accessible digital library protected by the US legal framework and the laws for the state of New York.
@sportymariosonicmixx
I cannot even begin to comprehend the thought process behind people who put a gane in a sarcophagus so it cannot be touched. I especially dislike it because, let's assume it's ultra rare and the manual has never been scanned. A museum piece, in a proper museum, could be opened carefully, safely, and the manual preserved. A graded game is trapped in that plastic box and you can only see the box - when in fact the beauty of it includes the manual and the game itself.
There's a YT channel that made some joke videos where they bought graded games, cut the slab open, removed the game, then used the plastic shell to drink cocktails.
I hate grading stuff if it means the object loses its original intended function.
As for your battery question:
It depends on the type of battery
It's too long to explain, but every single chemical battery on Earth, the way they function, means they will eventually corrode or break down chemically. Or if you're lucky they'll just dry out.
The number of times I've found AA and AAA batteries leaking, and 9V twin heads too. Coin batteries are a bit better - they tend to die and dry out. I had a 30 year old one in a 3DO which was still functioning. PSP batteries meanwhile have been found to swell up with age.
The reason is because wether it's the old alkaline batteries, or rechargeable lith-ion batteries, or another type, they're all dependant on reactive chemicals. They're not inert, like a ROM chip.
I spent ages reading up on the process of electron discharge etc., and honestly I can't recall enough to describe it here accurately. It's worth reading a couple Wikipedia pages.
Short dumb answer:
Batteries function via a chemical process reliant on non-inert substances which by their very nature break down over time.
@PZT Thanks for the reminder. I usually catch these, but failed in this instance. Excellent advice for everyone! Curate your URL pasting!
@sportymariosonicmixx The plastic is completely sealed so you would need a hacksaw or drill to physically cut through and break the plastic to get inside.
@N64-ROX Maybe not a fireball, but I have had multiple examples of batteries leaking out corrosive chemicals, destroying both the object and surrounding objects. Even something like AA batteries which were maybe 5 years old have leaked, irreparably destroying remote controls and other gadgets. My PS2 currently has a dead timekeeper battery, buried deep inside it, difficult to remove, and I have constant anxiety that it's going to leak and destroy the motherboard. This year I plan to open and remove it.
Also, look up the PSP battery that caused a fire, news story on this site, and the old OG Xbox capacitor story, where a specific cap has reached the age where it leaks fluid all over the motherboards and destroys them. I opened both of mine and snipped the damn thing out.
Your house might not burn down. But whatever holds them is likely to get ruined.
WATA games, which grades the games, and Heritage Auctions, which sell high priced graded games (graded by WATA), share the same owners.
WATA charges money to grade games, so people can sell them on Heritage Auctions, who take a cut of sales, and the prices are inflated so the same people behind both groups can take a massive cut.
The value of games is thus inflated. According to the head of WATA, he feels that for a long time games have been "undervalued".
@damo Does Aldynes for the SuperGrafx work when using this (and its ROM obvs) on the Analogue Pocket (via adapter) or the Analogue Duo? I realise it would never work on an actual PCE, but unsure about alternate hardware. My guess would be no.
I have the Terraonion for PCE, but the older model that lacks SGFX support.
Keeping wonder if I should upgeade for it somehow...
Mainly finish a bunch of mods and repairs which were started but never finished:
finish installing my SNES pixel enhancer chip
mod my Super Scope for mains power
finish my 3DO recap and repairs
install my GC ODE
finalise the tweaks, mods, and repairs for each of my three Saturns (one needs the video out fixing; another needs a Hz switch installing; one doesn't work at all for reasons unknown)
@warglewargle
Hello! Thank you for the polite response to my rant.
As stated, this is optional, unlike the PS3 system, so I accept that perhaps I should not comment. No one is making me use RA.
But, the reasons for my statements are, broadly speaking, despair at a particular kind of mindset. I'll try to describe this briefly.
I love old games. Not for nostalgia but for their own merits. I love discovering new stuff and I want to encourage others to explore unknown retro games.
And I find it agonising to read comments from people who describe older games as pointless because they lack achievements or trophies. As mentioned by @Andee and @GravyThief
I went searching online and found a guy saying he felt ill that Valkyria Chronicles had no trophies and so he had to ragequit the game. Because it didn't have trophies! (Search Reddit for this.)
I have spent my whole adult life documenting games and interviewing developers because I regard games as the zenith of human creation. They can incorporate architecture, physics, literature, paintings, music, acting, economics, sports, competition, and literally anything and everything conceivable.
So when I see people dismissing these beautiful creations, because they don't have cheevos, I feel actual nauseau.
And I also feel the solution is not RA, which artificially injects something I regard as toxic into the medium. The answer is better education and upbringing, so kids can enjoy the merits of the games themselves, not the key jangling that is cheevos / trophies.
I am sorry you felt personally attacked by my statement. My intention is not to upset people.
But the growing obsession over cheevos / trophies, and the need to have them everywhere, feels like a sort of cognitive virus that is spreading. Developers now design games around cheevos. People refuse to play old games because they don't have cheevos. RA aims to inject cheevos into everything.
Sure, I can ignore RA personally when gaming.
But the core of my soul screams out in horror that something which I loathe so intensely is not only loved by increasing numbers, but regarded as essential and obligatory in order to even appreciate or play games today.
When I picked up the pen to safeguard gaming history two decades ago, I also took on the role of protecting it from things I regard as bad. Mainstream media using it as a scapegoat; censors wishing to cancel creator freedoms; governments trying to meddle; and also the misguided belief that a game without cheevos is a game without value.
I love games for the games. My mind is incapable of comprehending those who say a game is pointless without cheevos. These poor lost souls need help; they need guidance; they need re-education.
That guy who ragequit Valkyria Chronicles needs a new perspective.
I hope the above goes some way to explaining my feelings. It is a deep ideological belief.
Was super excited, given how much I love the Saturn (my favourite of all the 32-bit gen), but reading the comments makes me inclined to wait before buying.
Going through the comments reveals a lot of bugs.
Crashes, control bugs, enemies shooting through walls, the sniper rifle bugging out making levels impossible to complete.
It reads like a game still in beta testing, and not yet gold or ready for manufacturing.
@VITIMan
Thanks for the post. You know, I've been looking at these cards on my shelf every time I walk past, and wondering what to do with them.
I also have @Bakamoichigei email
I'm debating just releasing the design files publicly.
My printed deck had trouble scanning, and I worked out it was due to the colour printing, not a problem with the barcodes themselves. So I printed a b&w deck which worked fine.
I think the barcodes, which are just scans from the Zelda deck, exist as colourised files in the PDF document, meaning if printed in full colour, other coloured inks besides black are mixed in, messing up the scan process. Because a pure duo-tone b&w printing resolves the problem.
Ironically when I actually got around to "playing" the game, which is literally just the Zelda game, it is HARD. Like stupidly difficult. Even when cheating.
Was tempted to try revising the rules or numbers, to make it much easier, but I lack the time and motivation.
I'm going to think about it more, but I suspect at some point I'll just email the raw files and you can both do with them as you please. (Though if you can, mention my name and plug my books which are Amazon maybe? More publicity is always a good thing.)
Mainly I am acutely aware of Nintendo being litigious, even if a derivative product is not making profit - they closely guard their IP.
At last this is out! Kate sent me a preview link ages ago, more than a year(?), of a very rough cut version. At least I think it was this - or at least part of this series. And I've been wanting to tell people.
There are lots of games that fit this genre, which predate Metroid itself. It's a fascinating subject to dig into.
@Fallingshadow
There are actually quite a few games before 1984 that sort of fit the proto definition of an exploratory platformer. Notably Aztec!
I have never played a decent escort mission, I hate them all, and I am astounded that devs will often insist on putting them in even if they know they suck and they know everyone hates them.
Case in point.
Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 148 (page 98 maybe?), Factor 5 president Julian Eggebrecht states, regarding Star Wars Rogue Squadron II on GameCube:
"This is the only protection mission in the game. We wanted to do it right away, because everyone severely hates these kinds of missions."
Julian, if "everyone" hates them, why included even one? How about just not including a protection / escort missions? Just don't do it!
I have been obsessed with this interview for over 20 years, because we have a cognisant admission that the type of mission design is hated, but they still felt they HAD to include it, and so they put it in really early to get it out of the way.
Just imagine that scenario with any number of other things people hate. "We know everyone hates rotten food, so we made sure to put all the rotten food in the entre, to get it out of the way before the main meal."
I once heard someone say that Ellie in Last of Us is how to do an escort mission right, but I don't regard that as an escort mission. I've seen videos of her literally clipping through the 3D models of enemies, because they don't see or interact with her.
I missed this news story last time, and only stumbled on RA today as a side note to something I was watching on YT. Did a google to see if TE covered it. No one will read this comment, so I'll have a little rant.
I absolutely despised cheevos when they came out on 360 and PS3. And I hated that I could not disable them on PS3 for ages - I was trying to relax with Flower and would constantly get these klaxon alerts "YOU GOT TROPHY!!" Ruined the game. RUINED IT!
Yeah, hard pass on that crap.
This is optional, and requires work to set up, so I guess I'm fine with a bunch of people enjoying something so inherently awful. Like, you're an adult, you do you. But I feel like I just stumbled across an underground community of ttongsul enthusiasts.
I play retro games to GET AWAY from all the modern crap like cheevos, loot crates, NFTs, season passes, day one patches, and all the rest of that rot.
@Maulbert Well said. I have read so many interviews regarding Sega over the last 20 years (conducted a few myself), and every single one of them feeds into what you've just said. I am amazed they survived as a hardware manufacturer as long as they did. I am amazed they had the successes they did. Because the self-sabotage is off the scales.
As far back as 1983 they were self-sabotaging. Instead of focusing on marketing and development for the 8-bit Mark console, they kept releasing new versions of the hardware and squandered whatever market lead they had against the Famicom (Sega's console had scrolling whereas Nintendo's did not, for like... 8 months?)
I often think: if one went back in time, with a suitcase filled with $10 million, and all the foresight and foreknowledge, could one have changed Sega? Could one have steamrolled through the self-sabotage?
Why can't we just keep using legacy systems, even if we are knowingly putting ourselves at a security risk? I'm assuming Google had some kind of major code shift that killed legacy support?
Is there a page that explains the technical side of why legacy support can't just be left in the back to run and run?
Comments 783
Re: Treasure's Sublime Guardian Heroes Turns 30 Today, Which Makes Us Sad We Never Got A Proper Sequel
My introduction to this game was the DieHard GameFan issue that put it on the cover and gave it... 8 pages?
Peak 90s zeitgeist.
Re: "They Did Not Seem Like A Very Happy Bunch" - Lost Beavis And Butt-Head Title Resurfaces On PS1
I want more backstory on why the writers at MTV were miserable. Low pay? Rough conditions?
Re: The Zelda Adventure Nintendo Would Rather Forget Is Getting A Fan-Made Remaster
@GhaleonUnlimited
I have a soft spot for Sewer Shark. It felt like watching a cheesy low-budget 80s sci-fi film (which I loved), but you didn't just watch it, you controlled it! Stenchler was even in Total Recall, if I remember correctly, so they got some reasonable actors, who really put a lot of energy into it.
I had fun. And if I have fun with a game, then it can't be a bad game. A bad game is one I derived no enjoyment from (ie: Rise of the Robots).
Re: Community Challenge: Can You Overcome Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Deadly Technodrome Level?
I beat this section once on real hardware, also having watched a video. It's doable if you follow a specific pattern of actions. Beat the last boss too.
One of my favourite NES games. I still maintain the dam level is easy!
Re: An Obscure Piece Of Japanese Action-RPG History Has Just Dropped On The Nintendo Switch, In The Form Of 'Courageous Perseus'
@MontyCircus
A good question! It's been so long since I emulated it - I never finished it, but I recall getting some ways in. I don't recall much text? My memories are primarily of navigating the maze, giant crabs in the sea, a large dragon. Whether this superficial experience warrants the spending of a limited budget, difficult for me to say. I might have felt differently if it was my only game that month. I think it's probably more playable than Xanadu, which was pretty obtuse. The CRPG Addict's blog has a write up on it, which might give you a better picture?
Re: The Zelda Adventure Nintendo Would Rather Forget Is Getting A Fan-Made Remaster
@GhaleonUnlimited
I have the gun too. Thunder in Paradise is a "great" lightgun game. Cheesy and stupid as hell. So, so stupid. But the stupidity makes it fun.
Re: An Obscure Piece Of Japanese Action-RPG History Has Just Dropped On The Nintendo Switch, In The Form Of 'Courageous Perseus'
@MontyCircus
You're not far off!
https://www.timeextension.com/features/what-were-japanese-action-adventures-like-before-zelda
Re: A Obscure Piece Of Japanese Action-RPG History Has Just Dropped On The Nintendo Switch, In The Form Of 'Courageous Perseus'
YES! This is part of an important part of a group of early Japanese Action-RPGs. Your mileage might vary playing it today, but I found it fascinating to play around with.
I believe this actually came out before Hydlide. Or Hydlide's creator saw screens and panicked it would rival him.
Re: The Zelda Adventure Nintendo Would Rather Forget Is Getting A Fan-Made Remaster
@GhaleonUnlimited
It's a Windows port.
High five fellow CDi owner! I too had to get my timekeeper fixed. I did one years ago, but my current machine I botched and had to get a pro to fix it.
Works great now.
I made a topic on GaneFaqs in the CDi hardware subforum, with pics and recs.
What have you played and enjoyed?
For my taste there's a lot of games I liked. Not objectively great, but interesting given the new medium of CDs.
If I had to name one ultimate system exclusive: Laser Lords
I made a diary topic on its subforum on Gfaqs, of my playthrough.
It is insanely complicated for the year it released in. So ambitious. (Also not expensive.) Recommended if you like platform adventures.
Email me if you want to chat CDi.
Re: New Video Reveals The Inner Workings Of Nintendo's Ill-Fated Virtual Boy
@MontyMole
The dev of Red Alarm had some fun anecdotes about it:
https://www.timeextension.com/features/the-making-of-red-alarm-the-virtual-boys-answer-to-star-fox
Re: "I Can Safely Say It's B**locks" - Ex-Rare Devs Debunk Killer Instinct 'Panel De Pon' Rumour
@KingMike
Honestly? No. We got Parodious and Twinbee on SNES over here, two cute-em-ups, both of which the US did not get. Plus other examples.
Your wording of "angry" is interesting, because I noticed this in a lot of US publications, well after the millennium. The hatred of Tingle springs to mind. Plus the art style of Wind Waker. The cover art of Ico. Loads of things which were arty, flamboyant, light-hearted, cute, silly, colourful, etc., seemed to generate a feverish rage in some writers. Which is really weird.
GameFan was an exception. Dave Halverson loved that stuff. Others in the US, clearly not so much.
Share some examples if you were thinking of specific things, because I find this cultural divide fascinating.
I want to say the UK was slightly more relaxed about this stuff. We had a history of things like Monty Python, and cute stuff on the 8-bit micros, so whimsical humour, etc., had an easier time.
Re: "I Can Safely Say It's B**locks" - Ex-Rare Devs Debunk Killer Instinct 'Panel De Pon' Rumour
I bet someone's going to have fun making a ROM hack after this news!
Re: Huge Eyes? Big Head? Lara Croft Almost Looked Very Different For Her Japanese Debut
For Japan they gave Crash Bandicoot bigger eyebrows. Lara should have received the same Crash Bandicoot treatment and had bigger eyebrows too. Like, massive eyebrows. The kind of enormous eyebrows no human could ever conceivably have. Eyebrows that eclipsed even her bosom. EYEBROWS!
Re: IO Interactive Says 007 First Light Is "Completely Different" To The "Fantastic" GoldenEye 007
@smoreon
LOL I only discovered the NTSC / PAL difference in BH after beating the US level. I eventually beat it on normal. Tempted to replay the NTSC version on Easy.
Thank you for Agent 64. Added to my wish list!
Deep State on Steam also GE/PD vibes, with a mix of old school Deus Ex too. Def take a look at that.
It's not GE at all, but I also like Brigand: Oaxaca a lot. It's more like Deus Ex or Sys Shock 2.
Re: The Popular Arcade-Inspired Platformer 'Donut Dodo' Is Coming To The N64 & Sega Dreamcast
I've never played the original, but I'd certainly load it onto my DC ODE!
Re: IO Interactive Says 007 First Light Is "Completely Different" To The "Fantastic" GoldenEye 007
@smoreon
A good comment. I actually strongly disike it when an Easy mode removes levels, or a game locks the only ending behind higher difficulties. Examples: Contra III (SNES), Arena (GG), Body Harvest (N64), countless others.
However, I never felt this with GE/PD. I've never been able to complete that Natalya hacking mission on 00 Agent, or a couple others, but I finished it on Secret Agent. And even on Agent it still allowed me to explore every level. In fact, you can technically "do" extra objectives even if not needed. For example the Dam. On Agent you can explore the tunnels, and... I forget. Was it hack the mainframes? Or blow them up? You could do it, even though all you needed was reaching the bungee point.
I loved that. When I firsy played the game I found even Agent to be difficult. But weeks of playing and exploring the levels on Agent got me ready for the extra objectives. I'd find keys and think: ooh, can't wait to try higher difficulties to see where this is used!
It encouraged replays.
With TS2, I look at it and think: what's the point of even playing higher difficulties? I've done everything.
I personally see a distinction between a game which prevents you accessing a level on Easy mode, and GE which lets you access (almost) every level, but then adds more stuff later.
This thread reminds me I miss GE/PD. Loved the PD Remaster.
The TimeSplitters series and PD Zero just didn't replicate the satisfaction of GE/PD. And it's not nostalgia. The PD Remaster is still incredible.
Everypne is talking about "Boomer Shooters" that copy... 90s Doom? Meh. I want FPS that replicate GE, PD, and Exhumed. The thinking man's FPS.
Re: IO Interactive Says 007 First Light Is "Completely Different" To The "Fantastic" GoldenEye 007
Goldeneye convinces me most devs don't know what they're doing, and even the GE team produced lightning in a bottle by accident.
Two cases in point:
1) the Goldeneye remake on Wii / PS3 introduced lame tutorial explanations and QTEs. It was so awful I never even finished the dam, which in the original game WAS the tutorial, and could be finished in like a minute if you were fast.
2) I recently played TimeSplitters 2, described by many as a spiritual successor. I started the first level on Easy, assuming less objectives to get a taste. It took over 30 minutes to finish! GE on lower difficulties was great since it gave you a quick taste, while higher difficulties gave you more objectives and a fuller mission structure.
Both the GE remake and TS2 suffer from bloat. I never bothered playing more of TS2. Excrutiatingly long missions on Easy mode can GTFO.
The original GE was all meat, no fat. Just pure concentrated gameplay that trusted the player not to be an imbecile.
Importantly, the layered difficulties allowed immediate access, quick and easy demoing, plus complexity as you progressed.
Only Perfect Dark replicated this, and only once.
I don't think IO even understands why GE is perfect. Read their words:
"Oh, we guess there must be nostalgia for GE."
They haven't got a clue. GE was good because of smart and intelligent designs, layouts, and objectives. Extremely clever people built it. And even they struggled to keep replicating it.
Nostalgia has nothing to do with it.
I recently played the leaked GE remaster for X360. It's incredible.
Re: NiGHTS Artist Explains The Reasoning Behind That Unusual Logo
I want the next installment to follow up on Elliot and Claris where they've been married for the last 20 years, trapped in a loveless marriage that all began with that "i". He's an unemployed alcoholic who watches reality TV all day, and she's an overweight chain-smoking harpy nagging him to do stuff. They rent a cramped and dirty two bedroom house because they can't afford to buy. They're estranged from their eldest child who joined a cult and now calls themselves Zarjaz the Tainted. Their younger child is a whiny brat who is the result of an affair Claris had years earlier. They struggle under mounting debts and the only reason they don't get a divorce is because they'd both end up homeless.
Suddenly NiGHTS bursts through the door and beckons them to go on a new adventure!!
Re: The Zelda Adventure Nintendo Would Rather Forget Is Getting A Fan-Made Remaster
@Xerox1919
Nice work - thank you for your efforts. It's kind of exciting playing something cold, with no documentation, right? Feels like uncharted territory. If you come across a problem you have only your wits to solve it. A couple of times I genuinely thought: maybe this is a bug and the game is unwinnable? How will I ever know if no one else has ever gotten this far? The "trick" to the last boss, on the game I referred to, was so ridiculous I only discovered it by pure accident.
Re: "It Feels Like It's About To Turn Into An Urban Legend" - Here's Your Reminder That A Gold Version Of Castlevania: Bloodlines Exists
I was there, 3000 years ago. (LOTR.jpg)
I took photos too. Just emailed them to you @damo
Re: Saturn's Rarest Game, Delisoba Deluxe, Gets An English Translation
@JayJ
It also works on ODE, which is how I play it. Honestly, it's a lot of fun! There's only the one track, but there's also a track designer to make your own. If I'd been in the audience and got given a copy, I'd have been super excited to have something so fun for free. (I assume it was free to be in the audience...?)
Re: The Zelda Adventure Nintendo Would Rather Forget Is Getting A Fan-Made Remaster
@Guru_Larry
It's Guru Larry! Hello you.
@turboxray
Why do I love the CDi?
Good question.
I suppose I inherently like an underdog story. I also enjoy the 3DO and Jaguar. These three are like the horsemen of the apocalypse in the early 1990s. Maligned. Misunderstood. Generally seen as failures. I have owned all three, I have collected large volumes of games for all three, and in their own unique way I love all three.
However, objectively speaking I think the Jaguar is trash and the majority of its library barely playable. Examine the level layouts of AVP, the "best" game on the system. Arbitrarily designed nonsense corridors. I eventually sold my Jag and all the games and now just emulate it.
The 3DO meanwhile is actually quite capable, like a weaker overpriced PS1 or Saturn. Lots of very good quality games that were ported to more popular systems. Lots of obscurities. I now rock a Japanese unit with ODE.
Which brings me to the CDi. It can't be emulated easily or well. It has no ODE option. Meaning for the best experience you need real hardware, which is expensive, clunky, confusing, and prone to breakage.
So already I'm excited because it makes me work to experience it. I will not be denied!
I bought one for the Zelda games because EGM ran a feature saying they were awful, but did not show any screenshots.
What were they hiding?
So I bought a unit and 80 games and films. And I discovered it's honestly fun. Hotel Mario is legitimately a great game. Almost Nintendo quality. And it has a bunch of weird system exclusive multimedia games which are all fun. Not amazing life changing games like Goldeneye or Metal Gear Solid or Breath of the Wild. But quirky weird fun.
I interviewed the developer of the Zelda games and then he passed away from Leukaemia. So I feel a duty to promote his legacy.This interview eventually influenced Dopply, the creator of Arzette.
There are certain games which have never been ported elsewhere, like LASER LORDS, which offer a unique experience you will find nowhere else. This game is so good. It's a complex platform adventure with multi-branching paths and 10 hours of NPC audio.
I like strange stuff. And the CDi is not only strange, but most people don't actually play it for various reasons, they just criticise it. So until emulation is as easy as the NES, I suspect most people will continue to misunderstand it.
As another example, last week I acquired a rare game not on the GameFAQs database. No guides. No online reviews. A platform adventure. And I managed to finish it on my own. And it occurred to me: there are 8 billion people on Earth and right now I am probably the only person playing this lost gem. So I subitted a database entry to GameFAQs and intend to write a guide soon.
It's exciting exploring the undocumented!
Re: The Zelda Adventure Nintendo Would Rather Forget Is Getting A Fan-Made Remaster
I love the Philips CDi so damned much!
Wand of Gamelon and Faces of Evil already have fantastic Windows remasters by Dopply. You can find them on Internet Archive.
So I am overjoyed someone is working on this. Especially since used copies now go for around £1000 on eBay. Current listings are for £1200, while searching for previously sold copies reveals one went for the low price of just £700.
In 2005, I bought this for £40 from a guy in Holland. I held it. I owned it. I sold it after finishing it for £50. I will never, ever get to own it again.
And of all the CDi games emulated this one is severely buggy.
I truly hope the person working on this is able to finish it. Especially with QOL improvements.
Re: Holy Magic Century, Batman! The Infamous Quest 64 Is Being Recompiled For PC
It's not terrible. I finished it on real hardware a couple years back. When you first leave the castle, and see the entire village laid out below you, with you standing atop that mountain, it's a nice moment.
Big complaint I had is when in dungeons, you get into a random battle and afterwards it reorients you in the wrong direction, so you start running forward, realise you're going back, turn around, resume running in the right direction, and another battle starts and the whole process begins anew. The problem being the lack of unique textures.
In one instance, in the woods, I thought: it's fine, I recall seeing a rock on the left, and a tree on the right up ahead, so I know which direction to take on the path. And you know what? Facing either direction had a rock and tree in those same positions.
There is a map, but it's not so convenient to open it up every time to check.
Re: "Beyond Incredibly Dumb" - The Internet Doesn't Like People Sealing Up Graded 3DS Consoles
@sportymariosonicmixx
I'm going to say... Every single battery, chargeable or not, is going to succumb to degredation at some point. Used regularly or ignored in a drawer. The same with the capacitors in your consoles.
They are not inert substances / objects.
But also, don't worry too much. Just keep an eye on stuff.
In the same way you change the tires on your car, you can change the caps and batteries in your games machines.
It's all part of the natural order.
I'm having the battery and caps in my 3DO replaced as you read this!
Re: "It Has To Happen Outside Of Japan" - Game Preservation Society Launches Patreon And Opens US Office Following Government Fund Freeze
POST 2 due to comment size limitations:
@SUDDENDESU @PowerPandaMods @PopetheRev28 @Eocene84 @gingerbeardman @gojiguy
@Raku
This reply is specifically for you - please do not spread disinformation.
https://www.gamepres.org/media/hojokin/
The creation of a digital library hosted in the US will provide access to everyone globally, and is intended specifically to address the misconceptions regarding access to the material.
Everything at the GPS is currently publicly available, but only in person, as dictated by Japanese law.
Re: "It Has To Happen Outside Of Japan" - Game Preservation Society Launches Patreon And Opens US Office Following Government Fund Freeze
@SUDDENDESU @PowerPandaMods @PopetheRev28 @Eocene84 @gingerbeardman @gojiguy
POST 1 due to comment size limitations:
This is a separate reply, from myself the author, based on my knowledge of how the NDL operates. To be clear: the GPS already works with the NDL and Cultural Affairs. The following points are my opinion, and not those of the GPS.
@Raku
This reply is specifically for you - please do not spread disinformation.
The Japanese Game Preservation Society is NOT a scam. As stated many times, all the money in, and all the money out, is publicly visible and 100% transparent. If you or anyone else feels that there is in any way any sort of scam or fraud taking place, I strongly encourage you to personally audit all the numbers. The transparency of the funding exists to silence any accusations of misuse.
As the author, speaking personally: I am not even going to acknowledge future accusations of impropriety. As a registered NPO all activities and spending are publicly accessible.
Regarding comments about the National Diet Library, this is also factually inaccurate.
It is an extremely complicated topic, and to detail every point to the level required of it would entail an essay in itself. This is not an attempt to avoid answering - it is an honest statement conveyed briefly. My desire is to give a URL for further reading, but there are none in English. Given your belief in the NDL, this is a matter which needs addressing with a full article, which we will work on. But for the moment, briefly, here are some replies to your various points. To save space I've not quoted you, so you'll have to connect them.
Re: "It Has To Happen Outside Of Japan" - Game Preservation Society Launches Patreon And Opens US Office Following Government Fund Freeze
@SUDDENDESU @PowerPandaMods @Ruka @PopetheRev28 @Eocene84 @gingerbeardman @gojiguy
I've spoken with Joseph for two hours and have his approval for this response. It's brief, even though a detailed comment on every point would warrant an article in itself.
His comments for the choice of location are as follows:
His choice for America is not political - none of this is politically motivated. He firmly believes that one should not make short-term decisions based on current political climates; preservation is a long-term process and this will continue many years down the line.
The NYC law firm is assisting pro bono - without a fee. (My fault for not explicitly stating this in the article - my apologies.)
The USA also has the best set of rules / laws that permit game preservation. More so than Europe. Much of this relates to the "fair use doctrine" which Europe does not have. Joseph is himself a native Frenchman, so he already has an acute understanding and appreciation for Europe. And after examination the legal framework of the US was deemed most optimal.
To be clear: the legislation in the US offers the best framework to benefit every member globally.
As the author I also want to draw everyone's attention to the quoted statements about not requiring an office in America, and not requiring storage in America. The purpose of the American sister organisation is the creation of a publicly accessible digital library protected by the US legal framework and the laws for the state of New York.
Re: "Beyond Incredibly Dumb" - The Internet Doesn't Like People Sealing Up Graded 3DS Consoles
@sportymariosonicmixx
I cannot even begin to comprehend the thought process behind people who put a gane in a sarcophagus so it cannot be touched. I especially dislike it because, let's assume it's ultra rare and the manual has never been scanned. A museum piece, in a proper museum, could be opened carefully, safely, and the manual preserved. A graded game is trapped in that plastic box and you can only see the box - when in fact the beauty of it includes the manual and the game itself.
There's a YT channel that made some joke videos where they bought graded games, cut the slab open, removed the game, then used the plastic shell to drink cocktails.
I hate grading stuff if it means the object loses its original intended function.
As for your battery question:
It depends on the type of battery
It's too long to explain, but every single chemical battery on Earth, the way they function, means they will eventually corrode or break down chemically. Or if you're lucky they'll just dry out.
The number of times I've found AA and AAA batteries leaking, and 9V twin heads too. Coin batteries are a bit better - they tend to die and dry out. I had a 30 year old one in a 3DO which was still functioning. PSP batteries meanwhile have been found to swell up with age.
The reason is because wether it's the old alkaline batteries, or rechargeable lith-ion batteries, or another type, they're all dependant on reactive chemicals. They're not inert, like a ROM chip.
I spent ages reading up on the process of electron discharge etc., and honestly I can't recall enough to describe it here accurately. It's worth reading a couple Wikipedia pages.
Short dumb answer:
Batteries function via a chemical process reliant on non-inert substances which by their very nature break down over time.
Re: This "Bad" Italian Movie From 1998 Gives Us A Fascinating Look At London's Defunct SegaWorld
@KingMike
It's also Italian slang for jerking off. (I mean, context is everything, obviously. So YMMV)
Re: A Decompilation Project Is Currently In The Works For Jet Set Radio Future
I've tried in vain to get widescreen hacks of this working in emulation, but they are huggy as hell. 4:3 emulates well, but I decided to wait.
I can wait longer for the fruits of this project.
Re: This "Bad" Italian Movie From 1998 Gives Us A Fascinating Look At London's Defunct SegaWorld
"SEGA WORLD! SEGA WORLD! SEGA WORLD!"
This is even funnier when you realise what the word sega means in Italian.
Re: "Beyond Incredibly Dumb" - The Internet Doesn't Like People Sealing Up Graded 3DS Consoles
@PZT
Thanks for the reminder. I usually catch these, but failed in this instance. Excellent advice for everyone! Curate your URL pasting!
@sportymariosonicmixx
The plastic is completely sealed so you would need a hacksaw or drill to physically cut through and break the plastic to get inside.
@N64-ROX
Maybe not a fireball, but I have had multiple examples of batteries leaking out corrosive chemicals, destroying both the object and surrounding objects. Even something like AA batteries which were maybe 5 years old have leaked, irreparably destroying remote controls and other gadgets. My PS2 currently has a dead timekeeper battery, buried deep inside it, difficult to remove, and I have constant anxiety that it's going to leak and destroy the motherboard. This year I plan to open and remove it.
Also, look up the PSP battery that caused a fire, news story on this site, and the old OG Xbox capacitor story, where a specific cap has reached the age where it leaks fluid all over the motherboards and destroys them. I opened both of mine and snipped the damn thing out.
Your house might not burn down. But whatever holds them is likely to get ruined.
Re: "Beyond Incredibly Dumb" - The Internet Doesn't Like People Sealing Up Graded 3DS Consoles
@charliecarrot
Not true. The owners of WATA games and Heritage Auctions are considerably better off!
I feel it's important everyone knows who put us in this scenario.
Re: "Beyond Incredibly Dumb" - The Internet Doesn't Like People Sealing Up Graded 3DS Consoles
@NintendoWife
Every article mentioning WATA should include this video:
https://youtu.be/rvLFEh7V18A
WATA games, which grades the games, and Heritage Auctions, which sell high priced graded games (graded by WATA), share the same owners.
WATA charges money to grade games, so people can sell them on Heritage Auctions, who take a cut of sales, and the prices are inflated so the same people behind both groups can take a massive cut.
The value of games is thus inflated. According to the head of WATA, he feels that for a long time games have been "undervalued".
Please watch the video.
Re: Review: Turbo EverDrive Core And Pro - An Excellent PC Engine Flash Cart With Some Caveats
@damo
Does Aldynes for the SuperGrafx work when using this (and its ROM obvs) on the Analogue Pocket (via adapter) or the Analogue Duo? I realise it would never work on an actual PCE, but unsure about alternate hardware. My guess would be no.
I have the Terraonion for PCE, but the older model that lacks SGFX support.
Keeping wonder if I should upgeade for it somehow...
Re: Talking Point: What Are Your Retro Gaming Resolutions For The New Year?
Mainly finish a bunch of mods and repairs which were started but never finished:
I'm probably forgetting a few...
Re: Nintendo Wii Games Are Finally Getting RetroAchievement Support Next Year
@warglewargle
Hello! Thank you for the polite response to my rant.
As stated, this is optional, unlike the PS3 system, so I accept that perhaps I should not comment. No one is making me use RA.
But, the reasons for my statements are, broadly speaking, despair at a particular kind of mindset. I'll try to describe this briefly.
I love old games. Not for nostalgia but for their own merits. I love discovering new stuff and I want to encourage others to explore unknown retro games.
And I find it agonising to read comments from people who describe older games as pointless because they lack achievements or trophies. As mentioned by @Andee and @GravyThief
I went searching online and found a guy saying he felt ill that Valkyria Chronicles had no trophies and so he had to ragequit the game. Because it didn't have trophies! (Search Reddit for this.)
I have spent my whole adult life documenting games and interviewing developers because I regard games as the zenith of human creation. They can incorporate architecture, physics, literature, paintings, music, acting, economics, sports, competition, and literally anything and everything conceivable.
So when I see people dismissing these beautiful creations, because they don't have cheevos, I feel actual nauseau.
And I also feel the solution is not RA, which artificially injects something I regard as toxic into the medium. The answer is better education and upbringing, so kids can enjoy the merits of the games themselves, not the key jangling that is cheevos / trophies.
I am sorry you felt personally attacked by my statement. My intention is not to upset people.
But the growing obsession over cheevos / trophies, and the need to have them everywhere, feels like a sort of cognitive virus that is spreading. Developers now design games around cheevos. People refuse to play old games because they don't have cheevos. RA aims to inject cheevos into everything.
Sure, I can ignore RA personally when gaming.
But the core of my soul screams out in horror that something which I loathe so intensely is not only loved by increasing numbers, but regarded as essential and obligatory in order to even appreciate or play games today.
When I picked up the pen to safeguard gaming history two decades ago, I also took on the role of protecting it from things I regard as bad. Mainstream media using it as a scapegoat; censors wishing to cancel creator freedoms; governments trying to meddle; and also the misguided belief that a game without cheevos is a game without value.
I love games for the games. My mind is incapable of comprehending those who say a game is pointless without cheevos. These poor lost souls need help; they need guidance; they need re-education.
That guy who ragequit Valkyria Chronicles needs a new perspective.
I hope the above goes some way to explaining my feelings. It is a deep ideological belief.
Re: Sega Saturn Just Got A New Miami Vice-Inspired FPS, Vigilant Paradise
Was super excited, given how much I love the Saturn (my favourite of all the 32-bit gen), but reading the comments makes me inclined to wait before buying.
Going through the comments reveals a lot of bugs.
Crashes, control bugs, enemies shooting through walls, the sniper rifle bugging out making levels impossible to complete.
It reads like a game still in beta testing, and not yet gold or ready for manufacturing.
Re: Random: I Was Pranked By These Metroid Barcode Battler Cards, And Now I Wish They Were Legit
@VITIMan
Thanks for the post. You know, I've been looking at these cards on my shelf every time I walk past, and wondering what to do with them.
I also have @Bakamoichigei email
I'm debating just releasing the design files publicly.
My printed deck had trouble scanning, and I worked out it was due to the colour printing, not a problem with the barcodes themselves. So I printed a b&w deck which worked fine.
I think the barcodes, which are just scans from the Zelda deck, exist as colourised files in the PDF document, meaning if printed in full colour, other coloured inks besides black are mixed in, messing up the scan process. Because a pure duo-tone b&w printing resolves the problem.
Ironically when I actually got around to "playing" the game, which is literally just the Zelda game, it is HARD. Like stupidly difficult. Even when cheating.
Was tempted to try revising the rules or numbers, to make it much easier, but I lack the time and motivation.
I'm going to think about it more, but I suspect at some point I'll just email the raw files and you can both do with them as you please. (Though if you can, mention my name and plug my books which are Amazon maybe? More publicity is always a good thing.)
Mainly I am acutely aware of Nintendo being litigious, even if a derivative product is not making profit - they closely guard their IP.
Re: Guide: Best Tactical RPGs - 20 Turn-Based Strategy Classics You Should Play
Does Jagged Alliance 2 count...?
I'll get my coat.
Re: Who Created The Term "Metroidvania"? Gaming Historian Critical Kate Tries To Find Out
At last this is out! Kate sent me a preview link ages ago, more than a year(?), of a very rough cut version. At least I think it was this - or at least part of this series. And I've been wanting to tell people.
There are lots of games that fit this genre, which predate Metroid itself. It's a fascinating subject to dig into.
@Fallingshadow
There are actually quite a few games before 1984 that sort of fit the proto definition of an exploratory platformer. Notably Aztec!
https://www.timeextension.com/features/flashback-did-this-1982-apple-ii-adventure-influence-metroid
Re: AI's Insatiable Hunger For RAM Is Going To Play Havoc With The Emulation Handheld Industry In 2026
This-is-fine-meme.jpg
Re: Saturn RPG 'Airs Adventure' Is Finally Playable In English
Hoping someone someday looks at Cyber Doll on the Saturn. It's really good!
Re: "I've Never Seen A Review Asking For More Escort Quests" - Fallout's Creator Comments On Why Escort Missions Are Rarely Done Well
I have never played a decent escort mission, I hate them all, and I am astounded that devs will often insist on putting them in even if they know they suck and they know everyone hates them.
Case in point.
Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 148 (page 98 maybe?), Factor 5 president Julian Eggebrecht states, regarding Star Wars Rogue Squadron II on GameCube:
"This is the only protection mission in the game. We wanted to do it right away, because everyone severely hates these kinds of missions."
Julian, if "everyone" hates them, why included even one? How about just not including a protection / escort missions? Just don't do it!
I have been obsessed with this interview for over 20 years, because we have a cognisant admission that the type of mission design is hated, but they still felt they HAD to include it, and so they put it in really early to get it out of the way.
Just imagine that scenario with any number of other things people hate. "We know everyone hates rotten food, so we made sure to put all the rotten food in the entre, to get it out of the way before the main meal."
I once heard someone say that Ellie in Last of Us is how to do an escort mission right, but I don't regard that as an escort mission. I've seen videos of her literally clipping through the 3D models of enemies, because they don't see or interact with her.
Re: Romhack.ing's BlueSky Account Gets Suspended Over Cookie's Bustle English Patch
@cyxceven
The secret ending contains GPS coordinates to an ancient buried artefact not meant for human hands.
(I've already said too much...)
Re: Nintendo Wii Games Are Finally Getting RetroAchievement Support Next Year
I missed this news story last time, and only stumbled on RA today as a side note to something I was watching on YT. Did a google to see if TE covered it. No one will read this comment, so I'll have a little rant.
I absolutely despised cheevos when they came out on 360 and PS3. And I hated that I could not disable them on PS3 for ages - I was trying to relax with Flower and would constantly get these klaxon alerts "YOU GOT TROPHY!!" Ruined the game. RUINED IT!
Yeah, hard pass on that crap.
This is optional, and requires work to set up, so I guess I'm fine with a bunch of people enjoying something so inherently awful. Like, you're an adult, you do you. But I feel like I just stumbled across an underground community of ttongsul enthusiasts.
I play retro games to GET AWAY from all the modern crap like cheevos, loot crates, NFTs, season passes, day one patches, and all the rest of that rot.
Re: "They Lied" - New Research Casts Doubt On Analogue 3D Accuracy Claims
The video says most peripherals work. Has anyone tested the bio sensor for Tetris 64?
https://www.timeextension.com/features/fancy-playing-tetris-with-your-pulse-say-hello-to-the-nintendo-64-bio-sensor
I don't own an Analogue 3D, but I am curious if this obscure AF accessory works.
@BionicDodo I agree - but sadly they're all forced to do this to get the algorithm to recommend them.
Re: "He Was Literally Frothing At The Mouth" - Yuji Naka Really Didn't Want Sega To Make Mature Games
@Maulbert
Well said. I have read so many interviews regarding Sega over the last 20 years (conducted a few myself), and every single one of them feeds into what you've just said. I am amazed they survived as a hardware manufacturer as long as they did. I am amazed they had the successes they did. Because the self-sabotage is off the scales.
As far back as 1983 they were self-sabotaging. Instead of focusing on marketing and development for the 8-bit Mark console, they kept releasing new versions of the hardware and squandered whatever market lead they had against the Famicom (Sega's console had scrolling whereas Nintendo's did not, for like... 8 months?)
I often think: if one went back in time, with a suitcase filled with $10 million, and all the foresight and foreknowledge, could one have changed Sega? Could one have steamrolled through the self-sabotage?
Re: After 25 Years, Google Has Finally Killed Dreamcast Web Browser Support
I'm still mad Steam killed support for Windows 7.
Why can't we just keep using legacy systems, even if we are knowingly putting ourselves at a security risk? I'm assuming Google had some kind of major code shift that killed legacy support?
Is there a page that explains the technical side of why legacy support can't just be left in the back to run and run?