@skulltulips Yeah, as with most things, it really isn't all that black and white, but suffice to say that since the majority of the world calls actual football by its name, it's pretty safe to say that the few locations on this Earth where they speak of soccer can definitely be counted as the anomalies.
@Damo I wish I could take the credit for it, but I'm too much of a gentleman to take somebody else's shine, so it wasn't me.
Good comment about the commercial breaks, so kudos for that.
@99x Other options that might also be more interesting for you, are indoor soccer and/or street soccer. Both have smaller teams, smaller courts/fields, and faster gameplay.
@Damo Thanks. One of the perks of living "abroad", I guess. Although Europe now feels more like home to me than my original homeland. It's sometimes so puzzling to me how my fellow countrymen look at certain things, often from a "we're the greatest and most important country in the world" kinda perspective, making certain views rather skewed.
I've learned a lot ever since traveling Europe and ultimately landing in Amsterdam. Especially about football, a game which is only called "soccer" in a handful of countries around the entire world...
@LoveEmpath It's not wrong, because it actually IS football. Only my fellow Americans could mistake a game where you run across a field with a "ball" in your hands as football. Glad I'm living in Europe now, having actually learned how things really are.
And American "football" is actually a derivative of rugby, which is what it should actually be called.
I'd say no: you don't NEED to import this useless hunk of plastic, but at the same time, I can understand the sentimental value of something like this for long-time Sega fans, or people who actually had or still have the actual tower contraption in their homes.
As for those supposedly superior 6-button controller: first the article goes on to mention how cheap it feels, how the buttons aren't all that good and how much better the officially licensed Retro-Bit controllers are, and then at the end of the article, the Japanese controllers are somehow magically transformed into "better than the EU and US version" ones...
Well, I beg to differ. And for those two or three games included in the total amount of 40 on the EU and US versions of the Mini console, it might not even be worth the trouble of getting an extra, 6 button controller, but even if you do, I'd still go with the Retro-Bit.
@ShinyUmbreon On Nintendo? You mean here on Nintendo Life? That would surprise me very much as well, seeing as they too clearly mentioned it being capable of being displayed on the TV.
But there's no need to take my word for it, just take a minute to watch that short trailer right here accompanying the article above, and you'll see for yourself.
@ShinyUmbreon I wasn't harsh, just genuinely wondering where you got the idea from, so no offense, but you interpreted my comment in the wrong way. And if you just take a look at that 1 minute trailer that comes with the article, it clearly shows that it really does play on the TV, so if that's the thing you were wondering about, then that's your answer.
@SyFyTy I can largely agree with that, although personally, I'd be a bit more careful with making general assumptions on their level of education: negativity and glass half empty views aren't exclusive to people with less diplomas or life experience, unfortunately.
But yeah, online anonymity gives a voice and to some extent power to people that might otherwise not speak out, or at least not as easily. A post can be made quite quick. And as seen on many an article on here, often without actually having read the article itself...
@youneedtocalmdow Well, maybe not (yet) in this article right here, but over the course of the various articles that have been published about this device on here, there has been quite a lot of negativity and downright hostility about it, which to me seems borderline insane.
I also don't like every console or game, but I don't go out of my way to post negative comments underneath articles mentioning them, so that's why I posted my initial comment. Maybe a bit to shame the negative Nancy's, but also perhaps in hopes of making at least a few people consider that negativity for nothing also brings nothing, so why not just forego commenting on something that you don't like anyway?
Much like people who frequent this site and wonder about and rage against people who "dare" to be fans of Nintendo and who like what they do or what games they make. I'd say that on a Nintendo-related site, that's pretty much the kind of people that you can expect to come across, so if they don't like that, then maybe this is not the right site or community for them.
For clarity's sake: that last bit was not directed at you, but mentioned in general and as a comparative note, because to me that's just as weird and senseless as people raging on other stuff that they don't like.
@youneedtocalmdow No offense, but what exactly is the point you're trying to make?
I'm not insulting anyone, I just tried to explain the reason for this device and why some people might be interested in it. That you or anyone else may not be interested, is perfectly fine, and I also never said that there's anything wrong with digital downloads of retro games, but some retro purists don't care about 720p or 1080p upscales of their favorite games, and would rather play them exactly as they used to, which is how they remember and prefer them.
That is basically all I meant to say with that part of my comment.
To all people wondering/demanding to know why this thing is so special: I'd say that special might be a bit of an overstatement, but this device is made by retro lovers, who want to offer faithful reproductions of the games they knew and loved to like-minded people/other retro gamers.
So, that means no extra filters, no HD up-rezzed graphics, and no other additional features that might "modernize" these games. The screen also has the EXACT resolution and 4:3 ratio to suit and display all of these games exactly how they should be looking and played, and it's a dedicated retro system.
Sure, it's nice that you can also play this stuff on your Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC, smart phone/tablet or even on your SNES Classic Mini or RetroPie, but it's just not the same, due to all the aforementioned reasons. And cartridges, not digital downloads, is yet another thing which makes this have that genuine retro feel.
So, if all of that is what people are looking for, then this device might just be the ticket.
@ShinyUmbreon Where did you get the info from that you "can't go on TV" with this handheld? Because it actually can. It's even shown in the trailer above.
@OorWullie Very thoughtful comment. Couldn't agree more.
@JRJalapeno Great comment, and my thoughts exactly. Nowadays, so much focus is on what we DON'T want, what we DON'T have and what we DON'T like, instead of just thinking about other people that this might still be interesting for and perhaps just forego commenting on something that you don't care about anyway.
But apparently, it's more important to post all of their negative brain farts than to just allow things to be and perhaps bring a little joy or excitement to other people...
In before all the comments about why a crappy, cheap looking system like this actually exists, when you can actually play all of these games in superior form on just about any other platform, and worst of all: why the hell Nintendo Life keeps reporting on this piece of trash.
Inb4 all the comments about how this is vaporware and how it surely must suck, even if it was real. Oh, wait...
@TreacleWench Thank you for that smart comment that will probably get WAY too many dislikes, and WAY too few likes. A wait and see approach is always the best way to go about it, instead of instantly condemning it because "reasons"... Oh, well...
@impurekind I have a sneaking suspicion that your comment will probably also be ignored...
@Savino Far as I'm concerned, it's simply that being negative or dismissive, is FAR easier than actually being positive and looking at things with either a neutral or constructive mindset.
And of course, the anonymity of the internet only enlarges that sentiment and simplifies voicing it, so that's why we now have labels like "keyboard warriors" and "armchair specialists"...
@Savino My thoughts exactly. Don't like it, don't buy it. I'm especially laughing my socks off at all the people that supposedly "know" that this device will utterly fail or how "bad" its design is.
Obviously, they are all members of the secret overseer board of the video game industry, with exclusive insights and knowledge on the matter...
@Joe-b Hm.. I just checked Amazon, and although all their other books are on there, this particular one isn't. Maybe it'll come a bit later. Here's the link, so you can keep tabs on it, or maybe you could send them an email to find out if it's going to be available on Amazon at all: https://www.amazon.com/Bitmap-Books/e/B07N7LHRQJ%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
Bitmap Books themselves do ship globally, though, so you could also check their FAQ page about shipping abroad, and use a currency calculator to see how much it'll set you back for.
Bitmap Books are excellent. I got their Amiga Compendium a week ago, and it's very high quality, and very complete information-wise, so if that book is any indication of their usual quality, then I would say that this Sega version of their "Visual Compendium" book line is pretty much a must-buy and must-have for every Sega 8-bit fan.
@sdelfin That's some decent detective work there.
Funny thing is that when I read in the article how they (NEC) basically flat-out dismissed Mortal Kombat, it kind of immediately made me think of Nintendo, who as we all know have displayed similar bouts of stubbornness. Must be a Japanese (vs Western ideas) thing...
@sdelfin I can understand your point of view, and me and my friends also knew and played the game in the arcades, but my point was that companies look at it from a broader perspective. Even you, me and thousands of friends might have known of it back in the day, but that is still a far too small number for them to make the gamble.
And remember: any and all home console hardware, well except maybe for the Neo Geo, wasn't even remotely as powerful as arcade hardware, so if the game was able to translate well to considerably inferior hardware was probably also a factor that was taken into consideration.
A lot of people have perhaps forgotten, but the motion capture techniques used, were far more intricate and memory consuming than the normal 2D sprite-based fighters of the time.
All of those are factors that must have weighed in on the decision to either allow the game to come to your system or not. And of course, exclusivity has a price tag, so perhaps they also had different ideas about that, who knows? We as gamers will only ever get to know a small part of the actual story behind games, hardware and developers, unless someone comes out and tells us all about it, in a book or an interview.
But most of the time, that's many decades later, and sometimes also colored, because it's told from the perspective of that one person, so we'll actually still never know the full, and objective truth.
As for why Acclaim/Midway would possibly have wanted to offer the deal to them instead of Sega or Nintendo first, that could simply be the idea that because the NEC team actually had a lot of arcade experience under their belt, and due to the hardware in the first PC Engines being superior to what was on offer with the other parties (yes, the CPU was weaker, but the graphics chips were far superior), they may have considered that the people behind the PC Engine might be able to make the best arcade to home console conversion.
But as with all the other things, that is something we'll never completely find out or be sure of, although personally, I don't believe that it was Midway willing to listen to them either.
You have to remember: the team behind the game were new at this, so popular in the arcades or not, you can't be making all that many demands, if this is only your first game. They were probably VERY glad to be able to get into talks with all these big companies, so that they could finally start porting their game over to home consoles and make some real money.
And the article does say that the story has been confirmed by someone working at the American branche of NEC at the time, so the source is at the very least semi-trustworthy. It's not like it's just some internet rumor or anything.
In any case, as they say over here: the truth will probably lie somewhere in the middle, so there may very well be a decent kernel of truth in all of it.
On a side note: I can appreciate a healthy bit of criticism and/or skepticism, as long as it doesn't overrule or overpower reason and logical deduction.
Gotta love the dedication of teams like these, that succeed in pulling retro tech like this into the 21st century in a streamlined form, but the price is really quite a bit too steep for me, though.
@sdelfin I think you're looking at it the wrong way: it was offered to NEC/Hudson Soft before or at the same time as Nintendo and Sega, which is quite clear from the article itself, which states that they were offered the exclusive home console rights of the arcade version of the original Mortal Kombat game.
And contrary to nowadays, Mortal Kombat didn't have that much of a reputation with the home console market (yet), seeing as it was the first game to ever be released on those platforms back then.
So, the context you seek, can more than likely be found in the fact that the game was relatively unknown to a larger audience, it didn't have the reputation that it has now, because it hadn't proven itself on consoles yet, and of course, there were already multiple established fighter game series, which already did have a massive following, so what may seem like a dumb decision when looking at it with today's knowledge, may very well have been a perfectly valid business decision back then.
@rxchrisg Except buttons aren't as vulnerable a component as an external crank, so although buttons breaking down might occur in some extreme cases, that crank is something entirely different, and even though the crank itself looks sturdy, it's still connected to a plastic housing, so that might crack or tear from overuse or incorrect/extreme handling of the crank.
@KennyBania Well, then that's something that they must have added later, probably due to many requests/questions from potential buyers, because initially, that was not mentioned in the FAQ.
On a side note: I got most of my info from their forum pages and YouTube channel. I don't really use FAQ's as my go to, seeing as I often have more questions than just the standard ones found in those FAQ's.
@cleveland124 Interesting. Didn't know that. Also, a bit of a bummer, then. I'm interested in the Polymega, but not in hunting down ancient 8 and 16 bit cartridges, so I'll have to wait and see, then.
@KennyBania Thanks for that wonderfully positive reply. Your fellow NLife member that I answered right before you, at least made a far more decent effort. And yes, I've read enough info on the Polymega in general, just not about the Everdrive bit.
Guess I wrongfully assumed that because it can run original cartridges, that it should also be able to use Everdrives, but thanks to @cleveland124's explanation, I stand corrected. My bad, then.
@Painkiller_Mike Same here. Sound thinking, and a good example of healthy skepticism. I'll also keep an eye on them, and like you, I hope they pull it off. Either way, they'll really have to make an effort to openly showcase the various modules to the general audience, perhaps this year's E3 might be the ticket to do that.
At least that way, we can get some more assurance on the thing actually working as it's supposed to, as well as getting some more hands on reports from various media.
@Damo You're welcome. Seems to me like it's the only logical stance to take, since we as consumers just don't have enough information and/or evidence to decide either way, so I'd still prefer to keep an open mind about this.
@Yorumi I suppose they could have handled their initial communication and marketing a bit better, especially concerning the change from FPGA to all software emulation, but besides that, I really don't think they deserve as much flak as they are getting right now. It's not like they're AtGames or something...
@Yorumi Some criticism, yes. And that's also a healthy stance to take, in general. But the negativity concerning the Polymega is getting ridiculous.
Let's just assume that they did indeed contact/contract/pay the maker of the Saturn emulator, and that he did actually manage to improve the emulator. Why wouldn't that be an option?
Besides, it would be pretty easy to verify that by contacting the maker of the emulator. It's not like his contact details are nowhere to be found...
And you also being a developer might even offer him more of an incentive to actually reply to you as well...
@subpopz I think it's pretty safe to say that any Everdrive cartridge will work just fine with this device, seeing as the Everdrive is designed with being used on original hardware in mind, so unless they come up with some kind of built-in software routine to prevent that from working, I think you might be right.
It's just them covering their @sses, in case any legal action arises from any possible actions potential buyers might take towards infringing on copyrights of original games...
@Yorumi Well, if what the writer of the article says is true, and they managed to improve emulation with help of the creators of these emulators themselves, then perhaps there might actually be a chance that they're more than decent enough.
Guess we'll have to just wait and see how it ultimately all works out. At some point, they'll have to show something to "a couple" more people than just the odd game journalist...
@SmaMan There's skeptical, as in being cautious with good, well-founded reasons, and then there's the criticism aimed at this concept, which is highly over-exaggerated.
By now, there's dozens of videos, lots of communication and information coming from the team behind it, confirmation about it being a thing from several people, among which the people who's emulators are used (in cooperation with these very people, as described in the article here), but no matter how many videos are posted or how many (rather positive) articles are written about it, people still rather hysterically keep shouting fake, every chance they get, without having any decent proof themselves of it being so, other than pointing at other failed attempts at making such devices.
Look, I'm just as annoyed as all the other people who were looking forward to a machine/concept finally promising pin-point emulation by way of FPGA, or a combination of FPGA and software, but apparently, they've managed to iron out most of the problems, reportedly with help of the developers of these emulators themselves.
So I'm still willing to give them a chance and wait and see what they'll ultimately come up with, instead of already condemning them without any proof whatsoever, other than looking at other failed efforts, which are totally unrelated, other than being in the same industry, but they have nothing to do with Polymega, or the team of people behind it.
Of course no console, or any other electrical device or appliance, will last forever, but good care and awareness of the how and when goes a long, LONG way to preserving them for a lifetime or even posterity.
As far as consoles go, give yourself the reminder that if you need to store them, due to lack of space or whatever, that you don't just stick 'em into a plastic bag or cardboard box, and then put them away in an attic, cellar or garage, because that's just an accident waiting to happen.
A good memory aid for where to store them, is the fact that besides being labeled video game consoles, the general category of them is, as we all should know, called home consoles.
So, whenever possible, you should keep them somewhere in your home, not in an annex or storage room. Having dedicated storage bags/containers also helps a great deal, and will at the very least prevent spiders or bugs from turning your beloved retro console into their new home...
Also, the tip mentioned in the article, to boot them up every once in a while, is a really good piece of advice. I do this with systems that I don't really play on anymore, such as the GameCube and the Dreamcast. But they're still hooked up to a second screen situated in my living room.
My main screen setup has the Wii, Wii U, Switch, Xbox 360 and Xbox One S hooked up to it, and these are all used on a fairly regular basis, but the GameCube and Dreamcast have been relocated to the other, smaller screen ever since I added the Wii U to my main setup.
But nearly every weekend, I let either the GameCube or the Dreamcast run in attract/demo mode. Both of them have a Soul Calibur disc loaded, simply because that's one of my all-time favorite series, and because even on the Dreamcast, it still looks SO good, to this day.
And besides that, it was the game that sold me on the Dreamcast, so there's a lot of nostalgia there as well...
Once they're switched on, I leave them running in demo mode for about an hour or 2, 3 and then I switch them off again. Alternating between the GameCube and the Dreamcast each week, means I run them both twice a month, which helps quite a bit with ensuring they're in as good a working order as I can keep them.
And them still being installed in my living room, ensures that they're never really subject to any extreme temperature changes, since my thermostat takes care of that part.
Having said all that, good and interesting article, though, @Damo. It was an enjoyable read. Too bad not all of us have a Simon Lock living somewhere in our vicinity...
@jobvd You seemed to have missed this little bit of text at the end of the third segment of text in the article:
"Bluetooth versions are also expected later this year which will be bundled with receivers that allow them to be used with original hardware, and they'll naturally work 'out of the box' with any device capable of Bluetooth controller support."
@JayJ Ah, that's a shame. Well, I'll wait and see if some YouTuber is going to find out if these are hackable then, so I can put my own games on it, WITH red blood...
@tguk911 So, do you find the Nintendo Classic Minis also far too expensive, then? I hope not, because besides the few obvious improvements these offer over the Neo Geo Mini, they aren't all that different.
And the Neo Geo Mini has an LCD screen, and doesn't need a TV to operate, so there's that. And again: it's a whole bunch of games PLUS a complete, self-contained system to play them on.
These titles on their own are on average $6 a piece in Nintendo's eShop, so that times 40 is worth the price of it all by itself already.
Lots of questionable stuff on there, cheap, ugly design, and considering the manufacturer, I'd put them on the same level as AtGames, so regardless of the greater number of games, I'd hardly consider it a better deal as a product that's actually the real deal...
@tguk911 Except that PS4 doesn't come with 40 games included...
But in all seriousness: I agree with you on the joypads and the lack of a good scan line filter, but other than that, it's still very reasonably priced for what you get for your money, considering the current worth of the individual games included, even on today's consoles.
@JayJ Censored? So, what am I supposed to expect, then? White blood/sweat in Metal Slug and so on?
Odd that this wasn't mentioned in the review, especially since this is supposed to be a mini version of the Neo Geo Arcade cabinet, and not a Home cabinet.
@Damo Concerning those costs: the VGA Box I'm using for my Dreamcast right now, only cost me around €30, so these cables here aren't a cheaper option at all, and seeing as they also don't offer a superior picture quality in comparison with that VGA Box,
I think I'll stick to my current setup.
Of course, there is the tiny inconvenience that not all modern TV's, and especially 4K screens, have that VGA input anymore, but a simple VGA to HDMI convertor will take care of that, and the combined cost will still be lower...
Well, first off: you're welcome, but like I said in that comment, there is arguably some ground for criticism in certain articles, which, intended or not, seem to be there just to generate clicks/hits.
Don't get me wrong: I understand that as a website, this is literally what makes it tick and sustain itself, but still...
But regardless, I don't like the over the top criticism, and quick and easy negativity that is so rampant all over the web nowadays, but perhaps that's also just an age thing, and me being a glass half-full kinda guy...
Either way, I hope you and your colleagues keep finding the time to put up articles like these on a regular basis, because they are, in no small part, responsible for the reason that I've been hanging around here for as long as I have...
A great read, and great memories as well. My cousin had the SNES version, a friend of mine had the Genesis version, and I didn't have any console yet back then, but I did have the Amiga version, and I thought it was brilliant fun. And it had blood as well...
@Damo Well, this article wasn't brilliant, but man, did it come close... A courtesy bow and a tip of the hat to you, sir. If an article is that engaging, that it succeeds in taking you on a journey back to your youth, then it's darn well doing something very, VERY right.
Of late, there has been a lot of criticism on certain articles, and although some of it might arguably be justified, some people unnecessarily (in my opinion) take being vocal about that to the next level.
I'm glad to see that more people recognize the effort gone into this article here, though, because compliments are most definitely warranted.
@bazzaro Well, that's fair enough then. I jumped in a little later than you, and haven't been active on their forums, so I'll take your word for it.
The tech having been changed, could indeed have been about it being more difficult than they expected, or in other words: the tech they previously used not being adequate enough, which would most certainly explain the switch to x86 and a stronger processor, but it does indeed leave the question if they believe, or have actually already found out, that they didn't need FPGA on certain modules to achieve good emulation.
I do hope we get an answer soon, because I'm most definitely interested, and like you, I really like the look and idea of this system.
@SDF_Macross77 Theoretically, you could have a point there, but I don't think they're going to use 1:1 PCB's, because all modules have the same size, so the PCB's will have to fit into their case mod.
Comments 226
Re: Feature: Remember When Video Game Football Shirts Were A Big Deal?
@skulltulips Yeah, as with most things, it really isn't all that black and white, but suffice to say that since the majority of the world calls actual football by its name, it's pretty safe to say that the few locations on this Earth where they speak of soccer can definitely be counted as the anomalies.
ËDIT:
And thanks, and you're welcome.
Re: Feature: Remember When Video Game Football Shirts Were A Big Deal?
@Damo I wish I could take the credit for it, but I'm too much of a gentleman to take somebody else's shine, so it wasn't me.
Good comment about the commercial breaks, so kudos for that.
@99x Other options that might also be more interesting for you, are indoor soccer and/or street soccer. Both have smaller teams, smaller courts/fields, and faster gameplay.
Re: Feature: Remember When Video Game Football Shirts Were A Big Deal?
@ShaiHulud Indeed, sir. And of course football God Johan Cruyff.
Re: Feature: Remember When Video Game Football Shirts Were A Big Deal?
I'll just leave this here:
Re: Feature: Remember When Video Game Football Shirts Were A Big Deal?
@Damo Thanks. One of the perks of living "abroad", I guess. Although Europe now feels more like home to me than my original homeland. It's sometimes so puzzling to me how my fellow countrymen look at certain things, often from a "we're the greatest and most important country in the world" kinda perspective, making certain views rather skewed.
I've learned a lot ever since traveling Europe and ultimately landing in Amsterdam. Especially about football, a game which is only called "soccer" in a handful of countries around the entire world...
But apparently, the British are partially to blame for the confusion...
Re: Feature: Remember When Video Game Football Shirts Were A Big Deal?
@LoveEmpath It's not wrong, because it actually IS football. Only my fellow Americans could mistake a game where you run across a field with a "ball" in your hands as football. Glad I'm living in Europe now, having actually learned how things really are.
And American "football" is actually a derivative of rugby, which is what it should actually be called.
Re: Hardware Review: Should You Import The Japanese Mega Drive Mini?
I'd say no: you don't NEED to import this useless hunk of plastic, but at the same time, I can understand the sentimental value of something like this for long-time Sega fans, or people who actually had or still have the actual tower contraption in their homes.
As for those supposedly superior 6-button controller: first the article goes on to mention how cheap it feels, how the buttons aren't all that good and how much better the officially licensed Retro-Bit controllers are, and then at the end of the article, the Japanese controllers are somehow magically transformed into "better than the EU and US version" ones...
Well, I beg to differ. And for those two or three games included in the total amount of 40 on the EU and US versions of the Mini console, it might not even be worth the trouble of getting an extra, 6 button controller, but even if you do, I'd still go with the Retro-Bit.
Re: Pre-Orders Go Live For The Evercade Retro Handheld System
@ShinyUmbreon On Nintendo? You mean here on Nintendo Life? That would surprise me very much as well, seeing as they too clearly mentioned it being capable of being displayed on the TV.
But there's no need to take my word for it, just take a minute to watch that short trailer right here accompanying the article above, and you'll see for yourself.
Re: Pre-Orders Go Live For The Evercade Retro Handheld System
@ShinyUmbreon I wasn't harsh, just genuinely wondering where you got the idea from, so no offense, but you interpreted my comment in the wrong way. And if you just take a look at that 1 minute trailer that comes with the article, it clearly shows that it really does play on the TV, so if that's the thing you were wondering about, then that's your answer.
Re: Pre-Orders Go Live For The Evercade Retro Handheld System
@SyFyTy I can largely agree with that, although personally, I'd be a bit more careful with making general assumptions on their level of education: negativity and glass half empty views aren't exclusive to people with less diplomas or life experience, unfortunately.
But yeah, online anonymity gives a voice and to some extent power to people that might otherwise not speak out, or at least not as easily. A post can be made quite quick. And as seen on many an article on here, often without actually having read the article itself...
Re: Pre-Orders Go Live For The Evercade Retro Handheld System
@youneedtocalmdow Well, maybe not (yet) in this article right here, but over the course of the various articles that have been published about this device on here, there has been quite a lot of negativity and downright hostility about it, which to me seems borderline insane.
I also don't like every console or game, but I don't go out of my way to post negative comments underneath articles mentioning them, so that's why I posted my initial comment. Maybe a bit to shame the negative Nancy's, but also perhaps in hopes of making at least a few people consider that negativity for nothing also brings nothing, so why not just forego commenting on something that you don't like anyway?
Much like people who frequent this site and wonder about and rage against people who "dare" to be fans of Nintendo and who like what they do or what games they make. I'd say that on a Nintendo-related site, that's pretty much the kind of people that you can expect to come across, so if they don't like that, then maybe this is not the right site or community for them.
For clarity's sake: that last bit was not directed at you, but mentioned in general and as a comparative note, because to me that's just as weird and senseless as people raging on other stuff that they don't like.
Re: Pre-Orders Go Live For The Evercade Retro Handheld System
@youneedtocalmdow No offense, but what exactly is the point you're trying to make?
I'm not insulting anyone, I just tried to explain the reason for this device and why some people might be interested in it. That you or anyone else may not be interested, is perfectly fine, and I also never said that there's anything wrong with digital downloads of retro games, but some retro purists don't care about 720p or 1080p upscales of their favorite games, and would rather play them exactly as they used to, which is how they remember and prefer them.
That is basically all I meant to say with that part of my comment.
Re: Pre-Orders Go Live For The Evercade Retro Handheld System
To all people wondering/demanding to know why this thing is so special: I'd say that special might be a bit of an overstatement, but this device is made by retro lovers, who want to offer faithful reproductions of the games they knew and loved to like-minded people/other retro gamers.
So, that means no extra filters, no HD up-rezzed graphics, and no other additional features that might "modernize" these games. The screen also has the EXACT resolution and 4:3 ratio to suit and display all of these games exactly how they should be looking and played, and it's a dedicated retro system.
Sure, it's nice that you can also play this stuff on your Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC, smart phone/tablet or even on your SNES Classic Mini or RetroPie, but it's just not the same, due to all the aforementioned reasons. And cartridges, not digital downloads, is yet another thing which makes this have that genuine retro feel.
So, if all of that is what people are looking for, then this device might just be the ticket.
@ShinyUmbreon Where did you get the info from that you "can't go on TV" with this handheld? Because it actually can. It's even shown in the trailer above.
@OorWullie Very thoughtful comment. Couldn't agree more.
@JRJalapeno Great comment, and my thoughts exactly. Nowadays, so much focus is on what we DON'T want, what we DON'T have and what we DON'T like, instead of just thinking about other people that this might still be interesting for and perhaps just forego commenting on something that you don't care about anyway.
But apparently, it's more important to post all of their negative brain farts than to just allow things to be and perhaps bring a little joy or excitement to other people...
Re: Pre-Orders Go Live For The Evercade Retro Handheld System
In before all the comments about why a crappy, cheap looking system like this actually exists, when you can actually play all of these games in superior form on just about any other platform, and worst of all: why the hell Nintendo Life keeps reporting on this piece of trash.
Oh, wait...
Re: Polymega TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine Module Includes Five Pack-In Games
Inb4 all the comments about how this is vaporware and how it surely must suck, even if it was real. Oh, wait...
@TreacleWench Thank you for that smart comment that will probably get WAY too many dislikes, and WAY too few likes. A wait and see approach is always the best way to go about it, instead of instantly condemning it because "reasons"... Oh, well...
@impurekind I have a sneaking suspicion that your comment will probably also be ignored...
Re: The Evercade Handheld System Will Get New Retro-Style Indie Games, As Well As Old Classics
@Savino Far as I'm concerned, it's simply that being negative or dismissive, is FAR easier than actually being positive and looking at things with either a neutral or constructive mindset.
And of course, the anonymity of the internet only enlarges that sentiment and simplifies voicing it, so that's why we now have labels like "keyboard warriors" and "armchair specialists"...
Re: The Evercade Handheld System Will Get New Retro-Style Indie Games, As Well As Old Classics
@Savino My thoughts exactly. Don't like it, don't buy it. I'm especially laughing my socks off at all the people that supposedly "know" that this device will utterly fail or how "bad" its design is.
Obviously, they are all members of the secret overseer board of the video game industry, with exclusive insights and knowledge on the matter...
Re: Gallery: Flicking Through Sega Master System: A Visual Compendium
@Joe-b Hm.. I just checked Amazon, and although all their other books are on there, this particular one isn't. Maybe it'll come a bit later. Here's the link, so you can keep tabs on it, or maybe you could send them an email to find out if it's going to be available on Amazon at all:
https://www.amazon.com/Bitmap-Books/e/B07N7LHRQJ%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
Bitmap Books themselves do ship globally, though, so you could also check their FAQ page about shipping abroad, and use a currency calculator to see how much it'll set you back for.
Re: Gallery: Flicking Through Sega Master System: A Visual Compendium
@Joe-b Just look for them on Amazon, or any other online store that sells video game-related books. I didn't get mine from the official site either.
Re: Gallery: Flicking Through Sega Master System: A Visual Compendium
Bitmap Books are excellent. I got their Amiga Compendium a week ago, and it's very high quality, and very complete information-wise, so if that book is any indication of their usual quality, then I would say that this Sega version of their "Visual Compendium" book line is pretty much a must-buy and must-have for every Sega 8-bit fan.
Re: Feature: The Making Of The PC Engine, The 8-Bit Wonder That Took On Nintendo
@sdelfin That's some decent detective work there.
Funny thing is that when I read in the article how they (NEC) basically flat-out dismissed Mortal Kombat, it kind of immediately made me think of Nintendo, who as we all know have displayed similar bouts of stubbornness. Must be a Japanese (vs Western ideas) thing...
Re: Feature: The Making Of The PC Engine, The 8-Bit Wonder That Took On Nintendo
@sdelfin I can understand your point of view, and me and my friends also knew and played the game in the arcades, but my point was that companies look at it from a broader perspective. Even you, me and thousands of friends might have known of it back in the day, but that is still a far too small number for them to make the gamble.
And remember: any and all home console hardware, well except maybe for the Neo Geo, wasn't even remotely as powerful as arcade hardware, so if the game was able to translate well to considerably inferior hardware was probably also a factor that was taken into consideration.
A lot of people have perhaps forgotten, but the motion capture techniques used, were far more intricate and memory consuming than the normal 2D sprite-based fighters of the time.
All of those are factors that must have weighed in on the decision to either allow the game to come to your system or not. And of course, exclusivity has a price tag, so perhaps they also had different ideas about that, who knows? We as gamers will only ever get to know a small part of the actual story behind games, hardware and developers, unless someone comes out and tells us all about it, in a book or an interview.
But most of the time, that's many decades later, and sometimes also colored, because it's told from the perspective of that one person, so we'll actually still never know the full, and objective truth.
As for why Acclaim/Midway would possibly have wanted to offer the deal to them instead of Sega or Nintendo first, that could simply be the idea that because the NEC team actually had a lot of arcade experience under their belt, and due to the hardware in the first PC Engines being superior to what was on offer with the other parties (yes, the CPU was weaker, but the graphics chips were far superior), they may have considered that the people behind the PC Engine might be able to make the best arcade to home console conversion.
But as with all the other things, that is something we'll never completely find out or be sure of, although personally, I don't believe that it was Midway willing to listen to them either.
You have to remember: the team behind the game were new at this, so popular in the arcades or not, you can't be making all that many demands, if this is only your first game. They were probably VERY glad to be able to get into talks with all these big companies, so that they could finally start porting their game over to home consoles and make some real money.
And the article does say that the story has been confirmed by someone working at the American branche of NEC at the time, so the source is at the very least semi-trustworthy. It's not like it's just some internet rumor or anything.
In any case, as they say over here: the truth will probably lie somewhere in the middle, so there may very well be a decent kernel of truth in all of it.
On a side note: I can appreciate a healthy bit of criticism and/or skepticism, as long as it doesn't overrule or overpower reason and logical deduction.
Re: This FPGA-Powered Mega Drive / Genesis Flash Cart Can Play CD Games
Gotta love the dedication of teams like these, that succeed in pulling retro tech like this into the 21st century in a streamlined form, but the price is really quite a bit too steep for me, though.
Re: Feature: The Making Of The PC Engine, The 8-Bit Wonder That Took On Nintendo
@sdelfin I think you're looking at it the wrong way: it was offered to NEC/Hudson Soft before or at the same time as Nintendo and Sega, which is quite clear from the article itself, which states that they were offered the exclusive home console rights of the arcade version of the original Mortal Kombat game.
And contrary to nowadays, Mortal Kombat didn't have that much of a reputation with the home console market (yet), seeing as it was the first game to ever be released on those platforms back then.
So, the context you seek, can more than likely be found in the fact that the game was relatively unknown to a larger audience, it didn't have the reputation that it has now, because it hadn't proven itself on consoles yet, and of course, there were already multiple established fighter game series, which already did have a massive following, so what may seem like a dumb decision when looking at it with today's knowledge, may very well have been a perfectly valid business decision back then.
Re: Introducing The Playdate, Panic's New Handheld Video Game System With A Crank
@rxchrisg Except buttons aren't as vulnerable a component as an external crank, so although buttons breaking down might occur in some extreme cases, that crank is something entirely different, and even though the crank itself looks sturdy, it's still connected to a plastic housing, so that might crack or tear from overuse or incorrect/extreme handling of the crank.
Re: Introducing The Playdate, Panic's New Handheld Video Game System With A Crank
I'm already imagining how useless this device is going to be, when that crank breaks off...
Re: First Images Of Cartridge-Based Retro Console The Evercade Revealed
@clvr And then the world wonders why some good people go bad...
Re: First Images Of Cartridge-Based Retro Console The Evercade Revealed
@clvr Oh, great. Now I look stupid by apparently replying to a non-existing comment...
Re: First Images Of Cartridge-Based Retro Console The Evercade Revealed
@clvr Probably because they're hoping this handheld doesn't have a similar button shortcut to stretch the image, I suppose.
Re: Hands On: Polymega Is Shaping Up To Be The Ultimate All-In-One Retro Emulation Box
@KennyBania Well, then that's something that they must have added later, probably due to many requests/questions from potential buyers, because initially, that was not mentioned in the FAQ.
On a side note: I got most of my info from their forum pages and YouTube channel. I don't really use FAQ's as my go to, seeing as I often have more questions than just the standard ones found in those FAQ's.
Re: Hands On: Polymega Is Shaping Up To Be The Ultimate All-In-One Retro Emulation Box
@Deanster101 I do, don't I?
@cleveland124 Interesting. Didn't know that. Also, a bit of a bummer, then. I'm interested in the Polymega, but not in hunting down ancient 8 and 16 bit cartridges, so I'll have to wait and see, then.
@KennyBania Thanks for that wonderfully positive reply.
Your fellow NLife member that I answered right before you, at least made a far more decent effort. And yes, I've read enough info on the Polymega in general, just not about the Everdrive bit.
Guess I wrongfully assumed that because it can run original cartridges, that it should also be able to use Everdrives, but thanks to @cleveland124's explanation, I stand corrected. My bad, then.
@Painkiller_Mike Same here. Sound thinking, and a good example of healthy skepticism. I'll also keep an eye on them, and like you, I hope they pull it off. Either way, they'll really have to make an effort to openly showcase the various modules to the general audience, perhaps this year's E3 might be the ticket to do that.
At least that way, we can get some more assurance on the thing actually working as it's supposed to, as well as getting some more hands on reports from various media.
Re: Hands On: Polymega Is Shaping Up To Be The Ultimate All-In-One Retro Emulation Box
@Damo You're welcome. Seems to me like it's the only logical stance to take, since we as consumers just don't have enough information and/or evidence to decide either way, so I'd still prefer to keep an open mind about this.
@Yorumi I suppose they could have handled their initial communication and marketing a bit better, especially concerning the change from FPGA to all software emulation, but besides that, I really don't think they deserve as much flak as they are getting right now. It's not like they're AtGames or something...
Re: Hands On: Polymega Is Shaping Up To Be The Ultimate All-In-One Retro Emulation Box
@Yorumi Some criticism, yes. And that's also a healthy stance to take, in general. But the negativity concerning the Polymega is getting ridiculous.
Let's just assume that they did indeed contact/contract/pay the maker of the Saturn emulator, and that he did actually manage to improve the emulator. Why wouldn't that be an option?
Besides, it would be pretty easy to verify that by contacting the maker of the emulator. It's not like his contact details are nowhere to be found...
And you also being a developer might even offer him more of an incentive to actually reply to you as well...
Re: Hands On: Polymega Is Shaping Up To Be The Ultimate All-In-One Retro Emulation Box
@subpopz I think it's pretty safe to say that any Everdrive cartridge will work just fine with this device, seeing as the Everdrive is designed with being used on original hardware in mind, so unless they come up with some kind of built-in software routine to prevent that from working, I think you might be right.
It's just them covering their @sses, in case any legal action arises from any possible actions potential buyers might take towards infringing on copyrights of original games...
Re: Hands On: Polymega Is Shaping Up To Be The Ultimate All-In-One Retro Emulation Box
@Yorumi Well, if what the writer of the article says is true, and they managed to improve emulation with help of the creators of these emulators themselves, then perhaps there might actually be a chance that they're more than decent enough.
Guess we'll have to just wait and see how it ultimately all works out. At some point, they'll have to show something to "a couple" more people than just the odd game journalist...
Re: Hands On: Polymega Is Shaping Up To Be The Ultimate All-In-One Retro Emulation Box
@SmaMan There's skeptical, as in being cautious with good, well-founded reasons, and then there's the criticism aimed at this concept, which is highly over-exaggerated.
By now, there's dozens of videos, lots of communication and information coming from the team behind it, confirmation about it being a thing from several people, among which the people who's emulators are used (in cooperation with these very people, as described in the article here), but no matter how many videos are posted or how many (rather positive) articles are written about it, people still rather hysterically keep shouting fake, every chance they get, without having any decent proof themselves of it being so, other than pointing at other failed attempts at making such devices.
Look, I'm just as annoyed as all the other people who were looking forward to a machine/concept finally promising pin-point emulation by way of FPGA, or a combination of FPGA and software, but apparently, they've managed to iron out most of the problems, reportedly with help of the developers of these emulators themselves.
So I'm still willing to give them a chance and wait and see what they'll ultimately come up with, instead of already condemning them without any proof whatsoever, other than looking at other failed efforts, which are totally unrelated, other than being in the same industry, but they have nothing to do with Polymega, or the team of people behind it.
Re: Hands On: Polymega Is Shaping Up To Be The Ultimate All-In-One Retro Emulation Box
Inb4 idiotic commenters still calling this fa...
Oh, wait...
Re: Feature: Your Beloved Games Console Is Slowly But Surely Dying
Of course no console, or any other electrical device or appliance, will last forever, but good care and awareness of the how and when goes a long, LONG way to preserving them for a lifetime or even posterity.
As far as consoles go, give yourself the reminder that if you need to store them, due to lack of space or whatever, that you don't just stick 'em into a plastic bag or cardboard box, and then put them away in an attic, cellar or garage, because that's just an accident waiting to happen.
A good memory aid for where to store them, is the fact that besides being labeled video game consoles, the general category of them is, as we all should know, called home consoles.
So, whenever possible, you should keep them somewhere in your home, not in an annex or storage room. Having dedicated storage bags/containers also helps a great deal, and will at the very least prevent spiders or bugs from turning your beloved retro console into their new home...
Also, the tip mentioned in the article, to boot them up every once in a while, is a really good piece of advice. I do this with systems that I don't really play on anymore, such as the GameCube and the Dreamcast. But they're still hooked up to a second screen situated in my living room.
My main screen setup has the Wii, Wii U, Switch, Xbox 360 and Xbox One S hooked up to it, and these are all used on a fairly regular basis, but the GameCube and Dreamcast have been relocated to the other, smaller screen ever since I added the Wii U to my main setup.
But nearly every weekend, I let either the GameCube or the Dreamcast run in attract/demo mode. Both of them have a Soul Calibur disc loaded, simply because that's one of my all-time favorite series, and because even on the Dreamcast, it still looks SO good, to this day.
And besides that, it was the game that sold me on the Dreamcast, so there's a lot of nostalgia there as well...
Once they're switched on, I leave them running in demo mode for about an hour or 2, 3 and then I switch them off again. Alternating between the GameCube and the Dreamcast each week, means I run them both twice a month, which helps quite a bit with ensuring they're in as good a working order as I can keep them.
And them still being installed in my living room, ensures that they're never really subject to any extreme temperature changes, since my thermostat takes care of that part.
Having said all that, good and interesting article, though, @Damo.
It was an enjoyable read. Too bad not all of us have a Simon Lock living somewhere in our vicinity...
Re: Hardware Review: Retro-Bit's Sega Genesis And Saturn Pads (Mostly) Hit The Right Spot
@jobvd Well, there you go. Just no release date for those yet, but I'm sure they'll arrive not too long after these ones.
Re: Hardware Review: Retro-Bit's Sega Genesis And Saturn Pads (Mostly) Hit The Right Spot
@jobvd You seemed to have missed this little bit of text at the end of the third segment of text in the article:
"Bluetooth versions are also expected later this year which will be bundled with receivers that allow them to be used with original hardware, and they'll naturally work 'out of the box' with any device capable of Bluetooth controller support."
Re: Analogue Mega Sg To Feature Unreleased Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Game
Damn, now I REALLY want to have and play this game.
I'm just not willing to pay $189.99 for it...
Re: Hardware Review: SNK Neo Geo Mini International Edition - Different Design, Different Games, Same Problems?
@JayJ Ah, that's a shame. Well, I'll wait and see if some YouTuber is going to find out if these are hackable then, so I can put my own games on it, WITH red blood...
Re: Hardware Review: SNK Neo Geo Mini International Edition - Different Design, Different Games, Same Problems?
@tguk911 So, do you find the Nintendo Classic Minis also far too expensive, then? I hope not, because besides the few obvious improvements these offer over the Neo Geo Mini, they aren't all that different.
And the Neo Geo Mini has an LCD screen, and doesn't need a TV to operate, so there's that. And again: it's a whole bunch of games PLUS a complete, self-contained system to play them on.
These titles on their own are on average $6 a piece in Nintendo's eShop, so that times 40 is worth the price of it all by itself already.
As for the Pandora Box: do you mean this crappy thing?
https://sc02.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1WxPAHKOSBuNjy0Fdq6zDnVXah/Pandoras-Box-Bartop-Console-Arcade-Board-Video.jpg
Lots of questionable stuff on there, cheap, ugly design, and considering the manufacturer, I'd put them on the same level as AtGames, so regardless of the greater number of games, I'd hardly consider it a better deal as a product that's actually the real deal...
These ones look nice, though:
https://arcademachine.en.alibaba.com/product/60642692725-804431451/19_inch_2_player_pandora_box_645_in_1_mini_coin_operated_arcade_bartop_game_machine.html?spm=a2700.details.pronpeci14.2.6d563633fQVfjL
But you do have to buy one of these separate arcade boards for them:
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/jamma-HDMI-pandora-s-box-4s_60667886466.html?spm=a2700.7724857.normalList.21.30d047b1M8leuM
Re: Hardware Review: SNK Neo Geo Mini International Edition - Different Design, Different Games, Same Problems?
@tguk911 Except that PS4 doesn't come with 40 games included...
But in all seriousness: I agree with you on the joypads and the lack of a good scan line filter, but other than that, it's still very reasonably priced for what you get for your money, considering the current worth of the individual games included, even on today's consoles.
Re: Hardware Review: SNK Neo Geo Mini International Edition - Different Design, Different Games, Same Problems?
@JayJ Censored? So, what am I supposed to expect, then? White blood/sweat in Metal Slug and so on?
Odd that this wasn't mentioned in the review, especially since this is supposed to be a mini version of the Neo Geo Arcade cabinet, and not a Home cabinet.
Re: Feature: One Company Is Retrofitting Classic Systems With HDMI Output Without Costing The Earth
@Damo Concerning those costs: the VGA Box I'm using for my Dreamcast right now, only cost me around €30, so these cables here aren't a cheaper option at all, and seeing as they also don't offer a superior picture quality in comparison with that VGA Box,
I think I'll stick to my current setup.
Of course, there is the tiny inconvenience that not all modern TV's, and especially 4K screens, have that VGA input anymore, but a simple VGA to HDMI convertor will take care of that, and the combined cost will still be lower...
Re: Feature: How Mortal Kombat Defined The Console War Between Sega And Nintendo
@Damo Yeah, unfortunately so. Oh, well... still a much better place to hang around and read the comments, than under the average YouTube video...
Oh, and seeing as articles like these are, in general, much appreciated,
I don't think they'll fall on their face anytime soon.
Just keep up the good work: persistence ultimately reaps its rewards.
(said professional sales & marketing guy me... )
Re: Feature: How Mortal Kombat Defined The Console War Between Sega And Nintendo
@Damo Haha, talk about a delayed response...
Well, first off: you're welcome, but like I said in that comment, there is arguably some ground for criticism in certain articles, which, intended or not, seem to be there just to generate clicks/hits.
Don't get me wrong: I understand that as a website, this is literally what makes it tick and sustain itself, but still...
But regardless, I don't like the over the top criticism, and quick and easy negativity that is so rampant all over the web nowadays, but perhaps that's also just an age thing, and me being a glass half-full kinda guy...
Either way, I hope you and your colleagues keep finding the time to put up articles like these on a regular basis, because they are, in no small part, responsible for the reason that I've been hanging around here for as long as I have...
Re: Feature: How Mortal Kombat Defined The Console War Between Sega And Nintendo
A great read, and great memories as well. My cousin had the SNES version, a friend of mine had the Genesis version, and I didn't have any console yet back then, but I did have the Amiga version, and I thought it was brilliant fun. And it had blood as well...
@Damo Well, this article wasn't brilliant, but man, did it come close...
A courtesy bow and a tip of the hat to you, sir. If an article is that engaging, that it succeeds in taking you on a journey back to your youth, then it's darn well doing something very, VERY right.
Of late, there has been a lot of criticism on certain articles, and although some of it might arguably be justified, some people unnecessarily (in my opinion) take being vocal about that to the next level.
I'm glad to see that more people recognize the effort gone into this article here, though, because compliments are most definitely warranted.
Re: Polymega's Grand Vision For The Ultimate Retro System Includes A Virtual Console Successor
@bazzaro Well, that's fair enough then. I jumped in a little later than you, and haven't been active on their forums, so I'll take your word for it.
The tech having been changed, could indeed have been about it being more difficult than they expected, or in other words: the tech they previously used not being adequate enough, which would most certainly explain the switch to x86 and a stronger processor, but it does indeed leave the question if they believe, or have actually already found out, that they didn't need FPGA on certain modules to achieve good emulation.
I do hope we get an answer soon, because I'm most definitely interested, and like you, I really like the look and idea of this system.
@SDF_Macross77 Theoretically, you could have a point there, but I don't think they're going to use 1:1 PCB's, because all modules have the same size, so the PCB's will have to fit into their case mod.
But still, thanks for the addition anyway.