@bazzaro The parts in italic and in between quotation marks are article quotes, the rest is mine.
And I mentioned the region free part, because that is a fact, and Famicom is the Japanese version of the NES, so the internals are pretty much the same, other than one being PAL and the other being NTSC, but then again: the USA NES was also NTSC, so little difference there, other than the outside shell and the controllers.
I wasn't really trying to convince or enthuse anyone, just expressing my own views on this and stating that I personally think that people are jumping to conclusions way too fast and that people put too much (negative) emphasis on partial info.
I'd rather take a wait and see stance, instead of serving the whole project off, just because they made some changes. The loss of FPGA being used in all modules is unfortunate, but I'm sure they had their reasons (and please don't react to that with something along the lines of "yeah, cost reduction"), and they've already partially explained it, with the move to other hardware:
"This decision / change overall has freed up our team to focus on matters that more factually push the needle in terms of overall system compatibility, as evidenced by our recently-announced support for the Sega Saturn, adding over one thousand new compatible games to Polymega™. What made this possible is that by removing the larger size FPGA from the base unit, we were able to opt for a higher clock-speed dual core chip rather than a slower quad-core chip for the main CPU, which now opens up the door to more demanding systems like Saturn, N64, Dreamcast, and more — which is what many people have expressed to us that they want."
Hardware that is better and more compatible with their overall plan, so why not wait and see instead of writing it off already?
I have no stake in this device, so I don't mind people wanting or not wanting it, but I do find it rather silly to make decisions based upon partial information, that's all.
And that includes lack of info that you want, and I for one, am pretty sure that the info will come at some point. And if people REALLY want to know, why not contact them directly?
Besides their own FAQ page, which already explains several things, they also have a contact option, so people that are interested, can always reach out to them directly.
@bazzaro Well, it does say all the following, including the piece you took out of it:
"Changes have also been made to the 'Hybrid Emulation' system; FPGA has been moved out of the console itself and into select modules to accommodate the larger CPU and addition of more systems. The first FPGA module will be Famicom, if its reward level is reached. The base unit is compatible with FPGA modules from day one and no hardware upgrade will be required. The SNES Launch module will not be FPGA based, but a later revision will include this functionality. Meanwhile, there are no plans for TurboGrafx/PCE, NES, or Mega Drive / Genesis to use an FPGA module for the time being, but it has been confirmed that third parties will be able to create FPGA-based modules for Polymega post-launch under a special licencing agreement."
And:
"Second, certain systems are going to be FPGA based. The first example of this is going to be the dedicated Famicom module, which will be released after the launch of the system. Famicom is particularly important to be implemented in this manner as it included accessories such as the Famicom Disk System (FDS), which was a critical part of its library and one that we will not be creating a dedicated module for. The tech to support FPGA modules is built in to the launch version of the Polymega™ Base Unit, and we may continue to release other FPGA modules in the future. FPGA modules will have a slightly higher price point than standard modules."
So, a Famicom module with FPGA will be available, and seeing as this thing is region free, Famicom and NES will act as one and the same.
Second, later versions of certain other modules (such as SNES) WILL have FPGA, and third parties are allowed to come up with their own FPGA-based modules, so there's definitely no certainty about what will have what.
Things to note in this whole article are the specifics and the nuances, which a lot of people seem to miss, making them throw everything on one large heap. It's either/or with them. But it's not as black & white as that. FPGA will most certainly come, just not in ALL modules, and there are more options, so we should wait and see what ultimately happens.
And even that part you quoted, ends with: for the time being, which also clearly indicates that literally nothing has been set in stone yet. It's just a lot of people being a bit too quick with coming to certain conclusions, while it's still WAY too early to do so.
@SDF_Macross77 Indeed. I'm no fool with blinders on, but I also don't think this is vaporware anymore, since previewers have seen and played with the actual device, and it seems promising, regardless of some of the changes now made, but I will wait for final reviews, and preferably, for a chance to have a hands on experience of my own.
@cleveland124 Sure, that's a decent point you got there. But if you look at it in a broader perspective, then it would appear that the choice to drop FPGA for those earlier consoles coincides with the move from ARM to x86, and perhaps tests have indicated that they were able to get the games emulated more than well enough based on that hardware alone.
And we obviously don't know what else is in that base unit, besides the CPU, so who knows? Which is also why I've mentioned several times that it's probably best to just wait and see until we find out more.
NLife has already done a preview, so chances are, they'll also do a review of the final unit, and then we'll learn for sure how it'll stack up against other offerings.
One thing it does have over the others, is obviously the amount of systems emulated, and having a CD drive right out of the box, so that's something, at least.
@SDF_Macross77 I don't really see the need for double dipping. You could just buy the base unit without a module first, that already gives you access to emulation of several CD-based consoles.
And then, when the FPGA modules arrive, people can buy those later on. I wouldn't mind the wait, long as it delivers, and there's only one way to find out if it does, and that is to wait for final units to reach the hands of reviewers and or early adopters, so that's what I'll do, instead of already slamming the hammer down on it, because there are simply some more answers needed before we can do that.
@SenseiDje I think you've misunderstood me. I don't see this as Vaporware at all. Especially seeing as so many people, INCLUDING the NLife crew, have already gotten a hands-on experience. And pretty much all previews I've seen/read are for the most part very positive, so believe what you will, I will remain cautiously optimistic.
@bazzaro No offense, but you don't have to explain to me what they said, thank you. The article clearly stated that the NES module will come in both versions: one with and one without FPGA. It's only the launch model that won't have FPGA.
@retro_player_22 Well, I never claimed you NEEDED one, I only said that because of the superior hardware, it would stand to reason that it emulates all those systems you mentioned better than the current clones, except for the Analogue NT and RetroUSB, which are also more powerful than most clones.
And that N64 support is coming, from what I've understood from their own website, as well as Dreamcast emulation, and perhaps even some of the other consoles you mentioned, so who knows?
I'd say it's at the very least interesting enough to keep an eye on...
P.S.
You haven't given me an answer to my question yet, about how/why you think the other consoles are able to do HD better...
@Deanster101 The matter is still open, so that's no certainty. As clearly stated in the article, only the NES module has FPGA for NOW, but that does in no way exclude other modules also getting FPGA support, and it certainly seems to point to that seeing as they mentioned select modules, plural, so it's not going to be just the NES module.
And they also leave the door open for third parties to come up with their own FPGA modules, so there's that as well.
But again: not all of the supported consoles really need FPGA on board. Most NES/SNES/Multiconsole clones don't have it either, and this system here will probably use RetroArch cores, which of themselves are already highly compatible and all but problem free.
And like I also mentioned to another user in the previous comment, this system has a far more powerful processor than any of these clone systems, so I don't think that emulation is going to be a worry, and I would say that a separate core processor and individual modules is actually also a FAR better solution than a 5 systems in 1 clone...
But let's first wait and see if they manage to pull it off, and if they can then meet demand, because if this system is going to deliver on it's promises, then it's more than likely going to fly right off the shelves...
Agreed on the looks, though. It does look pretty good. I like the controllers as well.
All these concerns... pffff. If a SNES Classic Mini, running on a simple ARM processor, can play SNES, NES, Genesis/Megadrive, GBA, N64, GBC, TurboGfx16 and PSX games almost perfectly, with only minor issues on most games, then this system, based on a considerably more heavy x86 processor, should more than easily be able to improve the emulation on pretty much all of the systems mentioned in the press release.
The Saturn part might be the only thing to have a wait and see attitude about, because like others have said, that's still pretty hard to pull off.
But, if that license deal they made, is with the guy who already made quite a bit of headway (forgot his name, but others will probably know) with his version of the Saturn emulator, then they'll have the best emulator around so far, and that is most certainly nothing to scoff at.
@Deanster101 Only the base unit has no FPGA, the modules do. Have you actually read everything, or are you just rushing to post? First off, not every system needs FPGA to have good or decent enough emulation. Case in point: the Nintendo Minis.
Second, the system is based upon x86, and emulates multiple CD-based systems right out of the box, so a system on a chip doesn't seem like a very likely candidate.
It would stand to reason that we would first need to learn more, before we throw this device on the scrap heap already.
@retro_player_22 How do you know that these HD clones do HD better? I'd say that this system certainly seems superior on paper, since most of these clones, except for consoles like the Analogue NT and the RetroUSB only either use SoC's and/or ARM chips.
This system's base hardware is already more than twice as powerful as that. It also needs to be, due to all the systems that it is supposed to be able to handle, but still...
I think we gotta wait and see first. This might either be a bridge too far, or on the other hand, it might very well become THE retro gaming system to beat them all...
@BulbasaurusRex Why? When I was young, I had a Space Invaders tabletop, one of those early ones, with the bright green and red back-lit graphics, and I always used it in the house, or in the caravan on holidays, but I never dragged it along with me to play outside with it or something.
I do agree with you on the lack of an external battery, though. That was most definitely an oversight. My old tabletop worked with batteries, as well as with an adapter, so they could have at least made that an option.
And personally, I also find the lack of a scanline option a mistake, but one that I'll probably learn to live with, because I'm going to get one anyway...
@cleveland124 I never said that it would, but for Neo Geo fans like me, this is most definitely an interesting item.
And that screen is more than big enough, from all the videos I've seen of it. If you can play on a DS or a 3DS, then you can play on this quite easily. And the viewing distance is also about the same, if you use it like you're supposed to, because a tabletop should also be used at semi-arm length, much the same as with a handheld.
And then there's of course the connect it to TV option, if the image is still too small for some, or if you simply want to relive those Neo Geo days on the big screen...
@BulbasaurusRex Excuse me for saying so, but it's not about what it is to any of us individuals. They've said it's a tabletop.
It really is quite simple: we can all clearly see, that this Mini is shaped like an arcade cabinet, and seeing as all tabletops are shaped like that, it falls into that category, regardless of the size of any of its components.
Most sites that mention it, also label it as such, so it seems they all largely agree on that distinction.
@Damo Haha, yeah, indeed. I remember it well from back then, since we had this one annoying Chinese classmate (not annoying because he was Chinese, but because of the rest of this story), who's father was an international business man, who traveled all over the world, and he brought his son all kinds of things from his trip, that the rest of our class, including me, could only dream of:
super expensive waterproof Sony walkman's with double tape decks, and indeed also a Neo Geo, with no less than 5 (five!) games. The brat...
@BulbasaurusRex No offense, but all these points were already tackled in my discussion with others, who also reacted to my comment. And it was not designed as a portable, but as a tabletop, which is something ENTIRELY different.
As for my talk with @NEStalgia: we're just taking pot shots at each other, more out of fun and out of already having had dozens upon dozens of discussions with each other, so you probably shouldn't take most of what we say to each other seriously, especially when there's smileys involved...
@NEStalgia I wouldn't call those people I knew "gaming enthusiasts", back then, it was more like all but the most poor kid, or kid with the most strict parents, had gaming devices, so we were all gamers, but if that's the same thing to you, then I guess you have a point.
And if those are gaming enthusiasts, then so are the people that want to play with the Nintendo Minis, seeing as they are, or have become enthusiastic enough to buy one and play with it.
@GravyThief You're welcome, any time. @NEStalgia Neo Geo has no nostalgic value? I think you're HIGHLY underestimating that. Back in the day, every kid I knew, including my already older self, wanted one, except we simply couldn't afford it, much like the article so correctly mentions, and what the article also nailed, is the sentiment that we all thought that it was the Rolls Royce of consoles, the Holy Grail of gaming, so to speak.
I always had the intention or thought that I would be able to get one, eventually, but by the time that I had a decent enough job to provide for that, the console itself was already surpassed by newer, and at the time, more interesting ones, so I kind of forgot about it for a decent while.
By the time I became interested in it once again, it had become a collector's item, and the already expensive games had, in some cases, reached stellar heights, or weren't even available at all anymore, so for me, this little arcade cabinet is a dream come true, at last...
@Damo With a portable telly, of course...
But all joking aside, good point. Overlooked that one.
Although I'd dare to wager a bet, that any day now, the same guy that came up with the "truly" portable Wii U in a backpack, or some other YouTube tinkerer, will come up with a way to "portable-ize" the NES and/or SNES Mini...
@GravyThief Back then, a micro-switched joystick was the Holy Grail of game controllers. For example: on the Commodore and Atari range of home computers in the 80's and early 90's, almost everyone had at least one so-called "The Arcade Stick", made by a company called Suzo.
Many people also simply called them Suzo Arcade sticks.
It was the best of the best single stick/single button joysticks ever made, and probably still is.
Later in its life, they also had a two button model, and even a three button one, but these weren't nearly as popular as the originals.
@NEStalgia That's just about the same thing as saying that NES and SNES games are better on virtual console, but the popularity of the Minis has already proven that to be MASSIVELY wrong.
And true retro lovers/Neo Geo fans will probably sell their right arm to own one of these, regardless of the few shortcomings that it has...
@jbrodack Because it had a considerable list of shortcomings. It hardly delivered on all of the wonderful promises that were made before it was released.
And SNK dropped it like a ton of bricks pretty soon after, by retracting manufacturer Tommo's license, and that will most certainly not have been without reasons.
I think that people complaining about the games on offer, are SORELY missing a couple of points:
1. The unit reviewed is the Japanese one. The international version has a different list of games, which is quite a bit less focused on bringing the entire King of Fighters series to the console.
2. Since this thing is more than likely going to be VERY easy to hack, you can add any game that you damn well please, so if the game of your choice is not on there, just put it on there yourself.
Criticizing this unit for not offering an option for portable play is rather unfair, in my opinion, seeing as Nintendo's mini consoles don't have that option either, and equally, they also don't have an internal battery...
The Commodore CD32 aka the Amiga CD32, as it was actually called...
As for the Philips CD-i: that thing was only ever destined to be a complete joke and a failure. Typical Philips: coming up with a rather good idea on paper, then screwing it up in real life, and then letting other companies come up with MASSIVE improvements that actually DO make their devices successful...
I have played a couple of titles on the CD-i, and I found all of them forgettable. And those licensed Nintendo games were of course utterly atrocious, and it is sad that they even happened in the first place.
@gurtifus Yep, as far as hardcore fighting movies go, it was probably his best. His acting was most definitely the worst in that movie, though. It has gotten a little bit better, over the years...
@chiptoon Yeah, they screwed that bit up. If you read the actual article from the Guardian, it says "biggest action movie actor in the world", at the time, which he was, for quite a while.
@Jokerwolf And it looks good too. Some of these retro-clones look so cheap or garish, regardless of how good they are or aren't. And most of them have lousy controllers. These guys here actually made a real effort to offer you a decent alternative for the original controllers of all the various types of consoles they intend to add.
@PALversusNTSC I think you must have missed the bit where it says that it also supports CD-based consoles...
For now, the only "above 16-bit" console that is supported, will be the PSX, but they are seriously considering adding Saturn, Dreamcast and perhaps even more.
@RunninBlue From what I've understood, it doesn't. You DO need the original cartridges, so indirect rom dumps or downloads don't work, but for any disc or cartridge game, once installed, you can leave it out, so it shouldn't be needed anymore.
But you can always ask them yourself by contacting them. I've posted links to their site and their FAQ page in comment #61.
@SethNintendo That's not burning, that's ripping. Burning is always the other way around: you can burn video, audio or data to a CD, DVD or Bluray, but you cannot burn anything to a hard drive.
How Polymega handles games is, like I already said, the exact same way as how the current gen consoles do it: installing the data to internal storage. Actually much like how you would install a game on your PC.
@RunninBlue You only need to use the cartridge once. After that, it stays in the internal storage. You can play from the cartridge if you want, but it's not necessary.
@moroboshi The use of swapping out modules is because the base unit provides the power and the emulation, and the modules contain console-specific hardware and connectors, so you can play with original controllers.
I posted all the necessary info in comment #31 (and in the comment above this one), if you're interested to find out more.
@cleveland124 Well, it's mentioned in the interview I linked to, that they started with thinking about that (FPGA), and then going from there, to create a device that was more accurate in its emulation, and ended up with a formula that's 50% hardware and 50% software. They call it "hybrid emulation".
What it exactly entails, is anyone's guess, but the way that he describes it, does sound like the device actually IS interacting with the cartridge on a deeper level than just software emulaton or rom dumping.
@SethNintendo It's more like installing a game from disc. You could say it is much like modern consoles: the physical disc/cartridge is only necessary to install the game. Except, contrary to modern consoles, the disc doesn't need to be in the drive to play, once it's installed.
@Fearful-Octopus Well, that depends. There are actually quite a few games that are still reasonably affordable on the cartridge based version. It's mostly the CD based games that are either rare or expensive.
And of course we're talking grey area here again, but seeing as this was an old, non-copy protected system, I'd wager it would be quite easy to make your own PC Engine CD's, and these would, or should install just as well as genuine discs.
@Jokerwolf Agreed on that. I've been following them ever since the system was still called Retroblox, and from what they've achieved so far, this certainly looks extremely promising.
On a side note: and now that it is proven to be real, the idiots that called this vaporware, are nowhere to be seen...
@Fearful-Octopus You don't really need to have nostalgia for any one console, to still be able to appreciate, or learn to appreciate, its games.
But having said that, the Turbografx 16/PC Engine had lots of great games, some of which were even the best versions of the games available at the time, such as the CD version of the Japanese version of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, which was later remade on the SNES, in a slightly lesser version called Castlevania Dracula X.
You can probably quite easily imagine that, because of the PC Engine version being released on CD-ROM, the music and sound effects were far superior, and I do believe that the game itself was also more elaborate because it didn't have to stick to the limitations of cartridges.
And there are quite a few other games that were worth playing, some even completely exclusive to the system. It had a lot of great side scrolling shooters, platformers and fighters, so even today, it's still well worth looking into, if you like retro gaming.
@subpopz Well, the draw is that it is FPGA-based combined with emulators, potentially making it the best of the bunch, save for clone consoles that actually run the cartridges directly. And besides that, it's also quite customer-friendly in that it has one base unit, and for each console, a small click-on module, that has all the necessary connectors for cartridges and controllers.
All of which are smaller, and take up less space than having all the original consoles still hooked up, not to mention that this would also mean far more cables, and converters, if your TV doesn't have the old connectors anymore.
The Polymega runs everything from one unit, so only one cable is needed, and you just switch out cartridge modules if you want to play games from another console.
And another advantage is that each module comes with its own, dedicated internal hardware, that combines with their custom software to improve results of the emulation.
@Jokerwolf The Polymega actually IS based on FPGA, combining both hardware and software to control the emulation, so perhaps you should have informed yourself a little better before making that comment...
Ah, yes. I remember this one now. Still looks great and like something that I would want to play, but the name on the other hand, still sounds like something that you should go see the doctor for...
Well, I'm here to entertain, so I'm glad you liked it...
And I'm still a Yank at heart, AND I'm firmly rooted in my favorite Dutch city, so what can you do? Gotta go with the flow or drown...
As for these soccer "fans": yeah, I truly still have no idea what that's all about. I've never heard about massive fights breaking out between baseball, football or basketball fans. And in ice hockey, all the fighting is done on the ice by the players themselves, but if you look at soccer around the world, the aggressiveness towards those of the other teams is just through the roof.
The English are also still infamous across the world, as well as certain Italian and Spanish "supporters" of various teams.
The weird thing though, is that in it's mildest form (swearing, hating the other team but not actively harming any of them or their supporters), it's actually completely acceptable, and as such, even I go along with it, so by now and after all those years of having lived over here, I actually DO find myself despising the other teams and not wanting them to win over "my" team.
But I'm not even close to being one of these actual idiots, who even go so far as to arrange fights by calling the other teams (which is odd to begin with, because why would you call the opposing team of supporters who you hate so much?) and meeting up somewhere to bash each other's head in. That has even resulted in some deadly casualties at one point, a decade or two ago. Since then, things have calmed down a bit, but not too much, or enough, depending on how you look at it...
I suppose all of that could probably come as something of a culture shock if you've never seen something like this during or after a sports match. Back in the day, when my dad was just a kid, you could simply stand right on the field itself, just outside the lines.
Nowadays it's all plexiglass shielding/boarding, metal fences and concrete moats, all constructed and put in place to prevent hooligans from entering the soccer arena.
Actually quite sad that it had to come to this, if you stop to think about it. Sort of like having to waste money on a solution to a problem that never should have become a problem in the first place if it weren't for a couple of prime examples of why, in certain cases, the world would be better off without (certain types of) humans...
@rjejr With my heritage and background, I'd rather root for your team. And the Dutch team is from Eindhoven. People in Amsterdam hate them. Those two cities are the home base of two of the biggest Dutch premier league soccer teams.
The mutual animosity is even worse than my feelings towards Sony, so if I would root for Eindhoven while living in Amsterdam, they'd probably skin me alive. And obviously, I'm for the Amsterdam team, even though they lost this year, so there's already enough anger going 'round here about "us" finishing in 2nd place...
@Heavyarms55 Never mind: I misread your comment. My bad. Still: the reasons to buy this system are obvious from the information I posted, so perhaps they're still useful to you...
@Heavyarms55 You don't have to buy the machine over and over: you buy one CD module, and then add whatever console modules you want. You can then switch on one at a time in combination with the CD drive, and those will detect each other and act as one console with a CD drive.
So, for example, you could have one CD drive, with a Sega Genesis module and a PS1 module, and a Turbogrfx16 module.
Of course if you DO want them all separate, you could get a CD module for all three, but you could simply stack 'em in a neat, small tower with just the one CD module at the bottom...
More info: http://polymega.com/
(picture of two combined modules right there on the front page)
EDIT:
Have to correct myself there: you DO only need one CD module, but you can't stack several console modules on top of it. As the website shows, the CD module is the base unit, and console modules are interchangeable, so only one can be connected at a time.
@samuelvictor Better tell @rjejr that EDM stands for Electronic Dance Music. He does like his abbreviations, but only the ones that he knows himself...
@rjejr It's pronounced Aah-vee-chee. As in "veni, vidi, vici", if you know your Roman emperor Caesar quotes...
And he was a Swedish DJ, worked with a lot of the biggest artists out there, even with Coldplay, so yeah, he was really big. But I won't hold it against you...
Over the years, I've seen you mention several bands and artists, and I can honestly say that I don't know all of them either, nor have I heard of some.
Case in point: I'm currently watching this year's American Idol (don't judge, I like talent shows), and more than half the songs performed in it are completely unfamiliar to me, but on a positive note: it does bring me into contact with new music and artists that I wouldn't have known otherwise.
@rjejr And that's exactly what it is. Another famous DJ said today that Aviici was, for all intents and purposes, the Mozart of the dance scene, and I would agree. He certainly had a brilliant, if troubled, mind and he made some brilliant music with it.
And yes, I like this kind of music as well. My taste is very broad, from classic to rock, from rap to dance, and everything in between. I do not have a specific favorite genre, and to me, every kind of music has it's good and bad songs/pieces.
So, much like I did with Prince when he passed, I thought it only fitting to pay the same respect to this brilliant artist. But once the 2nd of May arrives, I will be able to add another year to my miserable life, so I'll be reverting back to my own avatar's ugly mug, or perhaps I'll go for the MCU Infinity Wars one.
That is, if I can find a decent picture of it that equals the ominous look of the one I used up til now. Gotta keep the whole mad Titan vibe in tact...
Well, nice to know that this is still a work in progress, but that video is pretty useless for the end user interested in this modular console. Probably only interesting to tech heads and/or other people liking this kind of stuff, but not really for people actually interested in the system itself.
I would rather see a working device, and how the interface is coming along, or even how the various modules look nowadays. Don't know if their outer casing is still the same as it was before or not, so that would be a far more interesting update for me personally.
@samuelvictor It should do pretty darn well, seeing as it's FPGA-based, so that does have the potential for a much higher compatibility than any standalone emulator could ever guarantee.
It was reported back then, that eventually, all CD-based games will be able to run on this, and DVD compatibility is also considered somewhere down the line, probably if the device becomes successful enough, to help finance such an additional expansion.
I personally like that it is modular. Just take the CD module, and add all the console modules that you want to it, to make a nice mini-tower of CD based consoles...
Either way, as you might have guessed, this initiative is definitely on my radar...
And yet, for all its apparent worth, it's still just sitting on a shelf in a storeroom, gathering dust while being categorically ignored by all but a handful of people that actually DO understand its true significance...
@retro_player_22 Better is arguable, especially if the ROMs are running on original hardware. I would agree that the newer versions have more/better features, which are more suited for today's gamer.
Those prices on those Dreamcast games in the cabinet... ouch! That would be a very tough sell for me, especially considering some aren't even complete.
Didn't even know that some of the displayed titles were so rare. I kinda expected the known rare titles to be in there, such as Under Defeat, SegaGaGa, Cannon Spike, Bangai-O, Space Channel 5 Part 2 LE, Powerstone 2, Project Justice, Border Down, Mars Matrix and Ikaruga.
@samuelvictor Sounds interesting, but it probably won't do my Dreamcast any good, and I've got some special edition guns just gathering dust, which is an eternal shame.
Luckily, when the Wii came out, I kind of got my shooting games back, although obviously they weren't real light gun games, and it wasn't powerful enough to emulate the Dreamcast, so I guess that I still have to hunt down a good CRT for that, once I've got the time and the money...
@GravyThief I do believe they have a solution for the whole composite thing, so that doesn't really seem to be a deal breaker at all.
And there are also alternate cables for the NES/Famicom, or adapters, and even with the added cost of those, you'd still be cheaper off.
But like I said: send them an email or post a question on their site. Perhaps they can even tell you if your TV set will work or not.
Completely agreed on your conclusion concerning modern TV's, and having a couple of spare CRT's doesn't even seem like such a crazy idea, come to think of it. Although personally, I would really have to get some decent sized ones, since I'm now used to gaming on a relatively big screen, so going back to a 21" 19" CRT or smaller would definitely be a huge disadvantage for me.
@GravyThief Looking at the list of supported resolutions and upscaling, it does far more than only 480p. And even if it doesn't, the fact that it's open source means that it is very easy to add features in the future, something that the Framemeister could only do by releasing a new and improved model.
And this device being FPGA based is also a good thing.
Pound for pound, this device seems to be a FAR better option than any other device, both functionality-wise and price-wise, especially if you take into account how much you're getting for a considerably lower price. I was always looking for a solution like this, but was never willing to pay the ridiculous prices that the other devices go for, so this one is definitely on my "to buy" list.
But the simplest thing to do in case of any questions or musings is to simply email them and get the answer straight from the horse's mouth. That should alleviate any worries, if any.
I've personally found that most answers are already on the main page, in the reviews and questions section, at the bottom of the product page.
Comments 226
Re: Polymega's Grand Vision For The Ultimate Retro System Includes A Virtual Console Successor
@bazzaro The parts in italic and in between quotation marks are article quotes, the rest is mine.
And I mentioned the region free part, because that is a fact, and Famicom is the Japanese version of the NES, so the internals are pretty much the same, other than one being PAL and the other being NTSC, but then again: the USA NES was also NTSC, so little difference there, other than the outside shell and the controllers.
I wasn't really trying to convince or enthuse anyone, just expressing my own views on this and stating that I personally think that people are jumping to conclusions way too fast and that people put too much (negative) emphasis on partial info.
I'd rather take a wait and see stance, instead of serving the whole project off, just because they made some changes. The loss of FPGA being used in all modules is unfortunate, but I'm sure they had their reasons (and please don't react to that with something along the lines of "yeah, cost reduction"), and they've already partially explained it, with the move to other hardware:
"This decision / change overall has freed up our team to focus on matters that more factually push the needle in terms of overall system compatibility, as evidenced by our recently-announced support for the Sega Saturn, adding over one thousand new compatible games to Polymega™. What made this possible is that by removing the larger size FPGA from the base unit, we were able to opt for a higher clock-speed dual core chip rather than a slower quad-core chip for the main CPU, which now opens up the door to more demanding systems like Saturn, N64, Dreamcast, and more — which is what many people have expressed to us that they want."
Hardware that is better and more compatible with their overall plan, so why not wait and see instead of writing it off already?
I have no stake in this device, so I don't mind people wanting or not wanting it, but I do find it rather silly to make decisions based upon partial information, that's all.
And that includes lack of info that you want, and I for one, am pretty sure that the info will come at some point. And if people REALLY want to know, why not contact them directly?
Besides their own FAQ page, which already explains several things, they also have a contact option, so people that are interested, can always reach out to them directly.
Re: Polymega's Grand Vision For The Ultimate Retro System Includes A Virtual Console Successor
@bazzaro Well, it does say all the following, including the piece you took out of it:
"Changes have also been made to the 'Hybrid Emulation' system; FPGA has been moved out of the console itself and into select modules to accommodate the larger CPU and addition of more systems. The first FPGA module will be Famicom, if its reward level is reached. The base unit is compatible with FPGA modules from day one and no hardware upgrade will be required. The SNES Launch module will not be FPGA based, but a later revision will include this functionality. Meanwhile, there are no plans for TurboGrafx/PCE, NES, or Mega Drive / Genesis to use an FPGA module for the time being, but it has been confirmed that third parties will be able to create FPGA-based modules for Polymega post-launch under a special licencing agreement."
And:
"Second, certain systems are going to be FPGA based. The first example of this is going to be the dedicated Famicom module, which will be released after the launch of the system. Famicom is particularly important to be implemented in this manner as it included accessories such as the Famicom Disk System (FDS), which was a critical part of its library and one that we will not be creating a dedicated module for. The tech to support FPGA modules is built in to the launch version of the Polymega™ Base Unit, and we may continue to release other FPGA modules in the future. FPGA modules will have a slightly higher price point than standard modules."
So, a Famicom module with FPGA will be available, and seeing as this thing is region free, Famicom and NES will act as one and the same.
Second, later versions of certain other modules (such as SNES) WILL have FPGA, and third parties are allowed to come up with their own FPGA-based modules, so there's definitely no certainty about what will have what.
Things to note in this whole article are the specifics and the nuances, which a lot of people seem to miss, making them throw everything on one large heap. It's either/or with them. But it's not as black & white as that. FPGA will most certainly come, just not in ALL modules, and there are more options, so we should wait and see what ultimately happens.
And even that part you quoted, ends with: for the time being, which also clearly indicates that literally nothing has been set in stone yet. It's just a lot of people being a bit too quick with coming to certain conclusions, while it's still WAY too early to do so.
Re: Polymega's Grand Vision For The Ultimate Retro System Includes A Virtual Console Successor
@SDF_Macross77 Indeed. I'm no fool with blinders on, but I also don't think this is vaporware anymore, since previewers have seen and played with the actual device, and it seems promising, regardless of some of the changes now made, but I will wait for final reviews, and preferably, for a chance to have a hands on experience of my own.
Re: Polymega's Grand Vision For The Ultimate Retro System Includes A Virtual Console Successor
@cleveland124 Sure, that's a decent point you got there. But if you look at it in a broader perspective, then it would appear that the choice to drop FPGA for those earlier consoles coincides with the move from ARM to x86, and perhaps tests have indicated that they were able to get the games emulated more than well enough based on that hardware alone.
And we obviously don't know what else is in that base unit, besides the CPU, so who knows? Which is also why I've mentioned several times that it's probably best to just wait and see until we find out more.
NLife has already done a preview, so chances are, they'll also do a review of the final unit, and then we'll learn for sure how it'll stack up against other offerings.
One thing it does have over the others, is obviously the amount of systems emulated, and having a CD drive right out of the box, so that's something, at least.
@SDF_Macross77 I don't really see the need for double dipping. You could just buy the base unit without a module first, that already gives you access to emulation of several CD-based consoles.
And then, when the FPGA modules arrive, people can buy those later on. I wouldn't mind the wait, long as it delivers, and there's only one way to find out if it does, and that is to wait for final units to reach the hands of reviewers and or early adopters, so that's what I'll do, instead of already slamming the hammer down on it, because there are simply some more answers needed before we can do that.
@SenseiDje I think you've misunderstood me. I don't see this as Vaporware at all. Especially seeing as so many people, INCLUDING the NLife crew, have already gotten a hands-on experience. And pretty much all previews I've seen/read are for the most part very positive, so believe what you will, I will remain cautiously optimistic.
@bazzaro No offense, but you don't have to explain to me what they said, thank you. The article clearly stated that the NES module will come in both versions: one with and one without FPGA. It's only the launch model that won't have FPGA.
@retro_player_22 Well, I never claimed you NEEDED one, I only said that because of the superior hardware, it would stand to reason that it emulates all those systems you mentioned better than the current clones, except for the Analogue NT and RetroUSB, which are also more powerful than most clones.
And that N64 support is coming, from what I've understood from their own website, as well as Dreamcast emulation, and perhaps even some of the other consoles you mentioned, so who knows?
I'd say it's at the very least interesting enough to keep an eye on...
P.S.
You haven't given me an answer to my question yet, about how/why you think the other consoles are able to do HD better...
Re: Polymega's Grand Vision For The Ultimate Retro System Includes A Virtual Console Successor
@Deanster101 The matter is still open, so that's no certainty.
As clearly stated in the article, only the NES module has FPGA for NOW, but that does in no way exclude other modules also getting FPGA support, and it certainly seems to point to that seeing as they mentioned select modules, plural, so it's not going to be just the NES module.
And they also leave the door open for third parties to come up with their own FPGA modules, so there's that as well.
But again: not all of the supported consoles really need FPGA on board. Most NES/SNES/Multiconsole clones don't have it either, and this system here will probably use RetroArch cores, which of themselves are already highly compatible and all but problem free.
And like I also mentioned to another user in the previous comment, this system has a far more powerful processor than any of these clone systems, so I don't think that emulation is going to be a worry, and I would say that a separate core processor and individual modules is actually also a FAR better solution than a 5 systems in 1 clone...
But let's first wait and see if they manage to pull it off, and if they can then meet demand, because if this system is going to deliver on it's promises, then it's more than likely going to fly right off the shelves...
Agreed on the looks, though. It does look pretty good. I like the controllers as well.
Re: Polymega's Grand Vision For The Ultimate Retro System Includes A Virtual Console Successor
All these concerns... pffff.
If a SNES Classic Mini, running on a simple ARM processor, can play SNES, NES, Genesis/Megadrive, GBA, N64, GBC, TurboGfx16 and PSX games almost perfectly, with only minor issues on most games, then this system, based on a considerably more heavy x86 processor, should more than easily be able to improve the emulation on pretty much all of the systems mentioned in the press release.
The Saturn part might be the only thing to have a wait and see attitude about, because like others have said, that's still pretty hard to pull off.
But, if that license deal they made, is with the guy who already made quite a bit of headway (forgot his name, but others will probably know) with his version of the Saturn emulator, then they'll have the best emulator around so far, and that is most certainly nothing to scoff at.
@Deanster101 Only the base unit has no FPGA, the modules do.
Have you actually read everything, or are you just rushing to post?
First off, not every system needs FPGA to have good or decent enough emulation. Case in point: the Nintendo Minis.
Second, the system is based upon x86, and emulates multiple CD-based systems right out of the box, so a system on a chip doesn't seem like a very likely candidate.
It would stand to reason that we would first need to learn more, before we throw this device on the scrap heap already.
@retro_player_22 How do you know that these HD clones do HD better? I'd say that this system certainly seems superior on paper, since most of these clones, except for consoles like the Analogue NT and the RetroUSB only either use SoC's and/or ARM chips.
This system's base hardware is already more than twice as powerful as that. It also needs to be, due to all the systems that it is supposed to be able to handle, but still...
I think we gotta wait and see first. This might either be a bridge too far, or on the other hand, it might very well become THE retro gaming system to beat them all...
Re: Hardware Review: Does The SNK Neo Geo Mini Outclass Nintendo's Classic Editions?
@BulbasaurusRex Why? When I was young, I had a Space Invaders tabletop, one of those early ones, with the bright green and red back-lit graphics, and I always used it in the house, or in the caravan on holidays, but I never dragged it along with me to play outside with it or something.
I do agree with you on the lack of an external battery, though. That was most definitely an oversight. My old tabletop worked with batteries, as well as with an adapter, so they could have at least made that an option.
And personally, I also find the lack of a scanline option a mistake, but one that I'll probably learn to live with, because I'm going to get one anyway...
Re: Hardware Review: Does The SNK Neo Geo Mini Outclass Nintendo's Classic Editions?
@cleveland124 I never said that it would, but for Neo Geo fans like me, this is most definitely an interesting item.
And that screen is more than big enough, from all the videos I've seen of it. If you can play on a DS or a 3DS, then you can play on this quite easily. And the viewing distance is also about the same, if you use it like you're supposed to, because a tabletop should also be used at semi-arm length, much the same as with a handheld.
And then there's of course the connect it to TV option, if the image is still too small for some, or if you simply want to relive those Neo Geo days on the big screen...
@BulbasaurusRex Excuse me for saying so, but it's not about what it is to any of us individuals. They've said it's a tabletop.
It really is quite simple: we can all clearly see, that this Mini is shaped like an arcade cabinet, and seeing as all tabletops are shaped like that, it falls into that category, regardless of the size of any of its components.
Most sites that mention it, also label it as such, so it seems they all largely agree on that distinction.
Re: Hardware Review: Does The SNK Neo Geo Mini Outclass Nintendo's Classic Editions?
@impurekind And let's also not forget the omission of a scanline option...
Re: Hardware Review: Does The SNK Neo Geo Mini Outclass Nintendo's Classic Editions?
@Damo Haha, yeah, indeed. I remember it well from back then, since we had this one annoying Chinese classmate (not annoying because he was Chinese, but because of the rest of this story), who's father was an international business man, who traveled all over the world, and he brought his son all kinds of things from his trip, that the rest of our class, including me, could only dream of:
super expensive waterproof Sony walkman's with double tape decks, and indeed also a Neo Geo, with no less than 5 (five!) games. The brat...
@BulbasaurusRex No offense, but all these points were already tackled in my discussion with others, who also reacted to my comment. And it was not designed as a portable, but as a tabletop, which is something ENTIRELY different.
As for my talk with @NEStalgia: we're just taking pot shots at each other, more out of fun and out of already having had dozens upon dozens of discussions with each other, so you probably shouldn't take most of what we say to each other seriously, especially when there's smileys involved...
Re: Hardware Review: Does The SNK Neo Geo Mini Outclass Nintendo's Classic Editions?
@NEStalgia I wouldn't call those people I knew "gaming enthusiasts", back then, it was more like all but the most poor kid, or kid with the most strict parents, had gaming devices, so we were all gamers, but if that's the same thing to you, then I guess you have a point.
And if those are gaming enthusiasts, then so are the people that want to play with the Nintendo Minis, seeing as they are, or have become enthusiastic enough to buy one and play with it.
See what I did there? Huh, huh, huh?
Re: Hardware Review: Does The SNK Neo Geo Mini Outclass Nintendo's Classic Editions?
@cleveland124 Premium price? For a system that features an in-built controller, and a good quality screen, I'd say the price is more than fair.
Besides that, it is meant to be a tabletop, so having a tabletop without controls and a screen would of course be GROSSLY missing the point...
And I already amended part of what I said, a couple of comments back...
Re: Hardware Review: Does The SNK Neo Geo Mini Outclass Nintendo's Classic Editions?
@GravyThief You're welcome, any time.
@NEStalgia Neo Geo has no nostalgic value? I think you're HIGHLY underestimating that. Back in the day, every kid I knew, including my already older self, wanted one, except we simply couldn't afford it, much like the article so correctly mentions, and what the article also nailed, is the sentiment that we all thought that it was the Rolls Royce of consoles, the Holy Grail of gaming, so to speak.
I always had the intention or thought that I would be able to get one, eventually, but by the time that I had a decent enough job to provide for that, the console itself was already surpassed by newer, and at the time, more interesting ones, so I kind of forgot about it for a decent while.
By the time I became interested in it once again, it had become a collector's item, and the already expensive games had, in some cases, reached stellar heights, or weren't even available at all anymore, so for me, this little arcade cabinet is a dream come true, at last...
Re: Hardware Review: Does The SNK Neo Geo Mini Outclass Nintendo's Classic Editions?
@Damo With a portable telly, of course...
But all joking aside, good point. Overlooked that one.
Although I'd dare to wager a bet, that any day now, the same guy that came up with the "truly" portable Wii U in a backpack, or some other YouTube tinkerer, will come up with a way to "portable-ize" the NES and/or SNES Mini...
Re: Hardware Review: Does The SNK Neo Geo Mini Outclass Nintendo's Classic Editions?
@GravyThief Back then, a micro-switched joystick was the Holy Grail of game controllers. For example: on the Commodore and Atari range of home computers in the 80's and early 90's, almost everyone had at least one so-called "The Arcade Stick", made by a company called Suzo.
Many people also simply called them Suzo Arcade sticks.
It was the best of the best single stick/single button joysticks ever made, and probably still is.
Later in its life, they also had a two button model, and even a three button one, but these weren't nearly as popular as the originals.
Here's some additional info.
And here's an overview of an arcade cabinet style joystick with a microswitch clearly visible in the diagram:
http://www.8-bitcentral.com/images/joystick/101/stickDiagram.jpg
Re: Hardware Review: Does The SNK Neo Geo Mini Outclass Nintendo's Classic Editions?
@NEStalgia That's just about the same thing as saying that NES and SNES games are better on virtual console, but the popularity of the Minis has already proven that to be MASSIVELY wrong.
And true retro lovers/Neo Geo fans will probably sell their right arm to own one of these, regardless of the few shortcomings that it has...
Re: Hardware Review: Does The SNK Neo Geo Mini Outclass Nintendo's Classic Editions?
@jbrodack Because it had a considerable list of shortcomings. It hardly delivered on all of the wonderful promises that were made before it was released.
And SNK dropped it like a ton of bricks pretty soon after, by retracting manufacturer Tommo's license, and that will most certainly not have been without reasons.
http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/09/hardware_review_neo_geo_x_gold_and_mega_pack_volume_1
http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/10/neo_geo_x_handheld_shut_down_by_snk
Re: Hardware Review: Does The SNK Neo Geo Mini Outclass Nintendo's Classic Editions?
I think that people complaining about the games on offer, are SORELY missing a couple of points:
1. The unit reviewed is the Japanese one. The international version has a different list of games, which is quite a bit less focused on bringing the entire King of Fighters series to the console.
2. Since this thing is more than likely going to be VERY easy to hack, you can add any game that you damn well please, so if the game of your choice is not on there, just put it on there yourself.
Re: Hardware Review: Does The SNK Neo Geo Mini Outclass Nintendo's Classic Editions?
Criticizing this unit for not offering an option for portable play is rather unfair, in my opinion, seeing as Nintendo's mini consoles don't have that option either, and equally, they also don't have an internal battery...
Re: Hardware Classics: Uncovering The Tragic Tale Of The Philips CD-i
The Commodore CD32 aka the Amiga CD32, as it was actually called...
As for the Philips CD-i: that thing was only ever destined to be a complete joke and a failure. Typical Philips: coming up with a rather good idea on paper, then screwing it up in real life, and then letting other companies come up with MASSIVE improvements that actually DO make their devices successful...
I have played a couple of titles on the CD-i, and I found all of them forgettable. And those licensed Nintendo games were of course utterly atrocious, and it is sad that they even happened in the first place.
Re: Drugs, Military Coups And Reshoots: The Amazing Story Of Street Fighter: The Movie
@gurtifus Yep, as far as hardcore fighting movies go, it was probably his best. His acting was most definitely the worst in that movie, though. It has gotten a little bit better, over the years...
@BigKing Street Fighter-ception...
Re: Drugs, Military Coups And Reshoots: The Amazing Story Of Street Fighter: The Movie
@chiptoon Yeah, they screwed that bit up. If you read the actual article from the Guardian, it says "biggest action movie actor in the world", at the time, which he was, for quite a while.
Re: Hands On: Exploring The Future Of Retro Gaming With Polymega
@Jokerwolf And it looks good too. Some of these retro-clones look so cheap or garish, regardless of how good they are or aren't. And most of them have lousy controllers. These guys here actually made a real effort to offer you a decent alternative for the original controllers of all the various types of consoles they intend to add.
@PALversusNTSC I think you must have missed the bit where it says that it also supports CD-based consoles...
For now, the only "above 16-bit" console that is supported, will be the PSX, but they are seriously considering adding Saturn, Dreamcast and perhaps even more.
Re: Hands On: Exploring The Future Of Retro Gaming With Polymega
@RunninBlue From what I've understood, it doesn't. You DO need the original cartridges, so indirect rom dumps or downloads don't work, but for any disc or cartridge game, once installed, you can leave it out, so it shouldn't be needed anymore.
But you can always ask them yourself by contacting them. I've posted links to their site and their FAQ page in comment #61.
Re: Hands On: Exploring The Future Of Retro Gaming With Polymega
@SethNintendo That's not burning, that's ripping. Burning is always the other way around: you can burn video, audio or data to a CD, DVD or Bluray, but you cannot burn anything to a hard drive.
How Polymega handles games is, like I already said, the exact same way as how the current gen consoles do it: installing the data to internal storage. Actually much like how you would install a game on your PC.
@RunninBlue You only need to use the cartridge once. After that, it stays in the internal storage. You can play from the cartridge if you want, but it's not necessary.
Re: Hands On: Exploring The Future Of Retro Gaming With Polymega
@moroboshi The use of swapping out modules is because the base unit provides the power and the emulation, and the modules contain console-specific hardware and connectors, so you can play with original controllers.
I posted all the necessary info in comment #31 (and in the comment above this one), if you're interested to find out more.
Re: Hands On: Exploring The Future Of Retro Gaming With Polymega
@cleveland124 Well, it's mentioned in the interview I linked to, that they started with thinking about that (FPGA), and then going from there, to create a device that was more accurate in its emulation, and ended up with a formula that's 50% hardware and 50% software. They call it "hybrid emulation".
What it exactly entails, is anyone's guess, but the way that he describes it, does sound like the device actually IS interacting with the cartridge on a deeper level than just software emulaton or rom dumping.
@SethNintendo It's more like installing a game from disc. You could say it is much like modern consoles: the physical disc/cartridge is only necessary to install the game. Except, contrary to modern consoles, the disc doesn't need to be in the drive to play, once it's installed.
http://polymega.com/
http://polymega.com/frequently-asked-questions/
Re: Hands On: Exploring The Future Of Retro Gaming With Polymega
@Fearful-Octopus Well, that depends. There are actually quite a few games that are still reasonably affordable on the cartridge based version. It's mostly the CD based games that are either rare or expensive.
And of course we're talking grey area here again, but seeing as this was an old, non-copy protected system, I'd wager it would be quite easy to make your own PC Engine CD's, and these would, or should install just as well as genuine discs.
Re: Hands On: Exploring The Future Of Retro Gaming With Polymega
@Jokerwolf Agreed on that. I've been following them ever since the system was still called Retroblox, and from what they've achieved so far, this certainly looks extremely promising.
On a side note: and now that it is proven to be real, the idiots that called this vaporware, are nowhere to be seen...
Re: Hands On: Exploring The Future Of Retro Gaming With Polymega
@Fearful-Octopus You don't really need to have nostalgia for any one console, to still be able to appreciate, or learn to appreciate, its games.
But having said that, the Turbografx 16/PC Engine had lots of great games, some of which were even the best versions of the games available at the time, such as the CD version of the Japanese version of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, which was later remade on the SNES, in a slightly lesser version called Castlevania Dracula X.
You can probably quite easily imagine that, because of the PC Engine version being released on CD-ROM, the music and sound effects were far superior, and I do believe that the game itself was also more elaborate because it didn't have to stick to the limitations of cartridges.
And there are quite a few other games that were worth playing, some even completely exclusive to the system. It had a lot of great side scrolling shooters, platformers and fighters, so even today, it's still well worth looking into, if you like retro gaming.
Re: Hands On: Exploring The Future Of Retro Gaming With Polymega
@subpopz Well, the draw is that it is FPGA-based combined with emulators, potentially making it the best of the bunch, save for clone consoles that actually run the cartridges directly. And besides that, it's also quite customer-friendly in that it has one base unit, and for each console, a small click-on module, that has all the necessary connectors for cartridges and controllers.
All of which are smaller, and take up less space than having all the original consoles still hooked up, not to mention that this would also mean far more cables, and converters, if your TV doesn't have the old connectors anymore.
The Polymega runs everything from one unit, so only one cable is needed, and you just switch out cartridge modules if you want to play games from another console.
And another advantage is that each module comes with its own, dedicated internal hardware, that combines with their custom software to improve results of the emulation.
@Jokerwolf The Polymega actually IS based on FPGA, combining both hardware and software to control the emulation, so perhaps you should have informed yourself a little better before making that comment...
Useful site links:
http://polymega.com/
http://polymega.com/frequently-asked-questions/
And here's a quite insightful NLife interview with one of the creators:
http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/02/exclusive_getting_under_the_hood_of_polymega_the_clone_console_to_rule_them_all
Re: Exclusive: The Artist Behind Troubled Sega Mega Drive Fighter Paprium Speaks Out
Ah, yes. I remember this one now. Still looks great and like something that I would want to play, but the name on the other hand, still sounds like something that you should go see the doctor for...
Re: Video: Polymega Gears Up For Marketing Blitz With Footage Of PCB Creation
@rjejr Amen to that...
Re: Video: Polymega Gears Up For Marketing Blitz With Footage Of PCB Creation
@rjejr "Always a story with you... "
Well, I'm here to entertain, so I'm glad you liked it...
And I'm still a Yank at heart, AND I'm firmly rooted in my favorite Dutch city, so what can you do? Gotta go with the flow or drown...
As for these soccer "fans": yeah, I truly still have no idea what that's all about. I've never heard about massive fights breaking out between baseball, football or basketball fans. And in ice hockey, all the fighting is done on the ice by the players themselves, but if you look at soccer around the world, the aggressiveness towards those of the other teams is just through the roof.
The English are also still infamous across the world, as well as certain Italian and Spanish "supporters" of various teams.
The weird thing though, is that in it's mildest form (swearing, hating the other team but not actively harming any of them or their supporters), it's actually completely acceptable, and as such, even I go along with it, so by now and after all those years of having lived over here, I actually DO find myself despising the other teams and not wanting them to win over "my" team.
But I'm not even close to being one of these actual idiots, who even go so far as to arrange fights by calling the other teams (which is odd to begin with, because why would you call the opposing team of supporters who you hate so much?) and meeting up somewhere to bash each other's head in. That has even resulted in some deadly casualties at one point, a decade or two ago. Since then, things have calmed down a bit, but not too much, or enough, depending on how you look at it...
I suppose all of that could probably come as something of a culture shock if you've never seen something like this during or after a sports match. Back in the day, when my dad was just a kid, you could simply stand right on the field itself, just outside the lines.
Nowadays it's all plexiglass shielding/boarding, metal fences and concrete moats, all constructed and put in place to prevent hooligans from entering the soccer arena.
Actually quite sad that it had to come to this, if you stop to think about it. Sort of like having to waste money on a solution to a problem that never should have become a problem in the first place if it weren't for a couple of prime examples of why, in certain cases, the world would be better off without (certain types of) humans...
Re: Video: Polymega Gears Up For Marketing Blitz With Footage Of PCB Creation
@rjejr With my heritage and background, I'd rather root for your team. And the Dutch team is from Eindhoven. People in Amsterdam hate them. Those two cities are the home base of two of the biggest Dutch premier league soccer teams.
The mutual animosity is even worse than my feelings towards Sony, so if I would root for Eindhoven while living in Amsterdam, they'd probably skin me alive. And obviously, I'm for the Amsterdam team, even though they lost this year, so there's already enough anger going 'round here about "us" finishing in 2nd place...
Re: Video: Polymega Gears Up For Marketing Blitz With Footage Of PCB Creation
@Heavyarms55 Never mind: I misread your comment. My bad.
Still: the reasons to buy this system are obvious from the information I posted, so perhaps they're still useful to you...
Re: Video: Polymega Gears Up For Marketing Blitz With Footage Of PCB Creation
@Heavyarms55
You don't have to buy the machine over and over: you buy one CD module, and then add whatever console modules you want. You can then switch on one at a time in combination with the CD drive, and those will detect each other and act as one console with a CD drive.So, for example, you could have one CD drive, with a Sega Genesis module and a PS1 module, and a Turbogrfx16 module.Of course if you DO want them all separate, you could get a CD module for all three, but you could simply stack 'em in a neat, small tower with just the one CD module at the bottom...More info:
http://polymega.com/
(picture of two combined modules right there on the front page)
forum:
http://polymega.com/forums/
FAQ:
http://polymega.com/frequently-asked-questions/
EDIT:
Have to correct myself there: you DO only need one CD module, but you can't stack several console modules on top of it. As the website shows, the CD module is the base unit, and console modules are interchangeable, so only one can be connected at a time.
Re: Video: Polymega Gears Up For Marketing Blitz With Footage Of PCB Creation
@samuelvictor Better tell @rjejr that EDM stands for Electronic Dance Music. He does like his abbreviations, but only the ones that he knows himself...
Oops... late to the party...
Re: Video: Polymega Gears Up For Marketing Blitz With Footage Of PCB Creation
@rjejr It's pronounced Aah-vee-chee. As in "veni, vidi, vici", if you know your Roman emperor Caesar quotes...
And he was a Swedish DJ, worked with a lot of the biggest artists out there, even with Coldplay, so yeah, he was really big. But I won't hold it against you...
Over the years, I've seen you mention several bands and artists, and I can honestly say that I don't know all of them either, nor have I heard of some.
Case in point: I'm currently watching this year's American Idol (don't judge, I like talent shows), and more than half the songs performed in it are completely unfamiliar to me, but on a positive note: it does bring me into contact with new music and artists that I wouldn't have known otherwise.
Re: Video: Polymega Gears Up For Marketing Blitz With Footage Of PCB Creation
@rjejr And that's exactly what it is. Another famous DJ said today that Aviici was, for all intents and purposes, the Mozart of the dance scene, and I would agree. He certainly had a brilliant, if troubled, mind and he made some brilliant music with it.
And yes, I like this kind of music as well. My taste is very broad, from classic to rock, from rap to dance, and everything in between. I do not have a specific favorite genre, and to me, every kind of music has it's good and bad songs/pieces.
So, much like I did with Prince when he passed, I thought it only fitting to pay the same respect to this brilliant artist. But once the 2nd of May arrives, I will be able to add another year to my miserable life, so I'll be reverting back to my own avatar's ugly mug, or perhaps I'll go for the MCU Infinity Wars one.
That is, if I can find a decent picture of it that equals the ominous look of the one I used up til now. Gotta keep the whole mad Titan vibe in tact...
Re: Video: Polymega Gears Up For Marketing Blitz With Footage Of PCB Creation
Well, nice to know that this is still a work in progress, but that video is pretty useless for the end user interested in this modular console. Probably only interesting to tech heads and/or other people liking this kind of stuff, but not really for people actually interested in the system itself.
I would rather see a working device, and how the interface is coming along, or even how the various modules look nowadays. Don't know if their outer casing is still the same as it was before or not, so that would be a far more interesting update for me personally.
@samuelvictor It should do pretty darn well, seeing as it's FPGA-based, so that does have the potential for a much higher compatibility than any standalone emulator could ever guarantee.
It was reported back then, that eventually, all CD-based games will be able to run on this, and DVD compatibility is also considered somewhere down the line, probably if the device becomes successful enough, to help finance such an additional expansion.
I personally like that it is modular. Just take the CD module, and add all the console modules that you want to it, to make a nice mini-tower of CD based consoles...
Either way, as you might have guessed, this initiative is definitely on my radar...
Re: Random: The Legendary Sonic Formula One Trophy Won By Ayrton Senna Still Exists
And yet, for all its apparent worth, it's still just sitting on a shelf in a storeroom, gathering dust while being categorically ignored by all but a handful of people that actually DO understand its true significance...
Re: Feature: Neo Geo's First Flash Cart Is Here, So What Now For Switch-Owning SNK Fans?
@impurekind Good man.
And a Happy New Year...
Re: Feature: Neo Geo's First Flash Cart Is Here, So What Now For Switch-Owning SNK Fans?
@retro_player_22 Better is arguable, especially if the ROMs are running on original hardware. I would agree that the newer versions have more/better features, which are more suited for today's gamer.
Re: Feature: Neo Geo's First Flash Cart Is Here, So What Now For Switch-Owning SNK Fans?
@impurekind Aw, you poor man. I'll give you a like for some moral support, hope that stops the bleeding...
Re: Feature: Take A Tour Of The UK's Most Incredible Retro Game Store
Those prices on those Dreamcast games in the cabinet... ouch!
That would be a very tough sell for me, especially considering some aren't even complete.
Didn't even know that some of the displayed titles were so rare. I kinda expected the known rare titles to be in there, such as Under Defeat, SegaGaGa, Cannon Spike, Bangai-O, Space Channel 5 Part 2 LE, Powerstone 2, Project Justice, Border Down, Mars Matrix and Ikaruga.
Re: Feature: Getting Reacquainted With Tamagotchi, The Original Virtual Pet
@Heavyarms55 Seems to me like a perfectly valid reason to be bitter...
Re: Hardware Review: The Open Source Scan Converter Is Every Retro Gamer's Dream Come True
@samuelvictor Sounds interesting, but it probably won't do my Dreamcast any good, and I've got some special edition guns just gathering dust, which is an eternal shame.
Luckily, when the Wii came out, I kind of got my shooting games back, although obviously they weren't real light gun games, and it wasn't powerful enough to emulate the Dreamcast, so I guess that I still have to hunt down a good CRT for that, once I've got the time and the money...
Re: Hardware Review: The Open Source Scan Converter Is Every Retro Gamer's Dream Come True
@GravyThief I do believe they have a solution for the whole composite thing, so that doesn't really seem to be a deal breaker at all.
And there are also alternate cables for the NES/Famicom, or adapters, and even with the added cost of those, you'd still be cheaper off.
But like I said: send them an email or post a question on their site. Perhaps they can even tell you if your TV set will work or not.
Completely agreed on your conclusion concerning modern TV's, and having a couple of spare CRT's doesn't even seem like such a crazy idea, come to think of it. Although personally, I would really have to get some decent sized ones, since I'm now used to gaming on a relatively big screen, so going back to a
21"19" CRT or smaller would definitely be a huge disadvantage for me.Re: Hardware Review: The Open Source Scan Converter Is Every Retro Gamer's Dream Come True
@GravyThief Looking at the list of supported resolutions and upscaling, it does far more than only 480p. And even if it doesn't, the fact that it's open source means that it is very easy to add features in the future, something that the Framemeister could only do by releasing a new and improved model.
And this device being FPGA based is also a good thing.
Pound for pound, this device seems to be a FAR better option than any other device, both functionality-wise and price-wise, especially if you take into account how much you're getting for a considerably lower price. I was always looking for a solution like this, but was never willing to pay the ridiculous prices that the other devices go for, so this one is definitely on my "to buy" list.
But the simplest thing to do in case of any questions or musings is to simply email them and get the answer straight from the horse's mouth. That should alleviate any worries, if any.
I've personally found that most answers are already on the main page, in the reviews and questions section, at the bottom of the product page.