XiaoShao

@Lorfarius Love your profile pic. Greatest show ever!

I really don’t get the strategy on these game releases by Blaze. Broken Sword is great, but widely available in cheaper and better ways to play. I thought Evercade was for more obscure retro releases not widely available otherwise?

@ludotaku 10-yr old has never wanted something so badly as that Coke Game Gear...

Is there an optional AC adapter that weighs 5 pounds? Could really boost the authenticity.

Clarification on the China tariffs: the new 20% is on top of already existing tariff levels, including the 25% 301 tariffs from Trump's first administration (and which Biden expanded to more products last year). So imports could be facing tariffs of more than 45% of their declared value.

I'm a video game fan on this site, but a trade lawyer by profession!

@mattysaurus I agree that I would generally prefer they wait until all updates have been released for games before putting them on disc/cartridge, but I suspect they sacrificed that to speed up delivery. Celeste was one of the early games that ended up taking forever to ship, but it was because they were waiting for all the post release content to be finished. I'm not thrilled by the change, but considering all the online rage about long waits, I get why they did it.

@Astropez But doesn’t Nintendo manufacture all Switch cartridges? I think LRG is only involved in design/manufacture of cartridges for systems no longer being produced, like NES or GB. For current systems, they work with Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft to make the games.

Thanks for this information. I've been a LRG defender for some issues (e.g., open pre-orders are fine and not artificial scarcity IMO), but the number of problems with their vintage reprints is troubling. I will still use LRG for Switch releases, all of which I've been happy with, but I won't consider them for NES/GB cartridges anymore.

@JackGYarwood Thanks! I see now it’s in the collection, as well as a GB version.

I had skipped the collection because it omitted my favorite as a kid (game gear JP), but I might pick it up now!

Was this in the recent re-release of JP games? I’ve never heard of this game, and I’d be curious to sample the original version.

That picture of the goat caused me to spit out my coffee…hilarious, and thanks for the laugh!

I’m assuming these are straight ports of the originals, like Tomb Raider? I imagine these originals still play decently, but aren’t there numerous remasters of these games?

This piece straddles the art and video game worlds. Not an expert on art, but I think original pieces of art tend to demand much higher prices than rare video games.

But even with that, six figures does seem crazy. I seem to recall artists in The Art of the Box indicating they had sold original pieces of box art for 5 figures.

@happydeathman Similar to how Musk runs Twitter: freedom of speech only for views Musk agrees with.

@-wc- OMG, Palmer’s sister is married to Gaetz!? That is wild…

Anyone know if these carts for the Chromatic work on an Analogue Pocket as well? If they’re basically GB cart reproductions, seems like they should be compatible with anything that plays GB carts.

Fascinating article, and thanks so much for this deep dive! Articles like this are why I love TE!

There was a NES game released back in the day with mode 7 like effects: Eliminator Boat Duel. I have no idea if the underlying tech was actually mode 7, but the game had F-Zero like effects on the NES decades ago.

@YANDMAN 100% agree with your idea for a Lynx inspired version! I would buy that in a second!

@Damo Bummer! I hope those in the UK who nabbed one enjoy!

What about the woodgrain version for the Atari handheld? Is that still happening? It's doesn't seem to be for sale anywhere in the US.

As a retro enthusiast with absolutely no programming skills/knowledge, I can only be grateful for all the work in creating cores! Thanks for your work, Pr4m0d, and others in the community making cores!

This sounds like a far more interesting bit of history than anything Nintendo included in its actual museum!

@-wc- Totally agree! There is some irony these tracks have been brought to another game that nobody owns, and whose servers will eventually be shut down...

If the purpose of armor is to protect the person wearing it from injury, the original armor does seem objectively horrible. The “censored” revision doesn’t really help either. I pity the warrior wearing either version.

Interesting review, and honestly a higher score than I expected for Soul Reaver. I’m torn about Evercade’s expansion into PS1 era/early 3D games. This was a formative era in gaming for me and I have fond memories of games from this time, including Soul Reaver. But the sad fact is that time has not been kind to early 3D games, as I find many of their control schemes to border on unplayable when revisited today. Given there are remasters of Soul Reaver on the way, it seems like that would be the better way to revisit the game.

Blood Omen on the other hand, seems like a good fit to revisit on Evercade, and I think a straight port would hold up better today.

@MSaturn Agree, I never had a problem with WD localizations. It did indulge in some silliness, but not in a way that felt untrue to the games. In the PS1 era, WD was amazing for releasing lavish versions of games that would otherwise not have gotten western releases, and we have better localizations today in part because WD helped popularize JRPGs.

Yes, very excited for this! This book looks way better than the games ever did on my OG GBA!

Interesting the OS update includes the displaying of Lynx games, because in related news, a developer has released an Atari Lynx core for the OpenFPGA:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnaloguePocket/comments/1f4z9yu/openfpga_atari_lynx_v100/?chainedPosts=t3_yp14n4

Also, I really cannot see the difference between the GB yellow released last year, and this GBC yellow…

I had the first Broken Sword on GBA, and it was a solid port. Remember being amazed at how good the graphics were. It would be great if the sequel could also get a belated release, like Shantae Advance.

I continue to be pleasantly surprised by the quality and variety of games releasing for the Playdate. This game intrigues me and I will pick it up. Thanks for the review Damo!

It's striking that ModRetro's main way of promoting their products is to trash their primary competitor, the Analogue Pocket. In particular, the Pocket's placement of triggers and screen resolution. I guess ModRetro realizes that their target audience in all likelihood already has an Analogue Pocket and will need to be convinced to buy another device, but it comes across as rather mean-spirited.

For me, the Pocket's "flaws" that ModRetro likes to harp on are more than worth it for the vastly greater functionality and number of systems playable on the Pocket versus the Chromatic.

Cool news, Blood Omen is a great game that was under looked compared to Soul Reaver. It deserves more opportunity to shine!

Interesting how Evercade’s library is evolving, from often very obscure games (of debatable quality) to ports of 90s big hitters (that admittedly hold up to a mixed degree). I love they provide a legal way to play these games with physical cartridges. I hope Evercade continues to experience success!

I’ve resisted the Evercade lineup as I just don’t know if I want to start collecting another bunch of cartridges, but wow that wood paneled Atari version is calling me…

What a fantastic interview! The game is a really thoughtful update of Riven, and this interview has fascinating insights on the developers goals and the problems they faced. These remakes can really be hit or miss, but this game nailed it. That even these developers didn’t know if they’d succeeded or not makes me sympathetic for how hard this must be!

Thanks for a great article TE!

Cool news, and can’t wait to try this out!

I think the last paragraph of the article has a typo. Shouldn’t it be a “seriously punishing vertically-scrolling shmup…”?

@N64-ROX I agree it’s an important point to clarify. If it’s true they were using a method they thought would work on most 3DOs, then it’s much more sympathetic, and some of the hate they’re getting online is unfair. If on the other hand this story is just an excuse they made up after getting called out, well then…

No history with 3DO, so I have no idea what’s true about it. It would great if TE does a feature to test out this story!

I find that a lot of the anger at LRG online is overblown, but this article raises fair points. I never bother with their collector editions, because the extras are garbage and not worth the price. I also find many of the games getting released to be mid/uninteresting. I cannot imagine some of these games have dedicated fans wanting a physical release so much as just LRG cashing in from completionists wanting all their numbered games. I think they could afford to scale back on the releases.

Still, I disagree that the open preorder/no reprint is part of the problem. Carrying unsold inventory of physical games is what makes these products unprofitable for so many businesses, and why most US retailers have just stopped carrying them. The limited aspect of LRG and other boutique firms is what allows them to avoid inventories and be a viable business. Honestly, LRG's open preorder without limits on how many games they sell is easier to navigate/more fair than other firms that just print a very small number of games on a first come basis.

While I’m glad Nintendo is staying dedicated to physical games for now, I expect many third parties are going to start skipping physical releases all together. That will leave boutiques like LRG, so I hope they can up their game to be more reliable and better value.

I’m normally a defender of LRG, but this is really scammy. I hope they come up with a response and make this right for their customers.

Edit: it seems like they are trying to make this right in their response, and certainly every customer deserves a refund or working game. I do think the LRG hate gets overblown, but this was a real screw up by them and their manufacturing partner.

Also, I assumed people would buy these 3DO games just as a collector’s item. People still have functioning 3DOs!?

I get a 80s tech vibe from the logo, kinda reminiscent of the Amiga logo, so maybe a hint there?

I notice there’s no links for a U.S. preorder. Is Evercade giving up on the US market? Best Buy has largely stopped selling their stuff, and most Amazon listings are resellers that are marking up over the retail price (albeit generally not huge markups). Is there another place I should be looking?

I echo the thanks to TE for preserving this great interview! There is nothing ironic about my appreciation for this music. It’s genuinely fantastic!

Also, deleted for a “SEO cull”? Good lord the internet is dystopian…

Nintendo would like to remind you that GB Micro got there first with a tiny, impractical display 😎

Great and informative interview! Especially interesting to hear the counter-take on N64 cartridges, and that they had their advantages for some developers.

I might have to grab this book…Bitmap’s books are absolutely fantastic!

Edit: just bought the N64 book!

That belongs in a museum!

I cherish each of my bitmap books! Great company, and I hope there are many more to come!

@gingerbeardman Thanks for the insight on Playdate development! Honestly, I’m looking for more simple games on the platform, and I get that’s probably all the economics support for most developers. I’m glad Lucas Pope has the ability to do something more extensive, and I’m pumped to try out this game. But I’m primarily looking for quick pick up and play games, and I hope the platform continues to grow so it makes sense for developers as well!

I’ve really appreciated TE’s reviews of catalogue games. I’ve been hesitant to buy many, but these reviews have encouraged me to take the plunge. I picked up Under the Castle on sale, and I’m absolutely loving it! Might pick up a couple of more before it’s over!

Is it heretical to say GBA games on the Analogue Pocket is the best handheld? Love the GBA library, but most of the actual GBA hardware iterations were pretty flawed…

Great interview! Digital Eclipse is a treasure.

Crankin’s Time Travel is still my favorite. It was the first game where the crank clicked for me, and I think the game is a delight.

Really appreciate TE’s playdate reviews! I’ve been hesitant to dive into catalogue games without knowing much about them, but these reviews have been great to highlight games I will give a shot!

Am I reading the list correctly that they haven’t included music from Operation C on gameboy!? Some of the music on that game was amazing, and I’m sure superior to the crappy phone games.

Otherwise, cool set, and of course only Japan gets the nicest things!

The opening credit scene, with a police car barreling through video game franchises, sounds hilarious! Sorry this game never saw the light of day.

But as an American who grew up in the 90s, it’s an understatement to say the Simpson trial was a big deal. While I’d never made the connection, it makes sense that would have killed the Naked Gun franchise.

Great piece Time Extension! While I have fond memories of the first game, I never did finish it and found the puzzles hard. Maybe my experience with other adventure games ruined me?

A remaster of the games would be fantastic!