gb_nes_gamer

It depends on the quality of the games included. I think it would help if it’s easy to use, with the plug and play nature of other mini consoles.

I’m a fan of Capcom’s games, Resident Evil in particular. It’s always interesting to learn what goes into the making of them behind the scenes.
Especially at that point in time when voice acting in games was evolving alongside the technology, having a stronger presence.

@asmi8803 yeah, even with games that only dish out the damage to other-worldly monsters, violence is what it is.

I’m a Nintendo gamer so I’ve enjoyed my time with Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Pikmin 4. It’s nice to have that diversity in tone and gameplay.

@asmi8803 I understand it can seem like a lot when movies / games cover similar scenarios, themes and violence, you have more appreciation for something different.

But I do think the context is worth taking into account. Goldeneye being about a spy and a secret satellite weapon thought lost.
A better example being the recent Doom games which involve killing demons on Mars to heavy metal. Far enough removed from reality and so easier for me to enjoy anyway. It will vary with people.

Excellent interview. My brother and I had fun playing these games on the Mega Drive. Two player co-op seemed to be a rare thing at the time so it was always exciting to find a game that supported it. Both Toejam & Earl games are fine examples.

Wickford still has a store, formally John Menzies. They always have a good stock of gaming magazines including Retro Gamer ‘bookazines’. I bought one about the SNES and Mega Drive.
It’ll be interesting to see what changes are made by the new owner, if any.

@smoreon it’s nice to see re-releases on modern platforms but it’s having to re-download or transfer games to the next console, games being de-listed.

I like the convenience of a mini console. However many console generations later, you’ve got the games there on small device, HDMI, USB cables, ready to play.
So long as there are enough quality games to justify it.

The more I read about the Saturn on this site, the more I’d like Saturn mini. There’s already been a Play Station mini so it should be feasible.
With third party support and bonus games on previous mini releases there would be some good possibilities.
Maybe Silent Hill 1 with improved visuals that would have been possible with the RAM expansions. Not sure if Silent Hill made it to Saturn during its run.

A lot of Taito games have been made available through Hamsters Arcade Archives. There’s some good titles worth playing.

The Sega Mega CD version of Night Striker is featured on the MD mini 2. I played through the first couple of levels a while ago. I’ll be going back to it now. I’ll check out the review when the new entry is released.

I’ve been playing both versions from the Digital Eclipse release on Switch and I think they both work.

I’ve been enjoying the new collection. The original Haunted Castle is in a better state to play because of the save anytime and rewind functions so it’s easier to experience the game in its entirety.
The Revisited version is a welcome upgrade and a great addition.

Chris Scullion’s Game Boy encyclopedia is available to pre-order. Published 30th September.

Only played the second entry on the Game Cube, having stayed with Nintendo platforms. I’ve thought about getting a PS or X Box as a second console now and then but I barely have time for one console.
I’d like to see new and or past entries on a Nintendo console. It will probably be the Switch successor now, if it does happen.
I think weapons combat does stand out in the 1 on 1 fighting genre. Maybe this doesn’t offer as much gameplay flexibility as hand to hand combat.

The Game Boy is a strong statement that graphics and technical ability don’t matter. Substance over style.
It was Pokémon that renewed my interest in the console. I was spending more time on home consoles but it was Pokémon that got me playing again.
I had Red and my brother had the Blue version so the game also revived our use of the link cable accessory which hardly got any use after early 2 player games of Tetris.

I read the best Saturn games article. I hope a Saturn mini gets released with some of those Japan exclusives translated. I imagine it would help with the number of games of a high quality.
With the success of the Mega Drive and the IP (home console and arcade), the fall of Sega’s hardware feels more of a missed opportunity. I’d have liked to see the Saturn succeed with better fortunes for the company.
It’s great that Sega has survived with its IP as a software company.

I just read that cited interview yesterday in John Szczepaniak’s Japansoft: An Oral History.

Maybe this game will get an official re-release on modern platforms.

Retailer GAME features a lot of cabinets from Arcade1Up. There’s Mortal Kombat and Time Crisis which includes 3 other games (£699.99). They’re bigger so more expensive.
I’ll stick to retro games on home consoles.

Had some great experiences with the Game Boy with titles like Super Mario Land and TMNT Fall of the Foot Clan.
Honourable mention goes to Double Dragon 2 which was unfortunately absent from the 3DS virtual console.
The Game Boy got my vote for the size and diversity of the library with the modest hardware.

I bought the first game. Such a unique surprise release, but I loved the idea. I remember how hyped I was for Melee on the Game Cube after seeing the first screenshots.

I think it’s easy to be taken back when revisiting a game from your childhood. I do sometimes revisit them to give myself a lift if feeling a bit down about the present. To remember simpler, happier times.
However, there is still entertainment to be had. Only every once in a while though, with so many new games to play with the time I can spare to play them.
The mini consoles have the added bonus of the OG controllers which is a nice touch. Mega Drive, Sonic 2.

A fascinating interview. I never owned a Dreamcast, going from N64 to the Game Cube.

I have just finished reading Chris Scullion’s Dreamcast Encyclopedia and MSR stood out as a racing game I’d like to have owned.

I found the Atari Lynx collection 2 doesn’t work. The cartridge simply isn’t read, so it appears no cartridge is inserted. The Lynx collection 1 does work.
Otherwise it’s a good console. I’ve been spending more time with the 18 Taito games than other carts.

Zelda: A link between worlds is a big highlight of the 3DS library for me. I enjoyed Mario 3D world on the Wii U with its linear 3D courses and the cat suit.

@Gs69 thanks. I never played the original console or games, except other versions of Worms, but I’ve read this sites 8/10 review. It praises the games included and that you can add more. I have the Sega and Nintendo mini consoles and am interested in discovering retro games on other platforms I didn’t experience first time around. I’ll think about it some more, give the review another read.

I have Cosmic Spacehead on the Mega Drive. It’s a good little point n’ click game with platforming sections. I’ve never played Linus.

It sounds like a good collection but the a500 mini is on sale for £74.99 where some of the Amiga versions of those games are available.
I may just go for the cheaper Evercade cart.

@PinballBuzzbro thanks for the reply. Just curious. Multi platform of games of that era can differ greatly.

I have the Mega CD version on the Mega Drive mini 2. Is the PC-88 version superior? Or different in any way?

This looks interesting. I like the graphical style. It’s always good to see rarities from the past get another chance to reach new audiences. I’ll wait to see if this gets reviewed on this site or Nintendo Life.

It’s nice to see Evercade carts getting reviewed. I managed to get the special edition blue cartridge from FunStock. I’d like to say I’ve played it and comment on the game itself but I haven’t yet. Too much going on. Maybe at the weekend.

I have GTA 2 on the PC. It featured day and night time which affected aspects of the gameplay. I think this was absent from the PS 1 version. I’m not sure if the PS 1 game featured all 3 gangs or if there were any other differences.

With all the reading on Nintendo Life, this site and other books, I think I know more about gaming history in Japan than in the west.

I’d heard the names Coleco and Intellivision but didn’t know anything about them.

A good insight into another part of the history.

I never owned a copy on the NES but I did rent it numerous times. I play it now on the NES mini. I think it’s the best way to play, with the original controller.
I think it’s the best of the 2D games. The graphics, sounds, power-ups and the worlds.

I’ve preordered the Taito version. I only have the VS home console. I couldn’t justify the EXP as it is a bit more expensive than the VS and won’t ever leave the home.
The Super Pocket is less than half the price of the VS and can fit in my pocket.
Plus as it’s a handheld it will work with the Namco carts. I would have been unsure about that but retailer FunStock has the console bundled with them.
I just bought one Namco cart separately as the bundles include other carts as well.

I never owned a mega CD but the Mega drive mini 2 comes with 12 games. They include some of the titles on this list.

Chris Scullion’s Mega Drive Encyclopaedia provides interesting context on each release. It includes Mega CD and 32X games.
I’ll look up the other games on this list.

With Baten Kaitos 1and 2 remaster releasing soon I thought they might have made the list. I never played the originals so I don’t know how they measured up compared to other hits.

I have the Mega Drive version. I think Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter were the only two 1 on 1 fighters I knew about at the time. MK was a welcome alternative just for a different flavour of the genre. I enjoy Street Fighter as well.

I recommend David L Craddock's book Arcade Perfect which covers this and other stories of arcade ports to home consoles.

I prefer playing on T.V. Especially when there are CRT / vintage filters like M2 implemented for the Sega Ages range. It’s done to great effect with the curvature at the corners.
However, due to the graphics of 8 and 16 bit games, they do work well on handheld consoles as well.

@Guru_Larry Not sure if they have region exclusives but their cabinets are availble in the UK. Including collections from Namco and Capcom. They're available from GAME.

https://www.game.co.uk/en/brands/arcade1up/?cm_sp=Nav--Tech--Brand-Arcade1up

Mortal Kombat 2 on the Mega Drive also had a cheat menu. Not sure about other platforms. The cursor needed to be on a certain option on the main menu.
Then left, down, left, right, down, right, left, left, right, right.

I got the GameBoy for Christmas in 89 or 90. I voted 90s. Bundled with Tetris. TMNT Fall of the foot clan was my additional game.

Great article. I bought all 3 volumes from Amazon. Fascinating reading doesn’t cover it. The broader picture of what the industry was like and lots of interesting stories.

I still have my collection put away somewhere. I remember various Panini sticker albums as well. Can’t remember if there were any video game related ones.

A difficult question. The N64 blew me away with the huge leap forward in technology. Jumping firmly into 3D polygon gaming with cinematic experiences like Star Fox 64 and Golden Eye. Of course the tech is nothing by itself, but the quality was there in abundance.
I also have fond memories of the NES and it did revive the console market in the west. It was a huge contribution to the industry so I voted NES.
I think NL had a similar pole and I voted N64 for that one.

Definitely a site I’d be interested in. I’d buy monthly games magazines in the 90s. I collected Switch Player for a time, but ran out of space to store them, what with physical games, books and other things.

I’d still buy one-off book-a-zines like those from Retro Gamer about past consoles.

The gameplay of Game Boy games do hold up well. New games are being released by indie developers to similar standards and generate good sales. When the games are also of popular IP like Super Mario and Metroid they hold up well as good entries in those series.

I love interviews with industry veterans. I like the idea of that creative freedom. No right or wrong, just drawing influence from various sources and going with what looks like a good fit.

Fascinating article. It’s a shame the console success couldn’t be maintained with the Saturn and beyond.

Mine has arrived. More mega drive games I didn’t play than on the previous mini, like After Burner 2 and Desert Strike. I never owned a Mega CD so will start with those games.

I saw the presentation. I haven’t got an Evercade yet. Some games can be found in the arcade archives range on the switch.
Still on the fence for now then. The new hardware looks awesome though. Would be tough to choose between the new handheld or the home console.

The Hanabi festival was a highlight of Wii virtual console service. It was cool to play this rare title with the Japanese text still present. I’d buy it for the Switch if released, with translation.