Hrmm I don't really like the attitude on show, although I understand the general sentiment. Having a pop at the new developers because they are young and "haven't played the original games" is just plain rude - comes across as sour grapes. Plus the new team could be huge fans of the arcade game... there's no way they know this?!
Fair enough to criticise the direction of the game... but don't get personal on it.
As an aside, I've got Double Dragon for both the Gameboy and the Atari Lynx lined up to play at some point next year - instead of this...!
The original Tamagotchi was a bit of a fad, so no idea what you would call this resurgence?! A super fad maybe? Majority of people buying these are the ones with memories of it from way back when.
All the actual kids are playing Fortnite, Minecraft and EA's FC! Genuinely think my daughter would be bullied if she had one of these - sad, but true.
@Sternosaur it's the kind of role where I can imagine they already had a candidate lined up. They have to advertise the job, by law, so may as well make a load of publicity out of it!
More than 9 million Saturns were sold...! Its unreasonable to discourage people from buying one of these.
If you want to argue about issues with the Saturn's legacy... I suggest you take it up with SEGA directly.
How many sodding Mega Drive consoles/collections/remakes/licensed "knock offs"! Licensed! It's unbelievable what's out there that SEGA themselves have approved and encouraged!
The same games... over and over and over and over again. Golden Axe. Sonic. Streets of rage. Ecco The Dolphin.... over. And. Over. Again.
Yet the Saturn? Diddly squat. AliExpress are not the problem... SEGA are the problem.
I like the look of this - a little rough around some edges, but it is early doors.
Only thing I wasn't bowled over by was the sound. I thought the voice over work sounded very amateur, the soundtrack is off the mark and the sfx a bit washed out.
BUT... sound is easily changed, and I suspect it was rushed through for the alpha footage and will be much better further down the road.
Regarding the debate around the hardware pricing and whether they can make money off this project or not... don't forget they will make absolutely nothing from any software. When you consider that the average console only turned a profit after selling a few games at full price, I think it's fair for people to seriously question the viability of this console selling at the suggested price point.
When you consider the state of the games industry at the moment, I can't help but feel we would ALL benefit from showing just a bit more respect to one another.
Coin Op come across particularly badly in the exchange, it has to be said. They would benefit from thinking a little more before taking action. You don't have to like your peers... but you should show some respect especially in this particular case given the contributions that have been made to gaming.
I voted no but it doesn't mean I'm not interested... I'm just not pre-ordering.
I'm waiting for the Analogue 3D announcement, which I think is fair to say is very much DUE if they are still targeting a 2024 release date.
I've pretty much mapped out the next 3 or 4 years between exploring the N64 catalogue and digging really deep into the Game Gear and Game Boy/Color/Advance catalogues. Having an absolute blast with it - although the PS5 and Switch are seriously gathering dust!
Dreamcast and Saturn are definitely on my future list... and I'd like to explore Mega Drive too, so this device ticks the boxes.
Who knows... by the time they actually have this ready (and by the looks of it, they are a considerable way away - plus that thing is so ugly!) maybe I'll also be ready?
I think it's more likely Analogue will do a Dreamcast in a few years... but you never know.
Something I don't see reported much around the "cost of living crisis" is that there are clearly TWO contributing factors in people feeling the squeeze and not being too happy about it.
1. Prices have gone up a lot.
2. What you get has gone down!
So I'm paying more for my jaffa cakes, and I'm getting less jaffa cakes at the same time. That is not only a sad state of affairs... it annoys me immensely!
PS5 Pro is doing the exact same thing. You pay more - and its a lot more - and whilst there is clearly some improvements... where's my disc drive gone?! Thieves!!
Charge more because costs have gone up... I understand that. Stop taking things away at the same time to massage your profits!
@Ryu_Niiyama I recommend the game gear adapter. I've been really enjoying playing through the Game Gear library - it's a lot better than people remember, and a lot of the games aren't hugely expensive.
The new colours look nice, but it's disappointing the OS update doesn't have more to it.
The new colours are mostly interesting to new buyers. Would make a lot of sense to give your existing owners a more engaging OS update at the same time. Seems logical to me.
For one thing, I have 115 games in my library now. A few more simple ways to sort the library would be very welcome. Sort by length played, by date added, by release date, group by platform... seriously can't believe some of this stuff isn't already possible.
Also, it's September... where is the 3D Announcement?
Analogue are a real love/hate business - has to be said. I really wish they had more focus with their comms. There should be more Newsletters, more user feedback into the OS and more information on upcoming releases. They need to do more to reach a broader audience too. You can't keep selling the same person multiple Pockets - which must be the objective given you just released a special edition of the Pocket with no mention of more to come and then you now have more... it's not a great tactic. You're just going to annoy people. There's a huge audience of 80s born that still have no idea this even exists.
I have so little recollection of the Dreamcast growing up in the UK. I remember thinking the controllers with the removable memory cards were awesome, but never saw much about the games.
Worth remembering that this was a period of time that had some absolutely brilliant N64 and PS1 games - not to mention the PS2 was being talked about everywhere.
I remember FF9 dominating the summer holidays in 1999 and I remember watching FFX trailers not long after- and being blown away by the Sin tsunami attack clip!
So for me, Dreamcast really passed by. But, I'm actually pleased about it! I forged my gaming memories on N64 and PS1 - no shame or regret at all - and now I am happy to anticipate visiting Dreamcast completely blind in the coming years.
This is way too fiddly to actually be useful. Nice idea, but the design is pretty shocking - unless it's an old iPhone you do not intend to use as a phone and just play games on.
@LadyCharlie true to an extent, but the exposed part of the cartridge can certainly rust and deteriorate in poor conditions. It would take a LOT longer to reach a point of no return though, for sure.
My collection is mostly cartridge based across early Nintendo and Sega platforms, so I've actually taken the recent decision to invest in those Books4Games storage solutions. At first look they're very expensive... but actually, I look at the value of certain retro games now and actually it makes absolute sense to invest in some decent storage.
@Axelay71 Yep, agreed. I've spent more time playing Game Gear games on my Analogue Pocket in 2024 than I have spent playing PS5, Xbox or Switch games.
My next console purchase won't be the new Switch or PS5 Pro... it'll be the 3D from Analogue and I'll be playing my old N64 carts!
Last year I put Star Wars Outlaws on my watch list, but it's not there anymore. I'm fully invested in retro handheld for the foreseeable. I'm literally playing Super Star Wars Return Of The Jedi on the Game Gear instead - and it's awesome by the way.
Credit to Analogue for seeing the gap in the market and seizing the opportunity. As for all the publishers... what fools. I'm spending 100s on the second hand market... and judging by the amount being sold online, I'm clearly not alone. They make nothing from it. Money left on the table as they, pathetically, chase their live service nonsense. No thanks.
I remember playing this back in the 90s - it's a really, really good game! Having played Blood Money and Xenon 2 before it, X really did build on everything before it. I'll definitely check this out!
Funnily enough I picked up a copy of this game just the other week! I never played it back in the day, but it's lined up ready for when Analogue release the 3D. Can't wait!
1. No-one has ever found anything in the game to reveal the required code. When we consider how much people have played this game it's clear there simply is nothing in game to tell us.
2. Volume of items in jars has never been used as a puzzle or a puzzle hint in any Zelda game. Probably because it's cryptic and that's not in keeping with a Zelda puzzle or indeed Nintendo's style.
3. The puzzle is not particularly complex so it's certainly plausible that the brute force method was adopted.
I think the fact there are only two possible combinations of 1 2 3 whereby the numbers are ALL in the incorrect place of a 1 2 3 order is the most logical rationale.
231 and 312
On balance, a lot of players would see those combinations as having at least some degree of logic. But of course, brute force technique works just fine too.
We had an Amiga 500 - it was a bundle that came with Batman The Movie and I was... 5 I think! I vividly remember playing The New Zealand Story, my first ever game, and watching my old man attempt to complete Batman (he managed it a few times!) and Turbo Outrun (he never managed that one!).
Obviously I never managed to beat The New Zealand Story haha
It was an absolutely brilliant machine with some really remarkable sound and graphics- and Xenon 2 is a brilliant example. Compare the Amiga version to the Mega Drive port and it tells you everything you need to know about why the Amiga was so good.
Xenon 2 and Speedball 2 missing from this collection is pretty criminal... unless they are planning a sequel collection? Those two games are pretty much all I think of when someone says Bitmap Brothers (and Bomb The Base in the case of Xenon 2!)
I have the Amiga Mini now, which is great, but I tell you what... the OpenFpga Amiga core on the Analogue Pocket is superb. Cannot recommend it enough.
In fact, everyone seems to go on about the Nintendo and SEGA cores... They look amateur compared to the work that has been done on this Amiga core. Clearly built by fans with a real passion... and there are so many great games (and so many terrible ones too!!) But yes, so many great games!
Imagine. Every single Amiga game ever made. Not only in your pocket.. but playable too! 5 year old me would never have believed it haha
@RetroGames Yep, I absolutely agree. I just finished playing that Horizons ROM version of Super Mario Kart. I enjoyed it, and I absolutely respect the wonderful hardworking involved but it did leave me a bit underwhelmed in that I was just playing more of the same game I already knew and loved. And whilst I understand that was entirely the point of the Horizons ROM(!) it did just make me think... what about something new and original?
So strange because I literally was reading up on Neo Geo Pocket Color games yesterday, as there's an adapter for the Analogue Pocket, and there are a couple of Metal Slug games that look great!
I've been playing Alien 3 on the Analogue Pocket Game Gear Adapter. Good little game actually - tough, but you can get through!
I remember playing Alien Trilogy at my mate's house the week it launched. I know the game hasn't aged particularly well, but I hope this book manages to capture that special feeling of playing these early 3D games for the very first time. This was a genuinely terrifying experience at the time!
Also hoping for an update to the Analogue Pocket OS and firmware... There are so many basic features missing from the device... like being able to sort the games by length of time played, as one really basic example.
No interest whatsoever in this variant. $500 is too much - I'd sooner use that money to buy a load of Game Gear and Gameboy Advance games since I never owned those consoles back in the day!
This sounds great, but I would encourage the inclusion of the full library of Game Gear games and not just the exclusives.
I would also recommend including Analogue Pocket as the Game Gear adapter is a wonderful, wonderful thing. Would be good to interview them and include it as this is a huge reason for the recent surge in Game Gear interest. Far more than the frankly ludicrous Game Gear Micro.
I've been thoroughly enjoying exploring the Game Gear catalogue for the first time over the past 6 months or so. Crystal Warriors was a highlight and looking forward to starting Defenders of Oasis soon.
Oh also they should include the translation games. Royal Stone is a good example, and Coca Cola Kid. There's loads of them - Japan exclusives but you can buy fan translation carts. Definitely worth exploring.
Will keep an eye on the book, but I think the scope needs expanding - don't need loads of pages on it, but Analogue, Full Library and Translations all should be there in my opinion!
@antdickens Does anyone even know what was happening in Russia in 1984, though? I mean it's no coincidence information is light... finding out anything about Russia can be tricky.
Tetris absolutely could have been on sale in Russia in 1984.
It was the voluntary moderators, Hobbas, along with the Rares that made the game a success back in those days. No idea why Sulake think they can replicate those days without either of those key elements.
The volunteer moderator role was crucial to making people stay with the game, spend money and increase their visits. The success of Habbo dropped from the moment they did away with that feature.
Yes, it was a difficult thing to moderate... and there were a lot of challenges around vetting online players. Sulake never realised it was worth the effort.
@Spider-Kev They've chosen to use that for NSO, but they didn't necessarily have to. Could be a commercial decision as its no doubt a cheap option.
I find it hard to believe that Nintendo don't have multiple copies of every single game that released on every single system safely tucked away in a huge archive at their HQ. I also find it very unlikely they haven't digitally preserved it all too.
It is strange they don't talk about it... but this is Nintendo. What about Microsoft, Sony and SEGA? I remember Sony were always sent multiple copies of a game when it went gold - as standard practice. That's all versions too - including collector's editions! Of course it doesn't necessarily mean they keep it all... but I think it's unlikely they send it to landfill!
I guess the point I'm making is just because WE the consumer don't have access to all the games doesn't mean it hasn't been preserved.
Similarly, if some random guy has bought every game for the NES off ebay over a decade and keeps them all in his lockup... that also doesn't equate to preservation. His kids will likely send it all to landfill when he passes!
Hrmm I'm not liking that headline. The lack of a light is not a failing, it was a deliberate design choice. And this mod is pretty ridiculous, to the extreme, when you consider a clip on reading light for a fiver will achieve the same result...
Nice to see an article on the Playdate though. You should do more articles on it - new releases and such.
We don't even have a proper museum for videogames in the UK - nevermind full on preservation.
The big publishers should all contribute more. More of their time. More of their stories. More of their history. And yes, more of their money too.
Seriously. How is there not a bigger and better Videogames museum in the UK? Think about all the rich videogames history on our shores.
Think about how much money GTA alone makes. Rockstar could do it themselves within a year.
The industry should be embarrassed by how little they give back. It really isn't a surprise the wider entertainment industries still, largely, ignore and belittle gaming.
(And yes, I do not count Sheffield or Bradford's largely poor efforts at a videogame museum! Neither are supported by the industry anywhere near enough).
I'm not convinced a Mini Dreamcast would wash its face, you know. I love SEGA and I love that console... but not many people do. It's a shame, but deep down I think we know this is true.
And before you start throwing mini Amigas and mini Commodores at me... those things are just more evidence. They didn't sell well at all...
Save states will come eventually. The current cores are just the first drafts, rushed through by devs that simply don't care much once its rolled out. They're moving onto the next core and not looking back. Just look at the long list of open issues and the years with no updates as evidence.
But there will be other devs in the future. And there will be other versions of the cores. And they will be far superior than what is currently available.
Everyone seems to be so impatient with retro games. Just relax. Enjoy the systems that have save states and wait for the support to arrive on the others. Let's not forget that there are still a whole load of systems that aren't even on Mister yet - we will reach saturation point soon enough, and then we will start to see revisions and improvements.
Does it play the original carts? I'm struggling to see how this is an Analogue Pocket competitor if it doesn't play the carts...
Are people seriously buying an Analogue Pocket and then NOT playing any carts?! Isn't there a thousand devices, each year, that can play roms for a fraction of the cost of the Pocket?! I find this odd lol
Comments 199
Re: 20 Years In The Making, Mario Adventure 3 Is The Ultimate Mario 3 ROM Hack
This is funny timing for me as I just finished Mario Advance 4 (Super Mario Bros 3) on the GBA the other week! I'll definitely check this one out.
Re: Double Dragon Artist Says Double Dragon Revive Is "Cheap" And "Shows No Respect" To The Series
Hrmm I don't really like the attitude on show, although I understand the general sentiment. Having a pop at the new developers because they are young and "haven't played the original games" is just plain rude - comes across as sour grapes. Plus the new team could be huge fans of the arcade game... there's no way they know this?!
Fair enough to criticise the direction of the game... but don't get personal on it.
As an aside, I've got Double Dragon for both the Gameboy and the Atari Lynx lined up to play at some point next year - instead of this...!
Re: Tamagotchi Sales Double As The UK Gets Its First Store
The original Tamagotchi was a bit of a fad, so no idea what you would call this resurgence?! A super fad maybe? Majority of people buying these are the ones with memories of it from way back when.
All the actual kids are playing Fortnite, Minecraft and EA's FC! Genuinely think my daughter would be bullied if she had one of these - sad, but true.
Re: Think You Know Everything About Sonic And Sega? You Could Earn $130,000 A Year
@Sternosaur it's the kind of role where I can imagine they already had a candidate lined up. They have to advertise the job, by law, so may as well make a load of publicity out of it!
Re: Please Stop Buying Unofficial "Saturn Mini" Consoles
More than 9 million Saturns were sold...! Its unreasonable to discourage people from buying one of these.
If you want to argue about issues with the Saturn's legacy... I suggest you take it up with SEGA directly.
How many sodding Mega Drive consoles/collections/remakes/licensed "knock offs"! Licensed! It's unbelievable what's out there that SEGA themselves have approved and encouraged!
The same games... over and over and over and over again. Golden Axe. Sonic. Streets of rage. Ecco The Dolphin.... over. And. Over. Again.
Yet the Saturn? Diddly squat. AliExpress are not the problem... SEGA are the problem.
Re: 50 More PS1 Classics Coming To Antstream Arcade, PS2 And GameCube Games Could Be Next
Sick and tired of subscriptions to be honest with you.
But I'm also sick and tired of buying old stuff too.
Why can't we just get a digital hardware system and all the software for a fixed price? Is that really too much to ask?
Re: Ex-Metal Slug Developers Announce Black Finger Jet, A New Run-And-Gun Game
I like the look of this - a little rough around some edges, but it is early doors.
Only thing I wasn't bowled over by was the sound. I thought the voice over work sounded very amateur, the soundtrack is off the mark and the sfx a bit washed out.
BUT... sound is easily changed, and I suspect it was rushed through for the alpha footage and will be much better further down the road.
Re: You'll Be Able To Secure Your SuperSega FPGA Console For Just Three Bucks
Regarding the debate around the hardware pricing and whether they can make money off this project or not... don't forget they will make absolutely nothing from any software. When you consider that the average console only turned a profit after selling a few games at full price, I think it's fair for people to seriously question the viability of this console selling at the suggested price point.
I honestly would expect closer to double...
Re: Egads, There's More Drama In The FPGA Retro Gaming Community
@jimmytodgers I agree. Well said.
Re: Egads, There's More Drama In The FPGA Retro Gaming Community
When you consider the state of the games industry at the moment, I can't help but feel we would ALL benefit from showing just a bit more respect to one another.
Coin Op come across particularly badly in the exchange, it has to be said. They would benefit from thinking a little more before taking action. You don't have to like your peers... but you should show some respect especially in this particular case given the contributions that have been made to gaming.
Re: You'll Be Able To Secure Your SuperSega FPGA Console For Just Three Bucks
I voted no but it doesn't mean I'm not interested... I'm just not pre-ordering.
I'm waiting for the Analogue 3D announcement, which I think is fair to say is very much DUE if they are still targeting a 2024 release date.
I've pretty much mapped out the next 3 or 4 years between exploring the N64 catalogue and digging really deep into the Game Gear and Game Boy/Color/Advance catalogues. Having an absolute blast with it - although the PS5 and Switch are seriously gathering dust!
Dreamcast and Saturn are definitely on my future list... and I'd like to explore Mega Drive too, so this device ticks the boxes.
Who knows... by the time they actually have this ready (and by the looks of it, they are a considerable way away - plus that thing is so ugly!) maybe I'll also be ready?
I think it's more likely Analogue will do a Dreamcast in a few years... but you never know.
Re: Think PS5 Pro Is Too Much At $700? The 3DO Would Like A Word
Something I don't see reported much around the "cost of living crisis" is that there are clearly TWO contributing factors in people feeling the squeeze and not being too happy about it.
1. Prices have gone up a lot.
2. What you get has gone down!
So I'm paying more for my jaffa cakes, and I'm getting less jaffa cakes at the same time. That is not only a sad state of affairs... it annoys me immensely!
PS5 Pro is doing the exact same thing. You pay more - and its a lot more - and whilst there is clearly some improvements... where's my disc drive gone?! Thieves!!
Charge more because costs have gone up... I understand that. Stop taking things away at the same time to massage your profits!
Re: Upcoming Book Celebrates The Pixel Art Of The GBA
This looks wonderful! I'm collecting GBA games at the moment, so this is a really timely release to aid my discovery and selection process!
Re: More Analogue Pocket Editions Are On The Way, And They're Based On The Game Boy Color
@Ryu_Niiyama I recommend the game gear adapter. I've been really enjoying playing through the Game Gear library - it's a lot better than people remember, and a lot of the games aren't hugely expensive.
Re: More Analogue Pocket Editions Are On The Way, And They're Based On The Game Boy Color
The new colours look nice, but it's disappointing the OS update doesn't have more to it.
The new colours are mostly interesting to new buyers. Would make a lot of sense to give your existing owners a more engaging OS update at the same time. Seems logical to me.
For one thing, I have 115 games in my library now. A few more simple ways to sort the library would be very welcome. Sort by length played, by date added, by release date, group by platform... seriously can't believe some of this stuff isn't already possible.
Also, it's September... where is the 3D Announcement?
Analogue are a real love/hate business - has to be said. I really wish they had more focus with their comms. There should be more Newsletters, more user feedback into the OS and more information on upcoming releases. They need to do more to reach a broader audience too. You can't keep selling the same person multiple Pockets - which must be the objective given you just released a special edition of the Pocket with no mention of more to come and then you now have more... it's not a great tactic. You're just going to annoy people. There's a huge audience of 80s born that still have no idea this even exists.
Re: Anniversary: It's Been 25 Years Since The Dreamcast's North American "9.9.99" Launch
@UK_Kev Yep you are right, it was FF8!
Re: Anniversary: It's Been 25 Years Since The Dreamcast's North American "9.9.99" Launch
I have so little recollection of the Dreamcast growing up in the UK. I remember thinking the controllers with the removable memory cards were awesome, but never saw much about the games.
Worth remembering that this was a period of time that had some absolutely brilliant N64 and PS1 games - not to mention the PS2 was being talked about everywhere.
I remember FF9 dominating the summer holidays in 1999 and I remember watching FFX trailers not long after- and being blown away by the Sin tsunami attack clip!
So for me, Dreamcast really passed by. But, I'm actually pleased about it! I forged my gaming memories on N64 and PS1 - no shame or regret at all - and now I am happy to anticipate visiting Dreamcast completely blind in the coming years.
Re: This FIFA 98 And Silent Hill Mash-Up Could Be The First "Survival Horror Football Game"
Consider all the gaming projects that never surface in mainstream media...
... then consider this getting an article!
Re: PlayCase Turns Your iPhone Into A Proper Portable Game Console
This is way too fiddly to actually be useful. Nice idea, but the design is pretty shocking - unless it's an old iPhone you do not intend to use as a phone and just play games on.
Re: This Is Why You Should Never Store Your Retro Game Collection In A Shed
@LadyCharlie true to an extent, but the exposed part of the cartridge can certainly rust and deteriorate in poor conditions. It would take a LOT longer to reach a point of no return though, for sure.
My collection is mostly cartridge based across early Nintendo and Sega platforms, so I've actually taken the recent decision to invest in those Books4Games storage solutions. At first look they're very expensive... but actually, I look at the value of certain retro games now and actually it makes absolute sense to invest in some decent storage.
Re: Sonic CD Has Been Ported To The Sega Genesis
Oh this is a tricky one! I've never played it, despite being a huge fan of the original Sonic games. I think I'll do it - the time is right!
Re: Unearthed Is A New Game Boy Sci-Fi Adventure From The Developer Of Grimace's Birthday
This looks interesting - will check it out!
Re: Final Fantasy IX's AI-Powered Upscale Mod Just Got An Unexpected Update
@Azuris Nice for people to have more choice, yep.
Re: Final Fantasy IX's AI-Powered Upscale Mod Just Got An Unexpected Update
Nice, but it can't be long now until the FF9 Remake gets announced? It's the worst kept secret.
Re: Interview: "Our Goal Was To Preserve The Original Pixel Art" - X-Out Resurfaced Dev On Remaking The Amiga Classic
@Axelay71 Yep, agreed. I've spent more time playing Game Gear games on my Analogue Pocket in 2024 than I have spent playing PS5, Xbox or Switch games.
My next console purchase won't be the new Switch or PS5 Pro... it'll be the 3D from Analogue and I'll be playing my old N64 carts!
Last year I put Star Wars Outlaws on my watch list, but it's not there anymore. I'm fully invested in retro handheld for the foreseeable. I'm literally playing Super Star Wars Return Of The Jedi on the Game Gear instead - and it's awesome by the way.
Credit to Analogue for seeing the gap in the market and seizing the opportunity. As for all the publishers... what fools. I'm spending 100s on the second hand market... and judging by the amount being sold online, I'm clearly not alone. They make nothing from it. Money left on the table as they, pathetically, chase their live service nonsense. No thanks.
Re: Interview: "Our Goal Was To Preserve The Original Pixel Art" - X-Out Resurfaced Dev On Remaking The Amiga Classic
I remember playing this back in the 90s - it's a really, really good game! Having played Blood Money and Xenon 2 before it, X really did build on everything before it. I'll definitely check this out!
Re: The Making Of: Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, Konami's Underrated N64 Classic
Funnily enough I picked up a copy of this game just the other week! I never played it back in the day, but it's lined up ready for when Analogue release the 3D. Can't wait!
Re: Random: No One Can Agree On The Solution To This Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Puzzle
We have to look at the facts...
1. No-one has ever found anything in the game to reveal the required code. When we consider how much people have played this game it's clear there simply is nothing in game to tell us.
2. Volume of items in jars has never been used as a puzzle or a puzzle hint in any Zelda game. Probably because it's cryptic and that's not in keeping with a Zelda puzzle or indeed Nintendo's style.
3. The puzzle is not particularly complex so it's certainly plausible that the brute force method was adopted.
I think the fact there are only two possible combinations of 1 2 3 whereby the numbers are ALL in the incorrect place of a 1 2 3 order is the most logical rationale.
231 and 312
On balance, a lot of players would see those combinations as having at least some degree of logic. But of course, brute force technique works just fine too.
Re: The Bitmap Brothers Collection 2 Brings Amiga Classics To Evercade
We had an Amiga 500 - it was a bundle that came with Batman The Movie and I was... 5 I think! I vividly remember playing The New Zealand Story, my first ever game, and watching my old man attempt to complete Batman (he managed it a few times!) and Turbo Outrun (he never managed that one!).
Obviously I never managed to beat The New Zealand Story haha
It was an absolutely brilliant machine with some really remarkable sound and graphics- and Xenon 2 is a brilliant example. Compare the Amiga version to the Mega Drive port and it tells you everything you need to know about why the Amiga was so good.
Xenon 2 and Speedball 2 missing from this collection is pretty criminal... unless they are planning a sequel collection? Those two games are pretty much all I think of when someone says Bitmap Brothers (and Bomb The Base in the case of Xenon 2!)
I have the Amiga Mini now, which is great, but I tell you what... the OpenFpga Amiga core on the Analogue Pocket is superb. Cannot recommend it enough.
In fact, everyone seems to go on about the Nintendo and SEGA cores... They look amateur compared to the work that has been done on this Amiga core. Clearly built by fans with a real passion... and there are so many great games (and so many terrible ones too!!) But yes, so many great games!
Imagine. Every single Amiga game ever made. Not only in your pocket.. but playable too! 5 year old me would never have believed it haha
Re: Castlemania Is Super Mario World With Castlevania's Bite
@RetroGames Yep, I absolutely agree. I just finished playing that Horizons ROM version of Super Mario Kart. I enjoyed it, and I absolutely respect the wonderful hardworking involved but it did leave me a bit underwhelmed in that I was just playing more of the same game I already knew and loved. And whilst I understand that was entirely the point of the Horizons ROM(!) it did just make me think... what about something new and original?
Re: A New Metal Slug Game Is Out Today, But Don't Get Too Excited
So strange because I literally was reading up on Neo Geo Pocket Color games yesterday, as there's an adapter for the Analogue Pocket, and there are a couple of Metal Slug games that look great!
Not this though... this looks bad.
Re: GoldenEye 007 & Perfect Dark Artist Brett Jones Has Passed Away
A true legend of the industry, no doubt. Sad news.
Re: ZX Spectrum Classic 'Scuba Dive' Gets Surprising New PC Fan Remake
Looks like they've done a great job here!
Re: Newly Announced Book Will Chart The History of Alien's Xenomorph In Games
I've been playing Alien 3 on the Analogue Pocket Game Gear Adapter. Good little game actually - tough, but you can get through!
I remember playing Alien Trilogy at my mate's house the week it launched. I know the game hasn't aged particularly well, but I hope this book manages to capture that special feeling of playing these early 3D games for the very first time. This was a genuinely terrifying experience at the time!
Re: The Next Analogue Pocket Limited Edition Is Made From Aluminum, Costs $500
Hoping we get some 3D news soon...!
Also hoping for an update to the Analogue Pocket OS and firmware... There are so many basic features missing from the device... like being able to sort the games by length of time played, as one really basic example.
No interest whatsoever in this variant. $500 is too much - I'd sooner use that money to buy a load of Game Gear and Gameboy Advance games since I never owned those consoles back in the day!
Re: Sega's Game Gear Is Getting The Book It Truly Deserves
This sounds great, but I would encourage the inclusion of the full library of Game Gear games and not just the exclusives.
I would also recommend including Analogue Pocket as the Game Gear adapter is a wonderful, wonderful thing. Would be good to interview them and include it as this is a huge reason for the recent surge in Game Gear interest. Far more than the frankly ludicrous Game Gear Micro.
I've been thoroughly enjoying exploring the Game Gear catalogue for the first time over the past 6 months or so. Crystal Warriors was a highlight and looking forward to starting Defenders of Oasis soon.
Oh also they should include the translation games. Royal Stone is a good example, and Coca Cola Kid. There's loads of them - Japan exclusives but you can buy fan translation carts. Definitely worth exploring.
Will keep an eye on the book, but I think the scope needs expanding - don't need loads of pages on it, but Analogue, Full Library and Translations all should be there in my opinion!
Re: Anniversary: Is Tetris Really 40 This Year?
@antdickens Does anyone even know what was happening in Russia in 1984, though? I mean it's no coincidence information is light... finding out anything about Russia can be tricky.
Tetris absolutely could have been on sale in Russia in 1984.
Re: 2000s MMO Game 'Habbo Hotel' Is Getting A Throwback Revival
It was the voluntary moderators, Hobbas, along with the Rares that made the game a success back in those days. No idea why Sulake think they can replicate those days without either of those key elements.
The volunteer moderator role was crucial to making people stay with the game, spend money and increase their visits. The success of Habbo dropped from the moment they did away with that feature.
Yes, it was a difficult thing to moderate... and there were a lot of challenges around vetting online players. Sulake never realised it was worth the effort.
Re: Anniversary: Is Tetris Really 40 This Year?
I'm going to go with what Alexey says, and based on the Tetris website that is indeed June 1984.
I find it extremely unlikely that a PR agency changed the year!
Personally, I'd mark the Gameboy release date as the true anniversary, anyway.
Re: Backlash Against $99 MiSTer FPGA Clone's Name Results In Creator Offering Alternatives
I find it hilarious that they are debating a confusing name like this is ever going to go mainstream lol
Everyone, and I mean every single person that ever goes anywhere near this product... will know exactly what it is. The name is entirely irrelevant.
Re: Talking Point: Is Nintendo Erasing Its Own History In Its War On ROM Sites?
@Spider-Kev They've chosen to use that for NSO, but they didn't necessarily have to. Could be a commercial decision as its no doubt a cheap option.
I find it hard to believe that Nintendo don't have multiple copies of every single game that released on every single system safely tucked away in a huge archive at their HQ. I also find it very unlikely they haven't digitally preserved it all too.
It is strange they don't talk about it... but this is Nintendo. What about Microsoft, Sony and SEGA? I remember Sony were always sent multiple copies of a game when it went gold - as standard practice. That's all versions too - including collector's editions! Of course it doesn't necessarily mean they keep it all... but I think it's unlikely they send it to landfill!
I guess the point I'm making is just because WE the consumer don't have access to all the games doesn't mean it hasn't been preserved.
Similarly, if some random guy has bought every game for the NES off ebay over a decade and keeps them all in his lockup... that also doesn't equate to preservation. His kids will likely send it all to landfill when he passes!
Re: Talking Point: Is Nintendo Erasing Its Own History In Its War On ROM Sites?
Who's to say Nintendo themselves haven't already preserved every single game from each of their consoles?
I don't understand why so many people feel the need to do this themselves... it's all going to end up in landfill when we're gone you know!
Re: This Playdate Mod Solves The Handheld's Biggest Failing
Hrmm I'm not liking that headline. The lack of a light is not a failing, it was a deliberate design choice. And this mod is pretty ridiculous, to the extreme, when you consider a clip on reading light for a fiver will achieve the same result...
Nice to see an article on the Playdate though. You should do more articles on it - new releases and such.
Re: Cleared Hot Is The Desert Strike Spiritual Successor We've All Been Waiting For
This looks good!
Would love to see some futuristic G Police style content in this game too!
Re: Switzerland Granted £2.8 Million To Preserve Its Video Game History - Why Can't The UK?
We don't even have a proper museum for videogames in the UK - nevermind full on preservation.
The big publishers should all contribute more. More of their time. More of their stories. More of their history. And yes, more of their money too.
Seriously. How is there not a bigger and better Videogames museum in the UK? Think about all the rich videogames history on our shores.
Think about how much money GTA alone makes. Rockstar could do it themselves within a year.
The industry should be embarrassed by how little they give back. It really isn't a surprise the wider entertainment industries still, largely, ignore and belittle gaming.
(And yes, I do not count Sheffield or Bradford's largely poor efforts at a videogame museum! Neither are supported by the industry anywhere near enough).
Re: "A Ton Of Money" Has Been Spent On ModRetro's Chromatic Screen To Ensure Accuracy
"3 x AAA batteries" and... I'm out.
The product page does say it will take a lithium battery... but then their store doesn't sell it to you!
Re: Sega Wants You To Know It Isn't Announcing Any New 'Mini' Hardware In 2024
I'm not convinced a Mini Dreamcast would wash its face, you know. I love SEGA and I love that console... but not many people do. It's a shame, but deep down I think we know this is true.
And before you start throwing mini Amigas and mini Commodores at me... those things are just more evidence. They didn't sell well at all...
Re: Soapbox: Here's Why I Can't Ditch Software Emulation Handhelds For The FPGA Analogue Pocket
Save states will come eventually. The current cores are just the first drafts, rushed through by devs that simply don't care much once its rolled out. They're moving onto the next core and not looking back. Just look at the long list of open issues and the years with no updates as evidence.
But there will be other devs in the future. And there will be other versions of the cores. And they will be far superior than what is currently available.
Everyone seems to be so impatient with retro games. Just relax. Enjoy the systems that have save states and wait for the support to arrive on the others. Let's not forget that there are still a whole load of systems that aren't even on Mister yet - we will reach saturation point soon enough, and then we will start to see revisions and improvements.
Re: $150 Analogue Pocket Rival Will Use An AMOLED Screen
Does it play the original carts? I'm struggling to see how this is an Analogue Pocket competitor if it doesn't play the carts...
Are people seriously buying an Analogue Pocket and then NOT playing any carts?! Isn't there a thousand devices, each year, that can play roms for a fraction of the cost of the Pocket?! I find this odd lol
Re: 32 Years Later, Super Mario Kart Gets Fan-Made 'Horizons' Expansion
Got it loaded onto my Pocket ready to play next week. Looks great!