If anyone is wondering, no, you're not suffering from deja vu. This piece was previously published on Nintendo Life and we've migrated it over to Time Extension, along with updated text and more images. 😄
@Mikmoomamimocki Time Extension is (pardon the pun) an extension of all of the sites in the network, so we're embedding articles on Push Square and Pure Xbox (and vice versa, we've embedded NL news pieces on TE as well).
There's little point in NL and TE covering the same topic twice, especially when it's something as niche as reprints of NES and Game Boy games, so we feel it makes most sense to highlight certain pieces on NL (or the other sites) when relevant. That way, NL readers still get the content and we don't double-up reporting on the same stuff. It also means that NL/PS/PX readers will get access to fringe stuff that those sites wouldn't cover normally.
@Ryu_Niiyama I guess what I meant is that you quickly realise how limited and repetitive the gameplay is in AC1, despite the fact that it's still incredible to explore the world. In AC2, they added a lot more variety which made it feel less repetitive... but as I said, I agree with you, I can remember LOADS of AC1 but AC2 isn't anywhere near as memorable to me now.
@Ryu_Niiyama I think I'd probably agree. Although AC2 was more 'fun', AC1 had a better setting and the whole past / future thing was done better. This one is ripe for a remaster, to be honest, with the core concept kept in place but improved mechanics from the other games, maybe?
@Alexface I don't think it will ever be possible to get this working on the MD... despite the title, I don't think it runs on 16-bit hardware. I think that's just to indicate that it's been 'updated' compared to the GG version.
@Kot_Box Thanks! It was fun to write. I live locally and often pass the old offices. I thought once and for all it was time to really dig into their history!
@Gerald Yep, Polymega supports RAM cart games. Load times feel about the same to me, but they might be quicker with Saturn. With NGCD games, load times are removed completely!
@Kosmikat I vaguely recall seeing it in the same cabinet you mention when I visited Rare to cover the development of Natal / Kinect for GamesTM magazine many years ago, and while I took a bunch of photos I didn't, for some reason, take a photo of the Playboy! I actually got to the point of imagining I'd seen it, but it's nice to have it confirmed 100% that it was indeed there!
@BJQ1972 Apologies, this wasn't really clear enough. The Liquid Storm power bank I used supplies 5V, but it made no noticeable difference to the lag, at least as far as I could see. Other people have reported the same online.
@Axelay71 It certainly was an amazing time to be a gamer! Both Sega and Nintendo offered unique experiences which made both machines essential; we'll never see a period in gaming like it again.
@ChauceyWillard I hate to use Wikipedia as a source, but here's how it sums up Portable Ops' place in the official timeline:
"This would change when Kojima started the development of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (or MGSPW), a later action-based entry also released on the PSP. Unlike MPO, MGSPW was directed and written by Kojima, much like the numbered console entries of the series. Set four years after the events of MPO, MGSPW would be written as a direct sequel to MGS3 and the events of MPO are only given one brief direct mention by one character. Kojima describes MGSPW as a true mainline installment in the series, contrasting it with MPO and the Acid series (which he regards as spinoffs). The official timelines and retrospectives published by Kojima Productions since then tend to omit MPO as a canonical entry, with the 25th Anniversary page going as far as to describe MGSPW as the "first game in the canonical Metal Gear Saga released for the PlayStation Portable platform", while the summary of MGSPW on the main page describing Metal Gear ZEKE as the "world's first Metal Gear." Kojima would later clarify his stance on MPO, saying that he views the series' canon from an authoritative status, setting apart the Metal Gear games that he personally worked on (which carry the "A Hideo Kojima Game" byline) from the games that he only worked on as a producer or didn't have a direct involvement in its development."
@PcTV "Fluff piece"? The title of the interview in question literally casts doubt on the idea of the machine ever being released, and, as I said, we've ran other Amico stories which have been very skeptical (the second ever Amico story, for example).
Giving Tommy the chance to answer questions is not positive PR. We didn't say those words, he did.
@PcTV Lots of news stories about things we haven't actually played yet (games, hardware) will be based on PR material, because that's all we'll have been given at that point. We report in the same way on many other things (Nintendo games included) based on PR, so why not say the same thing about that, too?
@NotSoCryptic Most of these emulation devices don't have retro-themed case designs. This looks like something Tiger would have put out in the late '90s; cheap, colourful and aimed at kids.
@abdias We happen to give Polymega a lot of coverage because it's an amazing product which currently does something that no other device on the market can do - play original media. We love covering these kind of systems (check out our coverage of the Evercade, Anbernic handhelds, Retroid 2, etc) but the Polymega really is unique in that it can play original games, has its own internal database of game info AND is expandable.
We've covered plenty of other emulation devices in the past, not just Polymega. We cover all of the Analogue devices, for example. We cover Nintendo systems an awful lot, too, so does that not set your alarm bells ringing as well?
@Specter_of-the_OLED FPGA support would mean an even more expensive machine and no PSX and Saturn support at launch - and no N64 support, either. FPGA isn't the magic bullet you think it is.
Comments 855
Re: The Making Of: Carmageddon, The Controversial Racer That Took On The BBFC And Won
@Scooby-Doo Glad you like them! We've got more planned, needless to say
Re: Analogue Pocket Now Supports NEC's PC Engine Flop, The SuperGrafx
@Razieluigi Yeah, I cannot wait for CD support to be added!
Re: The Making Of: Killer Instinct, Nintendo's Street Fighter And Mortal Kombat Killer
If anyone is wondering, no, you're not suffering from deja vu. This piece was previously published on Nintendo Life and we've migrated it over to Time Extension, along with updated text and more images. 😄
Re: Gallery: Checking Out Retro-Bit's 'Battletoads & Double Dragon' And 'Avenging Spirit' Reissues
@Mikmoomamimocki Time Extension is (pardon the pun) an extension of all of the sites in the network, so we're embedding articles on Push Square and Pure Xbox (and vice versa, we've embedded NL news pieces on TE as well).
There's little point in NL and TE covering the same topic twice, especially when it's something as niche as reprints of NES and Game Boy games, so we feel it makes most sense to highlight certain pieces on NL (or the other sites) when relevant. That way, NL readers still get the content and we don't double-up reporting on the same stuff. It also means that NL/PS/PX readers will get access to fringe stuff that those sites wouldn't cover normally.
Re: The Making Of: Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft's Original Open-World Epic
@Ryu_Niiyama I guess what I meant is that you quickly realise how limited and repetitive the gameplay is in AC1, despite the fact that it's still incredible to explore the world. In AC2, they added a lot more variety which made it feel less repetitive... but as I said, I agree with you, I can remember LOADS of AC1 but AC2 isn't anywhere near as memorable to me now.
Re: The Making Of: Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft's Original Open-World Epic
@Ryu_Niiyama I think I'd probably agree. Although AC2 was more 'fun', AC1 had a better setting and the whole past / future thing was done better. This one is ripe for a remaster, to be honest, with the core concept kept in place but improved mechanics from the other games, maybe?
Re: Review: Mega Drive / Genesis Mini 2 - Sega's Sequel Scores CD Support
@Teksetter My Japanese version is also on the way, can't wait to try it out!
Re: Review: Mega Drive / Genesis Mini 2 - Sega's Sequel Scores CD Support
@Gerald Yep, the bumps are present and correct
Re: Review: Mega Drive / Genesis Mini 2 - Sega's Sequel Scores CD Support
@ChromaticDracula Glad you like it! The design work is all @antdickens, I can't take credit for that
Re: Review: Mega Drive / Genesis Mini 2 - Sega's Sequel Scores CD Support
@GrailUK Warsong / Langrisser is one of my all-time favourite video games. I adore it, so was very pleased to see it get included here!
Re: Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Trailer Shows Jaguar Games In Action
@mus422 I'd imagine so, yeah. And Tempest 2000 is the best game on the system, BTW
Re: Review: Mega Drive / Genesis Mini 2 - Sega's Sequel Scores CD Support
@CrispNCrunch @Hikingguy My verdict on Gain Ground is certainly a matter of personal taste and I know it has its fans, but I'm not one of them
I guess a kinder way of addressing is would be to say that there are better games that could have been included over Gain Ground
Re: The Making Of: Sonic Triple Trouble 16-Bit, 2022's Best Fan-Made Reboot
@Alexface I don't think it will ever be possible to get this working on the MD... despite the title, I don't think it runs on 16-bit hardware. I think that's just to indicate that it's been 'updated' compared to the GG version.
Re: TurboGrafx-16 / PC Engine Support Is Next For Analogue Pocket
@Hordak None of these openFPGA cores require original media.
Re: CIBSunday: Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete (PlayStation)
@Hikingguy Vay is bloody fantastic, I picked it up for practically nothing in the early 90s and loved every second!
Re: Sacred Spaces: Ultimate Play The Game / Rare, Ashby-De-La-Zouch, England
@Kot_Box Thanks! It was fun to write. I live locally and often pass the old offices. I thought once and for all it was time to really dig into their history!
Re: Review: GamesMaster: The Oral History - The Definitive Retelling Of The Greatest Video Game TV Show Ever Made
@Bunkerneath This is a press sample of the retail edition, which won't be available to the public until after the KS edition has shipped.
Re: CIBSunday: Street Fighter Zero 3 (Sega Saturn)
@Gerald Yep, Polymega supports RAM cart games. Load times feel about the same to me, but they might be quicker with Saturn. With NGCD games, load times are removed completely!
Re: This Cheap Hack Runs Sega Saturn Games From The Console's Controller Port
@BulkSlash Yeah! I wonder if that is because the cart port is called upon during gameplay, for saves / RAM / ROM etc?
Re: This Cheap Hack Runs Sega Saturn Games From The Console's Controller Port
@belmont To the best of my knowledge, you can only use that method to boot CDRs. I might be wrong, though!
Re: Best PlayStation 1 Games
@Herna Something had to give, otherwise we'd never have finished the list
Re: Yes, Castlevania On Intellivision Is A Thing
@BionicDodo Yup, we've sourced them a few times now. Great site!
Re: Exclusive: Meet The "Playboy" Handheld, Rare's Unreleased Game Boy Rival
@Kosmikat I vaguely recall seeing it in the same cabinet you mention when I visited Rare to cover the development of Natal / Kinect for GamesTM magazine many years ago, and while I took a bunch of photos I didn't, for some reason, take a photo of the Playboy! I actually got to the point of imagining I'd seen it, but it's nice to have it confirmed 100% that it was indeed there!
Re: Blimey, Street Fighter Is 35 Years Old
Happy birthday, Street Fighter!
Re: Guide: Got A Steam Deck? Here Are 20 Verified Classics You Should Play
@Tasuki Fixed!
Re: Review: Aya Neo Air - A Steam Deck Rival And Emulation Powerhouse
@BulkSlash Yep, it has gyro
Re: Review: Astro City Mini V - Amazing Library, Horrible Lag
@BJQ1972 Apologies, this wasn't really clear enough. The Liquid Storm power bank I used supplies 5V, but it made no noticeable difference to the lag, at least as far as I could see. Other people have reported the same online.
Re: Arcade Manufacturer ZUIKI Appears To Be Teasing A New X68000 Mini
Yes please! I've never been brave enough to own one of these, so a Mini version would be most welcome.
Re: Best SNES Games
@Axelay71 It certainly was an amazing time to be a gamer! Both Sega and Nintendo offered unique experiences which made both machines essential; we'll never see a period in gaming like it again.
Re: Best SNES Games
@GravyThief Thanks!
Re: Best SNES Games
@mandlecreed @Guitar_bard @BloodNinja Thanks for the kind words, everyone!
Re: Best Castlevania Games - Every Castlevania Game Ranked
@BloodNinja Thanks, it did take a while... and picking the ranking was hard!
Re: Remember When Sonic And Right Said Fred Teamed Up To Storm The UK Charts?
@Jackpaza0508 You're most welcome
Re: Best Metal Gear Games - Every Metal Gear Game, Ranked
@ChauceyWillard I hate to use Wikipedia as a source, but here's how it sums up Portable Ops' place in the official timeline:
"This would change when Kojima started the development of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (or MGSPW), a later action-based entry also released on the PSP. Unlike MPO, MGSPW was directed and written by Kojima, much like the numbered console entries of the series. Set four years after the events of MPO, MGSPW would be written as a direct sequel to MGS3 and the events of MPO are only given one brief direct mention by one character. Kojima describes MGSPW as a true mainline installment in the series, contrasting it with MPO and the Acid series (which he regards as spinoffs). The official timelines and retrospectives published by Kojima Productions since then tend to omit MPO as a canonical entry, with the 25th Anniversary page going as far as to describe MGSPW as the "first game in the canonical Metal Gear Saga released for the PlayStation Portable platform", while the summary of MGSPW on the main page describing Metal Gear ZEKE as the "world's first Metal Gear." Kojima would later clarify his stance on MPO, saying that he views the series' canon from an authoritative status, setting apart the Metal Gear games that he personally worked on (which carry the "A Hideo Kojima Game" byline) from the games that he only worked on as a producer or didn't have a direct involvement in its development."
Re: Intellivision's Offices Are Now Empty And Available, If You Want Them
@djsev2000 Polymega units are shipping, though?
Re: Intellivision's Offices Are Now Empty And Available, If You Want Them
@PcTV "Fluff piece"? The title of the interview in question literally casts doubt on the idea of the machine ever being released, and, as I said, we've ran other Amico stories which have been very skeptical (the second ever Amico story, for example).
Giving Tommy the chance to answer questions is not positive PR. We didn't say those words, he did.
Re: Intellivision's Offices Are Now Empty And Available, If You Want Them
@SwitchForce Literally the second piece the site ran on the Amico said the games looked bad.
Re: Intellivision's Offices Are Now Empty And Available, If You Want Them
@Solomon_Rambling I just realised I didn't need to reply because you took the words right out of my mouth.
Re: Intellivision's Offices Are Now Empty And Available, If You Want Them
@PcTV Lots of news stories about things we haven't actually played yet (games, hardware) will be based on PR material, because that's all we'll have been given at that point. We report in the same way on many other things (Nintendo games included) based on PR, so why not say the same thing about that, too?
Re: Intellivision's Offices Are Now Empty And Available, If You Want Them
@PcTV That's just one story we ran, here are some others:
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/03/new_game_footage_suggests_the_intellivision_amico_will_struggle_to_pull_families_away_from_switch
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/08/intellivisions_wii-like_amico_console_gets_delayed_for_a_third_time
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/02/tommy-tallarico-has-stepped-down-as-ceo-of-intellivision
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/02/intellivision-admits-its-wii-like-amico-console-may-never-see-release
Re: Intellivision's Offices Are Now Empty And Available, If You Want Them
@PcTV Reporting on something isn't "supporting" it. That's like claiming that news outlets support murder because they report on it.
Re: Dreamcast Support Could Come To Polymega In The Future
@syrupdash Because you'd be able to digitise your collection. You'd only need to hook the DC up once to download all of your games to the Polymega.
Re: Review: Anbernic RG503 - Now Packing OLED Goodness, But Is That Enough?
@NotSoCryptic It's funny you should say that because the recessed screen on this thing reminds me 100% of the Game.com
Re: Review: Anbernic RG503 - Now Packing OLED Goodness, But Is That Enough?
@NotSoCryptic Most of these emulation devices don't have retro-themed case designs. This looks like something Tiger would have put out in the late '90s; cheap, colourful and aimed at kids.
Re: Polymega's Next Update Brings More SNES And Super Famicom Support
@KoopaTheGamer Thanks for pointing out the obvious, you shouldn't have to do that - but we appreciate it all the same
Re: Polymega's Next Update Brings More SNES And Super Famicom Support
@abdias We happen to give Polymega a lot of coverage because it's an amazing product which currently does something that no other device on the market can do - play original media. We love covering these kind of systems (check out our coverage of the Evercade, Anbernic handhelds, Retroid 2, etc) but the Polymega really is unique in that it can play original games, has its own internal database of game info AND is expandable.
We've covered plenty of other emulation devices in the past, not just Polymega. We cover all of the Analogue devices, for example. We cover Nintendo systems an awful lot, too, so does that not set your alarm bells ringing as well?
Re: Polymega's Next Update Brings More SNES And Super Famicom Support
@Specter_of-the_OLED FPGA support would mean an even more expensive machine and no PSX and Saturn support at launch - and no N64 support, either. FPGA isn't the magic bullet you think it is.
Re: Review: Retroid Pocket 2+ - A Vast Improvement Over Its Forerunner
@Mattock1987 It can, but they don't run that well.
Re: Evercade's Latest Carts Offer Inexpensive Access To Yet More Retro Classics
@Malanta7 I imagine that's the cost of components going up?
Re: Hardware: Anbernic RG552 - A Big-Screen Upgrade To The Popular RG351
@farrgazer Fixed!