@Wezlypipz On the other hand, my Founder's Edition and Dock order and shipments were really smooth and I got my console very early on. The only roadbump I experienced was when the SS1 turned up unexpectedly as I didn't receive a dispatch e-mail. Happy to buy from Udon again in future.

@N64-ROX Indeed — hardware emulation via FPGA is still emulation, despite Analogue consistently trying to claim otherwise in their marketing by repeatedly stating "no emulation". Presumably they don't care to accurately describe their products if it contradicts a snappier, less accurate piece of copy, even if it's fundamentally misleading?

Of course there's nothing wrong with hardware emulation, especially if it's done with care by someone who knows what they're doing and they're aiming for accuracy. It would actually be quite nice to read some deep dives from Analogue's engineers about their work, instead of everything happening behind closed doors or hearing fluff from their CEO. We used to hear a bit from Kevtris but it'd be nice to read some perspectives from the rest of their engineering team as well — they're clearly very talented people. (Hint hint, Time Extension!)

Antstream's continuing existence is a testament to their ability to get money out of investors, especially when the premise of wasting bandwidth to stream games with small file sizes was at the heart of their business. Not at all surprised that they're going all in on the latest thing that's parting fools from their money.

@Peteykins Precisely. The idea that a Dizzy game couldn't come to pass without AI assistance comes across as disingenuous and slightly absurd. Just look at how accomplished indie games have become over the last twenty years. Talented, tiny developers like Pixel, Derek Yu, Cellar Door Games and Eric Barone have independently created classics like Cave Story, Spelunky, Rogue Legacy and Stardew Valley entirely before the introduction of this pernicious technology. Making a new Dizzy game without it is completely possible, especially one that would appeal to people like me, who grew up with the games on Spectrum and aren't seeking a AAA experience. The idea that the twins would simply decide against these projects without relying so heavily on this tech is disheartening.

Perhaps they should do what SEGA did with Christian Whitehead and Sonic Mania — find a talented fan and work with them on a Dizzy project instead.

Aside from the book, I'm disappointed that I still can't buy access to the online archive. Bit of a waste to restrict it to backers only.

Looks very nice but I'm most interested in the element they've mentioned the least — the book! It's available as an add-on but I'd prefer to buy it separately.

@Aonghous Yep, in light of the UK N64 price cut that part of this article should be corrected.

@Simon-Butler Broken Ultimates? What happened?

Hadn't heard of SegaMags before. Do they have a site that isn't Facebook?

@centring What's really disappointing is how the huge price hike costing them sales could be misinterpreted as the West having no interest in the system. I'm simply not prepared to pay an extortionate amount of cash for one. If it was priced fairly, I wouldn't have an issue at all.

@Ellie-Moo Was that officially confirmed? I thought they were just being cautious after SEGA stopped the Mega Drive book.

Bit strange that this popped up on Google Play Books a few weeks before the announcement. They have a book about anime coming up too: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=9slHEQAAQBAJ

Disappointed with the lot of them based on this article. More than happy to look the other way because their games benefit from the exposure associated with the platform.

Stating the obvious about FPGA and hardware emulation, really.

Wish them well with the project but having a 3D printed case for this console is a bit of a non-starter for me, open source or not.

Does a yawn technically count as my jaw dropping?

@WhensDinner I like that look. It's consistent across each core and it scales relatively well across a wide range of resolutions.

@RetroBreak The first run is going to cost 150USD, which is great value for a MiSTer with built-in SNAC adapters. It'll be much tidier too — I'll be very happy to have one that doesn't have ports along every side. The disc drive is a nice bonus.

@WhensDinner Thoroughly disagree. MiSTer's UI is minimal, fast and functional. I very much prefer it over the sort of cluttered UI that plagues most emulation experiences.

Surprised there's nothing about the firmware in this review. Yes, the GBA form factor is the selling point of the hardware but nothing about the stock firmware or alternative options? Android or Linux, even?

@Damo Sounds like a perfect opportunity to right that wrong!

Once again, I'd buy this if 8bitdo could be bothered with a model that has a UK layout. Even the option of buying UK keycaps would do.

Knew this comments section would have at least one person mounting a defence of ignoring Luckey's other activities so they can focus on the shiny new thing. "Leave your politics out of this" and "I live in the real world" completes that sad little bingo card.

@LowDefAl Agreed. I thought this was going to be one of those projects that trimmed the original console hardware, like the Kawaii Wii. Alas!

Hmm! Is a mini PC in a GameCube case really a mini GameCube?

I'm sure it's nice (and I enjoy Donlan's work on Eurogamer) but it immediately lost me at £25. I'd buy a digital copy for less.

Agree that it seems weird to criticise this for a lack of weapons. That's a plus for me.

I'm comfortably over 30 and I scoff at this! One of MiSTer's great strengths is that it's solid state.

With the famed Powkiddy approach to quality no doubt — my RGB30 screen failed after a month and I couldn't return it. Never again.

@Azuris Unless I'm not reading your post correctly, how are you playing a PS2 demo on MiSTer?

If you have issues with the PS1 core you should report them here: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/PSX_MiSTer/issues

@845H Suit yourself! I'm perfectly happy with MiSTer as it is now but if a successor can accurately emulate those systems on an FPGA in years to come then I'll enjoy that as well.

@845H Scene drama is a bizarre reason to not use FPGA-based systems. You can quite happily use MiSTer or an Analogue system and safely ignore all of this squabbling.

Seems better to wait for the Dreamcast MemCard Pro from 8BitMods at this stage. Their other cards have been exceptional.

"GameCube-style" is a non-starter for me. Oh well.

Looks very charming!

@Bonggon5 Agreed. One of the aspects of MiSTer I enjoy the most has been its role in helping me to declutter my collection and create a more pleasant living space. The last thing that I need is a new collection of NFC cards pushing me back down that slippery slope. Appreciate that some people really need the ritual but it's just not for me.

@nocdaes Accommodating AA batteries is a positive. No messing around with proprietary batteries and you can always have a spare set charged and ready to go.

Well, I'm interested in this handheld. I know the twin analogue sticks will be essential for some but I'd prefer a variant without them if there's a vertical option.

Bought my copies of The Legend of Zelda (NES) and Teleroboxer (VB) there. Happy memories of heading up to Whitfield Street on the 242 after my sixth-form tutorial had finished! Also the first place I ever saw a PC Engine, which they had running as part of a full briefcase setup behind the glass.

Funny to see footage of the shop now as it's exactly as I remember it!

Knowing how much the Junkyard loves this game, I double-checked today's date...