@themacjesus Hello! Thank you for the interest! I've sort of moved on from this project, and am juggling several other things at the moment. I'm pretty sure every card has fixed results under the silver - based on the one card I bought and scratched, and other cards which I found online prescratched. The symbols are not randomised, I'm pretty sure.
@MegaJ It is? I did not even realise. I'm not kidding - I don't have any special access privileges, nor can I edit my work. I have to email. And I always regarded myself as an independant contractor. And I've put about 30 people on ignore. My apologies - and I say that to you sincerely - I've been operating under the belief anyone can just put me on ignore. If that's not possible I will ask the admins about being ignorable.
Back around 1993, a friend of a friend had one. We visited his house one evening. I played it briefly. For over 30 years I've wanted one, but as my income increased over the years, so did pricing.
This was the easiest £800 that I've ever dropped.
I only hope the team see these pre-orders and realise they're not just producing a product, they have also elected to become historical custodians.
I'm more excited about this than I have been for any hardware in the last 15 years.
It's time to draw a line under this - while I stand by what I've said in the piece, I have removed my comments. Gaming, like any business, is full of contradictions, and I think the more we discuss our perspectives like adults, the better. Peace!
General fiddlyness and a list of things that bug me - chargeable batteries with finite life, or using disposable that need replacing. USB cables that wear out the ports over time. Lag. Problems syncing.
The only benefit is less clutter due to no wires? This hasn't been useful to me.
Also, and this is just a weird psychological thing, I enjoy knowing there is a "physical hardline" that be can be suddenly removed
by physically pulling it. There have been the odd rare instance where this was useful.
I know you can go in a menu and disconnect stuff. But I've liked the immediacy of cables. But I accept this is more a weird personal thing.
I wanted to avoid commenting, but I also want to say something on record - given a lot of comments here and on socmed are saying TE has an agenda.
As a freelance contributor I have never once been instructed to adopt a specific stance, nor censored, despite the fact I hold views contrary to some online (absolute freedom of artistic expression without consequence). This is why I was asked to comment here. I am openly pro AES+ and TE wanted to cover all voices. (I bought the £800 Ultimate edition and look forward to fun discussions with fellow buyers in the other news article.)
I can't comment on editorial decisions for other contributors, but I have never once felt pressured to adjust my POV. Indeed, TE has always offered more freedom to express my views than other places.
It would be a shame for anyone to stop reading TE due to certain articles, when it's a website publishing a diverse range of writers, each with differing (and sometimes conflicting) views. It's a website which respects its contributors.
My personal beliefs mirror @Martin_H
I dislike puritanical moralising - and I've never been told to inject it into my work.
@X68000 I recently met an old arcade operator who had a ton of old MVS carts in storage. Didn't realise the value. I explained the rise in retro prices. Want to put him in touch with someone who could advise, without taking advantage of him. I already suggested joining the NG forum.
@MoriyaMug
Glad you stopped by. I couldn't recall your new username.
I'm tempted to email Plaion and suggest they contact you. Or you could email them.
I don't know the feasibility - a CD to AES conversion? Utilising an unofficial translation? Correcting the elemental bugs? Would you even want to license it?
I have no idea.
And yet... I find the idea amusing.
I finished it already so it's not even for me. But if they can revive the NG hardware like this, anything is possible.
@-wc- Why the aversion to bluetooth? I too avoid it in all my household items, and disable it in stuff that comes with it. Just curious as to your reasons.
@X68000 So... Can you store all the games on an SD card, and then you move them in or out of the 4 slots? Sounds a bit like the NGPC flashcart - unlimited on the SD card, but you need to move / install them to built in flash to load them.
Or are the 4 slots for fast loading, versus any other game where you need to wait as it loads it into memory?
I'm not a fan of wireless controllers do will probably sell / trade those to get an OG stick or the hardwired one, if anyone prefers wireless.
From what I read... The bundled stick is hardwired. The extra sticks are wireless, but you can plug them in via a separate cable?
Is that correct?
The wording made me think the bundled sticks were strictly hardwired?
If this is a 1:1 replica, the console should easily moddable for RGB. Was reading up and the OG system produced a digital RGB signal which would then be converted to analogue.
So a simple bypass of the conversion improved the picture and removed jailbars.
I'm not involved in any managerial decisions, I'm not a member of staff, simply an independant freelancer, and my views should not be seen as indicative of or representing Hookshot Media.
My posts here are because I have a strong personal interest in SNK and the glorious Neo Geo legacy (I interviewed the original creator of Metal Slug from Nazca for example; twice!).
For the record: I also publicly spoke out in support of WayForward when users were criticising them over ModRetro reissuing their GBC games. Calling for the game's boycott, which I found ridiculous.
I don't have a personal interest in ModRetro products so don't say much - but please rest assured that as an individual, I genuinely do not care and will not judge anyone for buying their products. If I had a problem, I would not engage.
Everyone has a right to engage with and buy any legal product that interests them, and they have a right to do this without harassment.
A little basic human courtesy, and leaving people alone to live their lives, would make for a much better experience.
@metaphysician @NatiaAdamo CDI / CD-i / cd~I / seedeeeye uses the Green Book standard from the Rainbow Books, and are perfectly readable in a standard PC optical drive. One of the emulators can in fact boot the disc and run it. I think... I've never bothered. But I can definitely read and copy them in my PC.
It's not like the Dreamcast's GD-ROM format where only certain drives are capable of reading the disc.
The only tricky aspects of the CDI are the BIOS and the video cartridge.
Emulators need the official BIOS currently, which hasn't been cloned, and the video cart is not emulated, meaning several good games cannot be played.
And... I feel like very few people care about the CDI to warrant it?
EDIT: the message I was replying to was deleted. I'll leave my response unchanged below.
@Noiro
Nobody hurt my feelings. I just find moralising to be insufferable.
I will not spare anyone my attitude - not until myself and others can enjoy and engage with whatever legal media they choose, without any excrutiating, insufferable finger wagging from sanctimonious puritans.
If you don't like it, then you should not engage with it. But do not lecture others who choose to engage with it.
I want to engage with media and not be spoken down to about it.
I despise how a vocal minority are trying to force their views onto possible customers.
I want this group to keep quiet and let the rest of us live our lives.
@NeonPizza I live in the UK, I've never used component or S-Video. In fact S-video isn't a thing here. From the 16-bit generation we had RGB via SCART here in the UK. SNES and Mega Drive both running crisp and sharp through SCART. I honestly can't stand playing these through composite. I play my NES through composite, but everything else is SCART.
Even my PC Engine outputs RGB SCART.
And it's also pumped into my Sony Trinitron CRT.
I'm not convinced that the Neo Geo will benefit from composite (yellow, red, white cables) rather than RGB.
I've not actually owned a Neo Geo before. My desire for SCART is based simply on all my 16-bit and 32-bit systems using it.
@DiacloneFx Ah, yes. Ok, that makes sense. I knew the originals had micro clicks. The softness though closely matches the analogue softness of the Vectrex sticks.
I suppose the specific reason they work well for me is one of the specific reasons they don't work for you.
@X68000 Good points. In fairness I had let it go and haven't thought about it in years. This news item just triggered a surge of memories. I guess it was not let go sufficiently.
I've said my peace now.
@NOCDGAMING All on Amazon, or used copies on eBay. Just pick the cheapest.
@Banjo-
That's cool. I don't begrudge anyone enjoying his videos. The source material is quite excellent! But I have a personal grudge with his methods and way of operating, for reasons explained.
If you love his videos, that's excellent. Just be sure to dig deep to find out where that information originally came from.
In a Reddit thread on his retirement, titled "gaming historian announces his retirement from youtube", there was a user called:
Constant-Yak-918
Said user posted a link to this news article, with a screengrab.
I took a screenshot of the post.
As of this morning the post is deleted. Or at least I cannot find it in the Reddit thread.
I don't know who you are, but I salute and thank you for your efforts. I witnessed said efforts, and I also witnessed Reddit trying to censor your attempt at spreading truth.
Let me see if I can embed the image here. I may need to edit this multiple times.
Norm's channel exists because others put in the hard work.
Another example:
Hudson & Nintendo's Obscure PC Games
Volume 2, which I physically posted to him in 2015, had a detailed interview with Hudson staff on these. I would link you to his web page citing his sources, except I can't even find it. I clicked to the 4th page of his episode guide, and the 2018 video isn't even listed! The last entry I could find was a Spyro video.
They openly admit to using the books to get information from videos. Here is a verbatim copy and pasted quote from Kristin, dated 28 November 2017:
"Norm and I enjoy your books and appreciate all the research and effort that went into them. We sometimes use your books as reference material"
I am glad his channel is closing down, so he can now coast off someone else's hard work. And to be clear again: I never said I was the sole person, he's clearly doing this to multiple other writers.
The hiding of the sources is infuriating! Why not just disclose them in the text box of every single video? Why go to the effort to make a little page, hidden away, so you don't have to cite them on the YT page?
I am now going to pack for my travels. I've given hard evidence, and as stated before, Damien has scans of the emails, and also a second person who asked I remove their name from my previous post.
Everything I have to say on this matter is stated clearly in my previous separate posts.
I accused nobody of plagiarism. I accused him of relying on the work of others for his success, without proper credit. Which I have now proven, because it require 4x mouse clicks just to get to that video's citation page, and not every video even has a citation page.
And I accused him of saying yes to copies of my book, and promising a review, which two years later had never materialised and I was given the brush off. I have the email chain of these interactions. He would "LOVE" copies, and he planned to review them! Two years later he gets someone else to reply, saying they had no plans to do so. He did not even have the etiquette to reply to me himself!
@Lunethf
First of all, not once did I say the word "plagiarise". There's an important distinction here. Norm isn't publishing a book, and inside that book are pages lifted wholesale from my books. He's producing videos, using information from my books, and not crediting them in said videos - the credits are hidden behind a URL and multiple clicks, as I said in my first post.
And I specifically did not want to trawl through his video archive again, because I am so angry with him. But I did, just to prove it to you. (This feels like in a court case where the prosecution is dogpiling the witness, demanding they describe in detail the crime committed against them.)
So, important point here, Norm promised me a review in his email dated November 2015. None was ever made, despite his channel being full of book reviews (go look, I'm not citing all of them, I counted at least 10 on his page and 1x magazine review).
Now, open up any of his videos. Does he cite sources?
NO. He says for a list of sources go here, and links to his website.
He deliberately OBFUSCATES where he got the info. Who is going to go to the trouble, of clicking his website, finding the video page in question, and then going: ahh, so that's the book he used!
To be clear here: my accusation is not plagiarism, it's lazy grifting, by using info from my books and then not properly crediting it on the YT video page. Or rather, hiding the credits behind at least 3 or 4 mouse clicks. Click the sources link to his website, click the episodes guide, click to page 2 or 3 or 4 maybe, then click the episode itself.
Look at the info box. Does he list my book? No. But he does say click a link. Follow that link, click episodes, click page 2, then scroll to find the MM video, then click it, then scroll down again: https://thegaminghistorian.com/the-story-of-mega-man-on-dos/
Oh, yes, he does specifically cite my book. But how much effort does the average viewer have to go through to reach that?
Like I said. Coasting on the work of others. The Rozner brothers interview was done by me. And he tries to hide this fact.
And they are not difficult to contact either.
I passed on their contact details to this very website, Time Extension, and Jack interviewed them!
Posting again with specific facts, since I see someone highlighted my message on Reddit (many thanks, happy to talk about this). I am going away for Easter, so won't be able to reply to questions for a couple weeks.
But I sent copies of the emails to Damien and some friends, in the unlikely event anyone accuses me of fabricating this, and it needs verification while I am away.
I have an email from Norman dated 10 November 2015.
He says he would "absolutely LOVE a copy" and says he is planning to review it "sometime in the future".
He gives his address. I send him the books.
Nothing more from Norman until 28 November 2017, when I email asking for feedback on Volumes 1 and 2. (Volume 3 wasn't published until 2018 - so he only had two of them, but that's about 526 and 400 pages.)
Kristen replies, saying they both enjoy the books, admitting they use them for reference material, and saying they've scaled back their book reviews. But adds "Thanks for the understanding!"
I reply saying it's weird Norman didn't reply himself.
Kristin replies: "LOL. Sorry to disappoint."
I couldn't stomach browsing his channel for long, so I never made a note of every single video which grifted off my work, but there were multiple.
As I said earlier: good riddance to him. Absolutely detestable.
EDIT x 2: clarifying who was sent copies of the emails
@PercyChuggs I lived in Japan for three months and interviewed game developers for some books. I've been writing and interviewing for over 20 years now. Below details the books I sent to Norm.
Norman Caruso asked for physical copies of my books (Japanese developer interviews). He said he'd review them or cover them on his channel. I posted them at great expense.
Months go by and nothing. I email him politely to ask how things were. He gets someone else to reply - I don't know if it was his girlfriend, or his PA, but he couldn't even be bothered to reply himself, despite him personally saying yes to the books.
Anyway she says Norm changed his mind and doesn't want to cover the books.
I am annoyed, but what can you do?
Then I notice over the coming years, every so often he'll have a video relying heavily on my interview material - where it could not exist without my work.
No coverage of my books of course. Barely even a mention. I recall once he simply had a link to some other web page listing his sources.
As far as I'm concerned Norman Caruso is a parasite who grifts off the hard work of others, does not give credit, and he had me spend a small fortune posting him telephone sized paper books under the promise of coverage, solely so he could then harvest those books' material, while getting his GF / PA to brush me off later.
I guess he had to quit due to running out of material.
Good riddance. I personally hate that man with the fury of a thousand burning suns.
@Right_Said_Brett @slider1983 Indeed, I've left several reviews on GOG, without Galaxy.
So... Cheevos? It really does just come down to cheevos. And controller inputs on Steam. But mostly cheevos. (Toy Story meme.gif) Cheevos, CHEEVOS EVERYWHERE!
@slider1983 Ah, I have never, ever used Galaxy. Honestly I don't even understand what it is or why I'd want to use it.
I buy games on GOG, save the installer to my massive back-up HDD, write it down on a paper list, and then I want to play it I plug the HDD into whatever computer I'm using and install.
Galaxy is some sort of Steam like wrapper which... Installs stuff for me? And it needs an online connection?
Hard pass.
If GOG ever makes it mandatory, and removes the portable standalone installers, I will be very upset.
I treat the installers like digital game CDs. They sit on my shelf until needed.
@Thad Valid points. Which reminds me: another reason I prefer GOG is because their installs still work on Windows 7. Steam no longer supports Win7, and the Steam client refuses to function, with all previously installed Steam games no longer working after the update.
I'm a bit jealous Steam supports you but not me. After my Win7 laptop refused to load any pre-installed Steam games, my main powerful Win7 rig had to go offline only forever so I could at least play what was on there. But I still install new GOG games.
So, I totally get what you're saying - we both experience this albeit in opposite ways.
@Azuris I love GOG. From your wording... Do people boycott GOG for some reason? I don't really follow current events. I don't even know why anyone would choose Steam over GOG. I buy from Steam, but only if it's not on GOG first. I will always buy GOG first, and even pay more than the Steam release.
Like, why would anyone use Steam over GOG? I can see the benefits of GOG (portable offline installs; permanent ownership of said install packages). There's no benefit to Steam that I can see. Cheevos? Is it cheevos? I hope it's not something lame like "I can only get cheevos on steam and I can't play a game unless it has cheevos."
@Martin_H "What I've found over the years is that I've enjoyed far more things going in blind than I would have if I obsessively followed reviews or community advice"
Exactly this. I've found this too, especially with films. I'll enjoy something on its own terms, having zero knowledge going in, then afterwards will look up reviews for fun and be shocked at the negativity. And I'm glad I never checked before hand, because that inevitably taints one's judgement.
There is genuine benefit to ignorance when consuming a new media title.
(I knew I shouldn't have mentioned the Gundam review. 😠The import PS3 and games rocked up around 4pm, and we all got a couple hours on our game with copy due next day at 9am. As I seem to recall.)
Love this article and the movie still. Time for a rewatch. I don't understand Ebert claiming it was filmed ineptly. The video photography, lighting, etc., all seem high quality, or of equal quality to other films of 1989.
Can anyone give a specific example of inept filming? As in, not the script or story, but problems on a technical level?
I've always thought he was a bit of a jerk, praising crap for no reason, and giving scathing criticism to plenty of great films, just because something rubbed him the wrong way.
I will never understand why he is so respected as a film critic.
@SinjaNinja
Traditionally writers don't proof read. They hand it to copy editors to proof. Is this about the lineline / timeline typo? Take a chill pill. Typos happen. It's inevitable with a small team.
I'm only stepping in here to comment because every single one of my articles have a typo on first draft.
My focus is good research. And generally readers say my writing is good because it's well researched.
Your entire criticism is around a single typo, which is enough for you to condemn a writer's entire career.
Seems about right for a modern internet troll.
If your metric for quality were implemented we'd have nothing but insufferable safe guff to read, or AI slop. Both Hunter Thompson and Lester Bangs made all sorts of typos, but they brought energy, and Thompson did incredible first hand research.
That's what you should judge a journalist on.
Have they uncovered or documented things no one else has?
And I can safely say @damo has, in his long career. Interviews and information never documented before.
But by your metric it's all worthless because timeline was spelled wrong?
This article and its replies remind me of a recurring thought:
The fate of so many games in the 80s, 90s, and even early 00s, was tied to the whims of random freelance writers, most of whom had low pay, short deadlines, and bad hangovers. I know because I was one.
I wrote my own unnecessarily harsh review for Gundam on PS3, at launch. 4 / 10 maybe? Anyway, I later went back and honestly, it's not bad. 6 or maybe 7 if you're a fan is a fairer score.
And I think to myself: how many games sold poorly, lost money, missed out on sequels, ended careers, etc., because some rando was given a game and told to hand copy in less than 24 hours later? And because the internet didn't yet have ways of amplifying signal or broadcasting video through YouTube?
I've already mentioned Gunstar Heroes, and another good example is Tombi. Today: beloved classics commanding a small fortune due to the limited quantities available. Back then: crap scores, with readers told not to buy it.
How many copies went unsold and were later destroyed as a tax write off?
I'm not saying every low scoring piece of trash was actually a masterpiece. But so many of these low scoring games were genuinely not bad, and were pleasantly good or enjoyable, and deserved better.
And the bitter irony is: there was plenty of genuine trash which got high scores!
Headhunter is another example. Mags trashed the bike sections. Personally, they were the best part for me. I used to enjoy just driving around Los Angeles, taking in the sights. Sort of like a proto-GTA III. Still, mags hated these sections, so they were cut from the sequel, which ended up bring crap due to a broken aiming system.
The past is rife with the damage done by malicious and cruel reviewers.
That review is unnecessarily harsh. I for one really like collecting XP and then selling it.
Then again it's NextGen, the lukewarm leftovers of Edge magazine which were microwaved and sent over to America, so it doesn't surprise me. These same people gave Gunstar Heroes a 6 out of 10, and I am never, ever going to shut up about that.
Comments 858
Re: I've Just Resurrected This Zelda Scratch Card Game From 1989
@themacjesus
Hello! Thank you for the interest! I've sort of moved on from this project, and am juggling several other things at the moment. I'm pretty sure every card has fixed results under the silver - based on the one card I bought and scratched, and other cards which I found online prescratched. The symbols are not randomised, I'm pretty sure.
But that is one heck of a cool find!
@Mases and @Asaki might be interested though?
Re: Talking Point: "We, The Consumers, Need To Vote With Our Wallets" - The Moral Dilemma Of Supporting SNK In 2026
@MegaJ
It is? I did not even realise. I'm not kidding - I don't have any special access privileges, nor can I edit my work. I have to email. And I always regarded myself as an independant contractor. And I've put about 30 people on ignore. My apologies - and I say that to you sincerely - I've been operating under the belief anyone can just put me on ignore. If that's not possible I will ask the admins about being ignorable.
Re: "Humbling And Deeply Inspiring" - Neo Geo+ Production Forecasts Increased After "Overwhelming" Response
Back around 1993, a friend of a friend had one. We visited his house one evening. I played it briefly. For over 30 years I've wanted one, but as my income increased over the years, so did pricing.
This was the easiest £800 that I've ever dropped.
I only hope the team see these pre-orders and realise they're not just producing a product, they have also elected to become historical custodians.
I'm more excited about this than I have been for any hardware in the last 15 years.
Re: Talking Point: "We, The Consumers, Need To Vote With Our Wallets" - The Moral Dilemma Of Supporting SNK In 2026
@81632bit
It's time to draw a line under this - while I stand by what I've said in the piece, I have removed my comments. Gaming, like any business, is full of contradictions, and I think the more we discuss our perspectives like adults, the better. Peace!
Re: Guide: "No Emulation, No Compromise, No Comparison" - Everything You Need To Know About The $250 Neo Geo+ AES
@-wc-
Fair.
General fiddlyness and a list of things that bug me - chargeable batteries with finite life, or using disposable that need replacing. USB cables that wear out the ports over time. Lag. Problems syncing.
The only benefit is less clutter due to no wires? This hasn't been useful to me.
Also, and this is just a weird psychological thing, I enjoy knowing there is a "physical hardline" that be can be suddenly removed
by physically pulling it. There have been the odd rare instance where this was useful.
I know you can go in a menu and disconnect stuff. But I've liked the immediacy of cables. But I accept this is more a weird personal thing.
Re: Talking Point: "We, The Consumers, Need To Vote With Our Wallets" - The Moral Dilemma Of Supporting SNK In 2026
I wanted to avoid commenting, but I also want to say something on record - given a lot of comments here and on socmed are saying TE has an agenda.
As a freelance contributor I have never once been instructed to adopt a specific stance, nor censored, despite the fact I hold views contrary to some online (absolute freedom of artistic expression without consequence). This is why I was asked to comment here. I am openly pro AES+ and TE wanted to cover all voices. (I bought the £800 Ultimate edition and look forward to fun discussions with fellow buyers in the other news article.)
I can't comment on editorial decisions for other contributors, but I have never once felt pressured to adjust my POV. Indeed, TE has always offered more freedom to express my views than other places.
It would be a shame for anyone to stop reading TE due to certain articles, when it's a website publishing a diverse range of writers, each with differing (and sometimes conflicting) views. It's a website which respects its contributors.
My personal beliefs mirror @Martin_H
I dislike puritanical moralising - and I've never been told to inject it into my work.
Engage with the articles that resonate with you.
Re: "Super Sidekicks 3 Or Ultimate 11?" - Plaion Wants To Know Which Neo Geo Games You'd Like To See Re-Released
@X68000
Cool cool. Do you have a website? If not I'll just ping you on here if the time comes.
Re: "Super Sidekicks 3 Or Ultimate 11?" - Plaion Wants To Know Which Neo Geo Games You'd Like To See Re-Released
@X68000
I recently met an old arcade operator who had a ton of old MVS carts in storage. Didn't realise the value. I explained the rise in retro prices. Want to put him in touch with someone who could advise, without taking advantage of him. I already suggested joining the NG forum.
Re: "Super Sidekicks 3 Or Ultimate 11?" - Plaion Wants To Know Which Neo Geo Games You'd Like To See Re-Released
@X68000
Hmm... I might give it a pass then.
Why the hostility to MVS owners?
Do you collect MVS? I have a (private) question about it, and am not sure who to ask.
Re: "Super Sidekicks 3 Or Ultimate 11?" - Plaion Wants To Know Which Neo Geo Games You'd Like To See Re-Released
@X68000
I was genuinely thinking of signing up yesterday.
Is there a divide, between the old money AES owners, and the neauvou AES+ peasantry?
(I kid - I bought the AES+ myself, but I do wonder if some view it like that.)
Re: "Super Sidekicks 3 Or Ultimate 11?" - Plaion Wants To Know Which Neo Geo Games You'd Like To See Re-Released
@damo
So, dedicated Neo•Geo sister site when? Looks like we might be seeing a lot of games for this new hardware platform.
Re: "Super Sidekicks 3 Or Ultimate 11?" - Plaion Wants To Know Which Neo Geo Games You'd Like To See Re-Released
@MoriyaMug
Glad you stopped by. I couldn't recall your new username.
I'm tempted to email Plaion and suggest they contact you. Or you could email them.
I don't know the feasibility - a CD to AES conversion? Utilising an unofficial translation? Correcting the elemental bugs? Would you even want to license it?
I have no idea.
And yet... I find the idea amusing.
I finished it already so it's not even for me. But if they can revive the NG hardware like this, anything is possible.
Re: "Super Sidekicks 3 Or Ultimate 11?" - Plaion Wants To Know Which Neo Geo Games You'd Like To See Re-Released
Neo Mr Do!
It was an MVS exclusive. There are consolised AES carts out there, but an official would be nice.
Blue's Adventure would also be nice.
Super Spy too.
Maybe license Jeff's translation of SamSho RPG and do a cart version?
Re: "No Emulation, No Compromise, No Comparison" - The $250 Neo Geo+ AES Aims To Be A 1:1 Replica Of SNK's Classic Console
@-wc-
Why the aversion to bluetooth? I too avoid it in all my household items, and disable it in stuff that comes with it. Just curious as to your reasons.
Re: The Neo Geo+ AES Saves You Over $92,000 On The Real Deal
@Arcadia_Official
I'd prefer any and all retro game news to be covered, regardless of surrounding drama. So I think we're on the same page.
Re: Guide: Where To Pre-Order The Neo Geo+ AES
@X68000
CD games? HELL YES.
Re: Guide: Where To Pre-Order The Neo Geo+ AES
@X68000
So... Can you store all the games on an SD card, and then you move them in or out of the 4 slots? Sounds a bit like the NGPC flashcart - unlimited on the SD card, but you need to move / install them to built in flash to load them.
Or are the 4 slots for fast loading, versus any other game where you need to wait as it loads it into memory?
What are the loading times like?
Re: Guide: Where To Pre-Order The Neo Geo+ AES
@X68000
Nice - I'll wait to hear your report.
How much was the TerraOnion?
I'm not a fan of wireless controllers do will probably sell / trade those to get an OG stick or the hardwired one, if anyone prefers wireless.
From what I read... The bundled stick is hardwired. The extra sticks are wireless, but you can plug them in via a separate cable?
Is that correct?
The wording made me think the bundled sticks were strictly hardwired?
If this is a 1:1 replica, the console should easily moddable for RGB. Was reading up and the OG system produced a digital RGB signal which would then be converted to analogue.
So a simple bypass of the conversion improved the picture and removed jailbars.
Psyched!
Re: Guide: Where To Pre-Order The Neo Geo+ AES
@X68000
Just ordered the ULTIMATE edition on the UK site - direct from Plaion.
£800 well spent
I have yearned for one for decades.
Hoping it runs flashcarts, I want to play the MVS exclusive Neo Mr Do!, which has long been a favourite on emulation.
Re: "No Emulation, No Compromise, No Comparison" - The $250 Neo Geo+ AES Aims To Be A 1:1 Replica Of SNK's Classic Console
@NeonPizza
I actually use RF for my Mega Drive, for a select few games, to get transparencies and colour blending.
Re: The Neo Geo+ AES Saves You Over $92,000 On The Real Deal
@Arcadia_Official
Fair points!
I'm not involved in any managerial decisions, I'm not a member of staff, simply an independant freelancer, and my views should not be seen as indicative of or representing Hookshot Media.
My posts here are because I have a strong personal interest in SNK and the glorious Neo Geo legacy (I interviewed the original creator of Metal Slug from Nazca for example; twice!).
For the record: I also publicly spoke out in support of WayForward when users were criticising them over ModRetro reissuing their GBC games. Calling for the game's boycott, which I found ridiculous.
I don't have a personal interest in ModRetro products so don't say much - but please rest assured that as an individual, I genuinely do not care and will not judge anyone for buying their products. If I had a problem, I would not engage.
Everyone has a right to engage with and buy any legal product that interests them, and they have a right to do this without harassment.
A little basic human courtesy, and leaving people alone to live their lives, would make for a much better experience.
Re: "Locked And Loaded" - Polymega Is Adding Support For Two New CD-Based Retro Consoles
@metaphysician @NatiaAdamo
CDI / CD-i / cd~I / seedeeeye uses the Green Book standard from the Rainbow Books, and are perfectly readable in a standard PC optical drive. One of the emulators can in fact boot the disc and run it. I think... I've never bothered. But I can definitely read and copy them in my PC.
It's not like the Dreamcast's GD-ROM format where only certain drives are capable of reading the disc.
The only tricky aspects of the CDI are the BIOS and the video cartridge.
Emulators need the official BIOS currently, which hasn't been cloned, and the video cart is not emulated, meaning several good games cannot be played.
And... I feel like very few people care about the CDI to warrant it?
Re: The Neo Geo+ AES Saves You Over $92,000 On The Real Deal
EDIT: the message I was replying to was deleted. I'll leave my response unchanged below.
@Noiro
Nobody hurt my feelings. I just find moralising to be insufferable.
I will not spare anyone my attitude - not until myself and others can enjoy and engage with whatever legal media they choose, without any excrutiating, insufferable finger wagging from sanctimonious puritans.
If you don't like it, then you should not engage with it. But do not lecture others who choose to engage with it.
I want to engage with media and not be spoken down to about it.
I despise how a vocal minority are trying to force their views onto possible customers.
I want this group to keep quiet and let the rest of us live our lives.
Re: The Neo Geo+ AES Saves You Over $92,000 On The Real Deal
Removed
Re: "Locked And Loaded" - Polymega Is Adding Support For Two New CD-Based Retro Consoles
@dustinprewitt
As someone with a huge CDI collection... I WISH!!
But CDI emulation is terrible. It's probably Jag CD, given it's near flawless currently, and 3DO since that's also pretty stable.
Re: "No Emulation, No Compromise, No Comparison" - The $250 Neo Geo+ AES Aims To Be A 1:1 Replica Of SNK's Classic Console
@NeonPizza
I live in the UK, I've never used component or S-Video. In fact S-video isn't a thing here. From the 16-bit generation we had RGB via SCART here in the UK. SNES and Mega Drive both running crisp and sharp through SCART. I honestly can't stand playing these through composite. I play my NES through composite, but everything else is SCART.
Even my PC Engine outputs RGB SCART.
And it's also pumped into my Sony Trinitron CRT.
I'm not convinced that the Neo Geo will benefit from composite (yellow, red, white cables) rather than RGB.
I've not actually owned a Neo Geo before. My desire for SCART is based simply on all my 16-bit and 32-bit systems using it.
Re: "No Emulation, No Compromise, No Comparison" - The $250 Neo Geo+ AES Aims To Be A 1:1 Replica Of SNK's Classic Console
@StyrofoamCup
Thank you! Much appreciated.
OK. So this is essentialy a fresh rerelease with all the old functionality.
Re: "No Emulation, No Compromise, No Comparison" - The $250 Neo Geo+ AES Aims To Be A 1:1 Replica Of SNK's Classic Console
Will it still be able to output to CRT via RGB SCART?
Or is it HDMI only?
Tempted, but ONLY if I can connect to CRT.
Re: Hopes Of Neo Geo Hardware Revival Triggered By ESRB Rating
@DiacloneFx
Ah, yes. Ok, that makes sense. I knew the originals had micro clicks. The softness though closely matches the analogue softness of the Vectrex sticks.
I suppose the specific reason they work well for me is one of the specific reasons they don't work for you.
Re: Hopes Of Neo Geo Hardware Revival Triggered By ESRB Rating
@DiacloneFx
Why are the mini controllers terrible? I got a modded one for my Vectrex and it's super nice. The analogue stick is perfect for Vectrex.
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
@X68000
Good points. In fairness I had let it go and haven't thought about it in years. This news item just triggered a surge of memories. I guess it was not let go sufficiently.
I've said my peace now.
@NOCDGAMING
All on Amazon, or used copies on eBay. Just pick the cheapest.
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
@Count_of_Monte_Fisto
Thanks Count, always warms my heart to know people are reading the trilogy.
@Banjo-
You are the wisest person. Not even kidding - to pause and ascertain facts first is something few do.
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
@Banjo-
That's cool. I don't begrudge anyone enjoying his videos. The source material is quite excellent! But I have a personal grudge with his methods and way of operating, for reasons explained.
If you love his videos, that's excellent. Just be sure to dig deep to find out where that information originally came from.
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
Reddit is deleting any criticism of Norm.
In a Reddit thread on his retirement, titled "gaming historian announces his retirement from youtube", there was a user called:
Constant-Yak-918
Said user posted a link to this news article, with a screengrab.
I took a screenshot of the post.
As of this morning the post is deleted. Or at least I cannot find it in the Reddit thread.
I don't know who you are, but I salute and thank you for your efforts. I witnessed said efforts, and I also witnessed Reddit trying to censor your attempt at spreading truth.
Let me see if I can embed the image here. I may need to edit this multiple times.
Justice for Constant-Yak-918!
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
Typos, typos everywhere! I'm going to stop editing these for typos, but I'm clearly so upset by this that I can barely type efficiently any more.
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
@Lunethf
MESSAGE 2 / 2
Norm's channel exists because others put in the hard work.
Another example:
Hudson & Nintendo's Obscure PC Games
Volume 2, which I physically posted to him in 2015, had a detailed interview with Hudson staff on these. I would link you to his web page citing his sources, except I can't even find it. I clicked to the 4th page of his episode guide, and the 2018 video isn't even listed! The last entry I could find was a Spyro video.
They openly admit to using the books to get information from videos. Here is a verbatim copy and pasted quote from Kristin, dated 28 November 2017:
"Norm and I enjoy your books and appreciate all the research and effort that went into them. We sometimes use your books as reference material"
I am glad his channel is closing down, so he can now coast off someone else's hard work. And to be clear again: I never said I was the sole person, he's clearly doing this to multiple other writers.
The hiding of the sources is infuriating! Why not just disclose them in the text box of every single video? Why go to the effort to make a little page, hidden away, so you don't have to cite them on the YT page?
I am now going to pack for my travels. I've given hard evidence, and as stated before, Damien has scans of the emails, and also a second person who asked I remove their name from my previous post.
Everything I have to say on this matter is stated clearly in my previous separate posts.
I accused nobody of plagiarism. I accused him of relying on the work of others for his success, without proper credit. Which I have now proven, because it require 4x mouse clicks just to get to that video's citation page, and not every video even has a citation page.
And I accused him of saying yes to copies of my book, and promising a review, which two years later had never materialised and I was given the brush off. I have the email chain of these interactions. He would "LOVE" copies, and he planned to review them! Two years later he gets someone else to reply, saying they had no plans to do so. He did not even have the etiquette to reply to me himself!
I hope this has answered your question.
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
@Lunethf
MESSAGE 1 / 2
@Lunethf
First of all, not once did I say the word "plagiarise". There's an important distinction here. Norm isn't publishing a book, and inside that book are pages lifted wholesale from my books. He's producing videos, using information from my books, and not crediting them in said videos - the credits are hidden behind a URL and multiple clicks, as I said in my first post.
And I specifically did not want to trawl through his video archive again, because I am so angry with him. But I did, just to prove it to you. (This feels like in a court case where the prosecution is dogpiling the witness, demanding they describe in detail the crime committed against them.)
So, important point here, Norm promised me a review in his email dated November 2015. None was ever made, despite his channel being full of book reviews (go look, I'm not citing all of them, I counted at least 10 on his page and 1x magazine review).
Now, open up any of his videos. Does he cite sources?
NO. He says for a list of sources go here, and links to his website.
He deliberately OBFUSCATES where he got the info. Who is going to go to the trouble, of clicking his website, finding the video page in question, and then going: ahh, so that's the book he used!
To be clear here: my accusation is not plagiarism, it's lazy grifting, by using info from my books and then not properly crediting it on the YT video page. Or rather, hiding the credits behind at least 3 or 4 mouse clicks. Click the sources link to his website, click the episodes guide, click to page 2 or 3 or 4 maybe, then click the episode itself.
But let's give you these specific examples.
Mega Man on DOS video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwt5yWJqCzU
Look at the info box. Does he list my book? No. But he does say click a link. Follow that link, click episodes, click page 2, then scroll to find the MM video, then click it, then scroll down again:
https://thegaminghistorian.com/the-story-of-mega-man-on-dos/
Oh, yes, he does specifically cite my book. But how much effort does the average viewer have to go through to reach that?
Like I said. Coasting on the work of others. The Rozner brothers interview was done by me. And he tries to hide this fact.
And they are not difficult to contact either.
I passed on their contact details to this very website, Time Extension, and Jack interviewed them!
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
Posting again with specific facts, since I see someone highlighted my message on Reddit (many thanks, happy to talk about this). I am going away for Easter, so won't be able to reply to questions for a couple weeks.
But I sent copies of the emails to Damien and some friends, in the unlikely event anyone accuses me of fabricating this, and it needs verification while I am away.
I have an email from Norman dated 10 November 2015.
He says he would "absolutely LOVE a copy" and says he is planning to review it "sometime in the future".
He gives his address. I send him the books.
Nothing more from Norman until 28 November 2017, when I email asking for feedback on Volumes 1 and 2. (Volume 3 wasn't published until 2018 - so he only had two of them, but that's about 526 and 400 pages.)
Kristen replies, saying they both enjoy the books, admitting they use them for reference material, and saying they've scaled back their book reviews. But adds "Thanks for the understanding!"
I reply saying it's weird Norman didn't reply himself.
Kristin replies: "LOL. Sorry to disappoint."
I couldn't stomach browsing his channel for long, so I never made a note of every single video which grifted off my work, but there were multiple.
As I said earlier: good riddance to him. Absolutely detestable.
EDIT x 2: clarifying who was sent copies of the emails
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
@PercyChuggs
I lived in Japan for three months and interviewed game developers for some books. I've been writing and interviewing for over 20 years now. Below details the books I sent to Norm.
https://www.timeextension.com/features/i-spent-usd75000-documenting-japans-gaming-history-and-it-was-quite-the-ride
Re: "I Will Always Cherish That Chapter Of My Life" - A Million Subs Later, One Of Retro Gaming's Most Famous YouTubers Calls It Quits
Good. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
Norman Caruso asked for physical copies of my books (Japanese developer interviews). He said he'd review them or cover them on his channel. I posted them at great expense.
Months go by and nothing. I email him politely to ask how things were. He gets someone else to reply - I don't know if it was his girlfriend, or his PA, but he couldn't even be bothered to reply himself, despite him personally saying yes to the books.
Anyway she says Norm changed his mind and doesn't want to cover the books.
I am annoyed, but what can you do?
Then I notice over the coming years, every so often he'll have a video relying heavily on my interview material - where it could not exist without my work.
No coverage of my books of course. Barely even a mention. I recall once he simply had a link to some other web page listing his sources.
As far as I'm concerned Norman Caruso is a parasite who grifts off the hard work of others, does not give credit, and he had me spend a small fortune posting him telephone sized paper books under the promise of coverage, solely so he could then harvest those books' material, while getting his GF / PA to brush me off later.
I guess he had to quit due to running out of material.
Good riddance. I personally hate that man with the fury of a thousand burning suns.
Re: More Classic Capcom Titles Have Arrived On Steam, But, Of Course, There's A Catch
@Right_Said_Brett @slider1983
Indeed, I've left several reviews on GOG, without Galaxy.
So... Cheevos? It really does just come down to cheevos. And controller inputs on Steam. But mostly cheevos. (Toy Story meme.gif) Cheevos, CHEEVOS EVERYWHERE!
Re: More Classic Capcom Titles Have Arrived On Steam, But, Of Course, There's A Catch
@slider1983
Ah, I have never, ever used Galaxy. Honestly I don't even understand what it is or why I'd want to use it.
I buy games on GOG, save the installer to my massive back-up HDD, write it down on a paper list, and then I want to play it I plug the HDD into whatever computer I'm using and install.
Galaxy is some sort of Steam like wrapper which... Installs stuff for me? And it needs an online connection?
Hard pass.
If GOG ever makes it mandatory, and removes the portable standalone installers, I will be very upset.
I treat the installers like digital game CDs. They sit on my shelf until needed.
Re: More Classic Capcom Titles Have Arrived On Steam, But, Of Course, There's A Catch
@Thad
Valid points. Which reminds me: another reason I prefer GOG is because their installs still work on Windows 7. Steam no longer supports Win7, and the Steam client refuses to function, with all previously installed Steam games no longer working after the update.
I'm a bit jealous Steam supports you but not me. After my Win7 laptop refused to load any pre-installed Steam games, my main powerful Win7 rig had to go offline only forever so I could at least play what was on there. But I still install new GOG games.
So, I totally get what you're saying - we both experience this albeit in opposite ways.
Re: More Classic Capcom Titles Have Arrived On Steam, But, Of Course, There's A Catch
@Azuris
I love GOG. From your wording... Do people boycott GOG for some reason? I don't really follow current events. I don't even know why anyone would choose Steam over GOG. I buy from Steam, but only if it's not on GOG first. I will always buy GOG first, and even pay more than the Steam release.
Like, why would anyone use Steam over GOG? I can see the benefits of GOG (portable offline installs; permanent ownership of said install packages). There's no benefit to Steam that I can see. Cheevos? Is it cheevos? I hope it's not something lame like "I can only get cheevos on steam and I can't play a game unless it has cheevos."
Re: The Making Of: The Wizard - "I Couldn't Get A Job For 7 Months After That" - An Oral History Of Nintendo's Hollywood Debut
@Martin_H
"What I've found over the years is that I've enjoyed far more things going in blind than I would have if I obsessively followed reviews or community advice"
Exactly this. I've found this too, especially with films. I'll enjoy something on its own terms, having zero knowledge going in, then afterwards will look up reviews for fun and be shocked at the negativity. And I'm glad I never checked before hand, because that inevitably taints one's judgement.
There is genuine benefit to ignorance when consuming a new media title.
(I knew I shouldn't have mentioned the Gundam review. 😠The import PS3 and games rocked up around 4pm, and we all got a couple hours on our game with copy due next day at 9am. As I seem to recall.)
Re: The Making Of: The Wizard - "I Couldn't Get A Job For 7 Months After That" - An Oral History Of Nintendo's Hollywood Debut
Love this article and the movie still. Time for a rewatch. I don't understand Ebert claiming it was filmed ineptly. The video photography, lighting, etc., all seem high quality, or of equal quality to other films of 1989.
Can anyone give a specific example of inept filming? As in, not the script or story, but problems on a technical level?
I've always thought he was a bit of a jerk, praising crap for no reason, and giving scathing criticism to plenty of great films, just because something rubbed him the wrong way.
I will never understand why he is so respected as a film critic.
Re: "This May Be The Best Keitai Fighting Game We've Preserved" - This Rare Gundam Game For Japanese Phones Is Finally Playable Again
How did I miss this article? Fascinating. Glad it was linked in the i-mode closure article.
Re: "I Hold My Work To A Strict Standard" - The Driving Force Behind Xbox 360 Recomp Tool 'ReXGlue' Speaks Out
@SinjaNinja
Traditionally writers don't proof read. They hand it to copy editors to proof. Is this about the lineline / timeline typo? Take a chill pill. Typos happen. It's inevitable with a small team.
I'm only stepping in here to comment because every single one of my articles have a typo on first draft.
My focus is good research. And generally readers say my writing is good because it's well researched.
Your entire criticism is around a single typo, which is enough for you to condemn a writer's entire career.
Seems about right for a modern internet troll.
If your metric for quality were implemented we'd have nothing but insufferable safe guff to read, or AI slop. Both Hunter Thompson and Lester Bangs made all sorts of typos, but they brought energy, and Thompson did incredible first hand research.
That's what you should judge a journalist on.
Have they uncovered or documented things no one else has?
And I can safely say @damo has, in his long career. Interviews and information never documented before.
But by your metric it's all worthless because timeline was spelled wrong?
Re: Japan-Only Sequel To "Crap In A Box" Action RPG 'Blaze & Blade: Eternal Quest' Is Now Playable In English
@Daniel36 @KingMike @jojobar
This article and its replies remind me of a recurring thought:
The fate of so many games in the 80s, 90s, and even early 00s, was tied to the whims of random freelance writers, most of whom had low pay, short deadlines, and bad hangovers. I know because I was one.
I wrote my own unnecessarily harsh review for Gundam on PS3, at launch. 4 / 10 maybe? Anyway, I later went back and honestly, it's not bad. 6 or maybe 7 if you're a fan is a fairer score.
And I think to myself: how many games sold poorly, lost money, missed out on sequels, ended careers, etc., because some rando was given a game and told to hand copy in less than 24 hours later? And because the internet didn't yet have ways of amplifying signal or broadcasting video through YouTube?
I've already mentioned Gunstar Heroes, and another good example is Tombi. Today: beloved classics commanding a small fortune due to the limited quantities available. Back then: crap scores, with readers told not to buy it.
How many copies went unsold and were later destroyed as a tax write off?
I'm not saying every low scoring piece of trash was actually a masterpiece. But so many of these low scoring games were genuinely not bad, and were pleasantly good or enjoyable, and deserved better.
And the bitter irony is: there was plenty of genuine trash which got high scores!
Headhunter is another example. Mags trashed the bike sections. Personally, they were the best part for me. I used to enjoy just driving around Los Angeles, taking in the sights. Sort of like a proto-GTA III. Still, mags hated these sections, so they were cut from the sequel, which ended up bring crap due to a broken aiming system.
The past is rife with the damage done by malicious and cruel reviewers.
Re: Japan-Only Sequel To "Crap In A Box" Action RPG 'Blaze & Blade: Eternal Quest' Is Now Playable In English
That review is unnecessarily harsh. I for one really like collecting XP and then selling it.
Then again it's NextGen, the lukewarm leftovers of Edge magazine which were microwaved and sent over to America, so it doesn't surprise me. These same people gave Gunstar Heroes a 6 out of 10, and I am never, ever going to shut up about that.