@smoreon True, maybe they wanted to avoid a month in the red. But it reminded me of so many examples I've heard before.
One factor is if a company projects high profits, and does meet those, making smaller profits, that's regarded as "bad" somehow. I can't even pretend to grasp the thinking behind it all.
@Razieluigi Love this story (I've done similar for other games). I especially like the story in relation to this game. The excitement for FF7 in the months before its PS1 release was off the scales. I can imagine the excitement for you as a PC owner without a PS1 finally getting it.
I was reading about how with OPSM1 magazine, management told the team they'd keep printing it so long as it remained profitable (source: recent RG interview).
I never understand why companies shut down things which actually turn a profit. That means it covers costs, keeps people employed (and paying taxes), AND still puts extra money in your pocket.
@slider1983
Yeah, 5 for LE stuck out to me. It's a beautifully artistic adventure. 5 to me means a game is radioactive dogshit. I bet nobody who read that review bought it.
5 for Mirror's Edge, 6 for Tombi, so many examples of games I loved getting massively crapped on. No wonder I ended up with depression reading it. I would get an issue, feel miserable about this hobby which once brought me joy, and then did anything other than play games. EDGE magazine made me hate videogames.
EYE: Divine Cybermancy 4 😭
Windjammers 5 😭
Gunstar Heroes 6 😭
Street Fighter III 6 😭
There's just too many list. Too many crimes against videogames to comprehend the total horror of it all.
Outlaws! Space Channel 5! The Witcher series! These games are FANTASTIC!!
Just too many to list.
So many great games which lost sales because of this hateful, hateful magazine.
Not to mention it influenced Rick Porter to remove writer credits in GamesTM.
I would say EDGE magazine is the worst thing that happened to games, due to its widespread toxic influence.
And to make it worse, developers respected it. I can only imagine the shame a dev felt, pouring their hearts into a game, only for EDGE to say it's worthless *****, 5 out of 10.
The person who refuses to look at a PS1 game without cheevos, or the Valkyria person on Reddit who said they felt sick without cheevos.
I genuinely want to sit with them and a great old game, chat about it, play it, try to convince there is value in unstructured play. Not even for a high score or 100% save data. As human beings the act of "play" itself can be theraputic, cognitively enhancing, and wonderful.
It's not elitist. I really want to open their minds to games without achievements.
Based on what you've said I get the feeling you enjoy a good game regardless. For you it's just an added layer - a means of exploring parts of the game you missed. Almost a pseudo-DLC as you replay it with different goals.
Thus you were absolutely not the kind of person I was thinking of. Indeed you are an eloquent ambassador for the positives of cheevos.
Like I said originally, people can enjoy what they like.
But it's a specific type of person: one who doesn't play games with cheevos attached, but rather one who chases cheevos, that happen to have a game attached.
@James-Bond That Sega feature issue got them into bother? I vaguelly recall reading somewhere they got into trouble because one screenshot from some game showed a woman's nipple. Is that the issue / scenario, or something else? I never followed it closely. I dumped the stack pretty quick.
I did like @Guru_Larry cover though. That issue was part of my year long sub. Nice cover, but the accompanying feature, and the magazine itself like every issue for those 12 months, was as miserable as ****. Just so utterly bereft of joy or fun or enthusiasm.
Looking over this, actual silent screaming inside my head. Some of these are absolute travesties. How many great games failed to find the success they deserved because EDGE was doing its usual snooty routine and hating on titles which would later be deemed timeless classics?
TIP: click the score column, and order it A-Z, so you can scroll down from 1 upwards. So many great games got 5 and 6, and would have failed to sell because of this. Tomba got a 6. Fantastic game, raw pure fun, today worth hundreds of quid on eBay because it's rightfully regarded as fantastic. How many Brits turned their nose up at it at the time, because EDGE magazine took a crap on it?
They very clearly obviously hate fun.
(Weirdly, not every score is accurate - it says they gave WarioWare an 8, but they definitely gave it lower than this; MetaCritic says they gave it a 7.)
Thanks to EDGE refusing to credit writers, GamesTM eventually decided to copy them, because they were obsessed with being EDGE, and I used to write for GamesTM. So I have a burning grudge against EDGE for influencing GamesTM which then denied me my rightful credits as a writer.
Any magazine which refuses to credit its writers is the lowest of the low. Frankly I have to watch my words because I would be instantly banned.
Two rules:
1) PAY the writer
2) CREDIT the writer
EDGE's refusal to credit shows a contempt and disrespect for the entire writing profession (yes, yes, I know they credit writers now; bit late).
So when I interviewed 8 developers who worked on multiple entries in the Metal Gear franchise (programmers, designers, Dave Hayter), plus 4 developers who worked on rival franchises (12 people! ^), I wanted MY name attributed to this masterclass of journalism. Thanks to EDGE drilling a hole in then editor Rick Porter's head, he chose to remove all author credits. So I snuck my name into screenshots and the body of text. I would not be denied after securing 12 interviews. Anyway, they spotted one, removed it, and I got freelance banned.
^ it may have been more than 12 - I interviewed so many from the Thief franchise that I lose count. But let's say 12 people.
I blame this on EDGE magazine. That ridiculous, insufferable, elitist attitude which denied writers any credit was like a poison or cancer infecting journalism, and it infected GamesTM, and it had a detrimental affect on my career.
Very few people probably are even aware of the ramifications of what EDGE did.
But there you have it. They drained the joy from the hobby for me, and then they brainwashed rival magazines who were desperate to be like them.
I genuinely do not understand why so many love this mag. Every issue I read it seemed like they hated videogames. (My subscription was circa 2003.)
I have never liked EDGE magazine, and I feel comfortable saying this publicly.
I had developed a love of gaming reading DieHard GameFan and Gamer's Republic. Passionate and enthusiastic. Then I moved abroad and wanted a subscription, but the American mags were massively difficult to subscribe to abroad.
Someone suggested EDGE. They gushed it was amazing. So I tried it. And for the next 12 months I felt depressed, lost interest in games, and concluded that this just wasn't the hobby for me.
Dull, lifeless page designs, comprising 70% empty space. Very few screenshots. Not like GF or GR which would dedicate two page spreads to only screenshots. And an insufferable sanctimonious tone which celebrated games I found boring, and crapped all over games I loved.
I'd like to remind everyone that EDGE scored Gunstar Heroes, one of the best games of all time, 6 out of 10 in its first issue. And this continued throughout its run. It also complained you couldn't talk to the monsters in Doom, as if they were RPG NPCs. It constantly had antagonistic takes and low scores for timeless classics, as if it were trolling its audience.
For those 12 months every game I liked the look of was panned. And everything praised felt like the antithesis to why I played games.
One feature on Sega was so navel gazing, the feature started something like this: "EDGE is a lot like Sega. Amazing, misunderstood, under-appreciated, deserving of more glory than it receives... etc. etc. etc."
Whoever wrote that feature would not have been able to auto-fellate any harder or deeper if they cut it off with a knife and pushed it down with a broom handle.
Insufferable. I want to read about Sega, not why EDGE thinks it's amazing.
At the end of the subscription I honestly figured I'd just stop playing games, or focus only on older retro games. I'd been drip fed cynicism for 12 months, and a dry lifeless design and prose, and I hated videogames.
And then I discovered Dave Halverson's PLAY magazine in the US, and was able to get a subscription.
It dedicated covers to obscurities like Lunar Knights and Muramasa. And every page dripped with a love of the medium, sincere passion, and devotion to Japan - their interviews with JP devs ran to 18 pages sometimes.
I fell in love with games again. It's not a stretch to say that Dave Halverson's magazine quite literally saved me from pursuing a hobby in sailing or cookery, or something else.
Why would I come into an article praising EDGE only to criticise them? Because I am convinced there are others like me, and I wanted to represent.
EDGE magazine very literally nearly killed off my entire love for the videogame medium.
This is AMAZING!! I kid you not. A few weeks ago I was playing Sonic R and thought to myself: it'd be great if modders took out all this racing crap and I could just play it like a Sonic Xtreme platformer.
@GhaleonUnlimited I have a soft spot for Sewer Shark. It felt like watching a cheesy low-budget 80s sci-fi film (which I loved), but you didn't just watch it, you controlled it! Stenchler was even in Total Recall, if I remember correctly, so they got some reasonable actors, who really put a lot of energy into it.
I had fun. And if I have fun with a game, then it can't be a bad game. A bad game is one I derived no enjoyment from (ie: Rise of the Robots).
I beat this section once on real hardware, also having watched a video. It's doable if you follow a specific pattern of actions. Beat the last boss too.
One of my favourite NES games. I still maintain the dam level is easy!
@MontyCircus A good question! It's been so long since I emulated it - I never finished it, but I recall getting some ways in. I don't recall much text? My memories are primarily of navigating the maze, giant crabs in the sea, a large dragon. Whether this superficial experience warrants the spending of a limited budget, difficult for me to say. I might have felt differently if it was my only game that month. I think it's probably more playable than Xanadu, which was pretty obtuse. The CRPG Addict's blog has a write up on it, which might give you a better picture?
@GhaleonUnlimited I have the gun too. Thunder in Paradise is a "great" lightgun game. Cheesy and stupid as hell. So, so stupid. But the stupidity makes it fun.
YES! This is part of an important part of a group of early Japanese Action-RPGs. Your mileage might vary playing it today, but I found it fascinating to play around with.
I believe this actually came out before Hydlide. Or Hydlide's creator saw screens and panicked it would rival him.
High five fellow CDi owner! I too had to get my timekeeper fixed. I did one years ago, but my current machine I botched and had to get a pro to fix it.
Works great now.
I made a topic on GaneFaqs in the CDi hardware subforum, with pics and recs.
What have you played and enjoyed?
For my taste there's a lot of games I liked. Not objectively great, but interesting given the new medium of CDs.
If I had to name one ultimate system exclusive: Laser Lords
I made a diary topic on its subforum on Gfaqs, of my playthrough.
It is insanely complicated for the year it released in. So ambitious. (Also not expensive.) Recommended if you like platform adventures.
@KingMike
Honestly? No. We got Parodious and Twinbee on SNES over here, two cute-em-ups, both of which the US did not get. Plus other examples.
Your wording of "angry" is interesting, because I noticed this in a lot of US publications, well after the millennium. The hatred of Tingle springs to mind. Plus the art style of Wind Waker. The cover art of Ico. Loads of things which were arty, flamboyant, light-hearted, cute, silly, colourful, etc., seemed to generate a feverish rage in some writers. Which is really weird.
GameFan was an exception. Dave Halverson loved that stuff. Others in the US, clearly not so much.
Share some examples if you were thinking of specific things, because I find this cultural divide fascinating.
I want to say the UK was slightly more relaxed about this stuff. We had a history of things like Monty Python, and cute stuff on the 8-bit micros, so whimsical humour, etc., had an easier time.
For Japan they gave Crash Bandicoot bigger eyebrows. Lara should have received the same Crash Bandicoot treatment and had bigger eyebrows too. Like, massive eyebrows. The kind of enormous eyebrows no human could ever conceivably have. Eyebrows that eclipsed even her bosom. EYEBROWS!
@smoreon LOL I only discovered the NTSC / PAL difference in BH after beating the US level. I eventually beat it on normal. Tempted to replay the NTSC version on Easy.
Thank you for Agent 64. Added to my wish list!
Deep State on Steam also GE/PD vibes, with a mix of old school Deus Ex too. Def take a look at that.
It's not GE at all, but I also like Brigand: Oaxaca a lot. It's more like Deus Ex or Sys Shock 2.
@smoreon A good comment. I actually strongly disike it when an Easy mode removes levels, or a game locks the only ending behind higher difficulties. Examples: Contra III (SNES), Arena (GG), Body Harvest (N64), countless others.
However, I never felt this with GE/PD. I've never been able to complete that Natalya hacking mission on 00 Agent, or a couple others, but I finished it on Secret Agent. And even on Agent it still allowed me to explore every level. In fact, you can technically "do" extra objectives even if not needed. For example the Dam. On Agent you can explore the tunnels, and... I forget. Was it hack the mainframes? Or blow them up? You could do it, even though all you needed was reaching the bungee point.
I loved that. When I firsy played the game I found even Agent to be difficult. But weeks of playing and exploring the levels on Agent got me ready for the extra objectives. I'd find keys and think: ooh, can't wait to try higher difficulties to see where this is used!
It encouraged replays.
With TS2, I look at it and think: what's the point of even playing higher difficulties? I've done everything.
I personally see a distinction between a game which prevents you accessing a level on Easy mode, and GE which lets you access (almost) every level, but then adds more stuff later.
This thread reminds me I miss GE/PD. Loved the PD Remaster.
The TimeSplitters series and PD Zero just didn't replicate the satisfaction of GE/PD. And it's not nostalgia. The PD Remaster is still incredible.
Everypne is talking about "Boomer Shooters" that copy... 90s Doom? Meh. I want FPS that replicate GE, PD, and Exhumed. The thinking man's FPS.
Goldeneye convinces me most devs don't know what they're doing, and even the GE team produced lightning in a bottle by accident.
Two cases in point:
1) the Goldeneye remake on Wii / PS3 introduced lame tutorial explanations and QTEs. It was so awful I never even finished the dam, which in the original game WAS the tutorial, and could be finished in like a minute if you were fast.
2) I recently played TimeSplitters 2, described by many as a spiritual successor. I started the first level on Easy, assuming less objectives to get a taste. It took over 30 minutes to finish! GE on lower difficulties was great since it gave you a quick taste, while higher difficulties gave you more objectives and a fuller mission structure.
Both the GE remake and TS2 suffer from bloat. I never bothered playing more of TS2. Excrutiatingly long missions on Easy mode can GTFO.
The original GE was all meat, no fat. Just pure concentrated gameplay that trusted the player not to be an imbecile.
Importantly, the layered difficulties allowed immediate access, quick and easy demoing, plus complexity as you progressed.
Only Perfect Dark replicated this, and only once.
I don't think IO even understands why GE is perfect. Read their words:
"Oh, we guess there must be nostalgia for GE."
They haven't got a clue. GE was good because of smart and intelligent designs, layouts, and objectives. Extremely clever people built it. And even they struggled to keep replicating it.
Nostalgia has nothing to do with it.
I recently played the leaked GE remaster for X360. It's incredible.
I want the next installment to follow up on Elliot and Claris where they've been married for the last 20 years, trapped in a loveless marriage that all began with that "i". He's an unemployed alcoholic who watches reality TV all day, and she's an overweight chain-smoking harpy nagging him to do stuff. They rent a cramped and dirty two bedroom house because they can't afford to buy. They're estranged from their eldest child who joined a cult and now calls themselves Zarjaz the Tainted. Their younger child is a whiny brat who is the result of an affair Claris had years earlier. They struggle under mounting debts and the only reason they don't get a divorce is because they'd both end up homeless.
Suddenly NiGHTS bursts through the door and beckons them to go on a new adventure!!
@Xerox1919 Nice work - thank you for your efforts. It's kind of exciting playing something cold, with no documentation, right? Feels like uncharted territory. If you come across a problem you have only your wits to solve it. A couple of times I genuinely thought: maybe this is a bug and the game is unwinnable? How will I ever know if no one else has ever gotten this far? The "trick" to the last boss, on the game I referred to, was so ridiculous I only discovered it by pure accident.
@JayJ It also works on ODE, which is how I play it. Honestly, it's a lot of fun! There's only the one track, but there's also a track designer to make your own. If I'd been in the audience and got given a copy, I'd have been super excited to have something so fun for free. (I assume it was free to be in the audience...?)
I suppose I inherently like an underdog story. I also enjoy the 3DO and Jaguar. These three are like the horsemen of the apocalypse in the early 1990s. Maligned. Misunderstood. Generally seen as failures. I have owned all three, I have collected large volumes of games for all three, and in their own unique way I love all three.
However, objectively speaking I think the Jaguar is trash and the majority of its library barely playable. Examine the level layouts of AVP, the "best" game on the system. Arbitrarily designed nonsense corridors. I eventually sold my Jag and all the games and now just emulate it.
The 3DO meanwhile is actually quite capable, like a weaker overpriced PS1 or Saturn. Lots of very good quality games that were ported to more popular systems. Lots of obscurities. I now rock a Japanese unit with ODE.
Which brings me to the CDi. It can't be emulated easily or well. It has no ODE option. Meaning for the best experience you need real hardware, which is expensive, clunky, confusing, and prone to breakage.
So already I'm excited because it makes me work to experience it. I will not be denied!
I bought one for the Zelda games because EGM ran a feature saying they were awful, but did not show any screenshots.
What were they hiding?
So I bought a unit and 80 games and films. And I discovered it's honestly fun. Hotel Mario is legitimately a great game. Almost Nintendo quality. And it has a bunch of weird system exclusive multimedia games which are all fun. Not amazing life changing games like Goldeneye or Metal Gear Solid or Breath of the Wild. But quirky weird fun.
I interviewed the developer of the Zelda games and then he passed away from Leukaemia. So I feel a duty to promote his legacy.This interview eventually influenced Dopply, the creator of Arzette.
There are certain games which have never been ported elsewhere, like LASER LORDS, which offer a unique experience you will find nowhere else. This game is so good. It's a complex platform adventure with multi-branching paths and 10 hours of NPC audio.
I like strange stuff. And the CDi is not only strange, but most people don't actually play it for various reasons, they just criticise it. So until emulation is as easy as the NES, I suspect most people will continue to misunderstand it.
As another example, last week I acquired a rare game not on the GameFAQs database. No guides. No online reviews. A platform adventure. And I managed to finish it on my own. And it occurred to me: there are 8 billion people on Earth and right now I am probably the only person playing this lost gem. So I subitted a database entry to GameFAQs and intend to write a guide soon.
Wand of Gamelon and Faces of Evil already have fantastic Windows remasters by Dopply. You can find them on Internet Archive.
So I am overjoyed someone is working on this. Especially since used copies now go for around £1000 on eBay. Current listings are for £1200, while searching for previously sold copies reveals one went for the low price of just £700.
In 2005, I bought this for £40 from a guy in Holland. I held it. I owned it. I sold it after finishing it for £50. I will never, ever get to own it again.
And of all the CDi games emulated this one is severely buggy.
I truly hope the person working on this is able to finish it. Especially with QOL improvements.
It's not terrible. I finished it on real hardware a couple years back. When you first leave the castle, and see the entire village laid out below you, with you standing atop that mountain, it's a nice moment.
Big complaint I had is when in dungeons, you get into a random battle and afterwards it reorients you in the wrong direction, so you start running forward, realise you're going back, turn around, resume running in the right direction, and another battle starts and the whole process begins anew. The problem being the lack of unique textures.
In one instance, in the woods, I thought: it's fine, I recall seeing a rock on the left, and a tree on the right up ahead, so I know which direction to take on the path. And you know what? Facing either direction had a rock and tree in those same positions.
There is a map, but it's not so convenient to open it up every time to check.
@sportymariosonicmixx
I'm going to say... Every single battery, chargeable or not, is going to succumb to degredation at some point. Used regularly or ignored in a drawer. The same with the capacitors in your consoles.
They are not inert substances / objects.
But also, don't worry too much. Just keep an eye on stuff.
In the same way you change the tires on your car, you can change the caps and batteries in your games machines.
It's all part of the natural order.
I'm having the battery and caps in my 3DO replaced as you read this!
POST 2 due to comment size limitations: @SUDDENDESU @PowerPandaMods @PopetheRev28 @Eocene84 @gingerbeardman @gojiguy
@Raku This reply is specifically for you - please do not spread disinformation.
Games can only be donated to the NDL if they're brand new, they don't accept second hand. So they've no interest in what the GPS has. Which leads on to another point you raised:
"in recent years they've gone back and started archiving games which released before that law was implemented" - I was not aware that the NDL had the funds to acquire these. Could you please share your source for this information, so that I may educate myself on this?
The NDL do not have the technical knowledge to migrate games into a digital format. So even if they accepted old donated games, nothing would be preserved.
Currently the GPS is providing technology to them so they can preserve floppy disks that were distributed with books and magazines.
I haven't heard of any attempt to preserve games (floppy disks, tapes, ROM carts, etc.) so it won't happen soon, or the games might biodegrade / rot long before it's ever done.
Another silly rule is that after a book, or a game is added to the collection, the cover and all detachable parts (the spine card / supplements of the game itself) is discarded / disposed of / thrown away! They literally bin related materials.
The "no second hand rule" is a total deal breaker. The GPS has many books they could donate to the NDL, but they are waiting until the NDL change their policies - the GPS believe the cover, illustrations, posters, etc., are part of the essence of the product.
Regarding politicians. Are you talking about Akamatsu Ken? The famous mangaka? If he doesn't manage to change things at the NDL, who will? This is why the GPS is important, to continue lobbying.
Regarding nothing being publicly available, the problem here is communication. The job the GPS does with the NDL and also Cultural Affairs is public. The physical archive is publicly accessible in-person for researchers - it is NOT a private archive. Statements of this nature need to stop - this is not some private collection, every single item can be viewed or accessed, but due to the Japanese law this can only happen on site. They are trying to remedy via the aforementioned sister organisation.
If you've carefully read the article, the main problem is that the GPS is not authorised to publish within Japan, and therefore is starting a digital library in the US for this very reason!
I encourage you to check out their study on game related books not available at the NDL:
The creation of a digital library hosted in the US will provide access to everyone globally, and is intended specifically to address the misconceptions regarding access to the material.
Everything at the GPS is currently publicly available, but only in person, as dictated by Japanese law.
This is a separate reply, from myself the author, based on my knowledge of how the NDL operates. To be clear: the GPS already works with the NDL and Cultural Affairs. The following points are my opinion, and not those of the GPS.
@Raku This reply is specifically for you - please do not spread disinformation.
The Japanese Game Preservation Society is NOT a scam. As stated many times, all the money in, and all the money out, is publicly visible and 100% transparent. If you or anyone else feels that there is in any way any sort of scam or fraud taking place, I strongly encourage you to personally audit all the numbers. The transparency of the funding exists to silence any accusations of misuse.
As the author, speaking personally: I am not even going to acknowledge future accusations of impropriety. As a registered NPO all activities and spending are publicly accessible.
Regarding comments about the National Diet Library, this is also factually inaccurate.
It is an extremely complicated topic, and to detail every point to the level required of it would entail an essay in itself. This is not an attempt to avoid answering - it is an honest statement conveyed briefly. My desire is to give a URL for further reading, but there are none in English. Given your belief in the NDL, this is a matter which needs addressing with a full article, which we will work on. But for the moment, briefly, here are some replies to your various points. To save space I've not quoted you, so you'll have to connect them.
The legal deposit is not enforced in Japan and there's no big penalty, unlike France. So you would be surprised how many books and in particular magazines are NOT available at the NDL. Regarding games, the amount of games in their storage is more a sample than a collection.
It's true that the NDL will send you a photocopy if requested. Except you won't find a list of available games and the NDL won't provide any service for games which are not preserved / digitised.
Regarding releasing binaries (already dumped ROMs), this is illegal in Japan and Joseph would be put in prison. I'm not even kidding. They were punished by the government just for sharing thumbnails on their website.
I've spoken with Joseph for two hours and have his approval for this response. It's brief, even though a detailed comment on every point would warrant an article in itself.
His comments for the choice of location are as follows:
His choice for America is not political - none of this is politically motivated. He firmly believes that one should not make short-term decisions based on current political climates; preservation is a long-term process and this will continue many years down the line.
The NYC law firm is assisting pro bono - without a fee. (My fault for not explicitly stating this in the article - my apologies.)
The USA also has the best set of rules / laws that permit game preservation. More so than Europe. Much of this relates to the "fair use doctrine" which Europe does not have. Joseph is himself a native Frenchman, so he already has an acute understanding and appreciation for Europe. And after examination the legal framework of the US was deemed most optimal.
To be clear: the legislation in the US offers the best framework to benefit every member globally.
As the author I also want to draw everyone's attention to the quoted statements about not requiring an office in America, and not requiring storage in America. The purpose of the American sister organisation is the creation of a publicly accessible digital library protected by the US legal framework and the laws for the state of New York.
@sportymariosonicmixx
I cannot even begin to comprehend the thought process behind people who put a gane in a sarcophagus so it cannot be touched. I especially dislike it because, let's assume it's ultra rare and the manual has never been scanned. A museum piece, in a proper museum, could be opened carefully, safely, and the manual preserved. A graded game is trapped in that plastic box and you can only see the box - when in fact the beauty of it includes the manual and the game itself.
There's a YT channel that made some joke videos where they bought graded games, cut the slab open, removed the game, then used the plastic shell to drink cocktails.
I hate grading stuff if it means the object loses its original intended function.
As for your battery question:
It depends on the type of battery
It's too long to explain, but every single chemical battery on Earth, the way they function, means they will eventually corrode or break down chemically. Or if you're lucky they'll just dry out.
The number of times I've found AA and AAA batteries leaking, and 9V twin heads too. Coin batteries are a bit better - they tend to die and dry out. I had a 30 year old one in a 3DO which was still functioning. PSP batteries meanwhile have been found to swell up with age.
The reason is because wether it's the old alkaline batteries, or rechargeable lith-ion batteries, or another type, they're all dependant on reactive chemicals. They're not inert, like a ROM chip.
I spent ages reading up on the process of electron discharge etc., and honestly I can't recall enough to describe it here accurately. It's worth reading a couple Wikipedia pages.
Short dumb answer:
Batteries function via a chemical process reliant on non-inert substances which by their very nature break down over time.
@PZT Thanks for the reminder. I usually catch these, but failed in this instance. Excellent advice for everyone! Curate your URL pasting!
@sportymariosonicmixx The plastic is completely sealed so you would need a hacksaw or drill to physically cut through and break the plastic to get inside.
@N64-ROX Maybe not a fireball, but I have had multiple examples of batteries leaking out corrosive chemicals, destroying both the object and surrounding objects. Even something like AA batteries which were maybe 5 years old have leaked, irreparably destroying remote controls and other gadgets. My PS2 currently has a dead timekeeper battery, buried deep inside it, difficult to remove, and I have constant anxiety that it's going to leak and destroy the motherboard. This year I plan to open and remove it.
Also, look up the PSP battery that caused a fire, news story on this site, and the old OG Xbox capacitor story, where a specific cap has reached the age where it leaks fluid all over the motherboards and destroys them. I opened both of mine and snipped the damn thing out.
Your house might not burn down. But whatever holds them is likely to get ruined.
WATA games, which grades the games, and Heritage Auctions, which sell high priced graded games (graded by WATA), share the same owners.
WATA charges money to grade games, so people can sell them on Heritage Auctions, who take a cut of sales, and the prices are inflated so the same people behind both groups can take a massive cut.
The value of games is thus inflated. According to the head of WATA, he feels that for a long time games have been "undervalued".
@damo Does Aldynes for the SuperGrafx work when using this (and its ROM obvs) on the Analogue Pocket (via adapter) or the Analogue Duo? I realise it would never work on an actual PCE, but unsure about alternate hardware. My guess would be no.
I have the Terraonion for PCE, but the older model that lacks SGFX support.
Keeping wonder if I should upgeade for it somehow...
Mainly finish a bunch of mods and repairs which were started but never finished:
finish installing my SNES pixel enhancer chip
mod my Super Scope for mains power
finish my 3DO recap and repairs
install my GC ODE
finalise the tweaks, mods, and repairs for each of my three Saturns (one needs the video out fixing; another needs a Hz switch installing; one doesn't work at all for reasons unknown)
Comments 746
Re: Here's Why Official Dreamcast Magazine Never Got A Proper Final Issue
@smoreon
True, maybe they wanted to avoid a month in the red. But it reminded me of so many examples I've heard before.
One factor is if a company projects high profits, and does meet those, making smaller profits, that's regarded as "bad" somehow. I can't even pretend to grasp the thinking behind it all.
Re: Final Fantasy VII Is Getting A New Steam Version "To Provide An Improved Gameplay Experience"
@Razieluigi
Love this story (I've done similar for other games). I especially like the story in relation to this game. The excitement for FF7 in the months before its PS1 release was off the scales. I can imagine the excitement for you as a PC owner without a PS1 finally getting it.
Re: Here's Why Official Dreamcast Magazine Never Got A Proper Final Issue
I was reading about how with OPSM1 magazine, management told the team they'd keep printing it so long as it remained profitable (source: recent RG interview).
I never understand why companies shut down things which actually turn a profit. That means it covers costs, keeps people employed (and paying taxes), AND still puts extra money in your pocket.
Just keep it rolling til it falls in the red, no?
Re: "Yes, It Was Elitist, And No, That Wasn't A Bad Thing" - EDGE Alumni On Why The Mag Is Still Going Strong, Over 30 Years On
@slider1983
Yeah, 5 for LE stuck out to me. It's a beautifully artistic adventure. 5 to me means a game is radioactive dogshit. I bet nobody who read that review bought it.
5 for Mirror's Edge, 6 for Tombi, so many examples of games I loved getting massively crapped on. No wonder I ended up with depression reading it. I would get an issue, feel miserable about this hobby which once brought me joy, and then did anything other than play games. EDGE magazine made me hate videogames.
EYE: Divine Cybermancy 4 😭
Windjammers 5 😭
Gunstar Heroes 6 😭
Street Fighter III 6 😭
There's just too many list. Too many crimes against videogames to comprehend the total horror of it all.
Outlaws! Space Channel 5! The Witcher series! These games are FANTASTIC!!
Just too many to list.
So many great games which lost sales because of this hateful, hateful magazine.
Not to mention it influenced Rick Porter to remove writer credits in GamesTM.
I would say EDGE magazine is the worst thing that happened to games, due to its widespread toxic influence.
And to make it worse, developers respected it. I can only imagine the shame a dev felt, pouring their hearts into a game, only for EDGE to say it's worthless *****, 5 out of 10.
Re: Nintendo Wii Games Are Finally Getting RetroAchievement Support Next Year
@buddy9231
"And this is just elitist crap"
It was partly a bit to convey a serious point.
The person who refuses to look at a PS1 game without cheevos, or the Valkyria person on Reddit who said they felt sick without cheevos.
I genuinely want to sit with them and a great old game, chat about it, play it, try to convince there is value in unstructured play. Not even for a high score or 100% save data. As human beings the act of "play" itself can be theraputic, cognitively enhancing, and wonderful.
It's not elitist. I really want to open their minds to games without achievements.
Based on what you've said I get the feeling you enjoy a good game regardless. For you it's just an added layer - a means of exploring parts of the game you missed. Almost a pseudo-DLC as you replay it with different goals.
Thus you were absolutely not the kind of person I was thinking of. Indeed you are an eloquent ambassador for the positives of cheevos.
Like I said originally, people can enjoy what they like.
But it's a specific type of person: one who doesn't play games with cheevos attached, but rather one who chases cheevos, that happen to have a game attached.
I appreciate your discussion on this.
Re: "Yes, It Was Elitist, And No, That Wasn't A Bad Thing" - EDGE Alumni On Why The Mag Is Still Going Strong, Over 30 Years On
@James-Bond
That Sega feature issue got them into bother? I vaguelly recall reading somewhere they got into trouble because one screenshot from some game showed a woman's nipple. Is that the issue / scenario, or something else? I never followed it closely. I dumped the stack pretty quick.
I did like @Guru_Larry cover though. That issue was part of my year long sub. Nice cover, but the accompanying feature, and the magazine itself like every issue for those 12 months, was as miserable as ****. Just so utterly bereft of joy or fun or enthusiasm.
Re: "Yes, It Was Elitist, And No, That Wasn't A Bad Thing" - EDGE Alumni On Why The Mag Is Still Going Strong, Over 30 Years On
For those curious, here is a database of EDGE scores, so you can judge for yourself:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kxhzEuZLkn9muddtg8mZuQoQ-Zt3HcVLtv5V3wYnTe0/edit?gid=1003220676#gid=1003220676
Looking over this, actual silent screaming inside my head. Some of these are absolute travesties. How many great games failed to find the success they deserved because EDGE was doing its usual snooty routine and hating on titles which would later be deemed timeless classics?
TIP: click the score column, and order it A-Z, so you can scroll down from 1 upwards. So many great games got 5 and 6, and would have failed to sell because of this. Tomba got a 6. Fantastic game, raw pure fun, today worth hundreds of quid on eBay because it's rightfully regarded as fantastic. How many Brits turned their nose up at it at the time, because EDGE magazine took a crap on it?
They very clearly obviously hate fun.
(Weirdly, not every score is accurate - it says they gave WarioWare an 8, but they definitely gave it lower than this; MetaCritic says they gave it a 7.)
Re: "Yes, It Was Elitist, And No, That Wasn't A Bad Thing" - EDGE Alumni On Why The Mag Is Still Going Strong, Over 30 Years On
Also!
Thanks to EDGE refusing to credit writers, GamesTM eventually decided to copy them, because they were obsessed with being EDGE, and I used to write for GamesTM. So I have a burning grudge against EDGE for influencing GamesTM which then denied me my rightful credits as a writer.
Any magazine which refuses to credit its writers is the lowest of the low. Frankly I have to watch my words because I would be instantly banned.
Two rules:
1) PAY the writer
2) CREDIT the writer
EDGE's refusal to credit shows a contempt and disrespect for the entire writing profession (yes, yes, I know they credit writers now; bit late).
So when I interviewed 8 developers who worked on multiple entries in the Metal Gear franchise (programmers, designers, Dave Hayter), plus 4 developers who worked on rival franchises (12 people! ^), I wanted MY name attributed to this masterclass of journalism. Thanks to EDGE drilling a hole in then editor Rick Porter's head, he chose to remove all author credits. So I snuck my name into screenshots and the body of text. I would not be denied after securing 12 interviews. Anyway, they spotted one, removed it, and I got freelance banned.
^ it may have been more than 12 - I interviewed so many from the Thief franchise that I lose count. But let's say 12 people.
I blame this on EDGE magazine. That ridiculous, insufferable, elitist attitude which denied writers any credit was like a poison or cancer infecting journalism, and it infected GamesTM, and it had a detrimental affect on my career.
Very few people probably are even aware of the ramifications of what EDGE did.
But there you have it. They drained the joy from the hobby for me, and then they brainwashed rival magazines who were desperate to be like them.
I genuinely do not understand why so many love this mag. Every issue I read it seemed like they hated videogames. (My subscription was circa 2003.)
Re: "Yes, It Was Elitist, And No, That Wasn't A Bad Thing" - EDGE Alumni On Why The Mag Is Still Going Strong, Over 30 Years On
I have never liked EDGE magazine, and I feel comfortable saying this publicly.
I had developed a love of gaming reading DieHard GameFan and Gamer's Republic. Passionate and enthusiastic. Then I moved abroad and wanted a subscription, but the American mags were massively difficult to subscribe to abroad.
Someone suggested EDGE. They gushed it was amazing. So I tried it. And for the next 12 months I felt depressed, lost interest in games, and concluded that this just wasn't the hobby for me.
Dull, lifeless page designs, comprising 70% empty space. Very few screenshots. Not like GF or GR which would dedicate two page spreads to only screenshots. And an insufferable sanctimonious tone which celebrated games I found boring, and crapped all over games I loved.
I'd like to remind everyone that EDGE scored Gunstar Heroes, one of the best games of all time, 6 out of 10 in its first issue. And this continued throughout its run. It also complained you couldn't talk to the monsters in Doom, as if they were RPG NPCs. It constantly had antagonistic takes and low scores for timeless classics, as if it were trolling its audience.
For those 12 months every game I liked the look of was panned. And everything praised felt like the antithesis to why I played games.
One feature on Sega was so navel gazing, the feature started something like this: "EDGE is a lot like Sega. Amazing, misunderstood, under-appreciated, deserving of more glory than it receives... etc. etc. etc."
Whoever wrote that feature would not have been able to auto-fellate any harder or deeper if they cut it off with a knife and pushed it down with a broom handle.
Insufferable. I want to read about Sega, not why EDGE thinks it's amazing.
At the end of the subscription I honestly figured I'd just stop playing games, or focus only on older retro games. I'd been drip fed cynicism for 12 months, and a dry lifeless design and prose, and I hated videogames.
And then I discovered Dave Halverson's PLAY magazine in the US, and was able to get a subscription.
It dedicated covers to obscurities like Lunar Knights and Muramasa. And every page dripped with a love of the medium, sincere passion, and devotion to Japan - their interviews with JP devs ran to 18 pages sometimes.
I fell in love with games again. It's not a stretch to say that Dave Halverson's magazine quite literally saved me from pursuing a hobby in sailing or cookery, or something else.
Why would I come into an article praising EDGE only to criticise them? Because I am convinced there are others like me, and I wanted to represent.
EDGE magazine very literally nearly killed off my entire love for the videogame medium.
Re: Check Out Castlevania: Rondo Of Blood Running On The Sega Genesis / Mega Drive
I have the original for my PCE, but I'd double dip on this for that MD soundtrack. Love that synth. <3
Re: Saturn RPG 'Airs Adventure' Is Finally Playable In English
@Raccoon_Gamer
ROFLMAO
Well played!
Re: Ever Wanted To Play Sonic R Like A Platformer? You Should Try Out This New Saturn Mod
@PopetheRev28
I have absolutely no idea! I may have to look into that.
Re: Ever Wanted To Play Sonic R Like A Platformer? You Should Try Out This New Saturn Mod
This is AMAZING!! I kid you not. A few weeks ago I was playing Sonic R and thought to myself: it'd be great if modders took out all this racing crap and I could just play it like a Sonic Xtreme platformer.
And they did... O_O
(GET OUT OF MY MIND!! >_< )
Re: Treasure's Sublime Guardian Heroes Turns 30 Today, Which Makes Us Sad We Never Got A Proper Sequel
My introduction to this game was the DieHard GameFan issue that put it on the cover and gave it... 8 pages?
Peak 90s zeitgeist.
Re: "They Did Not Seem Like A Very Happy Bunch" - Lost Beavis And Butt-Head Title Resurfaces On PS1
I want more backstory on why the writers at MTV were miserable. Low pay? Rough conditions?
Re: The Zelda Adventure Nintendo Would Rather Forget Is Getting A Fan-Made Remaster
@GhaleonUnlimited
I have a soft spot for Sewer Shark. It felt like watching a cheesy low-budget 80s sci-fi film (which I loved), but you didn't just watch it, you controlled it! Stenchler was even in Total Recall, if I remember correctly, so they got some reasonable actors, who really put a lot of energy into it.
I had fun. And if I have fun with a game, then it can't be a bad game. A bad game is one I derived no enjoyment from (ie: Rise of the Robots).
Re: Community Challenge: Can You Overcome Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Deadly Technodrome Level?
I beat this section once on real hardware, also having watched a video. It's doable if you follow a specific pattern of actions. Beat the last boss too.
One of my favourite NES games. I still maintain the dam level is easy!
Re: An Obscure Piece Of Japanese Action-RPG History Has Just Dropped On The Nintendo Switch, In The Form Of 'Courageous Perseus'
@MontyCircus
A good question! It's been so long since I emulated it - I never finished it, but I recall getting some ways in. I don't recall much text? My memories are primarily of navigating the maze, giant crabs in the sea, a large dragon. Whether this superficial experience warrants the spending of a limited budget, difficult for me to say. I might have felt differently if it was my only game that month. I think it's probably more playable than Xanadu, which was pretty obtuse. The CRPG Addict's blog has a write up on it, which might give you a better picture?
Re: The Zelda Adventure Nintendo Would Rather Forget Is Getting A Fan-Made Remaster
@GhaleonUnlimited
I have the gun too. Thunder in Paradise is a "great" lightgun game. Cheesy and stupid as hell. So, so stupid. But the stupidity makes it fun.
Re: An Obscure Piece Of Japanese Action-RPG History Has Just Dropped On The Nintendo Switch, In The Form Of 'Courageous Perseus'
@MontyCircus
You're not far off!
https://www.timeextension.com/features/what-were-japanese-action-adventures-like-before-zelda
Re: A Obscure Piece Of Japanese Action-RPG History Has Just Dropped On The Nintendo Switch, In The Form Of 'Courageous Perseus'
YES! This is part of an important part of a group of early Japanese Action-RPGs. Your mileage might vary playing it today, but I found it fascinating to play around with.
I believe this actually came out before Hydlide. Or Hydlide's creator saw screens and panicked it would rival him.
Re: The Zelda Adventure Nintendo Would Rather Forget Is Getting A Fan-Made Remaster
@GhaleonUnlimited
It's a Windows port.
High five fellow CDi owner! I too had to get my timekeeper fixed. I did one years ago, but my current machine I botched and had to get a pro to fix it.
Works great now.
I made a topic on GaneFaqs in the CDi hardware subforum, with pics and recs.
What have you played and enjoyed?
For my taste there's a lot of games I liked. Not objectively great, but interesting given the new medium of CDs.
If I had to name one ultimate system exclusive: Laser Lords
I made a diary topic on its subforum on Gfaqs, of my playthrough.
It is insanely complicated for the year it released in. So ambitious. (Also not expensive.) Recommended if you like platform adventures.
Email me if you want to chat CDi.
Re: New Video Reveals The Inner Workings Of Nintendo's Ill-Fated Virtual Boy
@MontyMole
The dev of Red Alarm had some fun anecdotes about it:
https://www.timeextension.com/features/the-making-of-red-alarm-the-virtual-boys-answer-to-star-fox
Re: "I Can Safely Say It's B**locks" - Ex-Rare Devs Debunk Killer Instinct 'Panel De Pon' Rumour
@KingMike
Honestly? No. We got Parodious and Twinbee on SNES over here, two cute-em-ups, both of which the US did not get. Plus other examples.
Your wording of "angry" is interesting, because I noticed this in a lot of US publications, well after the millennium. The hatred of Tingle springs to mind. Plus the art style of Wind Waker. The cover art of Ico. Loads of things which were arty, flamboyant, light-hearted, cute, silly, colourful, etc., seemed to generate a feverish rage in some writers. Which is really weird.
GameFan was an exception. Dave Halverson loved that stuff. Others in the US, clearly not so much.
Share some examples if you were thinking of specific things, because I find this cultural divide fascinating.
I want to say the UK was slightly more relaxed about this stuff. We had a history of things like Monty Python, and cute stuff on the 8-bit micros, so whimsical humour, etc., had an easier time.
Re: "I Can Safely Say It's B**locks" - Ex-Rare Devs Debunk Killer Instinct 'Panel De Pon' Rumour
I bet someone's going to have fun making a ROM hack after this news!
Re: Huge Eyes? Big Head? Lara Croft Almost Looked Very Different For Her Japanese Debut
For Japan they gave Crash Bandicoot bigger eyebrows. Lara should have received the same Crash Bandicoot treatment and had bigger eyebrows too. Like, massive eyebrows. The kind of enormous eyebrows no human could ever conceivably have. Eyebrows that eclipsed even her bosom. EYEBROWS!
Re: IO Interactive Says 007 First Light Is "Completely Different" To The "Fantastic" GoldenEye 007
@smoreon
LOL I only discovered the NTSC / PAL difference in BH after beating the US level. I eventually beat it on normal. Tempted to replay the NTSC version on Easy.
Thank you for Agent 64. Added to my wish list!
Deep State on Steam also GE/PD vibes, with a mix of old school Deus Ex too. Def take a look at that.
It's not GE at all, but I also like Brigand: Oaxaca a lot. It's more like Deus Ex or Sys Shock 2.
Re: The Popular Arcade-Inspired Platformer 'Donut Dodo' Is Coming To The N64 & Sega Dreamcast
I've never played the original, but I'd certainly load it onto my DC ODE!
Re: IO Interactive Says 007 First Light Is "Completely Different" To The "Fantastic" GoldenEye 007
@smoreon
A good comment. I actually strongly disike it when an Easy mode removes levels, or a game locks the only ending behind higher difficulties. Examples: Contra III (SNES), Arena (GG), Body Harvest (N64), countless others.
However, I never felt this with GE/PD. I've never been able to complete that Natalya hacking mission on 00 Agent, or a couple others, but I finished it on Secret Agent. And even on Agent it still allowed me to explore every level. In fact, you can technically "do" extra objectives even if not needed. For example the Dam. On Agent you can explore the tunnels, and... I forget. Was it hack the mainframes? Or blow them up? You could do it, even though all you needed was reaching the bungee point.
I loved that. When I firsy played the game I found even Agent to be difficult. But weeks of playing and exploring the levels on Agent got me ready for the extra objectives. I'd find keys and think: ooh, can't wait to try higher difficulties to see where this is used!
It encouraged replays.
With TS2, I look at it and think: what's the point of even playing higher difficulties? I've done everything.
I personally see a distinction between a game which prevents you accessing a level on Easy mode, and GE which lets you access (almost) every level, but then adds more stuff later.
This thread reminds me I miss GE/PD. Loved the PD Remaster.
The TimeSplitters series and PD Zero just didn't replicate the satisfaction of GE/PD. And it's not nostalgia. The PD Remaster is still incredible.
Everypne is talking about "Boomer Shooters" that copy... 90s Doom? Meh. I want FPS that replicate GE, PD, and Exhumed. The thinking man's FPS.
Re: IO Interactive Says 007 First Light Is "Completely Different" To The "Fantastic" GoldenEye 007
Goldeneye convinces me most devs don't know what they're doing, and even the GE team produced lightning in a bottle by accident.
Two cases in point:
1) the Goldeneye remake on Wii / PS3 introduced lame tutorial explanations and QTEs. It was so awful I never even finished the dam, which in the original game WAS the tutorial, and could be finished in like a minute if you were fast.
2) I recently played TimeSplitters 2, described by many as a spiritual successor. I started the first level on Easy, assuming less objectives to get a taste. It took over 30 minutes to finish! GE on lower difficulties was great since it gave you a quick taste, while higher difficulties gave you more objectives and a fuller mission structure.
Both the GE remake and TS2 suffer from bloat. I never bothered playing more of TS2. Excrutiatingly long missions on Easy mode can GTFO.
The original GE was all meat, no fat. Just pure concentrated gameplay that trusted the player not to be an imbecile.
Importantly, the layered difficulties allowed immediate access, quick and easy demoing, plus complexity as you progressed.
Only Perfect Dark replicated this, and only once.
I don't think IO even understands why GE is perfect. Read their words:
"Oh, we guess there must be nostalgia for GE."
They haven't got a clue. GE was good because of smart and intelligent designs, layouts, and objectives. Extremely clever people built it. And even they struggled to keep replicating it.
Nostalgia has nothing to do with it.
I recently played the leaked GE remaster for X360. It's incredible.
Re: NiGHTS Artist Explains The Reasoning Behind That Unusual Logo
I want the next installment to follow up on Elliot and Claris where they've been married for the last 20 years, trapped in a loveless marriage that all began with that "i". He's an unemployed alcoholic who watches reality TV all day, and she's an overweight chain-smoking harpy nagging him to do stuff. They rent a cramped and dirty two bedroom house because they can't afford to buy. They're estranged from their eldest child who joined a cult and now calls themselves Zarjaz the Tainted. Their younger child is a whiny brat who is the result of an affair Claris had years earlier. They struggle under mounting debts and the only reason they don't get a divorce is because they'd both end up homeless.
Suddenly NiGHTS bursts through the door and beckons them to go on a new adventure!!
Re: The Zelda Adventure Nintendo Would Rather Forget Is Getting A Fan-Made Remaster
@Xerox1919
Nice work - thank you for your efforts. It's kind of exciting playing something cold, with no documentation, right? Feels like uncharted territory. If you come across a problem you have only your wits to solve it. A couple of times I genuinely thought: maybe this is a bug and the game is unwinnable? How will I ever know if no one else has ever gotten this far? The "trick" to the last boss, on the game I referred to, was so ridiculous I only discovered it by pure accident.
Re: "It Feels Like It's About To Turn Into An Urban Legend" - Here's Your Reminder That A Gold Version Of Castlevania: Bloodlines Exists
I was there, 3000 years ago. (LOTR.jpg)
I took photos too. Just emailed them to you @damo
Re: Saturn's Rarest Game, Delisoba Deluxe, Gets An English Translation
@JayJ
It also works on ODE, which is how I play it. Honestly, it's a lot of fun! There's only the one track, but there's also a track designer to make your own. If I'd been in the audience and got given a copy, I'd have been super excited to have something so fun for free. (I assume it was free to be in the audience...?)
Re: The Zelda Adventure Nintendo Would Rather Forget Is Getting A Fan-Made Remaster
@Guru_Larry
It's Guru Larry! Hello you.
@turboxray
Why do I love the CDi?
Good question.
I suppose I inherently like an underdog story. I also enjoy the 3DO and Jaguar. These three are like the horsemen of the apocalypse in the early 1990s. Maligned. Misunderstood. Generally seen as failures. I have owned all three, I have collected large volumes of games for all three, and in their own unique way I love all three.
However, objectively speaking I think the Jaguar is trash and the majority of its library barely playable. Examine the level layouts of AVP, the "best" game on the system. Arbitrarily designed nonsense corridors. I eventually sold my Jag and all the games and now just emulate it.
The 3DO meanwhile is actually quite capable, like a weaker overpriced PS1 or Saturn. Lots of very good quality games that were ported to more popular systems. Lots of obscurities. I now rock a Japanese unit with ODE.
Which brings me to the CDi. It can't be emulated easily or well. It has no ODE option. Meaning for the best experience you need real hardware, which is expensive, clunky, confusing, and prone to breakage.
So already I'm excited because it makes me work to experience it. I will not be denied!
I bought one for the Zelda games because EGM ran a feature saying they were awful, but did not show any screenshots.
What were they hiding?
So I bought a unit and 80 games and films. And I discovered it's honestly fun. Hotel Mario is legitimately a great game. Almost Nintendo quality. And it has a bunch of weird system exclusive multimedia games which are all fun. Not amazing life changing games like Goldeneye or Metal Gear Solid or Breath of the Wild. But quirky weird fun.
I interviewed the developer of the Zelda games and then he passed away from Leukaemia. So I feel a duty to promote his legacy.This interview eventually influenced Dopply, the creator of Arzette.
There are certain games which have never been ported elsewhere, like LASER LORDS, which offer a unique experience you will find nowhere else. This game is so good. It's a complex platform adventure with multi-branching paths and 10 hours of NPC audio.
I like strange stuff. And the CDi is not only strange, but most people don't actually play it for various reasons, they just criticise it. So until emulation is as easy as the NES, I suspect most people will continue to misunderstand it.
As another example, last week I acquired a rare game not on the GameFAQs database. No guides. No online reviews. A platform adventure. And I managed to finish it on my own. And it occurred to me: there are 8 billion people on Earth and right now I am probably the only person playing this lost gem. So I subitted a database entry to GameFAQs and intend to write a guide soon.
It's exciting exploring the undocumented!
Re: The Zelda Adventure Nintendo Would Rather Forget Is Getting A Fan-Made Remaster
I love the Philips CDi so damned much!
Wand of Gamelon and Faces of Evil already have fantastic Windows remasters by Dopply. You can find them on Internet Archive.
So I am overjoyed someone is working on this. Especially since used copies now go for around £1000 on eBay. Current listings are for £1200, while searching for previously sold copies reveals one went for the low price of just £700.
In 2005, I bought this for £40 from a guy in Holland. I held it. I owned it. I sold it after finishing it for £50. I will never, ever get to own it again.
And of all the CDi games emulated this one is severely buggy.
I truly hope the person working on this is able to finish it. Especially with QOL improvements.
Re: Holy Magic Century, Batman! The Infamous Quest 64 Is Being Recompiled For PC
It's not terrible. I finished it on real hardware a couple years back. When you first leave the castle, and see the entire village laid out below you, with you standing atop that mountain, it's a nice moment.
Big complaint I had is when in dungeons, you get into a random battle and afterwards it reorients you in the wrong direction, so you start running forward, realise you're going back, turn around, resume running in the right direction, and another battle starts and the whole process begins anew. The problem being the lack of unique textures.
In one instance, in the woods, I thought: it's fine, I recall seeing a rock on the left, and a tree on the right up ahead, so I know which direction to take on the path. And you know what? Facing either direction had a rock and tree in those same positions.
There is a map, but it's not so convenient to open it up every time to check.
Re: "Beyond Incredibly Dumb" - The Internet Doesn't Like People Sealing Up Graded 3DS Consoles
@sportymariosonicmixx
I'm going to say... Every single battery, chargeable or not, is going to succumb to degredation at some point. Used regularly or ignored in a drawer. The same with the capacitors in your consoles.
They are not inert substances / objects.
But also, don't worry too much. Just keep an eye on stuff.
In the same way you change the tires on your car, you can change the caps and batteries in your games machines.
It's all part of the natural order.
I'm having the battery and caps in my 3DO replaced as you read this!
Re: "It Has To Happen Outside Of Japan" - Game Preservation Society Launches Patreon And Opens US Office Following Government Fund Freeze
POST 2 due to comment size limitations:
@SUDDENDESU @PowerPandaMods @PopetheRev28 @Eocene84 @gingerbeardman @gojiguy
@Raku
This reply is specifically for you - please do not spread disinformation.
https://www.gamepres.org/media/hojokin/
The creation of a digital library hosted in the US will provide access to everyone globally, and is intended specifically to address the misconceptions regarding access to the material.
Everything at the GPS is currently publicly available, but only in person, as dictated by Japanese law.
Re: "It Has To Happen Outside Of Japan" - Game Preservation Society Launches Patreon And Opens US Office Following Government Fund Freeze
@SUDDENDESU @PowerPandaMods @PopetheRev28 @Eocene84 @gingerbeardman @gojiguy
POST 1 due to comment size limitations:
This is a separate reply, from myself the author, based on my knowledge of how the NDL operates. To be clear: the GPS already works with the NDL and Cultural Affairs. The following points are my opinion, and not those of the GPS.
@Raku
This reply is specifically for you - please do not spread disinformation.
The Japanese Game Preservation Society is NOT a scam. As stated many times, all the money in, and all the money out, is publicly visible and 100% transparent. If you or anyone else feels that there is in any way any sort of scam or fraud taking place, I strongly encourage you to personally audit all the numbers. The transparency of the funding exists to silence any accusations of misuse.
As the author, speaking personally: I am not even going to acknowledge future accusations of impropriety. As a registered NPO all activities and spending are publicly accessible.
Regarding comments about the National Diet Library, this is also factually inaccurate.
It is an extremely complicated topic, and to detail every point to the level required of it would entail an essay in itself. This is not an attempt to avoid answering - it is an honest statement conveyed briefly. My desire is to give a URL for further reading, but there are none in English. Given your belief in the NDL, this is a matter which needs addressing with a full article, which we will work on. But for the moment, briefly, here are some replies to your various points. To save space I've not quoted you, so you'll have to connect them.
Re: "It Has To Happen Outside Of Japan" - Game Preservation Society Launches Patreon And Opens US Office Following Government Fund Freeze
@SUDDENDESU @PowerPandaMods @Ruka @PopetheRev28 @Eocene84 @gingerbeardman @gojiguy
I've spoken with Joseph for two hours and have his approval for this response. It's brief, even though a detailed comment on every point would warrant an article in itself.
His comments for the choice of location are as follows:
His choice for America is not political - none of this is politically motivated. He firmly believes that one should not make short-term decisions based on current political climates; preservation is a long-term process and this will continue many years down the line.
The NYC law firm is assisting pro bono - without a fee. (My fault for not explicitly stating this in the article - my apologies.)
The USA also has the best set of rules / laws that permit game preservation. More so than Europe. Much of this relates to the "fair use doctrine" which Europe does not have. Joseph is himself a native Frenchman, so he already has an acute understanding and appreciation for Europe. And after examination the legal framework of the US was deemed most optimal.
To be clear: the legislation in the US offers the best framework to benefit every member globally.
As the author I also want to draw everyone's attention to the quoted statements about not requiring an office in America, and not requiring storage in America. The purpose of the American sister organisation is the creation of a publicly accessible digital library protected by the US legal framework and the laws for the state of New York.
Re: "Beyond Incredibly Dumb" - The Internet Doesn't Like People Sealing Up Graded 3DS Consoles
@sportymariosonicmixx
I cannot even begin to comprehend the thought process behind people who put a gane in a sarcophagus so it cannot be touched. I especially dislike it because, let's assume it's ultra rare and the manual has never been scanned. A museum piece, in a proper museum, could be opened carefully, safely, and the manual preserved. A graded game is trapped in that plastic box and you can only see the box - when in fact the beauty of it includes the manual and the game itself.
There's a YT channel that made some joke videos where they bought graded games, cut the slab open, removed the game, then used the plastic shell to drink cocktails.
I hate grading stuff if it means the object loses its original intended function.
As for your battery question:
It depends on the type of battery
It's too long to explain, but every single chemical battery on Earth, the way they function, means they will eventually corrode or break down chemically. Or if you're lucky they'll just dry out.
The number of times I've found AA and AAA batteries leaking, and 9V twin heads too. Coin batteries are a bit better - they tend to die and dry out. I had a 30 year old one in a 3DO which was still functioning. PSP batteries meanwhile have been found to swell up with age.
The reason is because wether it's the old alkaline batteries, or rechargeable lith-ion batteries, or another type, they're all dependant on reactive chemicals. They're not inert, like a ROM chip.
I spent ages reading up on the process of electron discharge etc., and honestly I can't recall enough to describe it here accurately. It's worth reading a couple Wikipedia pages.
Short dumb answer:
Batteries function via a chemical process reliant on non-inert substances which by their very nature break down over time.
Re: This "Bad" Italian Movie From 1998 Gives Us A Fascinating Look At London's Defunct SegaWorld
@KingMike
It's also Italian slang for jerking off. (I mean, context is everything, obviously. So YMMV)
Re: A Decompilation Project Is Currently In The Works For Jet Set Radio Future
I've tried in vain to get widescreen hacks of this working in emulation, but they are huggy as hell. 4:3 emulates well, but I decided to wait.
I can wait longer for the fruits of this project.
Re: This "Bad" Italian Movie From 1998 Gives Us A Fascinating Look At London's Defunct SegaWorld
"SEGA WORLD! SEGA WORLD! SEGA WORLD!"
This is even funnier when you realise what the word sega means in Italian.
Re: "Beyond Incredibly Dumb" - The Internet Doesn't Like People Sealing Up Graded 3DS Consoles
@PZT
Thanks for the reminder. I usually catch these, but failed in this instance. Excellent advice for everyone! Curate your URL pasting!
@sportymariosonicmixx
The plastic is completely sealed so you would need a hacksaw or drill to physically cut through and break the plastic to get inside.
@N64-ROX
Maybe not a fireball, but I have had multiple examples of batteries leaking out corrosive chemicals, destroying both the object and surrounding objects. Even something like AA batteries which were maybe 5 years old have leaked, irreparably destroying remote controls and other gadgets. My PS2 currently has a dead timekeeper battery, buried deep inside it, difficult to remove, and I have constant anxiety that it's going to leak and destroy the motherboard. This year I plan to open and remove it.
Also, look up the PSP battery that caused a fire, news story on this site, and the old OG Xbox capacitor story, where a specific cap has reached the age where it leaks fluid all over the motherboards and destroys them. I opened both of mine and snipped the damn thing out.
Your house might not burn down. But whatever holds them is likely to get ruined.
Re: "Beyond Incredibly Dumb" - The Internet Doesn't Like People Sealing Up Graded 3DS Consoles
@charliecarrot
Not true. The owners of WATA games and Heritage Auctions are considerably better off!
I feel it's important everyone knows who put us in this scenario.
Re: "Beyond Incredibly Dumb" - The Internet Doesn't Like People Sealing Up Graded 3DS Consoles
@NintendoWife
Every article mentioning WATA should include this video:
https://youtu.be/rvLFEh7V18A
WATA games, which grades the games, and Heritage Auctions, which sell high priced graded games (graded by WATA), share the same owners.
WATA charges money to grade games, so people can sell them on Heritage Auctions, who take a cut of sales, and the prices are inflated so the same people behind both groups can take a massive cut.
The value of games is thus inflated. According to the head of WATA, he feels that for a long time games have been "undervalued".
Please watch the video.
Re: Review: Turbo EverDrive Core And Pro - An Excellent PC Engine Flash Cart With Some Caveats
@damo
Does Aldynes for the SuperGrafx work when using this (and its ROM obvs) on the Analogue Pocket (via adapter) or the Analogue Duo? I realise it would never work on an actual PCE, but unsure about alternate hardware. My guess would be no.
I have the Terraonion for PCE, but the older model that lacks SGFX support.
Keeping wonder if I should upgeade for it somehow...
Re: Talking Point: What Are Your Retro Gaming Resolutions For The New Year?
Mainly finish a bunch of mods and repairs which were started but never finished:
I'm probably forgetting a few...