The_Nintend_Pedant

@Poodlestargenerica

i know this is theoretically probably true, but put my copy of Sleep's Dopesmoker on my turntable, with my (very accurate, bass-reproducing but not boosting) 1985 klipsch fortes, and tell me if you don't hear any low lows 😂 it's mind bending.

for the record, im again not a huge vinyl guy. i do most of my music listening on youtube and on CD. I was originally attempting an argument for why SOMEONE might want chiptunes on vinyl ✌️

@Bonggon5

you caught me 😅 i was being sarcastic. this is possibly the worst stick placement I've ever seen. 👍

lucky for them, i've never heard of a gamer being picky about stick placement.

@DestructoDisk

all sound is analog. even if its a digital file, played back on a digital amp, the information must be converted to analog at some point for the speakers to reproduce the sound, and for your eardrums to hear it. 👍 you can't hear digital audio files without converting them to analogue. whether your current software and setup for listening to digital files sounds better than the mixing desk where the master was made for vinyl, that remains a question (but it likely doesn't, in many cases.)

this being said, your argument that you can make perfect copies of the files is valid, if that's what you want to do.

If you want a copy that sounds good to listen to, and will last as long as you do and pass down to your kids and grandkids vinyl is a good option. ✌️

EDIT - like i said before, im not a big vinyl guy. I have lots of records but I have only one game OST on vinyl. I most often use zxtune or YouTube to listen to game osts (or legacy music hour,) and im generally happy with that 🙂👍

@Robcmyk

it's true. I feel like I touched on that when I said

"vinyl is also the most archival format, in the sense that it will last forever if cared for properly (particularly if it is not played regularly, which may not be true of cds and tapes which can simply degrade on the shelf)"

of course it's all down to how many times a month week or day you listen to that particular record.

in terms of listening to music before the mp3s and the internet, in my experience vinyl lasts for many more plays than cassettes, and doesnt seem to get as many wtfs from regular handling as cds. but thats neither here nor now.

otoh the shelf life of records not being played is tremendous compared to almost any other physical format i can think of (again, if reasonably cared for.) 👍

(edit - I'm not a big "vinyl guy" per se but I do like comparing virtues of different things 👍👍)

@Razieluigi

of course, you're not wrong on the facts. though i would offer the slightly off topic caveat that to an individual, what is most "accurate" may not always sound "best."

my experience with digital files is that as far as "my collection" goes, historically it's been pretty dicey from an archival sense. without some digital savvy and a bit of infrastructure in the form of a backup system, ive found trying to hang on to precious audio files over time to be a bit like holding rainwater in a pasta strainer (in extreme slow motion lol.) of course, i can always redownload those files, theoretically, but the amount of time and work that goes into actually retaining a digital archive in my mind is even more than keeping physical media on a shelf.

in other words, I have a vast, ethereal and inaccessible digital collection of unknown quantity floating around out there on various dead hard drives and old computers, and almost nothing to show for it after almost 30 years of digital accumulation.

OTOH i have almost every vinyl record ive ever bought going back about as far, including the first one I ever remember buying (The White Stripes - De Stijl in 9th grade, c. 2000 🤘) without even really trying. likewise, my grandparent's 1970s technics DD turntable which i inherited around that time is still going strong, requiring zero maintenance, and in active use spanning MANY generations of digital audio reproducing tech, and distribution models.

one could argue that digital proliferation is its own archival system, but ive now lived long enough to see the folly in that line of thinking. 👍

@Razieluigi

i partially agree with you. part of the point of vinyl is to have an analog medium with which to enjoy analog music. 👍

OTOH, vinyl is also the most archival format, in the sense that it will last forever if cared for properly (particularly if it is not played regularly, which may not be true of cds and tapes which can simply degrade on the shelf) and requires no digital tech (or even electricity technically) to play, and in the sense that it's a large scale representation of the associated cover artwork, often with extra content in the form of bonus art, words in the form of lyrics, credits, interviews, essays, etc, and other ephemera.

I love my Mother 2 vinyl for these reasons, though I listen to the OST on youtube or while playing Earthbound generally ✌️

that said, I'm not clamoring for a whole stack of game osts on vinyl (though i do wish id grabbed that Suikoden ost from ship to shore when i had the chance 😆😆 and I'd love to have an LP copy of darius gaiden's ost.)

@Damo

thanks for the followup review! 👍👍 You won't see most reviewers out there coming back like this, partially because i assume that once they test the unit for review, it's on to the next thing and they never interact with that particular model again.

@jesse_dylan

I had the same thought 😂😂

@Poodlestargenerica

personally, I call these 3D shmups and reserve the term "rail shooter" for games like rez and panzer dragoon where your characters movement is "on rails."

otherwise, any automatically scrolling game could be called "on rails" and it's too vague of a term. rez and starfox are not at all the same and should be different sub genres IMO.

The full family of subgenres then would be 3d shmup, rail shooter, gallery shooter, and light gun game. thank you.

ill never be comfortable with a control layout that forces me to use the tip of my thumb on the dpad to tapdance around touching the stick while i play.

YMCK! I hadn't heard from them in a good while! 😎

solidly Y2K! so good!

@Uncharted2007

Seconded, I cant watch videos in this site or Nlife.

Also seconded, very cool 👍

why does it feel like this is the 5th attempt to make this exact game lately? didnt the last couple retro 'toon fps's review horribly?

@GhaleonUnlimited

i just may! I retained the controllers, a/v and power cords, and a couple of my favorite games (Astal and Darius Gaiden!) so all i need is the naked console. appreciate the encouragement!

I love CIB sunday! ❤️

@Anti-Matter

in step mania, is a "routine" generated to match the tempo and characteristics of the songs you add?

(i dont know what they are called, "level" doesnt seem right. I hope I am making sense.)

or by "add" do you mean dlc? I'm gonna look it up i guess but im interested in hearing about it from you if you dont mind. ✌️🙂

EDIT - I looked it up! this looks great! 👍👍 it's even FOSS which i appreciate in particular.

@Kiwi_Unlimited

yes i too finally feel willing and able to participate unencumbered with the DDR revolution, and feel that the time for it has passed 😐

i feel like it would be relatively simple to make a device or software that music/audio simply passes through (probably via bluetooth) and a DDR "routine" is generated based on the musical information present.

ive thought about this a lot actually. there was an LCD game in the early 00s that did this in fact.

Lots of underage smokers where I'm from, Jack. I can't imagine it's all that different in Manchester. 🤔

(not that 13 year old smokers are probably "demanding" anti smoking videogames, more to your point 😆)

@HoyeBoye

i came here to say basically this! count me as one more "no." 😂

i know criminals arent known for being terribly intelligent, but come ON. 😆

@JabooMooseKeys

youre probably right!

my perspective that it's a glorified DS is just that, as I have no interest in modern PC gaming, or emulating consoles beyond Dreamcast. Value is in the eye of the beholder, and this thing's usefulness doesn't rise to its cost for me.

also I get zero joy from Windows, and I havent used it in years and I'm never going back, but that's just me, too.

OTOH, what I want is something along the lines of a typical anbernic/miyoo/powkiddy handheld, but with this layout, for 200 or less (with respectable battery life, and a good dpad.) for me, that's a much more valuable thing. ✌️

PS - "if you're buying this purely for emulation, there are more cost effective ways of doing this."

are there? meaning, a handheld which can emulate DS games properly? please do tell as I've never seen them! ☺️

@Damo

Wise words, my good man. 😊 I personally miss resistive touch screens and never have felt like capacitive had the same feel, even with an advanced stylus like the apple pencil, for example. I have thought of it as an example of simple tech that gunpei yokoi would have approved 👍

OTOH my OG DS and 2DS never had a problem and I guess I was projecting my experience a bit there without realizing it, as AFAIKnew, they were dead reliable! Wrong again!

You are right, that I'm prejudging obv. without trying it for myself. The flat dpad as you described is a bit of a deal breaker for me, though. as is that astronomical price. I'm sure if I actually tried it I'd find myself having fun though 😊 cheers, and thanks for taking the time as always. ✌️

the screen on this looks obnoxiously large and bright, the controls look awful, and the overall design looks like a knockoff DS from the early 00s. This combined with the confirmed terrible battery life and insane price make me question the 8/10 score frankly, given that its' main competition is legitimate hardware on the second hand market, which can be had for a fraction of the price, have none of these problems, and can play 3/DS carts natively.

Resistive screens have been around longer than capacitive, but "primitive" is a touch (😎) hyperbolic when in the same breath mentioning technical advantages of the former that make it the better spec for the application.

Also I must say, was reliability really an issue with DS lower screens? 🤔 seems like grasping at straws to me.

the way the typeface ligatures the F and 1 in the headline really bothers me. 🧐

no idea what this article is talking about and seems like an oddly small stakes story but I suppose it isn't "for me" as the kids like to say. 👍

maybe it's just because i only ever had a white 1st Gen Wii, but that black wii looks so damn cool to me. 🤙😎

Why is this here instead of NintendoLife?

@Mr_Monochrome

i would be shocked if AT+T, AMC, MSNBC, IBM, et al are not trademarked.

@Damo

it reminds me of my beloved (and long gone) childhood "play it loud" clear gameboy, but i like it even more with the raspberry buttons!

and the OG shiny black dpad style on a GBA really is a look!

anyway cheers, thanks for the article 😊👍

Damo you have the all time classiest GBA 🤤 always love to see it. 👍

the perspective of this article is weird, especially as someone who does not have an apple watch. i'm not sure what the "story" is, here, tbh.

i wish GOG had a plug n play console. I can't stand playing games on a PC anymore but that is a great catalogue.

in theory I'd love to have a device like this, but the button layout will keep me away. too bad!

DC arcade stick is the best ever, still 👍

PS - is it just me, or does everything look rather left-justified on this thing? 🧐 🤔 all that margin for graphics on the right, too, and they crammed it in under the stick for some reason. really strange.

I can't afford it so it's not gorgeous.

OMG why.

shameless.

"Secret Base has received some replies on social media urging the studio to continue with the project but without the Golden Axe IP."

this is absolutely what should happen.

also I'm cautiously optimistic for a new 3D golden axe 😬

'can you think of any other examples of in-game swipes about the SNES or Sega Mega Drive / Genesis?"

in Uniracers, if you input your name as "sega" or "sonic" it would be rejected, with the message "not cool enough!"

@sdelfin

I played Mario 3 the other day and it's still a remarkable, fun game. Great graphics and sound, too! Just about perfect ❤️

@superdad64

hard disagree, I've been trying to get into Wind Waker for years and I just don't like it 😐

(POV - Zelda is my favorite game series of all time. ✌️)

@Rambler

that's... probably true! 👍

@RadioHedgeFund

"I think Ocarina was the first game where the protagonist sheaths their weapon to then interact with the world"

interesting! come to think of it, I noticed the distinction too, when I first played TOoT. especially the "put away" command. you're right, that really seemed new at the time. 😊👍

EDIT - metal gear solid definitely had holstering/readying of weapons, just months before Ocarina IIRC, but it's not third person or a sword, as you mentioned. I like this topic!

EDIT 2 - many games I can think of either had the character running around with sword in hand, as you pointed out, or carrying nothing, and the sword/weapon magically appearing during the attack animation, only to disappear again! i dont know which is stranger haha.

i feel as though resident evil had weapon ready/ unarmed states, but that's guns again. I'm determined to come up with an exception but so far i can't! 😊👍

@RadioHedgeFund

I'm not disagreeing with your whole comment (which i enjoyed btw!) but:

"Kratos carries his weapon on his back because Link did."

I must point out that they both carry their weapons on their backs because people IRL have been doing this for time immemorial. Link mightve been the first (I'm not quite convinced) but it's hard to give a game credit as innovator when the designers were simply modelling what already existed in the world.

Your comment got me thinking, and it's just my opinion of course! ✌️

Yeah I'll just keep saying "SEGA" thanks.

@Coalescence

"A clone would play gba carts."

holy cow that's some quality pedantry 😄 can you back it up at all?

I love establishing and ruthlessly enforcing lexicon! ❤️

@Poodlestargenerica

you've lit some part of my brain that remembers emulating SNES with a logitech dual shock knockoff years ago. 👍

I think I stand by what I said, but I do now remember doing what you say and you've given me something to ponder 🤔 thanks!

@MetaCrystal @EarthboundBenjy

basically you are giving the game some headroom 👍