@h3s If you have a Switch, I recommend you take a gander at a title called Razion EX. It might not be the most recent release, but it might tickle your fancy.
@jbrodack I'm not sure about the revolutionized part myself. But speaking as an owner of an Analogue Pocket, I do think it's very cool that I can play my cartridges on a system with more modern conveniences.
@-wc- There is one more thing to add to your list you last created, though I wonder if it’s mostly because I’m just older now: graphic sizes.
My library of games is almost exclusively portable, almost because I also have a Switch alongside my older Nintendo handhelds, PSP and Analogue Pocket. I have never bothered with portable emulation, even on the 3DS, so it took me until cores were ported to the AP and for Arcade Archive entries to catch my interest to realize that a good chunk of arcade and home console games do not play visually great on the smaller screens.
Vertical shmups like Battle Garegga look like ants on the Pocket’s screen. Contrast this with shmup entries that cater to the smaller screen like GG Aleste (Sega GG) or Gradius Generations (GBA). On the mobile side, Cave actually created a DoDonPachi with mobile in mind, and I find it plays and looks a lot better than their ports of Blissful Death or Resurrection.
@-wc- I'm not a developer, but I feel that there was a "doctrine" for handheld gaming back in ye olden days. Games were designed for handheld in mind, not just in terms of specs, but also in terms of playtime (pick up and put down) and in terms of gameplay (bursts of gameplay, shorter stages)
Now, it's all about bringing the home experience with you, or using part of what you said, AAA on the go. I feel like this is thanks to the quick save/temp save/etc mechanism (create a save anywhere in the game, and it disappears upon reloading), and the console-wide sleep function.
@-wc- I have a Pocket, but I still play mostly GB, GBC and GBA carts on it today like how I did the first time I got it. I do dabble with the cores every now and then, but dabble.
It was either a Pocket or commissioning someone to make a souped-up GBA (IPS screen, audio mod, etc), and that more or less came to the same price.
Possibly a stupid question, and this is not meant to lessen the efforts of these devs:
Could a game like this been made right at the end of the Genesis's/MD's lifespan? Or are limitations being found only with the help of modern hardware?
@-wc- Not the person you replied to, but I can provide at least part of an answer.
ININ is tied to Strictly Limited Games in that they’re the same company. A chunk of titles get released under both labels, with the former going to general retail and the latter being limited collector’s editions.
There are two scummy episodes I can recall. One has to do with Cotton Reboot, and the other has to do with Wonder Boy.
With Cotton Reboot, they got exclusive rights to the English translation, and the Japanese versions had the English **patched out**. Once again, let me repeat that. The Japanese version had English to begin with, but it was patched out. Unfortunately I don’t have a source showing ININ’s stance, but I have experienced this firsthand. Reddit thread about it: https://www.reddit.com/r/NSCollectors/comments/mzin9p/psa_cotton_reboot_jpn_will_permanently_remove/
I looked up some gameplay footage of this, and those formation modes are really tactical! Not to mention you can sacrifice one of your options as a shield.
No wonder it looked like those red options were being given out like candy.
The Pocket’s screen isn’t a “perfectly square” 1:1. It’s 1600×1440, or 1.11:1.
Maybe “almost perfectly square”?
Also, do you find the extra 0.5” compared to the Pocket to significantly enhance Tate content? I tried the Tate cores on the Pocket but it felt way cramped, and 0.5 feels like a minuscule number to me.
There’s no mention of this in the steam page, and I don’t know how feasible the coding would be since I’m no developer, but I think this title can stand out if you can import your own music. Beats Hazard did this before.
@The-Chosen-one I don’t own the 2, and used to own the Pro+.
From what I know, the biggest differences are:
two extra buttons - each behind the grip, around where you’d rest your middle or ring fingers depending on grip style. You can map this to whatever you want - whether it’s a macro or another button
different mode switching mechanism. With the P+, you need to hold one of the BAYX buttons while turning it on to enable a pairing mode. With the P2, you have a switch you can snap to a mode.
Ultimate Software support. The P+ needs to be mapped on Windows or MacOS, but the P2 can be paired via Bluetooth with the corresponding phone app.
I wonder if the Pro+ is being discontinued, since there's the Pro 2, which is the same form factor, but with a more convenient mode switching mechanism (no need to hold a face button while powering on to select a mode) and two back buttons.
Is that what the C in CRPG stands for? I always thought it meant “Classic”!
@Daggot I’m with you here. Books aren’t like music which you can consume while doing something else at the same time. Same with videos - consume once and maybe some other time later…maybe.
Briefly ignoring piracy, I think there is at least one use for custom firmware the majority can back : bypassing arbitrary region locks.
I’m a resident in Korea. Very few people outside Korea will know that Korea was its own 3DS region. This bucked the previous trend of lumping Korea with Japan. And out of the 1000+ titles released, a Korean 3DS can play only 92, as that 92 were the only games to be officially released.
You bet your behinds that I hacked that bypass the day I bought my 3DS!
I’ve noticed that you didn’t mention DDP Maximum, given that it released in 2012, the same year SaiDaiOuJou was released. Was it because Max is a mobile game? Or is Max just too different from the rest of the DDP lineup?
I noticed that the Game Gear Mini is actually powered by conventional AA batteries. Made me think that those batteries may weigh more than the mini handheld itself.
It might be worth mentioning what years the Showa era corresponds to: the reign of Emperor Shōwa (commonly known in English as Emperor Hirohito) from December 25, 1926, until his death on January 7, 1989.
@Wheatly The same could be said about older visual media.
Now, I realize that comparing something interactive like video games to something more passive like movies and music is like comparing apples to oranges. But old movies are a product and/or a reflection of their times, just as much as video games are, and this also covers control mechanisms.
@Notime Capcom is generally more lenient with fan projects - they officially endorsed Mega Man vs Street Fighter a few years back. But donations are bad news.
@Tasuki A lorry is what a UK English speaker would call a truck.
On a more general note, as @sdelfin said, the Evercade doesn't have as wide a general appeal as the usual names do. The suspected targeting must seem to imply otherwise now.
Admittedly I have a passing interest in these emulator handhelds.
But 4-6 hours feels a bit short. It's like going back to the PSP days.
@Zuljaras Unfortunately the reality is that those thumbsticks are now practically a given. I looked at Anbernic's other offerings, and the ones that don't have thumbsticks are just too small for extended gaming.
@nilcam Gotcha. So Evercade is seemingly going on a two-prong approach of prioritizing on re-releasing older arcade titles, while also looking out for unique content.
Comments 59
Re: Feature: "He Is Truly One Of A Kind" - A Celebration Of Nobuo Uematsu, The Maestro Of Video Game Music
I saw the title...and assumed the worst at first.
Re: "I Don't Think I'll Collect Another Thing Again" - Prized NES Collection Of Over 860+ NES Games Stolen In Heartbreaking Burglary
@Dodoo You mean you feel for the victim?
A culprit is someone who does bad stuff.
Re: The Arcade 1971–1999 Is Aiming To Be "The Definitive Text On The First 30 Years Of The Arcade Industry"
A pity the PDF isn't sold separately.
Re: "The Demand Far Exceeded Our Expectations" - AYANEO Announces KONKR Pocket Advance Restock & New Peach Variant
@RadioHedgeFund I think it’s supposed to say “conquer.” Could be wrong.
Re: "No Human Proofreading Pass" - Langrisser V Gets An AI-Driven Translation Patch
"I don't know Japanese"
This guy shouldn't be called a translator!
Re: This New 2.5D Metroidvania Will Look A Little Familiar To Mega Man X Fans, But Don't Call It A "Carbon Copy"
I misread the name of the main character as "Rock" and giggled for a moment.
Re: "The Battle Continues" - Cave Revives Classic Bullet Hell Shmup For New "Reignite" Release
@h3s If you have a Switch, I recommend you take a gander at a title called Razion EX. It might not be the most recent release, but it might tickle your fancy.
Re: The Best-Selling Sega Saturn Game In North America Might Surprise You (But Then Again, It Might Not)
@mariteaux Asking as someone who does not play sports games: what constitutes a good sports game?
No sarcasm or snideness intended.
To my memory, the last sports game I played was NBA Live 90-something on either DOS or Windows.
Re: Genki's Moonbase Is A "Futuristic Command Center" For All Your Gaming Power Needs
@-wc- Actually the leftmost and rightmost. USB C is reversible (or flippable?)
Re: Konami Butchered This SNES Classic, So We Fixed It
The “ridiculous fiddling” link seems to be broken.
Re: All Is Not Well In The World Of FPGA Retro Gaming
@jbrodack I'm not sure about the revolutionized part myself. But speaking as an owner of an Analogue Pocket, I do think it's very cool that I can play my cartridges on a system with more modern conveniences.
Re: Two Great Shoot 'Em Ups Combine In Söldner-X Complete Collection For Switch
@Blast16 No effing kidding. You are right - back then you got a whole home arcade for each disc.
Re: Two Great Shoot 'Em Ups Combine In Söldner-X Complete Collection For Switch
@Blast16 There were only two Soldner games to begin with.
Direct your ire at the Irem collection; only three games per cartridge or CD, and there will be five volumes.
Re: Two Legendary Shmups Are Currently On Sale For Just A Couple Of Bucks
@-wc- The cheapest would be to get a long HDMI cable. Unwieldy and you’ll need to wrap it up again but it’s definitely the cheapest.
Re: Anniversary: Game Boy Creator Gunpei Yokoi's WonderSwan Is 25 Years Old
@-wc- There is one more thing to add to your list you last created, though I wonder if it’s mostly because I’m just older now: graphic sizes.
My library of games is almost exclusively portable, almost because I also have a Switch alongside my older Nintendo handhelds, PSP and Analogue Pocket. I have never bothered with portable emulation, even on the 3DS, so it took me until cores were ported to the AP and for Arcade Archive entries to catch my interest to realize that a good chunk of arcade and home console games do not play visually great on the smaller screens.
Vertical shmups like Battle Garegga look like ants on the Pocket’s screen. Contrast this with shmup entries that cater to the smaller screen like GG Aleste (Sega GG) or Gradius Generations (GBA). On the mobile side, Cave actually created a DoDonPachi with mobile in mind, and I find it plays and looks a lot better than their ports of Blissful Death or Resurrection.
Re: Anniversary: Game Boy Creator Gunpei Yokoi's WonderSwan Is 25 Years Old
@-wc- I'm not a developer, but I feel that there was a "doctrine" for handheld gaming back in ye olden days. Games were designed for handheld in mind, not just in terms of specs, but also in terms of playtime (pick up and put down) and in terms of gameplay (bursts of gameplay, shorter stages)
Now, it's all about bringing the home experience with you, or using part of what you said, AAA on the go. I feel like this is thanks to the quick save/temp save/etc mechanism (create a save anywhere in the game, and it disappears upon reloading), and the console-wide sleep function.
Re: Konami's Vendetta / Crime Fighters 2 Is Coming To Analogue Pocket And MiSTer Soon
@-wc- I have a Pocket, but I still play mostly GB, GBC and GBA carts on it today like how I did the first time I got it. I do dabble with the cores every now and then, but dabble.
It was either a Pocket or commissioning someone to make a souped-up GBA (IPS screen, audio mod, etc), and that more or less came to the same price.
Re: This Thunder Force-Style Shmup Is Pushing The Genesis / Mega Drive To Its Absolute Limits
@ShannonBirt Thank you for responding, though!
Admittedly a good chunk of that flew over my head as I'm no dev, but I do get the impression that both time and tech are important factors.
Besides, especially with time, not being pressured means you're less likely to burn out or compromise, and this applies to a lot of other fields, too.
Re: This Thunder Force-Style Shmup Is Pushing The Genesis / Mega Drive To Its Absolute Limits
Possibly a stupid question, and this is not meant to lessen the efforts of these devs:
Could a game like this been made right at the end of the Genesis's/MD's lifespan? Or are limitations being found only with the help of modern hardware?
Re: Yes, This Is Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night On The Sega Mega Drive
I am wowed more by the music than the visuals. The visuals are great, but my jaw dropped when the music started playing.
Re: 'The Legend Of Steel Empire' Resurrects The Famous Steampunk Shmup (Again)
@-wc- Not the person you replied to, but I can provide at least part of an answer.
ININ is tied to Strictly Limited Games in that they’re the same company. A chunk of titles get released under both labels, with the former going to general retail and the latter being limited collector’s editions.
There are two scummy episodes I can recall. One has to do with Cotton Reboot, and the other has to do with Wonder Boy.
With Cotton Reboot, they got exclusive rights to the English translation, and the Japanese versions had the English **patched out**. Once again, let me repeat that. The Japanese version had English to begin with, but it was patched out. Unfortunately I don’t have a source showing ININ’s stance, but I have experienced this firsthand. Reddit thread about it: https://www.reddit.com/r/NSCollectors/comments/mzin9p/psa_cotton_reboot_jpn_will_permanently_remove/
The second: maybe not as bad as the first, but still anti-consumer: https://www.reddit.com/r/LimitedPrintGames/comments/tddlta/strictly_limited_games_approach_to_retro/
Re: Taito Vertical Shooter 'Scramble Formation' Heading To Nintendo Switch & PS4
I looked up some gameplay footage of this, and those formation modes are really tactical! Not to mention you can sacrifice one of your options as a shield.
No wonder it looked like those red options were being given out like candy.
Re: Miyoo Mini Flip Takes Inspiration From The Nintendo GBA SP
@Serpenterror "Not sure why those same companies couldn't also make a landscape version so adult gamers like myself could also enjoy it."
Implying that everyone who bought a DMG-sized handheld in the last few years are all kids?
I mean, personal preference is one thing, but to imply that one is lesser for having different preferences is something totally different.
Re: Strictly Limited Games Issues Statement On Lengthy Shipping Delays
@gingerbeardman LRG's only saving grace compared to SLG is that they do time-limited runs. SLG really tickles your FOMO with "LOW STOCK!" stickers.
That said, that alone may not mean much in the end. I haven't bought anything off of them for about a year now.
Re: Space Harrier-Esque Shooter 'Asura The Striker' Gets Free Demo
The modern day visuals remind me of that one Space Harrier-like game that’s exclusive to Apple Arcade.
Re: Powkiddy RGB30 - A $90 Analogue Pocket Rival? You'd Better Believe It
The Pocket’s screen isn’t a “perfectly square” 1:1. It’s 1600×1440, or 1.11:1.
Maybe “almost perfectly square”?
Also, do you find the extra 0.5” compared to the Pocket to significantly enhance Tate content? I tried the Tate cores on the Pocket but it felt way cramped, and 0.5 feels like a minuscule number to me.
Re: SNES Classic Top Racer / Top Gear Is Being Turned Into A Tabletop Mini Arcade
It looks like a 21st century version of the Tomy Turnin’ Turbo. Too bad it isn’t as big.
Re: Rez Clone 'Amp' Will Allow You To "Rhythmically Engage" With Enemies in 2024
There’s no mention of this in the steam page, and I don’t know how feasible the coding would be since I’m no developer, but I think this title can stand out if you can import your own music. Beats Hazard did this before.
Re: Could MiSTer Rival MARS FPGA Be The New King Of Retro Gaming?
@sdelfin My first thought when I saw “MARS” was “Cyber Trooper Virtual On Marz,” funnily enough!
That aside, another flimsy coincidence: there’s a Dreamcast shmup called “Mars Matrix.”
Re: ZUIKI Officially Unveils The Dance Dance Revolution Classic Mini In Japan
@calbeau I'm guessing that was the scene in the States?
I was in Asia when the game first launched, so it was naturally all Asians.
Re: Guide: All 8BitDo Controllers & Accessories - Which Should I Buy?
@The-Chosen-one I don’t own the 2, and used to own the Pro+.
From what I know, the biggest differences are:
Re: Guide: All 8BitDo Controllers & Accessories - Which Should I Buy?
I wonder if the Pro+ is being discontinued, since there's the Pro 2, which is the same form factor, but with a more convenient mode switching mechanism (no need to hold a face button while powering on to select a mode) and two back buttons.
Re: 'CRPG Book: A Guide To Computer Role-Playing Games' Gets New Expanded Edition
Is that what the C in CRPG stands for? I always thought it meant “Classic”!
@Daggot I’m with you here. Books aren’t like music which you can consume while doing something else at the same time. Same with videos - consume once and maybe some other time later…maybe.
Re: Aya Neo Embraces Android With The Pocket AIR Handheld
@XiaoShao I'd bet on the latter. Just visual fluff. 8bitdo's keyboard promo pics are along a similar vein.
Re: Title Of Streets Of Rage Composer Yuzo Koshiro's Mega Drive / Genesis Shmup Is Revealed
I'm getting Axelay vibes from the short gameplay video just shown. Three weapons that are seemingly mapped to ABC.
Re: Limited Run's Radiant Silvergun Physical Release Delayed To Include Chiptune OST
@JayJ Not always. They're just another publisher now, with the only difference being they like to throw in more random stuff besides the games.
They've published games that have been published by others in other regions, or in some cases like Streets of Rage 4, the same region.
Re: Now's The Time To Hack Your 3DS
Briefly ignoring piracy, I think there is at least one use for custom firmware the majority can back : bypassing arbitrary region locks.
I’m a resident in Korea. Very few people outside Korea will know that Korea was its own 3DS region. This bucked the previous trend of lumping Korea with Japan. And out of the 1000+ titles released, a Korean 3DS can play only 92, as that 92 were the only games to be officially released.
You bet your behinds that I hacked that bypass the day I bought my 3DS!
Re: CAVE Story: The Chronicles of DonPachi, The Shmup Series That Changed Everything
Great feature.
I’ve noticed that you didn’t mention DDP Maximum, given that it released in 2012, the same year SaiDaiOuJou was released. Was it because Max is a mobile game? Or is Max just too different from the rest of the DDP lineup?
Re: 32 Years Later, Blatant R-Type Clone Rezon Finally Comes To Home Consoles
@BulkSlash "2) it looks so difficult there’s no chance I could even get past the first level! 😅"
To be fair, arcade games have never been very fair to begin with, and the point to most arcade-style games of that era is basically memorization.
Re: Legendary Acquires Movie And TV Rights To Street Fighter
@Bunkerneath He dedicated the role to his children.
https://screenrant.com/street-fighter-raul-julia-m-bison-play-agree-why/
Re: Best Mini Classic Consoles
@Damo Would you know anything about the power adapter issue surrounding the TurboGrafx Mini?
https://seafoamgaming.com/2021/05/11/the-turbografx-mini-has-a-fatal-flaw-yet-nobody-is-talking-about-it/
Re: Best Mini Classic Consoles
I noticed that the Game Gear Mini is actually powered by conventional AA batteries. Made me think that those batteries may weigh more than the mini handheld itself.
Re: Discovering Japan's Forgotten Arcade History At The Dagashiya Game Museum
It might be worth mentioning what years the Showa era corresponds to: the reign of Emperor Shōwa (commonly known in English as Emperor Hirohito) from December 25, 1926, until his death on January 7, 1989.
Re: Poll: Are Game Boy Games Still Worth Playing In 2023?
@Wheatly The same could be said about older visual media.
Now, I realize that comparing something interactive like video games to something more passive like movies and music is like comparing apples to oranges. But old movies are a product and/or a reflection of their times, just as much as video games are, and this also covers control mechanisms.
Re: Review: Anbernic RG35XX - Looks Like A Game Boy, But Does A Lot More
Have you thought about adding some thoughts after installing Garlic OS?
https://www.patreon.com/posts/76561333
Re: 'Death Threats' Force Development On Android PlayStation 2 Emulator To End
And this is why we cannot have nice things.
Re: Fan Port 'Mega Final Fight' Playable Demo Now Available
@Notime Capcom is generally more lenient with fan projects - they officially endorsed Mega Man vs Street Fighter a few years back. But donations are bad news.
Re: Evercade EXP Shipment Worth Half A Million Pounds Has Been Stolen
@Tasuki A lorry is what a UK English speaker would call a truck.
On a more general note, as @sdelfin said, the Evercade doesn't have as wide a general appeal as the usual names do. The suspected targeting must seem to imply otherwise now.
Re: Hands On: Anbernic RG353P - Shamelessly Inspired By Nintendo
Admittedly I have a passing interest in these emulator handhelds.
But 4-6 hours feels a bit short. It's like going back to the PSP days.
@Zuljaras Unfortunately the reality is that those thumbsticks are now practically a given. I looked at Anbernic's other offerings, and the ones that don't have thumbsticks are just too small for extended gaming.
Re: Evercade Is Getting An "EXP" Upgrade, Complete With Irem And Toaplan Collections
@nilcam Gotcha. So Evercade is seemingly going on a two-prong approach of prioritizing on re-releasing older arcade titles, while also looking out for unique content.