no_donatello

This site has taken a seriously hard turn into activism. I've left sites before for doing this, and I'll do it again.

Did not know. I think what makes its extra surprising is it does not really look that hard to pull off.

It just looks so huge. I'm glad to hear it's more Switch Lite than Switch 1 or 2, but still too big. But it does look nice, and the sticks make it worth it for me.

10 inches. Oh, boy. Most "small" CRTs back then were 13 inches, as I recall. The fact that I used to play games on a screen that small is funny to begin with, but 10 inches? And more importantly, it's not a CRT. Seriously, if there were a high quality, newly manufactured CRT display released, I would pay a lot for that. My CRT is working fine, but it will be a very sad day when it finally gives up. I already only use a remote because the buttons on it are iffy. I mean, they brought back record players. How about standard definition CRTs that break your back when you have to move them? They're cool and retro!

@DestructoDisk I doubt a lot of these games are popular enough for that to be commercially viable. However, I did see in an interview once of someone from Evercade where he said they were maybe a little too generous with the early carts, including 20 games each. It can definitely create a "candy store" type feeling, try a couple games but never commit. But they have done at least one single game cart, Full Void. And The Banjo cart will have just Banjo Kazooie and its sequel, so I think they're kind of doing what you're saying, minus the soundtrack.

An inferior reissue with one fewer game.

Ah, yes. That brief period of time when Microsoft tried really hard to win over Japan, and it didn't work. If I recall correctly, it had a decent number of shmups, too. This is a game that's been in my backlog for a long, long time. Just do not have time for RPGs anymore.

@PopetheRev28 Haha. Oops! Did not notice this post was an update.

@PopetheRev28 Have there been actual examples of the Evercade carts going bad, or is this just theoretical (outside of being defective from the beginning, which I'm sure has happened)?

Evercade is great. I don't recommend going down the rabbit hole of getting every cartridge. But if you don't go crazy, the Evercade is very nice, especially since they started doing arcade releases. Having physical versions of arcade games that never got home versions and no fiddling with MAME is nice. It is annoying that, even on Amazon, the prices are often above suggested retail price.

I was super excited and bought the Gameboy Micro at launch. Then I bought another one when they were on fire sale because no one else bought one. I loved it, but I honestly probably did not use it as much as I thought I would. That probably came down more to GBA being on the way out than the form factor, but indeed, the screen is very small. I found the controls actually pretty comfortable. The shoulder buttons were kind of big for the size of the console, and the GBA not having very many action buttons helped a lot. The screen was also backlit, so it looked better than my SP.

I definitely miss small handhelds. The Game Gear was blasted for its size, but now the Switch 2 and Steam Deck are the standard. Guess Game Gear was ahead of its time. But I actually do prefer small handhelds. The Super Pockets from Evercade have actually been really nice recently. First, they're cheap, so I'm less concerned about scuffs. And it can actually fit in a pocket. Definitely helped me play through the first Tomb Raider finally after years of failed attempts.

It's the last generation that I have any degree of fondness for, so I definitely think there is something different about the Wii/PS3/360 generation. It kind of straddles the classic and modern era of games. It definitely started some trends that have killed gaming for me.

Love Evercade, but this does not look comfortable. I've been using an 8bitdo wireless controller with the VS. I hope analog controls work well with third party controllers too.

Glad to hear they were enthusiastic. I hope that means that Conker's Bad Fur Day is a possibility. They included Pocket Tales on the Super Pocket, so it certainly seems doable!

Glad that Playmaji is still plugging along after all the trouble with delays. It's very expensive, but it is an excellent device. Hope we hear about those new disc systems soon.

While the first game's remake could never replace the original, I did like it. Not as keen on the House of the Dead remake. So I am hoping they can take the criticism and make something worthwhile. I do wish Sega cared enough about this IP to do the remake (or a new game) themselves, but that's not happening.

The VR game industry is not doing well unfortunately, so I think mods are going to be the last hope for the medium. I am waiting for the VR mod of Subnautica 2 to mature a little more before playing that (and I really do not want to play it any other way). This looks interesting, though not the game I'd pick for a VR mod. I know it will never happen, but I wish there was a VR mod for Jurassic Park Trespasser. That game was almost a walking simulator before they were a thing, and I think it would work great in VR.

Honestly, it is both amazing and disturbing that this is achievable. It's amazing that someone who admits to having little knowledge how it was done used AI to do this. And this is being offered online for free, so okay. But it suggests a pretty grim future where products that people ARE requesting payment for use "vibe code" that they do not even understand.

I guess they kind of have to do this for the meme (Yes, it can play Doom). But I have too many ways to play Doom already. I'm good.

Previous console generations: "Look at this cool game you'll be playing!"

Modern gaming: "Look at this game we can't get funding for. Would have been cool though, right?"

(No disrespect to Cyan. Just pointing out what a mess modern gaming is.)

I didn't know Arcade 1 up was still a thing. As much as I love Sega, I just cannot justify the space these things take. And obviously that's also quite expensive, but it's more the space thing. Now, a House of the Dead cabinet I'd have to think about before deciding it was a bad purchase decision. haha...

@Noone2025 I think, if it weren't for the 32X, discussion about the Sega CD would be less negative. As an add-on, the Sega CD sold decently, and the value proposition that worked back then (it could play games AND audio CDs, which was a novel thing at the time) is lost on people now. It also had plenty of worthwhile games. As many jokes are made about FMV games now, they were "futuristic" back then, and then there are legit classics like Lunar, Sonic CD, Snatcher, Robo Aleste, etc. My problem was I was a kid back then, relying on birthdays and Christmas to get games, so as much as I wanted it, I never got one back then.

Wow, this is a big read. But I will say for now that I have never, ever understood the hate for this game. The only criticism I have is that it's hard to know where to go, but that is solved for me having played it so many times. The fact that there are awake and dream versions of each level and the fact that you gain cool powers in the dream version... Seriously this game has always been awesome. Plus the music is incredible.

Yes, I did know, and I recall intentionally playing the game with a GBA because of it. It didn't seem that strange to me back then because the DX version of Link's Awakening did a similar thing. It had an exclusive dungeon if you played it on a Gameboy Color that was not accessible if played on Gameboy (never actually tried to confirm that though). And the puzzles in the dungeon were intentionally very color-based to take advantage of the color screen.

If it's tank controls, limited ammo and fixed/semi-fixed camera angles, I am all about this.

Recently bought this for a relative, and she is loving it. The fact that Banjo is a native port is intriguing. I know Dreamcast emulation has been brought up and dismissed as a possibility for Evercade, but porting a Dreamcast game is a different, very plausible proposition.

Also have to shout out the Super Pocket devices themselves. It is so refreshing to see a cheap cartridge based handheld (considering handhelds used to target lower prices until probably the PSP came along). The thing is pocketable but still feels good to play.

I'm not happy about it, but I am also largely checked out of modern gaming. I buy things that Sega puts out and some things Nintendo makes, but that's kind of it. Maybe the occasional NIS America title. So it sucks, but it's probably just the shove I needed to decide that I don't need the new consoles any more. I have completed exactly ONE PS5 game (Astrobot), though I have replayed some PS4 games on it in 4k. If I'm forced to buy digital, I prefer PC.

It seems like modern gaming is in a pretty bad place right now, with this announcement, Microsoft's layoffs and prices going up on years-old consoles.

@Cronodoug Can't vouch for it, but that's basically what the RG Slide is from Anbernic. https://www.timeextension.com/news/2025/06/anbernics-psp-go-spiritual-successor-the-rg-slide-shown-running-wii-and-ps2-games

Just gave my soon-to-be four year old an old 2DS as his first console. The things are built like a tank, more so than probably any console since the Gameboy Color — and maybe even more durable than that. Can't say that this device really appeals to me. I could see its use for shmups, but as others have pointed out, the resolution is a bit odd.

Excellent. Evercade could actually become very important if Microsoft and eventually Nintendo follow suit on the digital only bandwagon. You're not going to get AAA titles, but I bet a lot of indies and smaller publishers would consider Evercade if it were the only physical game remaining. I think Nintendo will stick with physical for the remainder of the Switch 2's life span (even if it's inferior game key card), but a lot less confident about the follow-up.

The reason I'm more okay with digital on PC than console is there are a myriad of ways to back up games or patch them if DRM becomes an issue with more modern versions of Windows. There are also multiple storefronts, meaning that, though it's all digital, there is still choice. PlayStation will now be the most walled of walled gardens when PlayStation Store is your one and only option. I would be more upset about this decision if I cared more about modern gaming, but as it stands, besides Sega and some things Nintendo puts out, I'm basically checked out already.

@8thDoctor Yes, and they shut it down pretty quickly if I recall. I never got to try it. I recall when my wife and I went to Japan in 2015, she intentionally brought her 3DS to Akihabara. The number of StreetPasses she got was insane. Really a fun feature. Always felt the Switch was pretty barren compared to prior Nintendo handhelds in that respect. Do they even have folders yet?? haha..

Proprietary memory, yes. Huge mistake. But back touchpad? I mean, whatever. Yeah, it wasn't very useful, but it was a nonfactor in Vita's success or failure. The problem was software. Look at Sony's output on PSP, and then look at Vita. PSP got its very own versions of GTA and God of War! The highest profile title Vita got was Uncharted, and that was a launch title.

EDIT: But I will say I actually do love the Vita despite Sony's poor effort. It had some really great (and weird) Japanese titles. Dragon Quest Builders and Yomawari 1 and 2 being some of my favorites.

Give me Doctor Hauzer and Virtuoso, and I'll be interested. "Bundle of nerrrrrrrrrrrrrrves..."

I watched the movie a couple years back — probably because of this article. Not interested in the subject matter, really, but the movie was okay. The product placement was funny in how over the top it was, but that was the point. Interesting look back at a very brief period when Dreamcast was doing a full-on media assault (the "It's thinking" commercials, the random appearances on MTV, etc.)

So only one in eight are going to "glow?" Presumably that just means an LED behind the label, I'm assuming. Not buying this, but I would be pretty annoyed if I spent $99 and did not get the "special" cart.

Game Arts was on fire for a while, with Lunar and then Grandia. Grandia 2 is still one of my favorite games. It's sad they've done so little more recently. And Working Design did a fantastic job with releases. They always had a color manual, but they really went all out for Lunar.

Well, this was unexpected, and I am all for it.

I always found Sonic CD a little slow. I prefer Sonic 2 over it.

Disagree that the new games aren't good, but whatever. That is his opinion. Even if Sonic & Knuckles is my favorite game, that doesn't mean later games have no merit. You could make similar claims about Castlevania or Metal Gear Solid, etc, etc.

I mean, Naka definitely had a lot to do with Sonic becoming the success that it was. And Ohshima, too. I owe a lot of my fondest childhood gaming memories to these guys. But I have read the stories about Sonic Xtreme and the NiGHTS engine. Seems like Naka could be difficult at times. Still love his games, even when he left Sega. I mean, come on. Let's Tap! That theme song will be stuck in my head until the day I die.

@Damo There are plenty of people that use it but are not happy about it. I've been in my profession for almost 20 years, and then this stuff shows up. I have two little kids and a mortgage. I have to adapt to survive. I hate it, but that's how it is.

I have a hard time seeing this price as viable when the Steam Deck is pretty old hardware at this point.

But yes, the memory price increases are crazy, and it has actually dissuaded me from purchasing new NVME drives and SD cards. Instead, I've been thinking about which devices I no longer use that I can grab the drive/card from. Just crazy.

@KingMike I was just joking, but yeah, I'm sure it has happened. Lots of stuff gets left on discs that isn't accessible, as we've seen many times.

Well, that's just lazy. If you want to try to force consumers to buy multiple versions to get the complete experience, at least have the decency to delete the files from the other version.

@AllieKitsune Yeah, that's bad. What was the fascination with invisible enemies back then? Enemy Zero did it, too.

So what makes it difficult to play? Is it hard? Is it janky? I've played and enjoyed some jank. I just played through all of Overblood 2 and played Omikron a couple years ago, and I thought they were pretty good. haha.

Hey, that's the exact drive in my desktop right next to me! Not sure I fully understand. If they're encrypted, can they be played? Also every disc drive could read the low density part of the GD-ROM. That was the point of it... not sure the distinction there.

The thing about the Wii is that certain groups bought it specifically for Wii Sports. I recall my grandfather in a nursing home talking about the Wii and Wii Sports. That disc probably never left the console. I wish them luck, but this thing needs a killer app like that to do Wii numbers. Plus it would have to be a pack-in with no need for a subscription (which could be separate, but recurring fees kill people's interest).

@slider1983 Yeah. It was a very late release, coming out after the the N64, and people (including myself) had really moved on to the new consoles. I loved the first two games, with Dream Land being one of the first games I can recall actually beating, but I completely missed the third when it came out. Very pretty game.

Pokemon Snap is a very special one for me. I was prime age for Pokemon mania, and Pokemon Snap finally let me see 3D Pokemon "in the wild" (Stadium was cool, but it was just battles). I was pretty disappointed by how short the game was, but I still love it. Stopping at your vehicle at the Moltres egg in the volcano level and calling over like a dozen Charmanders will always stick with me. Interesting that they say they added new routes. That seems like something that would require a lot of new art assets.

That sucks. My brother has been really eager to get his.