As I said on a previous article earlier in the year... the save states will come. There seemed to be a mad rush to add more and more cores at first, but finally, we are now seeing the earlier systems being revisited and much needed features are being added.
I don't remember this ever being a debate... we all sang Land round our parts.
(And when I say we sang it, I mean for the couple of weeks when we played it relentlessly after launch! We pretty soon stopped singing it as it's actually quite annoying!!!)
@Elitepatriot I'm holding off PS1 until much later. I'm currently working my way through all the Analogue Pocket supported cartridges (Gameboy, Color, Advance, Game Gear, Turbografx, Neo Geo Pocket and Atari Lynx). Growing up I had a Gameboy with a handful of games and never owned any of those other systems. It's been a hugely rewarding experience going back and researching the big games, buying the cartridges and then playing the games one by one, in full to completion, like they were new releases.
I've even been reading old magazines on my phone haha RAZE magazine only had 12 issues, but they can all be downloaded in PDF and it covers the Atari Lynx, Game Gear and Game Boy!
My plan is to stick with the handhelds for the next few years and then move onto Dreamcast and Saturn - I owned an N64 and a PS One. Never had a Dreamcast or Saturn.
I may be in a minority of people that doesn't play ROMs anymore. I did it with the NES, SNES and Mega Drive (thankfully not the Master System - so Game Gear has been all new experiences) and I found that having it all available, you just jump around all the games and don't play them or enjoy them properly. It's almost stressful having it all just there. I had no respect for the games, and that meant I ended up barely playing them. It's like having a huge backlog on Steam.
Looking forward to revisiting PS One, but yea, highly recommend diving into a system you've never played before too!
@LowDefAl I disagree. All you have to do is a little bit of research (prices, ratings, reviews), follow the "if it sounds too good to be true..." rule and if you have any doubts ensure you buy using a credit card - then you can charge the scammer back if you got caught out.
More often than not, the person getting scammed on something falls for something being cheaper than it would normally be... I don't have much sympathy for those people to be frank. Pay the average price and you'll reduce the risk straight away.
I'm trying to work out where this ranks versus an adult colouring book in the list of things to do once you've completed absolutely everything that's possible to do...
Funny timing this as I finished the Game Gear version just a few weeks ago. It's a pretty good game for the time and platform. It captures the Garfield character really well and the levels have some good variety in them.
@Lanmanna I'm not comparing VB to, say PSVR, I'm just pointing out that VR is just as dreadful today as it has ever been.
The sales are low.
The technology is mediocre. The size of that battery pack. On my head...
The software is non existent.
But that's all nothing compared to the fact that nobody is even close to fulfilling the potential...
In 2024 I still can't use VR/AR to put a flat pack wardrobe together with ease.
I can't "visit" locations on a map - nowhere. Not even famous landmarks, let alone local beauty spots or even a shopping centre to see exactly where a shop is located / how accessible the store is.
I can't "sit" in the stadium of the World Cup Final and look around whilst the match plays out.
Nobody is selling me a VR ticket to a music festival. I watch Glastonbury on a flat TV screen. Still. Why? Why am I not being offered... say £50 for access to any stage I want, to watch anything I want at the show? The cameras are all there...?!
Seriously. VR and AR are closer to Virtual Boy than they are to being anywhere near meeting their potential.
I thought it was widely accepted that the Virtual Boy was vindicated by the fact it all but certainly laid down the foundations of, eventual, success with the 3DS?
I think the Virtual Boy is impressive for the time. Not being funny, but it's not like VR is anywhere near decent even now, in 2024.
AR and VR have massively stalled. Wearable technology in general has massively stalled. We haven't even reached a point where everyone wears a smart watch, let alone all the other items you would think could and should follow.
In terms of the merchandise... pretty uninspiring isn't it? A whole load of tat and a t shirt (which is all but certainly terrible quality and will look dreadful after 3 washes) if we're being honest?
Hrmm I don't really like the attitude on show, although I understand the general sentiment. Having a pop at the new developers because they are young and "haven't played the original games" is just plain rude - comes across as sour grapes. Plus the new team could be huge fans of the arcade game... there's no way they know this?!
Fair enough to criticise the direction of the game... but don't get personal on it.
As an aside, I've got Double Dragon for both the Gameboy and the Atari Lynx lined up to play at some point next year - instead of this...!
The original Tamagotchi was a bit of a fad, so no idea what you would call this resurgence?! A super fad maybe? Majority of people buying these are the ones with memories of it from way back when.
All the actual kids are playing Fortnite, Minecraft and EA's FC! Genuinely think my daughter would be bullied if she had one of these - sad, but true.
@Sternosaur it's the kind of role where I can imagine they already had a candidate lined up. They have to advertise the job, by law, so may as well make a load of publicity out of it!
More than 9 million Saturns were sold...! Its unreasonable to discourage people from buying one of these.
If you want to argue about issues with the Saturn's legacy... I suggest you take it up with SEGA directly.
How many sodding Mega Drive consoles/collections/remakes/licensed "knock offs"! Licensed! It's unbelievable what's out there that SEGA themselves have approved and encouraged!
The same games... over and over and over and over again. Golden Axe. Sonic. Streets of rage. Ecco The Dolphin.... over. And. Over. Again.
Yet the Saturn? Diddly squat. AliExpress are not the problem... SEGA are the problem.
I like the look of this - a little rough around some edges, but it is early doors.
Only thing I wasn't bowled over by was the sound. I thought the voice over work sounded very amateur, the soundtrack is off the mark and the sfx a bit washed out.
BUT... sound is easily changed, and I suspect it was rushed through for the alpha footage and will be much better further down the road.
Regarding the debate around the hardware pricing and whether they can make money off this project or not... don't forget they will make absolutely nothing from any software. When you consider that the average console only turned a profit after selling a few games at full price, I think it's fair for people to seriously question the viability of this console selling at the suggested price point.
When you consider the state of the games industry at the moment, I can't help but feel we would ALL benefit from showing just a bit more respect to one another.
Coin Op come across particularly badly in the exchange, it has to be said. They would benefit from thinking a little more before taking action. You don't have to like your peers... but you should show some respect especially in this particular case given the contributions that have been made to gaming.
I voted no but it doesn't mean I'm not interested... I'm just not pre-ordering.
I'm waiting for the Analogue 3D announcement, which I think is fair to say is very much DUE if they are still targeting a 2024 release date.
I've pretty much mapped out the next 3 or 4 years between exploring the N64 catalogue and digging really deep into the Game Gear and Game Boy/Color/Advance catalogues. Having an absolute blast with it - although the PS5 and Switch are seriously gathering dust!
Dreamcast and Saturn are definitely on my future list... and I'd like to explore Mega Drive too, so this device ticks the boxes.
Who knows... by the time they actually have this ready (and by the looks of it, they are a considerable way away - plus that thing is so ugly!) maybe I'll also be ready?
I think it's more likely Analogue will do a Dreamcast in a few years... but you never know.
Something I don't see reported much around the "cost of living crisis" is that there are clearly TWO contributing factors in people feeling the squeeze and not being too happy about it.
1. Prices have gone up a lot.
2. What you get has gone down!
So I'm paying more for my jaffa cakes, and I'm getting less jaffa cakes at the same time. That is not only a sad state of affairs... it annoys me immensely!
PS5 Pro is doing the exact same thing. You pay more - and its a lot more - and whilst there is clearly some improvements... where's my disc drive gone?! Thieves!!
Charge more because costs have gone up... I understand that. Stop taking things away at the same time to massage your profits!
@Ryu_Niiyama I recommend the game gear adapter. I've been really enjoying playing through the Game Gear library - it's a lot better than people remember, and a lot of the games aren't hugely expensive.
The new colours look nice, but it's disappointing the OS update doesn't have more to it.
The new colours are mostly interesting to new buyers. Would make a lot of sense to give your existing owners a more engaging OS update at the same time. Seems logical to me.
For one thing, I have 115 games in my library now. A few more simple ways to sort the library would be very welcome. Sort by length played, by date added, by release date, group by platform... seriously can't believe some of this stuff isn't already possible.
Also, it's September... where is the 3D Announcement?
Analogue are a real love/hate business - has to be said. I really wish they had more focus with their comms. There should be more Newsletters, more user feedback into the OS and more information on upcoming releases. They need to do more to reach a broader audience too. You can't keep selling the same person multiple Pockets - which must be the objective given you just released a special edition of the Pocket with no mention of more to come and then you now have more... it's not a great tactic. You're just going to annoy people. There's a huge audience of 80s born that still have no idea this even exists.
I have so little recollection of the Dreamcast growing up in the UK. I remember thinking the controllers with the removable memory cards were awesome, but never saw much about the games.
Worth remembering that this was a period of time that had some absolutely brilliant N64 and PS1 games - not to mention the PS2 was being talked about everywhere.
I remember FF9 dominating the summer holidays in 1999 and I remember watching FFX trailers not long after- and being blown away by the Sin tsunami attack clip!
So for me, Dreamcast really passed by. But, I'm actually pleased about it! I forged my gaming memories on N64 and PS1 - no shame or regret at all - and now I am happy to anticipate visiting Dreamcast completely blind in the coming years.
This is way too fiddly to actually be useful. Nice idea, but the design is pretty shocking - unless it's an old iPhone you do not intend to use as a phone and just play games on.
@LadyCharlie true to an extent, but the exposed part of the cartridge can certainly rust and deteriorate in poor conditions. It would take a LOT longer to reach a point of no return though, for sure.
My collection is mostly cartridge based across early Nintendo and Sega platforms, so I've actually taken the recent decision to invest in those Books4Games storage solutions. At first look they're very expensive... but actually, I look at the value of certain retro games now and actually it makes absolute sense to invest in some decent storage.
@Axelay71 Yep, agreed. I've spent more time playing Game Gear games on my Analogue Pocket in 2024 than I have spent playing PS5, Xbox or Switch games.
My next console purchase won't be the new Switch or PS5 Pro... it'll be the 3D from Analogue and I'll be playing my old N64 carts!
Last year I put Star Wars Outlaws on my watch list, but it's not there anymore. I'm fully invested in retro handheld for the foreseeable. I'm literally playing Super Star Wars Return Of The Jedi on the Game Gear instead - and it's awesome by the way.
Credit to Analogue for seeing the gap in the market and seizing the opportunity. As for all the publishers... what fools. I'm spending 100s on the second hand market... and judging by the amount being sold online, I'm clearly not alone. They make nothing from it. Money left on the table as they, pathetically, chase their live service nonsense. No thanks.
I remember playing this back in the 90s - it's a really, really good game! Having played Blood Money and Xenon 2 before it, X really did build on everything before it. I'll definitely check this out!
Funnily enough I picked up a copy of this game just the other week! I never played it back in the day, but it's lined up ready for when Analogue release the 3D. Can't wait!
1. No-one has ever found anything in the game to reveal the required code. When we consider how much people have played this game it's clear there simply is nothing in game to tell us.
2. Volume of items in jars has never been used as a puzzle or a puzzle hint in any Zelda game. Probably because it's cryptic and that's not in keeping with a Zelda puzzle or indeed Nintendo's style.
3. The puzzle is not particularly complex so it's certainly plausible that the brute force method was adopted.
I think the fact there are only two possible combinations of 1 2 3 whereby the numbers are ALL in the incorrect place of a 1 2 3 order is the most logical rationale.
231 and 312
On balance, a lot of players would see those combinations as having at least some degree of logic. But of course, brute force technique works just fine too.
We had an Amiga 500 - it was a bundle that came with Batman The Movie and I was... 5 I think! I vividly remember playing The New Zealand Story, my first ever game, and watching my old man attempt to complete Batman (he managed it a few times!) and Turbo Outrun (he never managed that one!).
Obviously I never managed to beat The New Zealand Story haha
It was an absolutely brilliant machine with some really remarkable sound and graphics- and Xenon 2 is a brilliant example. Compare the Amiga version to the Mega Drive port and it tells you everything you need to know about why the Amiga was so good.
Xenon 2 and Speedball 2 missing from this collection is pretty criminal... unless they are planning a sequel collection? Those two games are pretty much all I think of when someone says Bitmap Brothers (and Bomb The Base in the case of Xenon 2!)
I have the Amiga Mini now, which is great, but I tell you what... the OpenFpga Amiga core on the Analogue Pocket is superb. Cannot recommend it enough.
In fact, everyone seems to go on about the Nintendo and SEGA cores... They look amateur compared to the work that has been done on this Amiga core. Clearly built by fans with a real passion... and there are so many great games (and so many terrible ones too!!) But yes, so many great games!
Imagine. Every single Amiga game ever made. Not only in your pocket.. but playable too! 5 year old me would never have believed it haha
@RetroGames Yep, I absolutely agree. I just finished playing that Horizons ROM version of Super Mario Kart. I enjoyed it, and I absolutely respect the wonderful hardworking involved but it did leave me a bit underwhelmed in that I was just playing more of the same game I already knew and loved. And whilst I understand that was entirely the point of the Horizons ROM(!) it did just make me think... what about something new and original?
So strange because I literally was reading up on Neo Geo Pocket Color games yesterday, as there's an adapter for the Analogue Pocket, and there are a couple of Metal Slug games that look great!
I've been playing Alien 3 on the Analogue Pocket Game Gear Adapter. Good little game actually - tough, but you can get through!
I remember playing Alien Trilogy at my mate's house the week it launched. I know the game hasn't aged particularly well, but I hope this book manages to capture that special feeling of playing these early 3D games for the very first time. This was a genuinely terrifying experience at the time!
Also hoping for an update to the Analogue Pocket OS and firmware... There are so many basic features missing from the device... like being able to sort the games by length of time played, as one really basic example.
No interest whatsoever in this variant. $500 is too much - I'd sooner use that money to buy a load of Game Gear and Gameboy Advance games since I never owned those consoles back in the day!
This sounds great, but I would encourage the inclusion of the full library of Game Gear games and not just the exclusives.
I would also recommend including Analogue Pocket as the Game Gear adapter is a wonderful, wonderful thing. Would be good to interview them and include it as this is a huge reason for the recent surge in Game Gear interest. Far more than the frankly ludicrous Game Gear Micro.
I've been thoroughly enjoying exploring the Game Gear catalogue for the first time over the past 6 months or so. Crystal Warriors was a highlight and looking forward to starting Defenders of Oasis soon.
Oh also they should include the translation games. Royal Stone is a good example, and Coca Cola Kid. There's loads of them - Japan exclusives but you can buy fan translation carts. Definitely worth exploring.
Will keep an eye on the book, but I think the scope needs expanding - don't need loads of pages on it, but Analogue, Full Library and Translations all should be there in my opinion!
@antdickens Does anyone even know what was happening in Russia in 1984, though? I mean it's no coincidence information is light... finding out anything about Russia can be tricky.
Tetris absolutely could have been on sale in Russia in 1984.
It was the voluntary moderators, Hobbas, along with the Rares that made the game a success back in those days. No idea why Sulake think they can replicate those days without either of those key elements.
The volunteer moderator role was crucial to making people stay with the game, spend money and increase their visits. The success of Habbo dropped from the moment they did away with that feature.
Yes, it was a difficult thing to moderate... and there were a lot of challenges around vetting online players. Sulake never realised it was worth the effort.
Comments 211
Re: MiSTer FPGA SNES Core Gets A Much-Requested Feature
As I said on a previous article earlier in the year... the save states will come. There seemed to be a mad rush to add more and more cores at first, but finally, we are now seeing the earlier systems being revisited and much needed features are being added.
Re: New Sega Rally Soundtrack Just Settled A Decades-Old Argument
I don't remember this ever being a debate... we all sang Land round our parts.
(And when I say we sang it, I mean for the couple of weeks when we played it relentlessly after launch! We pretty soon stopped singing it as it's actually quite annoying!!!)
Re: What Do You See In Sonic The Hedgehog's Waterfalls?
There was definitely a faint rainbow effect on the waterfalls. The examples above are just silly - it never, ever looked anything like that.
Re: "This Could Be Crippling" - Fake PS1 Discs Just Got Harder To Spot
@Elitepatriot I'm holding off PS1 until much later. I'm currently working my way through all the Analogue Pocket supported cartridges (Gameboy, Color, Advance, Game Gear, Turbografx, Neo Geo Pocket and Atari Lynx). Growing up I had a Gameboy with a handful of games and never owned any of those other systems. It's been a hugely rewarding experience going back and researching the big games, buying the cartridges and then playing the games one by one, in full to completion, like they were new releases.
I've even been reading old magazines on my phone haha RAZE magazine only had 12 issues, but they can all be downloaded in PDF and it covers the Atari Lynx, Game Gear and Game Boy!
My plan is to stick with the handhelds for the next few years and then move onto Dreamcast and Saturn - I owned an N64 and a PS One. Never had a Dreamcast or Saturn.
I may be in a minority of people that doesn't play ROMs anymore. I did it with the NES, SNES and Mega Drive (thankfully not the Master System - so Game Gear has been all new experiences) and I found that having it all available, you just jump around all the games and don't play them or enjoy them properly. It's almost stressful having it all just there. I had no respect for the games, and that meant I ended up barely playing them. It's like having a huge backlog on Steam.
Looking forward to revisiting PS One, but yea, highly recommend diving into a system you've never played before too!
Re: "This Could Be Crippling" - Fake PS1 Discs Just Got Harder To Spot
@LowDefAl I disagree. All you have to do is a little bit of research (prices, ratings, reviews), follow the "if it sounds too good to be true..." rule and if you have any doubts ensure you buy using a credit card - then you can charge the scammer back if you got caught out.
More often than not, the person getting scammed on something falls for something being cheaper than it would normally be... I don't have much sympathy for those people to be frank. Pay the average price and you'll reduce the risk straight away.
Re: Blindfolded Speedrunner Completes Mario 64 In Under 20 Minutes
I'm trying to work out where this ranks versus an adult colouring book in the list of things to do once you've completed absolutely everything that's possible to do...
Re: Brand New Footage Of "Lost" Garfield Sega Channel Game Emerges Online
Funny timing this as I finished the Game Gear version just a few weeks ago. It's a pretty good game for the time and platform. It captures the Garfield character really well and the levels have some good variety in them.
Re: Namco's Splatterhouse Is Getting An Unofficial Mega Drive / Genesis Port
Funnily enough I just picked up a Hucard of the original Splatterhouse. Looking forward to playing it on my Pocket at some point next year...!
Re: Yes, You Can Buy Virtual Boy Merch At The Nintendo Museum
@Lanmanna I'm not comparing VB to, say PSVR, I'm just pointing out that VR is just as dreadful today as it has ever been.
The sales are low.
The technology is mediocre. The size of that battery pack. On my head...
The software is non existent.
But that's all nothing compared to the fact that nobody is even close to fulfilling the potential...
In 2024 I still can't use VR/AR to put a flat pack wardrobe together with ease.
I can't "visit" locations on a map - nowhere. Not even famous landmarks, let alone local beauty spots or even a shopping centre to see exactly where a shop is located / how accessible the store is.
I can't "sit" in the stadium of the World Cup Final and look around whilst the match plays out.
Nobody is selling me a VR ticket to a music festival. I watch Glastonbury on a flat TV screen. Still. Why? Why am I not being offered... say £50 for access to any stage I want, to watch anything I want at the show? The cameras are all there...?!
Seriously. VR and AR are closer to Virtual Boy than they are to being anywhere near meeting their potential.
Re: Yes, You Can Buy Virtual Boy Merch At The Nintendo Museum
@VGScrapbook Now that's a water bottle, key ring, t shirt, fridge magnet and pencil case I NEED!
Re: Yes, You Can Buy Virtual Boy Merch At The Nintendo Museum
I thought it was widely accepted that the Virtual Boy was vindicated by the fact it all but certainly laid down the foundations of, eventual, success with the 3DS?
I think the Virtual Boy is impressive for the time. Not being funny, but it's not like VR is anywhere near decent even now, in 2024.
AR and VR have massively stalled. Wearable technology in general has massively stalled. We haven't even reached a point where everyone wears a smart watch, let alone all the other items you would think could and should follow.
In terms of the merchandise... pretty uninspiring isn't it? A whole load of tat and a t shirt (which is all but certainly terrible quality and will look dreadful after 3 washes) if we're being honest?
Re: Time Crisis Is Coming To Modern TVs Thanks To A Plug-And-Play, AI-Powered Light Gun
I'd definitely be up for this, but, I'd also want to be able to play the Point Blank games!
Re: 20 Years In The Making, Mario Adventure 3 Is The Ultimate Mario 3 ROM Hack
This is funny timing for me as I just finished Mario Advance 4 (Super Mario Bros 3) on the GBA the other week! I'll definitely check this one out.
Re: Double Dragon Artist Says Double Dragon Revive Is "Cheap" And "Shows No Respect" To The Series
Hrmm I don't really like the attitude on show, although I understand the general sentiment. Having a pop at the new developers because they are young and "haven't played the original games" is just plain rude - comes across as sour grapes. Plus the new team could be huge fans of the arcade game... there's no way they know this?!
Fair enough to criticise the direction of the game... but don't get personal on it.
As an aside, I've got Double Dragon for both the Gameboy and the Atari Lynx lined up to play at some point next year - instead of this...!
Re: Tamagotchi Sales Double As The UK Gets Its First Store
The original Tamagotchi was a bit of a fad, so no idea what you would call this resurgence?! A super fad maybe? Majority of people buying these are the ones with memories of it from way back when.
All the actual kids are playing Fortnite, Minecraft and EA's FC! Genuinely think my daughter would be bullied if she had one of these - sad, but true.
Re: Think You Know Everything About Sonic And Sega? You Could Earn $130,000 A Year
@Sternosaur it's the kind of role where I can imagine they already had a candidate lined up. They have to advertise the job, by law, so may as well make a load of publicity out of it!
Re: Please Stop Buying Unofficial "Saturn Mini" Consoles
More than 9 million Saturns were sold...! Its unreasonable to discourage people from buying one of these.
If you want to argue about issues with the Saturn's legacy... I suggest you take it up with SEGA directly.
How many sodding Mega Drive consoles/collections/remakes/licensed "knock offs"! Licensed! It's unbelievable what's out there that SEGA themselves have approved and encouraged!
The same games... over and over and over and over again. Golden Axe. Sonic. Streets of rage. Ecco The Dolphin.... over. And. Over. Again.
Yet the Saturn? Diddly squat. AliExpress are not the problem... SEGA are the problem.
Re: 50 More PS1 Classics Coming To Antstream Arcade, PS2 And GameCube Games Could Be Next
Sick and tired of subscriptions to be honest with you.
But I'm also sick and tired of buying old stuff too.
Why can't we just get a digital hardware system and all the software for a fixed price? Is that really too much to ask?
Re: Ex-Metal Slug Developers Announce Black Finger Jet, A New Run-And-Gun Game
I like the look of this - a little rough around some edges, but it is early doors.
Only thing I wasn't bowled over by was the sound. I thought the voice over work sounded very amateur, the soundtrack is off the mark and the sfx a bit washed out.
BUT... sound is easily changed, and I suspect it was rushed through for the alpha footage and will be much better further down the road.
Re: You'll Be Able To Secure Your SuperSega FPGA Console For Just Three Bucks
Regarding the debate around the hardware pricing and whether they can make money off this project or not... don't forget they will make absolutely nothing from any software. When you consider that the average console only turned a profit after selling a few games at full price, I think it's fair for people to seriously question the viability of this console selling at the suggested price point.
I honestly would expect closer to double...
Re: Egads, There's More Drama In The FPGA Retro Gaming Community
@jimmytodgers I agree. Well said.
Re: Egads, There's More Drama In The FPGA Retro Gaming Community
When you consider the state of the games industry at the moment, I can't help but feel we would ALL benefit from showing just a bit more respect to one another.
Coin Op come across particularly badly in the exchange, it has to be said. They would benefit from thinking a little more before taking action. You don't have to like your peers... but you should show some respect especially in this particular case given the contributions that have been made to gaming.
Re: You'll Be Able To Secure Your SuperSega FPGA Console For Just Three Bucks
I voted no but it doesn't mean I'm not interested... I'm just not pre-ordering.
I'm waiting for the Analogue 3D announcement, which I think is fair to say is very much DUE if they are still targeting a 2024 release date.
I've pretty much mapped out the next 3 or 4 years between exploring the N64 catalogue and digging really deep into the Game Gear and Game Boy/Color/Advance catalogues. Having an absolute blast with it - although the PS5 and Switch are seriously gathering dust!
Dreamcast and Saturn are definitely on my future list... and I'd like to explore Mega Drive too, so this device ticks the boxes.
Who knows... by the time they actually have this ready (and by the looks of it, they are a considerable way away - plus that thing is so ugly!) maybe I'll also be ready?
I think it's more likely Analogue will do a Dreamcast in a few years... but you never know.
Re: Think PS5 Pro Is Too Much At $700? The 3DO Would Like A Word
Something I don't see reported much around the "cost of living crisis" is that there are clearly TWO contributing factors in people feeling the squeeze and not being too happy about it.
1. Prices have gone up a lot.
2. What you get has gone down!
So I'm paying more for my jaffa cakes, and I'm getting less jaffa cakes at the same time. That is not only a sad state of affairs... it annoys me immensely!
PS5 Pro is doing the exact same thing. You pay more - and its a lot more - and whilst there is clearly some improvements... where's my disc drive gone?! Thieves!!
Charge more because costs have gone up... I understand that. Stop taking things away at the same time to massage your profits!
Re: Upcoming Book Celebrates The Pixel Art Of The GBA
This looks wonderful! I'm collecting GBA games at the moment, so this is a really timely release to aid my discovery and selection process!
Re: More Analogue Pocket Editions Are On The Way, And They're Based On The Game Boy Color
@Ryu_Niiyama I recommend the game gear adapter. I've been really enjoying playing through the Game Gear library - it's a lot better than people remember, and a lot of the games aren't hugely expensive.
Re: More Analogue Pocket Editions Are On The Way, And They're Based On The Game Boy Color
The new colours look nice, but it's disappointing the OS update doesn't have more to it.
The new colours are mostly interesting to new buyers. Would make a lot of sense to give your existing owners a more engaging OS update at the same time. Seems logical to me.
For one thing, I have 115 games in my library now. A few more simple ways to sort the library would be very welcome. Sort by length played, by date added, by release date, group by platform... seriously can't believe some of this stuff isn't already possible.
Also, it's September... where is the 3D Announcement?
Analogue are a real love/hate business - has to be said. I really wish they had more focus with their comms. There should be more Newsletters, more user feedback into the OS and more information on upcoming releases. They need to do more to reach a broader audience too. You can't keep selling the same person multiple Pockets - which must be the objective given you just released a special edition of the Pocket with no mention of more to come and then you now have more... it's not a great tactic. You're just going to annoy people. There's a huge audience of 80s born that still have no idea this even exists.
Re: Anniversary: It's Been 25 Years Since The Dreamcast's North American "9.9.99" Launch
@UK_Kev Yep you are right, it was FF8!
Re: Anniversary: It's Been 25 Years Since The Dreamcast's North American "9.9.99" Launch
I have so little recollection of the Dreamcast growing up in the UK. I remember thinking the controllers with the removable memory cards were awesome, but never saw much about the games.
Worth remembering that this was a period of time that had some absolutely brilliant N64 and PS1 games - not to mention the PS2 was being talked about everywhere.
I remember FF9 dominating the summer holidays in 1999 and I remember watching FFX trailers not long after- and being blown away by the Sin tsunami attack clip!
So for me, Dreamcast really passed by. But, I'm actually pleased about it! I forged my gaming memories on N64 and PS1 - no shame or regret at all - and now I am happy to anticipate visiting Dreamcast completely blind in the coming years.
Re: This FIFA 98 And Silent Hill Mash-Up Could Be The First "Survival Horror Football Game"
Consider all the gaming projects that never surface in mainstream media...
... then consider this getting an article!
Re: PlayCase Turns Your iPhone Into A Proper Portable Game Console
This is way too fiddly to actually be useful. Nice idea, but the design is pretty shocking - unless it's an old iPhone you do not intend to use as a phone and just play games on.
Re: This Is Why You Should Never Store Your Retro Game Collection In A Shed
@LadyCharlie true to an extent, but the exposed part of the cartridge can certainly rust and deteriorate in poor conditions. It would take a LOT longer to reach a point of no return though, for sure.
My collection is mostly cartridge based across early Nintendo and Sega platforms, so I've actually taken the recent decision to invest in those Books4Games storage solutions. At first look they're very expensive... but actually, I look at the value of certain retro games now and actually it makes absolute sense to invest in some decent storage.
Re: Sonic CD Has Been Ported To The Sega Genesis
Oh this is a tricky one! I've never played it, despite being a huge fan of the original Sonic games. I think I'll do it - the time is right!
Re: Unearthed Is A New Game Boy Sci-Fi Adventure From The Developer Of Grimace's Birthday
This looks interesting - will check it out!
Re: Final Fantasy IX's AI-Powered Upscale Mod Just Got An Unexpected Update
@Azuris Nice for people to have more choice, yep.
Re: Final Fantasy IX's AI-Powered Upscale Mod Just Got An Unexpected Update
Nice, but it can't be long now until the FF9 Remake gets announced? It's the worst kept secret.
Re: Interview: "Our Goal Was To Preserve The Original Pixel Art" - X-Out Resurfaced Dev On Remaking The Amiga Classic
@Axelay71 Yep, agreed. I've spent more time playing Game Gear games on my Analogue Pocket in 2024 than I have spent playing PS5, Xbox or Switch games.
My next console purchase won't be the new Switch or PS5 Pro... it'll be the 3D from Analogue and I'll be playing my old N64 carts!
Last year I put Star Wars Outlaws on my watch list, but it's not there anymore. I'm fully invested in retro handheld for the foreseeable. I'm literally playing Super Star Wars Return Of The Jedi on the Game Gear instead - and it's awesome by the way.
Credit to Analogue for seeing the gap in the market and seizing the opportunity. As for all the publishers... what fools. I'm spending 100s on the second hand market... and judging by the amount being sold online, I'm clearly not alone. They make nothing from it. Money left on the table as they, pathetically, chase their live service nonsense. No thanks.
Re: Interview: "Our Goal Was To Preserve The Original Pixel Art" - X-Out Resurfaced Dev On Remaking The Amiga Classic
I remember playing this back in the 90s - it's a really, really good game! Having played Blood Money and Xenon 2 before it, X really did build on everything before it. I'll definitely check this out!
Re: The Making Of: Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, Konami's Underrated N64 Classic
Funnily enough I picked up a copy of this game just the other week! I never played it back in the day, but it's lined up ready for when Analogue release the 3D. Can't wait!
Re: Random: No One Can Agree On The Solution To This Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Puzzle
We have to look at the facts...
1. No-one has ever found anything in the game to reveal the required code. When we consider how much people have played this game it's clear there simply is nothing in game to tell us.
2. Volume of items in jars has never been used as a puzzle or a puzzle hint in any Zelda game. Probably because it's cryptic and that's not in keeping with a Zelda puzzle or indeed Nintendo's style.
3. The puzzle is not particularly complex so it's certainly plausible that the brute force method was adopted.
I think the fact there are only two possible combinations of 1 2 3 whereby the numbers are ALL in the incorrect place of a 1 2 3 order is the most logical rationale.
231 and 312
On balance, a lot of players would see those combinations as having at least some degree of logic. But of course, brute force technique works just fine too.
Re: The Bitmap Brothers Collection 2 Brings Amiga Classics To Evercade
We had an Amiga 500 - it was a bundle that came with Batman The Movie and I was... 5 I think! I vividly remember playing The New Zealand Story, my first ever game, and watching my old man attempt to complete Batman (he managed it a few times!) and Turbo Outrun (he never managed that one!).
Obviously I never managed to beat The New Zealand Story haha
It was an absolutely brilliant machine with some really remarkable sound and graphics- and Xenon 2 is a brilliant example. Compare the Amiga version to the Mega Drive port and it tells you everything you need to know about why the Amiga was so good.
Xenon 2 and Speedball 2 missing from this collection is pretty criminal... unless they are planning a sequel collection? Those two games are pretty much all I think of when someone says Bitmap Brothers (and Bomb The Base in the case of Xenon 2!)
I have the Amiga Mini now, which is great, but I tell you what... the OpenFpga Amiga core on the Analogue Pocket is superb. Cannot recommend it enough.
In fact, everyone seems to go on about the Nintendo and SEGA cores... They look amateur compared to the work that has been done on this Amiga core. Clearly built by fans with a real passion... and there are so many great games (and so many terrible ones too!!) But yes, so many great games!
Imagine. Every single Amiga game ever made. Not only in your pocket.. but playable too! 5 year old me would never have believed it haha
Re: Castlemania Is Super Mario World With Castlevania's Bite
@RetroGames Yep, I absolutely agree. I just finished playing that Horizons ROM version of Super Mario Kart. I enjoyed it, and I absolutely respect the wonderful hardworking involved but it did leave me a bit underwhelmed in that I was just playing more of the same game I already knew and loved. And whilst I understand that was entirely the point of the Horizons ROM(!) it did just make me think... what about something new and original?
Re: A New Metal Slug Game Is Out Today, But Don't Get Too Excited
So strange because I literally was reading up on Neo Geo Pocket Color games yesterday, as there's an adapter for the Analogue Pocket, and there are a couple of Metal Slug games that look great!
Not this though... this looks bad.
Re: GoldenEye 007 & Perfect Dark Artist Brett Jones Has Passed Away
A true legend of the industry, no doubt. Sad news.
Re: ZX Spectrum Classic 'Scuba Dive' Gets Surprising New PC Fan Remake
Looks like they've done a great job here!
Re: Newly Announced Book Will Chart The History of Alien's Xenomorph In Games
I've been playing Alien 3 on the Analogue Pocket Game Gear Adapter. Good little game actually - tough, but you can get through!
I remember playing Alien Trilogy at my mate's house the week it launched. I know the game hasn't aged particularly well, but I hope this book manages to capture that special feeling of playing these early 3D games for the very first time. This was a genuinely terrifying experience at the time!
Re: The Next Analogue Pocket Limited Edition Is Made From Aluminum, Costs $500
Hoping we get some 3D news soon...!
Also hoping for an update to the Analogue Pocket OS and firmware... There are so many basic features missing from the device... like being able to sort the games by length of time played, as one really basic example.
No interest whatsoever in this variant. $500 is too much - I'd sooner use that money to buy a load of Game Gear and Gameboy Advance games since I never owned those consoles back in the day!
Re: Sega's Game Gear Is Getting The Book It Truly Deserves
This sounds great, but I would encourage the inclusion of the full library of Game Gear games and not just the exclusives.
I would also recommend including Analogue Pocket as the Game Gear adapter is a wonderful, wonderful thing. Would be good to interview them and include it as this is a huge reason for the recent surge in Game Gear interest. Far more than the frankly ludicrous Game Gear Micro.
I've been thoroughly enjoying exploring the Game Gear catalogue for the first time over the past 6 months or so. Crystal Warriors was a highlight and looking forward to starting Defenders of Oasis soon.
Oh also they should include the translation games. Royal Stone is a good example, and Coca Cola Kid. There's loads of them - Japan exclusives but you can buy fan translation carts. Definitely worth exploring.
Will keep an eye on the book, but I think the scope needs expanding - don't need loads of pages on it, but Analogue, Full Library and Translations all should be there in my opinion!
Re: Anniversary: Is Tetris Really 40 This Year?
@antdickens Does anyone even know what was happening in Russia in 1984, though? I mean it's no coincidence information is light... finding out anything about Russia can be tricky.
Tetris absolutely could have been on sale in Russia in 1984.
Re: 2000s MMO Game 'Habbo Hotel' Is Getting A Throwback Revival
It was the voluntary moderators, Hobbas, along with the Rares that made the game a success back in those days. No idea why Sulake think they can replicate those days without either of those key elements.
The volunteer moderator role was crucial to making people stay with the game, spend money and increase their visits. The success of Habbo dropped from the moment they did away with that feature.
Yes, it was a difficult thing to moderate... and there were a lot of challenges around vetting online players. Sulake never realised it was worth the effort.