Topics

[Buy/Sell/Trade / WTB: Turbografx-16 coffee mug]

So I landed my first office job about a month ago and they have free coffee! I've never had much use for a coffee mug in the past because I needed to move around.

Anyway, I've always wanted one of those sweet, black turbografx mugs, and I was wondering if anyone here was interested in parting with one of theirs. I don't care which game is featured on it.

Also, in case I don't actually find one, what are some suggestions for other game-related mugs?

[General Gaming / Any good video game books?]

So, I'd like to get a few high quality game books. I'm mostly looking for something with game reviews, pictures, etc like Pat Contri's Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the NES Library.

Anyone seen or read anything good? Thank you for taking the time to respond.  :catastrophy:

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / PCE Controller Variations]

Hey gents, does anyone know of a site with all (or most) NEC controller variants? I wouldn't be surprised if they were all posted on here in different threads, but may YOU know of somewhere that's more concise?

Thanks.

[General Gaming / Best of the Sega Saturn]

All this talk of how much the N64 sucks has got me thinking about this Sega Saturn I have. It hasn't been played much, and it's time to remedy this problem.

So, I'm looking for game suggestions. Specifically, anything but racing, sports, FPS, and turn-based RPGs.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Neutopia II fireballs]

Trying to play some Neutopia II, but I keep getting frustrated with the fire. The enemies move in random directions when they take damage, often hitting me.

The boomerang gets so easily or else I would use it more, and a lot of the enemies are difficult to hit with the sword due to weird movement patterns or significant speed.

I'm only on the fourth dungeon and finding the game much more difficult than I remember the first being.

Can you guys share some strategies or do I just need to "git gud"?

[General Gaming / Everdrive Black Friday sale today!]

I know it's a little early, but I've just been reminded that Krikzz does a 20% off Black Friday sale on everdrives every year. Does this interest you? What are you going to get?

I bought a Game Boy Pocket on the cheap a few months ago and have been playing it pretty often. Unfortunately, the GB Everdrive doesn't always work with the pocket. There's a hardware revision on order which may or may not be available by Black Friday. If not, I'll probably buy one anyway and sell the GBP.

I was also interested in the GBA Everdrive, but it seems that Krikzz will be making a better one sometime in the future, so I may just wait another year or two to get that one. I mean, I've waited this long without playing GBA, what's another year?

[General Gaming / What's the most disgusting item you have purchased?]

So, anytime I get a used controller or game system, I do a thorough cleaning. This typically consists of a complete disassembly and soak in hot, soapy water after taking out the electronics, of course.

Out of maybe 15 consoles and at least twice as many controllers, I've only found two to be truly disgusting. A couple years ago, I bought a 32X on a whim because it was cheap. It smelled like cigarette smoke and took extra time to clean. It also had a few dead cockroaches, pretty gross.

The second was a PS3 I bought only a few months ago. It's a super slim, and again, I got it pretty cheap. This one also smelled like cigarette smoke. I didn't even bring it into the house until I was ready to clean it. Good thing too. Every part I took off was covered in roaches and roach feces. There was also a lot of insect "flakes", I guess this was some sort of molting? I almost threw the whole thing away several times, but I didn't. I even washed the boards because it was all so gross, yuck! What surprises me the most is that this is my newest system. I bought a 2600 about six months ago and its over two decades older. Nothing gross in there but dust.

Do you guys clean your stuff when you get it? Because of these two experiences, I won't be buying anything that smells like smoke in the future. What's the worst you have seen?

[General Gaming / Does GBA use emulation to play GB and GBC games?]

I just completed a backlight and bivert mod on my Gameboy Pocket, and I'm very happy with the results.

I'm trying to decide the best way to play GBC games, but the GBC can only be frontlight modded. It's not the worst but not the best either. I'll probably get the Advance SP AGS-101. I just don't know if it uses emulation to play GBC games or not.

Thanks in advance!

[Buy/Sell/Trade / WTB: Virtual Boy]

I'd like to get a VB and thought I'd check to see if anyone wanted to sell me theirs before I go to ebay.

Thanks.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / RF Shielding: is it necessary?]

When you guys mod system for better output, do you leave the shielding in? Does it serve any purpose if you're not using RF? Why is it even there from the factory?

[General Gaming / Monitor Switcher Like the Extron Crosspoint]

Hey guys, anyone ever gone this route? I'm considering it for the future so that I can play games on different screens. I love playing games on the BVM, but a 20" screen is a little small for 2-player. Ideally, I'd like to do BVM, consumer CRT, and a large consumer LCD.

Anyway, I'm trying to figure out the logistics, but it seems that the biggest problem is cabling. Right now all my cables are SCART and the Extron is BNC. What would be the cheapest/easiest way to get all these different system cables into the Extron?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / What makes Bonk good?]

I don't think Bonk is a good game. Many of you love this game, so I hope to find out why!

I have played the first and third installments, and don't care for either. They both feel like slow, average platformers. I'm a huge lover of platformers on the NES and SNES, but this one doesn't hold my interested. Of course, it's better than Keith Courage, Darkwing Duck, JJ and Jeff, and many others on the system. Is it good compared to other platformers of the era or just those on the Turbo?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Dungeon Explorer or Dungeon Explorer 2?]

I started playing Dungeon Explorer and found it to be pretty awesome. I know it's a favorite around here but was hoping to get some advice. I die...alot. Any tips? Also, is it worth it to play both?

[General Gaming / Modding an Atari 2600]

So, I bought a vader 2600 about a month ago. I've never owned any Atari console, but thought this would be fun and relatively cheap. RF is just awful on any console, and I'm thinking about going for a full RGB mod and connected it to a BVM. Anyway, I have a few concerns before I spend the time and money to do the mod:

1. It's currently connected to a 55" LED TV because that's all I have that will accept RF. Anyway, when I first turn it on, the colors are very dark, but brighten up within about 10 seconds or so. Is this normal? Maybe it's due to the internal converter in the tv?

2. When I took the console apart to clean it, I found the board sticky. I started to clean some of it off with alcohol and a q-tip. This resulted in a foul-smelling odor and it appeared to be taking off the green stuff from the board. I could get confirmation of this if necessary, but at the time, I didn't want to ruin anything. Could this be a problem in the future?

Thanks to anyone willing to help.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / FS/FT: PS3 games]

All games are in excellent condition and include original case and manual except Puppeteer and The Stick of Truth, which I don't think offered one to begin with. Also, prices do not include shipping. Expect about $2.50 each CONUS. I will combine shipping if interested.

PS3 for sale
------------------
Katamari Forever $15
Puppeteer $10
South Park: The Stick of Truth $5

What I'm looking for:
Wii U
------------------
Yoshi's Wooly World
New Super Mario Wii U and Super Luigi Wii U
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze
Paper Mario: Color Splash
Hyrule Warriors
Captain Toad
Rayman Legends
Breath of the Wild

PS3
-----------------
3D dot game heroes
Little Big Planet
Darksiders
Lego Harry Potter
Journey Collection

[General Gaming / Anyone happy with their 3DO?]

I have the opportunity to pick up a 3DO at a good price. What are your opinions on the console?

[General Gaming / Game Boy Advance options]

So, I picked up a Game Boy Pocket today, and I think I want to get a GBA. The biggest problem is that I like the shape of the original GBA better than the SP, but the screen isn't backlit. Has anyone tried a reproduction screen, or should I just buy an SP AGS-101? I definitely don't want to buy an original AGS-101 just to rip the screen out and shove it into the GBA. Also, are there better alternatives that you've found?

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / How much work goes into porting a game to another system?]

Say a game is made for PS4 and I wanted to port it to the XBone, would I have to write the entire code for the game on the Xbone? Is the goal to just use the PS4 version of the game as a model and crunch out the entire game, one line at a time?

I know Henshin Engine is supposed to come out for PCE, but there may be a DC port. Do they have to write the whole game from scratch?

I have only minimal experience with any coding whatsoever, so please dumb it down, if possible. 

[General Gaming / Favorite controller per system]

So, I'm getting my Christmas list together, but I'm having trouble coming up with stuff to ask for. I don't really need anything game related, but a good controller can be very nice.

Does anyone have a controller they prefer on a specific system other than the original that shipped? I'm looking for most anything between NES and PS2.

[General Gaming / Console RGB vs Wii RGB]

I recently received an official Wii RGB cable from ebay and hooked it up to play some Super Mario Sunshine. It looks fantastic, but it got me wondering how the emulators look vs the real deal.

After a little research, I fired up SNES9X GX on the Wii which is able to output RGB via 240p and took some pictures. I then ran the same game on my modded mini SNES and took some more pictures. Even way zoomed in, I can barely tell which is which. Very surprised.

The sizing isn't the same on the ones I took tonight. So, if anyone is interested in A/B shots, I can take some tomorrow. Also, I was thinking of doing comparisons of other consoles, any suggestions for which? I could do PCE if the emulator allows RGB.

[General Gaming / Anyone else use spreadsheets to keep up with games?]

So I have decided to make spreadsheets for games I have played since I can't seem to remember titles. Essentially I am making a separate spreadsheet for each console with rows for title, rating and genre. I already have my own rating scale and will be defining genres on my own. Anything else I should add?

Just wondering if anyone else does this or if I am just being weird.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / WTB: Nintendo Power Magazines]

So, I am interested in the old Nintendo Power. I currently have about 0 issues, but I'm interested in picking up some from the NES/SNES era. If you have some duplicates or some laying around, I'd like to buy them. Thanks, guys.

[General Gaming / NES RGB Cable Question]

My wife just bought me an NES RGB PPU kit, and I plan to install it next weekend. However, it doesn't come with a cable, and the output is an 8p mini DIN connector.

 - There are two options for SCART cables on their website, but the cheaper one looks pretty odd.
 - I know some people have used the SNES/N64 output connector, which I already have a suitable SCART cable for. However, it doesn't look as clean in the back, and I don't think I will be able to cut a square hole as easily as a round one.
 - Retro_Console_Accessories on ebay sells them, but sold out today! Right now, this is probably my preferred choice.

Have you gone through this before? Are there other options?

[Buy/Sell/Trade / FS Atari Lynx II Broken?]

I bought this Atari Lynx II yesterday at an estate sale. I was surprised to even find it. It's missing the battery cover and there are no games with it. Cosmetically, it's in good shape. I read online that if it is working, the red power light comes on for a split second. This doesn't happen, but I don't have any  games to test it either. I assume that it doesn't work, but without a game, there seems to be no way to tell. If you live near Columbia, SC or plan on visiting, we can test it out.

$30 shipped CONUS

http://s1196.photobucket.com/user/motorcycledean/library/LYNX%20II

[Off-Topic / Weight Loss Challenge]

Alright, this is getting started a bit later than I had hoped, but here it is. Tomorrow being Monday and the first of the month, it just seems right to begin tomorrow.

RULES

- Begins Monday, August 1st and end Tuesday, November 1st
- $10 buy-in through paypal gift sent to deanshinault@gmail.com with your weight (in pounds or kilos, none of that stone business here) and username attached
- Cash prizes will be given of 50/35/15% total buy-in
- You can enter the contest any time before it ends, but you will be at a greater disadvantage the longer you wait
- Weigh-ins are on the honor system. If I find out someone is trolling or cheating, they will be disqualified.
- Weigh-ins will be every other Monday starting Aug 1st with a final weigh-in Tuesday, Nov 1st
- Please PM me with your weight at each weight-in starting with the first. I will not post actual weight, only amount lost/gained.


Please be consistent with your weigh-ins. Preferably, no clothes, immediately after waking, same scale in the same place. You are welcome to do things differently, just try to be as consistent as possible.

Also, right now it's going to be total weight lost, but we can do percentage of total weight lost instead if I get enough requests.

[General Gaming / Want to play Neo Geo, but it's so expensive]

So, I really want to play some Metal Slug at home. I've only played NG a few times, and that was on a cabinet. I don't have room for a cabinet in my house, but I do have an RGB monitor that I use for PCE, etc. Anyway, it seems like a CMVS is the way to go with a 161-in-one multicart. I know some people use the SuperGun, but I don't know much about it. Maybe I should just buy a modded Xbox? Are there better alternatives?

I don't play fighting or sports games, so maybe I'm just wasting my money altogether. What do you guys think?

[Off-Topic / Cheap shirts?]

So, I've put off buying new clothes for quite a while, and now it's time. Do you guys know anywhere to get some cheap shirts? I would like to get some Obey shirts in particular, but that's not necessary.

Thanks

[General Gaming / Do you like the 32X?]

So, I was never interested in the Sega 32X, but one popped up here relatively cheap. Is it worth buying? I don't like sports games or fighting games. I don't want to buy this just to take up space in my game room.

[General Gaming / What's with all the bloom video effects in modern gaming?]

Alright, so years ago, I always assumed that the bloom effect was used as a way to cover poor textures. Mostly used as a cheat for old hardware, like the fog in early 3D gaming found on the N64 and Jaguar.

Last year, I bought a Wii U and played Wind Waker HD. I loved the game, but the bloom effects were just nasty. Since the game is set on the ocean, the screen is constantly filled with bright, blurry light. However, as I've been watching videos for modern games, it's become a bit of an eyesore for me. It just seems to be everywhere now due to an artistic decision by the developer.

Personally, I think it looks like garbage and actually takes away from the immersive capabilities of a game. I assume some people like it since it keeps making its way into games. What do you guys think about this?

[Fighting Street / $150 for a controller is normal these days?]

So, I'm tooling around on local Craigslist and some asshole is selling an Xbone Elite controller for $225. Obviously, it's sold out everywhere, so he's going to get an extra 75 bucks for it. The problem I have is a hundred and fifty fucking dollars for a goddamn controller and no-one is outraged by this. Is this what gaming is all about? How can anyone justify this kind of money on a controller. It allows button mapping....that's about it. I only have a basic understanding of electronics, but this doesn't seem like crazy new and expensive technology to me. Also, there's a rubberized coating. Again, who gives a fuck? Neither of these two options warrants an extra $20, let alone $90.

Anyway,
<\rant>

[Off-Topic / The collectard is strong with this one]

Saw this video last night and thought it was appropriate here.

[General Gaming / How long do you play a new game?]

One of the great things (sometimes problems) with having everdrives for all these systems is the vast amount of games available. Back in the day, you played shitty games and you liked it, because it may be a couple months before you got a new one.

Now that it's so easy to move on to the next one in line, how long do you give a game to decide whether you want to play it?

One, in particular, was Banjo-Kazooie. I tried so many times to like the game years ago but even after playing through two levels, never really got into it. I actually just finished it last week, and I really enjoyed playing it this time.

[General Gaming / Everdive Sale]

Just a reminder, everdrives are on sale at Krikzz's store and Retrogate. Stone Age Gamer has them too, but the prices aren't as good. Retrogate shipping to U.S. is a flat $8.00. Krikzz's shipping is $5.00 flat rate.

https://shop.retrogate.com/

http://shop.krikzz.com/main.sc

[Off-Topic / Asheville Pinball Museum]

So, my wife and I went to North Carolina a few days ago for some hiking and camping. Anyway, on our way back we had some time to kill in Asheville, NC. We did some walking around downtown and found this cool place called the Asheville Pinball Museum. They have over 20 pinball machines spanning the last 50 years. There are also some arcade games, too, like Space Invaders and Tempest as well as some multicades. Everything is on free-play and cost of admission is only $12. My wife had no interest in playing so she didn't even have to pay to check out all the cool stuff. They serve beer and sodas there too.

The machines that really stood out to me were Hercules, Whirlwind, and Haunted House. Hercules is a giant machine with a billiard ball in place of a pinball. Whirlwind wasn't really anything special except there was a fan on top that would blow on you during certain times of the game. Haunted House was hands down, my favorite. There were two separate flipper buttons on each side, controlling 8 flippers total. It really is a must-play machine, there's just so much going on.

As for the arcade portion, there were about a dozen machines, but  the one that stood out to me was Tempest. Once I got used to the spinner, the game was a lot of fun. I'm glad that I found a Tempest machine to experience that.

This really was a treat for me as there are very few arcades left in the South, and it can be difficult to find old pinball and arcade machines that aren't beat to shit. Since this place buys and sells, I look forward to visiting again and possibly playing some new stuff. I regret not taking pictures of the place while I was there since their website photos leave a bit to be desired.

http://ashevillepinball.com/

[Fighting Street / What if...]

What if old publishers re-published their old games on the original hardware. Say, Dracula X was re-made exactly as it was, brand new, and sold by the owner on their website. Wouldn't it be worth it to Konami, Capcom, etc. to do that? There are many old games that sold a lot of copies but are still going for big bucks.

People who want the actual game and are willing to pay over $100 for a game, would buy a brand new, authorized copy, right? You could claim that they wouldn't be able to sell many copies, but many $50-$200 games have never been in short supply.

[General Gaming / Repro carts]

So, I'm looking for a black cartridge for my SD2SNES, and I know I can buy a Killer Instinct cart for like $10-$15. But, I've seen a lot of different colored NES cartridges for repro games, etc. Does anyone know where they get these? Do they just order a huge lot as a custom batch, or what? Is it possible to buy just one for NES or SNES?

Thanks in advance.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Music cuts out on PCE duo? Possible fix!]

I decided to delete this post since it was only a temporary fix. I didn't want to spread any misinformation.

I did, however, find a wire connecting to the laser that had been broken off and poorly repaired. The solder joint fell off when I removed the connector. Two minutes later I had it soldered on correctly. After over an hour of play, it didn't cut out even once. This seems to have fixed the problem.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / 6 Button Controller?]

Hey guys, I just bought an RGB modded PCE Duo a couple weeks ago, and I am enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. I think it has become my favorite console. This forum has been a big help, too, since this really is the best resource for NEC consoles.

Anyway, I have heard that the Hori 6-putton pad is the best 6-button controller, but I haven't found a need for one, yet. Is it just used for Street Fighter II? Also, what is your favorite controller? I am really happy with the original 2-button NEC pad that I have.