Yeah, I kick myself every once in a while for not getting the DC version back in the day. But owning the CPS2 board of SSF2T does help to ease the pain a little.
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Retro-GAF unite!
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theSlacker
Member
I wish there was a place like that in the northern VA area. Best I got is MAGfest once a year, and I just missed getting a hotel reservation for next years because the entire primary hotel sold out in under 30 minutes.
RadarScope1
Member
File still available? I have a Mac also but have never used WINE.
D.Lo
Member
I dunno just google for the files it'll be around somewhere.
Wine is not perfect, and doesn't run lots of things, but this just started right up.
IrishNinja
Member
jesus dave, that's the best looking arcade shots ive seen since gunstar put up those baller-ass classic Sega shots from his chi-town spot...nice!
Added this guy (Psychic Assassin Taromaru) to my collection. Very unique - feels like a Treasure game. Does the price justify owning this game? Debatable. But I'm having a blast with it. The control scheme can get a little taking getting used to but once you get it it's a very unique and fun experience. Be prepared to press the B Button A LOT.
Shadowman16
Member
I finally broke down and picked up a boxed copy of Rescue Rangers for the Famicom. Thankfully I sold a bunch of Mega Man merchandise to cover the cost of the game, that's one of the last expensive Capcom games ticked off for my complete Capcom collection. Now I just need the PC Engine releases of 1941 and Ghouls n Ghosts and a couple of GBC releases, the rest of the stuff I need should be fairly inexpensive I hope. Thankfully I hoovered up most of the Famicom, Mega Man and misc expensive games a while back before prices rose... I'd hate to be looking for some of the later Final Fight games, MMX3 or SFZ3 these days!
sixteen-bit
Member
Added this guy (Psychic Assassin Taromaru) to my collection. Very unique - feels like a Treasure game. Does the price justify owning this game? Debatable. But I'm having a blast with it. The control scheme can get a little taking getting used to but once you get it it's a very unique and fun experience. Be prepared to press the B Button A LOT.
jelly
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
Never seemed like that good of a game to me, but as a collectable? That thing is awesome.
davidwhangchoi
Member
it was really cool to see the place packed with people playing too.Wow, this place looks like heaven David. There is nothing like this here anymore
i so wish arcades would make a comeback.
i love tempest space invaders battle zone, moon patrol (not sure if it's pre 85, and donkey kong. though i was bad at all of them. probably star wars was my favorite of all time.
this place is in Red Bank, NJ, have a few friends in the area so i stopped by.
What's MAGfest? i need to look it up =)
man, it was good to see ninja turtles and simpsons. i couldn't find shinobi. i wanted to rock that in a quarter =)
It's at the point where it was sort of now or never for me so I took the plunge. It helps that I really love the game but man that hurt the wallet.
Here's a related follow up question - to those Saturn collectors how do you define 'complete'? Case+booklet+disc? Or is it Case+booklet+disc+spine card+regcard?
I'm the latter and that feeling when you paid a 25 percent markup to just get the spine card ... Ouch.
theSlacker
Member
A 4 day music and gaming convention that happens at the national harbor near Washington DC. If you are up in NJ you should really look into it. The biggest draw for me is the arcade room which is open the entire time and is huge (also all the machines are on freeplay of course). There is also another big room with console gaming set up, as well as a LAN room where you can reserve a spot to set up your computer. Even a retro pc gaming area, but that has been in a much smaller area then the others. All alongside constantly running gaming related music events. It is the only nerd convention I still go to and seems to have a more adult feel to it then the anime cons I use to go to, and isn't commercial like the big comic cons.
The problem is is that it has been getting way too big recently and I just hope that I can keep enjoying it before it gets too crowded/changes into something else. Like I said the hotel it is happening at, the Gaylord National, sold completely out of reservations in 30 minutes of them going live for next years event in January and as far as I know every single room there is reserved for the event. More then that every other hotel in the National Harbor sold out by the end of the day. There really isn't a lot MAGfest can do to expand or find a bigger venue because the 24 hour nature of the event kinda requires it to be at a hotel and there isn't many better places then the National Harbor for that. Really bummed out because this is the first year that I didn't get a room at the actual hotel.
Anyway, here is a pic of the general idea of the arcade room;
That is less then half of the size of the room, and doesn't even show the side wall which normally is all pinball. Wish I could find a better picture. Console room is the same size, same with the market room.
NormalFish
Banned
I only know magfest from the shmup videos that come out of it. Seems awesome.
theSlacker
Member
Only time I can play those cabinets is at like 4 am when they aren't crowded and people can't see how much I suck. :c
NormalFish
Banned
Rofl. I feel you. I like to think I'd be better with a stick, but I doubt it would matter enough that I can could a 1cc on one of those cabs even with infinite lives.
Same here, and I totally share the feeling.
I used to buy 'brand new' alot, back then, so most of my games are 100% complete because of that. Nonetheless, I used to consider a game complete if it came with its manual, spine card and exclusive bonuses (say, the sticker for Taromaru).
Since I started collecting again a few years ago - even though I lowered down my ideal conditions just a notch (I was like 'mint or bust' before, whereas I tend to go from very good upward, now) - I go for complete copies only, which means spine cards, regcards and all kinds of paper material that was inside the brand new case/box (promotional flyers, ads and such).
You pay all the extra goodies for sure, but it really depends on the games. Sometimes it's cheaper to just buy the game again, but other times this makes the hunt for one particular regcard pretty exciting. Lately, I've bought a bunch of registration cards - for games such as Dungeons & Dragons Collection, Bare Knuckle III, Mars Matrix... Games I already owned complete with everything else - and the increased value I've got, easily surpassed what I paid for the cards themselves.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
I find spine cards to be more of a nuisance than anything. I don't consider a game "incomplete" without having it.
There are collectors out there who take 'collecting' almost as a discipline... Brand-new-only collectors, collectors of every game (or every must have grail) for every console, etc. I believe it's a very subjective passion, so I totally understand your point, and I'd personally never call a game + manual situation 'incomplete'.
I don't really care for the spine card. If it's there, cool, but I don't go out of my way to find a copy with it and/or pay extra for it. The spine cards I have are because they came with the cheapest good condition game I could find.
It's like I collect games how I would have kept them as a kid. Opened, with box, manual and maybe the occasional advert, but shrink wrap and spine card thrown away. Same for cartridge games with plastic shells. And for Nintendo cardboard cases... fuck if I know. Probably cartridge and manual only, like I did with my old Game Gear. Ultimately the game and manual are the important bits to me.
It's like I collect games how I would have kept them as a kid. Opened, with box, manual and maybe the occasional advert, but shrink wrap and spine card thrown away. Same for cartridge games with plastic shells. And for Nintendo cardboard cases... fuck if I know. Probably cartridge and manual only, like I did with my old Game Gear. Ultimately the game and manual are the important bits to me.
Very interesting as I can relate a lot to this. (You better believe my Taromaru has the sticker).
It started similar for me initially starting my collection when Saturn games were cheap enough that buying sealed was the best 'complete' option and now that a basically my whole collection is complete I refuse to accept anything less (even if it's just a missing reg card).
There's some really cool 'extra' type bonuses as well. For instance in the past I paid up for the Clockwork Knight collection because it included these cool circular calendars from 1996. Paid almost a %200 markup but I'm at the point where I'd rather not even own it if it's not complete. Sitting there on my shelf polluting it with its incompleteness lol.
I can relate, but I must confess I'm not as hardcore to just re-purchase everything in my collection which comes from back in the days, and has a missing registration card or a '300 DreamPoint' leaflet. On the one hand, I spent around 20 euros on a Bare Knuckle III reg card, recently, because I didn't plan to buy the whole game again, plus my copy already had everything else and it's in like-new conditions. On the other one, I also passed on a complete Alien Soldier, which didn't have its registration card.
All this to say, even though I don't want to miss anything, today, I can honestly live with my MD Strider Hiryu, SS Steep Slope Sliders, or PS1 Toshinden 2 non having their reg cards.
Yeah, that's exactly the kind of goodies that are in, or it's a no buy for me either.
See if buying just the reg card to complete the game was within a reasonable price range I'd be more open to do it. I find more and more buying games piece meal these days can be almost twice as much as just waiting for that complete copy to come along.
So you're right, would I actively pursue a reg card to a game I've long since had? Probably not. Though if I'm adding a new game to the collection you better believe all the inserts better be there.
Any other Saturn collectors in here? I feel like the official thread is a little quiet.
So you're right, would I actively pursue a reg card to a game I've long since had? Probably not. Though if I'm adding a new game to the collection you better believe all the inserts better be there.
Any other Saturn collectors in here? I feel like the official thread is a little quiet.
Absolutely with you on that. I find myself purchasing reg cards alone, only when their price remain lower than the increased value I get with the games I'm buying them for.
And yeah, I have a little Saturn-haul coming next week, so I'll be crossposting some pics here and in the Saturn thread asap.
Are you a Saturn-only collector or a multiplatform one?
And yeah, I have a little Saturn-haul coming next week, so I'll be crossposting some pics here and in the Saturn thread asap.
Are you a Saturn-only collector or a multiplatform one?
Saturn/DC/Original Xbox. How about you? I'd be very interested in seeing the haul!Absolutely with you on that. I find myself purchasing reg cards alone, only when their price remain lower than the increased value I get with the games I'm buying them for.
And yeah, I have a little Saturn-haul coming next week, so I'll be crossposting some pics here and in the Saturn thread asap.
Are you a Saturn-only collector or a multiplatform one?
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
Sup homies,
Now that I'm back to being able to actually play retro games again and am actually buying some more games again, I need to figure out my storage situation. Are these universal game cases still the go-to? http://www.mediashelving.com/store/universal-slim-combo-game-full-sleeve
I basically want to be sure that if I buy 100 of these fuckers, they're going to be able to properly hold SNES, SFC, Famicom, NES, Genesis, and N64 games without incident. Like, if I have a weirdly shaped, taller Genesis cart, is that going to give me problems?
Edit: Oh, it says on the page that NES games won't fit. Is there an alternative thing that will work for those, too? I guess I could just bust out a knife and make that shit work, but yeah.
Now that I'm back to being able to actually play retro games again and am actually buying some more games again, I need to figure out my storage situation. Are these universal game cases still the go-to? http://www.mediashelving.com/store/universal-slim-combo-game-full-sleeve
I basically want to be sure that if I buy 100 of these fuckers, they're going to be able to properly hold SNES, SFC, Famicom, NES, Genesis, and N64 games without incident. Like, if I have a weirdly shaped, taller Genesis cart, is that going to give me problems?
Edit: Oh, it says on the page that NES games won't fit. Is there an alternative thing that will work for those, too? I guess I could just bust out a knife and make that shit work, but yeah.
Bringing this conversation over from the Upscalers/CRT thread.
Can't say I see the connection. The PS3 and 360 were same-y consoles that overpromised (this is the era of bullshots) and consistently underdelivered on their HD promises. Many games were often sub HD resolutions, nearer to Wii's 480p which got a ton of criticism itself for not being "HD". The games had inconsistent visuals, performance and framerates, a problem that got worse as the consoles overstayed their welcome. This is the console gen with the worse quality control problems and most widespread stories of systems failing (except Wii).
The 16-bit consoles were a natural progression of technology but not in any way a remedy to a somehow deficient 8-bit gen. The games on the NES and SMS stood on their own without any glaring shortcomings. They worked well within their limitations rather than struggle like PS3/360, where their games' need for better hardware was clear as day. Think about the NES' overall output. A small cross-section of games I played growing up: Batman, Return of the Joker, TMNT 2/3, SMB 1/2/3, Mega Man 2, Super C, Kirby, Zelda, Castlevania III, Dragon Warrior, Punch-Out, Ninja Garden, Shadow of the Ninja, Abadox, Zanac, Graduate, Bucky, Jackal, Double Dragon II, Ice Hockey, Wrecking Crew. I can't remember ever playing any one of these plus others and thinking: this looks and plays like shit, I can't wait until the next-gen port comes along and fixes all its problems. Pick up any overambitious PS3/360 game and all the glaring compromises and fuckups are staring you right in the face.
Add-on hardware was largely unsuccessful with the exception of the PC Engine CD add-on in Japan. I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, but VR is still unproven and following that comparison to its logical conclusion means that VR will fail spectacularly. My thoughts? I tried the pre-launch Oculus hardware that spec-wise matches the upcoming PSVR. It is too early and low-tech (blurry low-res, nauseating) and I don't see it being a huge hit with the mainstream gaming public. Seeing the add-on analogy through, VR will fail now but will take off next-gen... just like CD add-ons failed but CD consoles took off with PS1 and Saturn.
I didn't name Wii U in the misery that is the current state of console gaming for a reason. Not including the Nintendo titles and Rocket League, most of those are experiences with non-console roots born out of PC gaming. You would have gotten them in some form regardless if the Sony and MS consoles did or did not exist.
The rise of indie game developers was coming in spite of consoles. XBLA deserves some credit for leveraging the talent, but it's still rooted in the PC scene and XBLA is not deserving of credit for the creation of that scene. It was in the process of happening anyway with the rise of Steam in the 00s and the resurgence of PC gaming after claims that PC gaming and the desktop were dead. If anything, indies were a response to the numerous shutdowns of mid-tier console developers and the disappearance of solid non-AAA games. Instead of applauding consoles for something they didn't do (create the indie dev scene), they should be remembered for killing midtier games and greatly reducing the number of options on the console front outside of AAA or small budget titles.
Can't say I see the connection. The PS3 and 360 were same-y consoles that overpromised (this is the era of bullshots) and consistently underdelivered on their HD promises. Many games were often sub HD resolutions, nearer to Wii's 480p which got a ton of criticism itself for not being "HD". The games had inconsistent visuals, performance and framerates, a problem that got worse as the consoles overstayed their welcome. This is the console gen with the worse quality control problems and most widespread stories of systems failing (except Wii).
The 16-bit consoles were a natural progression of technology but not in any way a remedy to a somehow deficient 8-bit gen. The games on the NES and SMS stood on their own without any glaring shortcomings. They worked well within their limitations rather than struggle like PS3/360, where their games' need for better hardware was clear as day. Think about the NES' overall output. A small cross-section of games I played growing up: Batman, Return of the Joker, TMNT 2/3, SMB 1/2/3, Mega Man 2, Super C, Kirby, Zelda, Castlevania III, Dragon Warrior, Punch-Out, Ninja Garden, Shadow of the Ninja, Abadox, Zanac, Graduate, Bucky, Jackal, Double Dragon II, Ice Hockey, Wrecking Crew. I can't remember ever playing any one of these plus others and thinking: this looks and plays like shit, I can't wait until the next-gen port comes along and fixes all its problems. Pick up any overambitious PS3/360 game and all the glaring compromises and fuckups are staring you right in the face.
Add-on hardware was largely unsuccessful with the exception of the PC Engine CD add-on in Japan. I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, but VR is still unproven and following that comparison to its logical conclusion means that VR will fail spectacularly. My thoughts? I tried the pre-launch Oculus hardware that spec-wise matches the upcoming PSVR. It is too early and low-tech (blurry low-res, nauseating) and I don't see it being a huge hit with the mainstream gaming public. Seeing the add-on analogy through, VR will fail now but will take off next-gen... just like CD add-ons failed but CD consoles took off with PS1 and Saturn.
I didn't name Wii U in the misery that is the current state of console gaming for a reason. Not including the Nintendo titles and Rocket League, most of those are experiences with non-console roots born out of PC gaming. You would have gotten them in some form regardless if the Sony and MS consoles did or did not exist.
The rise of indie game developers was coming in spite of consoles. XBLA deserves some credit for leveraging the talent, but it's still rooted in the PC scene and XBLA is not deserving of credit for the creation of that scene. It was in the process of happening anyway with the rise of Steam in the 00s and the resurgence of PC gaming after claims that PC gaming and the desktop were dead. If anything, indies were a response to the numerous shutdowns of mid-tier console developers and the disappearance of solid non-AAA games. Instead of applauding consoles for something they didn't do (create the indie dev scene), they should be remembered for killing midtier games and greatly reducing the number of options on the console front outside of AAA or small budget titles.
Added this guy (Psychic Assassin Taromaru) to my collection. Very unique - feels like a Treasure game. Does the price justify owning this game? Debatable. But I'm having a blast with it. The control scheme can get a little taking getting used to but once you get it it's a very unique and fun experience. Be prepared to press the B Button A LOT.
whew
re current discussion about the state of gaming: oh hey, here's my unsollicited Hot Take as a booger-eating, tube yogurt drinkin' youth.
On the evils of modern gaming: My favourite genres are mech simulations and air combat, so this generation hasn't been particularly kind to me. But that's not to say there hasn't been stuff I liked - Strike Suit Zero is pretty awesome, Pikmin 3 is everything I could've wanted, and Titanfall quickly climbed (eh) to my all-time favourites.
Ultimately though. I find waxing nostalgic about "generations" dumb because I can always access all of the good games made in the past along with the new good games that are being made (and if you are literally of the opinion no new good games are being made... lol). There's a lot of games I like on both the old and modern spectrum. Sometimes it seems most gamers are more attached to memories and status symbols than they are in actually playing video games.
On indies: A common argument when people complain about the lack of variety in modern game releases is to say "THERE IS MORE VARRIETY THAN EVER, INDIES ARE COVERING EVERY BASES", something which I find to be... not true? Like, where are all the great indie arcade flight games, mech simulations, tactical shooters, belt scrolling beat'em ups, car combat, etc etc? I can actually name one or two "indie" games in all the genres I listed, but to claim there's a wealth of awesome indie car combat games just waiting to be discovered is a fucking lie.
To be honest, a lot of people say most Big Bad AAA games are bad, I think a lot of the "popular" indie games are... honestly kind of shit? I also find the claim that modern 2D "indie" games are as good as Teh Classics to be highly suspect. Like, Mercenary Kings and Super Time Force got good reception from some quarters, but those two games are just arse compared to any popular 2D run 'n' gun from yesteryears.
But really though, the whole BIG BAD AAA vs PRECIOUS BASTION INDIES meme is cancerous and stupid. You shouldn't care if a game has financial backing from a publisher or not.
On modern consoles being homogenized and sharing most of the same library: The bone and the PS4 share most of the library and have similar performance and feature-set, you say? That's great! the sooner gaming moves to the DVD player, the better in my mind.
Imagine if Toshiba and Sony started making Blu-ray drives that didn't accept every blu-ray disc on the market, and instead required specifically Sony or Tobshiba-branded blu rays to play. And to make their ecosystem more attractiver Toshiba and Sony started funding movies that would be exclusively released on their players, and bought the exclusivty rights to home video releases of blockbuster movies. That would be insane, right?
People rightfully got pissed when the HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray war threatened to create a scenario similar to the one I described, because splitting the market like that is isn't good for anyone. But games not only do mind having a far more drastic version of that scenario, they actively yearn for the days where you had to own 10+ expensive, space-wasting devices to experience everything video games have to offer, long after the technological and economical realities behind the variety in techonology and format have faded away. It's a mindset I don't understand at all (though I'm open to hearing from opposite perspectives).
On the evils of modern gaming: My favourite genres are mech simulations and air combat, so this generation hasn't been particularly kind to me. But that's not to say there hasn't been stuff I liked - Strike Suit Zero is pretty awesome, Pikmin 3 is everything I could've wanted, and Titanfall quickly climbed (eh) to my all-time favourites.
Ultimately though. I find waxing nostalgic about "generations" dumb because I can always access all of the good games made in the past along with the new good games that are being made (and if you are literally of the opinion no new good games are being made... lol). There's a lot of games I like on both the old and modern spectrum. Sometimes it seems most gamers are more attached to memories and status symbols than they are in actually playing video games.
On indies: A common argument when people complain about the lack of variety in modern game releases is to say "THERE IS MORE VARRIETY THAN EVER, INDIES ARE COVERING EVERY BASES", something which I find to be... not true? Like, where are all the great indie arcade flight games, mech simulations, tactical shooters, belt scrolling beat'em ups, car combat, etc etc? I can actually name one or two "indie" games in all the genres I listed, but to claim there's a wealth of awesome indie car combat games just waiting to be discovered is a fucking lie.
To be honest, a lot of people say most Big Bad AAA games are bad, I think a lot of the "popular" indie games are... honestly kind of shit? I also find the claim that modern 2D "indie" games are as good as Teh Classics to be highly suspect. Like, Mercenary Kings and Super Time Force got good reception from some quarters, but those two games are just arse compared to any popular 2D run 'n' gun from yesteryears.
But really though, the whole BIG BAD AAA vs PRECIOUS BASTION INDIES meme is cancerous and stupid. You shouldn't care if a game has financial backing from a publisher or not.
On modern consoles being homogenized and sharing most of the same library: The bone and the PS4 share most of the library and have similar performance and feature-set, you say? That's great! the sooner gaming moves to the DVD player, the better in my mind.
Imagine if Toshiba and Sony started making Blu-ray drives that didn't accept every blu-ray disc on the market, and instead required specifically Sony or Tobshiba-branded blu rays to play. And to make their ecosystem more attractiver Toshiba and Sony started funding movies that would be exclusively released on their players, and bought the exclusivty rights to home video releases of blockbuster movies. That would be insane, right?
People rightfully got pissed when the HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray war threatened to create a scenario similar to the one I described, because splitting the market like that is isn't good for anyone. But games not only do mind having a far more drastic version of that scenario, they actively yearn for the days where you had to own 10+ expensive, space-wasting devices to experience everything video games have to offer, long after the technological and economical realities behind the variety in techonology and format have faded away. It's a mindset I don't understand at all (though I'm open to hearing from opposite perspectives).
it's all true
big AAA games aren't as good as the best games of the PS2 and prior eras
indie games aren't as good as the best games of the PS2 and prior eras
hence i'm not very satisfied with the current era
not really rocket science, here. I want great games. there are less of them now than before.
and to anyone who brings up the bullshit nostalgia argument, I continue to play retro games that I missed out on as a child and continue to be BLOWN AWAY by them. super metroid. link to the past. zelda 2. these are great fucking games that I've only played for the first time in the last two years. better than any new game, whether it's by nintendo themselves, the huge AAA blockbusters or indie devs.
indie games aren't as good as the best games of the PS2 and prior eras
hence i'm not very satisfied with the current era
not really rocket science, here. I want great games. there are less of them now than before.
and to anyone who brings up the bullshit nostalgia argument, I continue to play retro games that I missed out on as a child and continue to be BLOWN AWAY by them. super metroid. link to the past. zelda 2. these are great fucking games that I've only played for the first time in the last two years. better than any new game, whether it's by nintendo themselves, the huge AAA blockbusters or indie devs.
RadarScope1
Member
Thanks for bringing this over to the right thread, Mega.
I'll say something in response to this part quoted above. While consoles did not create the indie scene, I firmly believe XBLA does deserve quite a bit of credit for popularizing it. I think something that a lot of PC gamers always seem to forget is how many people out there don't game on PCs and have no connection to PC gaming over the years. The Microsoft team deserve a lot of credit for recognizing what was happening in PC gaming (despite any blame they also deserve for closing great studios and killing middle tier games) and moving that concept to the console space with the full faith and credit of a major platform holder.
Consider the difference between something like Cave Story and Braid. CS was this sleeper indie hit that I never saw mentioned outside of message boards and never had access to. Braid, owing a lot to its presence on XBLA, was heralded as a major break-through for gaming and indicative of the "new" indie spirit. I saw John Blow covered in lots of major outlets (I distinctly recall an extensive interview at MTV's gaming site when Stephen Totillo wrote there). Love or hate that game, but its presence loomed large over the industry at the time.
And from there, it wasn't long before major publishers started in with their remakes, retro revivals and other experimental games. Namco with Pac Man CE, Capcom with Bionic Commando, Konami with their Rebirth games, etc. Most of those types of games from that time period were on consoles only.
I don't think it was a given that this part of the market would just come to consoles. Sony and Nintendo had SHITTY online and indie offerings for the first few years of the gen (and in fact, Nintendo never really caught up).
So anyway, I don't disagree at all with what you said, but I just think XBLA and to a lesser extent PSN, deserve some credit for popularizing a niche. There are millions - quite literally millions and millions - of people who love and play games who aren't gaming on PC and never will. I'll love the 7th gen for the smaller, downloadable experiences that I wouldn't otherwise have had access to as a console gamer.
cyborgnumberblue
Member
just play your games
Games I like vs games I don't like is an oversimplication. I don't think anyone is waxing nostalgic over console generations for the mere sake of it. It's not dumb to look back fondly on gens (and you don't need the sarcasta quotes), because unlike human generations, there are very well-defined beginnings and ends to console hardware and jumping from one to the next introduces radically different hardware and games. The PS2/GCN generation had an enormous amount of mid-tier games that for the most part vanished in the PS3/360 gen, which in turn introduced DLC and microtransactions as a standard to console gaming. Recognizing that huge difference is not pointless. Similarly it's not waxing nostalgic to see the big difference in 2D sprite-based games of the 16-bit gen and the early 3D polygon games of the following batch of systems. If you liked 2D platformers, then you were dismayed at their huge decline in the PS1/N64 era and reducing your search to games I like/don't like doesn't reconcile the tremendouse shift in the console market. I don't think it's necessary to get into the opinion that no good new games are being made because no one has really expressed that thought.
I agree. Indie gaming has not filled many voids left by the numerous shuttered dev studios who produced games in between the indie and AAA stuff. The lack of experience and artistic talent among so many indie devs is always evident. I think it's no coincidence you see more plodding and static puzzle-heavy games because they don't have the talent to pull off Mega Man X, Dracula or Contra III. A lot of the hyped indie games feel downright bad and "off" compared to "AAA" 16-bit titles.
I don't agree with the last para. Financial backing pays for the talent. Many modern pixel art games look simple, generic and drab as fuck compared to I dunno, Turrican, Tiny Toons, Rocket Knight, etc. Again, that's not a coincidence. They majorly lack the talent to compare to yesteryear's good artists (with some exceptions).
I don't think a discussion of media format is even remotely the same as lamenting the PC-like sameness of the current top hardware. I don't think anyone(?) pines for the days in the early 90s with 10 different lackluster hardware platforms, most of which were failures. Two to three differentiated competitors with strong libraries is nice. As a recent example, I liked DS vs PSP a lot. I'm hoping NX succeeds and differentiates in a big way from PS4/XB1 without being a dumb gimmick or poorly executed like the Wii U. I find the PS4 and XB1 mostly pointless because they are cheap PC boxes and everything they do could be exactly replicated on PC. In short, having fun, well executed choices =/= unnecessarily splitting the market.
Agreed. I played Yoshi's Island and LttP in the 00s. I only just played Super Metroid last year. I might tackle Earthbound next, first time ever.
PumpkinSpice
Banned
The Wii U failure is the biggest thing that depresses me about this gen and GAF's reaction all the way along. Oh hey it's 2013, the best Mario game ever made, possibly the best game I've ever played, a multiplayer 3D Mario game that plays like the superior 2D games... what more could you possibly want? Oh yeah you'll just complain about the price of the console. Why isn't it $50 cheaper? $100? Why isn't it free? Why is the name so confusing to a theoretical person who isn't me? Why isn't this game on the JesusStation 4? blahblahblah, ughhhhh.
There are so many fantastic Wii U games and nobody cared. You know what I fully expect from that? Nintendo's just going to stop caring too. They're a business, they're going to chase profit (as they should) but it's going to leave behind the last bastion of the kind of games I like.
And if the NX, whatever that ends up being, doesn't hit it out of the park, you can just expect them to start chasing F2P nonsense full steam on mobile. Ugh.
AAA(AAAA) games are obviously not my thing, and it's not just them being the hot new thing. It's the focus on cinematic movie-derived nonsense and visuals over making a compelling fun game.... like I just don't care about the terrible D-list movie you're trying to shove into this game, I don't care that you have some terrible Hollywood dbag doing the voice for this character, I don't care about your amazing lore, just make a game that isn't shooting dudes or collecting trash. Oh but with RPG elements, woopie.
And yeah there are some indie games that are good, but it's slim pickings. I also occasionally see fantastic AA games poking through the trashheap, like Cities: Skylines, but it's not like the old days at all. The market just isn't there any more.
There are so many fantastic Wii U games and nobody cared. You know what I fully expect from that? Nintendo's just going to stop caring too. They're a business, they're going to chase profit (as they should) but it's going to leave behind the last bastion of the kind of games I like.
And if the NX, whatever that ends up being, doesn't hit it out of the park, you can just expect them to start chasing F2P nonsense full steam on mobile. Ugh.
AAA(AAAA) games are obviously not my thing, and it's not just them being the hot new thing. It's the focus on cinematic movie-derived nonsense and visuals over making a compelling fun game.... like I just don't care about the terrible D-list movie you're trying to shove into this game, I don't care that you have some terrible Hollywood dbag doing the voice for this character, I don't care about your amazing lore, just make a game that isn't shooting dudes or collecting trash. Oh but with RPG elements, woopie.
And yeah there are some indie games that are good, but it's slim pickings. I also occasionally see fantastic AA games poking through the trashheap, like Cities: Skylines, but it's not like the old days at all. The market just isn't there any more.
Good post especially on indies variety.
I disagree however a bit on your third point.
I understand the convenience for just one machine to run all the games currently available to save money and space (I do have a dozen of consoles) however I don't think the parallel between movie player and dedicated gaming console fully fit.
Watching a movie is inherently a passive activity which is highly standardized so it doesn't make sense to having more than one kind of media but videogames rely on input devices to interact and I am a proponent that the evolution of the input interface (the controller or what is used to interact with the game software) shouldn't be standardized, at least not at the moment, and there is still room to experiment.
Also your analogy is a bit old fashioned, as I believe digital delivery services are going to take over Blu Ray and reduce physical media players to a niche, the same I feel will happen for videogames too.
It's really quite the shitty thought-terminating cliché. Especially when it's paired up with something like "BACK IN THE DAYS old games were 30-60 minutes, but they padded thegames by making them difficult!", as if short but difficult and highly replayable games are an inferior or "fake" way of making games.
That being said, people's formative, impressionable years do play a lot in shaping their tastes and perspective, and if you asked a sampling of older people what their favourite games is, I have a feeling most of them woud gravitate toward games they played in their formative years. It's not a "bad" thing, it's normal. Despite the cynicism most enthusiast communities have toward "modern classics", I'll bet my left butcheek the 8-years old who grew up on Call of Duty 4 and Bioshiock will still hail them as The Best Games 30 years later.
Shin Johnpv
Member
I still have more games on my Wii U than on my PS4. More exclusives too. It's going to end up like the Saturn, and GC and 10 - 15 years down the line people are going to be paying 400 bucks for a copy of Bayonetta 2.
It's such a painfully ignored system with so many great exclusives.
It's such a painfully ignored system with so many great exclusives.
I'm not totally with you because I find games like Bloodborne, SM3DW, DDP SDOJ, Shiren 5, Doom, DariusBurst, Evil Within, XCOM 2, etc to be in the same ballpark as if not better than the best games of the PS2 years, but I'm totally with you on the lazy-ass nostalgia argument and that there are so many great old games that are insanely good and fully worth playing right now for the first time in 2016.
thelatestmodel
Junior, please.
I wish I could be this blasé about it. It definitely is incomplete to me.
I can't buy a game if it doesn't have the spine card, something inside just won't let me. I just know that there's a more complete version out there.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
I would agree with basically all of this. Shit's not all bad - I've been enjoying The Witcher 3 (it's like a 8/10 or so) and VA11-HALLA was cool - but it's not exactly great, either. If there were more games like Pillars of Eternity or if the WiiU actually found some level of success, then I think we could talk.
I actually edited out that part (scarequotes and all) before you and Anth0ny made their post. It was dumb and I apologize
One thing I didn' touch in that post is that one reason I don,t care for the whole "generation Xs sucks" talk often comes with memes and sentiments I find simplistic and disagreeable, ("Games were goold until BAD WESTERN DEVELOPERS became the leaders instead of GLORIOUS JAPAN", people bitching about "generic fps" while ignoring their belobed JRPGs can't be jsut as derivative and generic to the uninitiated, etc.).
I,m writing this post during a work break so I'll respond to other parts of your psot later (... maybe)
I think the DVD player format would actually be more beneficial to non-traditional inputs than the current model.
The Wii U had an uniqure "gimmick", but no third-party developers wanted to make games around it because the Wii U didn't do well and a game around the Wii U's specificity couldn't be easily refitted the other consoles. In comparison, on PC, there are many games that require specialzied controllers to be palyable (you're not palyingg Dirt Rally with a key board or Rise of the Flight without a flighr stick) and still be scucesfful - hell, in the late 90's , there were space flight games that wouldn't work at all if there wasn't a flighrstick plugged, and those games were "mainstream" and sold well.
Nope, there wouldn't be enough incentive to go with any other control inputs beside the default one.
Wiimote wouldn't have had the same impact if it was an addon for Gamecube as initially planned.
WiiU game pad was rejected because its differentiation factor and the software that should have prove it didn't gain traction.
I'm a bit less focused than you. Mega Drive/Mega-CD, Saturn, DC, PS1 and 2, OG XBOX, GBA, Nintendo 64, GameCube... This is my Backloggery, which I mainly keep updated with my game-related purchases, as I usually forget to change every single game I finish from 'unplayed' to 'completed'.
And yeah, I'll be sure to come back with pics, as soon as I'll get my games.
Haha, so true.
same ballpark? yes.
better? not for me, no. I would not place a single game from last gen or this gen on that god tier that is dominated by ps2/gc/n64/ps1/snes titles with the sole exceptions of dark souls and the two mario galaxy games.
and maybe megaman 9, if that counts
I'm certainly not saying all games these days are bad, or that even most games are bad. but truly outstanding games are rare these days.
I also find myself more and more outside of the mainstream when it comes to review scores, and even critical praise on forums like gaf. for example, people jizz over games like assassin's creed 2, the mass effect trilogy... and I thought those games were quite bad. and so very, clearly flawed.
it's not something against western AAA titles either, as I fucking ADORE GTA V and TLOU, for example. it's weird.
Those games are great!!!
PumpkinSpice
Banned
It's not western games, but western developers are of course chasing western gamers. There are certainly a lot of people who like games in western markets, so there are a lot of niches, but when you're making a game that cost $50mil to make +marketing costs, you need to sell a ton of copies of your game just to break even, let alone making a profit to make it worth your while. So you'll just have to hit the broadest swath of people possible.
So you make a game that appeals the the poor taste crowd. You take Rise of the Tomb Raider, your cool exploration game with neat puzzles, and make sure you've got some hell of a (crappy) Hollywood-chasing story with ugly brodude military shit and lots of unskippable cover shooting. Ugh.
In Japan? You're designing your game around a budget scaled to sell only in Japan. You're trying to hit a smaller crowd of people who just seem to have a better taste in games on average. You don't need to water things down with dumb shooter mechanics or cinematic hogwash. You can even release solely on a system whose tech specs would feel a bit weak for like 1999 home console, so people's expectation for graphics are low enough that you can keep the budget pretty light. If you want to take a chance on something different and fail, it's not an enormous seven-or-eight-figure loss, you can just try again with something else.
The biggest problem here is that the Japan traditional game market is shrinking at an alarming rate and that's not going to work for much longer.
So you make a game that appeals the the poor taste crowd. You take Rise of the Tomb Raider, your cool exploration game with neat puzzles, and make sure you've got some hell of a (crappy) Hollywood-chasing story with ugly brodude military shit and lots of unskippable cover shooting. Ugh.
In Japan? You're designing your game around a budget scaled to sell only in Japan. You're trying to hit a smaller crowd of people who just seem to have a better taste in games on average. You don't need to water things down with dumb shooter mechanics or cinematic hogwash. You can even release solely on a system whose tech specs would feel a bit weak for like 1999 home console, so people's expectation for graphics are low enough that you can keep the budget pretty light. If you want to take a chance on something different and fail, it's not an enormous seven-or-eight-figure loss, you can just try again with something else.
The biggest problem here is that the Japan traditional game market is shrinking at an alarming rate and that's not going to work for much longer.
Lettuce said:
I'm a little curious about this. I've got a Gsync monitor, so the only real benefit this could bring me is that I'd get a CRT-quality image. Which may be worth it, but the setup guide I saw seems a little extreme to me for that alone.
It looks like the official GroovyMAME forums are down at the moment, so out of curiosity is there a self-contained Linux distro that would just allow me to run GroovyMAME without messing with unofficial Windows drivers and generating modes ahead of time? I kind of assumed (without basis lol) that GroovyMAME would be like a non-ancient version of AdvanceMAME, which generated resolutions on the fly assuming you configured it to do so under Linux.
at the same time, you have capcom desperately trying to go after that western crowd, and dragging its IP down with it. not to mention all of the talent that has left them over the years. PS2 era capcom is long gone.
konami is as good as dead, and kojima is off doing his own thing after they fucked him on his last game.
nintendo is still great but not the fucking dream factory they were during the NES-GC days.
same with square
rare is basically a non entity. same with sega.
see what I'm getting at? for me, a lot of these beloved game developers are going down either a different path that no longer appeals to me, or just don't deliver like they once did. worst of all, there isn't anyone really picking up the slack imo.
so i'm not left with much to work with here. instead, I go back to the past. I try out FFIV for the first time and I'm amazed. I play through DKC2 for the first time and I'm blown away.
it's not a nostalgia thing. it's a talent thing. newer does not equal better. there was a certain philosophy to game design back in the day, and EXTREMELY talented teams working on them, which produced those amazing games.
that philosophy still comes through from time to time in games like mario galaxy and dark souls. In Link Between Worlds. I felt it in MGSV and the last of us. but it's so fucking rare nowadays.