te72

I totally understand your frustration bud. I use UPS' website nearly every day at work, and since their recent re-do of the site, keyboard functionality is berked. Unfortunately, this has the effect of slowing me down, which isn't helpful with as busy as we are... Dumb as this sounds, the enter key does not fetch results like it has since, oh, I dunno, the invention of the enter key? You have to scroll down and click the "update" button. I'd slap somebody, once I am done holding my forehead in my hand, trying unsuccessfully to cope with the stupidity... You would think that the requirement for a software or site upgrade would be, "does everything work that worked before?" If not, then do not release until it does.

The way the "disk swap" was handled in MGS4 during chapter 4 was a nice touch... If someone merely ripped the files on the DS cartridge, it probably wouldn't be playable past that point. I suspect this is the sort of thing that developers do to combat piracy. Now, if someone were to create a patch of sorts, to get around that? Takes more effort, obviously, but I've seen similar things done with games that you have to have the manual in order to progress, or websites to visit for pass codes, etc... it can be worked around, if someone is willing to put in the effort.

I don't mean one episode per week, I actually don't mind that so much. Just not a fan of not being able to watch a show at my own pace. I know, logistics and all makes for the situation we have with TV now, but being able to watch an entire show, start to finish on your schedule... it's pretty awesome. The good news is, there are a LOT of really good series to watch in a compressed time frame, and seemingly more come out every year. Best example of a show best watched quickly? The X-Files. It makes next to no sense, long term, when you watch it for YEARS. Now, take the same show, and watch it over the course of a few months... and suddenly, it's really a solid show.

I'm not a patient TV consumer. I actually prefer to wait until a show has finished to even start watching. I can only imagine what folks that started with season 1 of Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones had to go through, waiting a year between new episodes... Wait, no, I know what it is like, have been waiting for Walking Dead every year for 6 years now... ugh. Frankly, I lose interest.

I'd say you can blame US copyright laws for the lack of commercially available open source emulation programs. I'd say after say, 10 years, it would be nice if the company who put out the system in the first place would sell you a solid, bug-free emulator, with all the features that we've come to expect, for a reasonable price. Games would be available for $1-2 each. Yeah, it's not much, but it's better than nothing, and it's a price I think would inspire impulse purchases. I dunno about you, but a few bucks a week to relive the old days on modern hardware? Sure, why not? As for the Japanese gaming scene, wow. I knew the PS2 had a big library, but wow. I see your point now.

We watched the whole 4 episodes on accident one night. I mentioned to Megan, "hey, mind if we watch this tonight?" to which she sighed, and said, "ugh, sure, I guess." She ended up rather enjoying it, even laughing on more than a few occasions. The episodes are short, the show has good pacing, and introduces the world and characters nicely. Very easy to watch it all in one sitting, even if like us, you do so on accident. Reminds me of when I was getting into anime in the late 90's. Fans of Vampire Hunter D and Hellsing won't be disappointed. I'll leave it at that, up to you to watch it. Any idea on when the second season will be available?

Right, I totally understand what you were getting at. As I understand, PS3 has always been very difficult, even for powerful systems, to get emulation working properly. I never looked into it though, my PS3 is newer than my computer... I'd be curious as to the number of Xbox exclusive games that weren't also available on PC though? I know many were PS2 / Gamecube / Xbox releases, and often were different on each system... the odd thing to me is that if an Xbox breaks, can it not simply be repaired using PC parts? I've opened mine up several times, it never looked all that different than a typical PC to me. As for the Japanese developed games on the Xbox, Sega really knocked it out of the park, if you ask me.

I might not have stumbled upon it yet, but the shoutbox appears to be missing. It was entertaining, reading through your chatter and trying to figure out what it was you guys were going on about... Nevermind, it isn't on the main page of the site, but on the forum tab, it's there.

I still stand by the idea that the mid to late 90's was the most polished era of gaming. In all the past 15 or so years of the last few generations of gaming, I have only played maybe 3 or 4 games that I felt was truly on the same level as the ideas that were coming out toward the late 90's. Granted, the level of polish is obviously higher, but on the merits of the ideas and execution alone? It's been a slow moving needle for me.

It's ironic to me that you say the Xbox is emulator proof, as that is the system that I use to play the vast majority of my emulators ON. I recall reading an article on the potential that the system had for stuff like this in an unofficial Xbox magazine (can't recall the name of the magazine), one thing led to another, and a friend of mine and I were cracking our relatively new Xboxes open and stuffing large (for the time) hard disks in them, full of all sorts of goodies. Still have my box, still use it on occasion. When I finally upgrade my PC, the current rig will likely be turned into a home server / emulation machine for the basement arcade that is currently a figment of my dreams. To answer your original question, apart from zSNES and Final Burn Alpha, I can't recall any particular program names off the top of my head. Personally, I started with emulation because I was poor, and games weren't always easy to come by. Now, expendable income is available, but supporting secondary markets does nothing to help the folks who made the original games, so it's rare that I buy an old school game anymore. I do make exceptions for great games that are offered in digital form such as PSN, just to funnel a bit of money to the original developers. I also support official re-releases, if possible. Nintendo would get my money with these classic systems, if I could buy them from Nintendo, but that's a dead horse around here if I ever saw one. That said, I tend to limit emulation to PS1 era or older, similar to how Retromags draws its lines on publish dates, I do something similar with games. Like Kitsunebi said above, I too always loved the ability to play games MY way with a good emulator. I'm not a particularly skilled gamer, but I love those older games. Save states and built in hex editors, cheat code databases, etc? I'm all for them. After all, we're already waist deep in an ethical grey area, so spare me your "true gamer" blah blah blah.

CrazyMax, it may not be everybody's cup of tea, but if it's something you think you can contribute to the world, I say go for it. I've done some things over the years that mean little to nothing to the majority of the world, but it meant something to ME, and therefore, it was satisfying. Take my car, for example. I've spent far more time and money on it than most people would consider even relatively sane. Yet, it's all been to fulfill a vision I have for this particular model, and weird as it sounds, when you get something that's just RIGHT, you know it. The same could come of your work on a review database here. Also, Kitsunebi, 1998 was an excellent year for gaming. Half Life. Resident Evil 2. Suikoden 2. Tekken 3. I want to say Thief. I could probably go on, but yeah... 98 was a great year.

Raijin, you sound a bit like me in a sense. I used to hook my computer up through a VGA to DVI adapter to my aforementioned Sony CRT, since I never really had a proper monitor for the computer, just always hooked to the TV. Man, this makes me realize how great HDMI is. Not a fan of a couple aspects of it, but in general, it's a standard that is very widely accepted. No longer do you need to deal with a multitude of monitor hook ups, many of which I've forgotten the names over the years. RGA, VGA, EGA(?), RGB, coax, composite, component, YPB, etc, etc... I like the idea of only needing one cable to hook it all up. Which brings me to a similar, if opposite point: I have a TV, but I treat it exclusively as a monitor. It's never had cable or any of that nonsense hooked up to it, just my computer and gaming systems.

High five! Same here... first thought when you said strategy game? Final Fantasy Tactics. Not sure why, just the first thing that came to mind. Not sure I could do it though, given my love of touch screen accuracy. I think a game like Suikoden might work alright on a phone though...

Scroll wheel, I would definitely have trouble going without that in this day and age. What irks me though, is when websites break keyboard functionality. It would be one thing if it were a new site, or a new to developing creator, but when you already have a solid foundation for a website, and you update it, and now the enter key no longer works, I have to click on a space on the screen way down below? Well, ya done messed up at that point.

You know, I've always been partial to the nub style mouse found on some older laptops. They work well for limited size applications... I do see your point though, and even though my iphone is a 6 I believe, it still just doesn't feel right to not actually be touching anything when I try to type. I swear the thing thinks I'm hitting every key OTHER than the one I'm trying to hit, unless I take my time and carefully try to type out what I mean. Even then, it's a crapshoot compared to my Casio. Perhaps a compromise then, albeit an unlikely one: keyboard for text entry, and stylus for pointing. My human fingers aren't so good at touching what I want, and while there are very few ways for me to get genuinely frustrated, a phone that doesn't work as I intend it to is very much one of them. That last point you make, about surfing without a mouse? I'm actually one of those folks who learned how to use a computer without one at all... there aren't many things I haven't figured out how to do with just a keyboard. Huh... perhaps that explains a lot, now that I step back and think about it. Go figure, DOS-kid has little use for touch screens. Back in my day... That said, the mouse has its uses, and it isn't fun to be without one, but it can be done.

I know what you mean about the Blackberry, even their larger model had really small keys. A shame, really, because I liked a lot of other features of them, but the keys were too small for my fingers. However, I've owned a couple different LG models (the VX9800 and EN-V, I think it was called) as well as a Casio G'Zone Brigade that I still use daily. All of them had reasonable sized keyboards, the Casio is roughly 3.75" in width, 1.75" in height. Not big enough for all eight fingers that you'd normally type with, but big enough that someone with fast thumbs (like your typical gamer) can type out a coherent message just fine. I've had an iphone for work for about 2.5 years now, and unless I absolutely have to, I avoid using it to message people or email from it. What would take me just a couple minutes to type out on a computer or my personal phone would take 10 to 15 minutes, with me fixing all the errors. I'm a firm believer that if something needs technology such as auto-correct or talk to text in order for it to be used, it was a bad design in the first place.

You make a lot of good points. The visual quality isn't a HUGE improvement, at least to my eyes, and the sound is only gonna impress if you're willing to set up a surround sound system. My old Sony setup, I picked it up for a reasonable price on Amazon shortly after buying my LCD, and realizing that thin tv sets have terrible speakers. It was a huge improvement over what came in the tv, and I was satisfied. It worked for the house we bought a couple years later, nothing too overpowering that the neighbors (rotten though they were) would have had trouble sleeping if we were watching a movie, so it was a good setup for the time. It has since been relegated to the garage now that we've moved into a standalone house. On that note, depending on the construction density of your house or the distance between your property and your neighbors, that will dictate, along with room layout, as Kitsunebi points out, what to do about speakers. Our main living room is of decent size for about 5 to 6 people. The speaker setup my buddy talked me into is by Klipsch, and while it does take up some floor real estate, I couldn't be happier. The T-rex escape scene in Jurassic Park? It sounds every bit as thrilling as it did in theaters. All that said, all depends on your desires and how much sound matters to you. For me, it's a big thing. Fortunately, speakers have come a long way, according to Crutchfield, even smaller speakers these days sound very convincing if you don't have the space for floor standing speakers... As for me, one of these days I would like to have a Klipsch THX system in the basement, once I figure out how to sound proof the walls and ceiling.

To be clear, my biggest criticism of modern phones is simply the lack of buttons. Give me a big screen and a flip down or slide out keyboard with buttons that fit human thumbs, and I'll probably buy one. Touch screen only? I'd sooner go back to a flip phone, if only because I've yet to have one of those make me wanna toss it across the room... or in the nearest pool... or into traffic... you get the picture. As for my specific case, I live in what could best be described as the middle of nowhere. Apart from hanging out with friends, there really isn't much to do around here, so I spend most of my free time at home. Also, if you're hanging out with friends, and your phone is a big factor, I'd suggest that perhaps you're doing it wrong.

I'm waiting on OLED tech to become a bit more reasonably priced (sub-$3000 for 65" class) before I finally upgrade. I used to get a new tv once every 6ish years, but I've been on the current set for 8 years now, and don't expect to be upgrading within the next year or two. The idea of a bigger tv introduces a bit of a conundrum in that I'd have to move my PC somewhere else, as it wouldn't fit where it is now if I went much bigger on the screen size. First world problems, I know... Areala, no need to re-buy your movies on another format, but going forward with new purchases, I'd suggest it, particularly if you and the missus are audiophiles in any sense. The sound quality you get from Blu-ray is pretty awesome.

I find smart phones to be sub-par at a LOT of things in the same way I find a multi-tool to be useful in a pinch, but not what you'd WANT to use if you have a choice. I'm not out and about often though, so if I need the computer, camera, flashlight, game system, music, what have you, my work phone is rarely ever the first thing I reach for.

This is exactly the image I had in mind when I posted my last reply... glad to see we're on the same page.

I'll admit to being one of those kids, even though I'm old enough to have owned an NES when they were still the hot new system. Why, you might ask? I can enjoy watching someone play a game for 15, 20 minutes, then move on to whatever else I have to do. Being an adult has perks for sure, one of them is definitely not an abundance of free time like I had 20 years ago... I'll offer up the channel Continue? as a great example. Those guys are just a lot of fun to watch. Their commentary and banter are every bit as entertaining as the games they are playing, it just reminds me of all the fun times I had growing up, gaming with friends. Now almost all of the people I grew up gaming with have scattered all over the country (and even other parts of the world), so I scarcely get the social interaction that I used to with gaming. Why would I spend $400+++ on a new system if I'm just gonna be playing alone? In the last 5 years, only Breath of the Wild has even managed to catch my eye enough to make me consider dropping the money for a new system. Say what you will about online gaming, it's amusing, but nowhere near as much fun as hanging out on the same couch. I think you hit the nail on the head here, logistically. System popularity follows the games, in a sense. Personally, I use my PC for all the other aspects, but gaming is a very small priority on my rig. I think it has to do with the fact I always leave other stuff running, I doubt I could bring myself to shut down everything else (like you had to do, back in the 90's golden age) in order to play a game. I like having my browser, notes, music, video, etc, at the ready at a moment's notice.

I know I'm gonna catch a lot of grief for this, but Half Life 2. To be fair, I played the PS3 version, which as I understand was less than optimal of a choice. However, the PS2 version of the original was great, where could I have gone wrong with HL2? Oh yeah... COD4 came out the year before, and suddenly the controls in HL2 (non configurable at that!) just didn't feel natural to me. Shame, because the game itself was really cool. I think the biggest thing to remember folks, is to go into a game with a fresh and open mind. I purposely avoid spoilers for anything that seems like it is getting a lot of hype, natural or a result of good marketing. This approach has served me well, and I'm rarely disappointed by games or movies if I've left the opportunity to experience it all for myself without having the opinions of others make an impression on me.

According to Retro magazine, this one was released here in the US, but in rather limited numbers. Check out the Zelda themed issue if you like (it is a good one), they had a feature on the CDi games. I remember seeing at least one of the three in a Sears when I was a kid, thought it rather strange that a Zelda game wasn't on a Nintendo system... Either way, from what I understand, you're REALLY not missing anything by not having played it.

Various contributing factors, as pointed out. Smart phones. The economy in general. The internet having a wide appeal and various ways to entertain. Is the primary function of a game escapism? If so, there are MANY ways one can do that in this modern age. Personally I really only buy games anymore if I truly dig the art style or it presents a fun new twist on gameplay, or just does an incredible job all around. Art - Valiant Hearts, WWI era... uh... game? I mean, technically it's a game. It isn't very challenging or technically impressive, but between the art style, the integration of the music into the gameplay, and the overall care put into the atmosphere makes this a really good one. Gameplay twist - Portal turned the first person genre on its head, brought comedy, physics, puzzles, logic, and a sterile environment all into a smooth playing romp that is fun for the whole family. All around - Valkyria Chronicles falls into this one for me. The art is what drew me to it, the gameplay kept me hooked, the challenge and sandbox nature of the loosely "rock paper scissor" rule structure... I loved it all. Breath of the Wild also appears to fall into this category, but I haven't picked up a system to play it on yet... All this is a long winded way to say that consoles / home gaming will always have a place in my heart, as long as quality games are still made. If the day comes that phones are the only way to play, well, I'll probably have quit playing new games by then.