Retrogaming! Games,consoles,setups,displays,modding and emulation! Up to PS2 Era

[Himu]

I got a PSP recently with a relatively cheap Dracula X Chronicles. Been a little off-put by SotN being displayed in a frame in the already small PSP screen, especially since SotN physcial was my main reason for getting it. Luckily, Rondo of Blood is pretty ace.
Also got Breath of Fire 3 and Valkyrie Profile. Not sure whether I continue the former, it seems a little too slow and time consuming compared to BoF4. VP seems like Vagrant Story, as in you need a guide to make sense of any of the mechanics, which I'm not too fond of. But since VP was one of the main reasons for getting a PSP, I guess I'll try it again later at some point.

Re: DXC. When this game came out it was in my psp for three months straight. It was all I played in that time. Fucking amazing package

[Joe Molotov]

Spent most of the day driving around to various game shops and used book stores. Here's my haul:



(Symphony of the Night was 40% off)

[thisismyusername]

I got a PSP recently with a relatively cheap Dracula X Chronicles. Been a little off-put by SotN being displayed in a frame in the already small PSP screen, especially since SotN physcial was my main reason for getting it. Luckily, Rondo of Blood is pretty ace.
Also got Breath of Fire 3 and Valkyrie Profile. Not sure whether I continue the former, it seems a little too slow and time consuming compared to BoF4. VP seems like Vagrant Story, as in you need a guide to make sense of any of the mechanics, which I'm not too fond of. But since VP was one of the main reasons for getting a PSP, I guess I'll try it again later at some point.

Re: DXC. When this game came out it was in my psp for three months straight. It was all I played in that time. Fucking amazing package

I bought it retail when it came out. The only disappointment (for me) is that the resolution of SotN can't be modified like the PSN digital version of the PSX original.

Timu, did you get far enough to find Nina's sister?

Not from what I recall. I'll have to dig the system out sometime and see where I stopped. I think I got on the ship and started the search but stopped due to other games at the time.

[paprikastaude]

I should probably get one of these PSP-TV connectors to play the the SotN ROM on DXC. Either way, with (Saturn?) SotN and Rondo of Blood + remake it's really one of the best collections. I guess it could have still had the SNES interpretation though.

"Vor langer Zeit lebten die Menschen glücklich und zufrieden" ™

[Rufus]

Not from what I recall. I'll have to dig the system out sometime and see where I stopped. I think I got on the ship and started the search but stopped due to other games at the time.

You'd definitely remember if you had. It's pretty crazy. Not worth playing the game for that moment alone, but I'll spoiler it anyway.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

You go through a flesh dungeon in JRPG tradition, but emerge in a normal room where she lies bedridden. Turns out her captors experimented on her, trying to turn her into a god and the dungeon you just cut through was actually her monstrously deformed body from the waist down. :'(

[close]

[Positive Touch]

I should probably get one of these PSP-TV connectors to play the the SotN ROM on DXC. Either way, with (Saturn?) SotN and Rondo of Blood + remake it's really one of the best collections. I guess it could have still had the SNES interpretation though.

"Vor langer Zeit lebten die Menschen glücklich und zufrieden" ™

that cord sucks and only displays in a small window on your screen. better to use an emulator.

[Himu]

The fact that all classic Vania games that come out are remakes the past twenty years grinds my gears. Especially since the only metroidvania's worth playing are symphony and aria.

And then Iga makes Bloodstained and it's another fucking Metroidvania but I want Classic Vania, III style.

[Positive Touch]

i mean rebirth is a remake in the loosest sense of the word. might as well have been an all - new title.

[paprikastaude]

Metroidvania is the best, Dawn > Aria.

But I think that I'll definitely get Adventure Rebirth before the Wii dies, unless mine isn't working anymore.

[tiesto]

The fact that all classic Vania games that come out are remakes the past twenty years grinds my gears. Especially since the only metroidvania's worth playing are symphony and aria.

And then Iga makes Bloodstained and it's another fucking Metroidvania but I want Classic Vania, III style.

You play Eccelsia? I thought that was pretty damn good, a good deal more challenging than the other Metroidvanias, but also more linear/less exploration-focused. The optional clock tower level is probably some of the best level design in all the Metroidvanias...

[Himu]

Metroidvania is the best, Dawn > Aria.

But I think that I'll definitely get Adventure Rebirth before the Wii dies, unless mine isn't working anymore.

Dawn is not better than Aria. The only thing better is Julius mode.

Ecclesia is a poor substitute to classic Vania

[paprikastaude]

Classicvania isn't even that good. The constant annoyance of -stairs- alone makes sure of that.  Rondo of Blood is the best, since it has the most QOL improvements. Even 4, while good, still has lots of bullshit especially towards the end. Faux-pitfalls because the camera in a vertical level moved too far up? Fuck off.

[demi]

sounds like u just need to GIT GUD

[paprikastaude]

I refuse to believe that it's possible to get good in NES Castlevania.

[Rufus]

It is, but it demands a lot of precision and some memorization. I'm too impatient for that myself.

[Positive Touch]

old cv is all about timing and precision. jumping and attacking is slow so it has to be done at just the right time.

and if we could beat those games as 10 year olds, anyone can

[Himu]

Never had a problem with CV's stairs.

[paprikastaude]

I didn't have problems dealing with the stairs, but they constantly interrupt the games' (already slow) pacing for no reason that ever made sense to me. I don't know, I always much prefered the agility of Contra - which Rondo of Blood comes closest to (especially with Maria).

[Rufus]

Have you tried Bloodlines for the Mega Drive? You can jump onto the stairs, like in Rondo. Great game, besides.

[BisMarckie]

The fact that all classic Vania games that come out are remakes the past twenty years grinds my gears. Especially since the only metroidvania's worth playing are symphony and aria.

And then Iga makes Bloodstained and it's another fucking Metroidvania but I want Classic Vania, III style.

There was never a better opinion said on these forum.

SOTN was cool when it came out mainly because of the artstyle, but gameplay wise it is lacking. It's just way too easy.
And when people are takling about Classicvania they are talking about Super Castlevania aka Baby's first Caslevania for some reason.

[Positive Touch]

Castlevania was amazing but the side scroller genre was mostly dead at that point so the series had to reinvent itself. and they did, with another set of phenomenal games.

[Himu]

Castlevania was amazing but the side scroller genre was mostly dead at that point so the series had to reinvent itself. and they did, with another set of phenomenal games.

With a set of games that overstayed its welcome and had a spotty track record. And there was nothing "reinvent" about SOTN. It was Metroid with rpg elements and Metroid established a formula way back in the 80's.

[Positive Touch]

cv always had a spotty track record tho, so that was nothing new. and the nonlinear metroid style was completely dead by the time sotn came out. hell, (almost?) no one even made a game like that, even after circle of the moon officially made metroidvania a "thing" so picking up that style and adding in rpg elements, which was the fad at the time, definitely was reinventing the series.

[Himu]

what spotty track record? 1, 3, 4, Dracula X, and Bloodlines are all worth playing. 2 is too, if only for the novelty. Classic Vania, if you throw in Rebirth, is far more consistent than Metroidvania. It was reinventing the series, but the way you articulated, it made it seem all side scrollers had to reinvent the entire genre, so I read you wrong.

[Himu]

It can also be argued that SOTN isn't even a reinvention but a reinterpretation. 2, 3, and X are all fairly non-linear compared to other platformers at the time. By the time SOTN came out CV had a very rich history with non-linearity. So I'm not seeing this "reinvention" especially in light of games like 3.

[Positive Touch]

the spotty Castlevanias of the 80s and 90s were haunted castle, the msx version of cv1, and the game boy games. also before iga took over we had legends and the 64 games. all lesser known, but still subpar.

[Himu]

I forget those exist.

[Positive Touch]

it's ok; we all tried to

[Sho Nuff]

I just finished Silent Hill 2 on PS2

Holeeshit what a game

What's the best way to play #3?

[Positive Touch]

ps2 version

[tiesto]

Game Boy CV2 is a pretty good game with an incredible soundtrack.

[demi]

I just finished Silent Hill 2 on PS2

Holeeshit what a game

What's the best way to play #3?

PS2 version, the HD collection is dogshit

Maybe PC? Or PCSX2.

[Positive Touch]

Game Boy CV2 is a pretty good game with an incredible soundtrack.

huh, I never played it bc i heard so many bad things about adventure 1.guess I'll give it a shot sometime.

pc version of silent hill 3 was shit with bad controller support and visual options. no idea if fans fixed it up but the ps2 version is fine and one of the best looking games on the system

[Himu]

Silent hill 2's story is still the GOAT vidya story

[paprikastaude]

Don't forget to play SH1. Playing it on PS3 gives you a sound glitch at random chance though (there might be a high pitch noise which won't stop until the next cutscene or whatever).

[Rich!]

Damn I've been neglecting my retrogaming hobby recently. no more though

just bought this:





Been looking for one of these specific model 1 slots for a long time now at a decent price and went for this as soon as I saw it. It was £70+£30 postage from japan, unibios installed, and comes with KOF 2002. I'm gonna be turning it into a console, which is as simple as just adding a 5v input and RGBS out via a scart socket. It already has two controller ports and stereo audio out.

[Sho Nuff]

Beautiful. And that original SNK seal

[tiesto]

Any PC-FX owners in here? I should be getting one in the mail soon, have 5 games so far.

[Rich!]

Beautiful. And that original SNK seal

It's here! Well, almost - it's literally a five minute drive down the road from here at the parcelforce depot. along with a £32 customs fee to pay (half of that is a handling charge, fucking ridiculous). I'll pick it up tomorrow.

I've got a scart plug+mounting PCB, DC jack and on/off switch, 5v 3amp power adapter and 300x300mm black acrylic for mounting the MVS. It won't look incredible, but it'll work as a console and shouldn't take long to set up at all.

haven't got a controller yet though, that's a bit of an issue

[thisismyusername]

haven't got a controller yet though, that's a bit of an issue

Can't you get a USB->Controller port (maybe? It's custom from what you're saying) converter and a cheap (like PS360 non-converted) arcade stick by MadCatz off Ebay for it? Be "close" to arcade-like, maybe?

[Rich!]

haven't got a controller yet though, that's a bit of an issue

Can't you get a USB->Controller port (maybe? It's custom from what you're saying) converter and a cheap (like PS360 non-converted) arcade stick by MadCatz off Ebay for it? Be "close" to arcade-like, maybe?

nah, that wouldn't work - I could hack a converter together for a mega drive controller but...eh, I just went ahead and bought a NeoGeo CD controller on ebay instead.

oh and it's here! along with free tea!



I also quickly added the power input and RGB scart socket. Works great!









Just need to fit the power socket and switch, mount the board between the two sheets of perspex and it's done!

[Kurt Russell]

That's incredible. My soldering is absolute dog shit though. There's no way I'd trust myself to solder into the points there without frying the board.

[Rich!]

That's incredible. My soldering is absolute dog shit though. There's no way I'd trust myself to solder into the points there without frying the board.

heh thanks It's really a quite easy mod though - it's just a few wires on some points, and that's it. just tip the wires first with some solder, dab some flux onto the points, and press each wire onto the points with the iron a second at a time. done! It helps that this is the easiest MVS to consolize. but yeah if you haven't got experience with stuff like this, it's definitely intimidating when working with something you've spent a lot of money on.

Just hooked it up to my OSSC and it looks fantastic on the TV (crappy mobile phone pic though, sorry!). x5 1080p mode, so that's why there's a bit cut off at the bottom. it's full screen in x3 720p mode:

[Himu]

Dope. Can you Supergun it?

[Rich!]

Dope. Can you Supergun it?

Yeah, but I'll probably just keep it as is now. Once I get the perspex layers on it'll be all set as a plug and play console. I've still got the Jamma connector easily accessible though.

Gonna buy a 161 in 1 multicart after Xmas, they seem like a good way to get a few games without spending thousands.

[Rich!]

Big purchase today....



Can't wait to get it. Hoping I don't get stung by UK customs though.

Edit: shipped! DHL express, so I'll have it by end of week.

[Great Rumbler]

You really went all-in on that, dude! Let us know how it is.

[Rich!]

You really went all-in on that, dude! Let us know how it is.

Heh yeah, I've been looking into getting one for a while now! I'm selling my RGB Famicom+everdrive to go towards it, so it's really only cost me £100 when all said and done. Also gives me a great atari and GB/GBC solution for my CRT because of the extra cores

DHL have quoted me delivery by end of 28th which seems crazy fast but eh no complaints

[kingv]

I got a Rapberry Pi for Xmas, and set it up with a premise image for retro games.

One thing that’s interesting is how much I notice the input lag on some games (especially Super Mario World).

I’m not sure if it’s because of the emulation or just because there’s a certain amount of inputnlag on new TVs that didn’t exist in 1991... but it really changes how it feels.

[Rich!]

I got a Rapberry Pi for Xmas, and set it up with a premise image for retro games.

One thing that’s interesting is how much I notice the input lag on some games (especially Super Mario World).

I’m not sure if it’s because of the emulation or just because there’s a certain amount of inputnlag on new TVs that didn’t exist in 1991... but it really changes how it feels.

It's the pi itself plus your TV. The emulation on the pi has a considerable amount of lag, especially if using USB for input and not direct gpio polling.

And yeah compared to my CRT or even the ossc setup with real hardware, it's night and day - and unplayable for myself

[Rich!]

This thing is incredible. It honestly feels and looks like the most premium console I've ever known - it's a stunning piece of kit. Not surprising considering it's built out of a single block of sheer aluminium.

The kevtris custom firmware is fantastic - removes the need for an everdrive entirely. Also having it function as a Game Boy/Color FPGA (along with game gear, master system, Atari) is just awesome. Perfect compatibility too.

Well worth the £400 I spent. Especially considering I sold my RGB Famicom and Everdrive for £300.

[Rman]

Looking good, Rich.

[bork]

Was going to say that price is just ridiculous, but hey, totally worth it after selling your modded NES and Everdrive!

[Rich!]

Was going to say that price is just ridiculous, but hey, totally worth it after selling your modded NES and Everdrive!

Yeah that's what I thought. I did the RGB mod myself - the board and the Famicom cost me £140 altogether and the Everdrive was £80. So straight away I'm £80 better off after selling it for £300. Also gotta consider that I had to use an OSSC to get the Famicom to display lag-free on an HDTV, and that has compatibility issues (and cost me £170). The NT Mini means I have no need to use an everdrive or the ossc, can still output to a CRT and also can be used to play Sega, Atari and Game Boy games.

Definitely worth it in my case tbh. FPGA consoles are the future really - exact same performance as the original hardware, with none of the drawbacks

Edit: oh and it came with a free 8bitdo NES30 pad and receiver in the box. That's £40 of controller right there.

[Rman]

Could you connect them to a CRT?

[Rich!]

Could you connect them to a CRT?

The NT Mini has full RGB analog video output support via a hd15 port (vga) at the back as well as 480p-1080p HD via HDMI, so yes

I'll be picking up a vga-scart cable from maplin tomorrow and then I'll be able to use it on my JVC CRT

[demi]

Not a $500 glorified NES but I picked up Obscure on the Xbox

This game seems to have jumped up in price, but I found a disc & case only copy for $10 last week on ebay. Waiting for it to arrive, then will probably just buy a replacement booklet on eBay as well.

Obscure is a Resident-Evil type game involving high school students and monsters, along with their school's dark secret. It also starts out with a Sum 41 song (remember Sum 41? I member)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obscure_(video_game)

[tiesto]

Was playing Adventure Island 2, Silkworm, and Shadow of the Ninja last night. Really fun games, Shadow of the Ninja in 2p mode is fun as hell but has tons of slowdown. Silkworm is also pretty neat in 2p mode. Adventure Island 2 has much tighter controls than the first game, but I wish there was a password feature, since the game is really long (8 worlds with like 8 stages in each).

[Rman]

Could you connect them to a CRT?

The NT Mini has full RGB analog video output support via a hd15 port (vga) at the back as well as 480p-1080p HD via HDMI, so yes

I'll be picking up a vga-scart cable from maplin tomorrow and then I'll be able to use it on my JVC CRT

Awesome. Looks like they are sold out though.

[Rich!]

Could you connect them to a CRT?

The NT Mini has full RGB analog video output support via a hd15 port (vga) at the back as well as 480p-1080p HD via HDMI, so yes

I'll be picking up a vga-scart cable from maplin tomorrow and then I'll be able to use it on my JVC CRT

Awesome. Looks like they are sold out though.

yep...I'm amazed I managed to actually get one. I knew this was the last of them, but didn't realise just how few were left. Going by whats been said on atariage, there likely won't be any more as Analogue is moving towards the much cheaper Super NT.

I've been messing with the Game Boy Color core tonight and its awesome.