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  • Locked thread
d0s
Jun 28, 2004



Previous thread (tons of info in the op): http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3515794
IRC: irc.synirc.net #retrochat
Wiki: http://retrogooning.com/wiki/Main_Page

:retrogames::spergin:Introduction:spergin::retrogames:

This is a thread about old console and arcade video games. Some computer talk happens here but if you want to get deep into that this thread is probably a better place for it. "Retro games" at the moment are generally accepted to be games that predate the 360/PS3 era, but nobody's going to care if you want to tell us about an awesome PS3 game you found.

A lot of people in this hobby like playing games on their original hardware for various reasons, whether it's accuracy, nostalgia, or simply the fun of tinkering with old electronics. Some people don't really care about all that and stick to emulation, which for most systems is good enough these days. Most of the people in this thread tend to use real hardware and you'll see a lot of discussion about it, don't let it discourage you if you only use emulators, you're still playing the same games.

There are various clone systems out there, licensed or unlicensed copies of old consoles. They all have accuracy issues. If you care enough to ask if you should get a clone, you probably shouldn't get a clone.

:retrogames::spergin:Acquiring old games:spergin::retrogames:

The popularity of retro games is exploding right now and game prices have gone through the roof. Brick and mortar retro game shops tend to overcharge by a lot. If you must have the real thing stick to internet sales- eBay and Yahoo Japan Auctions are good, but better deals can be had in the marketplace sections of specialist forums. Occasionally people find amazing things through craigslist, flea markets/thrift stores, and garage sales; though lately it's become a lot harder. Rarity and price does not equal a good game and some of the best games for major systems are dirt cheap and plentiful. Try to avoid falling into the "collector" trap where you feel the need to buy every old game you see, speaking from experience it's no fun owning a ton of lovely games. Avoid anything "VGA graded" like the plague, it's a scam.

If you don't care about having a shelf full of games the absolute best way to play old games on cartridge systems in 2016 is the flash cart. You fill an SD card with the game ROMs and use these adapters to play them directly on your console. It's an absolute must if you missed the glory days of cheap and plentiful games or are just starting out in this hobby. Many of the best flash carts are made by a weird ukranian called Krikzz and sell under the Everdrive brand name. Other popular flash carts are the SD2SNES and the NES PowerPak. People can write dissertations on one the relative merits of different carts but honestly if you stick with any of those you'll be fine unless you have a very specific need, in which case ask the thread. The SD2SNES is unique in that it actually adds capabilities to the SNES like CD quality audio and full motion video.



Avoid bootleg/clone/china edition flash carts, they're garbage. Here's a flash cart buying guide:

http://retrogooning.com/wiki/Flashcarts

Here are some places to get flash carts:

http://shop.retrogate.com/
http://www.stoneagegamer.com/
http://krikzz.com/store/
http://www.retrousb.com/index.php?cPath=24

For systems that use optical discs, there's usually a way to play burned CDs. The following systems need no modification at all:

NEC PC Engine CD/Turbo CD
Sega CD
Phillips CDi
3Do
Jaguar CD
Sega Dreamcast
Neo-Geo CD

Systems not listed require some modifications to play burns, typically mod chips. It's beyond the scope of this OP but ask in the thread if you want to know more. If you have a Sega Saturn, a device called an Action Replay is a must. On it's own you can use it to play imported games, but you can flash it with software called Pseudo Saturn to play most games burned on a CD-R. The action replay to get is the "4M Plus".

For the original Playstation, look for a Game Enhancer or Goldfinger device, this plugs into any Playstation with a parallel I/O port and allows playing CD-R backups. You'll need something to hold down the PS1's lid sensor, most include a spring in the box for this purpose. Action Replays and Goldfinger devices are readily available on eBay.



:retrogames::rgb:Audiovisual:rgb::retrogames:

One of the most common questions in the thread is "I just got an old console, why won't it work on my HDTV?". Without getting into detail, many old systems output a signal that newer TVs can't handle. Some modern TVs can handle the signal but are affected by input lag, which can make fast action games unplayable. Your two major options in this situation are to get an upscaler, or find an old CRT TV and use it for your old games. A CRT is the easiest and cheapest way to go, and old games look terrific on them. Great if you want the authentic experience. Look for a CRT with S-Video and Component inputs by a respected brand name like Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, etc. You should be able to find them for next to nothing at thrift stores or craigslist. If you're very serious you can look out for broadcast-quality monitors like the Sony PVM. They're beautiful but hard to come by and expensive.



There are many varieties of PVM and some are better than others, with prices to match. A typical unit good for games would be a 14 or 20 inch model made in the late 90's through the mid 2000s with RGB inputs. Check out the PVM-14M2U, 14M4U, 20M2U, and 20M4U. "2U" and "4U" in the model number denotes the TV lines or TVL count, with 2U being 600 lines and 4U being 800 lines. A higher number means more black space between scanlines, a look many people like. You'll probably have to pay out the rear end for a 20" 4U (but really, 600 lines is just fine). These models also had medical industry variants with model numbers ending in "MDU" (e.g. 20M2MDU), they work just as well but come in a white case. I would avoid PVMs with an "N" in the model number as these were budget models with low TVL counts and less adjustment options that barely look better than a good consumer TV. There are also 29" units such as the PVM-2950Q, expect to pay a fortune but it's worth it to a lot of people to have such a large and high quality display. If the model of monitor you're buying isn't listed here, be sure to research it to make sure you're getting something good, having "PVM" in the model number isn't a guarantee of a good display for games. When was it made? Does it have a TVL of 600 or above? Does it have RGB inputs? etc, etc.

Some people either won't have the space for this or just don't care for the CRT look and would rather play on an HDTV. This results in a very clinical, pixellated look that some people find appealing. You achieve this with an upscaler device like the popular (and rather expensive) Micomsoft Framemiester. Note that light guns for older systems are incompatible with HDTVs regardless of whether or not an upscaler is used. In the interest of keeping this OP free of technical minutiae, here are some excellent sites you can check out to learn more about upscaling:

http://retrogaming.hazard-city.de/
http://retrorgb.com/index.html



You're going to encounter a few different types of video connectors:



Note that Component/YPbPr is technically not RGB (but looks just about as good). If you're in the US your TV probably doesn't have a pure RGB SCART input, so what you need to do (in the case of an SD CRT with component input, for an HDTV you pretty much need an upscaler) is get the euro-style RGB SCART cable for your system and then get a converter to turn it into component. Here are some good devices:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191876964053
http://www.ani-av.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=220

Avoid this cheap one, it's terrible: http://www.ebay.com/itm/221156873851

If you're not extremely interested in getting the best picture possible, S-Video will be more than enough for gaming on a CRT. Composite is passable and can be pretty good sometimes (particularly if you have a good TV), RF (coaxial, antenna cable, etc) is terrible no matter what and should be avoided. If you're using an HDTV and an upscaler you'll pretty much need to go beyond this stuff and get into RGB/component. S-video, composite, etc. looks like garbage on an HDTV. The following consoles can output RGB with no modifications:

Sega Genesis
Super Nintendo (early models)
Sony Playstation & PS2
Sega Saturn
Sega Dreamcast
Neo Geo AES/NGCD
Nintendo Gamecube (requires expensive cable, just use a Wii)

The rest will have to be modified for RGB. RetroRGB is a great place to read up on this. SA's own Monitor Burn does great work in this area, his sales thread is here:

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3673990

Unless you're dealing with a HDTV or are just into it for it's own sake there's really no reason to stress over this stuff if you just want to play old games. They're just as fun on an old CRT through a composite connection, I promise.

Kthulhu5000 has made an excellent video compatibility chart, let him know if you feel anything needs to be added:


:retrogames::spergin:Arcade Stuff:spergin::retrogames:

Some of us like to play old arcade games. This can be expensive and complicated to get into and way beyond the scope of this OP. It is possible to play arcade games at home, the two major ways to do this are a Supergun, which connects the game board to your TV, and an actual arcade cabinet that you can swap boards in and out of. Japanese "candy cabs" are great for this purpose; they're comfortable to use, have great screens, and use high quality controls.



:retrogames::spergin:The Systems:spergin::retrogames:

In the interest of space I'm only going to cover post-crash and popular-ish stuff here. There were good games released before 1984, but this thread tends to focus on post-golden age stuff. This list is in rough chronological order.



Release: 1983(JP)/1985(US)
CPU: 8-bit Ricoh RP2A03 @ 1.79MHz

Probably the most famous console on earth, the NES is the reason many people get into retro gaming. It has a staggering library with something for everyone. It's Japanese counterpart is the Famicom and it was a social phenomenon there as much as it was in the US. Many famous series originated or had their first hits here : Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Final Fantasy, Castlevania, Mega Man, Contra. There are plenty of lesser known titles in it's library that are just as good as the big names and it's a ton of fun to explore. Japanese Famicom owners got the Disk System, which stored games on magnetic floppy disk-like cartridges. The electronics giant Sharp released a system containing both called the Twin Famicom.

All NES/Famicom system require modification to display RGB. The original Famicom systems only use RF video and are a poor choice unmodified. The NES, Famicom Twin, and Famicom Mini all output composite video. The NES had major issues loading games, this was caused by a combination of factors: The lockout chip, an early form of DRM, was extremely sensitive and resulted in many false positives. People get these errors and blow into their cartridges assuming they were dirty but this would end up corroding the contacts even more. The mechanism of the NES cartridge caddy was also very poorly thought out and added more failure points in it's contacts. The 72-pin connectors the cartridges plugged into often got worn out and loose and needed to be bent back into shape. If you're having NES game loading problems, the most important thing to do is to clean your games thoroughly with 99% rubbing alcohol and some q-tips (brasso if really bad). If there are still problems disable the lockout chip. If problems still persist you can go further by re-bending your 72-pin connector and boiling it, or replacing the mechanism entirely with something like the Blinking Light Win.

Five NES/Famicom Greats
Super Mario Bros. 3
Kirby's Adventure
The Legend of Zelda
Castelvania
Mega Man 2

Five NES/Famicom Cult Classics
Crystalis
Summer Carnival '92: Recca
River City Ransom
Gimmick!
Joy Mech Fight



Release: 1985(JP)/1986(US)
CPU: 8-bit Zilog Z80 @ 4MHz

The Master System was Sega's competitor to the NES juggernaut. While technically superior it suffered from a small library and odd hardware quirks and was not a big hit in either Japan or the US, though it did well in Europe and South America. It was particularly popular in Brazil where it stayed on shelves for an amazingly long time. Thanks in part to predatory business practices by Nintendo it's library lacked third-party support but it was a great system for Sega mainstays and has a few absolute classics.

The SMS requires no modification to get RGB. The Japanese version of this console had extra FM sound hardware the US version was lacking, but the code to play this sound is still in the US games, so you can order a simple passthrough board to restore the FM sound.

Five SMS/Mark III Greats
Phantasy Star
Golvellius
Zillion
R-Type
Wonder Boy III

Five SMS/Mark III Cult Classics
Alex Kidd in Shinobi World
Astro Warrior (play this with the Sports pad!)
Golden Axe Warrior
Penguin Land
Snail Maze Game



Release: 1987(JP)/1989(US)
CPU: 8-bit Hudson HuC6280 @ 7.16MHz

This system was the very definition of cult classic in the US and wildly popular in Japan. Originally a design proposed by Hudson to Nintendo as a successor to the NES, it became NEC's baby when Nintendo declined. It's processor is a beefed-up variant of the same chip the NES' CPU is based on, the MOS 6502. It was released during the Japanese "caravan boom" and had an incredible library of arcade-style shooting games, and action games in general. Thanks to poor marketing by NEC USA it was a failure in the US, but just about everyone who had one back then became a fan for life (including yours truly).

TG16/PCE requires a mod to get RGB video. I would advise against getting a US model, which only output RF video unless you have an expensive and rare add-on. There are no US exclusive games worth getting, and the US versions of games are insanely expensive on the secondhand market. Stick with a Japanese Core Grafx system (the original white system was also RF-only) or newer, you don't need to know any Japanese unless you want to play a few of the system's very poor RPGs. The vast majority of the library, even in Japan is almost 100% in English. The PCE/TG16 was the first to have a CD-ROM attachment and this had many good games, which is surprising for an early CD-ROM system. If you want to play CD-ROMs go for a Duo R or RX and avoid the regular Duo (the black one), they had a very high failure rate and are difficult to repair.

PCE compatibility guide: http://pcenginefx.com/main/nec_compatibility_guide.html

Five TG16/PCE Greats
Blazing Lazers (AKA Gunhed)
Devil's Crush
Ninja Spirit
Splatterhouse
Dracula X

Five TG16/PCE Cult Classics
Spriggan
Sapphire
Lords of Thunder
Cyber Core
Final Lap Twin



Release: 1988(JP)/1989(US)
CPU: 16-bit Motorola 68000 @ 7.6MHz

The world's first truly 16-bit console had a quiet release but became extremely popular in the west thanks in part to the brilliant Sonic the Hedgehog games. The Genesis had a 68000 processor which at the time was practically synonymous with graphics, being at the heart of the Amiga, Macintosh, X68000 and many, many arcade games (most of which also shared the Genesis' FM sound). Strangely the MD was never all that popular in Japan but was a powerhouse in the US and Europe. It's architecture made it a natural for arcade ports and it got tons, while also hosting a fair amount of good RPGs. Sonic was a revelation, paired with their hyperbolic and honestly brilliant marketing the Genesis was a household name. During the early 90's Sega cultivated an "underground" and edgy attitude as the rebellious, grungy answer to conservative Nintendo.

All Genesis consoles except the Genesis 3 output RGB without modifications. There is some variance between the sound quality of it's different models . For more information about that, check here. The Sega CD add-on is a must in my opinion, though avoid the flaky tray-loading first model and get the second top-loading one. The SCD was full of terrible FMV games but a few of it's games are some of the very best on the entire Genesis platform.

Five Genesis/MD Greats
Sonic the Hedgehog
Phantasy Star IV
Streets of Rage 2
Gunstar Heroes
Strider

Five Genesis/MD Cult Classics
Ranger X
Rocket Knight Adventures
Lightening Force
M.U.S.H.A
Popful Mail



Release: 1991
CPU: 16-bit Motorola 68000 @ 12MHz

The Maybach of game systems. Neo-Geo started as SNK's modular arcade system which saved operators money and time by putting arcade games into large cartridges that plugged into a mainboard. The home system was the exact same hardware stuck in a plastic case. The cartridges were huge, the controller was huge, the sprites were loving huge. This system was ludicrously expensive at $650, with games costing a few hundred dollars each. This is one of the top systems to own if you're into fighting games, or arcade games in general. The Neo-Geo did well enough that official games were still being released for it in the early 2000s and has a huge cult following.

The Neo-Geo needs no modification for RGB video (neither does the NGCD). There were two home variants of what's essentially the same system: the cartridge system (AES) and the Neo-Geo CD. In 2016 it would be a very bad idea to get into the AES unless you have a lot of money. The vast majority of it's library sells at $200+ a pop. Disregard it, pretend it doesn't exist until a flash cart comes out for it. You do have options here though: The Neo-Geo CD is the same hardware with a large part of the library in a CD system that plays burned games without modification. The CD load times can be quite annoying though, particularly with very large later games. The best choice by far is to simply buy an arcade motherboard (MVS). The games are less expensive though people are catching on and this is starting to be less true, fortunately there are multicarts readily available with nearly every Neo game worth playing. You can get an MVS that's already modified to play on your TV here, or you can learn about superguns and do it yourself.

Here's flyboi's excellent Neo-Geo buying guide: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3515794&pagenumber=415&perpage=40#post416710768

Five Neo-Geo Greats
Metal Slug
Neo Turf Masters/Big Tournament Golf
Samurai Shodown/Samurai Spirits II
King of Fighters '98
Garou: Mark of the Wolves

Five Neo-Geo Cult Classics
Blazing Star
Shock Troopers
Neo Drift Out
Aerofighters/Sonic Wings 2
Windjammers/Flying Power Drift

Neo-Geo buyer's quick reference card





Release: 1990(JP)/1991(US)
CPU: 16-bit Ricoh 5A22 @ 2.68MHz

A huge number of people in this hobby will tell you the SNES is the greatest system of all time. By all appearances it's nothing special, it had a dog slow CPU even for it's time, and lacked anything resembling a cool factor. It could display a lot of colors on the screen though, and it's sample-based PCM sound was impressive for people who had only heard synthesized noises coming from consoles. For whatever reason many developers ended up doing some of their absolute best work on this console and like the earlier NES, it was pushed to the limits by the end of it's life.Thanks to hardware upgrades in the cartridges themselves developers were able to make this system pull off tricks that stunned uses and caused the competing Genesis to seem a little lacking. The SNES library is diverse and has something for everyone, though RPG fans in particular are really well served. Nintendo themselves were on fire as a developer on this system, releasing some of their all time greatest games.

The SNES outputs RGB without modification on earlier models, but it must be modified back in on later "1 chip" editions. The consensus is that the later models actually look better when RGB modded compared to the earlier, but there are also some accuracy issues with 1chip models that may make the earlier system your best choice. See here for more SNES RGB info. There are many, many great Japanese games that were never released for the US SNES, thankfully it's very easy to modify a SNES to play SFC games. No soldering needed, just cut two tabs in the cartridge slot and you're good to go, highly recommended. Many Japanese versions of SNES games can be much cheaper than their US counterparts, as long as it's not something text-heavy it's a good thing to look into.

Five SNES/SFC Greats
Super Mario World
Super Metroid
Chrono Trigger
F-Zero
Zelda: Link to the Past

Five SNES/SFC Cult Classics
Space Megaforce/Super Aleste
Pocky & Rocky
Illusion of Gaia
Pilotwings
Uniracers/Unirally



Release: 1991
CPU: 16-bit Philips SCC68070 @ 17.5MHz

Before widespread use of the internet, CD-ROM technology was promoted as a way to access massive amounts of hyperlinked data from your home. You bought a disc containing (for example) an encyclopedia, popped it into your computer and browsed it the way you'd browse a modern website. These multimedia discs were pretty advanced for the time and contained lots of video and audio samples, interactive lessons, and so on. During the first half of the 90's many people thought this was the future of computing, until fast broadband internet made the technology obsolete. Multimedia discs required powerful and expensive computers that were out of reach for most people, so European electronics giant Philips teamed up with Sony to develop a multimedia standard for the masses called CD-i. CD-i players were basically closed-system multimedia PCs in a set-top form factor, and the CD-i technology could be licensed by other manufacturers so they could design their own compatible players. CD-i was marketed less as a video game technology and more as a do-it-all home entertainment standard that could incidentally also play video games, but the marketing failed and the public perceived it as just another game console. At $700 the system was cheap for a multimedia PC but ludicrously expensive for a game system, it was not a success.

The CD-i needs to be modified for RGB. The most common problem with the CD-i is a dead timekeeper battery. With the exception of the portable 300 series, it's not easily replaceable. Be sure to get a real gamepad for your CD-i as the IR remote control is pretty bad. A digital video cartridge is required for many games.

Five CD-i Greats
Labyrinth of Crete
Merlin's Apprentice
The Apprentice
The 7th Guest
Myst

Five CD-i Cult Classics
Thunder in Paradise



Release: 1993(US)/1994(JP)
CPU: 32-bit ARM60 RISC @ 12.5MHz

3DO was a multimedia standard created by EA founder Trip Hawkins' 3DO company. Similar in concept to the CD-i standard two years prior, it was intended to be licensed and sold to major electronics firms who would design their own 3DO players. Compared to the CD-i, the 3DO boasted much improved graphics capability, real 3D hardware and was much more viable as a game system. 3DO was released with much hype in the gaming press and quite a few great games were released for it, but was quite expensive at $600 and was soon overtaken by the Saturn and Playstation.

The 3DO requires modification for RGB output. Again, I don't know much about these systems so please help me complete a 3DO buyer's guide paragraph.

Five 3DO Greats
Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Road Rash
Return Fire
The Need for Speed
Gex

Five 3DO Cult Classics
Lucienne's Quest
D
Samurai Shodown
???



Release: 1994(JP)/1995(US)
CPU: 2X 32-bit Hitachi SH-2 @ 28.6MHz

The Sega Saturn is a misunderstood system. It's a nearly 3DO-level failure in the eyes of many western game fans who directly compare it to the Playstation. When Virtua Fighter was released in Japanese arcades it was a hit on the level of a Street Fighter and fans were dying to take the experience home. The Saturn was a complicated system designed to replicate what was at the time incredibly powerful arcade hardware. Copies of Virtua Fighter sold 1:1 with Japanese Saturns, and the system gained a fanbase of dedicated arcade players. Arcades were in much worse shape in the US, and most players weren't looking for that sort of experience anymore. The 32-bit generation in the US was thought to be all about deep, immersive virtual worlds, games that took cues from movies and provided experiences beyond getting a high score. This sort of game was very difficult to achieve on the Saturn, especially compared to Sony's Playstation. For a fan of arcade games, the Saturn is a must-own system, as long as you're prepared to import. Many of the best games on this system are arcade ports and the vast majority of them remained in Japan.

The Saturn requires no modification to output RGB. There were two distinct models of the Saturn, the first has oval power/eject buttons and the second had round ones. The second model is generally accepted to be the more reliable system. There were also two different controllers for the US models, the first is an abomination with one of the worst d-pads created by man and the second is considered one of the best ever made.

Five Saturn Greats
NiGHTS Into Dreams
Panzer Dragoon
Sega Rally
Virtua Fighter 2
Panzer Dragoon Saga

Five Saturn Cult Classics
Galactic Attack/Layer Section
Die Hard Arcade
Magic Knight Rayearth
Radiant Silvergun
Battle Garegga

MORE SYSTEMS COMING SOON, I'M TIRED

Recommended Games

It's really hard to make a list of "the best" games for a particular system. If you're going to ask this question please let us know what your tastes are so we can put you on to stuff you'll really be happy with. That said, here are some lists that attempt to make general recommendations:

http://vsrecommendedgames.wikia.com - /v/'s recommended games wiki

Al-Azad has made a few lists:
Al-Azad's Genesis Gems
Al-Azad's List of Sega CD Games that Aren't poo poo

Useful Links

General Information
http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/ - Many in-depth reviews of old games
http://www.racketboy.com/ - Mainly lists of what they think are the best/most underrated/representative/etc. games
http://shmuplations.com/ - Fantastic source of translated interviews with game developers. The site is called "shmuplations" but it deals with all sorts of games.
http://famicomworld.com/ - All about the famicom
http://www.pcengine.co.uk/ - PC Engine software bible
http://www.videogameden.com/ - Great resource for learning about the libraries of some systems
http://www.nesplayer.com/ - NES stuff
http://www.smspower.org/ - SMS fansite
http://www.smstributes.co.uk/ - SMS fansite
http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/index.html - All the consoles
http://www.sega-16.com/ - Huge Sega site
http://www.nesworld.com/ - NES world
http://nfggames.com/games/ - General retrogaming stuff

Development/Hacking
http://nesdev.com/ - NES development
http://bobrost.com/nes/ - NES dev college course online and free
http://www.lostlevels.org/ - Hidden stuff in games
http://www.romhacking.net/ - ROM hacking megasite

Hardware/AV
http://www.gamesx.com/ - Great hardware hacking site
http://members.optusnet.com.au/eviltim/ - Eviltim's projects
http://retrogaming.hazard-city.de/ - Upscaler comparison
http://retrorgb.com/index.html - All about RGB
http://www.techno-junk.org/ - Charles MacDonald's hardware page
http://www.multimods.com/ - Multi Mods
http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/electronique_en.php - Various projects
http://junkerhq.net/xrgb/index.php/Main_Page - XRGB Wiki

Arcade
http://www.system16.com/ - Amazingly good arcade hardware info resource
http://wiki.arcadeotaku.com/w/Main_Page - Arcade Otaku wiki

Youtube People
https://www.youtube.com/user/MrGameSack - Game Sack
https://www.youtube.com/user/InecomCompany - Classic Game Room
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrIttXi0WgLXHI1poCk0D6g - Jeremy Parish
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIR456wyb4aVlJ9_2kGLtg - Chrontendo
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-p5d9R283IYFVJn2Nt2Qqg - Generation 16
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPrifqgoJmq7UgmRkZUKTJQ - Mikado
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC67nOwkRPcY6W8gOK0xLa2g - Replay Burners
http://retrowaretv.com/category/shows/the-video-game-years/- Video Game Years
https://www.youtube.com/user/mylifeingaming - My life in gaming
https://www.youtube.com/user/cwwirth - This Does Not Compute
https://www.youtube.com/user/thebenheckshow - Ben Heck
https://www.youtube.com/user/phreakindee - Lazy Game Reviews
please tell me about more YT idiots to put here

Forums
http://www.neo-geo.com/forums/ - Neo-Geo forums. Definitely lurk before posting
http://shmups.system11.org/ - Shmups forum, all about shooting games
http://forum.arcadeotaku.com/ - Arcade otaku
http://assemblergames.com/l/ - Assemblergames
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/ - KLOV arcade forums
http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php - NFG forum

Live Streams of Goons Playing Old Games
http://www.hitbox.tv/sebmal - absolutely anything's RANDOMMAME MONDAYS
http://twitch.tv/cathodecontraption - TheRedEye's Cathode Contraption
https://www.twitch.tv/dickeye - dickeye
http://twitch.tv/digitaldiatribe - digitaldiatribe

If you have a link you think should be here by all means let me know and I'll edit it in.

d0s fucked around with this message at 02:54 on Sep 28, 2017

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d0s
Jun 28, 2004

:siren:GET N64 REPLACEMENT STICK GEARS HERE:siren:

Caitlin posted:

Can someone add the kitsch-bent link to the OP so I don't have to repost it all the time?

http://store.kitsch-bent.com/product/n64-joystick-gears

:siren:TEST N64 STICKS WITH THIS:siren:

d0s fucked around with this message at 03:36 on Mar 12, 2017

I would blow Dane Cook
Dec 26, 2008
first.

Pretty good
Apr 16, 2007



Is it true video games are bad for you? I am not a violent person, and I do NOT want to become one, thank you.

PaletteSwappedNinja
Jun 3, 2008

One Nation, Under God.
Breaking news, new retro thread: the FDS Dirty Pair game is not very good!

Karasu Tengu
Feb 16, 2011

Humble Tengu Newspaper Reporter
Let's have a ground floor post with some Genesis comparisons in case someone asks "do I really want to track down a VA3 through VA6, Nomad, or CDX Genesis?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn2-K8TkXCs

edit: Also I don't know why everyone freaks out about the loving splash screen bios, it's a single goddamn second of copyright information and it's more stable with flashcarts and the Sega CD and 32X.

Karasu Tengu fucked around with this message at 09:34 on Aug 1, 2016

d0s
Jun 28, 2004

hey if any of you stream retro games post your twitch links or whatever and I'll put a section in the op for people to watch you play video games

kirbysuperstar
Nov 11, 2012

Let the fools who stand before us be destroyed by the power you and I possess.
I'd like to ensure the first page has this handy gem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VrxYChbu28

absolutely anything
Dec 28, 2006

~As for dreams, she has enough and more to spare~
I like to play random old arcade video games with an emulator and stream them on the internet and in fact I just got done doing so



e:

d0s posted:

hey if any of you stream retro games post your twitch links or whatever and I'll put a section in the op for people to watch you play video games


oh hi

d0s
Jun 28, 2004

yeah i specifically had your thing in mind when i asked, just added it

I would blow Dane Cook
Dec 26, 2008
What is the best Nintendo 64 colour?

d0s
Jun 28, 2004

spice orange

I would blow Dane Cook
Dec 26, 2008
"Which Nintendo 64 colour represents your sex life?" would be a good cosmo quiz.

Kthulhu5000
Jul 25, 2006

by R. Guyovich
Posting in here as the guy who made the crazy video input table in the OP! PM me if you feel something significant is missing!

Meanwhile, to start this thread off right, for once, RGB on a CRT PVM supremacy:

Ineffiable
Feb 16, 2008

Some say that his politics are terrifying, and that he once punched a horse to the ground...


To continue the conversation from the last thread, snes prices will probably keep going up. There's only so many consoles to be dug out of attics. A lot of people are realizing the value of their old games and run to sell on ebay as fast as possible.

Also our purchasing power/inflation grows every year and so people are more willing to pay more to get a console.

Monitor Burn
Nov 29, 2001
No clever to be found here

"Many collectors prefer using the Retro Thread Mini/Model 2 for its compact form factor and improved visual clarity. Others claim that the brick-like, impenetrable nature of the original was part of the authentic experience." Nice OP

Also I modify decades-old game systems to look like this:











https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1McMnnTyd1U

Monitor Burn fucked around with this message at 12:18 on Aug 1, 2016

Random Stranger
Nov 27, 2009



I was wondering if I should invest more heavily in Zelda games or Metroid. Which one has the highest upward price outlook over the next twelve months? Also, which video game grading service will give me the highest scores?

jyrque
Sep 4, 2011

Gravy Boat 2k
~EXTREMELY RARE~ SUPER MARIO BROS. ~EXTREMELY RARE~
starting price $150 USD, serious offers only please

al-azad
May 28, 2009



Posting a reminder to myself to do a mega post on Japanese PC emulation because that's a brick wall to dive into.

PaletteSwappedNinja posted:

Breaking news, new retro thread: the FDS Dirty Pair game is not very good!

Yes, but Totally-Original-Property-Starring-Two-Tough-Anime-Babes-In-Sci-Fi-Antics-Not-At-All-Inspired-By-Dirty-Pair game Trouble Shooter on Genesis is pretty good.

univbee
Jun 3, 2004




Help this thread got restarted but the light on the front is just blinking on and off and it's not working.

EDIT here's some possible extra information of interest to either add to the OP or just link to my post, gently caress it, at least I ground floored this time.

Some people like sticking with the original hardware running on a CRT as that produces the lowest amount of input lag, which can be critical in certain "twitchy" action games designed before input lag even existed as a worthwhile concern. While some people putting together emulators with specially-chosen low-lag hardware have had some success keeping lag fairly low, it is pretty much impossible to match the original hardware's low input lag due to how PC's, as well as modern non-CRT screens work, so if you intend to get into some serious retro tournaments or speedrunning of a particular game, you will want to run it on original hardware connected to a CRT, although don't have to do the insanity of modding the consoles for specialized high-quality outputs like RGB SCART. Note that if getting an HDTV, they vary wildly in input lag, with the most common low input lag sets generally being LG non-4K units. To determine the input lag of a specific TV, look it up here: http://www.displaylag.com/display-database/

For all intents and purposes, the krikzz flashcarts will run almost everything official on a console EXCEPT for the Super NES, and a few notable issues with the original NES.

For the Super NES, specialized chips used by some games like the SuperFX (e.g. Star Fox, Super Mario World 2 Yoshi's Island, DOOM) and SA-1 (e.g. Super Mario RPG) will not run on any flash cart available at this time. A more common expansion chip called the DSP-1, and best known for Pilotwings and Super Mario Kart, will work, although for krikzz's Super Everdrive you will need to install an actual DSP-1 chip onto the board, or have it installed as an add-on by the store you're purchasing it from (usually an extra $15-20 or thereabouts).

The much more expensive SD2SNES adds on support for a handful of more obscure titles (such as Japanese Shogi games), Star Ocean (although it requires specialized decompressing), Mega Man X2 and X3. It also offers compatibility with a specialized "chip" that never actually existed, and effectively allows games to be, with some limitations, several hundred megs and have CD-like audio and low-res FMV. In a sense, what the SNES CD might have looked like had it actually been made. Of course no "official" games exist which use this, although some people have modified existing popular games, for example offering orchestral music in A Link to the Past, or reintroducing the "Anime" FMV sequences into Chrono Trigger.

For the NES just about every official game you're likely to know about will work, the incompatible ones tend to be obscure bootlegs, including things like the modern Final Fantasy VII NES game and the Action 52 (note: this is true for all systems, but bootlegs and special pirated games were very commonplace on the NES). Many late-NES-era games using advanced hardware instructions known as "Mapper 5" either don't work or don't work reliably, although Castlevania III, a popular game using this Mapper, does work OK. Also note that playing some "Famicom Disk System" and certain other Japan-released games with specialized sound hardware in the cartridge (e.g. Gimmick!) output their extra sound channels in a way which isn't wired up on Western NES systems, although front loaders can very simply having this re-added if you're willing to take the system apart, as it's just a simple resistor/potentiometer bridge between two points which are very large and can even be taped down instead of soldered if that's your preference.

The only notable exception outside of those systems if Japanese titles are excluded is the Genesis version of Virtua Racing, which used its own processor inside the cartridge. Note that you can boot the 32x version's ROM on a 32x no problem, as it's just using the stock 32x hardware.

Note that while attempting to get a "complete" set of games is ridiculous, trying to get them complete in box is an absolute fool's errand, and even internet celebrities with huge collections (who are themselves inadvertently responsible for the pricing bubble of retro games now) such as James "Angry Video Game Nerd" Rolfe don't attempt to get every or even most games like this. The only possible exception to this is if you're looking into purchasing Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and DS games, as those have a huge glut of bootlegs (particularly for things like the Pokémon games), and are most often just the cartridge and shipping from somewhere in Southeast Asia or South America some other territory where the presence of Western games isn't likely in an official capacity; Complete-in-box (CIB) versions are more likely (although still not guaranteed) to be the real deal, which is important as a lot of the Pokémon games have sensitive extra hardware which doesn't work well in bootleg carts.

Only other common note is that official N64 controllers have extremely fragile sticks; their analog mechanism is poorly designed and grinds down with serious use, especially among speedrunners, serious Smash Bros. players, and people doing a lot of Mario Party spinning minigames, resulting in a loose stick, large deadzone, and a stick which no longer has the range of motion it should have (e.g. you can only walk in Mario 64). "New" condition controllers are very rare and extremely sought after, and thus very expensive, as are the few desirable third-party controllers like the Hori Tinybee. Although third-party controllers are plentiful even in some retail stores, they are almost universally terrible controllers.

univbee fucked around with this message at 13:53 on Aug 1, 2016

Random Stranger
Nov 27, 2009



univbee posted:

Help this thread got restarted but the light on the front is just blinking on and off and it's not working.

Have you tried closing the thread, blowing on it, then reopenning it?

I would blow Dane Cook
Dec 26, 2008
I can't read the thread on my machine, is there a PAL version?

Dr. Spitesworth
Dec 31, 2007
Yoink.
Great new initial post. And thank you for including my channel in the YouTube links. Here is a tiny ASCII heart to express my appreciation for your work:

<3

Neddy Seagoon
Oct 12, 2012

"Hi Everybody!"

Jumpingmanjim posted:

I can't read the thread on my machine, is there a PAL version?

It'll be released in eight months. Possibly quietly cancelled in seven.

DMorbid
Jan 6, 2011

Hello! I see you.


PYF ebay retro game listings:



If it wasn't for the relatively low price (which is still entirely too high) and the lack of "RARE! L@@K!", this'd be peak eBay.

DMorbid fucked around with this message at 13:22 on Aug 1, 2016

Ghosts n Gopniks
Nov 2, 2004

Imagine how much more sad and lonely we would be if not for the hard work of lowtax. Here's $12.95 to his aid.

Doc Morbid posted:

PYF ebay retro game listings:



Tame prices on the eBay affiliate site in Sweden (around $175 US), is it rare or is it PAL SCN doing what PAL SCN does?

DEEP STATE PLOT
Aug 13, 2008

Yes...Ha ha ha...YES!



d0s posted:

spice orange

I have given serious thought to buying a Japanese GameCube just to have an orange one. It is so dope.

Also how on earth does the OP have R-Type listed for Master System but not TG16, wtf bro

vkeios
May 7, 2007




d0s posted:

Summer Carnival '92: Recca
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbdDW3aSCyM&t=196s

Endorph
Jul 22, 2009
hey y'all here's a ps2 summary to add to the op



univbee
Jun 3, 2004




Random Stranger posted:

Have you tried closing the thread, blowing on it, then reopenning it?

I don't want to get probated. :ohdear:

Also where is the Wonderwan section in the OP?

TeaJay
Oct 9, 2012


univbee posted:

For all intents and purposes the krikzz flashcarts will run almost everything official on a console EXCEPT for the Super NES, and a few notable issues with the original NES.

For the Super NES, specialized chips used by some games like the SuperFX (e.g. Star Fox, Super Mario World 2 Yoshi's Island, DOOM) and SA-1 (e.g. Super Mario RPG) will not run on any flash cart available at this time. A more common expansion chip called the DSP-1, and best known for Pilotwings and Super Mario Kart, will work, although for krikzz's Super Everdrive you will need to install an actual DSP-1 chip onto the board, or have it installed as an add-on by the store you're purchasing it from (usually an extra $15-20 or thereabouts).

I'd like some kind of confirmation on whether or not the region patching feature on the SD2SNES is enough to warrant a purchase for us euro folks, who operate on modded euro consoles. I mean, sometimes there's the "wrong game pak" error, in which case I have to click the 50/60 switch (even if I play the US version of a game, say, Super Metroid). I've heard some people say that the Super Everdrive still has these problems, whereas the region patching on the SD2SNES bypasses these errors.

I mean, I own both Rockman X2 and X3 and the rest of the games I'd play would probably work just fine on the Super Everdrive, this is just the part that worries me. (or just simply get a used Super Famicom and be done with it, since all my games are either SFC or NTSC now.)

MrLonghair posted:

Tame prices on the eBay affiliate site in Sweden (around $175 US), is it rare or is it PAL SCN doing what PAL SCN does?

I can't tell if that's mint condition, but that could explain it.. IIRC Terminator 2 isn't really a rare game, but it might be uncommon as SCN CIB?

I dunno, I stopped buying PAL games a while ago and haven't looked back.

TeaJay fucked around with this message at 13:53 on Aug 1, 2016

Rupert Buttermilk
Apr 15, 2007

🚣RowboatMan: ❄️Freezing time🕰️ is an old P.I. 🥧trick...

d0s posted:

Youtube People

please tell me about more YT idiots to put here



Don't forget the pretty thorough and therefore great The Video Game Years (from the Retroware TV crew)

http://retrowaretv.com/category/shows/the-video-game-years/

Direct YT link (playlist from everything from 1977 (first ep) to the latest for 1989):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N3ZvG3JUTg

univbee
Jun 3, 2004




TeaJay posted:

I dunno, I stopped buying PAL games a while ago and haven't looked back.

This should also be added to the OP, PAL stuff tends to be a goddamn nightmare.

Although I guess you don't get the experience of that Genesis Mickey Mouse game being cheeky about you futzing with the region switch if you go full-NTSC.

jyrque
Sep 4, 2011

Gravy Boat 2k
Scandinavian territory CIB collecting is crazy territory. People pay huge amounts of money to get a version of the game with so-bad-it-is-hilarious-level Swedish/Finnish/Norweigan/Danish language manuals and associated ads and other random papers. I guess compared to regular euro releases the manufactured number of cartridges is also smaller making the titles rarer but since the actual game differences are minimal at best I don't see the point in paying extra. It's their money so hey.

Random Stranger
Nov 27, 2009



I hate doing a kind of serious post on the first page of this thread, but I might as well mention it.

Die by the Sword: Limb from Limb has got even more problems than the original game. Apparently you had to install it before playing the original game. If you load up your profile after installing the expansion you're only given the option of completely restarting the game from the beginning. You can select what character to play as and what weapon they'll use but you get to make this choice exactly once per profile. So once you've made your choice you're locked in. There's apparently a story to the new levels, but if you go straight to them it skips all the story stuff.

And I can't even beat the first fight against two skeleton warriors no matter what character I select. :negative:

Nate RFB
Jan 17, 2005

Clapping Larry
I'm loving the poo poo out my NESRGB, but there has been a somewhat recurring issue that I'm not certain is the hardware, the cable, or the XRGB. Every now and then, like if I play for about 2 hours spurts it will happen 10% of the time, the audio will go super quiet. I can usually turn it up loud enough on my receiver that I can still hear, but it's obviously annoying. The only permanent solution seems to be resetting the system, but the last time it happened I was able to get it back by powering the XRGB down and unplugging/plugging the 3.5mm audio connector.

I could see it being the XRGB, because I've put in far more time into the NES than I have on the other systems hooked up to it and maybe I just haven't played enough on the SNES/N64 to cause it, or the cable because I haven't used this mini-DIN SCART thing for anything else but the NES, or obviously the NESRGB mod itself because that's a far more involved thing than anything that's on the other systems.

falz
Jan 29, 2005

01100110 01100001 01101100 01111010
Things to fill in for 'Cult Classics' for SMS in my opinion, in alphabetical order:

Alex Kidd in Shinobi World
Astro Warrior (play this with the Sports pad!)
Golden Axe Warrior
Penguin Land
Snail Maze Game

There's probably a few Non-US games that could perhaps replace a few things on this list, but I cannot speak to them.

Heran Bago
Aug 18, 2006



Wow a new thread!!

How is that Everdrive GBA?

Instant Sunrise
Apr 12, 2007


The manger babies don't have feelings. You said it yourself.
For the N64, you should buy Tetrisphere. It's one of the best games on the system and is usually dirt cheap.

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Agrias120
Jun 27, 2002

I will burn my dread.

RIP old thread, you served us well. All hail the new thread.

EDIT: I second the Tetrisphere recommendation. I loving love that game. Every time I show it to someone new it always starts with, "What? What is this. Why would I play this instead of...:aaa:".

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