Games Retrospect

September 4, 2018

Chrono Trigger on DS is pretty much the definitive version as it has the most content to offer

Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver are DS remakes of gen 2, and imo offer a better experience than the others

Tetris DS is a very solid offering, I played the crap out of it

I think there was a reasonably decent harvest moon on ds as well

I'm one of the three people who doesn't really like Chrono Trigger, so a better version of a game I don't like that much isn't appealing to me.

I still have my copy of HeartGold and I love that game. I played more than 100 hours of it and enjoyed every moment of it and that's without mentioning the Pokewalker which happens to be one of my favorite peripherals ever.

Although I don't have it in my collection, I played Tetris DS and was unimpressed with it. I love Tetris, but I don't really have a reason to go back to it.

And finally, I've always wanted to be a Harvest Moon fan and even though everything about those games sound appealing to me, I tried one on the DS (I have no idea which one) and I stopped playing after an hour or two.

If something else comes to mind, please mention it. The DS has hundreds of games I'm not even aware of.

September 4, 2018

I'll address some of your post there first.

That pokemon game is the best one in a very very long time. It redoes but still honors the old style. It's not just some wash rinse and repeat of a path, a gym, a badge and final four. It's now a more standard fun JRPG with a persistent story and a very different way the lands are approached, there are no real exact gyms, it's more working the land, meeting some challenges, some special 'totem' pokemon(look it up) and hopping entire islands in a chain to proceed and it makes the game not boring. It still has the trainers in the grass, seemingly but not random rival/other battles. It work well, I kept it.

Smash is smash, they did nothing new, so if you're fed up with it or don't want to play online it's going to be between boring and awful, but if you're some smash addict you'll be fine.

Dragon Quest 9 is DS as you said, but it's not a bad game, but honestly I don't think it handles as well as DQ7 and 8 they refreshed from the mobile releases on 3DS. Theyre more fun to play, better flow, and all around better done. Unless you've already done those and need 9 to be something new, I'd pass on 9, at least until you have a lot of free time on your hands.

If you have to have a Zelda rehash, get Ocarina it's better all around, even if I didn't think majora sucks, I think they did a better job with it. Though if you just want Zelda, get that sort of SNES sequel Link Between Worlds as it's fresher.

If you want other game suggestions I can give you some and they'll be a mix of some ports from other systems, to franchise releases, and other stuff too. 3DS if anything is NOT lacking for great games and lots of them and that's not even throwing the 1000s of DS titles at it.

Thanks for taking the time to address everything on my post. I'm more than willing to hear more recommendations for the 3DS since I'm new when it comes to the portable. Since it's backwards compatible with the DS, I'd also like to hear about those. Thanks!

September 4, 2018

It's "worth it" if you see yourself actually making use of the additional trinkets, or if you like the game enough that you want them FOR YOU.

They're pretty much worthless in terms of resale value, though. Chances are excellent no one will want it as much as you do when it's brand new.

I guess you're right. Thing is, it's extremely time consuming to look at a comprehensive list like the one I mentioned and look for something specific. I was wondering if there was a dedicated site that specializes on just special or collector's editions. There has to be, right? Looking at pictures of all the trinkets and stucff isn't the same as reading a short description on a Wikipedia page with black text and nothing else.

September 4, 2018

I got a 3DS XL a few days ago for about half the usual price and I'm super happy with my purchase. Thing is, I have no games to play on the console yet. I was looking to buy some games online and found a store that sells used 3DS Pokemon games for not that much money. I really want to play those games, but I also want them for my collection. Since the asking price wasn't that high I asked if the carts were pirated and the guy said 3DS pirated carts don't exist. Has anyone here had any experience with pirated carts on the 3DS? If they do exist, how do I spot them? Will Metal Jesus' video guide to detect them will work for 3DS games or only for DS ones? I can ask for pictures of the carts and I can post them here if you want, but I really don't want to spend my hard earned money on something that's going to look really bad on my collection.

September 3, 2018

Seems like you like long, grindy games. 3DS is perfect for that.

Zelda: Link Between Worlds is a nice game, a little more modern than the N64 remakes of old games. I'd start with that one if the others didn't hold your interest.

Dragon Quest 8 is really neat on 3DS, but if you've already played it, that's a nope.

I think Xenoblade Chronicles is pretty neat, a free-roaming single player MMO type game.

The Etrian Odyssey games would scratch that itch as well.

The Pokemon games are pretty similar; I don't think it matters which one you pick. Similar with Fire Emblem if you wanted to try something a little more strategic.

Without knowing more of what you'd like, I'd say just read a bunch of reviews. This site has some good writers. http://www.nintendolife.com/3ds/reviews

Whenever I get a new system, I tend to go back to that mentality of buying games that are extremely long games to make the most of it.

Thanks for all of your recommendations. Just a question: Xenoblade Chronicles is a New 3DS XL exclusive, right? I thought that game made use of that system's C-Stick and improved processor.

I tried Etrian Odyssey on the DS and no thank you. I certainly appreciate that games like those exist in this day and age, but they are definitely not for me.

I'll definitely check out the site you mention. I'm one of those weird people who loves reading old reviews.

September 3, 2018

I've been thinking about getting a Pokemon game with a strategy guide, but I don't want to spend that much money on something I'm not sure it's going to be that useful. I think in the sense of Pokemon it makes a lot of sense because you need help capturing all the hundreds of creatures. So what has been your experience with strategy guides? Do you think they're worth it or do you think they're a waste of extra money? Which do you think is the perfect game to get a strategy guide or handbook with?

September 3, 2018

I was looking at a pretty comprehensive list of most American-released video game special editions on Wikipedia and most of them are not that good. So I was thinking if anyone had a great experience with a specific special edition that you love to this day? I notice that most special editions come with bonus DLC or content that's not even physical or they come with cheap goodies that are good for nothing. I have a video game collection that although it's nothing special, I'm pretty proud of. I'd love to add a special editions to it, but I can't find anything I like. The only ones that stood out are fighting game special editions like the MK9 one that came with a great quality fightstick and the Fallout 3 one that came with lunchbox, a bobblehead and a pip-boy. So is there anything worth having when it comes to special edition or are most of those overpriced packages that you immediately regret getting?

September 3, 2018

Long story short, I just got a Nintendo 3DS super cheap (the 3DS XL to be more specific,) but since I have little to no experience with the portable console I need some game suggestions. Here are some of the games on my list and I intend to get one game a month. Also, I attached a few questions for each entry in case there's something better on other platform I should get instead. Does anyone have any experience with the games below willing to give me a hand?

Monster Hunter: Generations - I own Monster Hunter: Freedom Unite for the PSP and although I intended to play that game for dozens of hours, the fact that the game's on a UMD draining the battery all the time and the long loading times drove me insane. As far as I know, Generations for the 3DS is a sort of "Greatest Hits" and there's an online mode in case I want to play with other people. I also looked at Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate, but most people said Generations was better in pretty much every aspect.

Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 3DS - I love Super Smash Bros. in general and the only thing keeping me from buying this as soon as possible is the fact that I don't know anyone who has a 3DS and a copy of the game to play with. Is the single-player portion of the game fun at all? Is the online community still playing this game?

Pokemon: Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon - I have to have at least one Pokemon game. Ultra Sun and Moon are the latest ones and all the reviews I read and watched said those games are amazing. Which version should I get? Should I go with Ultra Sun and Moon or are older Pokemon games any better? Just for reference, the last Pokemon game I played was Heartgold which I loved and played for more than 100 hours. I don't do that very often.

Dragon Quest IX - I know this is probably cheating because DQIX is a Nintendo DS game, but I loved Dragon Quest VIII and I've always wanted to play IX. I know the game had an online component that's no longer accessible, but I hear the single-player campaign is awesome and I've been looking for an epic JRPG for quite some time. Has anyone played the game?

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D/Majora's Mask 3D - I don't think I've ever finished a Zelda game before and I intend to change that in the near future. I heard both Ocarina and Majora's Mask are fantastic, but since they are older games I was wondering if they hold up at all. Another option should be getting Twilight Princess or Skyward Sword for the Wii instead, but I don't know how those games compare to Ocarina and Majora. Can anyone help me????

Thanks in advance and I appreciate the help!

August 27, 2018

I guess it was too good to be true, especially considering the low price. I guess I'll continue using the official ones I have from way back in the day then.

August 27, 2018

Are generic PlayStation 2 memory cards any good? They are pretty inexpensive, but the one I saw, which is 128MB, I'd use not only to back up all the saves from my previous memory cards, but also for new games I get. So far, I've used the PlayStation-branded ones which are solid and extremely reliable, but I don't want to get a new card and then lose all of my progress on dozens of games. Any thoughts?

August 15, 2018

All depends on the game.

I own one PAL game for the Xbox 360. The first four World Rally Championship releases from Milestone never saw domestic Xbox 360 releases. But WRC 2 was region free on the Xbox 360 in Europe, allowing me to import it. The other three were region locked, so I had to import WRC 1 for the PS3 while 3 & 4 actually saw retail PS3 releases in North America.

Is there a list where I can check individual games to see if they will work on my console or not?

August 15, 2018

I've never tried to record anything with the XBox One, and I've had it for years. When it works for an installed game, do you actually mean record or just stream to twitch/mixer? I know you can always replay the last 30 seconds of gameplay for little captures, but I didn't know you could record a lengthy session.

I think I recorded a clip once but couldn't upload it from the console for whatever reason. I've also had the console for years. Now I'm trying to start a YouTube channel, but I don't want to spend a lot of money on a capture card, so recording directly from the console and saving footage to a flash drive or external hard drive that I can connect to my main computer for editing sounds awesome. I found a bunch of people talking about Upload Studio an exclusive app for the Xbox One that allows you to record up to 30 minutes of gameplay which seems quite convenient. Here's a source: https://www.reddit.com/r/CruciblePlaybook/comments/4efyci/xbox_can_record_30_min_video_clips/

August 14, 2018

This will not work. The game you're playing or passing through into the HDMI need to be installed directly to the console's hard drive to have any type of recording option.

I still own my launch day OG XBoxOne and I've tried to record from the pass through HDMI, even tried recording from the console's dash and there is no option to do so. The only time I can ever record is from within a game I'm playing, thats been installed to XBox One's hard drive. There is no other way,sorry.

Thanks for clearing that up! I assume you can still record gameplay from original Xbox and Xbox 360 games that are playable on the Xbox One right?

August 14, 2018

Does your Xbox One have an HDMI input? There's your answer.

The answer is no.

My Xbox One does in fact have an HDMI input. I bought my console at Wal-mart a few years ago and I got the launch version at the time. So in the follow-up comment you still say that this is not possible, but have you tried it?

August 13, 2018

I don't have a capture device yet, so I was looking for alternative ways of recording gameplay from consoles I already have. The Xbox One immediately came to mind because the console's operating system has record capabilities built in, so I think I'm going to be using that from now on. On top of that, I believe the Upload Studio app lets you record up to 30 minutes of gameplay which is quite handy. So here's my question: can I connect another console via HDMI in and record gameplay from that? That would save me a lot of time until I can save enough money to import a capture device, so I was wondering if I could connect a, let's say, SNES Classic Edition to the Xbox One and use the capture capabilities of the latter to record videos... which I would then upload to the PC so that I can edit them. I know it's a hassle and the process involves too many devices, but I was wondering if anyone tried this. Thanks!

August 5, 2018

What are your PC's specs? GameDVR doesn't really require all that much. Just a graphics card less than like 5 years old or an Intel CPU with QuickSync (Sandy Bridge 2nd-gen Core systems or later).

https://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-on-windows/system-requirements/pc-hardware-requirements-for-game-dvr

I have a Core i3-6100 system with 8GB of RAM and onboard graphics (no discrete graphics card) and DVR works fine (but this is why I emulate on my iMac; it's much more powerful than my PC). There's apparently a configurator util you can get online to fix it. Check this out: https://appuals.com/fix-pc-doesnt-meet-hardware-requirements-game-dvr/

I'm currently using an Acer laptop with integrated graphics, that's why I had that problem. I found the solution that you mention: there's a program called Game DVR Config that allows you to ignore those requirements and still use Game DVR. Thing is, as far as I know, you still don't have access to the GameDVR settings page which means I'm recording everything with the default settings. I don't know if that's good or not, but at least I don't have to deal with OBS or other programs. I spent the entire afternoon working on that and then finding the right emulator for my project. We'll see how it goes from here on out! Thanks, by the way!

August 5, 2018

If you're using Windows 10 you can try the GameDVR built into the Xbox app. Hit WinKey + G to get to the interface after you load the emulator and play full-screen. It may not be the BEST way to do it, but it's the easiest way I can think of.

I tried that, but an error message comes up telling me that I don't have the necessary hardware to run GameDVR on the PC.

August 4, 2018

I want to record some gameplay footage of PlayStation games, but I don't have a capture card yet. So I was thinking about recording an emulator on the PC in the meantime. Is there any emulator out there that records natively? Which software can I use to record? I tried a combination of the PSX emulator with OBS, but there are many caveats to consider. I'd appreciate if anyone could point me in the right direction or tell me what they use for this. Thanks!

August 3, 2018

YCbCr is digital.

Do any consoles support YCbCr? I checked around the house and the TV receiver, DVD player, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation and PlayStation 2 consoles all support YPbPr if you have the right cables, but not TCbCr. What is the latter for in that case?

August 2, 2018

So this is driving me insane. After doing a lot of research (reading a bunch of technical articles, watching some informative videos on YouTube and talking to some enthusiasts,) I changed my extremely old Samsung 14-inch TV that I use for both retro gaming and watching actual TV for a 21-inch Hitachi that apart from the ancient RF connection also came with RCA, S-Video and Component connections. I was pretty excited about the last one because people say that component looks great and is one of the best way to experience some retro consoles. Growing up I've played exclusively on RCA so I've never had any experience with component. So here's the thing: I don't have any component cables, so I'm using RCA cables because people say they are the same thing (I'm using three cables for video and two extra ones for audio,) but I don't get an image. I've noticed that the TV says YPbPr and the receiver says YCbCr. Is there a meaningful difference between them? Some say that one is digital and the other one is analogue, but I couldn't confirm that. Is it possible that the board on my TV is broken? I hardly doubt it, since I've never talked to a person who cares or even knows what component is. In fact, I couldn't find component cables locally because no specialized store sells them. So can anyone help me solve this? Is there a meaningful difference between the two? Am I using the improper cables? Is anything broken? Will I be able to connect the PS1 and PS2 to component and play games or will the problem likely persist? Help!

July 26, 2018

Rosario?

Olavarria

July 25, 2018

I'd like to start a YouTube channel at some point, not as a career path or anything like that, but I'd like a platform where I can share ideas, opinions, reviews, show my collection and hopefully, have a conversation with like-minded people. I have pretty much everything in terms of hardware with one important omission: a capture device. I read some reviews and lists, but since I have to invest a lot of money on it (I'd have to import it because the local prices are prohibitively expensive), I really want to make sure the thing I get is useful, easy to use and won't get outdated in a few months. So with that in mind, here are my questions: Which is, in your experience, the best capture device? Which has the best price/quality ratio? And since I've never used one, how do they work? I assume they connect to your console and laptop/PC to save the video, but I honestly have no idea. If anyone who reads this could share thoughts, opinions or point me in the direction of some beginner articles where I can simply start reading on my own, I'd appreciate it! Thanks in advance as usual.

July 25, 2018

What I don't like about these collectors showing off their collections is that everything is presented in a formulaic manner. Each video looks and sounds the same. Even the mechanics of production and editing. They're all so full of sameness.

What would you like to see that nobody's doing on YouTube these days? Or what would you change from the way people present their collections/game room tours and so on? Personally, I have trouble watching videos with too many jokes and furious editing, but the ones I do like I don't think feel that similar to each other.

July 25, 2018

I have some news. A guy from one of the local TV stores was cleaning up and gave me a TV for free. It's a 21' flat-screen Hitachi, I have no experience with that brand and I don't know if flat screen CRTs are any good for retro gaming, but it was free and it has all the connections I wanted: RF, Composite, S-Video and the one I'm most excited about, Component. Since there are several stores I couldn't go to yet, there's always a chance I can get a better TV eventually, like a Sony Trinitron and the holy grail, a PVM or BVM. In the meantime though, I have a CRT I'm really happy with and looks better than I expected. Thanks for all of your help and if anyone has had any experience with the Hitachi brand or with flat screen CRTs, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

July 22, 2018

You can't go wrong with Sony Trinitron. This will depend on whatever size you are looking for. There are plenty of 14" models that show up on ebay for cheap prices. If 14" is too small, then try a 20-21" model.

Mine are as follows

Sony FD Trinitron KV-14LT1U 14" TV - Nice flat tube, small footprint - so it doesn't need a massive amount of space. Great picture. But, only 1 scart, 1 RF, and 1 RCA input. I use a multi-scart + multi-RCA adapters.

Sony Trinitron KV-X2582U CRT TV 28" TV - This is massive, but the picture is amazing. RGB looks amazing on it. Not many inputs, but again I use multi-adapters.

JVC Model C-21TX1EK 21" TV - Nice all-round size, not too big, not too small. Picture isn't as good as the Sony TVs, and inputs are just scart and RF.

For multi-use monitors I use

Philips CM8833 Mark 1 RGB Colour Monitor.

Philips CM8833 Mark 2 RGB Colour Monitor.

These produce amazing pictures. Great inputs from TTL, to scart and RCA. They do come up on ebay, but I'm in the UK, so it might be different if you're in the US.

Hope that helps in any way.

So you're mentioning Sony Trinitron TVs. I checked and people are selling those on Facebook at an affordable price. Which ports should the Trinitron I get have? S-Video, RGB, Composite, all of the above?

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