How To Narrow Down The Number Of Systems You Collect For?

[Keatah]

The need to take a dump or leak can interrupt just about any activity imaginable.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

The need to take a dump or leak can interrupt just about any activity imaginable.

Which is just one more reason I like collecting for and playing games on handheld systems. Even the tyranny of biological functions can't interrupt your game when you can take the system with you anywhere!

[Skippy B. Coyote]

As an update to this ongoing topic, in lieu of dropping a ton of money on flash carts for all my systems I decided to first take a less expensive approach to trying out collecting games digitally. Over the last three weeks or so I've been working nearly every day to set up my original Wii as an all-in-one emulation station for every 8-bit and 16-bit console I've ever wanted with every game I could ever want to play for them. It was a lot of work, but my Wii is now fully set up with complete libraries for all the following systems: Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Atari 8-Bit Computers, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, NES/Famicom, Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Gear, and Game Boy Advance.

 

Along with those emulators and game libraries I also acquired a Mad Catz Tasunoko vs Capcom Wii Arcade Stick and fully upgraded it with real arcade parts (Sanwa JLF joystick with aluminum bat top, 1.5 lb spring, and octagonal restrictor gate + Seimitsu PS-14-KN buttons) that the Wii recognizes as a classic controller, so I can play all those classic Atari and computer games with a top quality arcade stick.

 

After all that work and setup I can safely say that every game on every system, aside from a handful of Game Boy Advance games and the Atari paddle controller games, looks/sounds/plays exactly the same way as it would on the original hardware, and I've never had a more comfortable and precise experience controlling games that were designed to be played with a joystick. The Wii remote or Classic Controller works great for controlling the rest, and if I wanted I could even get adapter cables to let me plug in real Atari, Genesis, NES, or SNES controllers to the Wii's GameCube controller ports so that I could play the games with the original controllers.

 

And yet... in spite of having literally every game I ever wanted for any 8 or 16-bit system at my fingertips and ready to play exactly the same way they would on original hardware, it just doesn't really feel satisfying to me. I know the games wouldn't look, sound, or play any differently if I was running them off a physical cartridge on original hardware, but I still can't help feeling like all these games I have lack something important that would make me want to play them. Like something of great value has been lost in the transition from physical to digital, and it's actually kinda depressing.

 

I don't know, it's hard to explain why, but I just don't really feel happy playing games this way when I play them. I'll give it a few more weeks to see if I warm up to it, but at this point I'm not feeling terribly positive about having digitial libraries of the games I want. On the upside, I'm glad I got to have this experience before I dropped $100 a pop on Everdrives for all of my cartridge based consoles. lol

Edited April 28, 2016 by Jin

[cimerians]

I don't know, it's hard to explain why, but I just don't really feel happy playing games this way when I play them.

 

I have the same feelings, the most important thing is to get organized and have a list of favorites. What I do is these two things: 1. Cut down on the quantity (hide your unplayed games). 2. Play older games (pre-1984) that I really enjoy on real hardware.

 

Over the years I've become organized and I grouped "Favorites" for each machine. Only the games in my favorites list gets played, others that I may play stay in a seperate folder and optionally those I will never play will be put in another.

 

I play older (pre-84') games on real hardware which is basically: 2600/7800/CV/C64 and I have a 5200 on the side. I use flashcarts for these organized as above.

 

Anything in the late 80's and 90's that uses a standard gamepad I use emulation. NES\SNES\GEN\PS1 etc. although I do have a Rertron 5 hooked up.

 

The key for me is only having a small group of games available in a folder....like a favorites folder and play those. I also devote time to classic gaming once or twice a week. So modern gaming daily and then sunday or some other day is classic games only.

 

There's just so much stuff out there it's impossible to keep up and you'll definitely feel discourage. Just get organized, keep your favorites on top of everything else and don't be afraid to play the consoles you really like on real hardware, again only with those favorites sitting right next to them.

[Professor Gull]

I don't know, it's hard to explain why, but I just don't really feel happy playing games this way when I play them. I'll give it a few more weeks to see if I warm up to it, but at this point I'm not feeling terribly positive about having digitial libraries of the games I want. On the upside, I'm glad I got to have this experience before I dropped $100 a pop on Everdrives for all of my cartridge based consoles. lol

You know sadly I do not have a collector mindset unlike some of my fellow gamers. I have had the MAME experience and Everdrive experience and they do seem to lack this tangible something for me as well but only if it is something that I think I would like to own. Lists can be dangerous but at the same time I have a couple of them. Like a list of things I want to try to play and a list of things I would actually like to own. The own list tends to be fairly small and kept in check to only things I can buy either locally or trade up or sell off stuff to get. The try list I work in whatever comes my way really. If I find a good deal and can buy it on the cheap and low down I will buy it then try it and then decide to either keep it or let it go. It works for me so I can still get that tangible feeling for the games I physically want to try and the ones I want to own.

 

The local game store though thinks I collect and I don't discourage that since it keeps me on a list to be notified when interesting stuff comes in and some of that stuff ends up purely being sold for a meager profit to put back into my want list.

 

I have limited space and just sadly never threw much away from childhood so that is what takes up my shelves and space in the game room. But I like having those systems around physically so I can go back and play Xenephobe on my 7800 for hours and revel in the blisters on my hands from the original controllers.

Edited April 28, 2016 by Professor Gull

[HoshiChiri]

And yet... in spite of having literally every game I ever wanted for any 8 or 16-bit system at my fingertips and ready to play exactly the same way they would on original hardware, it just doesn't really feel satisfying to me. I know the games wouldn't look, sound, or play any differently if I was running them off a physical cartridge on original hardware, but I still can't help feeling like all these games I have lack something important that would make me want to play them. Like something of great value has been lost in the transition from physical to digital, and it's actually kinda depressing.

 

I don't know, it's hard to explain why, but I just don't really feel happy playing games this way when I play them. I'll give it a few more weeks to see if I warm up to it, but at this point I'm not feeling terribly positive about having digitial libraries of the games I want. On the upside, I'm glad I got to have this experience before I dropped $100 a pop on Everdrives for all of my cartridge based consoles. lol

 

There's a bit more to gaming than just mimicking the video well. There's practically a whole ritual involved with playing a game. I'm going to use my N64 for an example... I set the input on my AV switcher (you can feel the springs twang when you push the button) & my TV. I plug in a controller- probably the blue one, although the grey one is fine, just a little loose. The green one's kinda sticky, so I don't use it often. I put in the game cart- you can't push it quite all the way in or it won't work, you have to go just enough to feel it 'catch'. Then you turn it on, maybe back off to fiddle with the cart some more. Once the game starts, you're good to go.

 

I could get a new computer ( I need one, really) and run some emulators... but I wouldn't have that twang, I wouldn't need to find the right controller, I wouldn't need to finesse the cart. I would lose the ritual, the tactile experience of starting the game up. It's kind of like fries without salt- it's not necessary, but you'll notice it's gone. I'm guessing a part of you feels the difference, and the otherness of it is affecting your actual gameplay.

 

So, what to do? The trick is to try and hone in on what parts of the process are messing with you. I'd start with getting a controller adapter- just one, for a system you play a lot. Perhaps bringing the actual during-game tactile experience closer to the original will take the edge off the digital bootup. If that's not enough, maybe consider getting another flash cart for one of your handhelds, or a single everdrive (either for a system you play a lot, or one with a large amount of costly games you can't afford to own.) That's the closest you can get to the 'real deal' without actually just playing the real games, so if that's not enough you might have to skip the whole project. But, at least you'd know before you're fully commited.

Edited April 29, 2016 by HoshiChiri

[Andromeda Stardust]

Jin, I feel what you are saying. Something is lost in emulation. I think you will appreciate more playing on original hardware with flash carts if you need that extra degree of authenticity. Sometimes emulation doesn't feel right.

 

Going the flash cart route for every system is that middle ground between an all-in-one emulation box and having a wall-to-wall library of carts at your disposal.

 

You still get the benefit of toggling the power switch on the hardware, and everything associated with the controller / console / display interface, but without the clutter of 100s or 1000s of games you'll never play.

 

Perhaps decide what your favorite consoles are and use those with real flash carts and controllers, while reverting to emulation for your less often played systems.

[Keatah]

Don't let that spring hit you in the eye!

[akator]

Emulation using original controllers via USB adapters helped me let go of a lot of original hardware and what I kept is both manageable and more enjoyable.

[Keatah]

Yes. I just have my Apple II stuff and a few calcs. I believe I've done more and played more on emulation. And so therefore I'm more attached it it. Spoiled by it. I can feel the magic! The magic of one machine becoming another. Playing Wavy Navy one moment, Threshold the next, and the "off to the arcade" for some I, Robot and Tac/Scan. All while stuffing my face with cream cheese and potato chips, Pepsi still on its way down..

 

And it'd be difficult to go back to managing mounds of hardware. For those of you that have those mounds. Keep them and maintain them. Nothing wrong in that.

 

All the tactile experience like the sounds of the cart sliding into the slot and the varying resistances to motion it provides as the contacts connect is all part of the experience. The sounds of silence or static between games. The thump of the speaker cone when the console powers up. I get that. The background RF hiss on a quiet night in between games. Pure bliss.

Edited April 29, 2016 by Keatah

[madhatter667]

There's no real effort involved in collecting a digital library of games. Find torrent site, find ROM set, download. Done. Unless you are doing some of the homebrew/hacks, then there is a little more effort involved, but not a lot. Having a decent controller in hand will improve the experience. I more or less don't save on games in emulation, though I know it is possible. It's the quick fix for me... play some arcade titles, ports, sidescrollers. If I am gonna play an RPG, I bust out the real hardware.

 

Part of it for me is time invested. I like emulation, it's a cool thing. I also love the real hardware, and prefer that where that is an available option (I do emulate some systems I do not own. Keeping an eye out). The sytems that I still own, are systems that I have owned for ages now. The Atari 2600 is the same one we had when I was a kid, as is the NES, SNES, and some of the 8 bit computers. The PS2 I bought when new, and the slim after a price drop (and the PSX the prior generation). Had to layaway that jerk. So, for the most part, these are systems I've always had an played...why wouldn't I still play them? Lol. Several of my friends jumped over to the emulator side of things years ago, but I don't think that they were quite the packrats that my family were.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Another thing with emulation, save states make playing games cheap, even on the officially sanctioned Nintendo Virtual Console platform. Some games (Megaman, Battletoads, Ninja Gaiden) I wouldn't dream of playing without either save states or Game Genie, but part of the magic is lost when you can just rewind and attempt the same small section of a stage 20 times in a row before you get it right. For instance, I'm working my way through Special World on Super Mario World (New 3DS VC) and being the toughest stages in the game, I have caught myself abusing save states more than I ought. Problem is you don't know when to quit, and over time your game will get sloppier instead of better. Ditto for abusing luck to obtain rare powerups.

 

One of many ways playing on real hardware keeps it real is by removing the temptation to use save states in the first place.

[Keatah]

Save states allow me to complete or go deeper into a game I normally would not have time for.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I was once like a collectard and all that. Baggie-chasing every version of every game for every platform. Including label variations. And to what end? So far I've been free of the infliction going on 20 years more or less. I still continue to fight against the gotta get'em all attitude, but only once in a great while. It really is good to be free of that burden.

 

The reward of keeping it in check is that I gain time to actually enjoy the hobby instead of incessantly and nervously searching for every goddamned game or peripheral in sight.

I'm quoting this post from a different thread because, after three more weeks of playing all my retro games emulated on the Wii, this is so very relevant to the experience I'm having right now.

 

Over the last few weeks, having every game I could ever want to play for a huge variety of different systems at my disposal has gone from feeling like I wasn't getting the full game experience to actually being a very liberating and enjoyable experience. I now have all the games I ever wanted (aside from a few select homebrews that never had their ROMs released publicly) for the Atari 2600, Atari 7800, ColecoVision, NES, Sega Master System, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, SNES, Game Boy/Color, and Game Boy Advance. While I still don't have any adapters to play them with the original controllers, I have been finding that using the Wii's Classic Controller for all the games generally played with a D-Pad equipped controller and a Mad Catz Tatsunoko vs Capcom Wii arcade stick that has been heavily customized with real arcade parts for all the games made for joystick controllers to be a wonderfully comfortable experience that might be even better than using original controllers (especially when it comes to the joystick games). Even the light gun games for the Atari 7800, NES, Sega Master System, Genesis, and Super Nintendo all play fantastically with the Wii remote inside a light gun conversion grip and I feel like I'm getting a really authentic experience; or even better than authentic considering the build quality and accuracy of some systems' light guns.

 

The big result of all this time spent emulating older games on my Wii is that I really feel like I've finally found the solution to my collecting problem, and the desire to collect every good game for nearly a dozen different systems has just kinda drifted away. For the first time in longer than I can remember I can just relax and enjoy playing games without feeling the constant need to run out and buy every good game I can get my hands on with every penny I have in my pocket. They're all there on my Wii already, so I feel like now I can just focus on collecting physical games for the couple systems that really have the most sentimental value to me. I never liked emulating games on a computer, but somehow emulating them on a game console hooked up to my TV with a really clean, pretty, and easy to use interface with no tech skills required has made it feel like a completely different and more authentic experience to me. Especially considering that the Wii has emulated every 8 and 16-bit game I've thrown at it flawlessly and the sound and video output look identical to the sound and video from the original systems as far as I can tell. It's like having all my Christmases come at once!

 

So where does that leave me now? At this point I've gone and traded in all the games I had for the NES and Genesis that weren't either light gun games or games from my childhood with sentimental value to a local game store for store credit (which I did last week) and have been saving the credit to pick up Wii games, DS games, or original SNES/Master System/GameCube controllers when they eventually get some that I want in stock. I haven't regretted the decision one bit and I finally feel like I'm happy with where I'm at in video game collecting. I can casually focus all my collecting efforts on finding new games to add to my ROM library (I still need to research and add all the good games for the SG-1000, Game Gear, Sega CD, Commodore 64, and Atari 8-Bit computers to my catalog) and occasionally pick up physical games, controller adapters, and accessories for the Wii and a couple Nintendo handhelds here and there. This whole experience has really made me love the Wii like nobody's business, and I now finally know what home console I want to collect for. I've always loved Nintendo handhelds, but I never felt passionate about any home console until I really discovered what the Wii could do.

 

 

Well, I think I've probably rambled on long enough for one post, but after 7 months and 6 pages of this thread I think I've finally got my collecting dilemma sorted out. Thank you to everyone who offered their wisdom and insight along the way!

Edited May 18, 2016 by Jin

[Keatah]

Yes all that! Especially having multiple games from multiple systems in an all-in-one configuration - that's da'bomb! I could not (well yes I can) imagine the amount of physical space that would be consumed by an extensive and all inclusive completist 8/16/32 bit gaming library, with boxes, peripherals, carts, consoles, controllers, and displays to go with them all. It's enough to crush anybody! You either spend time curating it all or playing it. Take your pick!

 

And emulation fulfills a ridiculous childhood fantasy of having all the games ever made in one small suitcase or box. Along with perfect reliability. And the tools that emulation uses, and emulation itself, seriously increase the speed at which one can manipulate disk images for a real system. I'm thinking about all the file and disk tools that work in concert for the Apple II.

 

For newcomers to the thread: I found balance in using emulation (PC based for me) to pick up everything else while I physically collect for the Apple II; the system I grew up with, learned the most from, and had the best of times with. Having saved a lot of my material from back in the day kinda-sorta gives me an advantage in that I don't have to acquire working systems now. Rather, I can slowly accumulate things when they pop up at reasonable prices. 95% of the time I buy from ebay. But I honestly never know what I'll acquire next.

 

I also believe that sometimes modern controllers or custom controllers can be more accommodating than what originally came with the consoles back in the day. This is a highly personal thing, like fashion, so you may or may not agree with that.

 

Once you're set up for fun and nostalgia, your collection will happen naturally over time. Just don't rush it. Play the games. Read the magazines. Write the programs. Bring back the good times.

 

Normally I don't quote longer posts in their entirety, but I felt the bold points were nicely done.

I'm quoting this post from a different thread because, after three more weeks of playing all my retro games emulated on the Wii, this is so very relevant to the experience I'm having right now.

Over the last few weeks, having every game I could ever want to play for a huge variety of different systems at my disposal has gone from feeling like I wasn't getting the full game experience to actually being a very liberating and enjoyable experience. I now have all the games I ever wanted (aside from a few select homebrews that never had their ROMs released publicly) for the Atari 2600, Atari 7800, ColecoVision, NES, Sega Master System, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, SNES, Game Boy/Color, and Game Boy Advance. While I still don't have any adapters to play them with the original controllers, I have been finding that using the Wii's Classic Controller for all the games generally played with a D-Pad equipped controller and a Mad Catz Tatsunoko vs Capcom Wii arcade stick that has been heavily customized with real arcade parts for all the games made for joystick controllers to be a wonderfully comfortable experience that might be even better than using original controllers (especially when it comes to the joystick games). Even the light gun games for the Atari 7800, NES, Sega Master System, Genesis, and Super Nintendo all play fantastically with the Wii remote inside a light gun conversion grip and I feel like I'm getting a really authentic experience; or even better than authentic considering the build quality and accuracy of some systems' light guns.

The big result of all this time spent emulating older games on my Wii is that I really feel like I've finally found the solution to my collecting problem, and the desire to collect every good game for nearly a dozen different systems has just kinda drifted away. For the first time in longer than I can remember I can just relax and enjoy playing games without feeling the constant need to run out and buy every good game I can get my hands on with every penny I have in my pocket. They're all there on my Wii already, so I feel like now I can just focus on collecting physical games for the couple systems that really have the most sentimental value to me. I never liked emulating games on a computer, but somehow emulating them on a game console hooked up to my TV with a really clean, pretty, and easy to use interface with no tech skills required has made it feel like a completely different and more authentic experience to me. Especially considering that the Wii has emulated every 8 and 16-bit game I've thrown at it flawlessly and the sound and video output look identical to the sound and video from the original systems as far as I can tell. It's like having all my Christmases come at once!

So where does that leave me now? At this point I've gone and traded in all the games I had for the NES and Genesis that weren't either light gun games or games from my childhood with sentimental value to a local game store for store credit (which I did last week) and have been saving the credit to pick up Wii games, DS games, or original SNES/Master System/GameCube controllers when they eventually get some that I want in stock. I haven't regretted the decision one bit and I finally feel like I'm happy with where I'm at in video game collecting. I can casually focus all my collecting efforts on finding new games to add to my ROM library (I still need to research and add all the good games for the SG-1000, Game Gear, Sega CD, Commodore 64, and Atari 8-Bit computers to my catalog) and occasionally pick up physical games, controller adapters, and accessories for the Wii and a couple Nintendo handhelds here and there. This whole experience has really made me love the Wii like nobody's business, and I now finally know what home console I want to collect for. I've always loved Nintendo handhelds, but I never felt passionate about any home console until I really discovered what the Wii could do.

Well, I think I've probably rambled on long enough for one post, but after 7 months and 6 pages of this thread I think I've finally got my collecting dilemma sorted out. Thank you to everyone who offered their wisdom and insight along the way!

Edited May 18, 2016 by Keatah

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Yes all that! Especially having multiple games from multiple systems in an all-in-one configuration - that's da'bomb! I could not (well yes I can) imagine the amount of physical space that would be consumed by an extensive and all inclusive completist 8/16/32 bit gaming library, with boxes, peripherals, carts, consoles, controllers, and displays to go with them all. It's enough to crush anybody! You either spend time curating it all or playing it. Take your pick!

 

And emulation fulfills a ridiculous childhood fantasy of having all the games ever made in one small suitcase or box. Along with perfect reliability. And the tools that emulation uses, and emulation itself, seriously increase the speed at which one can manipulate disk images for a real system. I'm thinking about all the file and disk tools that work in concert for the Apple II.

 

For newcomers to the thread: I found balance in using emulation (PC based for me) to pick up everything else while I physically collect for the Apple II; the system I grew up with, learned the most from, and had the best of times with. Having saved a lot of my material from back in the day kinda-sorta gives me an advantage in that I don't have to acquire working systems now. Rather, I can slowly accumulate things when they pop up at reasonable prices. 95% of the time I buy from ebay. But I honestly never know what I'll acquire next.

 

I also believe that sometimes modern controllers or custom controllers can be more accommodating than what originally came with the consoles back in the day. This is a highly personal thing, like fashion, so you may or may not agree with that.

 

Once you're set up for fun and nostalgia, your collection will happen naturally over time. Just don't rush it. Play the games. Read the magazines. Write the programs. Bring back the good times.

 

Normally I don't quote longer posts in their entirety, but I felt the bold points were nicely done.

Thanks Keatah! Looking back, I think you definitely had the right solution for me all along with setting up an emulation rig for 90% of the consoles I was interested in and then just collecting physical games at a leisurely pace for a couple systems that were really special to me. The only thing different in my case is that it took me a while to figure out that I'd be happiest having my emulation rig be a Wii console rather than a computer. I've never been very good with computers and never had much success setting up and configuring emulators to run perfectly on a computer, but the Wii makes the whole process completely idiot proof and provides a simple attractive GUI to boot. And if my Wii ever breaks down I have all my emulators, ROMs, and the Homebrew Channel installer needed to run them backed up to both a computer hard drive and a second SDHC card so I can always buy another Wii and have my whole collection back and ready to go with just a few minutes of setup.

 

I also can't stress enough just how huge of a deal is to me that I can play all the 8 and 16-Bit light gun games on my Wii rig, and on modern TVs no less. I've always had this worry in the back of my mind that one day it will become impossible to find good working high quality CRT TVs anymore and my beloved light gun games would be lost forever. But with the Wii's sensor bar and the emulators designed to work with it those light gun games will be playable forever, long after the last cathode ray tube television goes dark. With that kind of future proofing for one of my favorite game genres my Wii really does feel like a proper all-in-one retro gaming console for me. The only thing I've yet to figure out for specialty gaming is how to adapt Atari paddle controllers to the Wii, but hopefully I can find a talented hardware modder to make a solution for that in the near future.

 

I could probably babble on for pages about just how amazing I'm finding having a fully loaded all-in-one retro gaming console to be, but suffice it to say I'm darn happy with how this all turned out. I've been especially enjoying getting to explore new retro systems I have never really played before, like the Sega Master System and the Super Nintendo. It hasn't cost my limited budget anything, and it hasn't taken up any of my limited space, all it required is that I spend some time reading up on Racketboy and other fan sites to learn about what games were good and worth playing on the systems. That process of discovery has been tons of fun, and though I probably already have enough games to last me the rest of my life I suppose it never hurts to have more; especially when all they cost you is a little time spent reading and organizing files. I'm still going to collect physical games for my DS Lite and Game Boys, because for me holding the actual system in my hands while playing is an important part of the handheld gaming experience and I have a real nostalgia for these handhelds that I grew up with, but for everything else I've got the digital smorgasbord of my all-in-one retro gaming Wii rig.

Edited May 18, 2016 by Jin

[Keatah]

Well that's good you found a happy position. Whether it be PC or Console-based. It does not matter

 

I wonder how many collectors continue to collect and collect and collect because they believe it will make game playing fun at some future time?

 

I personally feel that trying to enjoy all the games becomes difficult when juggling 10 or 20 systems. 1 Major physical system and 2 or 3 minor physical systems works well for me. The thrill of original vintage hardware is provided that way and the enjoyment of 20 other systems is served by emulation and recreation. Served by one reliable box. This can also work for the extensive collector in that they can have a room built just for their collection, and continue to enjoy actually playing the stuff through a virtual digital method.

 

I also discovered that (years ago) that emulation on a PC can seriously complement your activities on a real classic computer like Apple or Atari or Commodore. The toolkit and mass storage support and disk image manipulation and creation tools in a PC we have today are things we could only dream about back then.

 

While the purpose of this thread seems to be at an end, the OP found a solution, it's still good to discuss for the benefit of newcomers.

[madhatter667]

Contributing to, and reading this thread has been rather fun, and insightful. I hope the OP, and any other visitors got as much enjoyment from it as I did. Wouldn't be a bad sticky post.

[HoshiChiri]

 

I wonder how many collectors continue to collect and collect and collect because they believe it will make game playing fun at some future time?

 

I hope not many- a fun game is fun, whether you've got thousands of carts and systems around or it's the only one you've got, running on a PC emulator.

 

I've made peace with the idea that games are my shoes. The stereotype says girls love shoes, not because they need new ones- just because they think they're cool. Doesn't even matter if they don't wear them more than once or twice a year. I'm fascinated by the physical game, hence the collection. I love the actual games too, of course, but I'll happily sit around dusting contacts and reading boxes without ever picking up a controller. I just wish I had more people to share them with- I do feel these things could stand to get properly played with a little more.

[Keatah]

I'm fascinated by the physical game, hence the collection. I love the actual games too, of course, but I'll happily sit around dusting contacts and reading boxes without ever picking up a controller.

 

I suppose that would equivalent to me taking the cover off my Apple II and just looking at the circuitry. Or staring at a microSD card containing all VCS games or something.

 

Perhaps looking at a Z-80 CP/M card and wondering about writing games that use 2 processors in the same computer is also similar!

 

Right now I'm feeling the same way staring at a stack of manuals I used extensively back in the day, I want to read them, now, but always get sidetracked by something equally tedious and unimportant..!

[bretthorror]

I had no idea the Wii emulators replicated light gun. Does this happen for ALL emulators or just NES?

 

I'm gonna have to softmod the Wii now for sure. The only thing I've been collecting is Vectrex and light gun stuff. Too bad I spent so much cash on light gun games if my Wii could emulate it and be so much more convenient. Not to mention easier on the arm (I'm assuming there's an aiming reticule?)

[Andromeda Stardust]

@Jin: Glad you were able to work something out and stay within your means. I hope you got good credit for your trade ins. A lot of stores tend to low-ball.

 

One thing you risk missing out on regarding emulation is homebrew. Many new NES homebrew especially do not have ROMs available and are only available as cartridges. Homebrew for many other consoles don't have ROMs available either. For these games you really need physical consoles to play on.

 

I too am contemplating trimming the fat in my collection. My plan is to keep my collection homebrew centric, focusing on homebrew and my favorite of favorites of commercial releases, and sell the majority of vintage filler commercial titles that just take up space. I'll use flash carts for all the filler bitd commercial games I don't have space for. I may do this at some point in the future after I move out of my mom's place, pending how much room I have for game systems in my new place. My bedroom currently is also my game room and it's a bit of a stye right now. The plan is once I secure a stable job/career, for me to move out of my mom's and into a 3 bedroom townhouse shared with my fiance. She currently lives in a two bedroom apartment and she told me when we move out, I can have the third bedroom as a game room. Then I'll see how my collection looks when I stock an entire wall with shelving and have an entertainment center with a nice CRT and flat panel monitor.

 

I had no idea the Wii emulators replicated light gun. Does this happen for ALL emulators or just NES?

 

I'm gonna have to softmod the Wii now for sure. The only thing I've been collecting is Vectrex and light gun stuff. Too bad I spent so much cash on light gun games if my Wii could emulate it and be so much more convenient. Not to mention easier on the arm (I'm assuming there's an aiming reticule?)

Well many emulators support mouse mode for lightgun enabled games, but Wiimotes (which behave similar to a mouse pointer) are far superior to a traditional mouse for use with lightgun games, due to how they are aimed. It is now possible to use Wiimotes on Wii-U VC with Duck hunt, Wild Gunman, and Hogan's Alley. Most gamers will find the cursor is necessary because the Wiimote relies on a sensor bar and not the actual pixels on the monitor or TV.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I had no idea the Wii emulators replicated light gun. Does this happen for ALL emulators or just NES?

 

I'm gonna have to softmod the Wii now for sure. The only thing I've been collecting is Vectrex and light gun stuff. Too bad I spent so much cash on light gun games if my Wii could emulate it and be so much more convenient. Not to mention easier on the arm (I'm assuming there's an aiming reticule?)

I had no idea either until I started trying them out last week. Currently the emulators I've tried for light gun games have all worked perfectly, and they are:

 

Wii7800 (Atari 7800)

FCE Ultra GX (NES)

Genesis Plus GX (Master System, Genesis/Mega Drive, & Sega CD)

SNES 9X GX (Super Nintendo)

 

In all of those emulators you can play light gun games for all the supported systems using the Wii remote and you have the option to either have an aiming reticule or shut it off. You can also turn the "light gun screen flash" when you fire on or off, depending on how authentic you want the experience to be. My personal recommendation for the best play experience would be to find a good light gun conversion grip for the Wii remote with an accurate pair of front and rear sights on it such as the House of the Dead Hand Cannon (which is quite similar in feel and style to the Konami Justifier that they put out for the SNES, Genesis, and Sega CD), and then turn the aiming reticule off. Unfortunately the HotD Hand Cannon is a pretty rare and expensive light gun conversion grip, so for a more budget friendly alternative the Nyko Perfect Shot works very well. Sadly the Perfect Shot does lack a front sight though, so for that one you might want to leave the aiming reticule on.

 

I've yet to try out any light gun games with the Wii's Atari 2600, Commodore 64, and Atari 8-Bit computer emulators but I'll try giving them a go either later tonight or tomorrow and report back on how they work. I do know that Atari 7800, NES, Master System, Genesis, Sega CD, and SNES light gun games all work flawlessly though.

[bretthorror]

I had no idea either until I started trying them out last week. Currently the emulators I've tried for light gun games have all worked perfectly, and they are:

 

Wii7800 (Atari 7800)

FCE Ultra GX (NES)

Genesis Plus GX (Master System, Genesis/Mega Drive, & Sega CD)

SNES 9X GX (Super Nintendo)

 

In all of those emulators you can play light gun games for all the supported systems using the Wii remote and you have the option to either have an aiming reticule or shut it off. You can also turn the "light gun screen flash" when you fire on or off, depending on how authentic you want the experience to be. My personal recommendation for the best play experience would be to find a good light gun conversion grip for the Wii remote with an accurate pair of front and rear sights on it such as the House of the Dead Hand Cannon (which is quite similar in feel and style to the Konami Justifier that they put out for the SNES, Genesis, and Sega CD), and then turn the aiming reticule off. Unfortunately the HotD Hand Cannon is a pretty rare and expensive light gun conversion grip, so for a more budget friendly alternative the Nyko Perfect Shot works very well. Sadly the Perfect Shot does lack a front sight though, so for that one you might want to leave the aiming reticule on.

 

I've yet to try out any light gun games with the Wii's Atari 2600, Commodore 64, and Atari 8-Bit computer emulators but I'll try giving them a go either later tonight or tomorrow and report back on how they work. I do know that Atari 7800, NES, Master System, Genesis, Sega CD, and SNES light gun games all work flawlessly though.

 

I have two Perfect Shots already so I'm well prepared. I'd prefer the reticule anyways. Maybe the Wii softmod will be a project for my days off. I'm wondering if it's worth it to take the time to softmod it when I already have Ouyas that do the same thing, without light gun, but I'm sure the completist part of me will end up travelling down this path sooner or later. I'm glad you mentioned it because I like to fire up light gun games every now and again, but hooking up consoles just for it is such a pain.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I have two Perfect Shots already so I'm well prepared. I'd prefer the reticule anyways. Maybe the Wii softmod will be a project for my days off. I'm wondering if it's worth it to take the time to softmod it when I already have Ouyas that do the same thing, without light gun, but I'm sure the completist part of me will end up travelling down this path sooner or later. I'm glad you mentioned it because I like to fire up light gun games every now and again, but hooking up consoles just for it is such a pain.

It used to be somewhat complicated but these days soft modding a Wii is a very simple 5 minute affair. Just run a Google search for Wii LetterBomb, download the LetterBomb software, pop it on an SD card, insert the SD card into your Wii, check your messages on the Wii to find and launch LetterBomb, and away you go. Once it installs the Homebrew Channel you can use the built in Homebrew Browser to download and install the emulators of your choice to the SD card directly from your Wii with all the file structures pre-configured for no hassle use.