No Accounting for Taste - Your Guilty Pleasures and Unpopular Favourites

[CaptainBreakout]

1 minute ago, jeffythedragonslayer said:

What internal clock?  I just looked at the jwdonal schematic and didn't see anything that remembers the date.

One Titus DOS game looks at the BIOS date/time settings of the computer when it starts... I thought it was this one. I remember seeing the message when I was setting up games on my native DOS-based machine. I looked it up on an internet search at the time and found out it was a thing.

[CaptainBreakout]

9 hours ago, jeffythedragonslayer said:

What internal clock?  I just looked at the jwdonal schematic and didn't see anything that remembers the date.

I guess we might be referencing two different ports?  I was thinking this was the MS-DOS version.

[SlidellMan]

I know a lot of people are going to get angry at me for even mentioning Bubsy II on here, but despite the flaws it was fun. Before anyone asks, I can see why people would hate it.

[CaptainBreakout]

I know they are obscure, and not very well-liked... But I have a peculiar fondness for the Bit Corp and Zimag games on the 2600 that were released in Brazil under the CCE label or as the "Taiwan Cooper" style carts.

 

For some reason, I find these little maze chase games and primitive platformers really fun and charming.

 

My favorites...

Mr Postman  (get to Silent City! Great lightning effects... Also what am I supposed to do? -Oh!)

Snail Against Squirrel (cleaver game mechanic)

Bobby is Going Home (horrible off-key music... So bad it's good!)

Lilly Adventure (recently found NTSC version!)

My Way (help the Lovely Duck cross the road... fun for five minutes)

A Misterous Thief (really hard game -actually spelled that way too)

And even... Open Sesame 

 

(... If anyone has a Stone Age, I'd love to trade for it!)

[SlidellMan]

I might as well get this off of my chest and say that I still like Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie's Double Trouble. At first, I was surprised and disappointed that Rare opted not to include some of the songs from the original. However, when I last played it twenty years ago, I grew to love it. Granted, I still prefer DKC2, but DKC3 is still excellent in its own right. As for the GBA version, I like the remix of Aquatic Ambience, David Wise's Sled theme, new pipe theme, and the new levels; yet prefer the original soundtrack for the most part.

[Wayler]

DKC3 is a very good game, it just doesn't live up to the perfection of DKC2. The shops and the traversable world map are an intriquing addition to the formula but the game is marred by uneven level design and Kiddy Kong. 

 

But this is an odd criticism against it:

11 hours ago, SlidellMan said:

I was surprised and disappointed that Rare opted not to include some of the songs from the original

DKC had a fantastic soundtrack and DKC2 had an even better soundtrack. And they do not share any of the same songs between them. So is there a reason you expected DKC3 ost to be treated differently? DKC3 has some great tunes but as a whole, it is again somewhat uneven in delivery. 

 

DKC2 >>> DKC > DKC3. 

They all are essential classic SNES platformers in my book. 

Edited July 5, 2023 by Wayler
Kiddy, not Diddy

[Austin]

Have to drop the obligatory Super R-Type. I know it's got a poor reputation for several reasons, and it makes sense to me, but it's one I got back in the day and it was one of those games that just "clicked" right away for me from the moment I fired it up. It was stylish, had a great soundtrack and looked fantastic. I've played it heavily over the years and it's up there with a couple others on the system (like DKC, SCIV, SMW, etc) where it's basically a "comfort food" game and I can sleepwalk my way through it, even on the higher difficulties. If it didn't slow down as much as it does and it didn't send the player back to the beginning of each stage upon death, it would likely have a better reputation. The level design flows organically much like the first R-Type and it's just a good flow from start to finish--much less of that nonsense puzzle-like stage design, "memorize or die" moments like found in R-Type III's later levels.

Edited July 6, 2023 by Austin

[Tanooki]

DKC3 is fantastic, only bested by the original, stuff the 2nd with those stupid gates, coins and so on.

 

If Super R-Type is getting the nod I'm going to throw in R-Type III the Third Lightning, to me the best of the series of those I've looked at at all (the pre-2000 stuff.)  The ship is awesome as are the potential layouts, and the stages are just amazing, fair, but not a breeze, doesn't feel like a weird pack of oddly strung together cheap moments and other picky annoyances the older title had which I really never was a huge fan of.  Just do NOT get the GBA port, I'm generous using the term 'half assed' given how messed up that one is.

[Austin]

5 hours ago, Tanooki said:

DKC3 is fantastic, only bested by the original, stuff the 2nd with those stupid gates, coins and so on.

 

If Super R-Type is getting the nod I'm going to throw in R-Type III the Third Lightning, to me the best of the series of those I've looked at at all (the pre-2000 stuff.)  The ship is awesome as are the potential layouts, and the stages are just amazing, fair, but not a breeze, doesn't feel like a weird pack of oddly strung together cheap moments and other picky annoyances the older title had which I really never was a huge fan of.  Just do NOT get the GBA port, I'm generous using the term 'half assed' given how messed up that one is.

Beat the game, THEN tell me how you feel.

[Tanooki]

Then and now I don't want to, it's just too infuriating.  R-Type 1 and 2 I do have, as DX on the GBC which is fine, but even that is equally if not more nasty being in a box.

[CaptainBreakout]

R-Type on the Sega Master System is my favorite version.  Not having an arcade game growing up, nor an obscure Japanese 16-bit computer, this was the best I could find.  The cart was often sticking out of the "backpack" SMS adaptor on my Game Gear.

 

I even have the ColecoVision version published by Team Pixelboy a couple of years ago and still prefer the SMS version (although it's truly an amazing accomplishment on the Coleco).

 

Gameboy version to me is just bleh.  (Although I remember it being advertised at the end of Double Dare for a whole season and so that brings back amusing memories.)

 

The SNES version of R-Type... GAH!  I just couldn't stand the slowdown!

 

Oh... I heard someone recently reprogrammed the SNES version of R-Type to take advantage of one of the co-processor chips that were available for the carts. Supposed to improve the frame rate dramatically.  Was it the SuperFX chip?  Anyone know?

 

[Austin]

3 hours ago, CaptainBreakout said:

R-Type on the Sega Master System is my favorite version.  Not having an arcade game growing up, nor an obscure Japanese 16-bit computer, this was the best I could find.  The cart was often sticking out of the "backpack" SMS adaptor on my Game Gear.

 

Oh... I heard someone recently reprogrammed the SNES version of R-Type to take advantage of one of the co-processor chips that were available for the carts. Supposed to improve the frame rate dramatically.  Was it the SuperFX chip?  Anyone know?

 

The SNES hack is using the SA-1. It eliminates all of the slowdown and is very much a different experience. It’s nice on one hand, but on the other it is significantly more difficult since you no longer have the slowdown as a crutch.

 

And yeah, the SMS R-Type is great for the time. It’s also one of the more accessible as it doesn’t have as much going on compared to the arcade or Turbo Grafx versions.

[CaptainBreakout]

You know

...   I was just thinking that it would be kinda fun to own a copy of Super R-Type on a real cartridge with the SA-1 chip.

 

Then I imagined that if I owned a higher-end Everdrive it probably has built-in support for the SA-1, and therefore could play this version.

 

And I don't own an Everdrive. The closest thing I have to one is the LTO Flash drive for the Intellivision.

 

I'm much more into owning custom or original carts then the Everdrive solution.  Even the crazy bootlegs xxx-in-1 carts I prefer over Everdrives.

 

It's not that Everdrives are not awesome... They obviously are.  They just aren't for me for various reasons.

 

So I suppose that fits right into this thread.

Edited July 11, 2023 by CaptainBreakout
I suppose, for insight, I should add a reason. Each game title is like a touchstone for my memories, and I keep them all in a tidy display.

[NE146]

13 minutes ago, CaptainBreakout said:

I'm much more into owning custom or original then the Everdrive solution.  Even the crazy bootlegs xxx-in-1 carts I prefer over Everdrives.

 

It's not that Everdrives are not awesome... They obviously are.  They just aren't for me for various reasons.

 

So I suppose that fits right into this thread.

When it comes to SNES you're probably talking the SD2SNES/FXPak Pro vs the "Everdrive".  Whatever your thoughts on it, it's very much worth it in my opinion.  I still keep all my original carts as to me it's not a "Real carts vs. Flash carts" train of thought, it's simply "another cart"  in my library except this one has powers where once you put it in, you don't really have to take it out giving all the others a break.  

 

I remember fully jumping on SMS R-Type because at the time in the states, that was the only way I knew to get R-Type at home.. at least until the TG16 came out later on. I love the game but my main problem with it even at the time was occasionally the small shots blended in with the backgrounds, and with the occasional sms flickering you could miss seeing them sometimes. 

 

[Tanooki]

15 hours ago, CaptainBreakout said:

You know

...   I was just thinking that it would be kinda fun to own a copy of Super R-Type on a real cartridge with the SA-1 chip.

 

Then I imagined that if I owned a higher-end Everdrive it probably has built-in support for the SA-1, and therefore could play this version.

 

And I don't own an Everdrive. The closest thing I have to one is the LTO Flash drive for the Intellivision.

 

I'm much more into owning custom or original carts then the Everdrive solution.  Even the crazy bootlegs xxx-in-1 carts I prefer over Everdrives.

 

It's not that Everdrives are not awesome... They obviously are.  They just aren't for me for various reasons.

 

So I suppose that fits right into this thread.

You know, I've been reflecting on that as well for a couple years now at least.  I've got the ED GB+N64(best ver), GEN X7, GG X7, and N8-NES.  GBA Omega, SNES SD2SNES as well.  DS and NeoGeo(MVS) aside I've got a kit for everything.

But I could and have gone a year plus NOT ever touching the thing even once on some of them.  The problem is, it's just too much.  Yes I could put a top 50 games on there, but the fact knowing what I could put there or want to play one, I'd be doing SD card swapping a lot and back to square one, getting a lot and going nowhere fast.  Something about a modern 2023 or a 1983 bootleg/multicart has 10x more appeal to me.

 

Will I use all the games?  No.
Will I use a number enough I bothered to buy?  Yes.
Will I value it more as I have money into an actual cart even a bootleg?  Yes.
Do everdrives/flash kits keep me from even using real games I already paid for at times? Yes.(sadly, which I hate.)

It goes back to this coupling of LESS is MORE *AND* being cheap (saving money.)

The most recent multicarts I picked up, aside from that 2023 253in1 NES cart that has a stunning new setup where it can save multiple games, does the heavy enhancement chips too, and a number of Japanese gems english patched, I've only grabbed them lately for Game Gear.  I got that one off the site here under a year ago, saw the toxic crap pricing on some games I just won't pay $40 or $200(mega man) for, but saw some multis I could get for $10-30 shipped and did that.  I kept using them more than the locally sourced games from around the county, and I've largely ignored online buys because of that ($20 for Tempo Jr aside.)  Something about those old pirates and like real games I put so much more value in and having a set game or tiny-to-moderate game list makes them perfect for me.

 

I'm strongly very strongly considering dumping some of my flash kits...but I pull away just before taking pictures.

Edited July 11, 2023 by Tanooki

[WavyGravy]

As someone with a one-bedroom apartment and a large appetite for retro games on native hardware, flashcarts are a way of life for me at this point, but I think it's a lot like vinyl records. There's certainly an experiential aspect of the retro gaming process that's lost when you never have to swap cartridges and there's a menu to go through before playing your game. You gain a lot of benefits, but you do lose the ritual of it.

[zylon]

2 hours ago, Tanooki said:

You know, I've been reflecting on that as well for a couple years now at least.  I've got the ED GB+N64(best ver), GEN X7, GG X7, and N8-NES.  GBA Omega, SNES SD2SNES as well.  DS and NeoGeo(MVS) aside I've got a kit for everything.

But I could and have gone a year plus NOT ever touching the thing even once on some of them.  The problem is, it's just too much.  Yes I could put a top 50 games on there, but the fact knowing what I could put there or want to play one, I'd be doing SD card swapping a lot and back to square one, getting a lot and going nowhere fast.  Something about a modern 2023 or a 1983 bootleg/multicart has 10x more appeal to me.

 

Will I use all the games?  No.
Will I use a number enough I bothered to buy?  Yes.
Will I value it more as I have money into an actual cart even a bootleg?  Yes.
Do everdrives/flash kits keep me from even using real games I already paid for at times? Yes.(sadly, which I hate.)

It goes back to this coupling of LESS is MORE *AND* being cheap (saving money.)

The most recent multicarts I picked up, aside from that 2023 253in1 NES cart that has a stunning new setup where it can save multiple games, does the heavy enhancement chips too, and a number of Japanese gems english patched, I've only grabbed them lately for Game Gear.  I got that one off the site here under a year ago, saw the toxic crap pricing on some games I just won't pay $40 or $200(mega man) for, but saw some multis I could get for $10-30 shipped and did that.  I kept using them more than the locally sourced games from around the county, and I've largely ignored online buys because of that ($20 for Tempo Jr aside.)  Something about those old pirates and like real games I put so much more value in and having a set game or tiny-to-moderate game list makes them perfect for me.

 

I'm strongly very strongly considering dumping some of my flash kits...but I pull away just before taking pictures.

I bought one of those KO 900-in-1 ED clones for SNES. Mainly, it's to sample games on the hardware, I might otherwise, not get to try. Mainly, I stick to my couple multi-carts, some originals, and couple repros. I use similar for my other systems, with this one being the only flashcart.

[Tanooki]

6 hours ago, zylon said:

I bought one of those KO 900-in-1 ED clones for SNES. Mainly, it's to sample games on the hardware, I might otherwise, not get to try. Mainly, I stick to my couple multi-carts, some originals, and couple repros. I use similar for my other systems, with this one being the only flashcart.

Yeah I'm aware of those, they're older model everdrives they call multicarts with a preloaded micro sd card of the most cheapest, sketchiest, slowest off the line crap cards they don't even dare sell as knockoffs of sandisk but they do work, they just don't last.  EVen that very kit, if you dumped the contents and put it on a nice card would see an improvement.   A friend of mine has a couple because he didn't want to pay up for the real thing, which given the rates even before the virus, sucked for many.

 

I'm the same, see I don't just have multis, I have some bootlegs too, modern, because I'm not some mark or a simp for some shark looking for a sucker.  I could pay $12 for a modern new board/chips copy of Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa Famicom cart version or $120+ for a real one... I paid $12 and it is a quality cart.  I had an online friend use a donor taller MMC5 FC board and shell, flashed me a brand new chip with a copy of the SIM CITY NES prototype so I can play it on my tv as a real game -- keeper!  But as those are new I have old too from the vintage age -- Crossfire, Kunio Ice Hockey, Joe & Mac, Kunio Dodgeball, The Quest of Ki in a whirlwind manu shell/label, Wanpake Kokkun Gourmet World(Panic Restaurant), Rocman X from Sachen, and Super Fighter III(the best SF2 clone for Nintendo.)  Most of those are pretty sweet treasures, the rest are just really good enough to keep.

 

I've got a rare supervision 16in1 cart, it's not basic nrom launch era no mapper stuff, it's CNROM (preMMC1) which means Castlevania, Gradius, and other gems largely Konami and Namco.  There's this FC shelled old 111in1 I have too of that old NROM era.  There's then 2 modern FC multicarts the supergames 500(330~ are good rest are trash modern), and a fc remix cart with 145 games largely gems no repeats.

 

All that serves far better so far than the everdrives do outside of looking for a very specific title or something made not of that era, or in I guess some cases english translated stuff.

[zylon]

11 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Yeah I'm aware of those, they're older model everdrives they call multicarts with a preloaded micro sd card of the most cheapest, sketchiest, slowest off the line crap cards they don't even dare sell as knockoffs of sandisk but they do work, they just don't last.  EVen that very kit, if you dumped the contents and put it on a nice card would see an improvement.   A friend of mine has a couple because he didn't want to pay up for the real thing, which given the rates even before the virus, sucked for many.

 

All that serves far better so far than the everdrives do outside of looking for a very specific title or something made not of that era, or in I guess some cases english translated stuff.

So far, I've used it twice, and only 3 loadings. So, it hasn't yet justified the 25 bucks, lol. The only save games on it, I'd play, I already have elsewhere. It is handy for the sports titles, which are horribly represented on the multicarts, but most can be had as cheap originals yet. All the Jp stuff on there, is in Japanese still, so nothing there. Couple in the Euro section, but not a lot.

I'd imagine saving, is what kills cards. Normally, I just put stuff on them once, and just play, like the one in the car. Other than an old Dell latitude xp laptop, I don't actually have a computer. Just a Chromebook junker for online stuff. I'll have to see if I have a compatible card reader for it still. As it is, it already has anything I'd bother playing. If it had the translated ROMs on it, might use it more. For those, I just look up videos of those I might want. If I still do, then I get a repro or multi with them.

[Tanooki]

No Intro full set stuff over on the archive tends to have a translated directory along with beta, proto, homebrew, etc.  That may serve you faster than finding a card reader, unless you meant to feed that back to the flash kit.

[zylon]

3 hours ago, Tanooki said:

No Intro full set stuff over on the archive tends to have a translated directory along with beta, proto, homebrew, etc.  That may serve you faster than finding a card reader, unless you meant to feed that back to the flash kit.

that's the only way I'd be able to copy it, with a reader. drag files from one to desktop, then change card and redrag back. More or less, it's just to try things that looked interesting, before shelling out $, on something I won't really play. It has helped me find a couple already, so not complaining.

Edited July 12, 2023 by zylon

[zylon]

Here's the one I got. As far as US NTSC catalog, I'd say it's complete, or darn close. The upper card is what was included, and I've got those other 3 laying around. I think one was the music files from the other car. Biggest value, has been in finding a game I like, but never knew of- BlaZeon, and saving me the cost of wasting $ on Super Double Dragon. I'm sure it's great, but I'm not blowing 30-40 on a game, that I can't get off first screen on 1st life. Controls bite. Paid for itself right there.

Edited July 13, 2023 by zylon

[Tanooki]

I guess it shows how long (too long) I've been both online and into old (and not so old for then) games.  As ROM dumps started to increase throughout 1995-6 into 2000+ emulators were catching up slowly but surely, in some cases, fast.  By the time the GBC popped up it was emulated from the first game, illegally, as warioworld dot come (Nintendo's private developer server) got cracked into, even I took a peek in the 90s) and people used the GBC documentation to cover the DMG to CGB changes.  I would try any dump that looked interesting.  It was not so much a financial help, but a time lost vs gained help it was.  I think in the long term for every game I downloaded and tried I found about the same amount of stuff the print/online print coverage was full of crap about being great(it's crap) vs stuff that was largely ignored or little written that was amazing and I'd end up buying that instead.  Whole warezy sites were all about try before you buy as a lie to cover up morality of things lying about a 24hr window to erase/buy -- I did it.   Flash kits as such never had much value for me except the old old LPT printer cable era days of the BUNG GBC copier, that did do it some along side emulation and it was worth it.

 

And no Super DD is not a good game, testy controls, vicious surround you fast AI that's aggressive, and just an overall not fun setup to the game -- feels nothing like double dragon.  I wouldn't even suggest that $40 game as a $5-10 purchase.  Blazeon though that is a pretty good title.

[zylon]

23 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

 

And no Super DD is not a good game, testy controls, vicious surround you fast AI that's aggressive, and just an overall not fun setup to the game -- feels nothing like double dragon.  I wouldn't even suggest that $40 game as a $5-10 purchase.  Blazeon though that is a pretty good title.

I like to think I'm fairly lenient, in judging games. I can usually tell if I got a chance, in 5-10 minutes. I allow for my talents, and lack thereof. Sometimes, the videos save me, at least the trouble. I kinda liked how Link To The Past played, got it on two of my 3 multicarts. However, watching a playthrough, there's no way I'd be able to accomplish that final fight. So, I get to save many hours to get to the impossible, and use them to obliterate more little green kamikaze planes. I still think it's a good game, just beyond my abilities.  Just like I still think original gradius is darn good, despite only passing the volcanoes once in nearly 40yrs.

[Tanooki]

Ahh yeah that's a low skill threshold then if those examples are where you'd draw the line, especially on Gradius.  Still SuperDD just isn't well done so you're not wrong there.