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Bill Loguidice

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Bill Loguidice last won the day on May 17 2023

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About Bill Loguidice

  • Birthday 10/11/1972

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    Armchair Arcade Managing Director
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    Burlington, New Jersey, USA
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    Writing, classic and modern video and computer gaming and collecting, bodybuilding, creative pursuits, etc.

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  1. Of course, another option is some type of adapter that allows use of USB keyboards and mice. It feels like those types of older computer games would be a logical next step. Either way, I'd be SHOCKED if there weren't SOME type of peripherals in that as-yet-unknown batch of hardware. I really do think they can't realistically introduce any new hardware this year, other than perhaps some more themed/skinned stuff a la the Duke Nukem VS (and, pretty much no matter what it is, I'd have to pass on, since I already have a regular VS, regular Duke, original handheld, and EXP).
  2. My guess for at least some of the new hardware would be an arcade controller and perhaps some wireless options (and I suppose to extend that, perhaps spinner and trackball options; and maybe to go REALLY far out, a light gun option). Those are among the most requested items. I can't see them doing another handheld iteration or even another VS for this year (definitely next year a strong possibility for both), but I guess you can never truly rule that out.
  3. My How-To Geek review is live: https://www.howtogeek.com/atari-the400-mini-review/ Of course, given the type of site, my editor removed a lot of the historical context I provided, but so be it.
  4. My go-to for systems like this (and Polymega, etc.) is to use the 8Bitdo Adapter 2. I use them with Xbox controllers, but they also work with PS and Switch controllers. You pair your choice of controller with the adapter on your PC and then it stays paired, so I can move it from system to system.
  5. You are indeed a special breed then.
  6. I'm not a lag snob by any means, but I would notice it. Playing games like Wavy Navy and other fast-response games included, you'd definitely notice any delay. I had no issue with the included controller nor using an Xbox One controller wirelessly. The main culprit is almost always the display being used and how that's set.
  7. For what's it worth, I've had no issues with lag and the included joystick (my test display has minimal lag and is in Game Mode). It works great if you're used to the original Atari 2600 joystick. The mapping of extra buttons is what it is, i.e., not ideal in all cases, but I understand the argument for sticking to the original joystick design. My How-To Geek review should be out in a few days. I submitted it early, but because they pulled a switcheroo with the embargo date, there was no early room on the editorial calendar to get it up sooner. Spoiler, I generally liked it a lot.
  8. I just wanted to point out that, for me personally, I bought four 8BitDo Wireless Adapter 2's and paired them with Xbox One controllers. I prefer the d-pad on the Xbox One controller over the newer, generally nicer Xbox Series X/S controller. I also tried some third party Switch Pro-style controllers with the adapters, but they wouldn't stay consistently paired. I really dislike the wireless controller that comes with the system and I don't always want to use the wired controllers that always come with their respective module (not that some of those are all that good either). The nice thing with using the combination of 8BitDo adapter and Xbox controller is that the system recognizes it automatically without having to do the "press d-pad right" thing. I use a simple USB cable with four USB-A ends on it (when I need multiplayer) since only one dongle fits at a time with the too-close USB-A ports on the front of the console.
  9. A few made use of it, I guess, but certainly not required: I suppose in that regard, it's one of the very few platforms with greater than 64K machines in circulation that didn't have really any exclusive 128K games. It goes back to the whole thing about third party developers mostly wanting to support 48K models max, and not even the 64K the Apple II and C-64 enjoyed, limiting what got released after a certain point.
  10. Modern developers have access to tools and hardware that weren't necessarily available or practical back in the day (not to mention more time than commercial developers and relatively easy worldwide collaboration). Prince of Persia for Atari 8-bit was not necessarily impractical, although software requiring 128K of RAM, like PoP does in this case, was not exactly common. In any case, some of the best Atari 8-bit homebrews require 320K of RAM (which few owners would have been able to afford back in the day), while some of the best C-64 homebrews, which run just fine on the stock 64K, can only be run from modern cartridges (which would have been cost prohibitive back in the day). It's just a matter of practicality. The point is, just about every classic system has benefited in similar ways from modern homebrews that pushed them in ways that simply weren't commercially viable back in the day. (And of course there are plenty of instances where modern developers on these systems produce amazing stuff that DOES fit within "back in the day" limitations, but they still benefit from the passage of time and knowledge.) That's just a long-winded way of saying that, in my opinion, it's best to evaluate back-in-the-day software and modern homebrew software separately. They each tell different, and interesting, stories.
  11. It is impressive. Of course, that's true for all classic platforms. Modern developers can really push the limits in ways that weren't practical back in the day.
  12. Neat, but it seems like it would have been less intrusive/easier just to get or make a removable adapter, no? Most controller ports are PC Engine ports anyway.
  13. The Switch obviously doesn't have more adult games than Steam, but I don't think that was the point. And by the way, the adult games ARE moderated (to a degree) when they're digital on Switch, but not when they're physical, i.e., they can show more without censoring, e.g., not just topless. I've long pointed out the availability of said content on just about all platforms, especially for those who say the Switch is the most family-friendly or best for kids in terms of content. It's not. No platform inherently is. That's exactly what parental controls are for. It's the same with any other form of media. Don't restrict stuff appearing on the platform, and, if someone is genuinely concerned, they use the parental controls. Pretty simple. And obviously it's something of a double-standard with violence versus "sexy," especially in America.
  14. I generally agree with your point that it's ultimately the games, but I think there should be a little nuance to "superior." The Jaguar was "superior" in terms of raw specs, but arguably took a step back in terms of controls (3 main face buttons instead of the then standard 6), which was later corrected with the Pro Controller. The SMS generally had better color and sound than the NES, but with helper chips, the NES could certainly match the SMS and then some. The Game Gear was technically superior to the GameBoy, as was the Lynx to both, but both of those color handhelds fell down in terms of portability and battery life in comparison to the GameBoy, the latter often by as much 4x. So certainly there were other factors than just comparative game libraries, which again, I'd agree was definitely at the top. Probably the ultimate native (non-add-on) backwards-compatible console at this point is the Xbox Series X/S, which spans four full iterations over more than 22 active years. I can't think of any others that went past two iterations (e.g., 7800, GBC, 3DS (maybe you could argue three for that one with DS, DSi, 3DS), PS2, PS3 (definitely 3, at least for the one launch model, but that was backtracked over subsequent releases to just 2), etc.).
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