jimid2

You mean there's another kind of lawyer?!?

My recommendations for Genni games include: Castlevania Bloodlines Revenge of Shinobi Mickey Mouse Castle of Illusion The Immortal (remember when you would DIE to progress in a video game?) Comix Zone MUSHA (or Gairies) Herzog Zwei Desert Strike Honestly, I never got into the Sonic games myself, but if you can't find any fun in these, then you don't need a Genesis

A Gig? That's rich... You could probably store every Lynx title ever made on a 64 Meg card, UNCOMPRESSED! I agree with the sentiment though - a multi-cart would be soooo cool!

SOLD! Where do I send the check? Seriously, this is great, great news! Sign me up for the first production run!!

Wow! "Thank You" hardly seems sufficient. I can't wait to order one of these carts!

Horsepower's all well and good, but which would you rather own? Kasumi Ninja vs. Garou Mark of the Wolves... 'Nuff said

I've got one coming with an Afterburner mod now - there's a guy in Toronto that fits the frontlight system on a NeoGeo Pocket Color for a reasonable price (PM me if you want details), and the nice thing is that because the NGPC gets such awesome battery life anyway, adding the light doesn't hurt your playtime much... Anyway, you have to remember that when the NGPC was designed, there were no handhelds with frontlights or backlights excepting the huge, pricey ones like the Nomad and Game Gear and Lynx, all of which had pretty much disappeared by the time that NeoGeo was looking at the market...SNK was trying to compete directly with Nintendo and Bandai (Wonderswan) in the Japanese market, and even Nintendo had only done the Game Boy Light Indiglo™ system for something like 8 months, and it was never released outside of Japan - they figured people wanted color, not light, in their handhelds so they stopped production for the Game Boy Color... By the time the Game Boy Advance SP was released, the NeoGeo Pocket Color was history - but I would have loved to see one with four buttons and a backlit screen...

Actually, the NeoGeo Pocket was a great idea because it played to SNK's strengths in game development - 2D fighters and platformers... Unfortunately, the preceding 5 years hadn't been good to SNK financially, so they sold out to Azure, a pachinko manufacturer, who immediately proceeded to completely destroy the company. One of the first things they did was pull the NeoGeo Pocket Color out of North American distribution, despite the fact that it had managed to make significant headway into the market despite disastrous marketing, supply shortages and, of course, the "Big N" owning the handheld market cold! Anyway, Azure managed to bankrupt SNK within something like a year, so that was the end of the NGPC - too bad to, because if they had managed another hardware generation, they could have built a Pocket Empire on Shooters, Fighters and the odd wonderful puzzle game...

Well, there's something to be said for Keith Courage, but you'll definitely want to pick up some other games to get your money's worth out of your TG-16. My recommendations (not knowing anything about your gaming tastes) would be: Devil's Crush R-Type Splatterhouse Ninja Spirit Legendary Axe II Bonk I & II Air Zonk (if you can find it) Cotton (but you're not likely to find it) Blazing Lazers Galaga '90 If you like action puzzlers, Fu Man Chew is well worth getting, and Bomberman is THE Bomberman. Oh, Galaga '90 is the best Galaga ever, period.

The Microvision TV was a Sir Clive Sinclair invention, wasn't it? I always thought those little things looked so cool... I'd love to see what a TV picture looks like on a tube that small... As for the Microvision, I handle mine all the time - anyone with the least experience handling computer equipment who understands the risks associated with ESD shouldn't have any trouble dealing with their Microvision without blowing it up...

Wonderful system, well worth owning if you only buy a handful of games... I think it's safe to say that the NeoGeo Pocket enjoys the highest ratio of quality games (or “Triple A” titles) to the number of games developed of any handheld system yet produced! Ya, so long as you're not trying to find a copy of Cotton!

No, I don't have the link cable. I only have two because my first - the Quickshot - developed a couple dead lines on the LCD, and I found the Watara really cheap, and I'm kind of a Crysball addict... I can hardly walk past the handhelds cabinet without pulling out the Supervision or the Microvision (love Block Buster too!) for a quick round or two on a breakout clone

Oh ya, I'm all over that new PSP on release - an act of faith, but I'll suffer the consequences if they don't get this model right on launch. I've been very happy with my PSP to date - the big retro collections are a kick, and many of the racers are awesome! I sometimes can't believe I'm playing Ridge Racer or Burnout on a handheld!! I used to own both the N-Gage and QD as well as about twenty games I bought stupid cheap at EB when they were clearing the shelves, but I sold them off - since they weren't "first and foremost" a handheld video game system, we decided they didn't really fit in with our collection... They paid for a lot of my Wonderswan stuff, actually. hahaha! Man, I don't have multiples of the same system in different colors because I feel some "need" to do that, I have multiples of the same system in different colors because I have a WIFE and CHILDREN who are gamers, too!! Of course, you're part right in that I do want at least one example of every hardware iteration for the important systems (DS & DS Lite, Lynx I & II, Wonderswan & Color & Swancrystal, etc.). But most of those multiples of the same system - four DSs, four GBA SPs, two PSPs, a pair of Pokemon GBCs and multiples of the NGPC and Lynx - are simply the result of too many people wanting to play the same systems at the same time. Having more than one of a given machine helps keep peace in My Universe™, so those duplicates are worth every penny I ever dropped on 'em... you know, that's funny... I usually play my Lynx I - that's my fave model - but I stopped for a little California Games on the Lynx II before putting it back on the shelf today, and the first thing I thought when I booted it up was "gee, that picture's a little grainy"... I'll have to do a side-by-side and see what I can see...

I've been stock-piling handheld video game systems for a few years - well, since 1989 when I bought my first Game Boy, really... I led a pretty itinerant lifestyle through most of my youth (aspiring musician, allergic to "work", etc.) so portable systems were what I played on the most... My son was interested in some old systems I was pulling out of storage under the stairs about a year ago, and we decided to set up a collection. I finally took a pic of the whole whack today: Note that where there's a box, there is a system in the box that's basically new/mint - I was too lazy to pull them out of their boxes for the pics... Also, although we count our Nintendo Virtual Boy as part of our collection, it's not included here because it's too darn big to fit into the shot! So from the top left and flowing down in semi-logical columns : MIB Atari Lynx I, MIB Bandai Wonderswan (Pearl White), MIB Bandai Swancrystal (Violet), Wonderswan, Bandai Wonderswan Color, Swancrystal (#2), SNK NeoGeo Pocket Color version 1 (crystal), SNK NeoGeo Pocket Color version 1 (silver), SNK NeoGeo Pocket (blue camo), SNK NeoGeo Pocket Color version 2 (metalic blue), (btt) MIB Tiger R-Zone, NEC TurboExpress, Game Park Holdings GP2X, original Nintendo Game Boy (x3), Game Boy Pocket (black), Game Boy Light (silver), Pokemon Edition Game Boy Color (x2), Game King I, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Game Boy Micro (x2), Game Boy Advance SP (x4), Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Lite (x3), (btt) Milton Bradley Microvision, Nintendo Game & Watch Donkey Kong Hockey, Atari Lynx I (#2), Atari Lynx II (x2), Sega Nomad, Sega Game Gear (x2), Tiger game.com, Tiger R-Zone, Sony PSP (x2), Quickshot Supervision and a Watara Supervision... I'm picking up a Swancrystal and NGPC with Afterburner front-light mods in a week or two... And I want to pick up a few more Nintendo Game & Watch games - Martin and I have really enjoyed playing Donkey Kong Hockey together! I might also get a GP32BLU at some point as well - they're cool looking little systems... And of course, if I ever find an Epoch Pocket Computer Game system I'll be all over it, if I can afford it, which isn't likely from what I hear (but I can dream)... So does anyone else collect handhelds? Got any pics of your collection? I'd love to see some pics of the Epoch if anyone's got one - that's probably as close as I'll ever get to one!

My Lynx and TurboExpress see use every couple of days, and my NeoGeo Pocket and Wonderswan get played almost as frequently... The Game Boys (Color, Light, or Pocket) will get played intensely for a couple of days and then get shelved for a couple weeks as I go back for more Lynx and TG16 goodness, but they do see steady rotation... Because our entire handheld collection is out on display and I keep batteries in most of the systems, there's ample opportunity to just grab something on a whim and give half-an-hour - often my son and I will be sitting on the stairs in front of the cabinet playing different old-school handhelds side by side when we have some free time to burn... This never happened when we had all the systems stored in boxes under the stairs - there they were completely ignored. The secret to using these things is to make them accessible - then they call to you! We've got a Dreamcast and a TG-16 hooked up to the gaming TV (along with an XBox, PS2 and Game Cube) but they don't see nearly as much use as the portables...

Your characterization is just as degrading. In fact, I don't believe I have a single PSP game where there is anything you characterize as "'kill the mutant zombies'-'blow up the terrorist tank'-'run around cussin, beating people up, raping women, stealing cars' crap.". Oh! Oh! OH!!! I DO!! I DO!!! Infected, Metal Slug Anthology (or either of the SOCOMs, really), and both PSP GTAs!! Do I win somethin'? What do I get? huh? Oh wait, but on the DS I have Dead'N'Furious, Advance Wars (and Steel Horizon, and GBA Metal Slug) and Hotel Dusk, so I guess I can pretty much go there with my DS too...

Well, as much as I love the Lynx - and I do love it; I own four of them, after all - I think that the NeoGeo Pocket Color and Wonderswan Color were both technically able to "rival" the Lynx before the GBA was released... ...and as to the external battery pack, I don't look at that thing being any better than the AC Adapter - I mean, sure it's technically "portable", but it's pretty darned bulky... I prefer rechargeable batteries - if you have two sets of six 2500mhA NiMH AA rechargeables, you can get 10 hours on the road, or alternate charging one set while using the other at home, and always have power without having to plug extra stuff into the system.

I was going to bid on it too, but it's $75 shipping to North America (which is stupid beyond words, but whatever)... I can't for the life of me see how that thing works from that picture in the auction - does anyone know of any sites with better images / info on it?

Well, I'm a fan of portable systems. We've been playing portable systems in our household for nearly as long as they've been making them - I bought a Game Boy and a Lynx the year they were released, and we've always had a couple handhelds since... Now that we actually have a substantial Handheld Video Game Collection™, we obviously have to have both the DS and the PSP... Actually, a DS, three DS Lites, and two PSPs (and I plan to buy a PSP Slim next month when they're released). And yes, one of the PSPs is running OE firmware (3.40A-OE if I remember correctly) though I use my GP2X for most of my portable emulation. I think there are great games for both systems - the two Castlevania games, New Super Mario Brothers and the Pokemon games are all excellent, and the PSP has some great racing games and stuff like Syphon Filter Dark Mirror and Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops and Valkyre Profile Lenneth. I've also really enjoyed playing PSOne games on the PSP - I've gone through the three Final Fantasies and Silent Hill so far - but the system really is more a "handheld console" than a "portable" system for me in terms of how I use it. What I mean is that if I'm going to jump up and head out of the house and just want a convenient system to carry with me to while away some time on the bus or in the Doctor's office, I'm more likely to take my DS (or my Game Boy Micro, or my Wonderswan) than I am my PSP - the PSP just isn't as 'convenient' or as 'portable' imo, but then again, if I'm going on a business trip I want the PSP in my carry on to keep me amused on the plane or in my hotel room... Additionally, the PSP offers me a number of game play experiences that I simply can't find on another handheld - playing a game of Burnout Legends on the PSP will convince anyone that it's an amazingly powerful little system. If I had to chose just one, I'd probably chose the PSP - with OE firmware, it is a lot more versatile than the DS Lite, but I really wouldn't want to have to make that choice. Though each system has it's pro's and con's, I think they're both worthy of respect, and the market has clearly determined that there is room for both to be very successful, as they are...

Two out of three of those (presuming you mean the new Syphon Filter, and not Dark Mirror) are already on store shelves... I haven't tried Crazy Taxi or either of the SquarEnix re-re-re-re-rereleases of FF I or II, but I know I'll own them eventually... I've been playing through SquareSoft's PSX RPGs on my PSP of late - I've finished Final Fantasy VII and VIII and I'm working through IX - and in all honesty, the ability to play these games again on the go more than justifies the money I've spent on this system to date (which is considerable; we have two PSPs and 90 game UMDs in our house! ). Anyway, I'm looking forward to the new PSP lite if only for the weight reduction and extended battery life - we need a third PSP around the house anyway (three kids), so it's good timing... As for the DS, well we have four of those here (one Phat, three Lites) and there are plenty of great games for them (I've enjoyed the two Castlevanias and Final Fantasy III, especially). I think Nintendo is leading the handheld wars against Sony for the same reason the Wii has overtaken the XBox360 in units sold to date - they have fun games to play on systems that are reasonably priced. Say what you want about the tech under the screen, but most people buy games machines to play games, and the majority of them probably buy the system they want (or the system their kid wants). More DSs are selling than PSPs, because more people want the DS, but Sony has made significant inroads in the handheld market, and they're here for the long haul; I don't think anyone can really suggest that 14 million units sold is a failure, even if they are in second place.

Ditto... only it'll be our third one... but since I have two teenagers in the house and a wife who's a gamer, we need it... Ah... but Final Fantasy 8 on the PSP running 3.40OE is better yet! Nuthin' like PSX FF games on the go! Back on topic: we have a few Microplay franchise stores in our city, and they beat EB/GS on all counts all the time. They're not staffed with idiots, and they respect retro. I do almost all my game shopping with them...

Where would you get a Game Boy Light screen? LCD screens on consumer electronics are not "universally compatible" - you can't just go buy any screen at Radio Shack or whereever and plug it into the Game Boy Light... That being said, the Game Boy Light is an absolutely brilliant little system if you really love Game Boy games and want to play them on "original" hardware (as opposed to a GBA SP, using emulation on a DS or GP2X or something). The screen on the GB Light is the same size as the Pocket - larger than the GB Color - and the cool blue indiglo back lighting is very effective in low light situations. Best of all, the screen remains perfectly visible in bright sunlight with the back lighting turned off, unlike most modern back-lit LCD screens (try playing a PSP in bright sunlight!). For the record, the D-pad is exactly the same size on the Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Light, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, GBA SP and Game Boy Micro - I just went down stairs and checked my collection

I just read through this entire thread - very exciting! I'm relatively new to the Virtual Boy scene, and I'm thrilled to discover a Flash Cart in the works! I'm up for one as soon as they're ready for purchase - I'll go scrounge Ebay for a donor cart now!

We've got two Dreamcasts in the house - it's the only console we have two of (though we've got multiples of many handhelds, like the NGPC, Wonderswan, PSP, DS, Gameboys galore, Lynxes, etc. etc....) Anyway, I love that little system - lots of great games available and cheap to run!

NiMHs rated at 2500mAh or higher (such as the Energizers recommended above) will last longer in a Lynx or TurboExpress than Alkalines, and work fine. I have four Lynxes and a TurboExpress (and a Nomad, and a couple Game Gears) and I use Energizer 2500mAh NiMH rechargeables in all of them, and I'm very happy with the results. Recommendations and voltage concerns are for old-style NiCADs and Rechargeable Alkalines, which were the ONLY available rechargeable batteries back in 1989. Technology has improved however - there is absolutely NO REASON why you can't use good NiMH batteries with your Lynx. HOWEVER (there's always gotta be a however ) - some NiMH batteries have rather short positive posts protruding from the battery - this can be an issue with the Lynx I because the positive terminal may not actually be firmly in place against the contact in the battery bay. I have had this problem with some DigiPower and Sanyo rechargeables, but the Energizers work fine. So, you can use NiMHs and get better battery life than with Alkalines, but you have to buy the right ones that fit with the system.