The Raspberry Pi and Retropie discussion thread

[The Raspberry Pi and Retropie discussion thread]

Thanks for the heads-up on that @NE146!  A good friend of mine has been talking about setting up RetroPie but I told him he should wait a bit for RPi4 support.  He'll be happy to hear.

 

I would guess that the RPi4 should be powerful enough to handle N64 and DC, which is where the 3 fell short.  I really enjoyed setting up RetroPie on my RPi3 but I've since moved on to a more powerful solution.  Still, for the price you really can't go wrong.  I may pick one up down the line just for fun.

[Why I am SO DONE with 3rd party junk]

So, you threw a controller and you're angry because it broke?  Are you in middle school?

[Top 10 Worst Games on the 2600 (In my Opinion)]

OK fair enough.  DK Junior just looks so ugly though!  I hate the 2600 port!  Merlin's Walls may look and play like ass (I admit I haven't played it), but it's considered a homebrew is it not?  Seems unfair to lump homebrews in - maybe a separate list would be better?

 

Basic Math is present but no love (err, hate) for Eli's Ladder?  Karate is pretty damn awful and would probably be my #1.  Sssnake is a solid choice for the list too but Bugs (also by Data Age) is right up there and it holds a special, bitter place in my heart.  I bought Bugs with birthday money as a kid and I think I'm still sour about it!

[Top 10 Worst Games on the 2600 (In my Opinion)]

If you insist on including Donkey Kong, then you must include Donkey Kong Junior which was many, MANY times worse than DK.  DK was actually playable and I would say it falls nowhere near the bottom 10 of the *entire* 2600 library.

 

Also should Merlin's Walls be included since it came out after the 2600's lifespan?

[The Official Turbografx 16 Thread!]

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/04/turbografx-16-mini-review-mostly-best-in-class-retro-gaming-sometimes-wtf

 

Ars Technica review of the TG16 Mini.  The controllers seem nice since they appear to be almost exactly the same as the originals.

 

The selection of games is rather weird though.  Neutopia I and II in both English *and* Japanese?  Why??  That is so dumb.  In fact, it's my opinion that NO Japanese games (as good and plentiful as they are) should be included on a TG16 Mini.

 

I know some people will be overjoyed to own this, but I'll be taking a pass.  My brief time with the NES Classic was enough to demonstrate that the lag and silly selection of games aren't worth it (to me).

[WTB loose US Sega Master System manuals]

Bump, still searching for a few loose US manuals!

[Video Game Quiz Part 2!]

For what its worth I would refrain from subjective trivia questions like "most critically acclaimed" titles.  There's enough fun video game minutiae out there can be fact-checked.

 

That said, these were fun and thanks for making them!  You should do it weekly!

[Bad Trader Alert]

On 3/25/2020 at 2:28 PM, stupus said:

Yeah, its a crazy 1 sided system. No reason to even have an option for sellers to give feedback if it can only be positive.

And last i read its actually against ebay policy to leave any non positive comments in a positive feedback post.

The buyer can have them easily removed and the seller can actually get a strike for doing so. WTF!

It was a big change when eBay stopped allowing sellers to leave negative feedback.  Overall, I think it was for the best though.  Too many sellers were using (or were able to use) feedback as leverage or petty "revenge" for a negative from an unsatisfied buyer.  I think there should still be -some- option for sellers to leave feedback on non-paying bidders or other troublemakers without having to make it "positive."

 

I am curious though @stupus, did you end up leaving feedback for him with your remarks?

[Got the X-Arcade Tankstick and PC mice/PC trackballs working with the 2600]

I saw your post in the 5200 forums and, as an X-Arcade Tankstick owner, I'm very very intrigued!  I haven't had a chance to watch the videos while at work, so apologies if it is mentioned - but could you link to Ikonsgr's listing on eBay or the relevant AA thread about his adapters?  Thanks for sharing this!

[scandl71]

I picked up some uncommon AES games from scandl71 and everything went wonderfully.  They are authentic and he was always friendly and responsive in our correspondence.  I couldn't have hoped for a better transaction.  Cheers!  =D

[Dreamcast Racing fans....HELP!]

Well there are only so many racing games on the Dreamcast, and even fewer that race with cars.  It shouldn't be too hard to figure out which one, but I'm too lazy to search for ya.  My best guess though would be Metropolis Street Racer.  (I don't believe Speed Devils has licensed models, though it's been years since I played it.)

[What are your top Atari 5200 to get hold of but haven’t yet?]

On 3/3/2020 at 4:16 PM, INVISIBLE said:

What I want does not exist, and probably will not exist... A VGA or HDMI output kit.

 

Indeed!  The 5200 needs some kind of higher-quality AV mod.  I'm still waiting for Darktim to create a 5200RGB board.

[Newbie to Sega CD games and collecting]

Sega CD gets a worse rap than it deserves.  Unfortunately, 2 of the best titles for the platform, Snatcher and Popful Mail, are prohibitively expensive

[Selling Custom Minestorm Wraps for Vectrex]

Both of those sound great too, especially Berzerk which has always been a favorite of mine.

 

If you do plan to make further wraps, perhaps I can suggest an "overall" Vectrex theme with logos and artwork from all the games, or at least the more notable ones?  That way it would give the Vectrex more of an "arcade in a box" feel rather than focusing on just one game.

 

Still, that Minestorm skin is very easy on the eyes.  Impressive work!

[Selling Custom Minestorm Wraps for Vectrex]

Absolutely stunning!

[The PS5 Thread]

I have to disagree with you @Tempest only because Super Mario 64 and SoulCalibur exist.

 

I feel like I'm the same boat as most of you: not in a huge hurry to have a PS5.  I waited about 2 years before buying a PS3 due to the price, and it worked out great because, during that time, Sony released the DS3 instead of the crappy Sixaxis it originally shipped with.  Waited about a year to buy a PS4 simply due finishing games on PS3 and a lack of must-have early titles.

 

I don't think PS5 launch will be any different.

[River Raid Atari 2600 Review]

I won't say it's an A+ game either, but I've always loved it and thought it head and shoulders above the majority of the 2600 library.  Enjoyed your review though.

 

Side thought: is there any chance River Raid was a direct inspiration for Xevious, which came out a year later?

[New Atari Console that Ataribox?]

4 hours ago, TankedThomas said:

@Paul Slocum's estimate of June at best is probably accurate right now. But I wouldn't be surprised if it gets delayed even past that. 

I think we all know the coronavirus will be the excuse Atari desperately needed to shut the whole project down, while offering their sincerest apologies to the backers in that really hard-to-write email.

[Atari games spotted in a Tokyo gamestore]

Very cool to see nonetheless.  I wonder how many Jaguar consoles there even are in Japan.  Surely there can't be many?

[What systems do you not want to admit when emulation is actually better?]

Games are always best on original hardware, end of story.  That assumes of course that everything is in working order.  Over the last 2 years I have started toying with emulation (RetroPie, then Hyperspin) and I would say the main draw is the convenience.  If I pull out a cart, for instance, I have to clean it with 91% alcohol/Q-tips before I even start it and that shit takes time away from gaming.  NES carts are usually the dirtiest!  It's still my preferred way to play though, even with the hassle.

 

I adore emulation for MAME and older (or foreign) computers that I don't have.

[Devils Third rare]

Heh, it's interesting that the value of Devil's Third shot up like that when most Wii U game values seem to be falling (at least for now, they'll only go up many years down the line).  Hello Kitty Kruisers was selling for over $100 at one point and now seems to be about half that according to GVN.  Having played both, neither one is worth that much!

[I completed the entire Philips CDi US longbox set. Or did I? Plus, general CDi collecting gems.]

Damn, very nice work Blazers!  The CDi is one of the very few US consoles I've never delved into, though I had a rich friend with one bitd and we played a lot of Hotel Mario and golf.  I agree that the longbox collection does look very nice all together!

[Springer Atari 2600 Review]

Loved reading your review, keep 'em coming!

 

PS. Thank you for not simply linking to a YT video you made.  Yes, some of us still prefer to read.

[31 Turbo CD Games on eBay]

Yea no doubt, I love reading shit like that.  It's been a long while since I've pulled out Shape Shifter but now I'm eager to see it again.

[Could Sega Save The Saturn?]

I also agree the answer is no, and like others have said or suggested, it was really the 32X that started SEGA's downward spiral.  There was no saving the Saturn, but (to look on the positive side) I think the best thing to come of its poor reception and failure is that it made the launch of the Dreamcast one of the most exciting console launches ever.