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HoshiChiri

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Posts posted by HoshiChiri

  1. Posted

    As far as the likes of Stadia & the idea of streaming only games goes- I'm not worried about that yet for one simple reason... the American internet infrastructure SUCKS. If half the country can't get a good enough signal to stream their games, then it's not going to be successful. At least, not successful enough to take over the market. The cable companies who control the internet connections have no reason to help the likes of Google by improving service, becuase then people will just stream TV and not subscribe to cable anymore. We've got a few years of businessmen butting heads before game streaming can really settle in.

     

    How I have arranged my "digital collection" is all "custom" and stuff. Years, decades even, of growth in the directory trees. And THAT is just like a wall full of vintage carts.

     

     

     

    Not in anyone's head space but yours.

     

     

    ..and that's all that matters.

     

    This is a very important sentiment! Just becuase the specific folks in collecting today value a physical collection doesn't mean everyone does. I guarantee there's plenty of parents, spouses, siblings and friends who don't see an amazing collection of gaming goodness... they see a pile of junk that cost way too much money. Someone with tubs of rare, vintage shoes would look like a hoarder to me if not for my understanding of their passion (the feeling, not the subject of.)

     

    Collectors of the future may very well indeed enthusiastically show off their digital curations, with custom HDD holders and digital frames cycling through boxart or such, and other collectors will get it becuase they recognize the love of games- even if the form of expression's changed. It's about what matters to YOU, not someone else.

     

     

    It's bizarre to me how the "wall of cartridges" has become THE signifier of YouTuber game rant credibility. I'm a little older than the core NES/SNES generation so I always felt a little embarrassed seeking out the latest games. Not these guys! Good for them, but did most people really aim for the complete set like this? Or did they have a couple of shoeboxes full of games, like how I imagine most Atari kids collected?

     

     

    This makes me laugh becuase my Atari games literally used to be in a shoebox. My Colecovision games still are!

     

     

    That's me.

    If I remember, the Satellaview data wasn't meant to be accessible by the customer. You point stand, but, again, piracy will crack protection. Why does Sony still push PS3 updates despite the last PS3 game released was FIFA 19 in September of 2018, and (apparently) the previous game were released in 2017 (not more than 5 of them)?

    To crack down on piracy.

    For updates, you just have to find a system with the game updated to copy it. Even if as of today, we can't crack it, you only need a copy of the raw, protected, possibly crypted data, to be able to crack it later. The important thing is to save that data as soon as possible to use it later.

    The only way for Microsoft and Sony to prevent access to the update contents would be to simply nuke the data on the older consoles hard drives (like for example, deciding that any PS3 getting online after 2020 will get a destructive update wiping out the hard drive) and even then, you could STILL recover the erased data as they would probably just delete the file path and not rewrite over the whole hard drive. And that would still leave shelved PS3 (I take the PS3 as an example , but it works the same for Xbox360, One, PS4, etc.) intact with the game contents.

    Basically it's doomed to happen... should people want to do it.

     

    Exactly- no system was ever meant to be hacked. It happens anyway- either becuase people want to access these older, unsupported games, or just for the thrill of seeing if they can. Even if Sony somehow tried to forcibly remove data from people's machines, they can't. I just bought a used PS3 from a thrift store cheap. Here's what I did with it:

     

    Step 1: Hook up machine & make sure it turns on.

    Step 2: Put in a game and make sure it loads discs.

    Step 3: Check the hard drive's content for cool stuff.

    Step 4: Upon finding personal data but no cool stuff, reformat system out of politeness to former owner.

    Step 5: Connect to wifi to make sure it works.

     

    I guarantee you, if there'd been something amazing on that system ("This guy downloaded P.T.!") step 5 would NEVER have happened- and Sony couldn't do anything about it. That's the collecting of the future- raiding used systems for data saved to hard drives back when it was available from the source, and putting it back out there for everyone to find. I could imagine people keeping two of each system- one to use stock & connected to the net, and one strictly offline to prevent any forced data removal. Depending on the hacks available, maybe 3 or 4 to allow access to different pirate servers for online play.

     

    Collecting won't go away, the valuable part will just change.

    • Like 2

  2. Posted

    Piracy will be there in 20 years.

    Remember the Satellaview games, that were only available in Japan during special time frames to be downloaded? Well, not all of them have been saved, but alot of them have been, thanks to people patiently picking up Satellaview and tearing in the backup data banks and recovering the data.

     

    In 20 years from now, you'll just slap an USB stick in your PS3/PS4, that will have all the patches, DLC, extra stuff and such. Sure it won't be a physical media, but they will be preserved.

    This- collecting will shift from actual games to hard drives. Multiple systems will be common, at least until there's a solid database of the ripped information. Just like how today is full of retro fanatics who prefer using flash carts & ROMs,future collectors will simply grab patches from other fans.

    • Like 2

  3. Posted

    Several months ago, my local thrift had a PS3 for $25, 30 (I don't remember exactly). I passed- it's a bit much for me for a likely broken system (it was in rough shape, and no cables/controller.)



    Yesterday, I found this one:

    20190409 093043



    Seven bucks for a cosmetically sound (if dirty) machine is more my kind of gamble! No accessories still, but digging through the bins I found a $4 hdmi cable, which is better than I can do on Amazon for a good cable. Surprisingly, it seems to be perfectly functional- I really thought it would have been hacked or something, but no- the HDMI port is loose, but works. Google suggests that could be an easy (if fiddly) thing to fix. It's got a 320gb hard drive, and since it still had old user data on it, I've currently got it going through a full system restore to get back to factory settings before I try connecting it to the wifi.


    Got a power cable for a buck from an Ebay guy I trust, and took a gamble on a $10 untested dualshock- if all works out, I'll have a full setup for $25. Plus the copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 left in the disc drive. :-D

    • Like 3

  4. Posted

    One of the first games I picked up for my switch was Super Bomberman R. I went up to the first happy lil' monster, dropped a bomb- and watched in horror as his eyes shot wide & rolled back while he let out a massive, final scream.

     

    Oh god- I'm a monster! He wasn't hurting anyone, he was just a happy trash-bag monster living his life. He didn't care what I was doing! This was supposed to be a happy game! Why, developers?! Why go through such lengths to make it clear I'm painfully, violently murdering innocents?

     

    This is why I prefer Katamari Damacy- at least I know all the people I'm ripping from their homes and sending into the cold depths of space are pretty much fine with it.

  6. Posted

     

    Have you tried this with an up converter? Wondering how good the pic would really be.

     

    attachicon.gifUp Scaler.JPG

     

    Your converter choice really matters- I originally had one similar to what you've got pictured ('musou' brand) & I thought it was fine... then it quit working so I replaced it with an enKo converter- it's so much better it's not funny. Better color, better clarity, better activation speed (the old one took so long to take I never saw the N64 logo while I was using it.)

     

    I mean, it's still composite- it's not gonna be great. But, as long as you can get the picture to 4:3 like Outdoormongoose said, it's perfectly serviceable.

    • Like 2

  7. Posted

    they look like they are complete sealed units, so the button needs to by de-soldering it and replacing it, it is an incredibly easy job and the channel f is really easy to take apart, the only issue is finding the correct replacement button, any momentary push button would do, but it wouldn't look good. If you can find someone that will do it locally (I could do the job, but do you really want to spend 50 +dollars shipping it back and forth?) I can pull a few of the buttons and send them to you

     

    I was afraid of that- the only person I know who solders is my fiancé, and he flat-out does not have the time to try and figure out a 40+ year old console, let alone sneaking the gear to do it out of work. I'm probably just going to have to let it be for awhile.

  8. Posted

    Good to know. Maybe I'll try the Genesis one first and some cart cleaners. Those reviews of the NES cleaner getting stuck inside the machine is kinda freaky.

     

    I went ahead and tried out my NES cleaner- I have a top loader, so a stuck cart cleaner is easier for me to get out. It didn't get stuck, but it was definitely a tight fit & fairly hard to pull out on the first pass. Looking at it before & after, I can see where the connector actually re-shaped the cleaner... it seems they put the insert into a sort of 'loop' that got smushed flat in my machine.

     

    This actually makes a lot of sense- seeing as NESes are notorious for bent pin issues, the design allows the cleaner to conform to the specific connector in the system it's cleaning for maximum contact. It also means individuals who care enough about their machines to repair/replace their connectors- the kind of people who'd want a system cleaner- could have issues with their connectors being so snug they catch the intentionally-overwide cleaner.

     

    On the other hand- thing works! One pull produced a series of perfect dark grey pin markings. I'm honestly kind of embarrassed that my system was that dirty- but it's always worked fine & I keep them fairly clean, so I had no idea!

  9. Posted

    also I have a spare dead unit, I'll check that out for you

     

    That would be lovely, I'm deathly afraid of accidentally killing the unit by opening the wrong thing or breaking something trying to get the button off.

     

    I'm not sure what broke- the button does stay up/bounce back when pressed, but there's no resistance anymore & nothing happens. It was working last year, so I'm assuming something inside that actually made the connection has gone bad/come loose. Since nothing else is wrong, I doubt it's a circuitry issue.

  12. Posted

    I just got a #15 (non-working! Guess put it in the Killer Heads of Lettuce pile! :mad:) cartridge in the mail today. I started peeling back the cover and saw there was a label under it. Excited about seeing the Democart label, I peeled it back. Nope, it was just another #15 label. Why would they put two labels on top of each other with the only difference being the number 15 being different colors?

    I'm guessing company change- like Zircon putting their labels over inherited Fairchild stock so they're advertising the right company.

  14. Posted

    So I learned the other day that the '2' button on my model 1 Channel F has ceased to function. Everything else is fine, just the one button's gone. How easy is it to fix such a thing? I'm very much a system repair novice- and I can't solder- but I'm hoping since it's a mechincal issue it's an easier fix. Anybody have any experience on this issue?

  16. Posted

    6. TurnOn (Xbox One)

     

    This lil' indie game is the first console release from a tiny Russian developer called Brainy Studio. Back at PAX West (then PAX Prime) 2014, I was having lunch when a friend popped into the hotel room. He said the Expo Hall had lost power, so they kicked everyone out. While wandering the still-open parts of the show, he got stopped by a guy with a European accent who wanted him to play his game- which turned out to be about fixing a power outage. He thought the coincidence was funny. His description of the game intrigued me, so I went out and wandered the area until a guy with a European accent stopped me and asked if I wanted to play his game- I said yes, that I had in fact been looking for it, and was lead to a tiny table with a monitor and a PC on it to give the game a try. I was given a flyer promising that it would come 'soon' to Xbox 360. When the game didn't materialize, I forgot about it. Fast-forward to last year- I was cleaning out some things and found that old flyer, and decided to look up the game. Which was kind of hard, since 'turn on xbox' brings a lot of troubleshooting and starter guides... but eventually I found out the game had undergone another 2 years of development, and switched to the Xbox One- but it was out! So I bought it, with the intent to play later... and forgot again. Spotted it on my Xbox when I bought Donut County, and since that one was so short, I started it up.

     

    The game is a puzzle platformer where you play a sentient electric spark from space, restoring power to a city with a really dangerous electrical layout. You move across the power lines to reach the various lights & power boxes. A few stages play more akin to an endless runner, where the spark moves on its own & you dodge red lightning symbols (you can collect green ones to refill health if needed.) Later on these two combine and the symbols start showing up in the standard stages, making timing your movement important. It's actually a lot of fun & surprisingly long for such a small team to have made... but at the same time, being such a small team means the game feels rough. I often encountered little glitches where the spark would stop moving, or lose tracking & be floating in mid-air away from any wires. Usually jumping would fix any issues- but I did have to restart one stage becuase I fell off the wire right as I completed a task and it didn't register correctly so I couldn't progress. It's also not terribly challenging- most stages it's a simple matter of systematically covering every wire to hit everything. I didn't mind, though- it gives the game a unique, relaxing feel for most stages. I recommend giving it a look, you may be pleasantly surprised.

  17. Posted

    I feel the two games play differently enough that deciding between the two is just a matter of personal taste. However- becuase you specifically said you want to try it on the flip grip, I went with Donkey Kong Jr. The vertical setup benefits that game more.

     

    Although quite frankly, wouldn't something like Galaga be more appropriate for such a test?

  19. Posted

    ^^^ you have our into words the feeling which keeps me from selling the boxed and perfect Turbo Grafx 16 that my neighbor gave to me, no strings attached. I haven't opened, played, or tested it (emulation of TG16 is sufficient for me).

    The important factor with Moocher's Honor is time- for example, my SNES was a freebie from a friend, and the game collection included some notable titles- Zelda, Mario RPG, and especially Evo. If something came up & I needed to sell these, I would no longer feel guilty about it becuase they've been mine for over a decade, and I've lost contact with said friend. I have satisfactorily met the 'intent to keep & use' part of the code, and could no longer offer a return anyway. So depending on how long it's been & if your neighbor's still around, you may be in the clear!

     

    Or maybe it's just laziness, because eBay selling is a hassle.

    Ain't that the truth- it's why I still have that big box of anime I meant to sell a couple months ago sitting around.

    • Like 2

  21. Posted

    I'd almost refuse an R-Zone, but I still can't get over the word "free."

     

    I don't think I'll play by the no trade/selling rule. It just doesn't make sense. I understand the purpose, but the future isn't a given; I cannot guarantee I'll keep anything forever. Even museums don't do that!

     

     

     

    Perhaps not, but without it I find the whole thread pointless. If you can receive anything for free and then "flip" it tomorrow, even if it turns out to be broken and only worth $2, only people with very high income and lots of more important things to do than deal in old video games would resist from doing it.

     

    I'm playing by the Moocher's Honor rule- basically, that if one has been offered for free an item of known value, one only accepts with the intent to keep and use said item- to take for the sole purpose of making a profit for yourself is bad form. If later on it becomes apparent that you no longer want to keep this item, depending on the length of time passed, it's preferable to either a) offer to return the item to the original owner so they can sell it if they'd like, or b) give it away yourself.

    • Like 3

  24. Posted

    5. Donut County (Xbox One)

     

    This is a fun game- essentially Katamari Damacy backwards- but Good Golly is this SHORT! I know I keep saying that about what I'm playing this year, but I literally bought, downloaded, and played to credits within 90 minutes. You can get more out of it by going for the achievements- and I probably will- but otherwise? Don't pay full price for this, even $12.99 is too much for the length.

    • Like 1

  25. Posted

    4. Liar Princess and the Blind Prince (switch)

     

    An adorable little fairytale themed puzzle platformer, reminiscent of Ico. Perhaps a little expensive for the length- you could beat this in 1-2 days without any trouble. You do get some quality extra goodies for the money though, so if you like collector's editions this will do just fine.

     

    For me though, my niece's reaction was the real treat. She's super into storybooks right now. She was over while I was plaything this, wandered by & watched the TV for a minute, then went to walk away just as a cutscene started. Cutscenes in this game play out as a narrator reading pages in a book. As soon as the first page-turn noise happened, she turned around, looked at the screen and proclaimed "STORY!" And proceeded to stay while I read her each page of the cutscene (the narration's in Japanese.) I then paused the game to show her the storybook that came with the game- which she immediately grabbed and declared to be hers. I had to recruit help to distract her later to get it back! I'll have to see about getting a separate copy of the book, or at least something similar.

    • Like 1
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