deepthaw

Did the power mod on my 5200 last night and noticed that internal RCA jack next to the RF wire. I found a few posts that suggested that you can actually plug an rca cable (as long as it fits) in there instead of using the rf cable that's soldered to the board. Is that correct? I'd like to remove the built-in cable and just add a jack on the back of the system (which I could repurpose down the line if I ever decide to do a composite video mod.)

Open up the case and you should see two pots on the right side (shouldn't have to remove the RF shielding.) The smaller one adjusts the controller calibration. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NoaiF-xqzEg/hqdefault.jpg Just use a small flathead to turn it on with missile command running to test until it responds better.

I wonder what the logistics of dumping unwanted refuse in a volcano would be.

Looks like it was a jury trial: https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/05/01/Nintendo-wins-antitrust-suit/4471704692800/ In that case, we're less likely to have an explanation as to why they came to the decision they did.

I picked up my Trinitron off Facebook for $20. Trinitrons are actually fairly rare around here, so I was fine with throwing $20 at one.

I'd say there was actually less clones on 2600 et al. than later systems. My reasoning is two-fold: The first is that the VCS was so limited that it's hard to make a game that plays similarly to another without being an outright ripoff - once you've implemented the mechanics, you don't have a lot of wiggle room to mix up the formula. The second is that we didn't have a blueprint as to what game genres could or should exist. So while we definitely ended up with stuff that fit (retroactively) into neat categories like shooters, platformers, etc. we also had a lot of weird stuff like Demons to Diamonds, Cosmic Ark, etc. What really surprises me in retrospect is just how many first person space shooters there were on the 2600 and its contemporaries. It wasn't until I started reading up on games that I realized I was in fact playing a Star Raiders clone back in the day (Solaris) and there more bunches more titles.

If someone works at a business with a sizable enough IT department, they may have contracts for electronics waste recycling. It's worth talking to them to see if they can extend that service to employees. I work at a college and they actually have one day a year when employees can bring in monitors and other old electronics to be hauled off and recycled.

I wonder how much of the lack of creativity was the result of graphics becoming progressively more realistic and hence abstract ideas becoming less appealing? And I know the titles per year limit was the reason for Konami's thinly veiled subsidary Ultra games. (Did anybody actually fall for that one? Even I figured it out as an eight-year old with minimal access to magazines and zero Internet.)

How do these upscaling devices work with non-square pixels? Like the ever fun and quirky 256x224 of the SNES?

Joke's on both of you: I exclusively read text on stone tablets. (I have both a Kindle PaperWhite and a fair collection of hardback books. I purchase in print those I'd like to keep around or hand down someday, read disposable light reading material on the Kindle.)

It would be totally awesome if somebody (hinthint) gave a summary of the difference/functionality of RetroTINK, RetroTINK 2X, Framemeister, OSSC, etc. Because I already know all of it, naturally, but for the other people. You know.

People seem really fixated on that robot. Like it or not, it helped sell systems, and got the NES on the shelves of retailers who were still feeling the sting of unsold video game crash inventory. https://www.wired.com/2010/10/1018nintendo-nes-launches/ https://twitter.com/stevenplin/status/660517453680611329 Furthermore, a set that didn't include ROB was released that same day as the deluxe set, so you didn't have to buy it if you didn't want it. http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Nintendo_Entertainment_System_packages

The fact that I can say "Sheldon, take the Switch to your room please." when I want the living room TV back and he just picks it up from the dock and keeps playing is the most amazing thing I've ever experienced.

This discussion makes me wish I'd paid more attention to the business & politics part when I read "I Am Error" (an excellent book on the history and technical details of the NES in the same series as "Racing the Beam.")

I was looking for the same thing and found nada. If you go for the more traditional (to computers) 5:4 aspect ratio, the letterboxing will be minimal at least. (1280x1024 is very close to an integer ratio of 320x240)

If one was to jump unprepared into the Gold Box games, I'd recommend... Pool of Radiance? It's the least technologically advanced, but it starts you at first level. I'd say the lack of modern contrivances is easier to get around than being expected to handle high level AD&D characters with zero knowledge of the system. (Why won't these trolls die? What's an AC? Why did my guy just die in one hit? Why would I be a fighter if I can be a fighter/cleric/mage? Why isn't my dwarf gaining XP? How does my thief backstab? Why can't my fighter-thief in plate mail backstab? Where did my spells go? Why do I have so much platinum? What's a ranseur? WHY WON'T THESE TROLLS DIE?) Do one of the other series (Krynn, etc.) start at a similarly "easy" level to break people into AD&D?

I will tell you from experience the Commodore 64 was a very impersonal computer.

After three tries to get past the Koopa Troopa and Goomba, I did a glorious spinning vault over the two of them and got my head stuck in the very first question block. I now dangle helplessly over 1-1. This feels like a metaphor for something.

I never really thought about it either until I noticed it the other night. Spent my entire life playing with my left hand on the controls, yet for some inexplicable reason, I control with my right hand when I don't need buttons. Maybe those years of conditioning haven't overcome my natural right-handedness as much as I thought?

The turn-based battles are one of the cornerstones of the games, so if that's the sticking point there's no real way to get around it. I personally find it tedious only in the ridiculously large battles against hundreds of weak monsters, but I can definitely see where other people might want the combat to not be such a huge ordeal. Drop the tactical combat and it's a less interesting Wizardry/Might & Magic. There's a helper program called "Gold Box Companion" that acts as a wrapper and adds some extra gameplay features (built in access to journal entries, adding the "Fix" command to titles that didn't have it, mapping, etc.) There's also an option to have your party members auto-fight, but I don't trust it or use it.

You should replay Duke Nukem 3D. Holds up rather well, and has some similar source ports for higher res, etc.

I replayed Pool of Radiance recently and it held up surprisingly well. Combat can become a chore when you fight one million kobolds, but I still made it through.

Mine's tucked away in the basement where it can't cause the wife any distress Our living room has the wall-mounted 4K LCD and nice organization.

The NES versions of Ultima were acceptable enough in that they got me curious for the computer versions, so they're a win in that respect!

All the gameplay videos I've seen look ... slow? I seem to recall T2K being faster and more hectic.