ox1973

Yeah, back in stock on Amazon. I was wavering but have pre-ordered. The pull of the Mega CD games proved too strong in the end; one of my big gaming regrets is selling my Megadrive + Mega CD + games back in the mists of time (don't ask about the Neo Geo Pocket Colour, that's still too raw).

1 hour ago, Rex Grossman said:

The Konami EXP they are going to announce at Christmas should be brilliant as well. Then of course it's the SNK EXP a few months later. Hopefully Sega after after that. It will be so nice to have a shelf full of identical consoles but with different built-in games.

I think this trick only works once.

The fact that they are built in to the new console, rather than coming as a cart (like the IREM and Toaplan carts) makes me think not.

3 hours ago, Broker said:

I struggle with the voting with your wallet thing. I try not to think too hard about where my money is going because there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism.

Nailed it. We are all complict (we have no choice) and this is just an argument about how visible the suffering we support is.

Summer Update:

1. Capcom vs SNK Card Fighters Clash (Nintendo Switch) - £4.19

2. Elden Ring (PC) - £36.99

3. Peglin (PC) - £13.49

4. Steam Deck 512GB - £565.00

5. Roundguard (PC) - £3.74

6. Cursed to Golf (PC) - £15.29

Even with the lack of blockbusters released this year I'm a little surprised by how well it has gone. I'm still doing plenty of gaming but it's all perennials like Slay the Spire or eating into the backlog. The Steam Deck has definitely helped with that!

There are a couple of Switch games on the horizon that I'll no doubt pick up (Neo-Geo Pocket Collection Volume 2, Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp) but not much else.

I'm still hanging on to my PS3 for now but it isn't hooked up at the moment. I agree that it isn't anywhere near the PS2 in terms or breadth and quality of games but there are some gems. Demon's Souls (no, I don't have a PS5), Dark Souls, Uncharted, Dead Space, XCOM, Yakuza, Persona, The Last of Us, Fallout 3/New Vegas. I put a lot of hours into these games.

I think what has diluted the PS3 legacy is that so many of the best games became available on other formats (PS4/PS5/PC) which means that it isn't as necessary to hold on to the system. Off the top of my head, from my list above it's only Yakuza: Dead Souls (not the best in the series but an interesting curiosity) that isn't available elsewhere.

The grain affects the speed of the putt - if you're putting against the grain (i.e. uphill) then you need more power.

Headphones might be an issue as the USB port is covered when using the controller. You could opt for a controller that uses the USB port and then use the bluetooth connection for headphones?

Emulators - depends what systems you want to emulate. I have the following installed as standalone emulators:

Dolphin (Gamecube/Wii)

PPSSPP (PSP)

Duckstation (PS1)

AetherSX2 (PS2)

Yaba Sanshiro (Saturn)

Reicast (Dreamcast)

And Retroarch for the rest (Arcade, Neo Geo Pocket, PC Engine, etc.). To be honest, if you don't mind tinkering then Retroarch will cover everything.

I have a Powkiddy V90 that I use for 8/16 bit stuff so can't help there unfortunately.

I picked up a Gamesir X2 (bluetooth model) a few weeks ago for similar reasons - to use on my S22 Ultra. I chose bluetooth as I didn't want to use the USB port as a connector. Thumbs up from me - connects instantly (and a solid connection), no faff, just works with everything I've thrown at it.

I should also say that I'm not particularly sensitive to input lag (aging reflexes no doubt) so it might be present but for me it's no issue, even with shmups or the like.

I think everyone gets that message - I like to think of it as a rite of passage welcoming us into the world of the Deck.

11 minutes ago, Sarlaccfood said:

Isn’t Chun Li’s fireball a charge move? Also I can’t recall which SF2 is on the snes mini, but did she actually have it as a move originally or did they add it later?

I think it depends on the version? Half circle + punch or charge move depending on which flavour of SFII you're playing?

It's been a while since I played SFII admittedly.

I have a gaming capable laptop (it's an older model, but it checks out) and a deck. I think they are different enough to warrant having both.

Full fat, GPU melting, bleeding edge stuff (e.g. Cyberpunk at max settings) = laptop.

Mouse and keyboard/HOTAS/steering wheel/weird controller preferable (e.g. Elite Dangerous, Battletech, F1) = laptop.

Indies and low spec gaming (e.g. Slay the Spire, Monster Train) = deck.

Gamepad preferred (e.g Yakuza, Souls) = deck.

Emulation on deck is a bonus. Plenty of other (cheaper) options for that, but it's nice to have as an extra. The fact that I can sit in the garden with a cold beverage and chill with the deck in this punishing heat is use case enough for me.

This is getting ridiculous now:

1. Capcom vs SNK Card Fighters Clash (Nintendo Switch) - £4.19

2. Elden Ring (PC) - £36.99

3. Peglin (PC) - £13.49

I passed on Mario Strikers (looked a bit thin, especially in single player) and Biomotor Unitron (waiting for the inevitible Neo Geo Pocket Collection Volume 2 instead). I did make one small gaming related purchase in June: a 512gb Steam Deck! Have been using it to churn through the backlog rather than buying anything new though. And I'm still playing Elden Ring 😄 That might have something to do with the lack of purchases this year; it's just such an all consuming game.

I have a 512 and it's a thing of beauty. I'm not particularly fussed about screen protectors for handhelds so that wasn't an issue for me.

Mine was pretty much as expected - towards the end of Q2.

This is a lovely little (big) thing isn't it? Sometimes needs a bit of fiddling to get everything working (particularly emulation) but nothing excessive, and if you are a PC Gamer that's always been the price of entry. I have been holding off starting Yakuza: Like a Dragon for the arrival of my Deck and it was worth the wait - looks stunning and plays perfectly.

Just got the email.

21 minutes ago, gunrock said:

Is that an off the shelf mod or something you're putting together yourself?

 

BTW - Just ordered the EXP. Lot of money for what it is, but hoping it will be better than the existing handheld.

Pretty much - a replacement PSP screen is an exact fit for the Evercade version 1.

I've coughed up for the EXP too so will probably put it on the back burner for now.

New design looks nice (have been mulling over swapping out the screen in my OG Evercade for an IPS screen) but particularly excited about the IREM and Toaplan collections.

Not much to report:

1. Capcom vs SNK Card Fighters Clash (Nintendo Switch) - £4.19

2. Elden Ring (PC) - £36.99

3. Peglin (PC) - £13.49

Still only 3 games this year and nothing at all in May. I see that Biomotor Unitron is out on Switch so might pick that up to feed my Neo Geo Pocket obsession but otherwise nothing much on the horizon. Maybe Mario Strikers depending on how it reviews.

2 hours ago, Spartan said:

Well I went and spent a load of Cex credit I'd built up on the cheap from the car boots on something stupid, something I'd lusted after for years. 

 

Steel Battalion, complete in box with the controller. 

 

My grail, its glorious. 

A thing of beauty. I sold mine aeons ago but still remember the thrill.

Amazing that it ever got off the drawing board and released into the wild but I am so glad that it did!

Look at you, hacker.

9 hours ago, Mawdlin said:

I don't have them yet myself but there's some good discussions on Reddit about the relative merits of these conversions. I'm going to get the Baldur's gate package myself because I prefer combat and exploration to reading reams of text. By all accounts the Switch ports are very good if you can forgive the dated graphics.

 

This I took from Reddit:

 

 

"Thoughts:

Eh, ... Planescape is widely considered one of the best-written games of all time. You don't make a character so much as play a pre-made character that evolves however you choose. The mechanics are relatively mind-blowing relative to fantasy and DnD tropes: the main character doesn't wear armor, can replace things like his eyeball, and find upgrades merely through the power of dialogue. Highlights include the portable dungeon, talking skull, and the contents of a particular golden sphere. This game has by far some of the most in-depth RPG writing you'll ever find. Comparable games: Alpha Protocol, KOTOR2, New Vegas, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, Dragon Age: Origins.

 

Baldur's Gate has a serviceable plot, but largely sticks to fantasy conventions (hardly surprising if you know Forgotten Realms). It is perhaps the definitive Bioware game in that the staples of party romances, and character subplots really originated here. You customize a single character in a rich world of NPCs and intrigue. Comparable games: Mass Effect series, KOTOR1, later Dragon Age games.

 

Icewind Dale on the other hand is a total smash-and-grab dungeon crawl with the same engine. You create not just a single protagonist--there is no protagonist, you create the entire six person party. This kills some of the interest derived from what made PS:T and BG great, but it allows for a straightforward experience. If you prefer the combat scenarios, this is your game. Comparable games: Old-school Ultima games.

 

If I had to pick ONE game of these bundles to play it would be Planescape: Torment. BG1 is more or less noted because it revamped DnD for the 90s, whereas prior to that it was mostly old-school garbage "gold box" TSR games that weren't very good by any critical standard. The infinity engine was a major step forward, and people were already imagining the power of what the engine could do in later games. Much like how the first iteration of any game in a new engine is something of a tech demo, so to it was with BG1. Meaning, that it can feel rather empty compared to newer games, even later games made with the infinity engine (which is every other game in this list). BG1 is also very rough and is unabashedly a brutal game playing by low-level DnD rules. It's also HUGE, and can feel like a significant barrier or time-sink prior to playing the vastly improved BG2 (if you feel like running a character through both games).

 

But I must say that BG2 has some of the most insane moment's I've ever seen in a tactical RPG; like trying to fight the Demilich that casts Time Stop, Banishment and Power Word: Kill like he's handing out candy."

I'd take issue with the Gold Box D&D games being 'garbage'. They have not aged gracefully but at the time were top tier and as close as you could get to a D&D experience on computer.

It's also worth bearing in mind that the Switch version of Planescape Torment had some pretty horrific (game breaking) bugs at launch. They might have been patched out but probably something to check before buying. If it has, then Planescape is definitely worth it. Still the best CRPG in my opinon - the game will live with me forever - the writing really is that good.

6 minutes ago, Zio said:

Damn. The receipt I have from Steam says I ordered at 18:09, so I was wondering where the fuck my email is. However when I use one of these Steam Deck Calculator things, it shows my order time as 18:25.  I did have enormous trouble at the time getting the damn thing to pre-order on Steam, and the same calculator is saying I should get it in early June, so at least I should have mine before I next have any travelling planned.

I'm in a similar boat. I jumped on to order at 6pm exactly but couldn't get the bloody thing to authorise payment until 6:19pm. Not much longer to wait hopefully.