Retro handheld emulator consoles

[67eccbbc4c9efvoodoo47]

no, that would be normal, and I don't do normal.

I play the old stuff on a retro handheld while sitting behind my pc, I kid you not. why? because I can.

[67eccbbc4cbb1Join2]

Play anything good? I had a PSP for a while but just found game after game to be inferior rehashes of PS1 & 2 games, Still really impressive to have that technology in super lightweight format though. Anyway, I didn't explore the library to a great extent and there must be gems to share.

[67eccbbc4cce1voodoo47]

I'm mostly GB/GBC/GBA, bits of PS1, hence, the cheap junk that can be hacked with linux.

[67eccbbc4e617sarge945]

I see no point in handhelds these days either. They were great as a kid for long car rides, boring-ass family gatherings, playing in my bed at night when I was supposed to be sleeping for school the next day etc. None of that is relevant/an option anymore.
Worst case scenario (e.g long plane flight) I will emulate some old turn-based game on my phone. Screw going on the mobile gaming stores. I may have missed a rare gem that way but a man must have principles.

I am curious, why do you game on handhelds @voodoo47? Lots of travelling for work?

I am not voodoo, but my experience is similar to yours. I have owned a 3DS and a switch, and in both cases the library hasn't really been compelling enough to use them. Even with games ported from PC like Doom 2016 and such, it's just such an inferior experience on the Switch.

I really love my Steam Deck, but overall handhelds as a concept are kind of garbage. Gaming at that small a form factor really ruins the experience most of the time.

[67eccbbc4e9acicemann]

Play anything good? I had a PSP for a while but just found game after game to be inferior rehashes of PS1 & 2 games, Still really impressive to have that technology in super lightweight format though. Anyway, I didn't explore the library to a great extent and there must be gems to share.

Had a PSP since not long after release back whenever that was (early 00's I think). Played the heck out of that thing. Combination of what few games I had, I majorly enjoyed, that you could jailbreak it then gain access to emulators (which back then was the 1st to give you the option to play several consoles games on the go) and it allowed you to watch video files on the go. 1st again there. Via that, was watching Battlestar Galactica during lunch breaks at work. Fun times.

Currently going through the entire (not counting Japan only games) game library via emulation. Depending on what sorts of games your into, there is some goodies. Much better system than the Nintendo DS, but again comes down to what your into.

The Dungeon Maker games are my all time favourite franchise on there, as it blends action RPG, with level editor style dungeon making. Total hidden gems.

[67eccbbc519d3Join2]

I'm mostly GB/GBC/GBA

Got a top 5 or something? Here's mine:

1. Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening (1993 - GB, or get the DX version on GBC)
2. Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (2001 - GBA)
3. James Bond 007 (1998 - GB)
4. Warioland (1994 - GB)
5. Pokemon Crystal (2000 - GBC)

I really love my Steam Deck, but overall handhelds as a concept are kind of garbage. Gaming at that small a form factor really ruins the experience most of the time.

I wouldn't go that far! But most certainly inferior to PC or classic console gaming. There was definitely the rare gem game made that justifies their existence, but otherwise it's mostly for kids/travelling/emergency gaming yeah. I rinsed the absolute hell out of handhelds as a kid (as I did most platforms) and have no regrets here. Not like I do with all those garbage 2000s-era FPS I played for example.

[67eccbbc51ba1voodoo47]

playing GB/GBC/GBA on a real piece of hardware is part of the experience, I'd argue.

yeah, the Marioland/Warioland series were pretty good, then Chrono Trigger, Lost Vikings 1/2..

[67eccbbc51cf3Join2]

Chrono Trigger is just Final Fantasy with much of the intelligence, depth and true soul stripped out. Same developer and everything, just multiply the value by 0.2. I would strongly recommend checking out (some of) the classic games in the series, particularly 5 and 6 since they are on GBA.

Lost Vikings I've not even heard of. I will check them out.

[67eccbbc51e02icemann]

Some goodies on the GBA:

*All of the Castlevania on there
*Astroboy: Omega Factor
*Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
*Metroid: Fusion
*Metroid: Zero Mission
*Ninja Five O (also known as Ninja Cop)
*Onimusha Tactics

[67eccbbc51f6bvoodoo47]

a puzzle platformer where you have multiple characters, each having different capabilities, and all are needed to solve the level. played it to death as a kid, and can much recommend it to anyone, doesn't matter whether you are a parent, its kid (or a ghoul that has given up on life and is withering away in the basement), it's fun and there aren't nearly enough games out there that can develop (a kid's) problem solving capabilities.

make sure to get the SNES version if you want to play the second installment, they tried some pseudo 3D graphics in the PS1 version and the result is.. questionable.

also the Turrican series is good, whatever (emulated) platform you fancy. Probotector, Burai Figher..

[67eccbbc53381Join2]

a puzzle platformer where you have multiple characters, each having different capabilities, and all are needed to solve the level. played it to death as a kid, and can much recommend it to anyone, doesn't matter whether you are a parent, its kid (or a ghoul that has given up on life and is withering away in the basement), it's fun and there aren't nearly enough games out there that can develop (a kid's) problem solving capabilities.

Sounds good, but what is the game's name?

[67eccbbc5394fJoin2]

Some goodies on the GBA:

*All of the Castlevania on there
*Astroboy: Omega Factor
*Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
*Metroid: Fusion
*Metroid: Zero Mission
*Ninja Five O (also known as Ninja Cop)
*Onimusha Tactics

Good picks. Didn't even know onimusha tactics was a thing though.

[67eccbbc54058voodoo47]

Sounds good, but what is the game's name?

Lost Vikings

also yes, FF series on the GBA, that doesn't even need to be mentioned.

[67eccbbc542c9icemann]

Good picks. Didn't even know onimusha tactics was a thing though.

Very much in the same vein as FF Tactics minus the level scaling, and less fantasy, more demonic with the medieval samurai Japan angle. Highly recommended if your a fan of the mainline entries on the PS2.

[67eccbbc54507Join2]

Sounds awesome 👌 Yup I like the Onimusha games but I only consider Dawn of Dreams to be close to greatness.

lost vikings

Ah, my bad. Sleepy.

[67eccbbc54847voodoo47]

heeey, remember this thing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdF3CnFvxg4

https://play.date/

it's actually still alive, and still just dumb;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxi4nrKobwI

but it plays gameboy roms now so if you want a really bad gb emulator console with a screen that sucks and has the worst aspect ratio for gb emulation, and have spare 200 bucks laying around, the playdate people can help you out.

[67eccbbc54ad8Briareos H]

I really wanted one at the time, I definitely felt the appeal of a whole season of games that owners would be playing at the same time, but I gave up as the concept of waiting tiers didn't sit right with me (everyone should have gotten it at the same time) and pricing was a bit too steep. As far as I understand, not many season 1 games ultimately lived up to be interesting. Now that there's a storefront where everyone can release games, the appeal isn't as strong but I still find it neat.

[67eccbbc54bd1voodoo47]

maybe, but 200 bucks, come on. a switch lite is 10 dollars cheaper.

[67eccbbc54cf2voodoo47]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sfGVIWtkzI

so, an android phone with active cooling (wait, what?) that can emulate a windows pc, so it can run windows builds of emulators to emulate ps3/xbox360/wii and more.

now that's insane. I like it.

[67eccbbc56240sarge945]

heeey, remember this thing?
it's actually still alive, and still just dumb;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxi4nrKobwI

but it plays gameboy roms now so if you want a really bad gb emulator console with a screen that sucks and has the worst aspect ratio for gb emulation, and have spare 200 bucks laying around, the playdate people can help you out.

I avoided this like the plague after seeing the original advertisement for it, because it ticked every box of pointless kickstarter junk advertisements, right down to the snarky/annoying narrator and the "it's so innovative and will change the world!!!" lingo over the top of sappy corporate music.

Good to feel vindicated by not purchasing crap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sfGVIWtkzI

so, an android phone with active cooling (wait, what?) that can emulate a windows pc, so it can run windows builds of emulators to emulate ps3/xbox360/wii and more.

now that's insane. I like it.

We heard you like emulators, so we put emulators in your emulators so you can emulate while you emulate.

Why would you run the Windows version of an emulator when most emulators have Android versions anyway?

Also, while emulating like this on a phone is a very cool idea, phones (even high end ones) really aren't cut out for high-end gaming even in the best case. They will do it, but it will be a bad experience. In this video he has to jump through so many hoops just to get things running and set up in the first place. If you're going to spend $1000+ USD on a phone that's good enough, why not just get a Steam Deck or something instead, which will cost far less and deliver a better experience? Emulating an x86 on ARM is....rough, to say the least, and running so many layers of emulation (arm to x86 Linux, with QEMU running Windows, Windows running XBOX Emulator), I'm sure the performance is horrendous since each layer adds more complexity and reduces performance - I've noticed all his test games are somewhat old (at least a couple of years), are on lowest settings, and still run like ass. HALO's performance is absolutely abysmal given how old it is, the irony of course being he could just run the PC version of HALO and skip the Xbox emulation entirely, which would probably deliver a better overall experience, even if the Xbox version is considered "better" (but you're playing Halo, no version is good, so who cares).

I guess if someone was already going to buy a $1000 USD phone, being able to emulate on it is nice, but only morons spend that much on a phone in the first place.

This could be marginally useful for people who ONLY want to take a phone with them when they go places, but it sort of defeats the purpose when this sort of gaming is going to utterly kill the battery life, so you will probably need 2 phones anyway. Embrace the travel backpack lifestyle!

TL:DR this video creator is an idiot and this video is fake news

[67eccbbc5636evoodoo47]

why any man does anything - because they can.

this isn't supposed to be a practical solution, it is supposed to be an insane solution.

[67eccbbc568b3JDoran]

... but you're playing Halo, no version is good, so who cares).

 

*Breaths into a paper bag*

Some Halo games are really good. The thing I really do hate about Halo, though, is how it managed to infect such a large part of the first person genre with the "Let's have a weapon carrying limit" stupidity. I could stand that in the Halo games, as it was part of their gameplay, but I wish later (non-Halo) games didn't adopt it.

Halo also did the same thing with re-charging health/shields, which I'm also not a fan of, but at least I don't hate that even a thousandth of how much I hate weapon carrying limits. Unless the game is going for genuine realism (which Halo certainly was not) then a weapon carrying limit should not exist.

[67eccbbc56d63sarge945]

Brace yourself, controversy incoming...

While the Halo series are decently competent at what they do, I generally find that a lot of what people praise about Halo isn't actually particularly true. Or they play it up as being stronger than it really is.

For example, the point in which the flood are introduced in the first game. People like to talk it up and make it out like it's a big mystery and some big cinematic and spooky labyrinth you have to slowly descend, and then escape, and that the particular mission is really good because it's creepy and atmospheric. I personally have seen multiple youtube videos praising this mission from "essay" type channels (all youtube essayists are cringe, don't watch them)

The reality is that it's generally the same brightly-lit prefabs we've seen used countless times already. Seeing some dead enemies is mildly interesting but it doesn't really set much of a mood or a tone. The actual cinematic revealing the flood is largely doing all the heavy lifting in their introduction, and the reason why it feels so difficult to navigate is not because it's a complex spooky labyrinth but because many of the rooms are literally the same corridor copy-pasted several times in a row, resulting in very confusing navigation that makes it impossible to know where you are because there's no unique landmarks. While it's possible they could have done this deliberately, I doubt it because all of the maps in Halo 1 suffer from this, with the absolute worst being The Silent Cartographer, which is nothing but the same long, straight hallway repeated about 30 times over, and then the mission ends.

The gameplay is I guess what I would call solid, but the emphasis on recharging shields (which has only increased over the series, since only the first game has non-regenerating health and a much smaller shield capacity than later games) essentially negates any resource management and turns each fight into a completely separate and independent shooting gallery. You will either die (which happens very quickly), or you will survive, and if you do survive, you'll immediately recharge back up to full shields. With some exceptions, ammo barely matters either - especially if you're willing to use a variety of weapons - because you can mostly find what you need from floor guns. This is also why the game barely ever provides exploration rewards. I think there's once or twice in the original game where you can find an over shield or a rocket launcher in an out-of-the-way area, but these are the exception, not the norm. It's very similar mechanically to Call of Duty, except replace the tomato-sauce-on-face with regenerating shields.

As a result of the repetitive copy-paste map design combined with the individual-encounter shooting-gallery gameplay and lack of resource management, the experience tends to be quite bland and unchanging - what you get at the start of the game will largely be the same as what you get at the end of the game (which is also very similar to the average CoD campaign), and as long as you don't die, nothing you do previously matters, which makes the whole thing feel like a slog. The games even give you some of their best weapons in the first few missions, so there's no weapon progression either.

Halo's gameplay is at it's absolute best in the more open, freeform environments. But these are, unfortunately, few and far between. Even when they are utilised, often it's "jump in a Warthog and drive towards the preset location through a cave-themed linear path.". I wish the series had more of this and less garbage corridor shooting.

Halo 3 also introduced armour power (or whatever they are called), which added a little bit of depth to a series that had none up until that point - since you have to choose which power to take at the expense of the others. This innovation has made it into pretty much all the games afterwards and they are better for it (say what you will about Armor Lock), and I wish the series would explore more mechanics rather than riding on it's laurels so much.

A lot of Halo's gameplay is competent and smooth, and was for many people their first real foray into first person shooters, which is probably why so many people remember it fondly, but when you actually take it for what it is, it's not really offering much, and what it does offer is extremely repetitive and uninteresting for more than 5-10 minutes of screwing around.

I honestly don't understand why people were rushing out to buy the Xbox - or how it managed to become such an amazing success - given how mediocre Halo is. I also find it ironic how Halo fans are complaining that Halo is becoming more like Call of Duty - they have always been very similar and are, essentially, built on the same gameplay premise.