Retro handheld emulator consoles

[674f42260494dvoodoo47]

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.

[674f422604b16Join2]

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.

[674f422604c28voodoo47]

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

[674f4226050e2sarge945]

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.

[674f422605439icemann]

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.

[674f42260584eJoin2]

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.

[674f422605958voodoo47]

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..

[674f422605abcJoin2]

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.

[674f422605bd2icemann]

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

[674f422605d31voodoo47]

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..

[674f42260604aJoin2]

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?

[674f422606283Join2]

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.

[674f422606655voodoo47]

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.

[674f422606902icemann]

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.

[674f422606b9aJoin2]

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.

[674f422606e38voodoo47]

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.

[674f422606ff2Briareos 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.

[674f4226070ddvoodoo47]

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

[674f4226071f4voodoo47]

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.

[674f4226077e6sarge945]

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

[674f42260791avoodoo47]

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.

[674f422607ea9JDoran]

... 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.