VegHead

This is more than a hypothetical. Capcom, Disney, and others have re-released physical SNES carts in the last few years. I cannot speak to their sales numbers, but they've done well enough in these limited cases that there were subsequent re-releases. There have also been fresh releases of foreign games that never got a legal, local release. It would seem decades of bootlegs didn't erase the market for the real deal when it came around. I think when it comes down to it, if there's a desire in the market, and the owner/company cannot or will not satisfy that demand, you will invariably end up with bootlegs to bridge the gap. I believe this is the case in almost every aspect of commerce, although I don't think a universal ethic can be applied.

Sorry, mate, but I already said in the post previous that it was obviously illegal. You've spent a lot of time here refuting a point I readily concede. I was specifically talking about the moral/ethical argument because morality and legality don't always coincide. In this case, and in my opinion only, the moral argument is that companies made their money on the original products, continue to make money on re-releases, but that the public is being bilked out of their due because of draconian copyright laws.

I've followed you on Twitter. Is that the best place to keep up with news on this?

Let me clarify: Nintendo has abandoned its old products. The NES/SNES Classics are new products, in the sense that they don't interface in any way with the old products (the original systems). The same goes for the Sub service, in that, it's a new product. Nintendo has done an amazing job creating a reasonable facsimile of the experiences, and I utilize the sub service myself. That said, I am making the argument that the people who continue to utilize Nintendo's old products after the company itself has abandoned them aren't affecting the market for the new products because those new products are weighed on their own merits. The new products will create their own experiences, different than someone using one of the old products. Even if Nintendo can make it very close, it could never be identical. From that sense, I would further suggest that once a company decides it no longer wants to make money off a product, the public should be free to do what they will with it.

I don't mind bootlegs of old stuff. Once a system is abandoned by a developer, the market essentially disappears for it. Nintendo isn't making money on any of that stuff, and this niche market certainly doesn't seem to be hurting them when they release things like the NES Classic. Legally, of course, bootlegs of any kind are illegal, but most people here seem to be making moral arguments around the stuff, so that's what I'm addressing.

I think it's inevitable that these things like these will work their way into the market. Styrofoam blocks, cardboard trays, cart baggies, cart labels, etc. In fact, I only learned recently that tons of people swap out the backs of their carts if they can find a nicer one. I figure it won't be long before game boxes and game manuals end up being indistinguishable from all but the most critical eye, maybe not even then. It will tank the demand for some of those pieces, but what can you do? I try to do my due diligence and really know what a piece should look like, but at the end of the day, I may never know. It's just part of the uncertainty of the hobby.

I just got a shipping notice for games I ordered back in April 2020 (Star Wars: Jedi Knight bundle). I've always gotten my games from them, even if it takes forever. I had them email me once when a t-shirt order couldn't be fulfilled, and they refunded me just fine. It's frustrating, but I basically order from them and then just forget about it (not necessarily on purpose), and then when stuff shows up, it's like my birthday!

PM sent.

Doodle World looks really fun.

Since "BEST" is so subjective, let me lay out what I think is the best for some of these that I'm familiar with. I'll just start with FF1 for this first post, and come back if I have to time to add later games. FF1 (NES) - It is very challenging for a few reasons. First, it has to be acknowledged that there are several bugs in the game's code, which I consider a serious mark against the game. BLM doesn't level properly, most of the special swords don't do jack, and MNK's hit rate has serious issues. Second, the attack system doesn't auto-target a new enemy if a previous character kills your target, which I really enjoy as it makes battles dynamic and engaging. This requires a lot more strategy to deal with than just spamming attack. Lastly, the magic system relies on numbers of spells castable instead of an MP-value setup. For the same reasons as the second, I really like this aspect of the game. This makes planning your dives into caves and dungeons much more challenging until you get the BLM spell WARP or the WHM spell EXIT. FF1 (PS1) - This version adds a nice CG cut-scene to the opening and is also customizable. You can toggle off/on the auto-targeting to make it like the original NES version, and there are two difficulty modes. The graphics and music are upgraded to 16-bit quality. FF1 (GBA) - This version has an additional dungeon, which is a great plus. That said, it's been made a lot easier and the magic system has been swapped out for the standard MP system used in later games FF1 (PSP and onward) - This is version is the basis for the versions that come after it, so I will stop at this. This uses the difficulty level of the GBA version, along with the MP system implemented there. The graphics are all redone, though, to give it a much more polished look. It also has the GBA dungeon in it, plus an additional bonus dungeon new to this release. Personal preference: PS1 with settings to make it play like the NES version. You get better graphics, the harder difficulty, and most of the NES version bugs have been rectified. You get what I would call the most "authentic" experience here because the systems play as the original designers intended, but with a little better looking image. Also, the CG cutscene is a nice little treat to get you started. After that, my preferences would be: NES version, PSP version, and lastly GBA version. NES beats the others because, even with its flaws, it is a great game and careful strategy can overcome any obstacle the game throws at you. The PSP version gets 3rd place for its having the best graphics all around, and it has both the GBA dungeon and its own additional bonus dungeon, so it has the most content, albeit in the easiest form of the game. I put GBA last, not because that version is bad, but simply because the others do what it does, except better. Versions I would avoid: iOS, Android, Steam. While these are all the most readily available, they miss the mark for me. They'd work if you have no access to any other version, but I just think the experience will be better on any of the systems above.

I really want to do this eventually, starting with a C64, but I just don't have the room right now. There are so many good games on vintage computers, though. I have a couple of D&D gold box games that are IBM compatible and an older game called Challenge of the Ancient Empires on 5 1/4" floppy. Is there anything like a 5 1/4" floppy drive to USB?

Bump, new stuff I'm looking for. I'd really like to find an LE Action 53 vol. 3. Please let me know if you have one. Thanks!

Does anyone have any experience with the aftermarket batteries? I really only know what's available on Amazon (Insten brand), and while it has decent reviews, I'm hoping for some more information. I've been told to avoid these 3rd party batteries because they're often jank and don't last. Are there other options besides just using the AC cord all the time? I saw a couple reddit posts about replacing the cell in the OEM battery. Apparently, drones use similar batteries and you can solder a new cell into an old PSP housing. Any thoughts on that idea?

3/10. Not very good. It had a couple of neato new Force powers, and I appreciated a certain cameo, but that was it. I didn't like the convoluted story, the double MacGuffin, the wonky logic, the villain, final battle, other final battle, space horses, more superlasers, etc., etc., etc. I'm just glad it's done. I really hope they just quietly let this trilogy die over the next ten years and eventually act like it never happened. That would be great.

+1. Good seller, fast shipping. My games looked great when they arrived. Thanks!

It's worth noting this a remaster, and it will be available on Steam for $19.99 by itself. The LRG version comes with a digital copy, but you're mostly spending the money on swag.

I was a big C&C fan in middle school. I'm still not sure about the CE, though.

I bought 2 Mario pins from Speedy. It was a great transaction, and he was a pleasure to deal with. Thanks!

Looks like WHO has finally labeled it a pandemic. A little late to the party...

I got in a Super Famicom that is pretty complete looking. I don't think I usually see them for sale with the top piece of styrofoam. I plan to use it to play Super Game Boy 2, which plays GB games at the right speed. $165.71 I had two beautiful Mario pins come in, as well. 16€ ($18.05) Lastly, I haven't played The Division in a few years and had a real urge to play it again. My local GS had a used copy, so I picked it up and am playing again. Disc is in the machine, not the case. $5.29

PM sent on Star Wars games.

Most people treat video game boxes like comic books or art where any sort of restoration is considered degrading/devaluing to the item. Just be prepared, though, that the seller may think it's "no big deal". Personally, I think color touch is probably over the line, but I've done heating/pressing on manuals/boxes before to make them look nicer or get rid of creases, and I know I'm not the only one that's done stuff like that. It's still restoration, but it doesn't add anything to the actual item like touch-up does. Maybe that's the distinction that gets people put off.

That would be sweet. I'll have to keep an eye on this thread.

I'm reading Doctor Who: Star Tales, a collection of 6 short stories. I'm halfway through, and two of the three I've read so far have been really good. I almost didn't keep on with it, though, because I found the writing in the very first story to be a bit off-putting.

This reminds me a lot of the styrofoam block inside NES games. There are a couple where there was a thinner blue one to accommodate a thicker manual, but most of them are indistinguishable from one another. There was a reseller who even had a batch of new ones made to include in his resold games, and without any identifiable marks, how would you ever tell? I'm not going to carbon date styrofoam just to prove it's original. I've bought replacement jewel cases myself, but nowadays I actually just store the pieces separately and don't even bother about the jewel case. Manual and case art get put into a flat poly sleeve and the disc gets put into an ultrathin jewel case. I've found that the manuals wear against the little plastic tabs in a jewel case cover, causing indents in the manual over time. Also, the stupid things scratch and crack so easily that I just got tired of trying to keep a regular case nice and said screw it. I've still got my stack of replacement cases on hand to use on a few showcase games, but the rest get filed away as I said.