Tanooki

@avatar! I do, one of the best ever by leaps and bounds, the Star Trek 25th Anniversary cluebook. The crazy thing is, it's actually a novella, then a clue book. There's a PDF online, or if you ever bought it on GOG they scanned the entire thing. IT's maybe a 1/2" thick and most of it is the stories of the stages done as mini novel style stories within by each of the scenario writers. The cool thing is, one was done by DC Fontana the popular ToS screen/story writer and she penned that entire book and story for the game. At the back end, then is the clue book of the steps to take to clear each stage. EVen when I got rid of the physical game, I kept the book.

So the entire game is like some weird inception thing from the first big adventure? The Super Hammer Bros, go in many stages, to then take out the Hammer Bros, repeatedly up until nearly the end of the game.

If you're not into scoreboard, what's the advantage of this (aside from being new) over the hi def nes kit? I've considered one of these before seeing how toxic the hdmi nes systems on the second hand market go for, but never pulled the trigger.

That's the rub there for sure. HDMI kits and choices are more easy and accessible for 3D systems like that, maybe not the cheapest to install if you can't do it, but if you already have the system the kit+install is less than this thing. So it comes down to the fluffy features in the end that the kit won't do, which they tend to only stick to various tweaks/fluff stuff to the visuals. Personally I don't like the idea of accelerating the speed of N64 games, sure they may have enough running in that 20fps range...and? That was taken into account when it was finished and published, sure they probably would have wanted a solid 30 or in some cases like F-Zero X a solid 60, but they accounted for how the behaves when they made it in enough cases where I would not feel good going all high speed on it as it would break the game in how it was sold if that makes sense. I mean to a point, if it was chugging and a mess that's one thing, but if the game was comfortably sold at a 15-20fps range or so, so be it, leave it be.

I know Jeevan is going nuts over it, got tired of hitting that like button even, but he is right. I'm very picky about that and have never found a product that works right from the full on replacement modules from china that don't get the deadzone anywhere near accurate to other oddball moves. Those two small pieces are what get wrecked from aggressive mario party abuse on N64 controllers, and unlike others who attempted it (I've tried 2, forgot whom) I was seeing the cheap price and gave it a third time the charm routine to pay for it and well it paid off. I've still got a couple spare sets of them here I keep in case I come across a wrecked n64 stick, and the couple I did use so far made the thing work correct. Never had a reason to buy the bowl as I never had one of those destroyed, it's always those little overlapping gears get worn wide and the stick gets sloppy. Oddly enough the cheapest easiest fix was the best, not re-inventing the wheel just 3Dprinting a full on copy of it instead. I do have one other mystery, a strange n64 controller (atomic) I was given someone replaced the stick with a gamecube style one and man it's far more comfy and smooth for play, no sliding on off stuff. One of these days i should tear it apart and try and figure out how it was done or who made it as it's great.

A friend of mine local asked me about this one. My basic understanding of what an FPGA and how it basically works I shared, and it really got me thinking. How much is this going to cost in the end as they love to turn a healthy profit. I've heard in not a distant past even a PS1 on FPGA would be pretty meaty and have a cost under it which is why it wasn't done yet, and the N64 is a good leap ahead, quite a bit heavier than that so I'm wondering how the hell they pulled it off and again, at what cost?! Also Duo, they can't even get their shit together on that one, they've left people twisting for a year. Is N64 even plausible to hit the end of 2024 or is this another cracked out hype machine to get tens of thousands out of their mindless drones of followers to then maybe ship it a in 2025 or later? This seems like a bit of a stretch even for them. As it is, even on the existing pocket they've jacked the price up twice now from 200 to 220 to now 250 for the basic handheld. So is this like begging for attention? They don't necessarily have to deliver in 2024. There is no promise other than something n64 in 2024, not a release of it, it could just be a preorder next Christmas to get away with not actually lying. And that's the rub there in the end they can't do pocket right, can't get a working dock going as advertised, and the Duo is an ever delayed until released piece of vaporware. Various sites and forums not long ago were dumping on other groups who promised big, started out well, then got into the weeds to those who just were in the weeds or on weed(like coleco chameleon.) I'm curious to see where this goes. I won't pay for it, got my ultrahdmi updated original system, and even a spare n64 I got a week ago(cib atomic system) so it would just be a waste.

Well I don't fall into shutting down new things, but I have to weigh it against actual time vs real life. I'd rather go back and experience something I haven't touched in a year or 30 years because if I played it before and liked it I remember it. And if I still own it after decades I'd rather use it again other than to let it rot. I still have a Switch and a PC anyway, even if i did go with new I still can do new (despite the limits of this poll.) I can do whatever, mobile included if the touch controls aren't garbage. But if I had to choose, I'd stick to what I already own and know is a safer bet towards enjoyment, and if it's not just owned but played before that opens many times over more doors. If time weren't an issue I know I'd love dropping some insane time say on Star Control II once again as it's very demanding. Or I'd love to take the 100s of hours to go through everything on Wing Commander 1&2 and expansions along with TIE and XWing games and theirs which I can't do now.

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I was about to post this, but that's it. I don't need it to get around, I need it to get around other peoples stupid driving mistakes, construction problems, and people tend to love to snitch out cops on google map and tag them as a warning. I've been saved repeatedly being late to picking my kid up or even my second job I have now twice too so far. When I see red or crimson red, I seek another route people having mucked up yet. A fool doesn't use it and waits to when it's convenient, red lights are boring, use them wisely. A fool also uses it while looking at the road passively until they slam into something or someone.

Seems that the industry is finally over a decade later following through on the threat of when the infrastructure is there theyll terminate physical media. It was waiting on gigabit but I'm guessing they're greedy and impatient. The old story was when physical was gone they'd adjust pricing to be lower due to the lack of the massive expense of making, packing, shipping and dealing with physical stuff. My guess, full prices stay up for your game rental buys you don't own, and they may lay off doing much with sales since they'll have no one to compete against anymore with retail pushed out with their random sales and clearances. If anything they'll have free reign to just say screw it and price games $70, $80, whatever works since they have nothing to push back other than PCs and mobile devices, and mobile isn't on that tier.

Ehh given how the majority of games seem to be these days I see no benefit in choosing ignore the past. And since it wasn't just games I've owned, but games I've played in the past that leaves me with thousands of choices since I used to be part of that early emulation/rom circulation days along with the stuff I used to collect. There is far more than I could ever hope to replay to never be bored again. And those games don't whine about patches, paying to play the other part of the game, or the rest of it.

There is a line I agree with that. I mean you need I guess to define where a line would be set, trying to be an outstanding dead pan obvious clone? Some of the staff of the franchise go elsewhere and make one of their own (Bloodstained SOTN style title IGA did,) or the not so well done Mighty No09? I think a case could be made with the other 2D bloodstained games as that's still inti creates and IGA is one of the two producers on those games as well. It's the SOTN era Castlevania staff in some part still making Castlevania in spirit, design, intent, other than in legal name due to Konami.

If that's true, can't say I'm sorry to see Best Buy go away. Ever since they did this massive reset to how the stores are on the inside, it looked like they were already on borrowed time. So much product moved out, stuff in like pods and sections with a more limited supply, bringing in some oddball stuff you wouldn't think of sorts of like when Gamestop was grasphing at straws with their thinkgeek consumption. I've noticed the one close by here and others in the area if I'm near can't fill the parking lots they were designed for anymore. On a good day, like a massive sale (christmas/black friday season), maybe 50% capacity. It feels more like a test bin for someone to walk in to get an idea to buy online, or to come and pickup something at the store to avoid a shipping fee.

The getting lost bit is the only issue really with Fester in the end, because you don't get screwed if you get hit an lose your powers like in Blaster Master on Fester. Just take 15minutes or so, get that gun up to max, and you can shred stuff pretty well on the map. Much like Metroid you're just lost going in circles otherwise until you stumble where to go, or like in the day even, use a printed guide that maps the terrain and just play it for the challenge. Even Nintendo knew Metroid was a pain without a map 30+ years ago, their first players guide laid it all out for people due to all the begging for help. Fester is like Sunsofts Metroid in that respect, power up, get lost, get a printed map of the game, and still have a challenge before you without going in circles.

I think probably about the time it takes for a Duke Nukem Forever follow up.

I liked both directions. I disliked when they shafted one over the other. The 2D style of game should have lived on further both in 3D and 2D style, and the SOTN type needed to be there as well too. Goemon experimented with 2.5D and 3D and it worked. Castlevania hasn't really touched this outside of the 3DS/Steam release in the Lords of Shadow-verse style and it's fine, the 2.5D style one really works well as a mix of NES/SOTN/God of War(growing your hp/mp and attack chains) nicely. IGA picked up on that with Bloodstained too. Legacy on N64 works, it was the finished game and it shows, and what was CV64 is still present, just fixed, largely what's missing is that cool opening symphony piece on the 64 title I did miss that. With this topic I revisited CV64 (rosalies mupen windows) the other day and it's rough, rough like I remembered it. it's hard and not because Castlevania is, but because CV64 is just beta-ware cobbled to work, it actively tries to hate and kill you at the same time from bad design and quirks that weren't ironed out. If you fire it up, then Legacy right after, you see what an added 10months in the oven did to bake up what does actually work well which is a shame if like me, you bought that first one. These days with the re-release of the GBA trio +DracX SNES in that advance bundle there's no reason not to give them a go as they're really quite good, especially Circle of the Moon and Sorrow, Harmony is solid but has a few oddities too, it's the middler that isn't as great (like how Portrait on DS kind of sucks while Aria and Eccelsia are good.) I for one hope they find a way to gut the shitty forced touch mechanics off the DS titles and port them out to be played again, I'd buy that, and maybe they'd be non-jerks about ghosting it even more, and put the Castlevania Adventure Rebirth only on dead wiiware(ie: warez ware now) on there too.

My understanding of what has been dug up about that game I mentioned was the fact that a comedian knew or was in the favor of the company that did it, and an idea was pitched over a very drunken night and the entire thing was designed while being utterly plastered. Maybe it's mythos around why it's so bad, who knows, it could just be an early form of intended kaizo style game given the source material. I do agree with you on the strange renaming of obvious stuff as Dragonball was just barely a blip in the US at the time, but now Dragon Power just comes off as some weird internet strange hot take maybe because it's known for being so bad.

Assuming it's legit and it seems to be, it would have been made in a narrow time when the Ultra name was what they were going to stick with until they found out there was an international hangup. So if it is real, Nintendo made it as pre-release promo stuff, likely for employees/reps the value could be rather high. Given how things are I could see someone feel this is their one chance and could just throw 4 figures at it or so just because they have to have it, the mentality of now or never. That seems to be how it is now when you see a one off, merchandising stuff, displays, games, something you just don't see twice in a few years let alone a decade. You just need that one n64 person with deep pockets and few cares to set the bar.

I had an eaten away Baseball Stars 2 earlier this year, ran a piece of wire around a trace to revive it as well. It happens, and far easier to fix (and responsible) to repair vs trash & replace it.

I'll link their pages, these are all gaming related and they aren't the usual suspects but more unique that they're not just stealing info from others YT pages to beg for money on there, or other services. These do research, present well, have thoughtful output that's actually worth wasting time on. Some of it is info you could google sure, but it's going to be a hunt, dry, and time consuming while the production values here show signs of uniqueness and care. The entire famicom library touched every day game by game per release: https://www.youtube.com/@RndStranger The 'works' guy obviously: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyParish American in Japan covers gaming, related, manga, cultural stuff amazing content: https://www.youtube.com/@GTV-Japan Amusing british smartass covering gaming hot takes: https://www.youtube.com/@Larry Sega in title only, covers quite a lot on many things and well done: https://www.youtube.com/@SegaLordX Dude is a machine, 100% coverage/tips/bugs/exploits etc: https://www.youtube.com/@UCanBeatVideoGames Deeper dive into analyzing games using common tools: https://www.youtube.com/@Sharopolis Again obvious, it's the gaming historian: https://www.youtube.com/@GamingHistorian

Getting the 12/31/2025 update for release of course.

4/10 - CV64 9/10 - Legacy of Darkness I've described my issues with the poor design mechanics, bugs, questionable camera problems, bad physics, invisible kill points to crush you on the old game. Not to mention it was only part of the intended larger project out under a year later. It's an ok game, but it's not good either let alone great, and the alternative is what someone should look to do but I wouldn't avoid it entirely either if you can get it cheap, emulate, flash kit it. LoD though, the full package. Ironed out the problems of the other, but did add a choice of 4MB being used where you can get a smoother frame rate, or high res which kills the frame rate to appear prettier... like GunNac pick your poison. The main game with the wolf man is just very well designed, good fun stages, lots of newer spaces like the opening ship to play out on that one. Then as it advances into the other parts of the larger game you get to play as the knight rescuing kids which in turn opens more such as a non-bugged messed version of original Castlevania 64 with both those characters. It's a game that keeps on giving and adding more to do for your money, time, and efforts. It has been the only pretty well done 3D Castlevania game, which largely isn't saying much given 2D has just treated it well SOTN style or not. But for a Castlevania game it's quite good, for a N64 game it's great.

Honestly I don't think the game is that bad, it's just the utterly unfair turbo tunnels because it's not even so much about fast twitch reaction, it's the stupid gates need basically full memorization of the pattern or you're dead. I can't remember the pattern so it's luck if I make it.

@Space Jockey I'm NOT fanning the flames. He got dragged back in here and as a result of it more garbage happened that shouldn't. That's what i was pointing out. As a result you give me another warning and he got one too? Is this place just turning into another Nintendoage where you have to be part of the friendly always hive mind or you find ways to erase people who don't just fall in lock step because that's how it is feeling at this rate. Petty warnings when enough times it is not warranted. By my guess neither of us will be here by the end of the year at this rate since it seems a little bait goes a long way. For all I said in the last post I assumed as much would happen and this confirms it.

Nice layout just above there. Maybe we should you know, do our own 40 year on the FC(NES where applies though.) What was the first game you bought (or had someone buy for you)? (Pre)Deluxe Set Duck Hunt & Gyromite, got Super Mario Bros and Hogan's Alley same time (Christmas 85) When it comes to high scores, what game comes to mind? Tetris When it comes to red carts, what game comes to mind? My own off Super Mario All-Stars cart (Famicom style) When it comes to competing against someone, what game comes to mind? Super Dodge Ball When it comes to using the mic, what game comes to mind? Legend of Zelda When it comes to sports games, what comes to mind? Mike Tyson's Punch Out or Baseball Stars When it comes to white carts, what game comes to mind? Hello Kitty World (aka: reskinned Balloon Kid) When it comes to mystery (nazo in Japanese), what game comes to mind? Shadowgate even if Deja Vu probably makes more sense When it comes to good BGM, what game comes to mind? Akumajou Densetsu (CV3 Japan) the VRC6 tunes are on a whole other level When it comes to adventure games, what comes to mind? KHAN's port of Leisure Suit Larry (Glad I own it) When it comes to "not being able to beat it", what game comes to mind? Battletoads When it comes to black carts, what game comes to mind? Parodius (since I don't want to list Akumajou Densetsu twice)