Retro Gaming Megathread: It will be a new and exciting way to electrocute myself

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Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

I should put together the 3DO FAQ that I have been meaning to write for aeons. That and maybe some stuff on pirate carts.

# ¿ Nov 5, 2012 21:01

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# ¿ Apr 19, 2024 18:28

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Slowly whipping up a 3DO part here. Haven't gotten to the games but here's what I have so far:

quote:

3DO Interactive Multiplayer

So you want a 3DO? This 32-bit ARM-based console came out in late 1993 and lasted a whopping two years before it was discontinued after selling 5 million units worldwide. Pushed by Panasonic, Sanyo, and Goldstar (aka LG), it was designed to compete with consoles the likes of the Playstation and Saturn.

The console is where Gex got its start (it was bundled with the console at one point), a near-perfect port of Super Street Fighter II was made with superior audio to its arcade version, Wing Commander was an example of an early FMV game that didn't suck, and an almost perfect version of Doom was released save for the fact that its framerate was terrible and it was missing its music for whatever reason.

One unique factor with the 3DO was that there were numerous models. The most common ones in North America were the Panasonic series, specifically the FZ-1. None of them have region locks or copy protection.

Console models

Panasonic FZ-1

Panasonic FZ-10

Goldstar 3DO

Goldstar 3DO Alive II

The above models are the most common you'll find. There were a few others which included an FZ-1 that had a 5-disc disc changer built-in and an ISA card made by Creative Labs that you could pop into your PC and play the games on there.

# ¿ Nov 6, 2012 08:13

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

I got the Players' Choice edition of F-Zero CIB for $3 once. It's no longer CIB.

# ¿ Nov 6, 2012 18:33

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

For a while I have been wanting to share my favourite SNES cartridge: Super 3D Noah's Ark (or Super Noah's Ark 3D). It's a cool game that has rumours of it having licensed the Wolfenstein 3D engine from iD due to how neutered the game was. It's one of I think two pass-through games ever created for the console.

As you can see, it requires a game to be inserted on top.

However, the catch is that the game must not make use of the accessory pins nor can it be anything other than North American.

It also does not fit properly into a Super Famicom or a PAL SNES.

But no matter, a bit of work can make it work and using this method you could probably plug Star Fox at the top.

Pretty easy to take apart with a gamebit--only two screws.

Pretty simple circuitry as well.

Funny how "Color Dreams" shows up on the right of the back side of the cartridge.

# ¿ Nov 8, 2012 03:28

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

ACID POLICE posted:

I've always wanted to come across a copy of that in real life! I thought it specifically needed Wolfenstein 3D though. It just uses a real cart to pass the piracy checks then?

I lucked out one day and saw it for $50 CAD at a flea market. It works just wonderfully on my SNES and almost any cart (sans those with DSPs, Super FX, etc) can be plugged into the top to bypass the checks. I might eventually do a bit more research into this for you guys but I have a job and stuff that makes me money on the side, so.

Code Jockey posted:

A contender appears to challenge the famous Leaning Tower of Sega?

e. but for real I want a copy of that, that tickles my obscure/bizarre/unlicensed fetish nicely. Look at that thing!

If people want to send me random poo poo to replicate that image, I am game. I don't have a Game Genie for my SNES so I am willing to do this.

# ¿ Nov 8, 2012 03:46

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Scary. I decided to check for the game on eBay and it goes for anywhere between $250 and $300 CAD. I got it for a relatively low price.

# ¿ Nov 8, 2012 03:49

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

My mother was cleaning out the house and found my NES Power Pad, Game Boy (black "Play It Loud" series), and a few other things. Really happy. :shobon:

# ¿ Nov 11, 2012 03:39

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Miyamotos RGB NES posted:

To drive you didn't hold A or B, or even hold forward on the D-pad. No...you had to rock the d-pad left and right repeatedly. To go.

That game was merciless to your digits.

# ¿ Nov 11, 2012 05:03

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Safari Disco Lion posted:

Yeah I don't know what Gamester81 does for a living but he makes some serious money. He's got nothing on John Hancock though, who has a CIB collection for something like 22 consoles. That guy is loving ridiculous.

I like Gameser81 and the rest of the All Gen Gamers crew. I also follow Happy Console Gamer and Happy Video Game Nerd. None of these guys are terribly prolific in video posting, Pete Door used to be but he's been very busy so his videos are rarer now. Also their tastes and video styles aren't for everybody, but I happen to have very similar taste in games as Pete Dorr and Metal Jesus Rocks so I like their collections/hidden gems/review videos.

I am friends with Johnny (Happy Console Gamer) and have probably known him for the better part of 10-years (he also lives in the same neighbourhood as me). I had a chat with him about Earthbound of all things yesterday and he agreed with me how stupidly priced it is now.

Gamester81 is really nice in person and he does sales for a living.

# ¿ Nov 11, 2012 21:45

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Hey RGBurglar, would you mind including this? I'll update a bit more for it later, but I threw this together this weekend.

3DO Interactive Multiplayer

So you want a 3DO? This 32-bit ARM-based console came out in late 1993 and lasted a whopping two years before it was discontinued after selling 5 million units worldwide. Pushed by Panasonic, Sanyo, and Goldstar (aka LG), it was designed to compete with consoles the likes of the Playstation and Saturn.

The console is where Gex got its start (it was bundled with the console at one point), a near-perfect port of Super Street Fighter II was made with superior audio to its arcade version, Wing Commander was an example of an early FMV game that didn't suck, and an almost perfect version of Doom was released save for the fact that its framerate was terrible.

One unique factor with the 3DO was that there were numerous models. The most common ones in North America were the Panasonic series, specifically the FZ-1. None of them have region locks or copy protection.

Console models

Panasonic FZ-1

Panasonic FZ-10

Goldstar 3DO

Goldstar 3DO Alive II

The above models are the most common you'll find. There were a few others which included an FZ-1 that had a 5-disc disc changer built-in and an ISA card made by Creative Labs that you could pop into your PC and play the games on there. Many companies tried to get in on the 3DO bandwagon as well (AT&T, EA, and Atari to name a few), but the Panasonic, Sanyo, and Goldstar models are really the only ones you're going to commonly come across and they serve their purpose well.

One thing about the 3DO that basically makes it sort of the most superior console of its time in one category is how it outputted to your TV. Look at these magical-looking ports on the back of an FZ-1:

Not only does it have the usual RF output, but it has S-Video and component output with no bullshit connectors! It wasn't until the Playstation 3 that Sony bundled something that could go straight to a TV and it took until the Wii-U for Nintendo to smarten up.

I am using S-Video on my 37" LCD with my 3DO and it looks fairly decent. However, it seems that someone has done an RGB mod of the console:

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

Console peripherals and accessories

The 3DO's main controller was effectively similar to the first-generation Genesis one where it had three action buttons on the right, a directional pad on the left, and two buttons in the centre for start and select (referred to as 'stop' and 'play' for some reason). It also has left and right buttons on the very top like a Super Nintendo or Playstation. In addition to that, the connector for the controller to the console was also a 9-pin connector akin to that of the Genesis, Commodore, and the Atari, but that is where the similarities cease.

Genesis controllers do not work on that controller port for one thing (do not plug one in), but in addition to that, the 3DO only has one port on the console and instead relies on a daisy-chain of controllers to allow for two players--said port is located at the top of the controller and is usually covered by a plastic piece.

There were a few third-party controllers on the market and Panasonic had planned for a six-button joystick variety release in North America (it did get released in Japan), but for all intents and purposes, you're likely to find just the usual 3-button variety. Third party controllers are out there and they do in fact have six buttons, but again, they're generally terrible from my experience. I've heard of adapters that allowed one to use Super Nintendo controllers on the systems, but I have yet to see one surface.

eBay is generally your best place for accessories.

Games

One thing about the 3DO was that it wasn't necessarily sold as a game console, but rather a multimedia unit for the home. However, some rather excellent games were developed and or ported to the 3DO. Here are some games I suggest playing.

Doom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msfL7XRe6DQ

Doom for the 3DO is weird. It's actually a fairly good port of it except for the fact that the console can barely push the game at the framerate it should be--it works well otherwise but the fellow in the video I posted decided to shrink it down a bit. Besides that, it's one of my favourite ports due to the music and overall quality.

Bust a Move

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cNfUMmxkCg

Probably my favourite puzzle game of all time, but this port is rather good. I don't need to explain much about this game to you guys.

Wing Commander III

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUK4NS8_XGk

Starring Mark Hamill, this is probably one of the neater games to show what the 3DO could do. Features a tonne of FMV but overall the gameplay isn't that bad.

Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon S

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjBvJ3aAyYM

The opening to this is just weird, but it's a simple fighter game but I found it enjoyable. It's fun to watch the girls duke it out. There's no English version of this game, so either know some Japanese (like myself) or try and remember what does what.

Samurai Showdown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0t1ZRAWvM8

This is probably the best port of Samurai Showdown out there. I definitely recommend picking it up.

Street Fighter II Turbo

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

Pretty much a perfect port of the arcade version.

Lain Iwakura fucked around with this message at 22:24 on Nov 11, 2012

# ¿ Nov 11, 2012 22:21

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

http://www.platypuscomix.net/interactive/thingsyoucanteverhave.html

Ran across this while doing my searches. This is crazy.

# ¿ Nov 11, 2012 22:29

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Anyone know what sort of power supply I can use (voltage or other console equivalent) I can use with a Hong Kong Famicom?

# ¿ Nov 13, 2012 06:41

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

I do have two demo discs actually. One is Everquest Online Adventures and the other is Sphinx And the Shadow of Set, both for the PlayStation 2. Everquest doesn't work anymore and the Sphinx game had its name changed before release.

# ¿ Nov 16, 2012 03:17

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

HKR posted:

So all I have to do to make 45k is grab a programmable NES board, toss a rom on there and stick it in a duck hunt cart and write in sharpie RARE GAME PROTOTYPE?

Yeah. This auction smells like bullshit.

Anyway, I decided to compete with Genesis tower:

So far it is:
- Super Famicom
- Game Doctor III
- Region adapter
- Super 3D Noah's Ark
- Region Adapter
- Street Fighter II

If anyone wants to donate a unique item to this project, go for it.

# ¿ Nov 16, 2012 06:38

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

DoctorWhat posted:

dude. Super Game Boy + GB Gameshark.

poo poo. I have a Super Game Boy too, but no Game Shark. Actually, I think the Game Genie is larger too.

# ¿ Nov 16, 2012 06:44

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

So I was digging through my compact discs and was surprised to find this:

# ¿ Nov 17, 2012 23:50

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Miyamotos RGB NES posted:

Yeah I'll do that but then you can't see that it's purple

I had that! You could only get it from the power club catalog in Nintendo Power. It's probably worth money.

I had some other SNES soundtracks from the catalog too but I remembered DKC only because you posted the pictures.

I am contemplating selling the disc for a decent value. It seems to go for $50-$120 CAD.

# ¿ Nov 18, 2012 01:03

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

So today was my lucky day. I got from my parents' place:
- Black-coloured Play-It-Loud series Game Boy
- Super Mario Land for Game Boy
- NES Power Pad

I'll have to see if the Power Pad is still working as it has been folded up for years (probably a decade at least).

# ¿ Nov 19, 2012 06:04

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Katana Gomai posted:

Sorry I'm singling you out, but I've always wondered what's keeping Nintendo et al. from telling all the people on Etsy to stop making money with their trademarks.

Probably best to not bite the hand that feeds. The reaction that Sega got from Sonic the Hedgehog fans over their dispute with YTMND is telling.

# ¿ Nov 20, 2012 22:56

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Since we're posting images of our boxes (sounds kind of dirty):

Probably my most prized-game and it came in a box! The kicker? I paid $0.

It's virtually complete too.

F-Zero is my best-condition game and I imagine it's from that set that someone stumbled across as there is no way that someone owned this copy before me. However, my copy of Super Bomberman 2 is not in such a great box, but...

It still has its plastic wrapping and still has its manual and pamphlets.

# ¿ Nov 22, 2012 07:55

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Guys, where is the best deal online I can get a Nintendo 64?

# ¿ Nov 23, 2012 01:06

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Tyson Tomko posted:

Ok thanks for making me spend more money as I had completely forgotten about that game. All I can say is it better have my boyz Walter and Spider in it.

Speaking of blown minds, how the poo poo have I never heard of Virtual Chess 64? This game is incredible, looks good, and has a mellow as hell soundtrack...think Mario 64 Aquarium mellow at times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQkv14p8aR4

How the gently caress is this game 4-players?

# ¿ Nov 27, 2012 01:41

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

I know that Killer Instinct's arcade port was actually non-Nintendo hardware, but was Cruis'n USA the same deal?

# ¿ Nov 27, 2012 21:28

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

univbee posted:

Something I haven't seen discussed in the OP or the first/last batch of pages: recommended controllers. It is a colossal pain in the rear end to track down original controllers for SNES and a few other systems. Are any third-party controllers any good these days? Are there retro-friendly controllers made with more modern, wear-resistant components, or is your best bet hoping to find original mostly unused controllers?

IMO the best controllers are always the first-party ones. It's not that hard to find a good condition SNES controller.

# ¿ Dec 4, 2012 01:45

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Neddy Seagoon posted:

Get yourself one of these for your Dreamcast -

It's a VGA adapter and you can get them off eBay for a moderate price. The best part is they have a toggle switch to output to S-Video or RCA. You'll need a male-to-male extension cable with a 3.5mm jack (i.e. standard PC headphone size) for the VGA's audio though (if your TV has a VGA socket, that is).

You can generally find VMU's dirt-cheap on eBay. Controllers too (sometimes even new in box, if you're lucky)

Another vote for this. It's a crime to play any Dreamcast game on anything less than VGA. It's a shame that the adapter for the PS2 does not work with anything but the stupid Linux kit.

# ¿ Dec 4, 2012 16:43

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

On that note, stumbled across this:

# ¿ Dec 4, 2012 16:48

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Still looking for a reasonable price on a N64.

# ¿ Dec 6, 2012 18:52

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Harlock posted:

I've been looking for a reasonable price on a Dreamcast for a while. All I need is the console and hookups, but everyone sells it mostly in a bundle of junk.

http://shop.bresoftware.com/Sega-Dreamcast-Used_p_4654.html

This is a reasonable price. Not sure if it comes with the hookups though.

# ¿ Dec 7, 2012 21:08

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

I've been lurking the site for a while to get an N64 from them. They sell their stuff at a reasonable cost.

# ¿ Dec 7, 2012 21:14

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Tyson Tomko posted:

I just so happen to have an extra N64 I got in a shopGoodwill lot a while back. Contents are:

- Nintendo 64
- a/v cable
- power cable
- 1 Atomic Purple controller with a GREAT stick
- 1 beat up condition standard Grey controller as a gift from me to you with a horrible stick that's almost useless
- and if you like Wrestlemania 2000

I can throw this in a medium flat rate box for $11.95 or however much it is, plus however much you'd want to donate to my present buying fund and have it to you in no time.

(actually with the 2 controllers I may have to use a large, I'll try and get creative and see what I can do if you or anyone else is interested)

PM sent very kind sir.

# ¿ Dec 8, 2012 19:24

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Baldrash posted:

Waku Waku 7? You have impeccable taste, sir.

The Neo Geo version is better. :colbert:

# ¿ Dec 11, 2012 01:47

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

So I made a trip to the United States today (only 30 KM from home) to pick up a few packages. Here's something I had to smuggle across the border:

Thanks Zenintrude.

# ¿ Dec 17, 2012 02:41

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

A lot of Dreamcast games that are unable to do VGA natively may be able to do it via the Utopia boot disc anyhow. I think only two games do not work with this method.

# ¿ Dec 27, 2012 08:25

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Crimson Chin posted:

Have any of you guys who have a Dreamcast VGA box had this issue?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ufZ6pkjE5o

I got it today from eBay and it's as if not enough colours are being displayed. I have tried different monitors/TVs and VGA cables and given the connections a good wiggle, but still have the same issue. I suspect the VGA box is faulty, but anyone got any ideas on how to fix it? If not I'll swap it for another one.

Just an FYI: there's no such thing as "PAL VGA". It might be a faulty box so I'd try another unit before assuming something else is amiss.

# ¿ Jan 3, 2013 22:41

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

So I have a strange problem with an N64 I received recently.

The person who sent it to me seems to have a full mailbox so I have yet to thank him for sending it my way, but it looks like the unit powers on, but it doesn't seem to want to output any video or audio. I tried a bunch of different cables and then checked to ensure it wasn't my TV, but so far it seems that the unit refuses to do anything. I checked with my multimeter to see if there is anything flowing out the AV multi and it appears that there is voltage, but other than that it seems dead in the water-the unit has a red light. There was a translucent plastic piece inside that I removed myself and other than some dust, there wasn't really anything foreign inside.

Any ideas of what to look for? I did see on the shield that there was some minute amounts of residue and I am tempted to take it off to investigate. Has anyone ever seen blown caps on one?

# ¿ Jan 7, 2013 19:07

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Wotalt posted:

Did you check the expansion port? It might be missing the jumper which is required for the system to boot. If it's missing, they'e dirt cheap on eBay.

Also, the light on the front can only light up red.

I'll try and swap out the jumper pack as it was included.

# ¿ Jan 8, 2013 01:01

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Tyson Tomko posted:

This isn't the 64 I sent you in early December was it? You've got me all paranoid now because I tested that thing 10x over. Do you even get the initial video flash as it powers on?

Sadly it is.

I tried to PM you but it says you had a full mailbox.

It doesn't flash or anything but it definitely is outputting a voltage on the AV out. I took it apart to see what was going on and so far nothing seems amiss. I am going to try a different jumper pack just in case.

# ¿ Jan 8, 2013 04:26

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Tyson Tomko posted:

Very weird because I only had around 20 pms and I didn't get the typical "hey someone just tried to send you a pm but your inbox is full" message either. I just deleted 10 of them so now unless something wild is going on I should be back in action.

I'm still floored as to what the problem could be. I played Jet Force Gemini and Wave Race for hours upon hours before packing it up. To be able to fit the 64 and 2 controllers+ in that medium flat rate box I couldn't use a TON of packaging but I've yet to see a broken 64 to this day so I didn't think it would be a big deal. That being said, if you can't get it working I happen to have another n64 I can send your way. Since it would be the console only I could practically pack with a foot of newspaper/bubble wrap/etc on each side. By the way I'm not a 64 hoarder or anything, I just happen to have acquired a bunch of them in a sweet shopgoodwill auction forever ago.

-- Apparently I did receive the full inbox emails today, the plot thickens (1 at noon the other at 5ish)

I'd like to joke that it has something to do with the metric system.

When I picked it up from my mailbox down there the box looked fine and all and there didn't seem to be anything amiss. I am a bit dumbfounded myself.

I'll exhaust everything before we go down that avenue.

# ¿ Jan 8, 2013 07:30

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

FF7 and FF8 for the PC were superior due to that aforementioned MIDI. Is there a way to play the awesome MIDI files without having to use a virtual machine?

# ¿ Jan 10, 2013 19:19

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# ¿ Apr 19, 2024 18:28

Lain Iwakura: Aug 5, 2004; The body exists only to verify one's own existence.; Taco Defender

Code Jockey posted:

Was Vectorman a special chip game? I didn't think the Genesis had many at all, yeah.

I love how that was possible with cartridge games, though. Shame it can't be done with disc games, but I guess maybe architectures aren't as extendable as they used to be anyway.

There's only one special chip and that is the Virtua, which was included in Virtua Racer--Vectorman was completely software. Interestingly, Virtua Racer will not run on a Genesis 3, but that doesn't really matter.

# ¿ Jan 10, 2013 20:35

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Retro Gaming Megathread: It will be a new and exciting way to electrocute myself

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