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Retro-GAF unite!

T

TheFightingFish

Member
So I'm guessing that most folks in a thread like this are big fans of working either with original hardware or with PC emulators, but what is the general opinion on just using the Wii VC as a retro gaming solution?

I'm one of those folks who's starting to feel a bit out of step with modern gaming, and with a semi-capable PC I really not looking at picking up a PS4 or One anytime soon. As such, I've been looking at some stuff like the Retrode or Retron 5 to go back and play some classics. However I'm not a collector and it looks to me like prices for lots of the classic SNES era games are starting to get really out of hand. The big obvious downside is that I'm limited to just the games available, but I honestly feel like the 400 odd games would probably do a pretty good job of hitting most of the retro stuff that I'm interested in. Plus having those Neo-Geo games seems pretty nice.

I had a couple of questions regarding this though.

1. There are save states on the Wii VC, right? I'm a super busy dad gamer, so I'm often just sneaking in quick bursts of gameplay. Save states are kinda a must for me (which is why I never would consider retro gaming on original hardware).
2. Do the games ever go on sales?
3. I'm a big arcade stick fan, and my stick that I'm going to be building currently can output to a GC cable. That would allow me to use the stick for any games on the VC as the GC is a supported controller for all the VC systems, right?
4. How is the quality of Wii emulation? I'm not super picky, but I'm not sure about the quality level, or how it will look on an HDTV.
 
S

Slermy

Member
TheFightingFish said:
I had a couple of questions regarding this though.

1. There are save states on the Wii VC, right? I'm a super busy dad gamer, so I'm often just sneaking in quick bursts of gameplay. Save states are kinda a must for me (which is why I never would consider retro gaming on original hardware).
2. Do the games ever go on sales?
3. I'm a big arcade stick fan, and my stick that I'm going to be building currently can output to a GC cable. That would allow me to use the stick for any games on the VC as the GC is a supported controller for all the VC systems, right?
4. How is the quality of Wii emulation? I'm not super picky, but I'm not sure about the quality level, or how it will look on an HDTV.
Click to expand...

1.) Yep.
2.) Not that I can recall, but every month you can redeem US Club Nintendo coins for a selected one that month.
3.) Not sure about that one. I think so?
4.) N64 and Genesis / Mega Drive is pretty good. I think the Wii might also ouput at native resolutions for NES / 16-bit games.
 
Danny Dudekisser

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
TheFightingFish said:
So I'm guessing that most folks in a thread like this are big fans of working either with original hardware or with PC emulators, but what is the general opinion on just using the Wii VC as a retro gaming solution?

I'm one of those folks who's starting to feel a bit out of step with modern gaming, and with a semi-capable PC I really not looking at picking up a PS4 or One anytime soon. As such, I've been looking at some stuff like the Retrode or Retron 5 to go back and play some classics. However I'm not a collector and it looks to me like prices for lots of the classic SNES era games are starting to get really out of hand. The big obvious downside is that I'm limited to just the games available, but I honestly feel like the 400 odd games would probably do a pretty good job of hitting most of the retro stuff that I'm interested in. Plus having those Neo-Geo games seems pretty nice.

I had a couple of questions regarding this though.

1. There are save states on the Wii VC, right? I'm a super busy dad gamer, so I'm often just sneaking in quick bursts of gameplay. Save states are kinda a must for me (which is why I never would consider retro gaming on original hardware).
2. Do the games ever go on sales?
3. I'm a big arcade stick fan, and my stick that I'm going to be building currently can output to a GC cable. That would allow me to use the stick for any games on the VC as the GC is a supported controller for all the VC systems, right?
4. How is the quality of Wii emulation? I'm not super picky, but I'm not sure about the quality level, or how it will look on an HDTV.
Click to expand...

I don't bother with Wii VC. Reasons:


1) Lotsa games aren't on VC and some will never be on there due to licensing issues.
2) VC emulation seems accurate, but you know for sure that the original carts are going to be perfect.
3) Neo Geo games in particular suffer from stupid changes, like removing hitflashes from games like Metal Slug. Because you can't have your consumers experiencing seizures. You need to maintain the health of your consumers so they may continue to buy VC releases.
 
Y

Yes Boss!

Member
Well, to counter,

There over 450 titles...and an extra 200 titles including Japan. Hardly everything but so many great and difficult-to-find-games (Iron-Clad, for example). MSX titles, Master System titles by M2 with FM Synth option, and tons of others. A fantastic spread from just about every system. Alien Soldier, check. Daimakamura SuperGrafx, check. Rondo, check. Plus a ton of all the classic Nintendo games.

That Neo Geo example is an fluke, and it has been ported from here to Sunday so really not a big deal. All the other titles are perfect. And the system has Nam-1975, which is worth it to just own a Wii for that.

Best emulation. Put up something like the Neo Geo Station (from M2, no less) next to VC and if you are looking for fidelity then it does not even compare. VC is far better presented with 240p. Hook a Wii with VC up to a standard CRT and it would be pretty difficult to tell the difference.

Convenience factor. Very nice having a ton of well-emulated games sitting under the TV in a little box at call anytime. I'll often play VC before hooking up a system or playing NG on the Cab.

Price. I've got about 200 VC titles and probably only spent about $1500 over the years. I could burn through that amount in a flash collecting for Genesis/MD or PC-Engine.

Of course original carts are better but as a collection the VC is indispensible. System is also well set-up to be upscaled and tweaked by an XRGB for HDTV playback.

I find it hard to believe retro game collectors don't at least have a Wii with VC in their setup as another tool in their gaming arsenal.
 
S

Slermy

Member
You bring up some good points.

The advantage of not buying a lot of consoles is not to be overlooked. Actually, the only Turbografx games I own are on VC, and I'm okay with that. It allowed me to discover the Star Soldier games and they quickly became favorites.

Also of note, is that occasionally the Virtual Console games will have additional features. Pokémon Snap will save pictures to the Wii itself (as in outside the game) and Puyo Puyo (2?) supports online multiplayer.

That reminds me, there are a handful of import games on the store as well, and worth checking out, such as the original Sin & Punishment.
 
D

Dave Long

Banned
Yes Boss! and Slermy have done a great job listing the advantages of Virtual Console. It cannot replace a collection you've built for your favorite retro console, but it damn sure does a fine job of giving you access to hundreds of the best games ever made from the 8 and 16-bit eras of gaming (and beyond). Only a fool would discount it.

The biggest win is definitely price, though. People go on and on about how $8 is too much for SNES games. $5 is too much for NES games. Please, before you parrot this, spend some time at a retro games shop or on eBay. You will find that Virtual Console is really the only way to play many of the games on offer for a reasonable price.
 
G

GulAtiCa

Member
I love the VC on Wii/Wii U/3DS. Not only makes it easier to play the game, as some games are hard to get or that they might get bad over time due to rust or battery issues/etc. Also allows me to instead of getting the more pricey US version of a game, I can instead get the Japanese version for super cheap to fill out my collection. I did that with Chrono Trigger. I'm going to go back and do that with some of my Mega Man games.

Speaking of collecting, my console collection is turning out nicely. I now have 23 different consoles in my collection (excluding handhelds). Still have plenty to collect. heh.
Right now taking a break from my retro collecting. Though also trying to resist any impulse to do a handheld collecting. lol
 
I

IrishNinja

Member
Dave Long said:
The biggest win is definitely price, though. People go on and on about how $8 is too much for SNES games. $5 is too much for NES games. Please, before you parrot this, spend some time at a retro games shop or on eBay. You will find that Virtual Console is really the only way to play many of the games on offer for a reasonable price.
Click to expand...

currently haggling some hag on CL to bring rescue rangers & 1943 down from $15 each, so...yeah
 
Y

Yes Boss!

Member
It can not be understated just how fabulously amazing GB/GBC games are presented on 3DS with 1:1 pixel mode.

It is far, far better, presentation-wise, than playing on any original hardware with the one caveat that you are holding a dual-screen system.

Only system that comes close is later-model SPs for GB/GBC playback but then you have to deal with carts sticking out the bottom.
 
D

Dave Long

Banned
IrishNinja said:
currently haggling some hag on CL to bring rescue rangers & 1943 down from $15 each, so...yeah
Click to expand...
Exactly. It can be a nightmare to get good prices even on games produced in large quantities. It's just silly.

I love playing on the original hardware and do so as often as I can, but I still invest occasionally in games for Virtual Console. I just may get myself some stuff on the Wii this weekend now rather than driving half an hour to my favorite retro store!
 
S

sixteen-bit

Member
tumblr_mplbzojbzH1s2mxrbo1_500.png


how's this for a magazine cover? holy shit
 
Danny Dudekisser

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
For whatever reason, I want to finish off my Xbox 1 collection. Right now, I only have 5 games (thanks in part to me being an idiot and selling off some of my stuff), but there's like 9 or so games I'm planning to get. The Xbox isn't a great system, but some of the stuff on there is really, really fucking good.

Right now, my pathetic collection consists of:

Genma Onimusha
Gunvalkyrie
Jet Set Radio Future
Ninja Gaiden Black
Panzer Dragoon Orta

Pathetic!

Anyway, all I have to hook my Xbox up with is the composite cables that came with the system. Fuck that! I need component cables. Is the official Microsoft stuff the way to go, or are there third party alternatives that are preferable?
 
C

Chiaroscuro

Member
Chacranajxy said:
Anyway, all I have to hook my Xbox up with is the composite cables that came with the system. Fuck that! I need component cables. Is the official Microsoft stuff the way to go, or are there third party alternatives that are preferable?
Click to expand...

The official one is The one to go for, buy I do prefer The image in VGA (not an official solution).
 
Y

Yes Boss!

Member
I also started my XBOX catalog a couple months ago. Only one game, though. Phantom Dust. There are only a half-dozen titles I intend to get, or really want.

It is hard to find a good-condition Original XBOX so I'm just sticking to to 360 playback via VGA on PGM till I locate one. Playback is very good so far.
 
B

Borman

Member
You guys would like my growing Xbox collection hah

ABSS9wJ.jpg

(Work in progress setting it up)

There are two different Xbox HD cables from MS. One is a box, one is a cable. Both work well, although I find the cable, while extremely high quality, the plugs can be extremely tight.

I have three Japanese Xbox titles for sale if anyone is interested :p
 
S

Seik

Banned
If anyone is interested in retro demos and prototypes collecting, I made this thread last week...but it bombed quite hard. Maybe it's because I launched it at 4AM or maybe just because the interest isn't there. D:
 
I

IrishNinja

Member
^adding it to the OP then, there's totally guys on here (moreso on SHMUP/neo geo i think but still) who have these, fascinating stuff too
 
Danny Dudekisser

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
carfo said:
I was driving home today and saw that someone had this TV (called a 46" 16:9 Hi-Scan® Projection Television by Sony) on the road for free with a note that said it's working. I picked it up and brought it home and plugged it into my PS1, hoping it wouldn't be choppy and pixelated, but it was. Is this TV not good for retro gaming or is something messed up with it?

3534sony1.jpg

http://esupport.sony.com/US/p/model-home.pl?mdl=KP46WT510&LOC=3#/howtoTab
Click to expand...


Projection TVs just suck, honestly. I've never seen a TV like this that hasn't looked like garbage.
 
TheContact

TheContact

Member
Chacranajxy said:
Projection TVs just suck, honestly. I've never seen a TV like this that hasn't looked like garbage.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Oh well, bummer. I tried playing around with the video settings and nothing worked. I need to find me a good CRT monitor or something, I even think this is too big. Wouldn't mind something in the 20-30 inch range
 
chemicals

chemicals

Member
carfo said:
Thanks. Oh well, bummer. I tried playing around with the video settings and nothing worked. I need to find me a good CRT monitor or something, I even think this is too big. Wouldn't mind something in the 20-30 inch range
Click to expand...

Best retro gaming TV is a Sony Trinitron (Wega).. I used to have a really sweet 27 inch set to game on.
 
Danny Dudekisser

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
Wish I could find a new CRT (broadcast monitor or something, if need be.) Don't really trust used electronics, given how people tend to take care of their shit, so yeah. :-/
 
D

Dave Long

Banned
You can find 27 inch Trinitrons fairly easy for cheap/free right now. Just keep a look out. A friend just gave me his. I posted it in the Genesis thread.

Sony.jpg
 
I

IrishNinja

Member
rUMhgyQ.jpg
Click to expand...

showed up early at a garage sale yesterday, one dude before me & im dying to know what he got, haha...mostly atari & super famicom games, which i thought was interesting. photo kinda sucks, so here's what i nabbed:

Atari: Frogger, Q-Bert, Berserk, Pac-Man, Mrs. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Pitfall!, Centipede, ET, Space Invaders...now i just need someone local to sell a woodgrain 2600 for cheap!

NES: Ironsword (Wizards & Warriors 2), Wrestlemania, Dr. Mario, Spy Hunter, Astyanx

SFC: Bahamut Lagoon, Seiken Densentsu 2, a namco Yu Yu Hakushu (sp?) title & a Crayon Shinchan one i took a chance on (he had many others, mostly sports a few i wish i understood enough to've decided on!)

Genesis: Columns, Sub-Terrania, Beavis & Butthead...passed on a $3 copy of Thunder Force III with a torn label that i kinda wish idve gotten just to trade with, heh

talked him down to $40, which felt fair. he had some Game Gear stuff that looked good too (and a ton of consoles - like 5 dreamcasts, 8 NES etc, nothing i needed) so i saved my money for a con later that morning, which brought the Ecto-1, heh. Closed it out by going to a Pikmin 3 event at gamestop where i got some nintendo swag...not a bad day!

contacted someone on craigslist about original Samba de Amigo maracas on the cheap, hoping to hear back - still holding out hope for a good condition Virtual Boy down the road too!
 
D

Dog food is delicious

Banned
So I have a dilemma:

I have all my consoles hooked up to my HDTV, but it's a freakin' rats nest.

The consoles are: Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Colecovision, NES, Sega Master System, SNES, Genesis, PSX, N64, PS2, Gamecube, xbox, Dreamcast, PS3, 360, Wii U)

My dilemma is the non-HD consoles. I have a HDMI switch for the HD consoles, but I've had to resort to two 4 input pelican switches and an ugly coax 3 a/b switch chain for the older stuff.

Any ideas on how to simplify this a bit? Whether it's a larger switch to replace the Pelican, or a larger coax one to replace the 3 ganged up ones?
 
C

Chiaroscuro

Member
Dog food is delicious said:
So I have a dilemma:

I have all my consoles hooked up to my HDTV, but it's a freakin' rats nest.

The consoles are: Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Colecovision, NES, Sega Master System, SNES, Genesis, PSX, N64, PS2, Gamecube, xbox, Dreamcast, PS3, 360, Wii U)

My dilemma is the non-HD consoles. I have a HDMI switch for the HD consoles, but I've had to resort to two 4 input pelican switches and an ugly coax 3 a/b switch chain for the older stuff.

Any ideas on how to simplify this a bit? Whether it's a larger switch to replace the Pelican, or a larger coax one to replace the 3 ganged up ones?
Click to expand...

Won't be cheap, but:
01 - Buy scart cables to the consoles that supports RGB out of the box: Sega Master System, SNES, Genesis, PSX.
02 - Buy a 4-port scart switch
03 - Buy a RGB-to-Component converter (with audio extractor)
04 - Buy a Component switch if you TV set has only one component input
05 - Buy a Gamecube Component Cable (the most expensive part of the setup)
06 - Connect the consoles from 01 to the scart switch 02 then to the component converter 03.
07 - Connect the output of the component converter 03, Gamecube, PS2 and any console with component output to component switch 04.
08 - Leave the old stuff (2600, 7800, Colecovision) in your current switch
09 - Alternatively you can buy a Framemeister insted of 03/04 but that will cost you around US$ 500.
 
I

IrishNinja

Member
i need to find that warehouse. also which SCART switch are you guys recommending? given that the signal's analog don't you still lose some fidelity by splitting it? couldve sworn id read that in the reviews of several of em
 
I

IrishNinja

Member
anyone wanna go in on an order of Universal Game Cases? i keep buying small sets from ebay but that's stupid, they're usually $2+ a case and this one's 100 for $59 (before shipping), i just don't need that many. i'm down to split that with others!
 
M

mrklaw

MrArseFace
My son was complaining about how hard Mario Kart 7's SNES rainbow road track is. Made me wonder whether it is harder or easier than the original SNES super mario kart, so I might try and dig out my super famicom from the loft. Hopefully I still have my RGB mod SCART cable, not been analogue for a while.

while I'm here - anyone know if Net Yaroze's are worth anything?
 
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