Messages

16

General / Re: Game of the year contenders

« on: September 22, 2021, 09:26:22 am »

This year was definitely anemic in terms of great games. I don't have a PS5, but from what I've seen of Returnal and Ratchet & Clank those are contenders. Deathloop for sure, and Psychonauts 2 only because there's not much else. I highly doubt Halo Infinite will make the cut as most games in December don't tend to make it for that year, and I have low expectations for that game. I have a friend who is a game tester for 343, and I've seen the first level of the campaign (he wasn't "supposed to show me" but work from home during lockdowns at the beginning of this year made it possible) There were lighting and graphical issues that needed fixing, but it seemed like standard Halo affair.

17

Modern Video Games / Re: Xbox One S is kinda underrated. [Opinion]

« on: April 04, 2021, 12:48:52 am »

I had both the original Xbox One and an S and the only appeal for the S system was 4K Blu-Ray movies and it upscaled games into 4K. While it couldn't render them in that resolution the upscale was nice especially for backward compatible games. Honestly, that's the only advantage over the original model. I have a One X now, and it's just sitting collecting dust because every Xbox One exclusive jumped ship to either PS4 or is now on PC. I mean all of them are on PC now except Forza Motorsport 5. The Xbox is a nice system to have if you don't already own a PC or PS4 as the exclusives on the system are anemic at best. The original Xbox honestly had the best exclusives and the 360 did for a few years and they all mostly jumped ship to PS3 or PC. Microsoft just couldn't hold on to exclusives or canceled them all.

18

Classic Video Games / Re: Your Thoughts On Gaming Retro With Low Or Medium Ended PC With Newer OS?

« on: April 02, 2021, 10:14:08 am »

I mean, PCGamingWiki is perfect for this. Many popular retro PC games are listed with community mods that bring the games to life on a modern OS. GoG is also a good place to buy these games as most work well on a newer OS. PCGamingWiki is my go-to for even modern games when I want to know if they support ultrawide resolutions before buying a game for example. Just recently I got Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines working with the most recent community patches.

Like someone already mentioned, flash carts and ODE's are great, but they extremely expensive and not to mention needing the proper video hookups. A proper modernization of a Saturn can cost $500 and that doesn't include the system. I know because I did it! Most ODE's are $250+ and most flash carts are $150+. Rare and obscure systems like the NeoGeo AVS/AES can cost nearly $500 just for a flash cart. This is why emulation is still popular despite this.

19

Hardware and Tech / Re: Looking for Xbox One Advice.

« on: April 02, 2021, 10:05:54 am »

Sounds like it's fried. I recommend plugging anything expensive like that into a surge protector. Preferably a decently priced one. I have my PC stuff plugged into a UPS, and all my TV and gaming stuff are plugged into a surge protector. It's saved my stuff numerous times during power outages and storms. I'd rather a $30 surge protector die than a $400 game console or $3,000 TV.

You could send the system into an online repair shop, or contact Microsoft and have them diagnose it. They will charge you since this wouldn't be covered under the warranty (if it's not already expired) and see if it's cheaper than buying a new system.

20

Off Topic / Re: Have you stayed in a low paid job you were comfortable and settled in?

« on: March 11, 2021, 04:33:52 am »

Yep, did this for ten years as a security guard. I bounced around companies working minimum wage at the current year and tried hard to get promoted. I did both posts and patrol and hated all of it. A few posts I stayed at for a few years as I was in a remote area and could play video games all night. However, if you want to build a family, and make a relationship work as you move through your 20's things had to change. My last security job I got promoted up the ranks to eventually become Assistant Director at my first salaried position. Once my boss quit (he was the best boss I ever had, also one of the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure of working with) and the new boss moved in I was depressed, dreaded work, would hide out of the office every day, drive off property and hang out (being salaried I was actually allowed to do this, but I made up excuses as to why).

I eventually went to nursing school a few months after that and shortly after my first son was born and now my wife and I are both nurses and I can collect to my heart's content a few times a year when it's budgeted. It was a hard two years. We lost our apartment, my wife's car, and became homeless until we were able to sell her grandmother's home and use the money to move states and that was struggle fighting with her dead-beat siblings and actually get down to business and get it done. We endured the house flooding (I literally almost drowned), and at the very last week before we got the money from her brother into our hands we ran out of gas in our cars (she acquired another one eventually) a week before and were living on her brother's floor of their late grandfather's house for 3 weeks with my first son. Once we moved states she got a job as a nurse and I finished school. We literally barely made it.

Dead end jobs are something everyone goes through and some people either move on or do it for life. Some people like the routine and flow and every day being the same and not like anything changing, which is okay, but it can become self-destructive.

21

General / Re: If you could see 1 cutscene again for the first time, which?

« on: March 04, 2021, 03:06:38 am »

The opening scene in FF8. It was the first FF game I ever played. I traded off a SNES and some games for a few PS1 games (dumb I know, but I was 8 ). That cut scene blew my mind until I become disappointed realizing that scene was pre-rendered. That was also my realization of pre-rendered vs real-time in 3D games.

22

Off Topic / Re: Where Do You Shop For Other Entertainments

« on: March 04, 2021, 03:03:28 am »

Value Village, Goodwill, and Half Price Books for games. I used to collect CDs, but my girlfriend's car was broken into about 10 years ago and all of them were stolen. I wound up throwing all the cases away at the time except collector's editions. I had over 50 CDs at that point, by now I might have a few hundred. I rarely buy music CDs anymore because of that. Just for my favorite artists, like absolute favorite.

I don't buy movies or vinyl because that's another hobby that costs money. I mainly just buy video games when it comes to entertainment.

23

General / Re: How Many Collectors Only Collect What They Enjoy?

« on: March 01, 2021, 09:40:15 pm »

This is me. Money, time, and space are limited for most collector's. I feel if I don't limit myself to only collecting what I want to play I might become a hoarder, and there are hoarder game collector's out there. I don't need every single game ever made, just what I want to play or the few exceptions of a game being a holy grail or something. I don't go for complete sets, and I have other priorities financially so only extra money here and there goes to collecting. I've been collecting for 15 years regularly so what started out as many a few dozens games has turned into about 1,500 or so.

24

Hardware and Tech / Re: What is this Dreamcast memory card?

« on: February 06, 2021, 10:18:54 pm »

Strange. One of many unbranded generic Chinese knock-offs that were sold in-game stores. I remember these for PS1 and PS2 back in the day. When your parents couldn't afford an official memory card these were widely available. I doubt you'll ever find the brand. It was probably some cheap generic blister pack with no name on it. Probably super plain with just "Dreamcast Memory Unit" for less than $10 at the time. I thought I had a generic PS1 mega memory card, but eventually found info on it.

25

General / Re: How Do You Feel About The High Physical Demand For Game Collecting?

« on: February 06, 2021, 10:14:40 pm »

It's annoying for sure. Right now there's a boom in collecting because of COVID and people were so bored they took to collecting retro stuff, especially games. Right now prices are through the roof and I haven't bought a single retro game in the last year. I just recently started collecting again as some platforms have leveled out again, like Game Gear, but I feel physical games will eventually go by the wayside.

It's just part of the times and part of technology evolving. I will always collect physical when I can, but I know one day that won't be possible anymore for the newest systems. It's disappointing, but I'm also not mad. I have my collection of older games that make me happy and I have my slice of video game history. Thanks to us, however, history is being preserved. Lots of people are restoring systems, and the more games end up on shelves in a home the less likely they will end up thrown around in a Goodwill or rotting in someone's basement.

26

Video Game Database Discussion / Re: Why do my submissions keep getting deleted?

« on: February 16, 2020, 02:21:37 pm »

I am trying to add three games to the database. They are:

Noble Racing [PS2, EU]
Summer Athletics [PS2, EU]
Baja Edge of Control [PS3, EU]

But they keep disappearing! I've just added them for a third time - this time with box art and more information to prove these exist - and hope that they stay there. Who is rewsponsible for these deletions because I think they should come forward and apologise.

I just looked these up and there's zero info on the pages. No publisher/developer, no release date, no box text, no barcode. Also, the admins delete these and probably because you weren't following the guidelines more than anything. Also, no one has to apologize, especially if the guidelines weren't followed. Posting is a privelage not a right.

27

General / Re: February 2020 - Recently Added to Collection/Recently Purchased

« on: February 16, 2020, 02:59:06 am »

All games are CIB. I replace the cases for CD jewel case games including the double CD ones. I have a lot of retro games stores in my area so I visit them once a month or two and this month dropped some cash on rare games. I also did some shopping on eBay.

Xbox
*The Godfather: The Game
*The Suffering: Ties that Bind
*Scarface: The World is Yours
*Def Jam: Fight for NY

PS1
*Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors (Longbox)
*Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix
*Championship Motocross 2001 Featuring Ricky Carmichael
*Gran Turismo (Black Label)
*Herc's Adventures
*Clock Tower II
*Rampage: World Tour
*Spyro: Year of the Dragon (Black Label)
*SuperCross Circuit
*Wild Arms 2
*Syphon Filter (Black Label)
*Legend of Mana
*Jet Moto 3 (Black Label)
*Mortal Kombat: Special Forces
*No One Can Stop Mr. Domino
*Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire
*Legend of Legaia (Black Label)


Switch
*Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King [Retro Edition] (Horizontal Box)
*Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

PC
*Bloodrayne (Sealed)

GameBoy
*Mortal Kombat
*Tetris

DS
*The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

PS2
*Micro Machines V4
*Ar Tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica (Premium Edition)
*Echo Night: Beyond

28

Hardware and Tech / Re: PS2 hdmi conversion issues.

« on: February 16, 2020, 02:42:50 am »

The PS2 Pound HDMI cable is what I use and it's awesome. It upscales everything correctly and I haven't run into any issues yet.

29

General / Re: What Room Do You Use As A Game Room/Play Room? Or Setup Discussion

« on: February 16, 2020, 02:35:14 am »

We have a three-bedroom apartment and my wife and I each have our own office. I have a decently large room. I have a 65" TV along one wall, PC table along another, shelving on the third wall, and the fourth has a half-closet and my Mortal Kombat arcade cabinet. It's well organized with all of my rare games mounted on the walls. When we buy a house in the next 12-18 months I'm going to be looking for a basement of some sort to spread out more. I want more arcades and wall space for shelving as my collection is rapidly expanding. I've acquired over 300 games in the last year alone and I'm seriously challenged with organization as I don't want the feeling of clutter. It's well organized and it's a serious challenge.

30

General / Re: Going For Quantity Or Quality In Games

« on: May 12, 2019, 06:34:12 am »

Quality ONLY. That's why I don't have 8,000 games in my collection as some people have. I literally created a Wishlist for only the consoles I want to play and the games that scored high, are the most popular, and hidden gems in a sense. I'm not someone to complete entire console libraries as I will never have the space or money for that. Over the years, my wishlists are pretty small now with just buying new games that come out and I've basically bought up all the common games that are cheap. I will also only buy CIB games and never loose ones including carts. If I stick to these golden rules I won't ever start hoarding. I'd rather spend $300 on a rare game that I will play than 30 cheap games that are $5 each because I just can and it makes my numbers grow. 2 months ago I bought Suikoden II for PS1 at a local game store and that was all I could buy that day instead of a bunch of cheap games just because I don't own them.

Someone stated quantity is hoarding and I agree. If I won't play the game I don't buy so I don't hoard. That's what sets collectors apart from hoarders is we collect, we have a list of items we specifically want, but some people aren't like that.