Games in this video: Fire Emblem - The Scared Stones Metroid Zero Mission Drill Dozer Sword of Mana Shining Soul II Sigma Star Saga Now back to Fire Emblem.
Sigma star saga is such a gem - I don't think the random encounters as schmup section has ever been repeated. The gba has a pretty incredible library of wonky and experimental games on top of a pile of enhanced snes ports.
Illusion of choice is very real. I've grown to despise my near-endless Steam and Switch libraries. I spend so much time with my decision of what to play, I often times give up and don't play anything. I'll give the limited library a shot, Taki!
Idk i usually play the hell out of one game and move on when i complete it as much as possible. I also save games to the favorites section of retroarch if I just want to play something quick that I like. I kinda understand the idea of having too many choices because you can end up just jumping game to game and never really play something through.
That's so true, it's so hard to make up my mind at times that I just seem to waste so much energy thinking about what to play and just endup not playing anything at all
The problem of this is not the illusion of choice, is who made the choice. If you buy a console or netflix or whatever with hundreds or thousands of elements, you have to spend time looking for things that you don't even know if they are there or not. To see what you find in a group of elements that other person put there, not you. So it starts not being personal, and personal value is important. Thats why Taki prefers 3 games in a game boy sp than 1000 in a retrohandheld. On the other hand if you start with 0 elements and you are the one that finds those elements 1 by 1 because you want them there is has no existencial problem. I have a raspberry with like 300 games or even less. I made it myself and put in just the game i physically have or the ones i wanted to play as a child. I have played almost everyone of them. I think that the problem is not in the things itself, its in the reasons people use them for.
SP was so freaking good it hurt. So many memories of commuting to work on the train playing this thing. I fondly remember buying a new 101 model at Kmart as soon as it came out, that was a good purchase!
GBA has a killer library. There's a reason it's so popular to mod old units to upgrade the screens, batteries, etc. Still lots of fun to be had with these games even today
@@TakiUdon you sure did haha But I still liked it.. Suddenly open my eyes a lot more And yes I too suffer from the same problem with both old and new games..mostly because I am a college student + a part time job so there is barely anytime Most of my free time is done here.. On YT Either ways mate keep it up!! Amazing the stuff and the quality you do :)
@@TakiUdon I was playing newer super Mario bros DS on my DS when I realized the left shoulder button wasn't working. I got a controller for my phone to replace it but the SD card with the rom had to be formatted for some reason, meaning I lost the data. Then I got a PS4 Pro for graduating college in 2020, so it's been months since I've used my phone to emulate games, but mostly because Genshin Impact has swallowed all my gaming time. Maybe I'll get a flash card for my old SP that's still lying around, but I'm still in the middle of like nine games across three different console generations. When I get a job, maybe I'll buy the GPD XD, unless you recommend something that's cheaper. Maybe the Poco phone will be cheaper by then. I also home brewed my PS3 super slim so I can play up to SNES and Genesis games.
I don’t typically add bulks of 1000+ games to my handhelds, I just hand pick the ones I have interest in, but even then, sometimes I find myself sticking to the few games I have played before and know I like rather than venturing out and checking out what I haven’t played, making the vast amount of games seem worthless, and the bigger and more diverse the library, the more apparent it becomes, which is kind of counterproductive. Sometimes less is more.
Not gonna lie. This video really hit me this morning. I've been chasing that perfect retro emulation setup and handheld the past few years. While its been fun, I dont feel like I've really been playing the games, like I intended too anyways. Thanks for the perspective Taki.
@@jstan5802 exactly THIS. The more games I *have* the less games I’ll *play* because I literally can’t decide. I also suffer analysis paralysis, where when I actually am playing (particularly RPG’s), I’m faced with too many options-usually when upgrading weapons or amor, or sometimes options for accomplishing tasks-I’ll have anxiety over which option is best and end up putting the game aside for awhile because once again, I couldn’t decide. Some games never got finished because of that. I wish I was a little kid. Ever notice that 8 year olds never care if they make mistakes in a game? They just pick ‘em up and plow through them without worrying about how WELL they’re playing. Sure those kids miss some stuff, but at least they have FUN playing, as opposed to me stressing over not missing any upgrades or not leveling up enough. And in some cases, never even completing the game. The most fun I had playing a game, was one that I was getting so frustrated with, I GOING to give up on it. But just before putting it away, I decided to just mess around with it, not really playing seriously. And because I wasn’t playing “for real”, I ended up playing through the entire game without caring about my choices, and it was so much FUN!
Decision paralysis hits me so hard sometimes. I completely agree that there's some serious magic that happens when you're a kid with limited choice getting really into a game. I struggle to make that magic happen as an adult. I find that making myself just START the game and start playing often helps. But maybe this limited library is the move. Thanks, Taki!
To those struggling with choosing a game to play and end up spending hours looking through your steam library and Rom folders. I recommend doing the 12 in 12 challenge. Pick 12 games that you want to beat in the next 12 months. And each month try to beat at least one game per month. I find this really helps me decide on what to play because I only have 12 options to pick from.
After recently replaying Aria of Sorrow and Metroid:Fusion I’ve come to realize I enjoy these type of simpler games that more than most AAA games out today. Nintendo was magic back in the day and really did handhelds the right way Great video as always
That illusion of choice is absolutely crippling... be it retro games, movies, TV shows, music, or whatever. Having access to everything really allows you to enjoy very little. Definitely treasured my media much more before the internet's total access rolled around.
@@miguelmeyer5869 yo, I'd prefer not to make deals with random people on the internet. I'd rather go through a well-known website like Amazon etc. Thanks though.
The dilemma of adult. You simply don’t have time anymore. For me I’m playing with 2ds right now. Something I can play during lunch break and 10-15 minutes before sleep.
just last month I had a realization about why I wasn't enjoying gaming. I realised that I was pirating a lot of games that I just don't want to play and actually demotivated me from enjoying games. I'd look at a long list of games to play and just feel overwhelmed. it's because of that that now I've started collecting physical games and I've noticed that having a physical attachment to a game makes me enjoy the game much more now. I don't think I could ever go back to digital games for the ones I'm serious about
Agreed, I still get the same feelings I used to when looking at box arts and manuals from the 2000s, even started collecting some GBA games CIB and it’s so much more fulfilling truly owning those games than staring at their name in a long list of games on a flash cart!
this is a pretty cool change of pace considering the bulk of your content is chinese handhelds (and the like). seeing your thoughts on other 1st party ones like a psp would be cool, too!
What a wonderful discussion, and I've asked myself the same question back when I was hooked on old time radio shows. Initially, I had to purchase them a few at a time, and I was actually listening to them as I acquired them. Then the mp3 "revolution" hit, and it was possible to acquire them in large quantities. Guess what happened? I discovered I was spending all of my time in collector mode and not spending much time listening to them. I think the same thing is happening in the board game hobby now, which is where I'm currently at. It seems everybody, including me, is chasing the newest game, then shelving them to purchase the next thing. I do think there's a reason for the appeal of trying to "collect 'em all." When you do have a complete collection, you know that you'll have the ability to immediately try something when you read a review or read a discussion of something you haven't yet played. You won't have to track it down and worry if it becomes impossible to find. That fear of wanting something that suddenly becomes out of stock or massively expensive likely accounts for this need to have everything. These retro devices has brought me back to video games and has, in a very real sense, allowed me to regain the games I've had to discard over the years due to either moving to a new system or the consoles failing. Even though I now have access to a massive library and I am, in fact, trying games I've heard about or was interested in; I find the massive bulk is spent playing games I had already owned and enjoyed. It also allows me to try out those games that I had purchased because I was swept in "gotta buy" mode, but never actually played due to getting the next game. There is a retro gaming handheld I purchased that I really love called the Evercade. This is cartridge based, and the games are licensed. This means that the Evercade is providing me with a limited number of games compared to the other devices with a billions games, but I find that it pushes me to discover games I'd never try. I'm discovering many gems this way. So to wrap up my dissertation (lol), having everything at ones fingertips has its appeal, but having a more filtered selection can inspire you to branch in directions you wouldn't otherwise go.
I grew up with the GBA’s library since our family only owned a very low spec PC even for 2002 standard which could barely run any games, so my only solution was GBA emulation if I really wanted to play more recent games. I played a lot of GBA ports back in the days and grew to love many of them. Until this day the GBA’s library still remains the one which I’ve most extensively exhausted. Near the end of the GBA’s life cycle I finally managed to get hold of a used GBA SP (which turned out to be stolen and I still feel embarrassed by it). That GBA SP was my first handheld ever, and I felt wonderful owning it, but I quickly realized that there weren’t a lot of games for this system that I still wanted to play. I replayed Max Payne and it was a good, but brief experience taken altogether. This was 2006. Eventually I traded it in and transitioned to the DS. I still played some GBA games on it (still vividly remember beating FF6 Advance and concluding that it was the best RPG I’d ever played), but obviously the NDS with its vastly superior graphics had my attention now. I remember my time with the NDS’ library was much more in tune with the release schedule of games, now I could play games right when they came out, on the real hardware. It was a much more direct, hands-on experience. I thought I could say I had moved on from the GBA, but then I went abroad to study and stopped gaming for a while. I’d sold my DS Lite right before I left the country, and didn’t make the transition to the 3DS (at least not yet). My time abroad started out fine, but steadily I was getting depressed. Then it happened. One day it just occurred to me that I wanted to play some GBA again, on real hardware. Went on ebay and found a good deal, a used red SP AGS-001 in good condition with Mario Kart Advance for about 15 euro. I was never a fan of Mario Kart, but somehow it started a spark. I was in love with the GBA again, wanting to give it another go. My financial situation was rather dire back them, and I started peddling used GBAs and GBA games for a living. It was a pretty miserable living, but even now I still feel somewhat proud of the fact that the GBA gave me food for a couple of years. Being older now, I tried to rediscover the entire GBA’s catalogue, hoping for titles I’d missed the first time around due to having a much narrower taste as a kid. I adored my time playing Tactics Ogre, Tactical Star Rebel Command, and other more complex titles. I absolutely loved that I could carry my AGS-101 practically everywhere and play it without any hassle, and I still think that the GBA SP is the best handheld console ever designed. Things gradually got better, and I was ready to close that second chapter of mine with the GBA. I sold my very well-kept 101 for a good price, partially because I was needing money. But I was also ready to say goodbye, I felt like there was no longer anything to play, and the machine had served me long enough. Of course I was wrong. I finally gave in to the cravings to play the 3DS entries of the Phoenix Wright series and bought a New 3DS XL in 2017, firmly declaring that it was gonna be the last gaming device I’d ever buy. The principal reason for that declaration was that I never transitioned to HD gaming. Things were now too realistic-looking, in an unnecessary way. I personally could never feel the difference in terms of graphical presentation between a PS3 and PS5 game. It wouldn’t matter to me anyway. Being so late into the 3DS scene, I was absolutely floored by what it could do in terms of emulation. It was my introduction to the concept of legacy devices, and I loaded it with every system it could emulate, alongside with other DS and 3DS titles that it natively supported. There were literally thousand of games that I would be able to play on it. I would never need another gaming machine (progress towards very functional PSX emulation last year kinda completed the circle for me), and the urge to build a personal ultimate legacy device led me once again back to the GBA’s library. I dug as deep as I ever could, in fear of missing out on something in my third try. On my 3DS now still sit about a dozen of GBA games. I guess it’ll never let me go. Which explains why I’m toying around with the idea of buying another SP for cheap. Doesn’t have to be a 101, they’re hard to find since I’m back in my home country again. But that machine, man, as long as I have a pocket it can travel with me, wherever it wants.
As someone who has modified every handheld I've ever owned, I quickly encountered the illusion of choice. Waaaaaay back when, I used to pump my PSP with full rom sets for NES, GBA, Genesis, gameboy and SNES. Often I would spend more time sifting through menus than I did playing games. I realized 99% of those games I never played and always just went with the handful of games I've enjoyed or had a strong urge to try out. Now, on any emulation device or handheld that I can install native games to, I limit my libraries. My modified Switch contains only Switch games and any retro games that facilitate fun multiplayer games with friends as it's a system I like taking to friends houses. My 3DS has only 3ds games installed that I enjoy to play. My PSP is only PSP games I enjoy. My SNES/PlayStation classics are filled with only their respective games that I enjoy. My Vita has both only vita games that I enjoy plus retroarch with a handful of titles of each retro system as my dedicated portable emulation machine. Gives each device more reason to own and play without feeling overwhelmed with 15 different devices all containing the same 20,000 rom sets installed.
As a fellow Switch modder, I've gotta say I agree with this. Only keep the games you've played or intend to play. The highlights, the good stuff, the things you actually want to play again. Especially on Erista units, where you've only got 3-5 hours to play with on battery, don't waste that time playing trash.
I have a new 3ds modded, i have like 7 games installed, and still cant decide what to play 😂 i just modded my ps vita, with one game i been having a lot of fun, i dont even touch my 3ds anymore. On my ps4 i have a lot games that i bought because they were on flash sale, there are some of them that i just bought but never downloaded, and others that i did, but dont play it, because i have too much to play that i dont have time to play everything. Now on my pc, i have a lot of games too, that i havent touch in a while, and when i do i just play them for a couple minutes because i get bored, thats crazy
I have an SP with an upgraded third party screen and it's amazing. The emulation handhelds are interesting but somehow I don't see myself buying one because I know they will end up in a drawer. The SP is on the nightstand and gets regular use. Also, don't fear reshelling - there's some really great quality shells out there today.
When you have so many games to play it all feels antagonising- you try old games you liked but as you said as a child you only liked it because you had essentially infinite time to get used to it but as an adult it's too time consuming- I suffer the same problems
@@TakiUdon yh it happens to me regularly and when you have no real free time it's a bit annoying just wanting have fun and play something- it's weird man
This is why I play primarily Retro Games instead of Modern Games. Besides you can make this argument for gaming in general not just a system or Retro Gaming.
In my opinion I believe real hardware is the way to go for stuff like this. All those handhelds or flash carts that play games are more likely emulations (not sure about the flash carts) but theres just something really nice about having a collection of physical games you can just pop in the system and play, and it would reduce the constant thought of "what game should I get next what game should I get next??"
Real hardware all day long apart from a nice new screen. Unless it’s the 101 then I wouldn’t change the screen but they was never released in the uk so that’s that lol
your philosophical viewpoints in this video are spot on. always out there trying to save 3 dollars to find out the games of my childhood don't hold up, but it doesn't matter because i have a long list of games i'll never play instead.
You hit on the conundrum that anyone watching your channel has. I find myself organizing my library and adding/deleting games more often than actually playing them. I hate that about myself. As someone in their 30s and with a family of my own, I am at the point where I know what I like to play, meaning it is unlikely for me to discover a genre of games that I haven’t tried (outside of VR). I spend breaks looking for games that are “like” my favorites of all-time, and see what gems out of that genre I can find. I’m really glad you brought this up and can relate. I’m not the engineer you are, but love your passion and content.
Speaking from Brazil here. I had a ton of handhelds... And I actually end up thinking the same. Today I own a powkiddy q20 and only have one gba game to play on it. It's nice seeing someone from the other side of the planet thinking the same. Thanks for all your content. Huge fan here :)
I was in high school when the gba and SP were released so it was one of the first systems I bought and spent my own money on. I was traveling a lot and it made plane and car trips a dream, plus the backwards compatibility is really great. I could go to gamestop or EB games and get a game with each paycheck and play and enjoy where ever. A few years back I picked up a Revo K101 and the screen in comparison is so nice and it feels great to hold and play. The shoulder buttons are a little wibbly but its a nice addition to my gba collection.
4:25 It's actually called "the paradox of choice" in psychology. Basically, when we're presented with a lot of choices, we tend to be overwhelmed by the amount of choice. We'd stressed about the decision-making process too much and whatever we end up choose makes us less satisfied. So we really need to ignore the game we won't really play.
The video was almost philosophical. Thanks for your thoughts! Sometimes I would also spent hours NOT being able to decide, what to play. It seems that in some instances it can be a relief to not have the ability to chose, so one can focus more.
Hahah, had to buy so much game gear/systems in order to realize that buying them won't buy me extra time to actually finish those games! This as of now I find incredibly silly but I'm still glad I did come into this conclusion as it saves me a whole lot of money. Right now I am having my PS4/3DS/Switch/PC with last 2 taking care of 90% of my gaming needs. And I do a variation of your limited library trick: basically I just have around 3 games to play by myself (which almost always consist of one tryhard and one casual production). Then there's 2-3 games that I only play in multi (one with GF another with "them boyz"). The only time I do change them is when I either complete or consciously say "okay, I won't finish this production". Extra tip? If you can, just buy games for your library instead of downloading them - not only you do support developer but you get invested into game just by watching reviews and spending YOUR ACTUAL MONEY. Plus if you limit your library you actually won't spend much :)
Illusion of choice is real. I tend to finish 25 games per year yet my backlog of games continues to grow due to sales. I’ll never be able to finish my backlog. Excellent video.
I've already found this to be the case when I dug my old Gameboy out. I had about 5 or 6 games on it and they really do mostly stand the test of time because of how limited the choice is, and because how quick it is to boot them up from off power. Many games have no save state, so they are designed to be played right away without much repetitive needless story exposition/narrative. No trashy p2w or advert ridden games. No much needless filler, because again it's designed to be replayed frequently without save states, and so the gameplay is very meaty right from the get go - albeit simple and cut dry. The GBA has far more save state games as standard compared to the Gameboy classic, but is still at the point where most games are designed with the old style of pick-up-and-play within minutes.
Oh, I exactly think the same. I have only 4-5 games on my gba sp, fire emblem, fantasia, gekido, kirby and sonic. Yeah, it didn't cost cheap for its authenticity, but still I am happy with this. Because I always end up spending lots of time to choose what to play.
I feel the same 😅 so many games and handhelds and so little time. Also, I tend to get lost in old RPGs, when I pick them up weeks later. Like, where was I going? 🤔🤣🤣
Yeah, I've had that "illusion of choice". That is why I only load games I know I want to play and nothing else as opposed to just throwing on every single game ever.
I really agree with that illusion of choice point in the video. Sometimes it is good to limit ourselves on the games we play so we can stop wasting time on deciding what to play. Awesome review!
Appreciate exactly where you are coming from with the 'so much choice, so I choose nothing" conundrum. Buying original carts is also a good way of reducing choice and encouraging enjoyment of particular titles... Since you have invested real money into something, the desire to stick at it is higher than a flashcart full of options.
I’ve definitely felt the illusion of choice. I recently made a modded 3DS my carry handheld of choice and filled it with games, just to play the same three Pokémon games / rom hacks every time I get a chance to use it
What a unique review. I have illusion of choice when there are so many great games in my library ( should have bought 1 game at a time but i always buy many games on sale)
Another term for "illusion of choice" that I like: analysis paralysis. Every time I start a new game on my emulator handhelds I think maybe I've made a bad choice and might enjoy another game more, so I abandon it quickly, overthink which one to play next, start another, rinse and repeat. It's time to break that habit. I'm with you on that, Taki.
I owned a SP as a kid and loved it (still have it). There were amazing games on that system too. I might take your route on that with a flash cart for it. As for that illusion of choice, it is super real between several places to play games and just now getting into emulation, then family and work, yeah gaming time is space. Limited to an hour or two a day if I give up some sleep
Choice Paralysis is a real thing, and I first encountered it years ago, when I purchased my first DS flashcart. Sure, you can have Game Boy, NES and GBC Fullsets and still have tons of room for the latest and greatest in DS... but then you just don't know what to play. It's a life lesson, and I'm glad other people are talking about it because it has been my mentality for emulation devices ever since - stick to a few of your absolute favourites, and then a few games you've thought "hey, maybe I'll check this out"; and you feel way more motivated to actually play, and more importantly finish, the titles you have to hand.
Great points on the illusion of choice! I think there's a parallel illusion, that of cutting edge. I have a GPD Win Max that plays the games I like. I'm super excited for a more powerful Win Max down the line, but why? Will it play more games that I actually care about? No. Will it drastically improve the experience I'm already getting? No. Same thing with your Gameboy here. It fits your use case better than other devices. No need for an upgrade!
You described very perfectly one of the biggest issues I have gaming these days as an adult in my 30s. I grew up with only the few games and consoles we could afford or my friends would have. I started watching your channel during a time when I was thirsty for the retro experience and my love of older console gaming. I bought my wife and I both Pocket-Go's to enjoy retro gaming and I quickly loaded it with nearly every game possible. I went so far as to build an entire Launchbox/BigBox arcade emulator with multiple consoles and every game for each console. I often find myself browsing games for longer periods of time than I am spending actually gaming. I own a Gameboy Micro... and really GBA/GB games are an excellent focus point.. Maybe I will try as you suggest and see if I find myself gaming more. I also just find myself questioning if this is also just the effects of growing older... /shrug anyways, great video that made me think! I always appreciate your detail. Thank you
I always loved the clam shell of the SP and wanted one but it came out around when I graduated HS and was told to go get a job right out of the gate so SP went on the back burner lol. I kinda forgot about it and wound up getting a DS instead the next year. Ah now I remember why I didn't get the SP later that year it's because I bought a Nokia NGage that year instead when that came out at my local Gamestop(EB Games then). That actually started an expensive fascination I started to get with Nokia camera phones. One of these days I'll get around to getting an SP just to have on display but I'm still pretty happy with what my Vita and Steam Deck can do so I guess im in no rush. Till then I guess I'll live vicariously through You, Metal Jesus, and Retro Game Crops videos 😁
A very good point indeed. I still own a Gameboy, a gba sp, a dsi a 3ds and a switch and I really enjoyed the Gameboy, the gba sp and the dsi the most for exactly the same reasons.
I agree completely!!! We got entire libraries of games and we could never realistically play them all, I feel the same as you that I would enjoy having just one or two games on a device to play instead of having thousands because I would enjoy each game so much more than I do now. When you have thousands of games at your fingertips it becomes impossible to enjoy a single game because if it's not perfect you can just change the game and you'll never be satisfied
I’ve actually got the same experience as you, I’ve always downloaded huge rom sets to try and play and collect all the games to realize I’m only playing 5 or 6 tops, so recently I just started looking into games for classic systems that were really good and just playing those as opposed to getting everything I can find
My favorite handheld. Tattoo'd on my arm even. The illusion of choice has been a struggle for me, too. It's easy to start a game, drop it, and move on to another when you have a huge library to choose from. Also I'm in my late 30's and like you mentioned, time is a premium. What helped me was simple: use a walkthrough. It prevents me from hitting that valley of despair where I don't know what to do and eventually lose interest. I'm now 40+ hours into a JRPG I always wanted to play and never once felt the "ehh I'm sick of this game". Close to wrapping it up and have a few others on deck, so no digging thru the library!
Limitation of choice does make you appreciate what you have. I notice when I play my rg350 the glut of games it has makes it hard to choose ONE among the sea of choices of consoles and games. When I was a kid I had an original GBA and I remember religiously playing a game, even one I didn't like, until I eventually did enjoy it because I only had 2-3 to choose from. Thanks for the great content. Your channel helped me get back into gaming after a years long hiatus!
This is lovely. We managed to get a Zelda themed SP a while ago for a bargain £25 and it's still amazing. I recently put together a GPi too and decided to only make it 16gb this time. As a low powered device I decided to play to its strengths and not go crazy on full sets of games. I wanted it to run 8 and 16 bit really well, with a few classic arcade games, and the classic handhelds. I put a slight overclock in it for GBA and it's awesome. Much nicer than putting full sets of thousands of games on.
I still have mine. I recently got to get the 101 back light version as well as watching how to fix handhelds and controllers. Love the SP. It's true that there are a lot of games that I haven't had time to play, due to being an adult and growing. I remember The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap, A Link to The Past, The Super Mario Bros. Series and Super Mario Advance Games and Mario and Luigi Series. Hopefully, the games come to the future as well. XD These games are what made them wonderful now.
I feel ya. I collected for a fraction of their original price many consoles I couldn't have as a kid and while I love modding them only a few gets played regularly by me and family. A small selection of good games and ease of use are really all you need.
Man you hit on the spot. As you get older you do realize time is finite. I sold my ps4, switch and recently hacked vita. I still watch videos about video games but don’t partake in it. I tried several times to get back in but often feel unsatisfied.
i have the same problem collecting retro games. i have more than enough games for me to play for the next 3 years just on the saturn alone and my other consoles have as much or more
SP was one of the devices I had as a child. As for the illusion of choice I get that with all my systems these days as digital library is huge at the moment.
Wow, this really hit home. As a kid I loved every game I could get my hands on and when I was younger I was excited about emulation. But now it seems that choice has devalued my interest in playing games because of how easy it is to obtain. Bro, youre absolutely right, and playing the game on its original system does make it seem more valued. Although I'd actually opt for the actual copy if possible though. Good video man.
To add on, recently I sat down and played video games 8 hours a day for 2 weeks. I had contracted covid and had to go quarantine. Knowing I'd be there for an eternity I decided to let go of all my responsibilities of work, school and other things. It was the best two weeks I had in years. Time is valuable, but not enjoying life because you feel like youre on a schedule is also a waste of time. Just my own words lol.
The GBA SP was my entire childhood. But I’ve always loved the form factor and look of the GB color. So I did the boxy pixel unhinged mod, and now it’s perfect. I play it everyday, even over my switch lite.
I completely agree with the illusion of choice causing a hold up in the gaming process. I have 2 GBA sp's from my childhood that I still use way more frequently than my RG351P.
Great video, Taki! Had this realization recently too. Free time is valuable/rare with the added responsibilities of adulthood and it's crazy how much time I/we wasted on such utter crap lol. Whenever I consume media now, whether that be games, movies, TV, I want that experience to be meaningful/enriching in some way. The GBA SP is really easily my fave handheld of all time with such a classic form factor. I put so much time into playing Fire Pro Advance and other games. I really need to dig into finding where I put that thing.
Before buying the Nintendo Switch Lite, I attempted to repair my Gameboy Advance SP. But unfortunately found it was its time to go to electronic waste… I just really wanted to play Donkey Kong Country , Pokémon Emerald, and Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga, ext…). I really wish that Nintendo made all their previous games for older consoles (GB, GBA, and GBA SP.) available for download on the switch- since I’m not techy’ like everyone else. In all honesty, these games I remember had their creators heart and soul poured into their games. Seeing this pop up on my recommendations reminded me of how much more I loved those games instead of something “shiny and new” .And that often the perspective of newer things brings into assumption that they are better than something older- when it is not always the case. I really liked this video, I hope you make more content like this on your channel. I truly relate to how you feel about the. “More isn’t always better” view on games. I feel that they aren’t just for the entertainment but, their storytelling qualities and thought processes your put through to move forward in the game. It builds up your mind with clever puzzles , while being fun at the same time. (Sorry for the lengthy comment.)
I had a SP growing up, and in my late teens I worked in a factory. Time was limited. I relentlessly played both FE Sacred Stones and Advance Wars 1/2 in my lunch breaks and toilet breaks, it got me through a dark period of my life precisly because of how pick-up and play it is. I still have all my handhelds, currently using Odriod Go Advance, but since the shouldr button gave out I'm thinking about upgrading to either the Retroid Pocket 2 Funtastic Collection, or ANBERNIC RG351V. I know the illusion of choice problem well, it's become that bad with my steam as well as all my roms. My trick is to just play games my friends love that I've not played. As an example, I love Crono Cross but I've never played Crono Trigger, so I'll play that soon. You're absolutly correct, if you put less onto the flash cards, the easier it is to choose. Lastly, even if I have games from GB all the way up to PSP, the most enjoyment as a whole seems to be in the GBA era.
Taki, you hit the nail on the head with the finite time theory, i feel another such conundrum with buying things for a hobby or activity that i plan to do.. kinda hoarding kinda lack of time, i feel it too.
I dont own a handheld anymore, even though i owned some, but i do put only one or two roms at a time on disk to play on emulators because of this thing you speak of. I enjoy it more :)
Yes! Exactly why I went and purchased a GBA SP instead of a modern 3DS XL to hack and download roms. Limiting myself only to GBA games for its own device is what I grew up loving.
This man is correct, the only two handhelds i switch on these days on the semi regular, are my ds lite, and my gba sp with this amazing triple loading gamecart system i got years ago, which also gives it a bit more heft, as well as being a lot more durable for on the go!
Not the video I was expecting, but worthwhile. It is a real thing to be overwhelmed by choices. People have studied this kind of psychology. There are areas in life where having many choices is good. It's good to have options for cars, food, electronics, home goods, etc. And those choices could overwhelm some. The problem with situations where there are few choices is we are sometimes left without good choices. It is a balancing act and we have to be honest with ourselves. There is so much more on TV now than there was when it was just over-the-air stations. Now, there are original internet TV-style shows. There is TH-cam. It is too much choice, and easy to go down a rabbit hole. But the good thing is it is also easy to recognize that there's no way to watch everything that interests you, which makes it easy to not try. With TV and movies, I have observed some of the highest levels of novelty seeking and fear of missing out. Games are similar because there are all kinds of new games, in addition to old games that are available. It's easy to get too deep in acquiring games rather than enjoying them. There is a balance between discovery of new games and enjoying our old favorites. For me, the first step is to realize that I can't possibly keep up with all the retro-style modern games I may like. I favor retro-style over thoroughly-modern games at this point. I also realized that I usually prefer actual retro games over newer ones. I'm careful about trying new games even on old systems. I don't go looking for new games for the novelty of it. At this point, I need to know more about the game. But I'm glad I tried some obscure games that were in a style I liked, as some of those became new favorites. But as you say, too much choice can be overwhelming. The defense against that is some kind of focus, but that is easier said than done, but it is up to us to do it and take control. Interesting to hear your thoughts here. GBA is a fun system and I really enjoyed it when it was current. I never did have an SP, however.
What you're saying here would definitely shake the foundation of my OCD. What I use to do is read an old gaming magazine like EGM or GamePro, act like I pay for a game from there (by placing the money it used to cost into a deposit account - online) after which I play that game for as long as I can. Want to play another one? Move another chunk of money. But that attitude will leave me "bankrupt" in no time, so I better choose wisely :). For a more real effect "pay" by calculating the inflation also (you will find those calculators online).
I recently bought an original GBA and flashcart. I have 52 games on there, and that works for me. I do agree with your points of single purpose devices, they facilitate a state of intention and focus that I feel has been lost in this modern age. I have a backlit screen and custom shell on the way to enhance the experience. I would like to have an SP, but as much as I love the form factor, I like the original a bit more(it was my first console, so it does have a soft spot for me).
Completely agree on the illusion of choice. I buy so many games now but finishing anything is a chore. I wanna play EVERYTHING but I often find myself trying as much as possible to limit myself and my spending habits, lol. Sometimes we forget how it actually was to game as a kid. Back then I would mostly play Pokémon over and over and any new games I would buy I would play through to the end...but that's the thing, I couldn't afford to get more than ONE game a year if any and I only owned a GBA. Sure my sisters had a PS1 and a NES but those also had few games or couldn't always be set up at all times. So in the end I really mostly played on my gameboy, save for the times I managed to play Crash Bandicoot 2 or Tekken 3.
That is a very good solution, I have few games and still get this ansiety... Having only 3 seems way better, I'll try it. Also, I weeded out games that I "felt" I had to play, but didn't have fun at all playing. Or didn't have fun enough to justify the time investment. Older games really "disrespect" your time with pointless padding and/or unfair challenge that was based on commercial needs, not game design. Games had to be hard enough that renting them for a weekend wouldn't be enough, so that you had to buy them. People hype so many games that I NEVER liked, and I just "forced" myself to play since the game was "so good" and I just needed to play some more to get into it. That was wrong in many levels... It was painful to delete games that took time to download and organize, but I'm happier now. Thanks for the video
You’ve really hit the nail on the head. I’ve been obsessing over my first emulator console. But in the end I’m probably going to choose 5 GBA games that I enjoy and play those on rotation until I feel like a change. Rg351m vs RP2?... who actually cares!
That's one of the reasons I like curating my games list. I've realized I play games a lot more, when I have less to pick from. I'd play a system with 5-10 games at any given time, compared to next to none for a system with thousands. Even with steam, I just decide, these are the games I want to play in a given week/month, and I'll play the games more than if I had my full library to decide from.
Just a fun tidbit: The "illusion of choice" described in this video is actually an observed phenomena called "Analysis Paralysis" or "Choice Paralysis" that occurs when there are too many options in a given scenario to choose from. Everyone suffers from this phenomena every now and then, but I feel like as a gamer it happens so much more.
Awesome video! I couldn't agree more with your points. Having endless amount of choice definitely robs you from getting invested in games... Even the top-tier ones. I have a PC, Switch, New 3DS XL (modded with emulators), PS Vita, Nintendo DS, GBA, Dreamcast, XBOX, Gamecube, Wii, WiiU, Amiga 1200 and around ~1500+ games. And the unfortunate fact is that I seldomly find a game that I get deeply invested in anymore (Like I did back in the days when I had time, but no money). I love playing retro games, I curiously explore new games, and I love playing my current favorites. But the issue is, I play a tiny bit of everything which reduces the value of the hobby I love. I will actually take your recommendation of dedicating myself to a few games from now in. Perhaps even uninstalling (or stashing away) the ones I am not currently playing.
Hi Taki! Thanks for the video! It is funny, a year ago I bought a non-working Game Boy Advance SP AGS-001. I've never previously owned a Game Boy. As a matter of fact I was going to buy something from your reviews. But I ended up with an idea to buy an original retro handheld. Because when I was a kid I could only dream about playing Game Boy (original) as it was too expensive in my country. And with Advance SP can play not only original GB games but also titles from GB Color and GB Advance. And it has a cool foldable case as a mobile phone from the 00's. So I've got a gameboy with a fried motherboard and a beaten up case with no charger. I bought an original motherboard, IPS screen, LiPo battery to change the original one, a couple OEM case shells, USB charging cable and a flash cartridge. As you did, I left the original shabby case as it still looks cool and sturdy, changed motherboard, battery and screen. New IPS screen is great and I like it, as it has no visible ghosting and the picture is bright and vivid. But it sure reduces battery life which is not a problem for me. Now I can occasionally play some NES games, I was going to replay for many years. As well as some GBA games. Can agree that as a grown up we have little free time so it doesn't matter if the game console has all games in the world or not.
My favorite handheld for gaming so far has been a modded new 2DS XL. The library is huge but not overwhelming. Great emulation, native GBA playback (not emulation) on top of the entire DS/3DS library. With a pretty great battery life as well
The Game Boy Advance is one of the best systems of all time in my opinion. I have a GBA SP with a IPS screen mod and a replacement housing. I scored a front lit SP from a retro shop for about 20 bucks. The original housing was heavily damaged. It has a hole drilled through it and a very swollen battery. Swollen to the point that the battery cover was permanently bowed out. I've restored to it's former glory and then some. I was also able to make new batteries for the system thanks to another youtuber that goes by Makho. I have had gameboys since I was a little kid. They're a big part of my life and I still play gameboy games to this very day. I'll probably still be playing these games until the day I die.
Back in the mid 2000's I had a flash cart mainly because I wanted to play NES games on the go. Before phones had emulation, it was a dream come true. After that, I'd use my gba and flash cart for general portable gaming, and I'd do this even until the early years of the 2010s. I get what you mean by downloading too much and having way too much to choose from, opposed to getting some core games you know you want to play. It wastes a lot of time if you try to decide to play a random game to try something new, when you really don't even know if you like it.
The illusion of choice but really hits home for me. I own probably around 3000 games between the various PC storefronts, plus a load of emulated games. I spend 90% of my gaming time scrolling my library trying to decide what to play.
Great video!! I agree that having too many game on a device is overwhelming. That is why I liked the mini consoles as well cause they give a small selection of games which let's me focus on the games provided.
I only ever had a NES, a N64 and very few games for each, which you could almost count with one hand (games were very expensive for us). So I've been emulating consoles since early 2000's; I can relate very well with your experience about restricted access to slow speed internet, so I did play the roms I downladed. I could only afford my first gaming laptop with my own money until 2015, and be finally able to play PC games and emulate latter consoles. Also I never had a portable console, so when I got my GPD XD, I was ecstatic; then I got both GPD Win 1 and 2 and had a blast... but it was then indeed, with my gaming laptop and GPDs, that I encountered the illusion of choice you talk about for the first time. Now I have LOTS of unfinished or even barely played games in my collection, including PC games that I did pay for. I still want all or most of my games to be accesible in one or two devices; but it could be a good a idea to implement a sort of hierarchy system among them, and commit myself to finish them in order.
This was a really great video, I like your point regarding illusion of choice and I agree with you. The fact is you have no nostalgic bias is also a great plus. I honestly prefer the GBA SP over the original GBA because it's more comfortable to use in any situation, like sitting or laying down due to the hinge system. I have small hands and the original gba made my hands cramp and my fingers would go numb after a while. Maybe that's a health condition but I still prefer the SP hands down, and I only owned the original GBA as a kid and never had an SP.
Games in this video:
Fire Emblem - The Scared Stones
Metroid Zero Mission
Drill Dozer
Sword of Mana
Shining Soul II
Sigma Star Saga
Now back to Fire Emblem.
Bruh I just got a gba sp yesterday coincidence I think not
Fire Emblem Sacred Stone- a banger game
Sigma star saga is such a gem - I don't think the random encounters as schmup section has ever been repeated. The gba has a pretty incredible library of wonky and experimental games on top of a pile of enhanced snes ports.
Forgot astro boy: omega factor - one of my favorite gba games as a child :)
Thank you!
Illusion of choice is very real. I've grown to despise my near-endless Steam and Switch libraries. I spend so much time with my decision of what to play, I often times give up and don't play anything. I'll give the limited library a shot, Taki!
That's how I feel about Netflix and similar streaming apps
Idk i usually play the hell out of one game and move on when i complete it as much as possible. I also save games to the favorites section of retroarch if I just want to play something quick that I like. I kinda understand the idea of having too many choices because you can end up just jumping game to game and never really play something through.
@@VegasDiz Netflix - 2h of browsing and no time to watch anything.
That's so true, it's so hard to make up my mind at times that I just seem to waste so much energy thinking about what to play and just endup not playing anything at all
The problem of this is not the illusion of choice, is who made the choice. If you buy a console or netflix or whatever with hundreds or thousands of elements, you have to spend time looking for things that you don't even know if they are there or not. To see what you find in a group of elements that other person put there, not you. So it starts not being personal, and personal value is important. Thats why Taki prefers 3 games in a game boy sp than 1000 in a retrohandheld.
On the other hand if you start with 0 elements and you are the one that finds those elements 1 by 1 because you want them there is has no existencial problem. I have a raspberry with like 300 games or even less. I made it myself and put in just the game i physically have or the ones i wanted to play as a child. I have played almost everyone of them.
I think that the problem is not in the things itself, its in the reasons people use them for.
SP was so freaking good it hurt. So many memories of commuting to work on the train playing this thing. I fondly remember buying a new 101 model at Kmart as soon as it came out, that was a good purchase!
GBA has a killer library. There's a reason it's so popular to mod old units to upgrade the screens, batteries, etc. Still lots of fun to be had with these games even today
Fully agree. I think the simplicity of these games both graphically and in the way they control made them age really well.
I’m dead serious... I love it because it’s small and square.
The fact that the SP folds into a tiny brick is one of my favorite things about it, honestly.
Look up Funkey S
@@tysonharrison2566 it’s not the same, it’s way too small to be practical.
I have my childhood GBA SP and can still picture a memory on Christmas day when I got it using it :)
I gave mine away
Same here, SpongeBob GBA SP and my first game on it was DragonBall Z: Buu's Fury!
Mine was a NES edition SP and remember how amazing the frontlight was. Got an AGS-101 later but back then any light was a treat.
I remember getting and using mine on Christmas too. Amazing device
I got mine on my 4th birthday (almost 20 years ago). I still play it. One of the best presents I ever got.
Damn.. A GBA review turned into philosophy mid vid and now I am questioning my existence..
It did get deep there with no warning.
@@TakiUdon you sure did haha
But I still liked it.. Suddenly open my eyes a lot more
And yes I too suffer from the same problem with both old and new games..mostly because I am a college student + a part time job so there is barely anytime
Most of my free time is done here.. On YT
Either ways mate keep it up!! Amazing the stuff and the quality you do :)
@@TakiUdon I was playing newer super Mario bros DS on my DS when I realized the left shoulder button wasn't working. I got a controller for my phone to replace it but the SD card with the rom had to be formatted for some reason, meaning I lost the data. Then I got a PS4 Pro for graduating college in 2020, so it's been months since I've used my phone to emulate games, but mostly because Genshin Impact has swallowed all my gaming time. Maybe I'll get a flash card for my old SP that's still lying around, but I'm still in the middle of like nine games across three different console generations. When I get a job, maybe I'll buy the GPD XD, unless you recommend something that's cheaper. Maybe the Poco phone will be cheaper by then. I also home brewed my PS3 super slim so I can play up to SNES and Genesis games.
@@TakiUdon can the gba sp play game boy advance games and gba color games too ?
@@MariaChristinaFritch yes
I came for the GBA SP reminiscing and ended up with an existential crisis.
Wanna go halfsies on therapy? Or do we send Taki the bill directly?
I did the exact thing
I don’t typically add bulks of 1000+ games to my handhelds, I just hand pick the ones I have interest in, but even then, sometimes I find myself sticking to the few games I have played before and know I like rather than venturing out and checking out what I haven’t played, making the vast amount of games seem worthless, and the bigger and more diverse the library, the more apparent it becomes, which is kind of counterproductive. Sometimes less is more.
sometimes its easier just to pick the soda you like than to try new soda
@@ThePinkHellionwe’re talking about video games here hellion
The android problem and why people chose iPhones
Not gonna lie. This video really hit me this morning. I've been chasing that perfect retro emulation setup and handheld the past few years. While its been fun, I dont feel like I've really been playing the games, like I intended too anyways.
Thanks for the perspective Taki.
Dudeee, why does this happen? Is there any way to avoid it?
I have absolutely wasted hours trying to pick a game.
And ended not playing at all
@@jstan5802 exactly THIS. The more games I *have* the less games I’ll *play* because I literally can’t decide. I also suffer analysis paralysis, where when I actually am playing (particularly RPG’s), I’m faced with too many options-usually when upgrading weapons or amor, or sometimes options for accomplishing tasks-I’ll have anxiety over which option is best and end up putting the game aside for awhile because once again, I couldn’t decide. Some games never got finished because of that.
I wish I was a little kid. Ever notice that 8 year olds never care if they make mistakes in a game? They just pick ‘em up and plow through them without worrying about how WELL they’re playing.
Sure those kids miss some stuff, but at least they have FUN playing, as opposed to me stressing over not missing any upgrades or not leveling up enough. And in some cases, never even completing the game.
The most fun I had playing a game, was one that I was getting so frustrated with, I GOING to give up on it. But just before putting it away, I decided to just mess around with it, not really playing seriously. And because I wasn’t playing “for real”, I ended up playing through the entire game without caring about my choices, and it was so much FUN!
Same I have a ton of actual physical games in my collection that I will never get to.
@Marco Pino Doesn’t matter if you’re a kid or a 40 yr old adult. Analysis paralysis is real. And a huge joy-killer. Lol.
Decision paralysis hits me so hard sometimes. I completely agree that there's some serious magic that happens when you're a kid with limited choice getting really into a game. I struggle to make that magic happen as an adult. I find that making myself just START the game and start playing often helps. But maybe this limited library is the move. Thanks, Taki!
To those struggling with choosing a game to play and end up spending hours looking through your steam library and Rom folders. I recommend doing the 12 in 12 challenge. Pick 12 games that you want to beat in the next 12 months. And each month try to beat at least one game per month.
I find this really helps me decide on what to play because I only have 12 options to pick from.
After recently replaying Aria of Sorrow and Metroid:Fusion I’ve come to realize I enjoy these type of simpler games that more than most AAA games out today. Nintendo was magic back in the day and really did handhelds the right way
Great video as always
yep and they still are
That illusion of choice is absolutely crippling... be it retro games, movies, TV shows, music, or whatever. Having access to everything really allows you to enjoy very little. Definitely treasured my media much more before the internet's total access rolled around.
I remember playing Pokémon emerald on this, I even had the guidebook. Totally would buy one to experience that again
Buy a modified one with a led screen
I still have mine, been looking for my charger for years. Swear I started a new emerald save :(
@@BONESBRUH You can buy third party chargers on amazon
Hi I'm willing to sell my Nintendo advance sp with my pokemon emerald game
@@miguelmeyer5869 yo, I'd prefer not to make deals with random people on the internet. I'd rather go through a well-known website like Amazon etc. Thanks though.
The dilemma of adult. You simply don’t have time anymore. For me I’m playing with 2ds right now. Something I can play during lunch break and 10-15 minutes before sleep.
just last month I had a realization about why I wasn't enjoying gaming. I realised that I was pirating a lot of games that I just don't want to play and actually demotivated me from enjoying games. I'd look at a long list of games to play and just feel overwhelmed. it's because of that that now I've started collecting physical games and I've noticed that having a physical attachment to a game makes me enjoy the game much more now. I don't think I could ever go back to digital games for the ones I'm serious about
Same man
Agreed, I still get the same feelings I used to when looking at box arts and manuals from the 2000s, even started collecting some GBA games CIB and it’s so much more fulfilling truly owning those games than staring at their name in a long list of games on a flash cart!
this is a pretty cool change of pace considering the bulk of your content is chinese handhelds (and the like). seeing your thoughts on other 1st party ones like a psp would be cool, too!
What a wonderful discussion, and I've asked myself the same question back when I was hooked on old time radio shows. Initially, I had to purchase them a few at a time, and I was actually listening to them as I acquired them. Then the mp3 "revolution" hit, and it was possible to acquire them in large quantities. Guess what happened? I discovered I was spending all of my time in collector mode and not spending much time listening to them. I think the same thing is happening in the board game hobby now, which is where I'm currently at. It seems everybody, including me, is chasing the newest game, then shelving them to purchase the next thing. I do think there's a reason for the appeal of trying to "collect 'em all." When you do have a complete collection, you know that you'll have the ability to immediately try something when you read a review or read a discussion of something you haven't yet played. You won't have to track it down and worry if it becomes impossible to find. That fear of wanting something that suddenly becomes out of stock or massively expensive likely accounts for this need to have everything. These retro devices has brought me back to video games and has, in a very real sense, allowed me to regain the games I've had to discard over the years due to either moving to a new system or the consoles failing. Even though I now have access to a massive library and I am, in fact, trying games I've heard about or was interested in; I find the massive bulk is spent playing games I had already owned and enjoyed. It also allows me to try out those games that I had purchased because I was swept in "gotta buy" mode, but never actually played due to getting the next game. There is a retro gaming handheld I purchased that I really love called the Evercade. This is cartridge based, and the games are licensed. This means that the Evercade is providing me with a limited number of games compared to the other devices with a billions games, but I find that it pushes me to discover games I'd never try. I'm discovering many gems this way. So to wrap up my dissertation (lol), having everything at ones fingertips has its appeal, but having a more filtered selection can inspire you to branch in directions you wouldn't otherwise go.
I grew up with the GBA’s library since our family only owned a very low spec PC even for 2002 standard which could barely run any games, so my only solution was GBA emulation if I really wanted to play more recent games. I played a lot of GBA ports back in the days and grew to love many of them. Until this day the GBA’s library still remains the one which I’ve most extensively exhausted.
Near the end of the GBA’s life cycle I finally managed to get hold of a used GBA SP (which turned out to be stolen and I still feel embarrassed by it). That GBA SP was my first handheld ever, and I felt wonderful owning it, but I quickly realized that there weren’t a lot of games for this system that I still wanted to play. I replayed Max Payne and it was a good, but brief experience taken altogether. This was 2006.
Eventually I traded it in and transitioned to the DS. I still played some GBA games on it (still vividly remember beating FF6 Advance and concluding that it was the best RPG I’d ever played), but obviously the NDS with its vastly superior graphics had my attention now. I remember my time with the NDS’ library was much more in tune with the release schedule of games, now I could play games right when they came out, on the real hardware. It was a much more direct, hands-on experience.
I thought I could say I had moved on from the GBA, but then I went abroad to study and stopped gaming for a while. I’d sold my DS Lite right before I left the country, and didn’t make the transition to the 3DS (at least not yet). My time abroad started out fine, but steadily I was getting depressed. Then it happened. One day it just occurred to me that I wanted to play some GBA again, on real hardware. Went on ebay and found a good deal, a used red SP AGS-001 in good condition with Mario Kart Advance for about 15 euro. I was never a fan of Mario Kart, but somehow it started a spark. I was in love with the GBA again, wanting to give it another go. My financial situation was rather dire back them, and I started peddling used GBAs and GBA games for a living. It was a pretty miserable living, but even now I still feel somewhat proud of the fact that the GBA gave me food for a couple of years. Being older now, I tried to rediscover the entire GBA’s catalogue, hoping for titles I’d missed the first time around due to having a much narrower taste as a kid. I adored my time playing Tactics Ogre, Tactical Star Rebel Command, and other more complex titles. I absolutely loved that I could carry my AGS-101 practically everywhere and play it without any hassle, and I still think that the GBA SP is the best handheld console ever designed.
Things gradually got better, and I was ready to close that second chapter of mine with the GBA. I sold my very well-kept 101 for a good price, partially because I was needing money. But I was also ready to say goodbye, I felt like there was no longer anything to play, and the machine had served me long enough. Of course I was wrong.
I finally gave in to the cravings to play the 3DS entries of the Phoenix Wright series and bought a New 3DS XL in 2017, firmly declaring that it was gonna be the last gaming device I’d ever buy. The principal reason for that declaration was that I never transitioned to HD gaming. Things were now too realistic-looking, in an unnecessary way. I personally could never feel the difference in terms of graphical presentation between a PS3 and PS5 game. It wouldn’t matter to me anyway. Being so late into the 3DS scene, I was absolutely floored by what it could do in terms of emulation. It was my introduction to the concept of legacy devices, and I loaded it with every system it could emulate, alongside with other DS and 3DS titles that it natively supported. There were literally thousand of games that I would be able to play on it. I would never need another gaming machine (progress towards very functional PSX emulation last year kinda completed the circle for me), and the urge to build a personal ultimate legacy device led me once again back to the GBA’s library. I dug as deep as I ever could, in fear of missing out on something in my third try. On my 3DS now still sit about a dozen of GBA games. I guess it’ll never let me go.
Which explains why I’m toying around with the idea of buying another SP for cheap. Doesn’t have to be a 101, they’re hard to find since I’m back in my home country again. But that machine, man, as long as I have a pocket it can travel with me, wherever it wants.
As someone who has modified every handheld I've ever owned, I quickly encountered the illusion of choice. Waaaaaay back when, I used to pump my PSP with full rom sets for NES, GBA, Genesis, gameboy and SNES. Often I would spend more time sifting through menus than I did playing games.
I realized 99% of those games I never played and always just went with the handful of games I've enjoyed or had a strong urge to try out.
Now, on any emulation device or handheld that I can install native games to, I limit my libraries. My modified Switch contains only Switch games and any retro games that facilitate fun multiplayer games with friends as it's a system I like taking to friends houses.
My 3DS has only 3ds games installed that I enjoy to play. My PSP is only PSP games I enjoy. My SNES/PlayStation classics are filled with only their respective games that I enjoy.
My Vita has both only vita games that I enjoy plus retroarch with a handful of titles of each retro system as my dedicated portable emulation machine.
Gives each device more reason to own and play without feeling overwhelmed with 15 different devices all containing the same 20,000 rom sets installed.
As a fellow Switch modder, I've gotta say I agree with this. Only keep the games you've played or intend to play. The highlights, the good stuff, the things you actually want to play again. Especially on Erista units, where you've only got 3-5 hours to play with on battery, don't waste that time playing trash.
I have a new 3ds modded, i have like 7 games installed, and still cant decide what to play 😂 i just modded my ps vita, with one game i been having a lot of fun, i dont even touch my 3ds anymore.
On my ps4 i have a lot games that i bought because they were on flash sale, there are some of them that i just bought but never downloaded, and others that i did, but dont play it, because i have too much to play that i dont have time to play everything.
Now on my pc, i have a lot of games too, that i havent touch in a while, and when i do i just play them for a couple minutes because i get bored, thats crazy
I have an SP with an upgraded third party screen and it's amazing. The emulation handhelds are interesting but somehow I don't see myself buying one because I know they will end up in a drawer. The SP is on the nightstand and gets regular use. Also, don't fear reshelling - there's some really great quality shells out there today.
When you have so many games to play it all feels antagonising- you try old games you liked but as you said as a child you only liked it because you had essentially infinite time to get used to it but as an adult it's too time consuming- I suffer the same problems
I never brought that up with anyone before, so I was really wondering if the same thing had happened to other people.
@@TakiUdon yh it happens to me regularly and when you have no real free time it's a bit annoying just wanting have fun and play something- it's weird man
This is why I play primarily Retro Games instead of Modern Games. Besides you can make this argument for gaming in general not just a system or Retro Gaming.
@@TakiUdon I'm 16 and yet I'm suffering with the problem lmao your not alone
In my opinion I believe real hardware is the way to go for stuff like this. All those handhelds or flash carts that play games are more likely emulations (not sure about the flash carts) but theres just something really nice about having a collection of physical games you can just pop in the system and play, and it would reduce the constant thought of "what game should I get next what game should I get next??"
Real hardware all day long apart from a nice new screen. Unless it’s the 101 then I wouldn’t change the screen but they was never released in the uk so that’s that lol
I bought a perfectly fine gba sp yesterday for 70$ and Leaf Green and have played it nonstop since so 😂😂
100% want to see the volume slider make a comeback.
your philosophical viewpoints in this video are spot on. always out there trying to save 3 dollars to find out the games of my childhood don't hold up, but it doesn't matter because i have a long list of games i'll never play instead.
You hit on the conundrum that anyone watching your channel has. I find myself organizing my library and adding/deleting games more often than actually playing them. I hate that about myself. As someone in their 30s and with a family of my own, I am at the point where I know what I like to play, meaning it is unlikely for me to discover a genre of games that I haven’t tried (outside of VR). I spend breaks looking for games that are “like” my favorites of all-time, and see what gems out of that genre I can find. I’m really glad you brought this up and can relate. I’m not the engineer you are, but love your passion and content.
Speaking from Brazil here. I had a ton of handhelds... And I actually end up thinking the same. Today I own a powkiddy q20 and only have one gba game to play on it. It's nice seeing someone from the other side of the planet thinking the same. Thanks for all your content. Huge fan here :)
I was in high school when the gba and SP were released so it was one of the first systems I bought and spent my own money on. I was traveling a lot and it made plane and car trips a dream, plus the backwards compatibility is really great. I could go to gamestop or EB games and get a game with each paycheck and play and enjoy where ever. A few years back I picked up a Revo K101 and the screen in comparison is so nice and it feels great to hold and play. The shoulder buttons are a little wibbly but its a nice addition to my gba collection.
4:25
It's actually called "the paradox of choice" in psychology. Basically, when we're presented with a lot of choices, we tend to be overwhelmed by the amount of choice. We'd stressed about the decision-making process too much and whatever we end up choose makes us less satisfied.
So we really need to ignore the game we won't really play.
The video was almost philosophical. Thanks for your thoughts!
Sometimes I would also spent hours NOT being able to decide, what to play. It seems that in some instances it can be a relief to not have the ability to chose, so one can focus more.
Hahah, had to buy so much game gear/systems in order to realize that buying them won't buy me extra time to actually finish those games! This as of now I find incredibly silly but I'm still glad I did come into this conclusion as it saves me a whole lot of money. Right now I am having my PS4/3DS/Switch/PC with last 2 taking care of 90% of my gaming needs. And I do a variation of your limited library trick: basically I just have around 3 games to play by myself (which almost always consist of one tryhard and one casual production). Then there's 2-3 games that I only play in multi (one with GF another with "them boyz"). The only time I do change them is when I either complete or consciously say "okay, I won't finish this production".
Extra tip? If you can, just buy games for your library instead of downloading them - not only you do support developer but you get invested into game just by watching reviews and spending YOUR ACTUAL MONEY. Plus if you limit your library you actually won't spend much :)
Illusion of choice is real. I tend to finish 25 games per year yet my backlog of games continues to grow due to sales. I’ll never be able to finish my backlog. Excellent video.
I've already found this to be the case when I dug my old Gameboy out. I had about 5 or 6 games on it and they really do mostly stand the test of time because of how limited the choice is, and because how quick it is to boot them up from off power. Many games have no save state, so they are designed to be played right away without much repetitive needless story exposition/narrative. No trashy p2w or advert ridden games. No much needless filler, because again it's designed to be replayed frequently without save states, and so the gameplay is very meaty right from the get go - albeit simple and cut dry.
The GBA has far more save state games as standard compared to the Gameboy classic, but is still at the point where most games are designed with the old style of pick-up-and-play within minutes.
Oh, I exactly think the same. I have only 4-5 games on my gba sp, fire emblem, fantasia, gekido, kirby and sonic. Yeah, it didn't cost cheap for its authenticity, but still I am happy with this. Because I always end up spending lots of time to choose what to play.
I feel the same 😅 so many games and handhelds and so little time. Also, I tend to get lost in old RPGs, when I pick them up weeks later. Like, where was I going? 🤔🤣🤣
That's a mood. Playing after a hiatus and having to relearn all the controls and skills lol. "What's my character's motivation again? Who died??" 🤣
Yeah, I've had that "illusion of choice". That is why I only load games I know I want to play and nothing else as opposed to just throwing on every single game ever.
I really agree with that illusion of choice point in the video. Sometimes it is good to limit ourselves on the games we play so we can stop wasting time on deciding what to play. Awesome review!
Appreciate exactly where you are coming from with the 'so much choice, so I choose nothing" conundrum. Buying original carts is also a good way of reducing choice and encouraging enjoyment of particular titles... Since you have invested real money into something, the desire to stick at it is higher than a flashcart full of options.
My ears were fighting with my tinnitus to hear that Donkey Kong soundtrack in the background.
This was the only handheld console I ever had. Gave me some of the best times during my childhood.
I’ve definitely felt the illusion of choice. I recently made a modded 3DS my carry handheld of choice and filled it with games, just to play the same three Pokémon games / rom hacks every time I get a chance to use it
What a unique review. I have illusion of choice when there are so many great games in my library ( should have bought 1 game at a time but i always buy many games on sale)
Me to man lol me to. Legit bought this game on Switch called "thief simulator" on sale for 1.99 that was originally 19.99 but It's a blast though
Another term for "illusion of choice" that I like: analysis paralysis. Every time I start a new game on my emulator handhelds I think maybe I've made a bad choice and might enjoy another game more, so I abandon it quickly, overthink which one to play next, start another, rinse and repeat. It's time to break that habit. I'm with you on that, Taki.
I owned a SP as a kid and loved it (still have it). There were amazing games on that system too. I might take your route on that with a flash cart for it.
As for that illusion of choice, it is super real between several places to play games and just now getting into emulation, then family and work, yeah gaming time is space. Limited to an hour or two a day if I give up some sleep
I really appreciated the music choice in this video lol I always loved the DKC water level music.
I still have my gba sp from when I was 5 years old!! I still play it till this day and get more fun outta it
Choice Paralysis is a real thing, and I first encountered it years ago, when I purchased my first DS flashcart. Sure, you can have Game Boy, NES and GBC Fullsets and still have tons of room for the latest and greatest in DS... but then you just don't know what to play. It's a life lesson, and I'm glad other people are talking about it because it has been my mentality for emulation devices ever since - stick to a few of your absolute favourites, and then a few games you've thought "hey, maybe I'll check this out"; and you feel way more motivated to actually play, and more importantly finish, the titles you have to hand.
Great points on the illusion of choice! I think there's a parallel illusion, that of cutting edge. I have a GPD Win Max that plays the games I like. I'm super excited for a more powerful Win Max down the line, but why? Will it play more games that I actually care about? No. Will it drastically improve the experience I'm already getting? No. Same thing with your Gameboy here. It fits your use case better than other devices. No need for an upgrade!
You described very perfectly one of the biggest issues I have gaming these days as an adult in my 30s. I grew up with only the few games and consoles we could afford or my friends would have. I started watching your channel during a time when I was thirsty for the retro experience and my love of older console gaming. I bought my wife and I both Pocket-Go's to enjoy retro gaming and I quickly loaded it with nearly every game possible. I went so far as to build an entire Launchbox/BigBox arcade emulator with multiple consoles and every game for each console. I often find myself browsing games for longer periods of time than I am spending actually gaming. I own a Gameboy Micro... and really GBA/GB games are an excellent focus point.. Maybe I will try as you suggest and see if I find myself gaming more. I also just find myself questioning if this is also just the effects of growing older... /shrug anyways, great video that made me think! I always appreciate your detail. Thank you
I always loved the clam shell of the SP and wanted one but it came out around when I graduated HS and was told to go get a job right out of the gate so SP went on the back burner lol. I kinda forgot about it and wound up getting a DS instead the next year. Ah now I remember why I didn't get the SP later that year it's because I bought a Nokia NGage that year instead when that came out at my local Gamestop(EB Games then). That actually started an expensive fascination I started to get with Nokia camera phones. One of these days I'll get around to getting an SP just to have on display but I'm still pretty happy with what my Vita and Steam Deck can do so I guess im in no rush. Till then I guess I'll live vicariously through You, Metal Jesus, and Retro Game Crops videos 😁
A very good point indeed. I still own a Gameboy, a gba sp, a dsi a 3ds and a switch and I really enjoyed the Gameboy, the gba sp and the dsi the most for exactly the same reasons.
I agree completely!!! We got entire libraries of games and we could never realistically play them all, I feel the same as you that I would enjoy having just one or two games on a device to play instead of having thousands because I would enjoy each game so much more than I do now. When you have thousands of games at your fingertips it becomes impossible to enjoy a single game because if it's not perfect you can just change the game and you'll never be satisfied
I’ve actually got the same experience as you, I’ve always downloaded huge rom sets to try and play and collect all the games to realize I’m only playing 5 or 6 tops, so recently I just started looking into games for classic systems that were really good and just playing those as opposed to getting everything I can find
My favorite handheld. Tattoo'd on my arm even.
The illusion of choice has been a struggle for me, too. It's easy to start a game, drop it, and move on to another when you have a huge library to choose from. Also I'm in my late 30's and like you mentioned, time is a premium. What helped me was simple: use a walkthrough. It prevents me from hitting that valley of despair where I don't know what to do and eventually lose interest. I'm now 40+ hours into a JRPG I always wanted to play and never once felt the "ehh I'm sick of this game". Close to wrapping it up and have a few others on deck, so no digging thru the library!
Limitation of choice does make you appreciate what you have. I notice when I play my rg350 the glut of games it has makes it hard to choose ONE among the sea of choices of consoles and games. When I was a kid I had an original GBA and I remember religiously playing a game, even one I didn't like, until I eventually did enjoy it because I only had 2-3 to choose from.
Thanks for the great content. Your channel helped me get back into gaming after a years long hiatus!
This is lovely. We managed to get a Zelda themed SP a while ago for a bargain £25 and it's still amazing. I recently put together a GPi too and decided to only make it 16gb this time. As a low powered device I decided to play to its strengths and not go crazy on full sets of games. I wanted it to run 8 and 16 bit really well, with a few classic arcade games, and the classic handhelds. I put a slight overclock in it for GBA and it's awesome. Much nicer than putting full sets of thousands of games on.
I still have mine. I recently got to get the 101 back light version as well as watching how to fix handhelds and controllers. Love the SP. It's true that there are a lot of games that I haven't had time to play, due to being an adult and growing. I remember The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap, A Link to The Past, The Super Mario Bros. Series and Super Mario Advance Games and Mario and Luigi Series. Hopefully, the games come to the future as well. XD These games are what made them wonderful now.
Oh no, Taki discovered the real, original hardware! He’ll never go back to emulation again🤣🤣🤣😭
I feel ya. I collected for a fraction of their original price many consoles I couldn't have as a kid and while I love modding them only a few gets played regularly by me and family. A small selection of good games and ease of use are really all you need.
Man you hit on the spot. As you get older you do realize time is finite. I sold my ps4, switch and recently hacked vita. I still watch videos about video games but don’t partake in it. I tried several times to get back in but often feel unsatisfied.
i have the same problem collecting retro games. i have more than enough games for me to play for the next 3 years just on the saturn alone and my other consoles have as much or more
SP was one of the devices I had as a child. As for the illusion of choice I get that with all my systems these days as digital library is huge at the moment.
Wow, this really hit home. As a kid I loved every game I could get my hands on and when I was younger I was excited about emulation. But now it seems that choice has devalued my interest in playing games because of how easy it is to obtain. Bro, youre absolutely right, and playing the game on its original system does make it seem more valued. Although I'd actually opt for the actual copy if possible though. Good video man.
To add on, recently I sat down and played video games 8 hours a day for 2 weeks. I had contracted covid and had to go quarantine. Knowing I'd be there for an eternity I decided to let go of all my responsibilities of work, school and other things. It was the best two weeks I had in years. Time is valuable, but not enjoying life because you feel like youre on a schedule is also a waste of time. Just my own words lol.
With a DS/DS lite you could close the lid and re-open to instantly resume anytime, that's also an option
The SP had the best hardware, it's crazy the AGS-101 brighter screen is selling for like $100 on ebay. Give it a neon glow casing for max coolness.
The GBA SP was my entire childhood. But I’ve always loved the form factor and look of the GB color. So I did the boxy pixel unhinged mod, and now it’s perfect. I play it everyday, even over my switch lite.
I completely agree with the illusion of choice causing a hold up in the gaming process. I have 2 GBA sp's from my childhood that I still use way more frequently than my RG351P.
Great video, Taki! Had this realization recently too. Free time is valuable/rare with the added responsibilities of adulthood and it's crazy how much time I/we wasted on such utter crap lol.
Whenever I consume media now, whether that be games, movies, TV, I want that experience to be meaningful/enriching in some way.
The GBA SP is really easily my fave handheld of all time with such a classic form factor. I put so much time into playing Fire Pro Advance and other games. I really need to dig into finding where I put that thing.
Before buying the Nintendo Switch Lite, I attempted to repair my Gameboy Advance SP. But unfortunately found it was its time to go to electronic waste… I just really wanted to play Donkey Kong Country , Pokémon Emerald, and Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga, ext…). I really wish that Nintendo made all their previous games for older consoles (GB, GBA, and GBA SP.) available for download on the switch- since I’m not techy’ like everyone else. In all honesty, these games I remember had their creators heart and soul poured into their games. Seeing this pop up on my recommendations reminded me of how much more I loved those games instead of something “shiny and new” .And that often the perspective of newer things brings into assumption that they are better than something older- when it is not always the case.
I really liked this video, I hope you make more content like this on your channel. I truly relate to how you feel about the. “More isn’t always better” view on games. I feel that they aren’t just for the entertainment but, their storytelling qualities and thought processes your put through to move forward in the game. It builds up your mind with clever puzzles , while being fun at the same time.
(Sorry for the lengthy comment.)
What was wrong with your SP?
I had a SP growing up, and in my late teens I worked in a factory. Time was limited.
I relentlessly played both FE Sacred Stones and Advance Wars 1/2 in my lunch breaks and toilet breaks, it got me through a dark period of my life precisly because of how pick-up and play it is.
I still have all my handhelds, currently using Odriod Go Advance, but since the shouldr button gave out I'm thinking about upgrading to either the Retroid Pocket 2 Funtastic Collection, or ANBERNIC RG351V.
I know the illusion of choice problem well, it's become that bad with my steam as well as all my roms. My trick is to just play games my friends love that I've not played.
As an example, I love Crono Cross but I've never played Crono Trigger, so I'll play that soon. You're absolutly correct, if you put less onto the flash cards, the easier it is to choose.
Lastly, even if I have games from GB all the way up to PSP, the most enjoyment as a whole seems to be in the GBA era.
Taki, you hit the nail on the head with the finite time theory, i feel another such conundrum with buying things for a hobby or activity that i plan to do..
kinda hoarding kinda lack of time, i feel it too.
Same with deciding what anime gets my time at 35, cause I'm never giving anime up I got my daughter into anime as an excuse to watch it more often lol
I dont own a handheld anymore, even though i owned some, but i do put only one or two roms at a time on disk to play on emulators because of this thing you speak of. I enjoy it more :)
Yes! Exactly why I went and purchased a GBA SP instead of a modern 3DS XL to hack and download roms. Limiting myself only to GBA games for its own device is what I grew up loving.
I love your advice about the problem of illusion of choice. Thank you I seriously appreciate that.
This man is correct, the only two handhelds i switch on these days on the semi regular, are my ds lite, and my gba sp with this amazing triple loading gamecart system i got years ago, which also gives it a bit more heft, as well as being a lot more durable for on the go!
Had one when I was younger, definitely one of my favorite handhelds
Not the video I was expecting, but worthwhile. It is a real thing to be overwhelmed by choices. People have studied this kind of psychology. There are areas in life where having many choices is good. It's good to have options for cars, food, electronics, home goods, etc. And those choices could overwhelm some. The problem with situations where there are few choices is we are sometimes left without good choices. It is a balancing act and we have to be honest with ourselves. There is so much more on TV now than there was when it was just over-the-air stations. Now, there are original internet TV-style shows. There is TH-cam. It is too much choice, and easy to go down a rabbit hole. But the good thing is it is also easy to recognize that there's no way to watch everything that interests you, which makes it easy to not try. With TV and movies, I have observed some of the highest levels of novelty seeking and fear of missing out. Games are similar because there are all kinds of new games, in addition to old games that are available. It's easy to get too deep in acquiring games rather than enjoying them. There is a balance between discovery of new games and enjoying our old favorites. For me, the first step is to realize that I can't possibly keep up with all the retro-style modern games I may like. I favor retro-style over thoroughly-modern games at this point. I also realized that I usually prefer actual retro games over newer ones. I'm careful about trying new games even on old systems. I don't go looking for new games for the novelty of it. At this point, I need to know more about the game. But I'm glad I tried some obscure games that were in a style I liked, as some of those became new favorites. But as you say, too much choice can be overwhelming. The defense against that is some kind of focus, but that is easier said than done, but it is up to us to do it and take control. Interesting to hear your thoughts here. GBA is a fun system and I really enjoyed it when it was current. I never did have an SP, however.
What you're saying here would definitely shake the foundation of my OCD. What I use to do is read an old gaming magazine like EGM or GamePro, act like I pay for a game from there (by placing the money it used to cost into a deposit account - online) after which I play that game for as long as I can. Want to play another one? Move another chunk of money. But that attitude will leave me "bankrupt" in no time, so I better choose wisely :). For a more real effect "pay" by calculating the inflation also (you will find those calculators online).
I recently bought an original GBA and flashcart. I have 52 games on there, and that works for me. I do agree with your points of single purpose devices, they facilitate a state of intention and focus that I feel has been lost in this modern age.
I have a backlit screen and custom shell on the way to enhance the experience. I would like to have an SP, but as much as I love the form factor, I like the original a bit more(it was my first console, so it does have a soft spot for me).
Completely agree on the illusion of choice. I buy so many games now but finishing anything is a chore. I wanna play EVERYTHING but I often find myself trying as much as possible to limit myself and my spending habits, lol.
Sometimes we forget how it actually was to game as a kid. Back then I would mostly play Pokémon over and over and any new games I would buy I would play through to the end...but that's the thing, I couldn't afford to get more than ONE game a year if any and I only owned a GBA. Sure my sisters had a PS1 and a NES but those also had few games or couldn't always be set up at all times.
So in the end I really mostly played on my gameboy, save for the times I managed to play Crash Bandicoot 2 or Tekken 3.
Thanks Taki for the review.
That is a very good solution, I have few games and still get this ansiety... Having only 3 seems way better, I'll try it.
Also, I weeded out games that I "felt" I had to play, but didn't have fun at all playing. Or didn't have fun enough to justify the time investment.
Older games really "disrespect" your time with pointless padding and/or unfair challenge that was based on commercial needs, not game design. Games had to be hard enough that renting them for a weekend wouldn't be enough, so that you had to buy them.
People hype so many games that I NEVER liked, and I just "forced" myself to play since the game was "so good" and I just needed to play some more to get into it.
That was wrong in many levels...
It was painful to delete games that took time to download and organize, but I'm happier now.
Thanks for the video
You’ve really hit the nail on the head. I’ve been obsessing over my first emulator console. But in the end I’m probably going to choose 5 GBA games that I enjoy and play those on rotation until I feel like a change. Rg351m vs RP2?... who actually cares!
That's one of the reasons I like curating my games list. I've realized I play games a lot more, when I have less to pick from. I'd play a system with 5-10 games at any given time, compared to next to none for a system with thousands. Even with steam, I just decide, these are the games I want to play in a given week/month, and I'll play the games more than if I had my full library to decide from.
Just a fun tidbit: The "illusion of choice" described in this video is actually an observed phenomena called "Analysis Paralysis" or "Choice Paralysis" that occurs when there are too many options in a given scenario to choose from. Everyone suffers from this phenomena every now and then, but I feel like as a gamer it happens so much more.
Awesome video! I couldn't agree more with your points. Having endless amount of choice definitely robs you from getting invested in games... Even the top-tier ones. I have a PC, Switch, New 3DS XL (modded with emulators), PS Vita, Nintendo DS, GBA, Dreamcast, XBOX, Gamecube, Wii, WiiU, Amiga 1200 and around ~1500+ games. And the unfortunate fact is that I seldomly find a game that I get deeply invested in anymore (Like I did back in the days when I had time, but no money). I love playing retro games, I curiously explore new games, and I love playing my current favorites. But the issue is, I play a tiny bit of everything which reduces the value of the hobby I love. I will actually take your recommendation of dedicating myself to a few games from now in. Perhaps even uninstalling (or stashing away) the ones I am not currently playing.
I recommend Minish Cap for anyone who hasn't played it. Such an underrated Zelda title.
Yooo I literally bought a gameboy and minish on eBay this week I’m so excited to play it again
Hi Taki! Thanks for the video!
It is funny, a year ago I bought a non-working Game Boy Advance SP AGS-001. I've never previously owned a Game Boy. As a matter of fact I was going to buy something from your reviews. But I ended up with an idea to buy an original retro handheld. Because when I was a kid I could only dream about playing Game Boy (original) as it was too expensive in my country. And with Advance SP can play not only original GB games but also titles from GB Color and GB Advance. And it has a cool foldable case as a mobile phone from the 00's.
So I've got a gameboy with a fried motherboard and a beaten up case with no charger. I bought an original motherboard, IPS screen, LiPo battery to change the original one, a couple OEM case shells, USB charging cable and a flash cartridge.
As you did, I left the original shabby case as it still looks cool and sturdy, changed motherboard, battery and screen. New IPS screen is great and I like it, as it has no visible ghosting and the picture is bright and vivid. But it sure reduces battery life which is not a problem for me.
Now I can occasionally play some NES games, I was going to replay for many years. As well as some GBA games. Can agree that as a grown up we have little free time so it doesn't matter if the game console has all games in the world or not.
My favorite handheld for gaming so far has been a modded new 2DS XL. The library is huge but not overwhelming. Great emulation, native GBA playback (not emulation) on top of the entire DS/3DS library.
With a pretty great battery life as well
The Game Boy Advance is one of the best systems of all time in my opinion.
I have a GBA SP with a IPS screen mod and a replacement housing. I scored a front lit SP from a retro shop for about 20 bucks. The original housing was heavily damaged. It has a hole drilled through it and a very swollen battery. Swollen to the point that the battery cover was permanently bowed out.
I've restored to it's former glory and then some. I was also able to make new batteries for the system thanks to another youtuber that goes by Makho.
I have had gameboys since I was a little kid. They're a big part of my life and I still play gameboy games to this very day. I'll probably still be playing these games until the day I die.
Back in the mid 2000's I had a flash cart mainly because I wanted to play NES games on the go. Before phones had emulation, it was a dream come true.
After that, I'd use my gba and flash cart for general portable gaming, and I'd do this even until the early years of the 2010s.
I get what you mean by downloading too much and having way too much to choose from, opposed to getting some core games you know you want to play. It wastes a lot of time if you try to decide to play a random game to try something new, when you really don't even know if you like it.
The illusion of choice but really hits home for me. I own probably around 3000 games between the various PC storefronts, plus a load of emulated games.
I spend 90% of my gaming time scrolling my library trying to decide what to play.
Great video!! I agree that having too many game on a device is overwhelming. That is why I liked the mini consoles as well cause they give a small selection of games which let's me focus on the games provided.
I only ever had a NES, a N64 and very few games for each, which you could almost count with one hand (games were very expensive for us). So I've been emulating consoles since early 2000's; I can relate very well with your experience about restricted access to slow speed internet, so I did play the roms I downladed. I could only afford my first gaming laptop with my own money until 2015, and be finally able to play PC games and emulate latter consoles. Also I never had a portable console, so when I got my GPD XD, I was ecstatic; then I got both GPD Win 1 and 2 and had a blast... but it was then indeed, with my gaming laptop and GPDs, that I encountered the illusion of choice you talk about for the first time. Now I have LOTS of unfinished or even barely played games in my collection, including PC games that I did pay for. I still want all or most of my games to be accesible in one or two devices; but it could be a good a idea to implement a sort of hierarchy system among them, and commit myself to finish them in order.
like picking up a remote try to watch something, end up turning spending more time scrolling through all channels and contents
This was an awesome handheld. I remember buying it as a kid and it was so good.
This was a really great video, I like your point regarding illusion of choice and I agree with you. The fact is you have no nostalgic bias is also a great plus. I honestly prefer the GBA SP over the original GBA because it's more comfortable to use in any situation, like sitting or laying down due to the hinge system. I have small hands and the original gba made my hands cramp and my fingers would go numb after a while. Maybe that's a health condition but I still prefer the SP hands down, and I only owned the original GBA as a kid and never had an SP.