Very well thought out, and very well argued. I kind of feel like the way you’re presenting. It is like when Leonard Malton used to do those DVD introductions
Jon. I am 100% behind you on this. Not only does it feel more 'real' to play on new or used hardware, but playing originals personally takes me to a place that nothing else seems to know the way to. My youth. At my age (BoomerGrownup), anything that makes me feel like a kid again is gonna be the route I take. Especially if you add the right snackages to the experience. You have inspired me to get back into retro gaming done right. 😊
I miss arcades. A third place is a location that isn't your home or work. It is a social place where strangers become regulars. Arcades were my third place growing up, which I miss. Playing a ROM at home will never recapture the atmosphere of that third place.
Same here, however, we do have a "retrocade" here in town that is like 5 minutes away from my places that if you step into, it is just like being in the arcades back in the 80s.
The tangible controls are a huge part of it: whether we're talking about joysticks or paddles / spinners. And the gestalt of how all the pieces work together.
I could understand why a person would want to emulate. I carry around a little handheld retro player. It's easier than pulling out all the equipment to hook it up play for a few hours and putting it all back. But most of the time I want to play with the controller the console came with, and firing up the old CRT. I love my collection. It took me a long time to get where I am at. I have some impressive pieces. My income is at the low end of the scale. I traded, I rummaged, I bought lots took what I wanted and flipped the rest. I have bought and fixed, and sold 2600 and 5200 controllers. I feel like I earned and accomplished something. Having the item isn't the whole thrill. It's the story behind the stuff. Networking, meeting good people, and finding treasures in the wild is a big part of it for me. Caring for and maintaining my collection is very relaxing. Almost as relaxing as playing them. Finally, it's an investment. I don't know stocks and bonds, but I know video games. We all work with our talents, even if another thinks it's silly. I've tripled my investment. Not so silly now...
Great video Jon and you're spot on with your observations. At the end of the day it's all about nostalgia and I'm now picking up stuff as a grown adult that I had no chance of getting hold of as a kid due to money, family circumstances etc. Emulation is great but there's nothing better than having a physical cartridge and game system etc to play it on. Keep up the good work 👍
Most of the time we're not supporting the developers of these old titles, we're supporting the current IP owner. Most likely the IP that has changed hands many times over the years. There are exceptions, but those are few and far between. Perhaps it could be we are supporting those who are keeping the nostalgia alive for everyone, because it's just a cool piece of history.. And also for legitimate ownership of copies of the games themselves, rather than pirating potentially crap broken versions of the games.
I’ve spent a fair bit on retro gaming between collecting original 8 and 16 bit computers and consoles to a fair number of mini consoles and handhelds with more pre ordered. I do also use emulation at times for a quick hit but most often I’ll at the very least use a mini console if not the real thing. I have been asked why before and I don’t really know other than it makes me happy so I’m going to keep on doing it. Thankfully my good lady is very understanding and never complains about the money I spend on my hobby. Another great vid Jon thank you.
Valid points. For me i prefer emulation, warts and all. i dont have a prior collection nor do i have the cash or the room for many consoles/ gadgets. Its just eaiser for me now, im just really happy to be able to play the retro games that i loved.
I just use a tiny mini PC The same way you would use a console in the living room. It's not really different at all aside from the fact that you're not playing on original hardware. I like that there are lots of different controllers to choose from as well. I have used an Xbox controller, a PS4 controller and also have an 8-bit do gamepad.
Well as "the dude" would say, that's just like your opinion man. But you're certainly entitled to it. I really don't feel like anything is missing regarding the experience. I certainly understand why some people enjoy having a original hardware. I definitely have a lot of my old consoles lying around. I just find it easier to have everything consolidated into a single retro emulation build. Instead of having tons of different consoles connected to my system.
@@HeavyInstinct In Punch-Out, Soda Popinski is unbeatable in emulation due to a missing frame, the "tell" of him flashing red before punching. Link to the Past sounds like shit on emulation, Chrono Trigger has weird buzzing in the soundtrack.
I grew up in the 80s and playing on an emulator isnt any different. Just attach the original controller to an emulator and you have the same experience.
@@emansfvera I can attach my Atari 2600 to an HDTV and get a strong signal.. and respectfully, if you can't see, hear or feel any difference between original hardware and emulation, then you have some sort of sensory issues. Hard of hearing, very poor eyesight, etc. No offense if that's the case.
I'm one of those laid back gamers. Any way you can experience games reasonably is a good thing. My favorite defense of gaming is the "If you're gaming, you've got the perfect alibi." It's innocent and worth the time you spend creating memories. That being said, I am pro-collecting and pro-emulation.
I am not a console person, but I will bring up one big point in the column of using original hardware. Over-availability gives people a massive decrease in enthusiasm. There is something about having fewer options and holding the original box art, original carts, original CD cases, etc. It makes you want to play the games a lot more than seeing a thousand files in a folder. It's more appealing. The presentation and enticement is much higher, not just the nostalgia factor.
Right, I don't understand how people downloading whole romsets do it. When I was a kid, I might get two or three games a year. Each individual game was incredibly precious, and I could easily persevere through any rough or difficult spots.
The book and movie Ready Player One pretty much sums up the feeling of Retro. It evokes all the beautiful memories. If I could, I would recreate my old Fish n Chip shops and Corner Stores that had all the old arcades I used to walk and ride my bike to. It doesn't really matter if it's physical or visual Retro, either way the memories of those games and the friends we played them with all come flooding back. Physical just makes it feel that bit more real.... for now. Great times.
I did emulate. I even built an arcade cocktail cabinet with Hyperspin that has a screen i can raise & lower on hinges. All i needed for controls was a dual joystick X-Stick w/6 button setup, a Kensington mouse that serves as a trackball & spinner, a steering wheel, light gun & flight stick w/fire button. Did i forget anything? 🤔
Walking into an Arcade back in the 80's was a magical experience. A voice from a game would call you in , like I live from Sinistar or chicken fight like a robot (Berserk) . Then the atmosphere , the unique controls of games like Battlezone with it's dual controls and goggles for a screen, the cool bike handlebars from Paperboy or Hang On by Sega with its full sized motorcycle you could sit on while playing. Later on a resurgence of the Arcade came back in a big way with games like Street Fighter II , like holy cow this one game changed gaming forever and I loved every minute of it , especially when I was kicking butt and you got a nice little crowd gathering around you , lol. Honestly it was lighting in a bottle and even though the Atari 2600 couldn't look like the Arcade , man it sure felt like it , well maybe are imaginations helped and the fact it was a very human connection with the Atari system in ways that has been lost over time. So for me if I can reclaim that moment in time just so I can feel that love from all those years ago and once again say , that was awesome. It's worth every penny.
When the town was hanging out at the arcade, it does take on that esprit de corps. Getting to play at the arcade at the end of training at the place known as Great Mistakes (Great Lakes, IL) with the entire unit, was kind of like that, magical.
Well, for me, I grew up spending all my allowance at the arcades in the 80s. Seeing the cabinet and turning them on brings me almost the same joy as walking into those arcade shops. Emulators are still fun, but they don't give me the same touch and feel memory imprint as the mini arcades or consoles.
Having the real machine makes me feel so much more connected to the past. Like it's not just gone, it's still here, the actual computers I had as a kid, or the those I wished I had.
I'm kinda mixed on the whole Physical vs Digital thing. Physical collections tend to get cluttery if you don't have the room to properly store them, which I don't. I do get the occasional physical game, but I lean more toward digital collections.
Part of the enjoyment for me is to grab a stack of games to play. It’s not the same as flipping through a ROM folder for me. That would be easier and take up way less space, but it’s not my vibe. I feel the same about music, movies, and books.
Everyone's preference on how to experience gaming is different. I think using the original control system is the most important part because that's how the game was designed for you to interact with it.
there's also option paralysis associated with emulation. i have a generic portable emulator device with 10,000 games and i'll only play one for a few minutes out of curiosity. with my consoles, i tend to spend hours with a single game, and want to finish it.
I am kind of a 50/50. I use emulation, but also enjoy buying (or rebuying...) official products that I owned through my lifetime that I made the mistake of letting go at some point. Picking up all the mini consoles that have been coming out in the last 8 years is awesome. I used to own ALMOST everything at one point or another, and having them back (in a mini form, with the SAME controls, HDMI output, faster loading) is a blessing. Sure it is nice to own the original, but I no longer have the room for all the systems, wires, discs, etc.... But to have what I consider the next 'authentic' version of those systems, plus ways to use the Original Controllers that I had back in the day... its as close as one can get. Now I can even fit 3x as much in my room, since everything is 'mini' in size now. ;)
Some great points. I was eager to try some of the recreations -they look fantastic, but I was consistently let down. Despite my hopes, the experience never really captured that nostalgic feel. These expensive recreations often suffer from input lag, especially over HDMI, which also doesn't look or feel quite right. I know it's a rabbit-hole, but as I tried to recreate the original experience, I ended up learning the technical skills. For me, an RPi outputting RGB to an RGB-modded CRT TV feels so much more authentic. I use original controllers and built arcade joysticks, and my emulation setup, with a JVC 27-inch, RPi4, and RGB Scart running RGBPiOS, cost less than $180 (not counting the countless hours spent researching, sourcing parts, and learning soldering and electronics). A simpler option is to get a Mister FPGA, which is insanely expensive but probably ends up being cheaper than buying all these recreations.
Nail on the head! Great video Jon and pretty much the reason why I don't bother with emulation. I dabbled with Bleem back in the day to play PS1 games on my PC and found the results varied and I couldn't be bother tinkering with the settings to get it to work. Easier just to play the games on my OG PlayStation :-) Keep up the awesome work!
Yes, using a TV-Monitor in portrait mode really helps a LOT reliving the arcade feeling with Mame. PIck one from a thrift store if you see, even better with VGA giving extra softness to your picture.
I loved the arcades in the late 70s and 80s as well as the home consoles of the time. Jon, your videos have been inspirational to my recent purchases, and subsequent fun. When I see footage of these mini arcades in a local shop, I get a little sad. Australia just doesn’t have shops that stock these. The only choice is to purchase an import or buy from a specialist shop who do imports. Still, this doesn’t stop the fun. Just limits the options. Great video. Thanks Jon!
There is nothing like walking into a room full of decades of digital history, maybe one day to leave it to your kid. To have each game be a story of a trip to a store or even of how you arrange systems on a shelf. The alternative? "Hey, look at my 512TB microSD card... One day, all of this will be yours. Or wait, why don't I just copy it for you right now?" (assuming current emulation players grow up to have kids in 10 years or whatever) There is something to be said to have the collective experience of shared media, but the memory of how a controller button stuck, or how you needed to keep one certain console on a pillow because the vibration would make the disc skip if it was on a wooden table... Game collectors are collecting memories about game playing as much as of games themselves. I find no value in my memory of watching a download progress bar gradually move to the right.
Serious question: how many hundred dollars per year is the habit? For most of us, "My Arcade" plastic costs less than our mobile phone bills, per annum.
I had a Nelsonic Pac-Man watch. Absolutely loved it. It was lost many, many years ago. I found another one about ten years ago, but oddly, the end-game tune was (of all things) the tune "Dixie". Yeah, that was a head-scratcher. I remember every sound and song that came out of the original one, and Dixie ain't one of them. :D I can only guess it was a knock-off, or something. In any case, I loved my original Nelsonic Pac-Man watch. It comes as no surprise that you had one, too. :)
I was gifted one by my uncle. Took it off to go swimming in the backyard pool and it went missing. Spent hours looking all over the yard for it. I've since deduced that my parents confiscated it because I was playing it too much. I hope it's eventually added to MAME as the Nintendo Game & Watch series was.
I play it on original hardware because I used to do garage sales, conventions and thrifts back int 90s and 00s when all of this stuff was considered throwaway garbage. It was crazy back then. Once found a seller with about 40 neo geo MVS carts for $5 a pop. Got Halloween and Texas Chainsaw 2600 for $20. You could fill suitcases for $80. The prices are nuts now. That said though, there’s a huge tactile component to this stuff. Original screens, original joysticks etc are a different experience. But then, I also carry around an emulation handheld in my work bag with like 10k games on it I like it all.
I remember cruising thrifts stores back in the 90s and early 2000s as well, and scoring some really nice things. Still kicking myself in the butt for not grabbing that Vectrex unit I once saw for a mere $25, as I just did not have it on me at the time (early 90s - still a poor college student) and by the time I managed to scrap up the cash to go back to get it, it was already gone! I did grab a complete, in-the-box NES action set for $25 as I wanted a "new" NES as the one I already had died on me. The carts could be had for something like $5 each. It was the same thing with vinyl records. I remember grabbing some really nice records for like a $1 each or even less (sometimes there would be sales like 3 for buck, as they practically could not give the things away. Make me wonder just how many records ended up in the dump! Now with the whole retro-gaming craze and the "vinyl revival", the prices are just nuts. I probably have games down in my basement that I picked up for something like $5 that are worth over $100 today. I will need to go through all that and price things out, although I do not plan on selling anything.
I simply love retrogaming in all shapes and forms. However, I find collecting retrogames kind of costly, especially for me considering the Brazilian economic scenario. Even though we have a vibrant retrogaming culture here, as seen in our last event, Retrocon, I still like having the opportunity to load and play the games I love the most wherever I am. Nonetheless, I deeply appreciate all those who collect retrogames and retro-related gadgets.
I will say this. If I could just hit a button and have all my video games instantly playable on the Steam deck I would. Having to tinker around and hope that you get the game running Is somewhat fun but I would still choose not to have it if I could.
Because many of the games require special controls. That requires that you invest in a joystick and a keyboard encoder at the minimum. Next, you want to play "Centipede"...guess what you need a trackball. Then you want to play "Arkanoid" and "Pole Position". Guess what? You need a spinner. Then you want to play "Out Run" or "Daytona USA". You need a 270 degree wheel. You want to play "Tron" or "Discs of Tron"? Keep that spinner, but you need a joystick with a topfire button (for "Discs of Tron" you need two buttons on your joystick and a spinner with push-pull capability). Want to play "Ikari Warriors" and "Heavy Barrel"? You need a rotary joystick. "Operation Wolf?" Light gun? "Star Wars," "Paperboy", "Spy Hunter". You need a "Star Wars" yoke. By this point, you probably should just buy a cabinet. Oh, did I mention that you can do all this with an old computer running MAME and emulate a CRT with HLSL effects?
Emulation is an AMAZING thing. Eventually, at some point, it will be the only way we can play some of these games. But, when given a choice, of course I'd rather play them on original hardware. Like James Rolfe said, the only way to play Atari is on an old piece-a-shit CRT TV (knobs and all!), and when I can, that's what I do. If not, though, I'll emulate without hesitation.
@@kenmastersstreetfighter5105 I see you posting the same thing a couple of times here, but you clearly don't know what that word means. The Placebo effect is when something with no medical or therapeutic value, seems to have a positive effect on the mind or body. My placing value on original hardware isn't a quirky side effect, it's a decision I have made. I like original hardware, I enjoy learning about the history, the development process and the way it's been put together. I also value the fact that these systems are mine from when I was a kid, so I have a personal connection to the specific hardware. You saying this like it's some kind of counter to what I said, is baffling. The placebo effect is acknowledged as being a beneficial tool in medicine, so I fail to see the problem with it being a placebo, even if it was. To just comment something like that without knowing a damn thing about me and my history with video games, and to attempt to diagnose the reasons I enjoy something, makes you look like a total idiot.
Can you imagine being a kid on Christmas morning, running down stairs to the Christmas tree to rip open your brand new shiny digital download card?! Man kids today have it so good. Why would you want to spend your hard earned money on a physical object that might actually be of monetary value one day? Nonsense! I want to spend my money to own nothing and like it! 😂
The other piece of all of the "retro" concept is the SPACE TO STORE IT ALL. Beyond the original cabinet-style experience which is an EXTRAORDINARY ask, the cables, switches and needed interfaces for the other real/retro things are thins that require set up time (and don't get me wrong, it's worthy time) but - it's what people lack/are willing to give nowadays. What I do love about the new issuance of the Retro stuff is that the problems with the original control interfaces - is that the new ones are finally there without (for the most part) the control interface problems. The original Intellivision controllers have a special pieces of my heart, but also I lost locks of hair because of them as well. Great video and opinions, dude!
Thanks for watching and for sharing your thoughts/memories. I certainly have storage boxes filled with spaghetti wires for any number of vintage consoles!
Emulation is better for probably most casual vintage game fans, more convenient, takes up way less space, cheaper and less maintenance. However for people who want to use vintage peripherals be that controllers, cartridges or other more specialised hardware then it is only really possible to use vintage computers/consoles currently. Personally I like both, and use both. Growing up in the 70’s-90’s was an incredible time, so much great stuff from BMX, Skateboards, Arcades, Home Computers, Consoles, Breakdancing, not to mention all the great music, toys and freedom.
I started collecting hardware in late 2000s and after experience with emulation it was a real eye-opener. Emulators never represent a game genuinely in all is aspects. It's also a TV you play on, it's also the glitches typical to your hardware, it's the cables you connect to your TV and of course - the controller. You can't imagine how many people download and configure Project64 without even knowing how an N64 controller looked like! Owning a real PS1 was such an example after experiencing upscaled games on ePSXe back in 2002 (yes, upscaling PS1 games was a thing on hardware of that day). And just don't get me started on things like Vectrex, a console with a vector CRT monitor. If you emulated it, you never played it.
This has become one of my favorite channels. But I must admit, I’m probably in the minority on this one. When I was a kid, there was nothing better than going to Toys R Us to buy a new game. Opening it up and reading the instructions. Now, like others, I don’t have the space or income to collect games and systems. I have every game I want and the opportunity to play games on different systems. I had fun building my emulator on Atari GSP then on a mini PC with Batocera.
I've tried the retropie thing, the Anbernic with 10,000 games etc. I just didn't seem to want to play them. Yet playing retro games on my VCS, or carts on my 2600+ or even games on my 400 mini - I'll play those for hours and hours and enjoy them. I think I like to have something tangible to play on - it doesn't have to be original hardware (more often I prefer it isn't) but something like it.
Great answers! For me, it's all about the novelty of the form factor. I particularly LOVE 6-inch range arcade cabinets. They're a lot of fun to have on a table, and they're a great match to accessorize a lot of my action figures.
Good video. You made some great points. Some of us have so little free time and aren’t as tech savvy so they’d rather use that time to play the game vs. learning how to play it cheaper. Someone can say something is simple all they want and it probably is simple, but it’s not simple to all. There are very few TH-cam tutorials that are helpful to all because most take some part of what they are doing for granted and assume their audience will know what they’re talking about. Common sense is not common especially when it comes to bridging generation gaps. I can tell you driving a stick is easy but you’d be hard pressed to find someone under 30 that can do it. On the other hand you may have a hard time finding a man over 75 who can type well. Thanks for the video.
Emulation is often a pain, especially on the Mac. I ended up going that route mostly so I could obtain USB joysticks that have the same feel of the CX 40 I grew up with (e.g. Hyperkin Trooper 2).
To try and bring my own take on the question, i have several answers: -It's objectively not the same thing. Using my own experience, i own an N64 with an Everdrive, which is a cartridge that uses an SD card to store the games so you can have the ROMs within the cartridge and play on an actual device, which has its own technical design in how it runs the games and displays the visuals. If you play on an actual N64, you'll know that it looks and sometimes plays differently than when you plan on Mupen64 or Project64 or whatever. -If you're on the creative/analytical side of the discourse, it is fun to actually compare and see how these products actually managed to bring the experience and their pros and cons if you're dedicated into the discourse. There's a fascinating difference between the various forms in which Nintendo themselves have brought their legacy content, from Virtual Console, ports, subscription services and legacy items like Mini Consoles and Game and Watch (i'd love to see you guys make a video on the Mario and Zelda Game and Watch). -For some people, it's just better to keep your devices for specific purposes. I actively avoid PC gaming because to me, an video producer, my computer is already doing heavy work. My phone is for calls and portable streaming like YT or Twitch, and my consoles are for videogames. By having things in their own specific products, i actually focus on using them for their core purposes. Don't get me wrong, i do engage in fan-made emulation and official ones (remember, alot of official products are emulation anyway), but despite having dozens if not hundreds of ROMs on a PC emulator...i can count with my hands what games i have actually PLAYED AND FINISHED, because the saturation does kill off the interest.
I think your perspective of this depends on your age and experiences. For example, I cherish my Atari XEGS becuse it looks like a time piece out of 1987. For me it adds to the ambience when I play as opposed to when I play the same games on Atari 50 on XBox.
Just recently I saw Alien at the movie theater, I have this movie on blueray and also the special edition, but seeing it at the movie theater was great, drinking beers and with friends.
I am right in the middle, I enjoy setting up emulators ,hacking old systems and adding games of all sorts but I also enjoy owning and collecting many retro game collectibles! Great stuff as always
As a purchaser of said product, the main reason is portability. I could plug my ps3 controller right into the USB port, and get the proper controller app, and use it, but if I'm at home, I'd rather be playing a PS3 game than a retro game, lol. So much better graphics. The only time I would likely consider playing retro is away from home, when I don't have the PS3 with me.
You make some good points. Personally, I'll stick to emulation in various forms with various high-quality front ends, but I can definitely see where you're coming from. And I really regret missing out on the Street Fighter 2 Champion Edition Replicade a couple of years ago. Enjoy those toys and gadgets!
One thing not easily replicated with emulation is the sacred art of "frying", achieved by quickly powering the system off and on. Before Game Genie, that was the only way to corrupt memory and get weird results. I was actually able to get the "Warrior's Sword" in SwordQuest: Earthworld using this technique. I think I was able to see previously unseen clues as well.
All my games I emulate. I started collecting roms and emulators back in 2002 when I was in college. I found my first very first emulator and romset on a school computer. It was for SNES. To this day, I still ask myself who left an SNES romset and emulator on a school computer. I was happy to have found them. As the years went by, I started finding and collecting more roms, emulators, and even some standalone PC games. I have more video games now as an adult then I did when I was a kid. I cherish the retro games that I have and play to this day. I don't have time to track down old hardware for old games. I don't know if many of them exist anymore. And plus, I can't afford to buy old hardware either. So, I'm happy to emulate my games.
I can easily emulate a old game, but I been loving to collect these mini arcade machines and just be able to pick one up to play without too much of a hassle to find said game in a sea of files in a device that would either be bigger or would require me to set up a controller which would take longer to do.
i bought a steam deck for the soul purpose of emulation, but i still kind of want to collect retro consoles and games. theres just something satisfying about the tactility of having the physical hardware.
Well said Gen X Grown Up! I fall into a combination of the many reasons you gave on why someone does NOT emulate. But I do plan on some emulation in the future. First things first….
I think emulation is a good solution to check a game, but the physical experience of get a cartidge and put it on a real consolle and play with original controllers is another thing. Surely the old consoles are getting old, defective and uncomfortable to connect to modern digital tvs: so welcome Atari 2600 + (even if in truth it is Emulator too), but it allows to use the old original cartridges and controllers, and real paddles. I hope that in the wake of the good idea an Intellivision + will also arrive, I'm waiting for it.
_Translator:_ I love emulators, I've been using them for years and nothing will change that. The only thing I need for complete happiness is an original controller or joystick. That's half the fun of the game for me.
Whoa... Hold on a second there... There's a My Arcade Rolling Thunder??? How did I miss that? If that's the proper arcade ROM in there I might have to make a purchase. Ehhh, y'know what even if it it's a home console version I'm still tempted.
There is, indeed! It's the NES ROM, which is not a terrible conversion. 😁 Here's my review: th-cam.com/video/4tUcPlt8034/w-d-xo.html Here's Amazon link to purchase: amz.run/9Tod
Ive been emulating since 2002. My computer lab teacher in middle school showed me I could play Kirby's Adventure on PC. It blew my mind. I never went back after that.
I've love the emulation concept since it came out in the 90s. What I really love about emulation, is you can use it with original classic arcade controllers & original classic arcade monitors. I've done it even with vector monitors. All of these various retro products that keep popping up I have almost zero interest in. And if your not using the original controllers (or clones of them) or the original monitors, your missing a good part of the experience. But it is possible to do that.
My kids got me a Tiny Arcade Pac-Man for Christmas 2022 it was fun. This inspired me to get a bunch of emulators and ROMs for use on my PC's this was fun too. The Atari 8 bit emulators and Roms inspired me to dig out my old Atari 800 from storage and restore it! Now I have that 800 , a 400 with 48K, a 600xl NTSC, 800xl PAL, and an XEGS PAL some fully modded with video & memory upgrades and some stock. So in the end, that toy Pac-Man got me into the A8 retro hardware modding and Homebrew scene.
I think it depends on the person Emulator on the PC with a front end like Hyper Spin is pretty good for some people because they don't have to hookup and disconnect different Consoles it just a click away were you can play Atari 2600 then change the game to N64 games in seconds to play and other like collecting retro games for the memory like you said
Both options are great these days, one costs more & by today's standards so if you want to get your retro on, so many way @ so many price groups. Game on!
I totally agree with you, Jon. I purchased the 2600 + and part of the fun is the hunt for some of the games i want to find. It would be nice to see more older systems do the same as Atari. Just imagine Nintendo doing the same with the NES. Imagine how that would effect and change the discussion then.
Great video, Jon. And well said. I love collecting games, but the expense can be high. Buying a game I loved as a kid for $200 can be difficult. So I have turned to emulation. I sold my Saturn collection for a modded Saturn. I love the Analogue Pocket. Yet, I still collect some games for retro and the newest consoles.
For me, it's all about convenience. I have the technical aptitude, but don't want to spend the time downloading the emulator and the roms. I just want to play! This is especially true for emulating more complex games, which require a lot of configuration to work properly.
Honestly, running lakka on my pi is better for overall playability but I still purchase these things. Usually as long as they are under $100. 1. To support the developers. 2. The raspberry pi does not speak to my inner child like these gadgets do. I have my original consoles, a crt and retrotink2x so I don't really need these gadgets but they do satisfy that nostalgic itch of being a kid and getting a new game.
Anyone I've ever known who ran emulators barely played any of it. "I have 3,000 games" and they can't tell me what they actually played much less even finished
I always enjoy your posts...and this is no exception. While a great deal of my retro gaming is via emulation, I still have my retro machines (2600, 5200, and yes, the GSP) that I enjoy.
I used to collect games for the various 80s systems, but as I got older, I realized that I was spending money on games I would probably never play more than a couple times. Emulation, when it works properly, can let me play any of the games I want, for free. OK, I know I'm not supposed to just download the games for free, but it's what 99.9999999% of emulation users do. I also love having save states. I've been playing through a few later console games off and on, and if I had to wait for the game to reload every time I needed to restart a level or a race, I would have quit most of them a long time ago. I also like that I can configure the controls however I like, including using a joystick to play games on systems that came with gamepads, like the NES. And not only a joystick, a RIGHT-handed one. However, if I should ever get the urge, I can buy an adapter to hook up pretty much any retro controller. I have one for Atari joysticks, and another for PS1/PS2 controllers. That said, I do dislike the fact that USB based controllers (including retro controllers with adapters) all have some amount of lag. It blows my mind that the entire world has whole-heartedly embraced USB as the ultimate form of device interface, despite it having a noticeable lag problem. When it was first announced, I had a mild interest in getting the mini BurgerTime arcade machine. It's not my favorite game, although I do like it, I just thought it would be neat to have such a colorful arcade game in the palm of my hand. Then I learned that it was the NES version, and I lost all interest in owning it. Which is probably for the best as it has the joystick on the left and I would have found it unplayable. I actually found a Pac-Man mini arcade machine in the trash a few months ago. It works fine, but I can't play it with the stick on the left. I suck with my left hand, and trying to use my right is awkward and ends up blocking the screen.
I'm with you. I buy a hell of a lot of these gadgets. I've got a wall of Arcade1up machines, a shelf unit of retro game systems like the 2600+ and Super Nintendo Mini, and plenty of handhelds like the ones My Arcade makes. All official. And I also have a emulator system packed with thousands of games and a handheld with just about everything before the PS2. Most old games will _never_ be released on an official system. Emulation is the only way to play them.
Hey Jon, I love your channel. Speaking of emulation, I was wondering if you could make a video similar to the one you made about adding the full rom set and more to the Atari 2600 Mini but this time make it for the Atari 400 Mini? Sure some people show you how to add a game or 2 to it but you’re video you made about the Atari 2600 mini was really helpful and easy to follow along with and I'd like to see what other 400 mini games are out there without putting them on a PC plus I liked the extra games that I didn't know about for the 2600. I'm sure you're viewer's would like it too. Thanks.
Hitting home with these speaking points Jon, it's like I'm not on any of my Mini consoles every single day, let alone that Atari GSP but just the fact that I have them there all loaded up ready to go when I get that urge is what matters to me personally. Nice to get off the PC occasionally and just dive into the offline world yeah? Though since I last commented I had a thought about that Atari GSP firmware update, do you think it's possible that they are delaying it intentionally to be released along side the portable GSP? that could have 1.04 on it out of the gate for example. Just a thought but I wont be holding the metaphorical breath over it.
It's kind of similar to buying physical copies of albums (either cd or vinyl). For me personally, I prefer the physical copy because of the artwork and liner notes (especially if it's a box set of an artist I like).
I like your thoughts on emulation. I’m a little obsessed with it. I have way to many handheld consoles, everything from the Anbernics to the Powkiddys and many Kinhank plug and plays. I also have the Nintendo mini as well. I just can’t afford the inflated prices for a used system and games that are being offered. I’m happy with what I have and will continue to emulate. I agree with your thoughts on having the physical product, especially the instruction booklets that come with games. It was a great time growing up in the 80’s and getting to experience all the releases from Nintendo and Sega. Unfortunately I gave away all my systems as I got older as newer ones came out. 🤦🏻♂️ Anyway great video.
"there's more to a classic movie than a reel of film, and there's more to the classic games than the ripped ROM." Nice writing!!
This is a great explanation of retro gaming as a whole.
Very well thought out, and very well argued. I kind of feel like the way you’re presenting. It is like when Leonard Malton used to do those DVD introductions
Jon. I am 100% behind you on this. Not only does it feel more 'real' to play on new or used hardware, but playing originals personally takes me to a place that nothing else seems to know the way to. My youth. At my age (BoomerGrownup), anything that makes me feel like a kid again is gonna be the route I take. Especially if you add the right snackages to the experience.
You have inspired me to get back into retro gaming done right. 😊
I miss arcades.
A third place is a location that isn't your home or work. It is a social place where strangers become regulars. Arcades were my third place growing up, which I miss. Playing a ROM at home will never recapture the atmosphere of that third place.
We all miss the arcades.
Lining up and putting a quarter on the marquee to say "next" can't be replicated on a Raspberry Pi or PC.
I love you dude... and arcades were great, but are a thing of the past. These new games suck ass!
Same here, however, we do have a "retrocade" here in town that is like 5 minutes away from my places that if you step into, it is just like being in the arcades back in the 80s.
@@SkiBumMSP - There's one that is 25 minutes from me. Just not close enough for me to go to regularly.
The tangible controls are a huge part of it: whether we're talking about joysticks or paddles / spinners. And the gestalt of how all the pieces work together.
That´s why you can emulate and use any controller you want.
I could understand why a person would want to emulate. I carry around a little handheld retro player. It's easier than pulling out all the equipment to hook it up play for a few hours and putting it all back. But most of the time I want to play with the controller the console came with, and firing up the old CRT.
I love my collection. It took me a long time to get where I am at. I have some impressive pieces. My income is at the low end of the scale. I traded, I rummaged, I bought lots took what I wanted and flipped the rest. I have bought and fixed, and sold 2600 and 5200 controllers. I feel like I earned and accomplished something.
Having the item isn't the whole thrill. It's the story behind the stuff. Networking, meeting good people, and finding treasures in the wild is a big part of it for me.
Caring for and maintaining my collection is very relaxing. Almost as relaxing as playing them.
Finally, it's an investment. I don't know stocks and bonds, but I know video games. We all work with our talents, even if another thinks it's silly. I've tripled my investment. Not so silly now...
Love this!
Great video Jon and you're spot on with your observations. At the end of the day it's all about nostalgia and I'm now picking up stuff as a grown adult that I had no chance of getting hold of as a kid due to money, family circumstances etc. Emulation is great but there's nothing better than having a physical cartridge and game system etc to play it on. Keep up the good work 👍
Occasionally I buy new games for my Vic 20s and C64.
The biggest reason that I buy is to support developers. We wouldn’t have the recent releases from Atari without a retro market.
Good point
Some dev are crazy ,like the Sega Genesis *Paprium* game . $500 dollars for a cartridge , those kind of projects are a insane asking price .
If you buy something from a reseller, it doesn't give any money to the developers.
Most of the time we're not supporting the developers of these old titles, we're supporting the current IP owner. Most likely the IP that has changed hands many times over the years. There are exceptions, but those are few and far between. Perhaps it could be we are supporting those who are keeping the nostalgia alive for everyone, because it's just a cool piece of history.. And also for legitimate ownership of copies of the games themselves, rather than pirating potentially crap broken versions of the games.
@@SomeCanine Right, but that's not how 'support' works. By buying from resellers, you encourage the demand that adds to the development environment.
I’ve spent a fair bit on retro gaming between collecting original 8 and 16 bit computers and consoles to a fair number of mini consoles and handhelds with more pre ordered. I do also use emulation at times for a quick hit but most often I’ll at the very least use a mini console if not the real thing. I have been asked why before and I don’t really know other than it makes me happy so I’m going to keep on doing it. Thankfully my good lady is very understanding and never complains about the money I spend on my hobby. Another great vid Jon thank you.
Valid points. For me i prefer emulation, warts and all. i dont have a prior collection nor do i have the cash or the room for many consoles/ gadgets. Its just eaiser for me now, im just really happy to be able to play the retro games that i loved.
I go both ways. I've had a Raspberry Pi and older PC I've used to emulate, but sometimes I just want to turn on an Ambernic handheld and play. 😊
I couldn't have said it better myself. One of the reasons I love Evervade.
Yeah i can emulate on a pc. But the fun is in the living room, playing with the family, taking turns. It's just different.
I just use a tiny mini PC The same way you would use a console in the living room. It's not really different at all aside from the fact that you're not playing on original hardware. I like that there are lots of different controllers to choose from as well. I have used an Xbox controller, a PS4 controller and also have an 8-bit do gamepad.
@HeavyInstinct good solution if you're tech savvy. But the experience and simplicity is still lost
Well as "the dude" would say, that's just like your opinion man. But you're certainly entitled to it. I really don't feel like anything is missing regarding the experience. I certainly understand why some people enjoy having a original hardware. I definitely have a lot of my old consoles lying around. I just find it easier to have everything consolidated into a single retro emulation build. Instead of having tons of different consoles connected to my system.
@@HeavyInstinct In Punch-Out, Soda Popinski is unbeatable in emulation due to a missing frame, the "tell" of him flashing red before punching. Link to the Past sounds like shit on emulation, Chrono Trigger has weird buzzing in the soundtrack.
It’s 2024, you can easily connect a PC to your living room entertainment center and even with smaller footprints than most consoles.
People don’t understand playing stuff on original hardware or something similar because they have never seen the scene we did growing up
I grew up in the 80s and playing on an emulator isnt any different. Just attach the original controller to an emulator and you have the same experience.
@@emansfvera you cannot do that for games like operation wolf
@@emansfvera I can attach my Atari 2600 to an HDTV and get a strong signal.. and respectfully, if you can't see, hear or feel any difference between original hardware and emulation, then you have some sort of sensory issues. Hard of hearing, very poor eyesight, etc. No offense if that's the case.
@@JonathanPer_JackHammerSalmWhat do you mean? There have been modern light gun solutions for quite a while now.
@@emansfveraI totally agree. I'm 56 years old and love my emulation build.
I'm one of those laid back gamers. Any way you can experience games reasonably is a good thing. My favorite defense of gaming is the "If you're gaming, you've got the perfect alibi." It's innocent and worth the time you spend creating memories. That being said, I am pro-collecting and pro-emulation.
Amen.
I don't get the doubters. Some folks spend thousands of dollars on classic cars, or on sports. Why not on cool old retro systems?
Last reason mostly for me. Plug and play zero or minimal setup. 👍
Thanks for the like. I enjoy your videos. Pretty sure we're about the same age.
retroarch is like thhat as asll
I am not a console person, but I will bring up one big point in the column of using original hardware. Over-availability gives people a massive decrease in enthusiasm. There is something about having fewer options and holding the original box art, original carts, original CD cases, etc. It makes you want to play the games a lot more than seeing a thousand files in a folder. It's more appealing. The presentation and enticement is much higher, not just the nostalgia factor.
Right, I don't understand how people downloading whole romsets do it. When I was a kid, I might get two or three games a year. Each individual game was incredibly precious, and I could easily persevere through any rough or difficult spots.
Emulation almost never recreates the same feeling.
BS
@@gamingguy9006 not bs. FACT. 😂
@@summer20105707 hipster
@@summer20105707 hipster
It's a placebo
The book and movie Ready Player One pretty much sums up the feeling of Retro.
It evokes all the beautiful memories.
If I could, I would recreate my old Fish n Chip shops and Corner Stores that had all the old arcades I used to walk and ride my bike to.
It doesn't really matter if it's physical or visual Retro, either way the memories of those games and the friends we played them with all come flooding back.
Physical just makes it feel that bit more real.... for now.
Great times.
I did emulate. I even built an arcade cocktail cabinet with Hyperspin that has a screen i can raise & lower on hinges. All i needed for controls was a dual joystick X-Stick w/6 button setup, a Kensington mouse that serves as a trackball & spinner, a steering wheel, light gun & flight stick w/fire button. Did i forget anything? 🤔
Walking into an Arcade back in the 80's was a magical experience. A voice from a game would call you in , like I live from Sinistar or chicken fight like a robot (Berserk) . Then the atmosphere , the unique controls of games like Battlezone with it's dual controls and goggles for a screen, the cool bike handlebars from Paperboy or Hang On by Sega with its full sized motorcycle you could sit on while playing. Later on a resurgence of the Arcade came back in a big way with games like Street Fighter II , like holy cow this one game changed gaming forever and I loved every minute of it , especially when I was kicking butt and you got a nice little crowd gathering around you , lol. Honestly it was lighting in a bottle and even though the Atari 2600 couldn't look like the Arcade , man it sure felt like it , well maybe are imaginations helped and the fact it was a very human connection with the Atari system in ways that has been lost over time. So for me if I can reclaim that moment in time just so I can feel that love from all those years ago and once again say , that was awesome. It's worth every penny.
When the town was hanging out at the arcade, it does take on that esprit de corps. Getting to play at the arcade at the end of training at the place known as Great Mistakes (Great Lakes, IL) with the entire unit, was kind of like that, magical.
Emulation takes the piss out of it. The experience isn’t the same at all.
Bullshit it's not ! Emulation is the way to go.
@@grantschubach1877 I was about to say. Chrono trigger didn't feel any worse emulating it. A great game is a great game.
Well, for me, I grew up spending all my allowance at the arcades in the 80s. Seeing the cabinet and turning them on brings me almost the same joy as walking into those arcade shops.
Emulators are still fun, but they don't give me the same touch and feel memory imprint as the mini arcades or consoles.
Having the real machine makes me feel so much more connected to the past. Like it's not just gone, it's still here, the actual computers I had as a kid, or the those I wished I had.
I'm kinda mixed on the whole Physical vs Digital thing. Physical collections tend to get cluttery if you don't have the room to properly store them, which I don't. I do get the occasional physical game, but I lean more toward digital collections.
Once again Jon produces great content and a thought provoking video. By far this is the best TH-cam Channel for a GenEx’er
😊agreed well said
Part of the enjoyment for me is to grab a stack of games to play. It’s not the same as flipping through a ROM folder for me. That would be easier and take up way less space, but it’s not my vibe. I feel the same about music, movies, and books.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to share your thoughts. 😁
Everyone's preference on how to experience gaming is different. I think using the original control system is the most important part because that's how the game was designed for you to interact with it.
there's also option paralysis associated with emulation. i have a generic portable emulator device with 10,000 games and i'll only play one for a few minutes out of curiosity. with my consoles, i tend to spend hours with a single game, and want to finish it.
I like the physical cartridge of retro video games because I like the feeling of taking the cartridge in and out of the console
I love the Nostolgia! Makes me feel like a kid again.
Portabillity and accesibility of games is the main selling point of emulation.
I am kind of a 50/50. I use emulation, but also enjoy buying (or rebuying...) official products that I owned through my lifetime that I made the mistake of letting go at some point. Picking up all the mini consoles that have been coming out in the last 8 years is awesome. I used to own ALMOST everything at one point or another, and having them back (in a mini form, with the SAME controls, HDMI output, faster loading) is a blessing. Sure it is nice to own the original, but I no longer have the room for all the systems, wires, discs, etc.... But to have what I consider the next 'authentic' version of those systems, plus ways to use the Original Controllers that I had back in the day... its as close as one can get. Now I can even fit 3x as much in my room, since everything is 'mini' in size now. ;)
Great content and you rock as a host. And I’m glad you are up and running. Keep it up the fight!
Some great points. I was eager to try some of the recreations -they look fantastic, but I was consistently let down. Despite my hopes, the experience never really captured that nostalgic feel. These expensive recreations often suffer from input lag, especially over HDMI, which also doesn't look or feel quite right. I know it's a rabbit-hole, but as I tried to recreate the original experience, I ended up learning the technical skills. For me, an RPi outputting RGB to an RGB-modded CRT TV feels so much more authentic. I use original controllers and built arcade joysticks, and my emulation setup, with a JVC 27-inch, RPi4, and RGB Scart running RGBPiOS, cost less than $180 (not counting the countless hours spent researching, sourcing parts, and learning soldering and electronics). A simpler option is to get a Mister FPGA, which is insanely expensive but probably ends up being cheaper than buying all these recreations.
Nail on the head! Great video Jon and pretty much the reason why I don't bother with emulation. I dabbled with Bleem back in the day to play PS1 games on my PC and found the results varied and I couldn't be bother tinkering with the settings to get it to work. Easier just to play the games on my OG PlayStation :-) Keep up the awesome work!
2 player Tank stick with trackball, old laptop, a TV stand that can go into portrait and MAME (Ash Build). So much fun! Pop in another quarter hehe.
Yes, using a TV-Monitor in portrait mode really helps a LOT reliving the arcade feeling with Mame.
PIck one from a thrift store if you see, even better with VGA giving extra softness to your picture.
I loved the arcades in the late 70s and 80s as well as the home consoles of the time. Jon, your videos have been inspirational to my recent purchases, and subsequent fun. When I see footage of these mini arcades in a local shop, I get a little sad. Australia just doesn’t have shops that stock these. The only choice is to purchase an import or buy from a specialist shop who do imports. Still, this doesn’t stop the fun. Just limits the options. Great video. Thanks Jon!
There is nothing like walking into a room full of decades of digital history, maybe one day to leave it to your kid. To have each game be a story of a trip to a store or even of how you arrange systems on a shelf.
The alternative? "Hey, look at my 512TB microSD card... One day, all of this will be yours. Or wait, why don't I just copy it for you right now?" (assuming current emulation players grow up to have kids in 10 years or whatever) There is something to be said to have the collective experience of shared media, but the memory of how a controller button stuck, or how you needed to keep one certain console on a pillow because the vibration would make the disc skip if it was on a wooden table...
Game collectors are collecting memories about game playing as much as of games themselves. I find no value in my memory of watching a download progress bar gradually move to the right.
Serious question: how many hundred dollars per year is the habit? For most of us, "My Arcade" plastic costs less than our mobile phone bills, per annum.
I had a Nelsonic Pac-Man watch. Absolutely loved it. It was lost many, many years ago. I found another one about ten years ago, but oddly, the end-game tune was (of all things) the tune "Dixie". Yeah, that was a head-scratcher. I remember every sound and song that came out of the original one, and Dixie ain't one of them. :D I can only guess it was a knock-off, or something.
In any case, I loved my original Nelsonic Pac-Man watch. It comes as no surprise that you had one, too. :)
I was gifted one by my uncle. Took it off to go swimming in the backyard pool and it went missing. Spent hours looking all over the yard for it. I've since deduced that my parents confiscated it because I was playing it too much. I hope it's eventually added to MAME as the Nintendo Game & Watch series was.
I play it on original hardware because I used to do garage sales, conventions and thrifts back int 90s and 00s when all of this stuff was considered throwaway garbage. It was crazy back then. Once found a seller with about 40 neo geo MVS carts for $5 a pop. Got Halloween and Texas Chainsaw 2600 for $20. You could fill suitcases for $80.
The prices are nuts now. That said though, there’s a huge tactile component to this stuff. Original screens, original joysticks etc are a different experience.
But then, I also carry around an emulation handheld in my work bag with like 10k games on it
I like it all.
I remember cruising thrifts stores back in the 90s and early 2000s as well, and scoring some really nice things. Still kicking myself in the butt for not grabbing that Vectrex unit I once saw for a mere $25, as I just did not have it on me at the time (early 90s - still a poor college student) and by the time I managed to scrap up the cash to go back to get it, it was already gone! I did grab a complete, in-the-box NES action set for $25 as I wanted a "new" NES as the one I already had died on me. The carts could be had for something like $5 each. It was the same thing with vinyl records. I remember grabbing some really nice records for like a $1 each or even less (sometimes there would be sales like 3 for buck, as they practically could not give the things away. Make me wonder just how many records ended up in the dump! Now with the whole retro-gaming craze and the "vinyl revival", the prices are just nuts. I probably have games down in my basement that I picked up for something like $5 that are worth over $100 today. I will need to go through all that and price things out, although I do not plan on selling anything.
I simply love retrogaming in all shapes and forms. However, I find collecting retrogames kind of costly, especially for me considering the Brazilian economic scenario. Even though we have a vibrant retrogaming culture here, as seen in our last event, Retrocon, I still like having the opportunity to load and play the games I love the most wherever I am. Nonetheless, I deeply appreciate all those who collect retrogames and retro-related gadgets.
Dude... that Pac Man watch would still sell a million units if it were made new TODAY... @ 3:05
I will say this. If I could just hit a button and have all my video games instantly playable on the Steam deck I would. Having to tinker around and hope that you get the game running Is somewhat fun but I would still choose not to have it if I could.
If you want to play Atari 2600 PADDLE games, the only way to get truly no lag is to use the original system and a tube TV.
👌
XD!
Because many of the games require special controls. That requires that you invest in a joystick and a keyboard encoder at the minimum. Next, you want to play "Centipede"...guess what you need a trackball. Then you want to play "Arkanoid" and "Pole Position". Guess what? You need a spinner. Then you want to play "Out Run" or "Daytona USA". You need a 270 degree wheel. You want to play "Tron" or "Discs of Tron"? Keep that spinner, but you need a joystick with a topfire button (for "Discs of Tron" you need two buttons on your joystick and a spinner with push-pull capability). Want to play "Ikari Warriors" and "Heavy Barrel"? You need a rotary joystick. "Operation Wolf?" Light gun? "Star Wars," "Paperboy", "Spy Hunter". You need a "Star Wars" yoke. By this point, you probably should just buy a cabinet. Oh, did I mention that you can do all this with an old computer running MAME and emulate a CRT with HLSL effects?
👌
Emulation is an AMAZING thing. Eventually, at some point, it will be the only way we can play some of these games. But, when given a choice, of course I'd rather play them on original hardware. Like James Rolfe said, the only way to play Atari is on an old piece-a-shit CRT TV (knobs and all!), and when I can, that's what I do. If not, though, I'll emulate without hesitation.
The answer I give is "I value the authenticity of playing games on the original hardware or as close to it as I can get."
It's a placebo
@@kenmastersstreetfighter5105 I see you posting the same thing a couple of times here, but you clearly don't know what that word means. The Placebo effect is when something with no medical or therapeutic value, seems to have a positive effect on the mind or body.
My placing value on original hardware isn't a quirky side effect, it's a decision I have made.
I like original hardware, I enjoy learning about the history, the development process and the way it's been put together. I also value the fact that these systems are mine from when I was a kid, so I have a personal connection to the specific hardware.
You saying this like it's some kind of counter to what I said, is baffling. The placebo effect is acknowledged as being a beneficial tool in medicine, so I fail to see the problem with it being a placebo, even if it was.
To just comment something like that without knowing a damn thing about me and my history with video games, and to attempt to diagnose the reasons I enjoy something, makes you look like a total idiot.
Can you imagine being a kid on Christmas morning, running down stairs to the Christmas tree to rip open your brand new shiny digital download card?! Man kids today have it so good. Why would you want to spend your hard earned money on a physical object that might actually be of monetary value one day? Nonsense! I want to spend my money to own nothing and like it! 😂
The other piece of all of the "retro" concept is the SPACE TO STORE IT ALL. Beyond the original cabinet-style experience which is an EXTRAORDINARY ask, the cables, switches and needed interfaces for the other real/retro things are thins that require set up time (and don't get me wrong, it's worthy time) but - it's what people lack/are willing to give nowadays.
What I do love about the new issuance of the Retro stuff is that the problems with the original control interfaces - is that the new ones are finally there without (for the most part) the control interface problems. The original Intellivision controllers have a special pieces of my heart, but also I lost locks of hair because of them as well. Great video and opinions, dude!
Thanks for watching and for sharing your thoughts/memories. I certainly have storage boxes filled with spaghetti wires for any number of vintage consoles!
Emulation is better for probably most casual vintage game fans, more convenient, takes up way less space, cheaper and less maintenance. However for people who want to use vintage peripherals be that controllers, cartridges or other more specialised hardware then it is only really possible to use vintage computers/consoles currently. Personally I like both, and use both. Growing up in the 70’s-90’s was an incredible time, so much great stuff from BMX, Skateboards, Arcades, Home Computers, Consoles, Breakdancing, not to mention all the great music, toys and freedom.
I started collecting hardware in late 2000s and after experience with emulation it was a real eye-opener. Emulators never represent a game genuinely in all is aspects. It's also a TV you play on, it's also the glitches typical to your hardware, it's the cables you connect to your TV and of course - the controller. You can't imagine how many people download and configure Project64 without even knowing how an N64 controller looked like!
Owning a real PS1 was such an example after experiencing upscaled games on ePSXe back in 2002 (yes, upscaling PS1 games was a thing on hardware of that day).
And just don't get me started on things like Vectrex, a console with a vector CRT monitor. If you emulated it, you never played it.
This has become one of my favorite channels.
But I must admit, I’m probably in the minority on this one.
When I was a kid, there was nothing better than going to Toys R Us to buy a new game. Opening it up and reading the instructions.
Now, like others, I don’t have the space or income to collect games and systems. I have every game I want and the opportunity to play games on different systems. I had fun building my emulator on Atari GSP then on a mini PC with Batocera.
I've tried the retropie thing, the Anbernic with 10,000 games etc. I just didn't seem to want to play them. Yet playing retro games on my VCS, or carts on my 2600+ or even games on my 400 mini - I'll play those for hours and hours and enjoy them. I think I like to have something tangible to play on - it doesn't have to be original hardware (more often I prefer it isn't) but something like it.
Great answers!
For me, it's all about the novelty of the form factor. I particularly LOVE 6-inch range arcade cabinets. They're a lot of fun to have on a table, and they're a great match to accessorize a lot of my action figures.
Good video. You made some great points. Some of us have so little free time and aren’t as tech savvy so they’d rather use that time to play the game vs. learning how to play it cheaper. Someone can say something is simple all they want and it probably is simple, but it’s not simple to all. There are very few TH-cam tutorials that are helpful to all because most take some part of what they are doing for granted and assume their audience will know what they’re talking about. Common sense is not common especially when it comes to bridging generation gaps. I can tell you driving a stick is easy but you’d be hard pressed to find someone under 30 that can do it. On the other hand you may have a hard time finding a man over 75 who can type well. Thanks for the video.
Emulation is often a pain, especially on the Mac. I ended up going that route mostly so I could obtain USB joysticks that have the same feel of the CX 40 I grew up with (e.g. Hyperkin Trooper 2).
Mini PC w/Bazzite = Winning.
To try and bring my own take on the question, i have several answers:
-It's objectively not the same thing. Using my own experience, i own an N64 with an Everdrive, which is a cartridge that uses an SD card to store the games so you can have the ROMs within the cartridge and play on an actual device, which has its own technical design in how it runs the games and displays the visuals. If you play on an actual N64, you'll know that it looks and sometimes plays differently than when you plan on Mupen64 or Project64 or whatever.
-If you're on the creative/analytical side of the discourse, it is fun to actually compare and see how these products actually managed to bring the experience and their pros and cons if you're dedicated into the discourse. There's a fascinating difference between the various forms in which Nintendo themselves have brought their legacy content, from Virtual Console, ports, subscription services and legacy items like Mini Consoles and Game and Watch (i'd love to see you guys make a video on the Mario and Zelda Game and Watch).
-For some people, it's just better to keep your devices for specific purposes. I actively avoid PC gaming because to me, an video producer, my computer is already doing heavy work. My phone is for calls and portable streaming like YT or Twitch, and my consoles are for videogames. By having things in their own specific products, i actually focus on using them for their core purposes.
Don't get me wrong, i do engage in fan-made emulation and official ones (remember, alot of official products are emulation anyway), but despite having dozens if not hundreds of ROMs on a PC emulator...i can count with my hands what games i have actually PLAYED AND FINISHED, because the saturation does kill off the interest.
There's a ton of arcade games that would not be playable without emulation. On the other hand, I prefer the original hardware whenever possible.
I think your perspective of this depends on your age and experiences. For example, I cherish my Atari XEGS becuse it looks like a time piece out of 1987. For me it adds to the ambience when I play as opposed to when I play the same games on Atari 50 on XBox.
Just recently I saw Alien at the movie theater, I have this movie on blueray and also the special edition, but seeing it at the movie theater was great, drinking beers and with friends.
I am right in the middle, I enjoy setting up emulators ,hacking old systems and adding games of all sorts but I also enjoy owning and collecting many retro game collectibles! Great stuff as always
Get an Evercade:
Full retro gaming experience at a fraction of the price.
I’m a game collector like crazy and Evercade js addictive
As a purchaser of said product, the main reason is portability. I could plug my ps3 controller right into the USB port, and get the proper controller app, and use it, but if I'm at home, I'd rather be playing a PS3 game than a retro game, lol. So much better graphics. The only time I would likely consider playing retro is away from home, when I don't have the PS3 with me.
You make some good points. Personally, I'll stick to emulation in various forms with various high-quality front ends, but I can definitely see where you're coming from. And I really regret missing out on the Street Fighter 2 Champion Edition Replicade a couple of years ago. Enjoy those toys and gadgets!
One thing not easily replicated with emulation is the sacred art of "frying", achieved by quickly powering the system off and on. Before Game Genie, that was the only way to corrupt memory and get weird results.
I was actually able to get the "Warrior's Sword" in SwordQuest: Earthworld using this technique. I think I was able to see previously unseen clues as well.
All my games I emulate. I started collecting roms and emulators back in 2002 when I was in college. I found my first very first emulator and romset on a school computer. It was for SNES. To this day, I still ask myself who left an SNES romset and emulator on a school computer. I was happy to have found them. As the years went by, I started finding and collecting more roms, emulators, and even some standalone PC games. I have more video games now as an adult then I did when I was a kid. I cherish the retro games that I have and play to this day. I don't have time to track down old hardware for old games. I don't know if many of them exist anymore. And plus, I can't afford to buy old hardware either. So, I'm happy to emulate my games.
Should make a video *if You only could choose one* gaming console or anything related devices, which would it be 😅
I can easily emulate a old game, but I been loving to collect these mini arcade machines and just be able to pick one up to play without too much of a hassle to find said game in a sea of files in a device that would either be bigger or would require me to set up a controller which would take longer to do.
Hardware is and always has been the best. The collection of cartridges looks far more impressive than an usb key.
i bought a steam deck for the soul purpose of emulation, but i still kind of want to collect retro consoles and games. theres just something satisfying about the tactility of having the physical hardware.
Well said Gen X Grown Up! I fall into a combination of the many reasons you gave on why someone does NOT emulate. But I do plan on some emulation in the future. First things first….
I think emulation is a good solution to check a game, but the physical experience of get a cartidge and put it on a real consolle and play with original controllers is another thing. Surely the old consoles are getting old, defective and uncomfortable to connect to modern digital tvs: so welcome Atari 2600 + (even if in truth it is Emulator too), but it allows to use the old original cartridges and controllers, and real paddles. I hope that in the wake of the good idea an Intellivision + will also arrive, I'm waiting for it.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to share your thoughts. 😁
I prefer collecting physical gameboy cartridges. It's like a badge of honor for me. Proud to collect the metroid duology in gba.
_Translator:_
I love emulators, I've been using them for years and nothing will change that. The only thing I need for complete happiness is an original controller or joystick. That's half the fun of the game for me.
Whoa... Hold on a second there... There's a My Arcade Rolling Thunder??? How did I miss that? If that's the proper arcade ROM in there I might have to make a purchase. Ehhh, y'know what even if it it's a home console version I'm still tempted.
There is, indeed! It's the NES ROM, which is not a terrible conversion. 😁
Here's my review: th-cam.com/video/4tUcPlt8034/w-d-xo.html
Here's Amazon link to purchase: amz.run/9Tod
@@GenXGrownUp Thanks Jon!
@@MrThunderwing You betcha!
I collect old boxes, inserts, catalogs and manuals for the sake of preservation in HD
Ive been emulating since 2002. My computer lab teacher in middle school showed me I could play Kirby's Adventure on PC. It blew my mind. I never went back after that.
I've love the emulation concept since it came out in the 90s.
What I really love about emulation, is you can use it with original classic arcade controllers & original classic arcade monitors. I've done it even with vector monitors.
All of these various retro products that keep popping up I have almost zero interest in. And if your not using the original controllers (or clones of them) or the original monitors, your missing a good part of the experience. But it is possible to do that.
My kids got me a Tiny Arcade Pac-Man for Christmas 2022 it was fun. This inspired me to get a bunch of emulators and ROMs for use on my PC's this was fun too. The Atari 8 bit emulators and Roms inspired me to dig out my old Atari 800 from storage and restore it! Now I have that 800 , a 400 with 48K, a 600xl NTSC, 800xl PAL, and an XEGS PAL some fully modded with video & memory upgrades and some stock. So in the end, that toy Pac-Man got me into the A8 retro hardware modding and Homebrew scene.
I do not know of these toys you speak of, I only have high precision gadgets.
I think it depends on the person Emulator on the PC with a front end like Hyper Spin is pretty good for some people because they don't have to hookup and disconnect different Consoles it just a click away were you can play Atari 2600 then change the game to N64 games in seconds to play and other like collecting retro games for the memory like you said
Both options are great these days, one costs more & by today's standards so if you want to get your retro on, so many way @ so many price groups. Game on!
I totally agree with you, Jon. I purchased the 2600 + and part of the fun is the hunt for some of the games i want to find. It would be nice to see more older systems do the same as Atari. Just imagine Nintendo doing the same with the NES. Imagine how that would effect and change the discussion then.
Great video, Jon. And well said. I love collecting games, but the expense can be high. Buying a game I loved as a kid for $200 can be difficult. So I have turned to emulation. I sold my Saturn collection for a modded Saturn. I love the Analogue Pocket. Yet, I still collect some games for retro and the newest consoles.
For me, it's all about convenience. I have the technical aptitude, but don't want to spend the time downloading the emulator and the roms. I just want to play! This is especially true for emulating more complex games, which require a lot of configuration to work properly.
Honestly, running lakka on my pi is better for overall playability but I still purchase these things. Usually as long as they are under $100. 1. To support the developers. 2. The raspberry pi does not speak to my inner child like these gadgets do. I have my original consoles, a crt and retrotink2x so I don't really need these gadgets but they do satisfy that nostalgic itch of being a kid and getting a new game.
Anyone I've ever known who ran emulators barely played any of it. "I have 3,000 games" and they can't tell me what they actually played much less even finished
I always enjoy your posts...and this is no exception. While a great deal of my retro gaming is via emulation, I still have my retro machines (2600, 5200, and yes, the GSP) that I enjoy.
dont forget you dont want to miss out on the excitement of a long over due mini console firmware update hmmm the atari 400 mini highlight of my week
I used to collect games for the various 80s systems, but as I got older, I realized that I was spending money on games I would probably never play more than a couple times. Emulation, when it works properly, can let me play any of the games I want, for free. OK, I know I'm not supposed to just download the games for free, but it's what 99.9999999% of emulation users do. I also love having save states. I've been playing through a few later console games off and on, and if I had to wait for the game to reload every time I needed to restart a level or a race, I would have quit most of them a long time ago.
I also like that I can configure the controls however I like, including using a joystick to play games on systems that came with gamepads, like the NES. And not only a joystick, a RIGHT-handed one. However, if I should ever get the urge, I can buy an adapter to hook up pretty much any retro controller. I have one for Atari joysticks, and another for PS1/PS2 controllers.
That said, I do dislike the fact that USB based controllers (including retro controllers with adapters) all have some amount of lag. It blows my mind that the entire world has whole-heartedly embraced USB as the ultimate form of device interface, despite it having a noticeable lag problem.
When it was first announced, I had a mild interest in getting the mini BurgerTime arcade machine. It's not my favorite game, although I do like it, I just thought it would be neat to have such a colorful arcade game in the palm of my hand. Then I learned that it was the NES version, and I lost all interest in owning it. Which is probably for the best as it has the joystick on the left and I would have found it unplayable. I actually found a Pac-Man mini arcade machine in the trash a few months ago. It works fine, but I can't play it with the stick on the left. I suck with my left hand, and trying to use my right is awkward and ends up blocking the screen.
I'm with you. I buy a hell of a lot of these gadgets. I've got a wall of Arcade1up machines, a shelf unit of retro game systems like the 2600+ and Super Nintendo Mini, and plenty of handhelds like the ones My Arcade makes. All official. And I also have a emulator system packed with thousands of games and a handheld with just about everything before the PS2. Most old games will _never_ be released on an official system. Emulation is the only way to play them.
Hey Jon, I love your channel. Speaking of emulation, I was wondering if you could make a video similar to the one you made about adding the full rom set and more to the Atari 2600 Mini but this time make it for the Atari 400 Mini? Sure some people show you how to add a game or 2 to it but you’re video you made about the Atari 2600 mini was really helpful and easy to follow along with and I'd like to see what other 400 mini games are out there without putting them on a PC plus I liked the extra games that I didn't know about for the 2600. I'm sure you're viewer's would like it too. Thanks.
Hitting home with these speaking points Jon, it's like I'm not on any of my Mini consoles every single day, let alone that Atari GSP but just the fact that I have them there all loaded up ready to go when I get that urge is what matters to me personally. Nice to get off the PC occasionally and just dive into the offline world yeah?
Though since I last commented I had a thought about that Atari GSP firmware update, do you think it's possible that they are delaying it intentionally to be released along side the portable GSP? that could have 1.04 on it out of the gate for example. Just a thought but I wont be holding the metaphorical breath over it.
It's kind of similar to buying physical copies of albums (either cd or vinyl). For me personally, I prefer the physical copy because of the artwork and liner notes (especially if it's a box set of an artist I like).
I like your thoughts on emulation. I’m a little obsessed with it. I have way to many handheld consoles, everything from the Anbernics to the Powkiddys and many Kinhank plug and plays. I also have the Nintendo mini as well. I just can’t afford the inflated prices for a used system and games that are being offered. I’m happy with what I have and will continue to emulate. I agree with your thoughts on having the physical product, especially the instruction booklets that come with games. It was a great time growing up in the 80’s and getting to experience all the releases from Nintendo and Sega. Unfortunately I gave away all my systems as I got older as newer ones came out. 🤦🏻♂️ Anyway great video.