General Category > General Discussion
December 2012 pickups
irvgotti452:
--- Quote from: redsox2012 on December 10, 2012, 10:42:12 AM ---I bought an NES top loader for $65. I've been looking for an NES for a while because I haven't had an original one in a long time. I bought an old model at Game Exchange, but it kept giving me the blinking light. The cartridge input was really tight too. I ended up exchanging it twice, with the two others being exactly the same. Makes me wonder if they tried to replace the 72 pin connectors and did a bad job.
It's just too bad I have to use RF. Does anyone know if there's a way to boost the RF signal to improve the picture (such as maybe running it through an RF modulator)? Would a new RF unit give a better picture than the 20 year old one that the console came with?
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eig-VDCWfoo
Quick and simple.
AO007:
As enticing as a top-loader NES sounds, I think buying the physical cartridges(For collector's sake/library representation) and then just downloading the virtual console versions to be more optimal(Possibly even cheaper). That and compilations like Mega Man Anniversary and Super Mario All-Stars.
I mean, sideways Wii Remote and a NES controller function the same, only the Wii Remote is more comfortable. XD
Nacho3:
--- Quote from: AO007 on December 10, 2012, 04:36:35 PM ---As enticing as a top-loader NES sounds, I think buying the physical cartridges(For collector's sake/library representation) and then just downloading the virtual console versions to be more optimal(Possibly even cheaper). That and compilations like Mega Man Anniversary and Super Mario All-Stars.
I mean, sideways Wii Remote and a NES controller function the same, only the Wii Remote is more comfortable. XD
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I usually use emulators to actually play my retro games whether it's virtual console or flash cards then keep my physical copies for display purposes.
redsox2012:
I do play NES games on emulators, but I like to play cartridges on the original hardware as well. I guess I'm just nostalgic that way. Plus, the Zapper games don't work because my emulators are played on LCD screens (although Duck Hunt on MAME with a mouse + cursor is pretty fun). My 5 year old son and I have a lot of fun picking up the old guns and controllers (NES & Genesis) and playing my cartridges.
I've also tried a clone console, and while it did work, it wasn't 100% compatible with all games (my Tengen games didn't work on it). Plus, it was really flimsy - the cartridge wiggled in the slot, and if you moved it while playing it would glitch.
I've seen the videos on AV modding the NES, but I have no soldering experience, and I don't trust myself enough to fiddle with the circuitry. I'm going to keep my eyes open for a good original NES with AV, then maybe I'll sell or trade the top loader.
tbonesteak4dinner:
And for those of us who are REALLY sensitive (a.k.a totally anal retentive ;)), playing on an emulator does feel different from the real thing. For instance, the early 3D systems (the N64 and PS1 in particular), the framerate was actually pretty variable, and this factors into how certain levels and boss fights feel. The framerate would either speed up or drop in certain places consistently, making that part of the overall "vibe." Emulators in generally will feel very smoothed out, and sometimes a little fake feeling to those who played the game on the original hardware. To me emulators don't feel fake, they just feel a little "off" as they kind of remove the little quirks that made the original systems unique. The other approach would say an older game on an emulator is how the game was originally supposed to be experienced, without the limitations of the console's hardware and everything running at a rock solid framerate at all times. To each their own I guess.
Sound is another big thing. Earlier consoles had dedicated synthesizer chips for sound. Emulators either use recorded samples to give off a vintage vibe, or they have their own synthesizer which has its own sound entirely. For me, being an audio guy for a living (both in performing music and recording), emulators sound funny to me - they don't quite match the sound of real hardware and on top of that they'll sometimes miss notes and sound effects.