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Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 17th, 2019, 8:04 pm
by Flabyo
They had the back room as well this time which helped a bit, but yeah, it needs a much larger space if they’re going to keep charging that kind of entrance fee.

I was there 40 minutes before they opened and the queue was already pretty lengthy. I had about 5 to 10 minutes of decent browsing before it descended into its usual ‘squeeze into any space possible if you want to actually buy anything’. I was done by 1, far too crowded by then.

I sort of wish more of the stall holders here did the MCM as well, because there’s loads more room there, they get that vendors need space.

I might be tempted to take the train out to the one they do in Norwich at some point.

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 17th, 2019, 9:21 pm
by Joshihatsumitsu
Suits wrote: March 17th, 2019, 7:57 pm Then, my big thing I wanted.

I've wanted this for a while, stupidly, honesty mainly for the fun of it and the Wario game on the system.

I got myself a JPN Virtual Boy.


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The stand is good, has all the bits, the mesh face mask is in good condition and all is well. The only thing missing is the paperwork from the box - which does irk me a tad I must admit but I'm still very happy.

Grabbed a few games for it as well but there's not much out there unfortunately, well at least today and I'll be confined to ordering from the internet for Wario but that's cool, I must get that game I've heard an awful lot about it and how good it is so I'm well keen.


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Welcome to the Virtual Boy club!

At least now you can say you own every shmup on the system! Don't forget to pick up an AC adapter too, as it's a very worthwhile investment.

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 17th, 2019, 11:05 pm
by Michiel K
Wow, nice catch, Suits! A friend and ex co-worker of mine had one and the complete library, sans the Wario Land game. He was very proud of it, but suddenly sold everything off to another colleague as he needed the dosh.

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 18th, 2019, 8:15 am
by Suits
Joshihatsumitsu wrote: March 17th, 2019, 9:21 pm Don't forget to pick up an AC adapter too, as it's a very worthwhile investment.
Yeah man, I’ve already have the adapter and I have a Super Famicom power supply that I can use.

Just got to get myself Wario Land and Jack Bros. as they are the games I like the look of most.

Really happy to have this in my collection and now have the opportunity to play this strange beast and see how bad it really is 😄.

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 18th, 2019, 11:52 am
by Craig
Nice! Managed to play one in Super Potato a while back and thought it was neat as hell. Granted I only played it for 2 minutes, but i really enoyed it. I see them every so often for sale and the price isn’t actually too bad, but I don’t think I can justify the price and space it would take up for the limited time I’d play it. Certainly a conversation piece though!

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 18th, 2019, 12:50 pm
by Suits
Craig wrote: March 18th, 2019, 11:52 am I see them every so often for sale and the price isn’t actually too bad....
Keep an eye out for me will you mate, I’m after Wario Land and Jack Bros. but generally any games really as there’s only 19 JPN releases.

You’re right, it’s certaibly a conversation piece.

It looks so rad in the flesh/plastic 😄😄.

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 18th, 2019, 1:04 pm
by Craig
I’m on the hunt! Will let you know any I spot.

Speaking of Virtual Boy, Jeremy Parish is doing a pretty great chronological dive into the library. He’s doing so with other systems too, but he’ll actually be able to finish this one in his lifetime - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... W-uOEqNflx

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 18th, 2019, 7:45 pm
by Suits
Craig wrote: March 18th, 2019, 1:04 pm I’m on the hunt! Will let you know any I spot.
Thanks mate, you're a star.

I'll take a look at those vid's 8-) .

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 21st, 2019, 5:35 pm
by KSubzero1000
My retro collection has remained surprisingly stagnant over the course of the last few years. I tend to assume I have most of what I'd be interested in already and my bargain hunting fire has started to fade ever so slightly as a result.

Anyway, I just bought Haunting Ground and Chaos Legion (both on PS2) after some very positive word-of-mouth. Curious to dive in when I have the chance.

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 21st, 2019, 7:19 pm
by Michiel K
Haunting Ground is still on my shopping list as well.

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 22nd, 2019, 1:17 pm
by Flabyo
Just got the shipping email for my Analogue Mega Sg, so that might even be here as early as Monday.

Be nice to finally be able to retire my increasingly flaky Megadrive before it dies entirely.

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 22nd, 2019, 1:49 pm
by Sinclair Gregstrum
Flabyo wrote: March 22nd, 2019, 1:17 pm Just got the shipping email for my Analogue Mega Sg, so that might even be here as early as Monday.

Be nice to finally be able to retire my increasingly flaky Megadrive before it dies entirely.
Well I am bloody jealous. I was flip flopping on whether to get one for ages, and eventually fell down on the side of not, although the situation is fluid and could change at any moment! It just looks so nice...

Let us know what it's like when you get it!

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 22nd, 2019, 2:33 pm
by Flabyo
They put this video to show all the options etc... (and also demo the built in game a bit)



There’s an option there that attempts to detect developers using checkerboard pixel patterns to create semi transparency or colour blending on crt and replicate the result by blurring just those areas. If that works consistently it could be really cool.

Auto region detection for the small number of carts that actually had region locking is a nice thing too (Thundeforce IV for example)

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 22nd, 2019, 2:41 pm
by Suits
Did you grab one of those lovely 8BitDo pads too ??

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 22nd, 2019, 2:44 pm
by Flabyo
Nah, I have no shortage of actual md pads knocking about the place (I was lacking a second 6 button one, but sorted that at the retro game market last weekend)

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 22nd, 2019, 2:50 pm
by Suits
Ah, tidy 👍🏽.

I use the 8BitDo SNES pads on my Super NT in the front room and the wireless’ of them really helps because of the distance etc...

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 23rd, 2019, 6:54 pm
by Suits
So, I should be playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice but may attention was draw to something else this afternoon on my way back from the shops.

A local lad was selling off his Mega Drive collection and had this, he wanted £40 which I thought was very very fair so jumped on it.

It is missing the manual though, which, if it had it would be going for a lot closer to £100 and up.


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It's clean, suspiciously clean.

I gave it the quick once over in his doorway and all seemed good enough for me to hand the cash over to him but without a cartridge tool on me, I was risking it.

I got it home and opened it up - all seems sweet.


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Apart from me nearly butchering the cart bolt threads putting it back together :roll: , it's all in very nice condition.

My region modded Mega Drive will only play this in its region marked format sadly (PAL) - this may well be one of the few latter Mega Drive carts that only had its regions ROM on the board.

The boarders can I do something about but the speed will be affected - if its not one that was optimised for European realise (think SoR2).

Once I'd down some jiggery pokery with my PVM it was booting up nicely.


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It plays pretty well.

I've not played Super Castlevania for a few years but this seems to feel just as nice, if maybe a little snappier. Although I have been playing a the GameBoy Castlevania's lately so that may be clouding my memory a bit.

The sound is rad, it has those bassy tones associated with the Yamaha Mega Drive chip - think Alien3 levels of filth.

I've only put an hour into to so far, just to see if it would boot really, then set up the geo, then ended up playing it for a while.

Flabyo wrote: March 22nd, 2019, 2:33 pm Auto region detection for the small number of carts that actually had region locking is a nice thing too (Thundeforce IV for example)
It seems that Castlevania may well be one of those as it goes.

If I have my Mega Drive switched to US or JPN, I just get the white Konami splash screen, only if its set to PAL does the cart boot properly.

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 23rd, 2019, 6:57 pm
by KSubzero1000
Nice grab!

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 23rd, 2019, 8:20 pm
by Flabyo
Ooh, jealous. Been trying to find a copy of that that I’m actually willing to pay what they’re asking for a while now.

On some of my region locked carts I can flip the switch on my modded md back to US after booting and it’s fine, but Konami’s stuff seems to periodically recheck it. I have a copy of turtles tournament fighters that locks up after a few minutes if you flip it back to US after booting.

I’ll be interested in seeing if the analogue Sg will keep it running as US but tell the cart it’s running on the thing it asks for. I’ll let you know.

Re: Retro gaming

Posted: March 23rd, 2019, 9:32 pm
by Suits
Yeah, cool man, be interesting to know how the SG handles it.

The Super NT has some weird stuff around the FX chip.

If I flip the region switch on my MD whilst it’s running, it switches but carries some odd graphical artifacts and appears to drop frames - so is far from ideal.

Turning the power off, switching, then booting works as expected.