RetroGaming

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/58639571

One of my favorite hobbies is following a game development project called Star Citizen.
Why would this be interesting, I don't care about some Vidya games you ask? Let me paint the complete picture of this exhilarating decades long saga.

You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

To understand the full picture we must go back 30 years ago to the year 1990 when nerds of all continents stared at the little screens of their eye destroying cathode-ray monitors frantically shooting enemy ships in a game called Wing Commander.
This was the Mecca of your dads and various weird uncles that turned out to diddle little children in community kindergartens.

This space flight title released on MS DOS in the good old days before anyone had heard of COVID or Kanye West. It has garnered much praise and attention from the so-called video game critics. Awarded by them titles such as "1991 Game of the Year" "nr 7 best PC game of all time"
In fact it was so good that EA released a port to PSP in 2006 and even to PCs in 2011, 30 years later. Suffice to say there's probably still a gigantic cult around this game even if half of original players died already from the old age or marriage arguments.

The maker - Chris Roberts, at the time working for a game company named Origin Systems - creators of Ultima series, followed up with Wing Commander II and Strike Commander in 1993 which were also successful. Wing Commander III and IV solidified his position as an immortal God of the space nerds.

In 1996 he left origin and founded his own studio together with his brother because in short - big publishers were limiting his creative freedom.

For some reason the first project of a new studio was not a game but a movie that took 25 million 1999s dollars of that sweet founding cash and probably loans. Great plan, you can see the first glimpse of cunning genius that is Chris Roberts.

The 1999 movie turned out to have zero redeeming qualities and was widely considered a 3/10. Main reasons were: bad casting choices, terrible special effects, uninspiring plot and ameteurish, unexperienced direction. In other words pretty good for your first movie ever but maybe start with 20 dollars?

Desperated to keep things afloat he decided to quickly release a game Starlancer in 2000 with his old and tried formula but it was a new millennium. People, tech moved on and everyone already done better and more interesting things.
It wasn't a commercial success that Digital Anvil badly needed.

Shrewdly Microsoft said hello and bought the barely surviving studio for some pocket change in 2000. This is very important in the context of the next game from Digital Anvil.

Chris Roberts had a very ambitious plans. A space trading and combat video game - Freelancer. In fact so ambitious that the game wasn't any close to materializing or feasible for year, second one... third... It was considered a vaporware.
At a point Microsoft came to the rescue and booted him out of the project completely.
The game was able to release in 2003 although in very different, limited scope than crazy plans of Chris Roberts. It was a success nevertheless, known for its gorgeous graphics and art style.

Let me briefly describe the substantially cut version features versus Chris Roberts vision:

Feature	Final Freelancer (2003)	Chris Roberts’ Original Vision
Universe Simulation	Mostly static, scripted NPC behaviors	Fully dynamic, AI-driven world where factions trade, fight, and evolve
Space-to-Planet Transition	Pre-rendered cutscenes for docking	Real-time, seamless landings on planets
Flight Controls	Mouse-based, arcade-style combat	Joystick-based, more realistic space sim
Economy	Partially dynamic with fixed trade routes	Fully dynamic economy affected by player actions
Ship Customization	Limited upgrades to a single ship	Deep ship customization and ability to own multiple ships
Multiplayer	Server-based multiplayer with limited persistence	Large-scale persistent online universe (proto-MMO)
Graphics & Engine	Good for the time, but somewhat dated due to delays	Cutting-edge visuals with procedural planet generation
Story & Campaign	Linear single-player story with side activities	More open-ended story with player-driven choices
Faction Interaction	Reputation system but largely static faction wars	Factions dynamically evolving based on player and AI actions
Player-Owned Assets	No stations or fleets, just personal ship upgrades	Ability to build and own stations, fleets, and influence the world

As you can see the og scope was several times that of an 2018 X4 Foundations and lovely words 'MMO' also appear.

Meanwhile, Chris Roberts dissatisfied, quit the company altogether. In his mind sown the alluring seeds of Freelancer gargantuan full version.

After leaving he founded another company that aimed to produce films, shows and games. However 0 projects ever came out of it. Zero. Null. Nada.

That 'success' somehow prompted him to make another company - Ascendant Pictures this time entirely MOVIE publishing. What's going on with this guy and movies? Anyway, It funded 8 Hollywood movies one of them Lord of War. nice
But... they were almost entirely financed by a loophole in the German tax laws that was closed in 2006. 💀 After germans fixed their law Roberts' activities as a film producer ended as the funds raised by his controversial financing scheme depleted. Pay attention to financing scheme.
It was even sued by Kevin Costner in 2005. I would very much like for a Kevin Costner to sue me 🥵

Anyhow, the business was eventually acquired in 2010 by Bigfoot Entertainment
a small production company from Philippines.

Roberts getting a taste of tax avoidance and funding schemes hired a world renowned entertainment media attorney and in 2011 founded a company named Cloud Imperium Games together with his wife Sandi Gardiner - an actress (There's a funny side drama to her involving attempt to strangle Chris Roberts and some kids stalking). Nicknamed Strangli.

In October 2012 Cloud Imperium Games launched a crowdfunding schem... I mean project that was essentially Roberts long unrealized dream of full version of Freelancer that Microsoft cruelly demanded him to release, on time.

Wing Commander and Freelancer had a cult following and there were tons of sucker... I mean players who wanted to see what happens if you let an ambitious middle aged man that haven't released a single game since 2000 do whatever.
This amounted to 800 million dollars financial schem... Ahem crowdfunding as we speak.

Roberts discovered a gold mine.

To be continued...

Atari parts and accessories store Best Electronics stands bravely defiant against the march of time and technology, continuing to serve this increasingly niche retro hardware market 41 years after it was set up. As well as supplying parts, it continues to source and make new parts, provide support, hints, and tips, and claims to have spent $100,000+ in engineering development. In contrast, the iconic and innovative Atari Corp. behind all the firm's home computers, and advanced consoles like the Lynx and Jaguar, went bankrupt in 1996, which is almost 30 years ago.

Nice - I assumed it’d use stock Mister software.

Something very strange is happening inside Super Nintendo (SNES) consoles as they age: a component you've probably never heard of is running ever so slightly faster as we get further and further away from the time the consoles first hit the market in the early '90s. The discovery started a mild panic in the speedrunning community in late February since one theoretical consequence of a faster-running console is that it could impact how fast games are running and therefore how long they take to complete. This could potentially wreak havoc on decades of speedrunning leaderboards and make tracking the fastest times in the speedrunning scene much more difficult, but that outcome now seems very unlikely. However, the obscure discovery does highlight the fact that old consoles' performance is not frozen at the time of their release date, and that they are made of sensitive components that can age and degrade, or even 'upgrade', over time. The idea that SNESs are running faster in a way that could impact speedrunning started with a Bluesky post from Alan Cecil, known online as dwangoAC and the administrator of TASBot (short for tool-assisted speedrun robot), a robot that's programmed to play games faster and better than a human ever could.

[...] So what's going on here? The SNES has an audio processing unit (APU) called the SPC700, a coprocessor made by Sony for Nintendo. Documentation given to game developers at the time the SNES was released says that the SPC700 should have a digital signal processing (DSP) rate of 32,000hz, which is set by a ceramic resonator that runs 24.576Mhz on that coprocessor. We're getting pretty technical here as you can see, but basically the composition of this ceramic component and how it resonates when connected to an electronic circuit generates the frequency for the audio processing unit, or how much data it processes in a second. It's well documented that these types of ceramic resonators are sensitive and can run at higher frequencies when subject to heat and other external conditions. For example, the chart [here], taken from an application manual for Murata ceramic resonators, shows changes in the resonators' oscillation under different physical conditions.

As Cecil told me, as early as 2007 people making SNES emulators noticed that, despite documentation by Nintendo that the SPC700 should run at 32,000Hz, some SNESs ran faster. Emulators generally now emulate at the slightly higher frequency of 32,040Hz in order to emulate games more faithfully. Digging through forum posts in the SNES homebrew and emulation communities, Cecil started to put a pattern together: the SPC700 ran faster whenever it was measured further away from the SNES's release. Data Cecil collected since his Bluesky post, which now includes more than 140 responses, also shows that the SPC700 is running faster. There is still a lot of variation, in theory depending on how much an SNES was used, but overall the trend is clear: SNESs are running faster as they age, and the fastest SPC700 ran at 32,182Hz. More research shared by another user in the TASBot Discord has even more detailed technical analysis which appears to support those findings.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remake

The much-anticipated remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion could be coming sooner than expected. According to reliable insider NateTheHate, the game is set to launch either in April or May 2025, which is earlier than the original June release date.

• Developer: Bethesda and Virtuos
• Engine: Unreal Engine 5
• Features: Significant visual enhancements, revamped gameplay mechanics (including stamina, sneaking, blocking, archery, hit reactions, and a redesigned HUD)

This remake is moving at a rapid pace, with insider reports suggesting that Bethesda is preparing an imminent reveal.

What are the enhancements you think are essential to be included in this remake?

I got my old game boys and have been playing pokemon gold on the gameboy color. I also have red and blue.

But, I want to play through the rest of them on original hardware up until the switch. I plan to use flash carts or some kind of mods to play the games as they are quite expensive.

Please let me know if there are any flaws in my plan.

Gameboy Advance SP (I like this as it’s backlit and will let me play my other gameboy games)

• Pokemon Emerald

New 3dsxl/2dsxl

• the rest of the games I’d like to play them all using flash carts or software mods. Since these games are not as old I’ll buy the original if they are under $100

Is it as simple as picking up these two consoles to play all the pre-switch pokemon games? Is there a better non-emulation option?

GoRetroid, the company behind popular retro gaming handhelds like the Original Retroid Pocket, has unveiled more details about its upcoming product: the Retroid Pocket Classic.

Key highlights include:

• Processor: Qualcomm 4nm chipset
• Battery Life: 5,000 mAh
• Memory: 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage
• Wireless Capabilities: Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi 5
• Dimensions: 138mm x 89mm x 8.26mm

The handheld is powered by Android 14, and will feature an AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1240x1080, capable of reaching up to 500 nits in brightness.

One standout feature is the inclusion of a six-button variant, allowing for more games that traditionally required six buttons, especially from systems like the Sega Saturn. There's also a traditional 4-button layout.

Further updates on pricing and availability are expected.

Have you been longing for a six-button layout on your retro handheld?

Archive: https://archive.is/2025.03.13-161111/https://www.404media.co/super-nintendo-hardware-is-running-faster-as-it-ages/

Something very strange is happening inside Super Nintendo (SNES) consoles as they age: a component you’ve probably never heard of is running ever so slightly faster as we get further and further away from the time the consoles first hit the market in the early ‘90s. 

The discovery started a mild panic in the speedrunning community in late February since one theoretical consequence of a faster-running console is that it could impact how fast games are running and therefore how long they take to complete. This could potentially wreak havoc on decades of speedrunning leaderboards and make tracking the fastest times in the speedrunning scene much more difficult, but that outcome now seems very unlikely. However, the obscure discovery does highlight the fact that old consoles’ performance is not frozen at the time of their release date, and that they are made of sensitive components that can age and degrade, or even ‘upgrade’, over time.

Pixel FX, known for their wide range of HDMI solutions, has now introduced an internal adapter that brings HDMI to the GameCube.

What Does This Mean For GameCube Enthusiasts?

The GEM adapter preserves your GameCube’s clean, boxy design by integrating internally, unlike the external adapters offered by other companies.

To install the GEM mod, users will need to be comfortable with soldering and DIY electronics due to its invasive nature. However, once installed, it promises clearer and crisper visuals that can significantly enhance the viewing experience for GameCube owners without breaking their budgets.

Conclusion

The Pixel FX GEM mod is a valuable advancement for GameCube owners who wish to enjoy their games in higher definition and want a self-contained set-up. Some may even prefer the DIY challenge.

Do you think the Pixel FX GEM will set a new standard, or are there any other solutions that you prefer?

I went to a Gamestop the other day, and they had a little section for pre-owned games for older systems (think Xbox360, PS2, DS, etc). I was perusing and grabbed some games, but I noticed something, the cases that have the XBOX360 games have a giant "RETRO GAMING" on it in the centre. So I am like wtf, I grew up with the XBOX360, what the hell do they mean "retro".

So I went and asked like friends and other people if the XBOX360 is retro now, and basically everyone was like "yeah". I was talking to my EX about it and she was like "the xbox came out in 2005/6. There is more time between us and the xbox360 than there was between the xbox and the SNES when the xbox came out. Was the SNES "retro" when the xbox360 came out?"

I am like not ready, not willing to accept the XBOX360 as retro. Because that is saying my thing that I grew up with is "retro" or "old" now and im not ready to accept that because im not ready to be old.

AYANEO has recently launched the Pocket Micro Classic, a refreshed version of its Android-based handheld device. This new model comes with a lower price point at $179, $20 cheaper than the original, making it the company’s most affordable device yet.

The AYANEO Pocket Micro was praised for its compact design and aesthetic appeal. This new iteration retains those strong points, together with the powerful MediaTek Helio G99 chipset.

One notable difference is that it no longer includes dual analogue sticks. Both the Pocket Micro and Pocket Micro Classic can emulate up to the Dreamcast era.

In your opinion, is the absence of sticks a significant drawback?

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/34159501

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/34233535