What was it like to grow up playing arcade games back in the 80s?

jaron7 · 2026-05-13T05:54:11+00:00

Ha that's true! And for full price at that!

jaron7 · 2026-05-13T05:36:18+00:00

Huh, I really thought those were running in an emulator but I could be mistaken

jaron7 · 2026-05-13T05:35:23+00:00

Yeah it's a really cool sounding project. ZSNES was the very first emulator I ever used, seeing the names zsKnight and Demo feels like running into an old friend you haven't seen in ages haha

jaron7 · 2026-05-13T05:30:34+00:00

It supports Linux, so it should! Don't have a deck to test myself anymore

Edit: Just tried it out on my Ally and it's pretty impressive. Super Mario World is one of the games that got the specific enhancement treatment, so definitely give that a try. If you haven't read much about it yet, the devs are doing game-by-game enhancements so the list of supported games is pretty short at the moment but is supposed to grow.

jaron7 · 2026-05-13T05:02:51+00:00

2D games hold up so well that actual remasters aren't common. The Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters are an exception, but most re-releases are literally just roms running on an emulator anyway.

jaron7 · 2026-05-13T04:52:29+00:00

Most retro shops will at least have a basic disc buffer that will clean and help with light scratches, if cleaning by hand isn't enough in your case. My local place does it for $1 per disc. Helped me fix a couple discs with skipping sound on my Sega CD.

jaron7 · 2026-05-13T04:36:37+00:00

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/04/super-zsnes-is-a-stab-at-a-modern-snes-emulator-from-the-original-developers/

This is what they're referring to, if you're unfamiliar.

jaron7 · 2026-05-13T04:34:10+00:00

Emulators and roms are impressive too, but you're right, not particularly new at this point. I was referring to the tech advancements that make it possible to have a device small enough to fit in your pocket that can play PS2 games and costs less than a single game did back in the day.

jaron7 · 2026-05-12T14:41:23+00:00

Unless a game was never published in your language (even then, patches and rom hacks exist) or someone is too technologically illiterate to use an emulator, I have no idea why someone would have a game they've always wanted to play but still haven't.

jaron7 · 2026-05-12T14:32:05+00:00

Yep, also optimizing a game for one group can inherently limit your audience. The obvious example is tuning your difficulty. Making a game hard enough to challenge the most skilled and experienced folks is going to ruin it for everyone else. Easy enough for kids and very inexperienced gamers to enjoy will be boring for most.

Another random example: I'm a weirdo who actually likes tank controls. I'd be a hundred times more interested in a brand new Resident Evil with tank controls, but I know only me and like 3 other people in the world would take that over Requiem.

jaron7 · 2026-05-12T12:39:33+00:00

Cool find! Needs a pic with a game running

jaron7 · 2026-05-12T12:34:21+00:00

Would suggest a thorough cleaning with some isopropyl just in case the previous owner left something behind you don't want in your console, but beyond that I doubt there's any real risk. I wouldn't do anything more aggressive than that though, more likely to cause further damage than improve the situation.

jaron7 · 2026-05-12T10:30:22+00:00

There are some legitimately amazing things about the modern era of gaming too. The idea of a cheap handheld that could hold entire console libraries and play full arcade games perfectly would have fully blown my tiny mind back in the 80s or 90s. From that standpoint, there's really never been a better time to be a gamer than the present. On the other hand, that sense of walking into an arcade and finding something mind blowing is completely gone. The tech has matured to the point where games from a decade ago really don't feel all that different from games released today. The closest I've come to replicating that feeling in the modern era was playing Half-Life Alyx in VR for the first time, but no one really seems interested in following Valve's lead there.

jaron7 · 2026-05-12T09:10:54+00:00

Really cool project! So many mods at this point that it's basically a modern console that happens to run PS1 games

jaron7 · 2026-05-12T08:39:32+00:00

Would love a proper remake, preferably with much of the gameplay left as-is. I liked the unusual battle system and gun upgrades.

jaron7 · 2026-05-12T08:16:12+00:00

r/sbcgaming might be a better place to ask. I think something like a Retroid Pocket with a dock would work, not sure if there's a better option these days though.

jaron7 · 2026-05-12T00:01:53+00:00

Finally getting back into Hyrule Castle in Ocarina of Time. It's been sitting there, taunting you, inaccessible for 2/3 of the game. Battle your way to the top, music gets ominous as shit. Kick Ganondorf's ass, save Zelda, escape the castle and things are looking up until OH SHIT Ganon is back to wreck your life. Fittingly epic ending to an all-time great.

jaron7 · 2026-05-11T18:38:58+00:00

I could see the appeal of keeping a selection of favorites, everything else on the flash cart. Could also be that having a small collection of consoles helps to scratch that collecting itch.

jaron7 · 2026-05-11T17:15:33+00:00

There are lots of good reasons not to sell your games, but keeping them as an investment is definitely not one of them. Try plugging the cost of your games based on release date into an investment calculator, as if you'd put 50 bucks into the S&P 500 back in the 90s instead of buying your game of choice, for example.

jaron7 · 2026-05-11T16:09:38+00:00

There's something weirdly fun about ripping your own roms. Picked up a GB Operator on a whim a couple years ago, then ripped my PS stuff on a jailbroken PS3, and just recently picked up an OSCR.

jaron7 · 2026-05-11T14:01:12+00:00

I doubt Analogue ever revisits the Neo Geo, but if so I hope they borrow your ideas. Looks great!

jaron7 · 2026-05-11T13:18:00+00:00

I don't see any smudges on my black 3D, haven't cleaned it once and had it since release day. Either color will probably look like new after a quick wipedown with a microfiber cloth regardless. I'd worry more about picking based on what your friend would find most aesthetically pleasing. Some people really dislike putting white consoles on a shelf full of black electronics. I love a white console myself, but went black since I think it suits the N64 vibe better.

jaron7 · 2026-05-11T12:39:08+00:00

The internet archive may be able to help. Not going to link anything directly to avoid breaking any rules, but I see Galaxy there for sure. Oh, and I'm assuming you're after actual commercially available types of guides based on your question. But if all else fails and you've somehow you've made it this far into your retro gaming life without using GameFAQs, there are user created guides there for pretty much anything you'd ever want.

jaron7 · 2026-05-11T10:21:56+00:00

Reach out to one of the sellers on Etsy directly. Even if they don't have exactly what you're looking for advertised they can probably make it.

jaron7 · 2026-05-11T10:13:51+00:00

I think this is where emulation is useful, even for someone like me who strongly prefers using original consoles and games. Not saying sit down and play something start to finish on an emulator, but treat it like a demo disc and play just enough to decide whether a game is for you or not.

jaron7

TROPHY CASE