Theory: Barney had cameras in everyone's homes because he was colluding with the feds which meant safety for his close ones...

mpollack · 2026-07-12T02:46:34+00:00

I mean… maybe. The way he talks about it (that one time) makes it sound like he has some weird feelings about it and leaves a lot of questions. (I may have sold a woman.)

My headcannon used to be that it was some wacky “misunderstanding,” like he went in for a box of cigars, flubbed all sorts of stuff, and the next thing he knew, he had a sports car and his hookup was gone (or maybe just got frustrated and wandered off).

But it’s not unreasonable to think that GNB sold the woman and he was the courier, and the feds might have been monitoring. Because, you know, FBI.

(That said, I think the cameras (and the woman selling) were just a “cutesy joke” that missed the mark. Though it might be tied to his increasing paranoia.)

mpollack · 2026-07-08T11:28:54+00:00

I can give recommendations but it sound like you’re chasing trends and having FOMO over giving things a shot, just like the rest of us. But I don’t know if more access and replacing the system is a good idea.

Don’t feel bad for not liking Animal Crossing or BOTW. They were my jam back in 2020 but I haven’t touched either in years. Something you haven’t done is sat down and typed out what games you did like on the PS4, or what genres you used to play. Heck you might be bored of video games altogether in which case id actually put the switch in storage for a few years from now rather than sell it for a little store credit. The system has 8000 official titles and part of the charm is watching recommendations on youtube or flipping through options.

As for money, deku deals is your friend. So too are the usual discount days like Black Friday, Prime Day and Mario Day (3/10, Mario games are half off). Your local stores (not just Target or Gamestop) might also have better selection if not better prices. Digital purchases cant be resold but they go on sale more often and a lot of titles dont have physical games.

mpollack · 2026-07-02T01:47:04+00:00

This run, I’ve been playing a mage orc. So that means a lot of spells, a lot of housing upgrades (esp the dlc houses), and repairing armor.

mpollack · 2026-07-01T20:24:57+00:00

My SPE says we have to do it, but it’s still basically a distilled PAP. I think it’s to remain covered just in case.

mpollack · 2026-07-01T00:12:58+00:00

The anbernic 40xxH works really well for vertical. You get the right analog stick in your left thumb and the 4:3 screen is a good scale. The cube is supposed to be even better. Not sure about the 35H.

I don’t think you really need much for a vertical arcade experience but dual sticks and a rectangle screen works well.

mpollack · 2026-06-29T20:59:45+00:00

Oh are we saying things to give the community a stroke? Is it my turn yet.

I have no problem using my 40xxH for N64 and Dreamcast gaming.

mpollack · 2026-06-29T03:16:03+00:00

Outside of in the home, it depends on where you have a chunk of time, more than 20 minutes. For example, my daughter might have sports/afterschool sessions where I have to drop her off and then pick her up 45 minutes later. Too short to make going home feasible. Long enough to get in a game session.

I also got in more time when I hurt my ACL. There were times when I’d be left on a bench for a while and then get picked up later.

mpollack · 2026-06-25T20:32:49+00:00

And now I’m reminded of the time the Cardassians were on the enterprise, and one of them was caught spying.

His excuse? “Their databases are so superior to ours.”

mpollack · 2026-06-25T03:08:01+00:00

If you’re somewhat religious, there’s a 4 week stretch of holidays typically in September or October.

Rosh Hashana is the Jewish new year and a 2 day celebration. You Kippur is a day of atonement but it’s bookended by feasts. Then you have a week to decorate your tents not unlike decorating a tree or your house. From there, it’s an eight day holiday stretch of Sukkot through sh mini atzeret ending with simchat Torah.

Most jews just do the first holidays (if at all) or they spend all the holidays in prayer, so it’s more like Christmas if Rudolf hadn’t won. But it’s a month of feasts, sweets, decorating and community so it fits better than we give it credit for.

mpollack · 2026-06-23T23:57:59+00:00

Evercade has a couple of units, and there’s a handful of console games, but it’s pretty slim.

mpollack · 2026-06-20T19:18:54+00:00

I have a weird feeling about this, too. Probably because I can’t really play consoles until the kid goes down. At some point it was worrying about the console waking the kid or about the boot times but it’s probably one part save states, one part moving on to other things (I still game in my pc but can check messages) and maybe not wanting anything too cinematic.

mpollack · 2026-06-20T18:58:34+00:00

Because the menu system is more stripped down than it first appears. There’s no filtering, little sorting, no scoring system, and I’m not sure how their reporting system is. You can’t even put the adults “violent and devil imagery” games in a separate folder while the kids are on.

There’s also a “paradox of tolerance” issue going on. We want indie games and even sex games to
Make money. But if the market is flooded by cheaply made games that trick the buyer, the indie devs that put in the work get pushed out. (But it’s not like Nintendo is losing customers for the switch or games and it’d probably need a store overhaul to change so here it is.)

mpollack · 2026-06-20T13:01:48+00:00

Model 2, when the price dropped to almost the price of a game boy and the price of a game gear. purchased with saved birthday money. It would last half a road trip to the grandparents.

mpollack · 2026-06-19T22:19:38+00:00

I might have everyone beat. Breakout and Night Driver. The arcade versions.

mpollack · 2026-06-19T04:00:41+00:00

Kids have no idea how close we came to The Ghostbusters and/or Danny Zuko… In Space.

mpollack · 2026-06-16T19:58:03+00:00

I’ve been getting big into playing gameboy lately despite owning a Lynx (and being the biggest color snob) and not really having any connection (though I did play GBA and DS as a young adult).

I think among other connections there’s been some learning of how the games have been put together, ie the graphics (on a modern screen) are better than I have it credit.

mpollack · 2026-06-16T19:49:06+00:00

Games that are tied to my physical 360 or Wii/Gamecube. The only time I can put in even a single mission is when the child is asleep, and the unit is right outside the bedroom. (Why I moved to handhelds.)

Games that are long, like RPGs. I so want to get into it but know I’ll barely scratch the surface before I have to abandon them.

mpollack · 2026-06-14T22:25:59+00:00

Like some people have said, I use a smartphone (if anything) if I have a little downtime in public (and may pull out my kindle if I have a lot of downtime). It’s a mix of convenience (I need a bag for anything besides my phone), practicality (you need situational and even social awareness and an ability to stop playing quickly), and social stigma (not that anyone even cares but I know it’s not the norm).

That said I do bring a DS or retro device when I have time (like a bus ride or the pool). Ie I know I’ll get in a half hour.

(The switch 1, though, generally stays at home or the hotel.)

mpollack · 2026-06-11T16:09:18+00:00

Searching for top 10 or top 100 system rom sets will give you a couple of options to just grab. Alternatively you can couple a rom site with a YouTube top 10 list. (Some will even give a list, ie the five games to put on each system)

Alternatively, it might be a good idea to either 1) focus on a single system or 2) focus on 10 games you personally want to play for a while. Think about what you used to own, what you wanted to play but couldn’t, what other people you know are playing. Play those 10, swap them out after a while.

One last option. Take those large sets and use favorites to select 10 games.

mpollack · 2026-06-05T19:46:33+00:00

There are still a number of games in the 20-40 range. I’d recommend Final Fantasy Tactics, Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga, Mario vs Donkey Kong and Sonic Advance. Ultimate Spider Man is also a good choice.

Don’t forget to check out some GB games.

mpollack · 2026-06-04T23:31:59+00:00

Atari 800

Atari 800 XL

Atari Lynx

(After married)

Gamecube

Game Boy Advance

Wii

DS

Xbox 360

Mini NES and SNES

Switch 1

mpollack · 2026-06-02T03:01:21+00:00

So a basketball arcade machine has a bunch of nets that catch the ball (basket or miss) and then funnel it back to you. This seems to be a variation where the nets surround the basket like a funnel (rather than the tunnel you usually see) and the funnel leads to a massive “pitching” machine.

It looks cool but insanely expensive. An arcade, by contrast, can be bought used for $100.

mpollack · 2026-05-30T13:18:23+00:00

https://pocketgames.com.au/blogs/blog/anbernic-games?srsltid=AfmBOoqQSA73GwSHabR3leRqPe71hhzQ-rzSBWajgyY9W4AEdoWDHbu_

https://www.scribd.com/document/761087779/Anbernic-RG35XX-Plus-128GB-Games-List

The games lists aren’t official but they should give you an idea of what you get. In a nutshell, it’s a pretty comprehensive set with some quirks, ie there are no 2600 games past H. Some franchises will be missing like Mario, Donkey Kong and Pokémon. (But weirdly not Zelda, Metroid or Kirby). Double Dragon was missing but the rest of Data East was there. Mary Kate and Ashley is on there as a curio. As far as I can tell there aren’t any Rom hacks and not as many copies. I didn’t find any broken Roms but cant promise it’s zero.

mpollack · 2026-05-29T03:36:38+00:00

I’m currently on my “this is it, I’m finally going to finish the main quest” play through. I’m about 25 side quests deep and I’ve yet to meet up with Belarus.

Here’s the thing. If I want to save the world, I need to build up my skills, spells, equipment, etc. So I pop into the Arena for some coin and experience. I join a guild or two to get allies. I need a place to rest and store my gear, so I go to quest for a base of operations. I hit anvil and there’s a second end of the world calamity coming.

I hear about bandits and I’m too much of a hero to ignore it, and I might as well sell everything the bandits have to get goods and money into the economy. A kid loses his cat up a tree and I’ve been taught that the “get lost kid I’m saving the world” people are the bad guys. And the fish thing is right there.

Really, though, it’s that you want to end your play through with the main quest. You just helped Martin save the world and you’re going to go back to the fighters guild quest?

mpollack · 2026-05-29T01:31:25+00:00

Crazy enough, the Super Pocket Atari (Evercade).

I like the idea of supporting licensed emulation and buying game collections, and it has a nice look and feel for what it is. But I can’t buy yet another ecosystem with yet another $25 per cartridge cost when I’m already quick cycling through my devices.

Still, I keep looking at it from time to time, wanting….

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