Retro Game Emulators?

[dopemegently]

I've got loads of these on my phone; psone, psp, Nintendo DS, etc
I prefer the quality of the retro games to most of the stuff you can get on the App Store. I was just wondering if anyone else uses these, and what games they're into.

 

[exists]

my list

A while back, I got an R4 Revolution for my DS, and while it's pretty good, it's not the best card out there. If I had looked around a bit more, I would have noticed the SuperCard, which has extra hardware making it possible to emulate the SNES and GBA.... oh well. It's still great having a ton of games on a handheld, since the computer is too noisy to keep running all night, and it's nice to lay back and relax when finding the missing stars or blasting aliens in the corridors of Naju

I don't have a smartphone/iPad/etc., so I have no idea what the quality of the games for those are, but retro games certainly are a lot of fun. What's the best portable system for retro gaming, anyway? If it requires modding, is it difficult to do?

 

[dopemegently]

Well I would recommend you get an android device; there are emulators for ps1, psp, DS, snes, DOS, nes, megadrive, among dozens of others. The devices are cheap and require no modding whatsoever. (Although youll want one with decent specs for stuff like N64 etc. The game files are also free.

I play a lot of rpgs and right now im playing monster hunter freedom 2 via emulator.

 

[exists]

^Ah, thanks. Looks like I've got some googling ahead of me %)

What do you like to be high on when playing retro games? I find alcohol lends itself well to enhancing the nostalgia of old titles, whereas DXM or cannabis usually cause me to think, "I've played those games sooo many times already!"

 

[dopemegently]

Haha for me its just cannabis (thats true for all games) i find it enhances the experience. I never really got to play a lot of these games growin up tho so am playing them for the first time. I like dropping any trippy drug and gaming really; did mescaline the other day... btw the nexus 7 tablet is just about the perfect gaming device: cheap with hi def screen and blazing fast performance(quad core)

 

[exists]

Well I decided to buy a Toshiba Satellite L875D-S7332 laptop on eBay for $400. Seemed perfect, since I'll be doing some programming and graphics work as well gaming, while sitting in bed, or outnabout The thing might actually be good enough to play Minecraft, maybe at 'near' or 'short' distance settings...

And yeah, gaming is fun on just about all drugs, especially games you haven't played before, or games you're intent on beating. Like La Mulana. I love that game, but I can't seem to progress much further than the Twin Labyrinths!

 

[dopemegently]

That's cool your into programming, way beyond my skill set though. What kind of stuff do you create?

 

[exists]

Lots of different things, largely revolving around so-called emergent systems which mimic (very) rudimentary life forms, and other self-assembling systems that simulate mineral growth, and shit Also, I've played around with some game-dev techniques, just building up my knowledge so that I might make a good video game someday. Also fractals, and generative art (a lot like the Milkdrop plugin for Winamp) Useful stuff!

 

[exists]

some images

What kind of stuff do you create?

Here's an image of simulated crystal growth, using a diffuse limited aggregation cellular automaton:

NSFW:

When I produced that simulation I discovered how snowflakes can be symmetrical like they are, a question that has been bugging me for some time.

This next one is a screenshot from a hardware-accelerated feedback fractal demo I produced (and never released):

NSFW:

The mouse is used to scroll around an "infinite" landscape populated by sprites that are screenshots of the current screen, creating localized feedback loops. It usually just resembles clouds, but every once in a while an interesting area pops up.

The next two screenshots are from a game demo I made where you fly a ship through an infinite, random world. It operates similarly to Minecraft, in that the world is theoretically infinite (computers are finite, so there is a limit).

NSFW:

And some renderings:

NSFW:

I'm interested in pretty much everything related to graphics/math/fractals, and I get really inspired when I'm tripping

 

[dopemegently]

Hehe it really opens the doors of perceptions doesn't it?
I have to say though that's some really impressive work; I was particularly impressed with some of your renderings and screenshots (although I know nothing of programming).Is this something you'd like to take further someday?
And also what's your game going to be about?

 

[exists]

Hehe it really opens the doors of perceptions doesn't it?

Well, when Grace Slick, with her wonderful vocal talent, was encouraging us to "feed our heads," she wasn't kidding

I have to say though that's some really impressive work; I was particularly impressed with some of your renderings and screenshots (although I know nothing of programming).

Thank you! I hope my work gets people to thinking in new ways.

Is this something you'd like to take further someday?

Not in the typical sense of getting a job working on commercials, films, etc. There is no future for me in that arena, because I wouldn't always believe in the projects people would have me work on. I do what I do to gain a more complete understanding of this universe, and the state of things as they are. For instance, I believe cellular automata is a direct analogy for what happens in our minds. It's all cause and effect, but on a really small scale. Our thinking involves patterns, and these patters are a direct result of all conditions it is exposed to, as well as how we react and grow to these conditions. It is a really interesting subject, but also something that I think people are afraid to think about too deeply, for fear of what it ultimately means.

And also what's your game going to be about?

Well I love ARPG platformers, like the Castlevania and Metroid series, but I also really enjoy Terraria and Minecraft. I would love to have a game that is an amalgam of all those titles: exploration; creativity; insane, but fun quests that build your character up to be more powerful somehow. These are all aspects, that if made fun, lead to a game that teaches one to think and explore all avenues of possibility. Such games have a certain value that reaches beyond mere entertainment. We have bodies, but ultimately we live in our minds, and games that help us build new, fantastic structures in our minds are immensely valuable.

 

[dopemegently]

It takes serious integrity not to sell out, especialy for somebody with talent; I respect what you're doing there. Very interesting stuff about cause and effect regarding thought patterns and external conditions, the scientific stuff goes over my head, but I do think about the human condition; psychology is something that interests me, in my lay man's way.

I also like the old school platformers- they take me back to my youth. If you've never played it, I strongly suggest you play Earthbound (SNES), probably the most original and creative RPG of all time. I hear what you're saying: games are becoming no more than disposable entertainment, churned out by the big studios; they should be so much more than that. I think the only current-gen game that really engaged me was probably Bioshock: an FPS masterpiece. The atmosphere was breathtaking; it was through Bioshock I first discovered the philosophy of Ayn Rand, not to mention the haunting and beautiful underwater world of Rapture.

 

[exists]

Yeah I've seen some poorly-designed, uninspired games. My laptop just came in, and on it was some farming game with hand-drawn graphics. You could tell that the main artist behind it is talented, but it all felt so empty, and rushed, not to mention terribly boring. I'd rather play Harvest Moon

Getting my old emulators working on Windows 8 has been something else. Most of the time they're a missing some d3d .dll, but there's also an issue with save states and cartridge battery emulation: the emulators or the directories they use need to be in your user folder, otherwise you can't save your progress! Can't say I really like Windows 8, but once you get past the start screen with its numerous buttons, and finally get to the desktop, it isn't so bad.

Now I'm going to have to get Earthbound, to see what all the fuss is about. I've heard many good things about it, I just don't always have the patience for turn-based RPGs

 

[dopemegently]

It can be a real pain in the arse setting up emulators, that's the only drawback to them; I had some serious headaches setting up my psone emulator plus the games are 600 mb each! (Although I'm not familiar with emulation on windows). What type of emulator r you trying to run btw?
If you do get a snes one up and running, earthbound is well worth a look. I was also put off by turn-based games, but have come to love them (the battles in earthbound are rapid as hell.

You seem to know your tech; do you know anything about the new android "pc on a sticks"? I'm considering getting one, but am not sure if they're a waste of money. They seem like a great idea: tiny computers that plug into your tv, and their so cheap as well.

 

[thujone]

Wow, exists! I think your work is crazy cool. What API did you use for your game and renderings? I also think the idea of creating a true "sandbox" experience is very interesting; like a true digital microcosm of our world in macro. Often with games there are too many limiting mechanics, meant to steer the players toward a particular type of experience, but then again most people don't really have the patience to start with nothing and create their own world if given the chance. I for one would love to see a "game", of sorts, that is constructed only with the same limits imposed on us in physical reality and where the player is free to do literally anything that does not violate physics. I think we're still a far ways from that though, considering that the most powerful computing clusters in the world are being used to look for patterns in phenomenae like weather.

Anyway, indie games that have a retro feel to them are always cool to check out. I was reading an interview with Ubisoft Toronto's director (who is a total babe fwiw :D ) and it made reference to how the big studios are bad for innovation because they aren't willing to take risks on thinking outside of the box and evolving games from the garbage call of duty experience we have now to something that is more multidisciplinary in scope

 

[exists]

What type of emulator r you trying to run btw?

All of 'em But I'm currently trying to find a NDS emulator that will simply run smoothly. For some reason most emulators suffer from terrible stuttering on my laptop, whereas they play just fine on my old desktop. I do not know why.

If you do get a snes one up and running, earthbound is well worth a look. I was also put off by turn-based games, but have come to love them (the battles in earthbound are rapid as hell.

Yeah, everyone's always raving about that game, might as well see what it's all about! The only RPG I ever finished was Dragon Warrior, that's how impatient/lazy I am

You seem to know your tech; do you know anything about the new android "pc on a sticks"? I'm considering getting one, but am not sure if they're a waste of money. They seem like a great idea: tiny computers that plug into your tv, and their so cheap as well.

I don't know my tech; I'm so waaaaay out of loop, it's ridiculous

 

[exists]

Wow, exists! I think your work is crazy cool. What API did you use for your game and renderings?

Thanks!

HGE for the random-landscape demo (I think HGE is now dead). I've since switched to using SFML, which nicely places OpenGL operations within reach

The renderings were made with POV-Ray + other programs. POV-Ray's a very special program, because you can script amazing things with it. Any mathematical principle can be rendered in some way... all kinds of things to explore.... it's really fun (if your a geek like me)

I also think the idea of creating a true "sandbox" experience is very interesting; like a true digital microcosm of our world in macro. Often with games there are too many limiting mechanics, meant to steer the players toward a particular type of experience, but then again most people don't really have the patience to start with nothing and create their own world if given the chance. I for one would love to see a "game", of sorts, that is constructed only with the same limits imposed on us in physical reality and where the player is free to do literally anything that does not violate physics. I think we're still a far ways from that though, considering that the most powerful computing clusters in the world are being used to look for patterns in phenomenae like weather.

Anyway, indie games that have a retro feel to them are always cool to check out. I was reading an interview with Ubisoft Toronto's director (who is a total babe fwiw :D ) and it made reference to how the big studios are bad for innovation because they aren't willing to take risks on thinking outside of the box and evolving games from the garbage call of duty experience we have now to something that is more multidisciplinary in scope

Yeah, they just try to pump those games out, and it kills the spirit! Have you ever played Terranigma? That game has a certain spirit to it, you feel it when you're playing.... it has something that is very rarely found in most games.

Man, I'm on a 2nd-3rd plat. trip right now, and everything is crazy! It seems like I'm aware of others.... everybody is speaking at once but they won't listen to me! I just want to say "hey"

 

[thujone]

Cool, no I haven't tried Terranigma, I do have a SNES emu on my PSP though so maybe I could hunt down a copy and give it a shot. I'd like to do some OpenGL programming but it looks like quite a lot to learn, POV-Ray looks pretty cool and somewhat easier so I might try mucking about with that

 

[dopemegently]

Terranigma is a great action rpg; it's surprising how timeless a lot of the old 16 bit games have remained. (I wish I still had my psp, it deserved so much better success than it got).


One reason I don't touch the mobile games is the damn free-to-play model; it's just poison for creativity.

Oh, I believe an above poster wanted an NDS emulator; there's a very promising one right now :nds4droid, it recieves regular updates, and the framerates are becoming faster and smoother by the day.

 

[ComfortablyNumb95]

I have a gameboy advance emulator on my mobile and I mostly play pokemon on it %)