General Retro Discussion

[Shorty]

Yeah you don't want to waste film

[Happenstance]

8 minutes ago, Shorty said:

Yeah you don't want to waste film

It's not really the waste I'm worried about, I just get bored in the dark room.

[Happenstance]

 

[Happenstance]

Did a bit of controller surgery last night with @Goafer. Turns out the 6 button pad I was so happy to find it great condition at comic con last year didn’t work properly and the up button didn’t work so we swapped the board with another version of the pad which looked more worn but worked better.

[Goafer]

2 hours ago, Happenstance said:

Did a bit of controller surgery last night with @Goafer. Turns out the 6 button pad I was so happy to find it great condition at comic con last year didn’t work properly and the up button didn’t work so we swapped the board with another version of the pad which looked more worn but worked better.

They don't just call me Screwdriver Stevens because of that time at the bowling alley.

[Happenstance]

https://support.analogue.co/hc/en-us/articles/360024836892-Mega-Sg-Firmware-Update-v4-3

New Mega SG firmware is out

Quote

v4.3 notes:

- Userer loaded fonts are now saved on power cycle
- Ultracore bug with SMS mode fixed
- Added separate H interpolation checkboxes for genesis
- Added fixed LED colour option via RGB sliders
- Defaults for PSG/CD audio levels adjusted
- If you use a 3 button controller in non-passthru mode, it will look like 3 to the game
- Ladder effect now affects both channels equally
- Skin change for EU cart
- Ladder effect now works in low/high quality modes
- If a CD unit is plugged in, SMS works properly now
- If pass-thru is checked, it will enable when exiting menu in all ways
- Slightly adjusted filter response

 

[Ike]

Amazon seems to have charged me for the Retrobit SEGA controllers so maybe they are shipping soon?

[S.C.G]

There's a new DF Retro starring Bubsy, thought I'd post it here in case @Happenstance or @Hero-of-Time are interested.

Give it a watch, what could possibly go wrong?

(And yes, I just purchased Bubsy 2 before watching this purely because I wanted to own it)

[S.C.G]

I finally got around to watching that excellent video from DF Retro that you posted @Happenstance it was a really good review of what the system can do.

I noted down some of the settings to try out on my Mega SG for when I finally update to the new firmware.

I saw an interesting article about aging videogame consoles which has made me think about just how long some of my systems have left.

It seems like not everyone was lucky enough to still get their Sega Mega CD working with their Mega SG going by that article which makes me all the more grateful that mine does.

I did look after it though pretty well, even when it hasn't been in use for a long time, I kept it with a load of other consoles in a large plastic crate in my room.

It will now be getting a lot more use thanks to my Mega SG and here's that picture of it I promised taken after I cleaned it up after removing my MK1 Mega Drive from it...

Actually, what the heck... I'll show you some before, after and bonus pics...

There it is, my original MK1 Sega Mega Drive attached to my Sega Mega CD II with the extender piece on the end.

This is what greeted me when I took off the Mega Drive, an edge connector in good shape but... the amount of debris between the two machines was... significant.

And after several hours of cleaning, a bit of fumbling with the edge connector and the Master System adapter inserted, this is my new Sega setup.

Oh and I totally reused that now redundant extension piece to raise my Nintendo Switch dock up to a more respectable height and so that the wires fit nicely.

Here's my Mega SG - Mega CD II combo with Back-Up RAM cart (purchased with a new battery installed) running the homebrew Sonic Megamix game.

Now, I know the rest of my setup needs work and it is something I intend to address, my bespoke "TV Stand" for one thing...

Yep, it's the innards of a plastic storage unit, with layers of empty PS3 cases to raise the speaker up, while my TV has its weight evenly distributed between two NES consoles.

If you're going to make a TV stand then it might as well be on top of two sturdy machines and those NES units have stood the test of time...

...however, I know it's wrong and I will be putting this right soon as I intend to make a proper TV unit to go on top of the chest of drawers instead but I figured you might as well see it.

I'll also be taking out that Retron 5, reusing the white square shelf bits to add to my Switch Shelf for when I rebuild it so I can have that vertical monitor at a more sensible height.

It'll take time though as I want to do things right, but at the moment I'm just glad that I can play some classic Sega games on my newest machine.

Once I make more progress though, I'll set about getting my Sega Saturn out of storage, setting up a brand new Dreamcast that I bought and much more besides.

I might even get around to making my Sega Shelf presentable enough to take a picture of, you never know.

[Happenstance]

14 hours ago, S.C.G said:

There's a new DF Retro starring Bubsy, thought I'd post it here in case @Happenstance or @Hero-of-Time are interested.

Give it a watch, what could possibly go wrong?

(And yes, I just purchased Bubsy 2 before watching this purely because I wanted to own it)

I could really do without ever having to hear "Who's that mascot?" ever again.

[Dcubed]

15 hours ago, S.C.G said:

I finally got around to watching that excellent video from DF Retro that you posted @Happenstance it was a really good review of what the system can do.

I noted down some of the settings to try out on my Mega SG for when I finally update to the new firmware.

I saw an interesting article about aging videogame consoles which has made me think about just how long some of my systems have left.

It seems like not everyone was lucky enough to still get their Sega Mega CD working with their Mega SG going by that article which makes me all the more grateful that mine does.

I did look after it though pretty well, even when it hasn't been in use for a long time, I kept it with a load of other consoles in a large plastic crate in my room.

It will now be getting a lot more use thanks to my Mega SG and here's that picture of it I promised taken after I cleaned it up after removing my MK1 Mega Drive from it...

Actually, what the heck... I'll show you some before, after and bonus pics...

There it is, my original MK1 Sega Mega Drive attached to my Sega Mega CD II with the extender piece on the end.

This is what greeted me when I took off the Mega Drive, an edge connector in good shape but... the amount of debris between the two machines was... significant.

And after several hours of cleaning, a bit of fumbling with the edge connector and the Master System adapter inserted, this is my new Sega setup.

Oh and I totally reused that now redundant extension piece to raise my Nintendo Switch dock up to a more respectable height and so that the wires fit nicely.

Here's my Mega SG - Mega CD II combo with Back-Up RAM cart (purchased with a new battery installed) running the homebrew Sonic Megamix game.

Now, I know the rest of my setup needs work and it is something I intend to address, my bespoke "TV Stand" for one thing...

Yep, it's the innards of a plastic storage unit, with layers of empty PS3 cases to raise the speaker up, while my TV has its weight evenly distributed between two NES consoles.

If you're going to make a TV stand then it might as well be on top of two sturdy machines and those NES units have stood the test of time...

...however, I know it's wrong and I will be putting this right soon as I intend to make a proper TV unit to go on top of the chest of drawers instead but I figured you might as well see it.

I'll also be taking out that Retron 5, reusing the white square shelf bits to add to my Switch Shelf for when I rebuild it so I can have that vertical monitor at a more sensible height.

It'll take time though as I want to do things right, but at the moment I'm just glad that I can play some classic Sega games on my newest machine.

Once I make more progress though, I'll set about getting my Sega Saturn out of storage, setting up a brand new Dreamcast that I bought and much more besides.

I might even get around to making my Sega Shelf presentable enough to take a picture of, you never know.

I do like the makeshift nature of your setup! Reminds me of my childhood setup 

 

Super jelly that you've got the full SEGA shebang there! 

[Happenstance]

Finally no more games currently on my way so I tidied up my Mega Drive collection for a photo. Still got my Yakuza collection there as well for now until I need to move it elsewhere.

[S.C.G]

That's a respectable collection of some excellent Sega Mega Drive titles there @Happenstance

I can see more than a few in there which are favourites in my own collection, tell me... did you ever complete Gynoug? That's one of the first titles I played on my Mega SG...

...six stages in that game and I think I only got halfway through, I'm pretty sure I never finished it back in the day either, fantastic title though.

When it comes to organising my own Sega Shelf I'm considering taking out all the EA titles and keeping them all together due to their different boxarts and spines.

For everything else, I was going to keep all Sonic Team titles together regardless of boxes but maybe seperate some into black grid boxarts and blue sphere boxarts.

Either way, a shelf full of Sega is always a good thing and they do look pretty nice in alphabetical order.

[Happenstance]

Just now, S.C.G said:

I can see more than a few in there which are favourites in my own collection, tell me... did you ever complete Gynoug? That's one of the first titles I played on my Mega SG...

It only arrived Monday I think so I haven't actually got around to trying it.

[S.C.G]

8 minutes ago, Happenstance said:

It only arrived Monday I think so I haven't actually got around to trying it.

In that case... I'll just say that it's well worth playing and that I hope you enjoy it.

Easily one of the most unique shmups I've ever played.

[S.C.G]

Sega Lord X with another video on really difficult Sega Mega Drive games.

[S.C.G]

So Fedex finally billed me for my Mega SG... but then wouldn't let me pay the invoice on their website and there's no option over the phone.

I used their contact form, but it's pretty clear that they don't want my money.

Meh, we'll see what they say if they reply, damn waste of time.

Edited April 5, 2019 by S.C.G

[Happenstance]

10 hours ago, S.C.G said:

So Fedex finally billed me for my Mega SG... but then wouldn't let me pay the invoice on their website and there's no option over the phone.

I sued their contact form, but it's pretty clear that they don't want my money.

Meh, we'll see what they say if they reply, damn waste of time.

Weird, I got the text with my import invoice the day I received mine and paid it there and then with no problems.

[Happenstance]

Turns out I also got an invoice from FedEx today. Im assuming they're just a shitty company that send you one regardless and dont mark that it's already been paid. I'm just going to start a webchat now to double check.

[Ike]

6 minutes ago, Happenstance said:

Turns out I also got an invoice from FedEx today. Im assuming they're just a shitty company that send you one regardless and dont mark that it's already been paid. I'm just going to start a webchat now to double check.

I got one yesterday, pretty sure they just send a paper one anyways.

[Happenstance]

2 minutes ago, Ike said:

I got one yesterday, pretty sure they just send a paper one anyways.

Yeah they've just confirmed it over webchat saying there must have been a delay in sending out the paper invoice. Just annoying though because you follow the instructions on the invoice and it just errors out anyway so there is no way to confirm the amount has already been paid.

[Ike]

5 hours ago, Happenstance said:

Yeah they've just confirmed it over webchat saying there must have been a delay in sending out the paper invoice. Just annoying though because you follow the instructions on the invoice and it just errors out anyway so there is no way to confirm the amount has already been paid.

I got an email to confirm it was paid. Not sure what delay there was since I paid mine as soon as I got the text. 

Retro-bit controllers arrived today, they feel great so far. A lot smaller than I remember.

[S.C.G]

I just got an e-mail which basically just parroted the ways in which I can pay back to me, no real confirmation either way

It still does the same thing, put in the invoice number and the amount, then it just states "We are unable to complete your transaction" so I guess it must be paid?

In any case, I'd have to wait until Monday to start a live chat to confirm.

Anyway, in Mega SG related news, I upgraded my firmware last night to the most recent official version and everything is running very nicely indeed.

Castlevania: The New Generation is still hard... more challenging than Super Castlevania IV as at last that game let you retry a fair amount I seem to remember?

Not in this Castlevania game, once you run out of the small number of lives and continues you have, that's it, even if you retry from a password.

Ah well, I'll try again another time.

[Ike]

Couldn't get the Saturn controller to work with Steam yesterday, but it started working today. 

Sonic Mania with the Saturn controller feels good.

[Sméagol]

Was there a general speedrun thread? Someone broke some old Doom record, and someone else made a little video about it.

I also like this new Youtube series. There's a bit too much of the (perhaps deservedly) self-patting on the back, and I wish they'd go even more in-depth, but they have nice little tidbits. The Ultima Online one is funny.