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Yeah, I was exaggerating a bit but frankly I don’t love the trend. I want portable and tightly designed, not Yet Another Nintendo Switch Shaped Device. My favorite device at the moment is probably the TrimUI Smart, and if they could pack the power of that into the form factor of the Model S with L2/R2 and a better screen, I’d be very happy.
One decent larger device with thumbsticks for later generation consoles is reasonable, but these are all feeling so same-y.
I worry that with the trend toward larger screens and more capable processors in every retro device, one day we’ll need retro-retro devices that harken back to the days of retro devices with lesser capabilities.
My exact thought. Just…why?
Both! And the way they work is different based on the fact that locally you can both see the screen but online you have different views.
If you don’t mind horror games, the entire Dark Pictures Anthology and The Quarry are really fun shared stories with branching paths.
Yeah JW3 somehow managed to do so many things that seemed like wins and then somehow was just…boring.
Jurassic World trilogy writer? Uggggh.
It wasn’t just the trig tables, but realtime raycasting altogether felt like sorcery.
I remember my brother telling me about Wolfenstein 3D. I insisted that something like that, that moved smoothly at your command in any direction instead of in clunky 90° turns and blockwise steps, was impossible with the current technology.
I was wrong.
It’s not impressive, but it’s nice to get a mainstream release that maxes it out within reason for the vast majority of people with zero effort or inside knowledge. If you aren’t happy with anything less than 8k 144Hz, then you can make that happen for yourself by other means. But for the millions of people with 120Hz TVs from a Memorial Day sale, this really is a meaningful offering.
I think they need to do this now before Microsoft does it first. Xbox is flailing and the daylight they can see from there is the Xbox/PC ecosystem. Turning Xbox from a box to a brand that merges PC and console into a fluid system would be the best way to pivot the market and put Sony on the back foot.
It could be that any news org right of “center-left” went full fascist and doesn’t get any traction here but I haven’t been tracking that closely. It feels like a plausible explanation though. Newsweek is a rag, WSJ is straight propaganda now, etc.
For what it’s worth, Windows 8, while tragically mistargeted, was a marvel of streamlined engineering.
But your skepticism is sound. Microsoft hasn’t been able to execute a bold and cohesive vision in at least a decade, if arguably ever.
I mean technically yeah. But it might also mean some meeting-in-the-middle on what PC/console even means. It’s probably push PC fanning even more toward being console, with the benefits of more consistency and less cheating, but the downside of being less flexible and more crowded with console players. Probably also a bigger push for buying PC games through the Microsoft store when possible.
Uggggghhhhh. Me, I’d just support DLSS-style upscaling and call it a day but realistically there will be some GenAI bullshit for sure.
My Baseless Prediction, i.e. if I ran Xbox, what I would do given their situation:
Microsoft will sunset the Xbox as a console but focus on creating a dual boot mode for Windows similar to the Steam Deck and Big Picture Mode. Probably called “Xbox Mode” or something similarly unoriginal but evocative. This streamlined mode will greatly reduce system overhead and be controller-centric, and it will have an emulation layer to support all Xbox ecosystem games along with backward compatibility. On certain form factors it will be the default boot mode, and supporting this they will release two new Windows PC form factors: a living room box and a handheld. Other PC manufacturers will be able to jump on the wagon as well. I doubt they will in any way define reference performance profiles akin to a console “generation” but they may have some kind of guidance regarding how graphics should scale seamlessly between TV/monitor and handheld form factors to allow for a Switch-like docking experience.
I figured you meant something like that, but if you’re the kind of person who has cravings for Wipeout and you haven’t played it in VR, it’s something you should aspire to.
That said, I would probably look into emulating the highest possible system, which would be PS3 or maybe fall back to PS2 for a higher framerate. Looks like someone did some testing for you up to PS2 though: https://youtu.be/zlVWdk4i-1Q?feature=shared
If you ask me, get a PSVR set up and play it that way. You might need a strong stomach, but it’s amazing.
So many options. Some deep cuts for you though:
PlayStation:
Rakugaki Showtime - a bizarre four-player arena battle with a ton of zany unlockable characters, this game was never translated but is worth the effort since it was made by the gods of game design, Treasure (makers of Gunstar Heroes, Contra Hard Corps, Silhouette Mirage, Ikaruga, and many other gems - made up of some of the OG designers of Contra).
Trap Gunner - two player split screen 3/4 view game where you lay traps to try and kill the other player. Not a ton of longevity, but worth several fun afternoons.
Blast Chamber - four player frenzied dystopian sportsball game that takes place in a cube-shaped arena with a clever gimmick: any player can run up to a wall and rotate the entire arena 90° and cause their opponents to fall.
Return Fire - frantic two-player capture the flag with a variety of military vehicles and a fun classical soundtrack.
The Unholy War - made by Toys For Bob, which was at the time the home of the creators of Spyro, Skylanders, Archon, and the greatest PC game of all time, Star Control 2 (now free on Steam as Free Stars: The Ur-Quan Masters). A beautifully balanced and fun combination of chess-like board tactics culminating in asymmetrical 1-on-1 live combat.
Genesis/Mega Drive
Gunstar Heroes - a cooperative run and gun game that out-Contra’s Contra. The game that put Treasure on the map.
General Chaos - weird, small scale real time strategy action with cartoony soldiers. Strange but quite fun.
Star Control - two-player strategy/action in a similar formula to Unholy War (these guys loved this formula and made many variations of it), this game has you navigating a small star map to position your fleet. Conflicts are resolved in a top-down ship combat mode that is incredibly fun on its own thanks to a wild selection of unique ships.
Mutant League Football/Hockey - two versions of the same concept, these games really liven up the sports for those who aren’t die-hard Madden junkies. Most of my games I ended up winning by default because too many of the opposing team members had died. Playing against a friend, you really feel it when you get one of your players murdered.
Super Nintendo
Metal Warriors - split-screen, asymmetric, side-scrolling mech combat. Always fun to get the drop on each other.
Bomberman - obviously not a deep cut, but I had to mention it. Controller-throwing four-player competitive deliciousness.