c/console-wars-reboot

The Sega Nomad battery hog made me respect it after 20 years

Picked up a dusty Nomad at a swap meet for $40 last month, figured it was just a gimmick that drained AA's like a drunk at last call. Hooked it up to a wall adapter and played Sonic 2 for three hours straight, no screen tearing, no bullshit. The thing is basically a Genesis in your hands, which sounds dumb but feels RADICAL when you realize nothing else did that in 1995. Then I tried it on batteries and got maybe 45 minutes, so I get why nobody remembers it fondly. Anyone else have a console that was actually great once you fixed its one obvious flaw?

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the_zara•5d ago

Finally figured out I was holding my Saturn controller upside down for 15 years

Was playing Nights last week and my thumb kept slipping off the shoulder button. My buddy Dave who owns a retro shop in Portland just stared at me and asked why I had the dpad on the bottom. I thought the little bumps were for pinky grip, turns out those are the triggers and I have been playing every Saturn game wrong since 1998. Has anyone else had that moment where a friend catches a dumb mistake you've been making forever?

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rubyschmidt•9d ago

Random kid at a garage sale knew more about the Dreamcast than I did

I was selling old console stuff last Saturday in Austin and this 12 year old walks up, points at my Dreamcast lot, and says 'the VMU screen was basically a proto-Switch, you know.' I laughed but he was totally right, I never thought of it that way. He then asked if I ever beat Skies of Arcadia and I had to admit I never finished it, so he sat down on my driveway and spent 20 minutes explaining the ending to me. That moment hit different, like the whole 'old console wars' thing is just about the memories we pass along. Made me keep the Dreamcast instead of selling it, now it's on my shelf again. Has anyone else had a younger person school them on a classic system out of nowhere?

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miles_sanchez•9d ago

The Sega CD argument always skips the actual game library

Every thread about the Sega CD turns into people praising the FMV stuff or the Sonic CD soundtrack, but nobody brings up Snatcher or Lunar. I dug out my old setup last month and ran through a few discs, and the real strength was the RPGs and adventure games that used the extra space for story, not just video clips. Am I the only one who thinks the Sega CD's best stuff is the stuff you actually play, not the stuff you watch?

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tyler_wilson•9d ago

That $40 S-Video cable flipped my whole SNES opinion

I spent years arguing the SNES was overrated because the picture on my flat screen looked like blurry junk. Then a guy on here kept going on about how you need the right cable, not just any composite cord. I got a RetroTINK and a proper S-Video cable off eBay for about $40 total, not counting the scaler. Hooked up Super Metroid and the text was sharp, colors actually popped. I always thought people were just nostalgic about the games, but I was missing the hardware side of things. Now I get why people swear by CRT setups or good scalers for this system. Has anyone else had a cheap cable or adapter completely flip their opinion on a console they thought was trash?

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zaram97•10d ago

The Genesis controller mod that ate my whole Saturday

I spent 7 hours trying to get a 6-button mod working on my Model 2 Genesis, turns out the ribbon cable was just seated upside down the whole time. Has anyone else burned a full day on a simple fix that was hiding in plain sight?

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finleyf88•13d ago

My Dreamcast controller gave up during a Streets of Rage 2 run

Last Saturday I was two levels into Streets of Rage 2 on my Dreamcast, the one console I always defend, and the analog stick just snapped right off in my hand. The plastic had been cracking for months, but I kept ignoring it, told myself it was fine. Now I'm sitting there with a broken stick and a game paused, trying to figure out if I can even get a replacement that isn't $60 online. I tried super glue and tape, but that lasted about ten minutes before it gave out again. Anyone else ever have a controller die at the worst possible moment, or should I just buy a newer third party one and hope it feels right?

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grant_foster79•15d ago

SNES vs Genesis controller durability, my childhood SNES pad finally snapped

My Super Nintendo controller from 1992 finally gave out last week, the d-pad just caved in after 30 years of Street Fighter 2. I grabbed a Genesis controller from my buddy in Austin to see if the competition holds up better, and honestly I'm torn. The SNES pad felt smoother for Mega Man X, but the Sega one has that clicky feel that works killer for fighting games. Which old controller took the worst beating for you, and did you swap parts or just buy a repro?

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emmaj33•19d ago

My uncle's Sega Genesis story still bugs me after all these years

Back in 2005, my uncle came over and saw me playing my SNES. He laughed and said "you wasted your allowance, the Genesis was the real console." He then showed me Sonic 2 and said "see, speed wins." I never got past the first boss in Sonic. He beat it in one sitting. I think about that every time I see a Sega logo. Has anyone else had a family member pick a side that stuck with you?

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lucaslee•20d ago

The Sega fan at the retro swap who changed my Saturn strategy

At the Portland Retro Game Exchange last March, this older guy saw me picking up a used copy of Nights and just laughed. He told me the real gem was Burning Rangers and spent 10 minutes showing me how the 3D controller actually improves the camera in a way the d-pad never could. I ignored him at first, but his advice about tracking down a Japanese import for $45 totally saved me from the $90 US version at the next booth. Anyone else get a random tip from a stranger that beat every online guide you read?

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leelewis•21d ago

The Saturn 3D pad that made me question my own hands

Last month I dusted off my Saturn to play Nights and grabbed the 3D controller for the first time in ages. I kept missing the jump timing because my thumb muscle memory from every modern stick was fighting the shoulder buttons. After three nights of this, I realized the pad is actually GREAT for Nights, it's just that my brain forgot how to hold it right. Why is it that we blame the hardware when it's really our habits that shifted over time? Has anyone else gone back to an old controller and felt like a total rookie with a pad they used to crush on?

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sandrat24•21d ago

The SNES pad that ruined every modern controller for me

I grabbed a Super Nintendo at a flea market in Portland last month and the shoulder buttons just feel right for old shooters. My Series X pad has clicky triggers but playing Super Metroid with the SNES one, I hit every wall jump on the first try. Anyone else found a retro controller that beats the new stuff for certain games?

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margaretm23•21d ago

The PS1 memory card trick that saved my FF7 save file after 3 corrupt scares

Last month I dug out my old PS1 to replay FF7 for the first time in like a decade. About 4 hours in I got that dreaded 'memory card corrupted' message during a save and almost lost it. Then I remembered a hack my cousin showed me back in 2001 where you wiggle the card slightly while the PS1 reads it in the menu, not during the save flash. It sounds insane but it actually worked, the card read fine after that and I finished the whole game last week without a single issue. I tested it on 2 other cards with random saves from Gran Turismo 2 and Tony Hawk and it fixed those too, no data loss. Has anyone else done this weird wiggle trick or is my family just cursed with janky PS1 hardware? I'm curious if this works on other old consoles like the Dreamcast or N64 since those cards are built different too.

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simon_coleman•21d ago

Shoutout to the PS2 launch lineup stat that blew my mind

I was killing time on Wikipedia last night, just scrolling through old console launch dates, and I saw the PS2 shipped 500,000 units in Japan on the first day. That number still sticks with me because back in 2000, I remember waiting in line at a Best Buy in Cleveland and thinking they'd never catch up to the Dreamcast. But then I looked closer and realized the PS2 didn't even have a killer exclusive at launch, just Ridge Racer V and some sports games. It made me wonder if hype alone carried that console or if people really believed in the DVD player feature. Has anyone else dug into those early sales numbers and come away surprised about which console actually won the first month?

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simon717•22d ago

My SNES power brick died mid-speedrun attempt last week

I was practicing Super Castlevania IV for a charity event and about 40 minutes in, the whole screen just flickered and went dark. Opened the console and smelled that classic burnt capacitor smell. Turns out the SNES power supply had a blown fuse, not the console itself. I dug out an old Genesis model 1 adapter from a box in my garage, and it worked fine since the specs matched. Anyone else keep spare bricks from other consoles around for emergencies like this, or am I just hoarding old tech?

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finleyw99•23d ago

Walked into a retro game shop in Buffalo and half the PS3 section was overpriced junk

Stopped by this little place near Elmwood Avenue last weekend, they had a whole shelf of PS3 games marked at $40 to $60 a pop. Half of them were sports titles from 2010 that you can find at any thrift store for $3. I get that old stuff has value, but come on. Who is actually paying $45 for a scratched copy of Madden 11? The owner said it's because of "collector demand" but I think he's just hoping someone's grandpa walks in and buys blind. Has anyone else seen this nonsense at local game stores? How do you tell if a retro shop is pricing fair or just taking advantage?

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clark.robin•23d ago

My 1990 Game Boy screen mod gave me new respect for the old brick

I spent 45 minutes last Tuesday swapping in a backlit screen kit from Handheld Legend, fully expecting the original green blob to still win me over for nostalgia. Once I saw the contrast on Super Mario Land in my kitchen at noon, I realized the old display was actually the weakest part of the whole design. Has anyone else had a hardware change flip how they judge a console they grew up with?

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graygonzalez•25d ago

My SNES cart slot crapped out during a full playthrough of Chrono Trigger

I was on my couch in Portland, 40 hours deep into a save file, and suddenly the screen froze right before the Lavos fight. The pins were bent on the cartridge slot, so I tried the old blow-on-the-cart trick, but it kept resetting. I ended up tearing the console apart, found a broken connector on pin 12, and soldered it back with a $15 iron from the hardware store. Has anyone else fixed a dying 16-bit slot, or should I just hunt down a working replacement on eBay?

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thea_mitchell20•25d ago

Tried the PlayStation controller on my old Saturn and it was a Total disaster

So I love my Sega Saturn for Nights and Panzer Dragoon but those original controllers have that weird grip that kills my hand after 30 minutes. I saw a conversion kit online for $15 and thought hey why not. Spent 3 hours soldering and rewiring this thing only to find out the PlayStation controller has HORRIBLE latency on the Saturn hardware. The lag was so bad I couldn't even land a basic combo in Fighting Vipers. Turns out the signal processing is just different between the two systems. My buddy warned me about this but I figured he was being dramatic. Now I got a messed up Saturn controller and a PlayStation one that smells like burnt wire. Has anyone else tried these cross-platform mods and regretted it?

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oscar_ellis•26d ago

Appreciation post: My old Sega Saturn still boots up faster than my modern consoles

I pulled my Sega Genesis and Saturn out of storage last weekend after 15 years in a cardboard box. The Saturn went from pressing power to playing Nights in about 8 seconds flat. Meanwhile my Xbox Series S takes a solid 30 seconds to even load the dashboard menu. We traded instant play for fancy graphics and I'm not sure it was a fair trade. Anyone else still keep a CRT around just for this reason?

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lisak26•26d ago

The Dreamcast fanboy phase I finally grew out of

Man, I used to swear up and down the Sega Dreamcast was the best console ever made. Back in 2001 I was that guy arguing on forums that Shenmue alone justified the system. I spent like $200 on import games and a boot disc just to play Japanese exclusives. Then my buddy brought over his PS2 and we played SSX Tricky for six hours straight. That's when it hit me - my Dreamcast had like 15 good games total. The library was tiny compared to what Sony and Nintendo put out. I finally admitted it to myself last year when I sold my collection and bought a PS3. Has anyone else had that moment where you realized your favorite console was actually kind of weak?

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wendy_jackson•28d ago

Picked up a beat-up SNES at a garage sale in Phoenix 3 weeks ago...

Found it sitting in a cardboard box with a bunch of old VHS tapes. Paid $20 for it and a copy of Super Mario World. Got it home and it worked but the cartridge slot was finicky. Took me like 4 tries with some rubbing alcohol to get it to boot clean. Now I'm wondering if I should shell out for an HDTV adapter or just stick with my old CRT. Anyone else deal with this?

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tessa_clark74•28d ago

Just found out the SNES actually ran at a slower clock speed than the Genesis

I was reading a technical breakdown on a retro gaming site last night and saw that the SNES CPU was 3.58 MHz while the Genesis ran at 7.6 MHz. Anyone else surprised how much of a gap there was on paper but how close the games felt?

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angelar57•29d ago

Visited a retro game shop in Portland that had a whole wall of Sega Saturn games

Walked into this small shop off Hawthorne and saw maybe 40 Saturn games behind the counter, most priced under $30. Anyone else notice certain consoles are way easier to collect for when you skip the big online stores and hit local spots instead?

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nora_dixon•1mo ago

That one week when my Dreamcast just would not stop working

I found my old Dreamcast in my parents' basement last month and plugged it in after maybe 15 years. For a whole week everything I played on it loaded perfectly and the controller never once had that drift issue. Has anyone else had an old console just surprise you by working way better than you remembered?

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