So, I've dipped into emulation again. I've always been fond of the NES 
and SNES emulators, since these were the consoles of my childhood. I 
still do have my SNES console. But it's nice to be able to arbitrarily 
save/load (Yeah, it's cheating... ;P)

So, I decided to find a few arcade classics and download MAME. Console 
roms were easy, just dump 'em in a directory, and off you go! Not so 
with arcade roms. First, you download the ROM, second you try to run it. 
It fails, and whines about missing files. Then you trace it's linage, 
then you download *that* ROM, only to find out that was an incomplete 
set, so you set about chasing files, then find out the files you need 
actually exist with several other ROMS, so you download one of those. 
Finally you can play the game.

Though I have to say, it seems to emulate just about every arcade game 
you can think of.
-- 
~Mike

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In article <4a800d74$1@news.povray.org>,
Mike Raiford wrote:

> So, I decided to find a few arcade classics and download MAME. Console 
> roms were easy, just dump 'em in a directory, and off you go! Not so 
> with arcade roms. First, you download the ROM, second you try to run it. 
> It fails, and whines about missing files. Then you trace it's linage, 
> then you download *that* ROM, only to find out that was an incomplete 
> set, so you set about chasing files, then find out the files you need 
> actually exist with several other ROMS, so you download one of those. 
> Finally you can play the game.

I hate that.

> Though I have to say, it seems to emulate just about every arcade game 
> you can think of.

It is worth it, you say. It is. We want the stuff; we take it.

But that is no excuse for difficult access to stuff. Meanwhile, in the
UNIX world, you download a package from a Gnuish programmer. Then you
unpack it on your system.  He says 'make' will do. You make it, and it
crashes with stuff like undefined reference. Why? ``Well, you're
running some fascist dynamic linker.'' Oh, right. How silly of me.
Let me see... you could have avoided that by putting that comma over
here. ``Wrong. I don't negotiate with evil linkers. They should just
respect my standard. I mean, the established standard.'' The one in
the set of all the ones --- that you chose? ``Yes, the one everyone
should choose.''

I'm not angry. :-)

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Mike Raiford wrote:
> So, I've dipped into emulation again. I've always been fond of the NES 
> and SNES emulators, since these were the consoles of my childhood. I 
> still do have my SNES console.

Those were the great days. Super Metroid was awesome, as was FF II & III...

> So, I decided to find a few arcade classics and download MAME.

Dude! That's like, stealing you know. That is, if you consider copying 
information stealing. Those original programmers wouldn't get a penny if 
you bought an old game on eBay or some other place now.

> Though I have to say, it seems to emulate just about every arcade game 
> you can think of.

I've got a MAME emulator somewhere. Arcade games are disappointing to 
me. It might be because I suck at them ;)

I recommend the original Game Boy and Game Boy Advance if you like olde 
school 2D games. The Castlevania series for GBA is particularly good. 
The Zelda series for GB Color is also great. But then again I'm a big 
ARPG fan :)

Sam

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stbenge wrote:

> Dude! That's like, stealing you know. That is, if you consider copying 
> information stealing. Those original programmers wouldn't get a penny if 
> you bought an old game on eBay or some other place now.

A while after I posted I knew someone would point that out ... I'm sure 
someone has earned some sort of residual royalties for all the clones of 
the old games I've bought, though. Provided, of course, the company that 
produced the game actually bought the license to use said game's 
concepts....

>> Though I have to say, it seems to emulate just about every arcade game 
>> you can think of.
> 
> I've got a MAME emulator somewhere. Arcade games are disappointing to 
> me. It might be because I suck at them ;)

Yeah, me, too.. but it's the novelty of playing around with them that's 
fun ;)

My grandfather owned (still owns?) a Centipede arcade game. Of course, 
he had a basement big enough for a couple games. He used to own an 
arcade back in the day. That was lots and lots of fun. I'd get a 
bucketfull of tokens and play each and every game.

> I recommend the original Game Boy and Game Boy Advance if you like olde 
> school 2D games. The Castlevania series for GBA is particularly good. 
> The Zelda series for GB Color is also great. But then again I'm a big 
> ARPG fan :)

I've seen some really nice games for the GBA, including some of the 
older SNES games. I used to have a GBC, but I think my ex ran off with 
it. I bought it mainly to test while I was working for the gaming 
company, but also bought a few cartridges for it so I could play, as 
well. I didn't really like the screen, though. Too dark.


-- 
~Mike

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stbenge wrote:
> Dude! That's like, stealing you know. That is, if you consider copying
> information stealing. Those original programmers wouldn't get a penny if
> you bought an old game on eBay or some other place now.

Are you suggesting he should buy an arcade machine? I thought those cost
several grand, since people who buy them usually make money out of them.

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Nicolas Alvarez wrote:
> stbenge wrote:
>> Dude! That's like, stealing you know. That is, if you consider copying
>> information stealing. Those original programmers wouldn't get a penny if
>> you bought an old game on eBay or some other place now.
> 
> Are you suggesting he should buy an arcade machine? I thought those cost
> several grand, since people who buy them usually make money out of them.
> 

Not to mention games from the early 80's and late 70's ... Not exactly 
easy to find ;) and even harder to repair.


-- 
~Mike

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Nicolas Alvarez wrote:
> stbenge wrote:
>> Dude! That's like, stealing you know. That is, if you consider copying
>> information stealing. Those original programmers wouldn't get a penny if
>> you bought an old game on eBay or some other place now.
> 
> Are you suggesting he should buy an arcade machine? I thought those cost
> several grand, since people who buy them usually make money out of them.

Actually, I was playing Devil's Advocate, but failed miserably during 
the last part of the paragraph. And now I'm probably failing to see your 
dry humor ;)

I think if the original programmers would get royalties from old games I 
would make a donation to them. As it is, I can't see how the big game 
companies would lose out at all if you copy ROMs.

So instead I support small gaming companies when I can, like the 
producers of Clonk Rage. Now there's a fun game :)

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Mike Raiford wrote:
> stbenge wrote:
>> I recommend the original Game Boy and Game Boy Advance if you like 
>> olde school 2D games. The Castlevania series for GBA is particularly 
>> good. The Zelda series for GB Color is also great. But then again I'm 
>> a big ARPG fan :)
> 
> I've seen some really nice games for the GBA, including some of the 
> older SNES games. I used to have a GBC, but I think my ex ran off with 
> it. I bought it mainly to test while I was working for the gaming 
> company, but also bought a few cartridges for it so I could play, as 
> well. I didn't really like the screen, though. Too dark.

The GBA emulator, VisualBoyAdvance, has a very large screen and emulates 
the GB, GBC and GBA almost perfectly. If you have a CRT monitor you get 
very smooth animation, and it's bright!

I don't recommend using it for GBA-ported SNES games though, since ZSNES 
will give you better emulation.

Oh, I forgot to mention that Zelda: The Minish Cap and the Metroid 
series for GBA are also great games.

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haha, cool thread that I missed...

stbenge wrote:
> Mike Raiford wrote:
>> So, I've dipped into emulation again. I've always been fond of the NES 
>> and SNES emulators, since these were the consoles of my childhood. I 
>> still do have my SNES console.
> 
> Those were the great days. Super Metroid was awesome, as was FF II & III...

yes, Super Metroid completely mindblowing.  Rarely felt so alone and 
lost in a game, plus it got ingenious puzzling level layouts, great 
powerups and wonderful, hypnotic music, specially underground 
Brinstar... also probably the last arcadey game from Nintendo itself...

>> So, I decided to find a few arcade classics and download MAME.
> 
> Dude! That's like, stealing you know. That is, if you consider copying 
> information stealing. Those original programmers wouldn't get a penny if 
> you bought an old game on eBay or some other place now.

oh come on!  Those original developers got plenty of my pennies for all 
the hours I lost in those games back then.  Besides, Williams is dead, 
Taito almost so... :/

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