A thread · 10 notes · Retro Tech
Console field guide.
The consoles and handhelds behind the games: arcades, the TurboGrafx, Nintendo and Sega model comparisons, handheld lineages and the PlayStation's arcade shelf.
- 1
The Golden Age of Arcades, 1978 to 1983
The five or so years when arcade games went from a novelty to everywhere, from Space Invaders to Dragon's Lair, the technology that changed on the way, and why it all fell off a cliff in 1983.
- 2
The TurboGrafx-16 and PC Engine: NEC's Brilliant Middle Child
The console that was a hit in Japan as the PC Engine and an also-ran in America as the TurboGrafx-16. Its odd 8-bit and 16-bit hardware, the first CD add-on, the games worth playing, and how to play them now.
- 3
Nintendo's Home Consoles, NES to Wii U: The Models Worth Knowing
A field guide to Nintendo's home consoles from the Famicom to the Wii U, with the hardware revisions worth knowing for each, the mods people do, and which model to buy.
- 4
Original SNES or the Little 1997 One? The Two Models Compared
The differences between the original Super Nintendo and the small SNS-101 redesign from 1997, from video outputs and picture quality to the expansion port, yellowing and which one I'd buy for what.
- 5
Sega Genesis Model 1, 2 or 3: Which One to Buy
The three Sega Genesis models compared on sound, add-on support, size and picture, with the board revisions collectors look for and a straight answer on which to buy for what.
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Nintendo's Handhelds, From Game & Watch to 3DS
Every Nintendo handheld family from Game & Watch to the 3DS, with sales, screens, the model revisions that matter, and the mods that make the old ones pleasant to use today.
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Sony's Handhelds: Which PSP and Which Vita to Buy
The PSP and PS Vita model by model, what each revision changed, the memory card problem and its fix, the store closures that make backups matter, and where the PlayStation Portal fits.
- 8
The Handhelds That Didn't Win
Microvision, Lynx, Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket Color, WonderSwan and N-Gage. The handhelds that took on the Game Boy and lost, what each got right, and a timeline of how handhelds got from LCD segments to PC chips.
- 9
The Best Arcade-Style Games on PS1, PS2 and PS3, for a Cabinet or a Stick
My lists of PlayStation games that suit an arcade cabinet or a fight stick, generation by generation, from Tekken 3 and Einhander to Garou and Ikaruga-era shooters, plus the emulator and setup notes for each.
- 10
GameCube and PS2 Games You Can Play With Just a D-Pad
A list of GameCube and PlayStation 2 games that play fine without an analog stick, for arcade cabinets, handhelds with only a d-pad, or anyone who just likes digital controls.