Things you do in emulators to make you feel better

[GetImOliver]

Most of us have done it at some point. That is, played a game you don't own on an emulator. I felt kinda bad playing the legend that is FF6 without even owning it, so I renamed the characters (something I'll almost never do in an RPG) just so I wasn't getting the "pure experience" Weird? Yes. So in my attempt to feel not like a total dweeb...
Ever played an emulated game different than how you would play it on a console?

[Haoie]

Save states!!

[Kid Ice]

I only allow myself a dollar in credits for continues.

[Daria]

Most of us have done it at some point. That is, played a game you don't own on an emulator. I felt kinda bad playing the legend that is FF6 without even owning it, so I renamed the characters (something I'll almost never do in an RPG) just so I wasn't getting the "pure experience" Weird? Yes. So in my attempt to feel not like a total dweeb...
Ever played an emulated game different than how you would play it on a console?

:hmm:

[mezrabad]

To make myself feel better when using emulators, I usually use a Playstation to USB adaptor. The Playstation controller doesn't provide the authentic feel for some systems, but it beats using the keyboard, which can hurt my hands if I use it for too long. I also output the signal to the TV, that way I can sit comfortably on the living room sofa instead of hunched over my laptop.

What makes me feel really good is when I try a game on the emulator and it turns out to really suck, that way I can avoid buying it completely but still find out how much it sucks first hand.

Another thing that feels good about using an emulator is when the system, for instance, the Genesis, only has an RF AV output which looks like crap on my TV. Actually, it feels great to just play a game on my Xbox's NeoGenesis emulator knowing it's looking much better than it would've if I'd played it on an original Genesis/SegaCD unit.

I haven't lately, but when I first started using emulators it felt really good to play games that hadn't been released in the US, or that had been hacked or translated by wonderfully devoted fans.

To feel good about playing arcade games emulated in MAME I took an old Centipede cabinet and built arcade style controls for it (Street Fighter II configuration with a 4-way in the center) and put a PC in it output the video to a TV I crammed into the cab. It's not a perfect "arcade" recreation, but it's close and Robotron 2084 is totally "good enough".

So, don't feel like a dweeb, we all do what we can to enjoy emulation when we have to. :)

[roushimsx]

Ever played an emulated game different than how you would play it on a console?

Depending on the game, I'll use save states...it depends on how I feel about the save system in the game. For instance, the level early on in Syphon Filter where you're in the subway after it's all blown up was a chore on the console, but with an extra save state here and there, it was quite a bit more enjoyable.

Other times I'll use save states just so I can practice in a game, such as in Dodonpachi. I had no problem with stages 1-1 to 1-3, but 1-4 was giving me trouble about halfway through. Rather than play through 1-1 to 1-3 over and over and over and over just to practice 1-4, I did a save state for it. Hell, the console version of Dodonpachi Daioujou allows stage selection, I figure I should have it in the arcade version of Dodonpachi as well :)

Then again, I've been abusing save states since I first got my Game Action Replay and my Super Wild Card DX2 :)

[mario2butts]

Another thing that feels good about using an emulator is when the system, for instance, the Genesis, only has an RF AV output which looks like crap on my TV. Actually, it feels great to just play a game on my Xbox's NeoGenesis emulator knowing it's looking much better than it would've if I'd played it on an original Genesis/SegaCD unit.

I'm going to sound like a total AV snob/nerd here, but oh well...

The Genesis can output via composite, which in many cases will look better than RF (depends on the condition of your RF box, which can break easily; a decent RF box may be comparable). A little ebay hunting can land you the right cables. I'm currently using the composite video/ mono audio cable that came with the 32X with my Genesis 2, and outputting stereo audio via the RCA jacks on the Sega CD 2. The picture and sound are great, not as "crisp" as an emulator, granted, but its the real deal! Eventually I'd like to get an RGB/SCART cable for my Genesis (and other older consoles) and either convert it to component with a transcoder or to VGA with an XRGB2 (conversion from SCART to JRGB would be needed). Now THAT would be the way to go.

Long story short, I'm a firm believer in using the original hardware and going the extra mile to get the best possible performance out of it. But hey, that's just me.

[mezrabad]

Another thing that feels good about using an emulator is when the system, for instance, the Genesis, only has an RF AV output which looks like crap on my TV. Actually, it feels great to just play a game on my Xbox's NeoGenesis emulator knowing it's looking much better than it would've if I'd played it on an original Genesis/SegaCD unit.

I'm going to sound like a total AV snob/nerd here, but oh well...

The Genesis can output via composite, which in many cases will look better than RF (depends on the condition of your RF box, which can break easily; a decent RF box may be comparable).

Sorry, I should have said *My* Genesis only has the RF AV adaptor. I haven't gotten around to doing the RGB thing with it yet. (I've gone as far as getting a Sony monitor that does RGB, I just haven't started making the cables.) Regardless, it's a lot easier to just play the games on the Xbox than to hook up the Genny (no room in my living room at the moment.) When I reach Genny in my chronogaming (see blog link below) I'll definitely do it on the real thing and do it "right", though I know it will take me a while to get all the carts.

[roushimsx]

I'm going to sound like a total AV snob/nerd here, but oh well...

On the other hand, I'm a sucker for emulators that offer really well done RF and Composite simulations. BlueMSX (MSX/MSX2/etc emulator) and Fusion (Genesis/SegaCD/32x/SMS/GG/etc emulator) are two emulators I like to use that offer the filters, and it really does wonders for helping transport myself to back when I was first playing the games on my little 13" tv in the basement. Check out some small examples on the bottom of this page (http://www.bluemsx.com/features.html).

Of course, I also love to snap stupidly high resolution shots from games using a variety of different filtering and stretching options for wallpapers, too! I've got a nice 1280x960 Alone in the Dark screenshot wallpaper I sometimes use at work, though it recently got bumped by a 1280x960 Panzer Dragoon Saga screenshot wallpaper.

[Push Upstairs]

Save states - They helped me through "Zero Wing"

But really i only use Emulators anymore to get screen shots for any custom game covers i want to make, and i only get screenshots if i can't find a decent picture of what i want on Google.

[Ed Oscuro]

I try to play games without savestates...cuz that tends to ruin the experience really.

[Nez]

I don't use em makes me feel much better. I dislike roms, but I''m not one of those people who scoff at it becouse its illegal. I just cant stand playing console games on PC. Just hate it.

[McBacon]

Despite the fact I have a GC/PS1/N64 to PC adapter, I like to play in a small window with a keyboard, so when I finally find the cart, it will seem so much better :)

[idrougge]

I only use emulators for what they're intended for: taking screenshots, cheating and such things. For that reason, I find the notion of filters to get bad display absurd. I always try to get the best possible picture on my consoles and computers. And if I play seriously, I certainly don't do it on some emulator.

[roushimsx]

For that reason, I find the notion of filters to get bad display absurd.

Because nostalgia is absurd and emulators should only be about doing things that were never possible onthe original hardware and not about reliving old memories through more convenient and practical means than having an array of systems hooked up to your tv and an obscenely huge library of software within an arm's reach away!

Then again, that's one of the nice things about some emulators...they cater to just about everyone by offering a wide range of enhancements and simulations to achieve either incredibly accurate representations of what it was like to originaly play the game or incredibly enhanced experiences (Playstation and N64 emulation in particular) that correct shortcomings in the original hardware and/or games. Save states remove a lot of frustration (I can't wait to finish Breakdown on Xbox with save states one day), higher resolutions clean up otherwise muddy displays, and tweaking the CPU removes slowdown.

But for some systems, I like keeping the display just the way I remember it.

[poloplayr]

I wear women's clothing while playing. And if the mood strikes I'll rub whale blubber all over my naked body, while wearing nothing but a top hat. But apart from that, nope, nothing strange or out of the ordinary.

[ClassicGameTrader]

Most of us have done it at some point. That is, played a game you don't own on an emulator. I felt kinda bad playing the legend that is FF6 without even owning it, so I renamed the characters (something I'll almost never do in an RPG) just so I wasn't getting the "pure experience" Weird? Yes. So in my attempt to feel not like a total dweeb...
Ever played an emulated game different than how you would play it on a console?

I think this is a liiiiiitle bit OC (Obsessive Compulsive)

[GetImOliver]

As always, you guys are giving the best variety of replies to a thread. So now we can all feel a little bit better knowing that absurd ideas that are definitely a little OC won't be shot down in flames. Although the whale blubber thing was really funny.

[idrougge]

Save states remove a lot of frustration (I can't wait to finish Breakdown on Xbox with save states one day)

Save states is cheating.

[Whiskers the Wonder Cat]

Most of us have done it at some point. That is, played a game you don't own on an emulator. I felt kinda bad playing the legend that is FF6 without even owning it, so I renamed the characters (something I'll almost never do in an RPG) just so I wasn't getting the "pure experience" Weird? Yes. So in my attempt to feel not like a total dweeb...
Ever played an emulated game different than how you would play it on a console?

:hmm: :hmm:

[roushimsx]

Save states is cheating.

No more so than quicksaves. Also, they do wonders for fixing seemingly broken save game systems. Breakdown is a great game to play, but that white room (which is just a few minutes from the end of the game) is so fucking frustrating that it totally kills the entire gameplay experience. Most people give up and leave the game with a sour taste in their mouth.

With save states, it erases a bit of that frustration (not all, but at least you can save after the 4th wave and just concentrate on the final wave).

Checkpoint saves rarely work (Far Cry is a wonderful exception to the rule), and some games are ruined by them (Breakdown).

[Jumpman Jr.]

I never destroy real games. I always destroy emulators :snipersmile:

[unbroken]

save states and fast foward are a dream come true.

[roushimsx]

save states and fast foward are a dream come true.

unthrottling the emulator and running at stupidly fast speeds makes Dragon Warrior fun again :)

Also, overclocking the 68000 in the neogeo driver in MAME and running Metal Slug 2 without any slowdown is nice, too. Hell, overclocking most any game or system to run the games smoother is nice (which you can do on the original hardware if you wanted, but it's so much easier in an emulator).

Changing the CounterFactor for PerfectDark in the N64 emulators to 1 instead of 2 does wonders for the framerate as well, if I recall correctly :)

[Push Upstairs]

Save states is cheating.

Then I guess anyone who played "Doom" and saved at any point in the level is a damn dirty ape cheater. :roll:

As pointed out, save states aren't any different than quicksaves.

[Skyway_Recreation]

what i do to make my self feel better is not playing the game on an emu if i don't absolutely have too! GOD! a Back up unit for SNES does wonders, so does one for 64! basically, if you want to paly a game, your already being cheap by playing it on the emu, why not just play it on the real hardware! :-) i've been playing earthbound on my snes through a pro fighter X, and man has that made the game great! all i did to make what im doing legal was borrow my friends copy! LoL.

[idrougge]

Save states is cheating.

Then I guess anyone who played "Doom" and saved at any point in the level is a damn dirty ape cheater. :roll:

As pointed out, save states aren't any different than quicksaves.

If the game offers you to save, it's not cheating. If you save states using an emulator, it's like using your superpowers to hold the time, and unless you have superpowers in real life, that is cheating.

[idrougge]

what i do to make my self feel better is not playing the game on an emu if i don't absolutely have too! GOD! a Back up unit for SNES does wonders, so does one for 64! basically, if you want to paly a game, your already being cheap by playing it on the emu, why not just play it on the real hardware! :-) i've been playing earthbound on my snes through a pro fighter X, and man has that made the game great! all i did to make what im doing legal was borrow my friends copy! LoL.

Agreed. Using a "back-up" system, you're able to play any game you want on real hardware, and without fighting over every single game with "collectors" and being ruined in the process.

[Push Upstairs]

If the game offers you to save, it's not cheating. If you save states using an emulator, it's like using your superpowers to hold the time, and unless you have superpowers in real life, that is cheating.


If you use a game genie on a game that is cheating because you don't have the power to do some of the things that it can do.

Using codes to give you 30 lives in a game is cheating because you really weren't meant to have 30 lives at the begining of the game.

Looking for passwords to later levels online is also cheating because you never really made it to that level.


Now using a save state to "hold" your spot on a game when you go to bed or shut the PC down isnt all that different than leaving a game on pause only to return to it later.


So why is one method of "cheating" more acceptable over some of the others? Because its ROMS? Because its actual games? why?

[Ed Oscuro]

I know I shouldn't say this again, but I always say that using savestates on an emulator ruins the experience...which I know to be true...but put an emulator in front of me and I'm using save states (unless it's MAME, you can usually just continue your way through)... :/

I have been playing through Contra (MAME) without saves, getting to be pretty good at it. NES Contra seems much tougher for some reason LOL

[idrougge]

If the game offers you to save, it's not cheating. If you save states using an emulator, it's like using your superpowers to hold the time, and unless you have superpowers in real life, that is cheating.

If you use a game genie on a game that is cheating because you don't have the power to do some of the things that it can do.

Oh, but I do. I have a Gamegenie, you see.


Using codes to give you 30 lives in a game is cheating because you really weren't meant to have 30 lives at the begining of the game.

Agreed, that is the very definition of cheating, but then again the programmers put that code into the game for you to use.


Looking for passwords to later levels online is also cheating because you never really made it to that level.

Agreed, but then again those passwords are there because someone put those in.


Now using a save state to "hold" your spot on a game when you go to bed or shut the PC down isnt all that different than leaving a game on pause only to return to it later.

Press the pause button.


So why is one method of "cheating" more acceptable over some of the others? Because its ROMS? Because its actual games? why?

Because save states are outside the scope of the game.