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Emulation vs the Real Thing?
tsumake - Jul 24, 2003

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  tsumake Jul 24, 2003
Next week, I'm heading off to Prague, and I've decided to load up my laptop on emulation stuff so that I can take my classics with me wherever I go. I have a kickass pc gamepad (Firestorm Dual Power, modeled after to psx controller) and a nice laptop, but I know it won't be the same. Though there is no difference visually, save "enhancements", it just doesn't play right, nor is the same experience. Playing Shining Force on a sega with a bigass sega controller isn't the same as playing it on a monitor, even with a controller. On a computer, you're seeing software being translated on screen; on a console you're seeing the result of electricity racing through a circuit. To me, it ain't the same.

What do you guys think of emulation?

 racketboy Jul 24, 2003
I think it's an ok substitute.

I like it for older systems so you don't have to have a bunch of systems hooked up.

Also very handy, like you mentioned for traveling.

For systems like PSX, it's great 'cause the visual quality is slightly improved, but most of all, the load times are almost eliminated. Very Nice!

 VertigoXX Jul 24, 2003
Nothing better than the real thing...

Unless the real thing is impossible.

Playing NES games on my Dreamcast is great, and with some of the games going for >$100.00 at times or having never been released in the USA (or in english for that matter), sometimes it is the only option.

But if I wanna play Super Mario Bros. 3 or The Legend of Zelda, I'm gonna pull out the cart and plug it into a GameGenie so the connectors on one of my old NES systems can read it, and play it like it was meant to be played.

 racketboy Jul 24, 2003
NES on DC is the best kind of emulation there is.

Great interface (saving, menus, no changing carts) and still playing it on the TV with a modern console controller.

 tsumake Jul 24, 2003

  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by racketboy@Jul 24, 2003 @ 08:12 PM



 NES on DC is the best kind of emulation there is.



Great interface (saving, menus, no changing carts) and still playing it on the TV with a modern console controller.


Yeah, but nothing beats the old brick. :lol:

 Cloud121 Jul 24, 2003
I prefer the real thing. I have 622 NES ROMs, but I'd rather have the carts than ROMs. Same with CD-Rs. With CD-Rs, you have to worry about whether or not it's a bad rip, if the audio's bad, etc. I usually only play a ROM to try out the game before I buy it. Same with CD-Rs. Half of my Saturn collection is CD-Rs (about 15 or 16 CD-Rs), and a little less than half of my DC collection is CD-Rs. But I plan on buying Originals for those CD-Rs as well. I only keep the CD-Rs just in case my Originals go bad (NFL 2K1, Crazy Taxi, Shenmue, NFL 2K2 I have both CD-Rs and Originals of). I'm getting more Originals all the time.

 ExCyber Jul 24, 2003
It really depends on the host system and the quality of the emulator. If both are good, arguments that the original system is better are probably based on little more than nostalgia and/or materialism. It's common for emulators to sport minor flaws; sound and compatibility problems are common. It's worth remembering, though, that the original consoles themselves often have flaws, such as difficulty booting, region lockout, mechanical failure, or poor signal quality. In many cases, which is better really depends on which set of flaws you're more comfortable with.

 crystalmethod Jul 24, 2003
Yeah man...most of the time I'm gonna say that the reason the game is better on the original system is because of the nostalgic feelings we get when we play the game. I'm sure theres certain games that all of us play that take us back to a time. Its amazing what something like a game can be to jog our memory.

And ExCyber was right when he said that the original systems have problems as well...who can remember the blue screen that damn grey brick used to give us? And isn't it nice not having to worry about a region lockour and ways to get around it when playing certain games?

On an unrelated not...Prague? I always wanted to go there...it must be one of the nicest cities in Europe. My ex-girlfriend was half Czech and her and her family just picqued my interest even more. Ho-hum.....maybe after I buy my second car and save some more money....

 Myname Jul 24, 2003
I've hardly used any emulators in the past year or so, but I think they're fantastic. I must've saved Christ knows how much by trying games out on them before I bought them, when I would've found out they were crap and that I'd wasted my money. Another great thing is the fact that games you thought you'd never be able to play have now been translated (Seiken Densetsu 3, Bahamut Lagoon etc). Playing emulated games with a good blitter through a TV-out is pretty cool also.

That said, I don't use them too much because as people have said, it just doesn't have the same feel.

On a side note, I went to Prague for a trip when I was at school . Very nice place but I can't remember too much of it.. It's like 50p for a shot there so you can see why. I do remember dangling from an 8th storey balcony in some sort of drunken game.. Actually, maybe I'd better forget about that

 Scared0o0Rabbit Jul 24, 2003
you'd be surprised how good the feel is when you build one of those ntpad interfaces, then use s-video out on your pc. Just turn your monitor off and all and sit in front of the tv like it's a console... I do that a lot for snes games... (though i tend to turn on the better graphics engines). However I'm playing snes games on a tv... with no snes involved lol. I'd probably go out and buy some of the games I run on the emulator... but not another snes... I just have too damn many consoles as it is.

Now arcade emulation... that's some fantastic stuff ^_^; mame is great, an x-arcade stick makes it better... /me goes back to thinking about the plans for his mame cabinet.

 M3d10n Jul 24, 2003
Yeah, a TV-out setup + decent controller really does wonders.

I feel MUCH better playing PSX stuff on my PC than on the real, shitty, thing. No praying for the PSX to get past the logo, no turning it upside down, no memory card magically erasing themselves. The PSX has no nostalgic value for me ;P

Plus I play them at DC-standard resolution on my TV ^^. I've been playing Valkyrie Profile for hours, and sometimes I forget I'm on my PC (when my brother enters the room, and heads to the PC, it takes me a few seconds to remember to tell him I AM using the PC).

But I've been playing Sega CD stuff in my CDX, for extra nostalgic feeling.

 Tagrineth Jul 24, 2003

  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by M3d10n@Jul 24, 2003 @ 06:52 PM



 I feel MUCH better playing PSX stuff on my PC than on the real, shitty, thing. No praying for the PSX to get past the logo, no turning it upside down, no memory card magically erasing themselves. The PSX has no nostalgic value for me ;P



Plus I play them at DC-standard resolution on my TV ^^. I've been playing Valkyrie Profile for hours, and sometimes I forget I'm on my PC (when my brother enters the room, and heads to the PC, it takes me a few seconds to remember to tell him I AM using the PC).


Agreed, pretty much.

But why limit yourself to Dreamcast-standard resolution? Just go up to 1024x768 and set 4x AA and 16x AF... ^_^

 mal Jul 24, 2003
I prefer the 'real thing' over emulation where it's practical, but it takes up a lot of time, money and space to own all the games and systems that you want.

 Resident_Lurker Jul 24, 2003
Emulation is better, but only if the emulator isn't a pain in the ass to use and if you have a decent controller. You can often make it look better than the real thing especially with a TV-Out setup + filters (2xsai, eagle etc. etc.).

 Nadius Jul 25, 2003
I prefer the real deal. Emulation just doesn't deliver that same feeling... even through TV output. it's a different feeling knowing you're playing on the actual system... it's a more validating feeling as well when you complete the game.

 CrazyGoon Jul 25, 2003
One thing that I personally love about emulation is frameskip! Where would I be without it? --> Stuck on a time consuming game which I don't have the time for

 axelblazeadam Jul 25, 2003

  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by CrazyGoon@Jul 25, 2003 @ 07:31 AM



 Stuck on a time consuming game which I don't have the time for


Plus there's the added bonus of save states.

I'd never got to see the later levels in some games without them.

In general I prefer playing on the real thing, but I don't have space to keep my old consoles plugged in so emulation solves that problem.

Where emulation has the capability to improve graphics like with the PS I would say its better. Currently I don't have system that powerful enough to do that though.

 CrazyGoon Jul 25, 2003

  
	
	

		
		

			I'd never got to see the later levels in some games without them.

Yeah, save states are a good alternative to pausing a game and coming back to it later. Though some people use it for cheating thier way through games (ie, save state before hard boss and repeatively loading the state until you finally beat the boss) I personally don't cheat as I understand that cheating ruins the fun of the game -> Playing a game repetitively until you have increased your skills high enough to pass it, gives much more satisfaction than guarantying your victory with save states/ cheats.

 axelblazeadam Jul 25, 2003

  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by CrazyGoon@Jul 25, 2003 @ 11:59 AM



 Playing a game repetitively until you have increased your skills high enough to pass it, gives much more satisfaction than guarantying your victory with save states/ cheats.


I would agree with that although some games are so hard I'd never complete them no matter how hard I try so I use save states. I only use them to complete games I've played for years without success.

 racketboy Jul 25, 2003
I've done it too.

Can be frustrating sometimes without it

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