So, what you playing at the mo? Retro Edition

Colonel Panic

I only finished the original HL using noclip because Xen sucked so much.

Black Mesa was brilliant!

DaveyDave

Started watching the documentary the other day, I've never played any Half Life games despite picking them up cheap for the Steam Deck last year. Must get stuck into them!

johnny_ultimate

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122852667#Comment_122852667

I will say Half Life 2 felt weirdly ‘off’ on Steam Deck to me. Even with a Valve pass it just didn’t really work on a controller vs a mouse and keyboard. Which is strange because I definitely played a good chunk of the Orange Box on 360 back in the day.

Still one of the greatest games ever made and has aged extraordinarily well. But definitely try for mouse & keyboard if you can.

o1s1n

Got stuck into Turok 2 last night.

I actually bought the cartridge in a lot of N64 games in Cash Converters on Thomas Street back when I was a broke college student, 20 years ago. I'm sure at the time I didn't think I'd wait till I was 40 till I got to playing it, but here we are!

Assumed it was going to be a load of absolute jank - I was wrong. Very wrong. Okay I was right, but also wrong.

It's certainly jank compared to all of the 60fps smooth FPS games that came after it.

But!

With the RAM expansion in, high res mode enabled and my N64 spittin' out RGB it looks absolutely fantastic for it's time. Particularly the enemies, they're super detailed and the animations when you shoot them are excellent. I could imagine have been blown away if I'd played this back in the day.

I spent about an hour playing it last night which is fairly rare for me when it comes to N64 games. Really had a lot of fun doing so too. Was interesting getting used to non twin stick controls again. You can see how it's almost there with the buttons on the right being used for movement/strafing.

Think I'll try to stick it out for another bit. I've read the levels are a bit over engineered. Certainly feels more like exploring a massive open plan area like OOT rather than the traditional levels in the first game.

Retr0gamer

I played the original turok through the night dive remaster and it was a lot better than reviews and opinions would have had me believe back in the day. It was a lot of fun. Turok 2 is an improvement in every way other than the framerate on N64.

Most of the Turok team went on the for retro studios and worked on Metroid Prime.

CiDeRmAn

The original Turok, fog aside, was a good early FPS, polygon heavy rather than the Doom/Wolfenstein bitmap ones (or even AvP on the Jag Retr0!).

The one thing that scuppered it a bit was the insistent platforming, which was hard to do when you can't see your feet!

The second one was outstanding, and disgusting thanks to some of the creative weapons

o1s1n

That's really fascinating about the link to Metroid Prime.

Yeah the platforming in the first game, Christ. It's right at the beginning too. You do a bit of fun shooting and before you know it are into first person platforming across a load of cliffs. Made extra annoying trying to do it with N64 controls.

Dr Bob

The New Tetris , it can be a pain to emulate properly , so actually found a copy of it , my housemate was obsessed with this so I played it A LOT back when it came out .

CiDeRmAn

Turok, plays well on the Xbox and PS5, with modern controls

But the controls on the Switch version, a mildly remapped N64 effort, just awful.

Spoils most if not all of the N64 titles on Switch, via the online service

Inviere

Opposing Force finished. Very nice little expansion, hasn't quite got the polish and shine of the main game, but it's fun nonetheless. It feels essentially like an official mod, which I suppose, is exactly what it is. The final boss isn't much of a challenge though, same pattern, infinite health regen available too, but regardless, tis done.

Onto Blue Shift next…

Retr0gamer

I found the half life expansions a bit of a disappointment as the AI pathfinding really isn't as well defined in those campaigns as the main game. It's just way easier to bottle neck enemies.

banie01

A question for those of ye using Retrox on an Android phone. I've asked the developer and to his credit, he doesn't know a fix either and the best suggestion to date has been to revoke permissions and then reinstate. That didn't work.

Neither has uninstall & reinstall oor going thru permissions 1 x 1.

I'm running on HyperOS 1.0.12.0 and when I launch Retrox, I get the mode select screen, select phone then select my Google account as signed in account and then Retrox throws up the below error.

My Google fu hasn't found any examples of this related to Retrox specifically so I'm a bit lost. Anyone any ideas?

The_B_Man

Did it ever work? Or did you get this the first time you tried to launch it?

I think in Xiaomi phones there's another settings page for permissions.

Settings > Permissions > Manage All Files Access

Then find your app and double check permissions.

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123033928#Comment_123033928

It worked prior to switching from MIUI to HyperOS. I've given that permission in part of my own effort at troubleshooting but no joy. Some of the Xiaomi permission settings are also somehow hidden in the privacy dashboard, a proper pain in the arse.

The_B_Man

I'm an app developer by trade. Without seeing the code I'm just guessing.

I'm assuming your MIUI version was based off an older android version and the HyperOS upgrade also updated the Android version. Recently Google have been acting the maggot with storage permissions. Since Android 10 they've added their new Scoped storage API, which developers have revolted against due to it breaking everything, and its now been made optional (thankfully). So then they moved back to the MediaStore method which can work with or without Scoped storage.

Long and short of it is, HyperOS may have implemented something different than what the Retrox dev has implemented for storage.

Maybe Retrox targets an older SDK (<10, 9 is popular! (Pie, API 28)) and there's some incompatibility with HyperOS.

Really you need to see if its an app issue (ie the dev needs to fix it) or your device. Easiest way is to completely factory reset your phone and install again, but i doubt that's an option. See if you can find some other app permissions menus in the settings. Android moved the external storage permissions under "Photo and Video" recently so check the app has photo and video permissions, as that may cover it for older apps.

Other than that, I'd need to see the app code to tell what's going on.

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123039488#Comment_123039488

Thanks for the great info, it's really appreciated. I'll pull a logcat from the error over the weekend for the developer and if you don't mind running an eye over it? I'll post it here too to at least get an opinion as to whether it's my end or the app?

The_B_Man

If you can pull a logcat of the error, then that would be helpful, but it would most likely mean the dev has to fix it.

TBH I think thats the case anyway unless either:

• you can show other people with the same phone and OS version who don't have the issue, or
• the issue is that the HyperOS install broke permissions on your phone and/or you have to go into their own new control centre to grant permissions.

I've used MIUI before but never HyperOS so, again, this is just guessing.

dasdog

I don't really play many games anymore but Grand Theft Auto - Vice City Stories caught my imagination over the December break and I'm nearly finished it. It's the overlooked game in the series and it's quite difficult esp compared to the walk through that was GTA V. Reminded me of the £3 Moving Shadow CD (ROM) 99.1 which was released in 2000. MSX FM from GTA3 is the source of that mad drum & bass.

I still buy second hand records from the now defunct Moving Shadow. Going to move on to Liberty City Stories after I'm done.

Inviere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123013902#Comment_123013902

And done. Very very short this one, about 3 hours I think (and that's a leisurely pace.) Enjoyable enough, but by now, the engine is showing its age, and the need for something a bit more complex is obvious. That's the original and the two PC expansions done. I could go on and play the PS2 expansion, Decay, which I've never played, but I'll plough on to Half Life 2 I think.

mrcheez

GBA Advance Wars (again!)...so simple to pick up and play and works great on the Samsung Flip

Brings back memories of the first time i played on the original yonks ago and was addicted then

Worztron

Night Breed on the C64.

https://www.lemon64.com/game/night-breed

It's one of the first games I played on the system. 😊

Inviere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123046446#Comment_123046446

Indeed, my C64 was the "Night Moves/Mind Benders" pack, so was one of my first C64 games also.

mrcheez

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123043597#Comment_123043597

This will be your first time playing HL2?? Lucky bastid

Quigs Snr

Nightbreed. another Night Moves kid here.. I couldn’t figure out this game at first.. couldn’t last more than a couple of minutes and then one day for no reason it just clicked and I went through the whole thing in one go. One of the first games I ever completed

o1s1n

About half way through the Switch version of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door at the moment. I've had the GameCube version there for years but just never got around to giving it a go.

Had a massive 'what the feck?!' moment when I booted it up and the first RPG style turn based battle began.

For all these years I've been 100% under the impression that the Paper Mario series were platformer games, hadn't a clue they were RPGs!

Edit- just figured it out, it's because I had Super Paper Mario on the Wii and of course that's the one title that's not an RPG

Inviere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123046583#Comment_123046583

Ah no, I've never played the Decay expansion for PS2 (though I've since learned it's basically a multiplayer co-op so not my cup of tea). I was here for the launch of Half Life 2 requiring this thing called Steam….

Worztron

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123046491#Comment_123046491

I had the same pack. I recall the awesome design on the box. :-)

Did you have a favorite from them? Mine was Snare - https://www.lemon64.com/game/snare-thalamus [Mind Benders].

Worztron

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123046491#Comment_123046491

Are you keeping up with the Commodore?

Inviere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123048460#Comment_123048460

I'd say probably Midnight Resistance was mine, a very decent port iirc. Still remember the old 'siamese123' code for it (infinite lives I think??)

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123048631#Comment_123048631

You kinda have to, I mean, the Commodore is keeping up with you so you've no choice really…

mrcheez

Installed a GBA emulator on the OH's phone. She never plays games.

She's now currently hooked on Tetris Worlds... I think I've lost her to it ...this is how it begins

Quigs Snr

Still have my Night Moves hidden high up on the ceiling above the door into my gaming room. I really wanted to be good at Sly Spy but wasn’t and Midnight Resistance was probably the best game on it but ultimately they were all multi loaders I think so Nightbreed and Snare got the most play time because I was better at them.

And then I discovered Turrican, Last Ninja, Bruce Lee, Action Biker, Blue Max , Microprose Soccer, Exploding Fist, IK+ and the Dizzy games and that was the end of Night Moves and Mindbenders. Not long after that the Datel Action Replay arrived with a disc drive and I reckon I spent more time copying games than playing them.

Inviere

I still have my original too, recapped it a few years ago and added an sd2iec to it. Can't help but imagine what sorcery that would have looked like back in the late 80s, on the exact same machine.

Worztron

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123049276#Comment_123049276

Of those others you mentioned, I love Turrican, Last Ninja, Bruce Lee, Exploding Fist, IK+ & most of the Dizzy games - Magic land likely being my favorite. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dizzy_(series). I too have lots of Powerpack games and many other games mag cassette tapes. Happy days.

o1s1n

How are C64 tapes and tape decks faring these days as a matter of interest?

Quigs Snr

remarkably well. About a year ago I had the C64 on the kitchen counter for a long weekend with terrible weather outside and loaded up pretty much every cassette. Only about 5% had an issue. And I am pretty sure most of those had that issue last time I saw them in the 90s.

The C64 itself fared a lot better than any of my Amigas all of which needed a recap (C64 did not)… and the cassettes seem to have endured 30 years of storage in various damp attics far better than the floppy discs for the Amiga.

Worztron

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123048702#Comment_123048702

"Still remember the old 'siamese123' code for it (infinite lives I think??)"

Correct! –> https://www.lemon64.com/cheat/midnight-resistance/1672

Mr.Saturn

Finally got around to Metroid Dread and have been very impressed so far, though it's a bit more linear than I was expecting based on its feedback. Controls are the best the series has even seen, which is great as even random mooks can decimate your lifebar if you're not paying attention — holy balls, everything hits you like you owe them money in this thing. I mistimed a jump on a boss and got three-shotted from a full health bar 3/4s of the way through the fight. It'd be infuriating if the game didn't control like a gold-medal figure skater.