I have stairs too. But that was the FedEx guy’s problem. :twisted:
Hey, I moved a full size arcade cabinet up those stairs. I’ve done enough for a lifetime.
Moving that STUN Runner cabinet down my basement stairs is something I will never forget. It took three of us an hour. The highlight was when we discovered it wouldn't fit because of the marquee sign on top - which does not come off. So trying to angle something that size and weight upwards so it would clear the overhang was... well. It was an experience.
But we did it.
And that's not counting the U-Haul trip to pick the thing up and drive it across the city. It was too goddamn tall to fit in the van, so we had to lay it down on its side.
@Krathoon that video may or may not have shown this but I recommend getting a Phillips head screwdriver that can get into some tight places. A few of the screws behind the monitor are a bit challenging. The various protruding electronics get in the way of a longer screwdriver. I managed ok with my modest tool kit but you might not have a lot to work with.
It seems like the platform with the controls comes off easily. That will work better for travel.
I am wondering if that is where most of the weight is at.
The control deck didn’t seem that heavy to me. It was definitely easier to plug in than the Rampage machine. The difference in quality between the two was noticeable.
I enjoy Rampage and Gauntlet because they’re two games I can just mindlessly play for a few minutes or hours. They pretty much go on for as long as I want. Unfortunately I have no love for Joust or Defender. They can’t all be winners.
Like, objectively I can see that it isn't great. It's not as bad as Altered Beast (by a long shot), but it looks and feels archaic next to, say, Streets of Rage 2. And sometimes it can easily degenerate into a real grind to take down tougher enemies.
But damn if I don't still love it to bits.
Without the nostalgia goggles, I'm going with nay. It had style and was cool at the time, but the control is definitely a clunkfest compared to many other better beat-em-ups that came afterward, and the gameplay has issues. For swords and sorcery I'd rather play King of Dragons or a D&D arcade game today.
Just won a used PlayStation Classic on eBay for an acceptably low price (£27 including postage). Now I just need to find a USB keyboard kicking around for it... for reasons, of course. Hoping it'll be worth it once it's fiddled with.
Just won a used PlayStation Classic on eBay for an acceptably low price (£27 including postage). Now I just need to find a USB keyboard kicking around for it... for reasons, of course. Hoping it'll be worth it once it's fiddled with.
Curious, what is the USB keyboard for? Older DOS based stuff or other older computers like C64 or Apple? I'd assume we can discuss in generalities given GOG exists for legal versions of the first and a lot of the latter are now public domain.
Just won a used PlayStation Classic on eBay for an acceptably low price (£27 including postage). Now I just need to find a USB keyboard kicking around for it... for reasons, of course. Hoping it'll be worth it once it's fiddled with.
Curious, what is the USB keyboard for? Older DOS based stuff or other older computers like C64 or Apple? I'd assume we can discuss in generalities given GOG exists for legal versions of the first and a lot of the latter are now public domain.
For plugging into controller port 2 and pressing Esc.
If memory serves, that's how it works, starting to tweak the thing.
Unfortunately, having only had laptops in the last quite a few years, I don't have this most basic of accessories lying around, and I'm disinclined to spend more than a pittance on one
I honestly haven't thought any further ahead with what to do with it besides getting those games running at a civilized 60Hz (and/or NTSC speeds). That's the first hurdle.
I believe this would belong here: Analogue, the makers of high-rated (and expensive) retro game machines have announced a handheld device that will play Game Boy (and Color, Advanced, etc.) games alongside Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket, and other handheld game formats via an adapter, the Analogue Pocket.
To borrow a phrase from all the Southerners I live near, or at least how I imagine them talking, "Hot damn."
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SteevLWhat can I do for you?Registered Userregular
I believe this would belong here: Analogue, the makers of high-rated (and expensive) retro game machines have announced a handheld device that will play Game Boy (and Color, Advanced, etc.) games alongside Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket, and other handheld game formats via an adapter, the Analogue Pocket.
To borrow a phrase from all the Southerners I live near, or at least how I imagine them talking, "Hot damn."
Yeah, this is pretty badass for people who like gaming with their original cartridges. It's not my thing, but I really respect this stuff.
I can't get into handhelds despite multiple attempts to do so (a reason I don't own the Switch), but I'm still impressed by the product quality so far (plus Analogue has a good, and expensive, reputation in this area).
I can't get into handhelds despite multiple attempts to do so (a reason I don't own the Switch), but I'm still impressed by the product quality so far (plus Analogue has a good, and expensive, reputation in this area).
...you know you can leave Switch permanently plugged into your TV, right?
Wait, didn't you announce you bought a Switch a while back?
I can't get into handhelds despite multiple attempts to do so (a reason I don't own the Switch), but I'm still impressed by the product quality so far (plus Analogue has a good, and expensive, reputation in this area).
...you know you can leave Switch permanently plugged into your TV, right?
Wait, didn't you announce you bought a Switch a while back?
No, I didn't. I did buy a PS4, but I'm pretty sure I would remember owning a Switch, much less announcing it.
Also--"a reason", as in "one of." Though perhaps the most prominent, since literally everyone I know in person who 1) owns a Switch and 2) still uses it regularly...uses it as a handheld. I'm the guy who returned his onyx black 3DS within the 90-day return period at Target.
Oh. That Star Wars cabinet has the cool Return of the Jedi game.
I still sit here drooling over that cabinet. Longing to play Star Wars once again (as they intended it and not with a mouse or GC controller), try out the Empire Strikes Back game and to see if I could ever get past the Speeder Bike portion of Return of the Jedi.
But that means I would have to sell a ton of Transformers and one shelving unit. Or all of my old consoles and the TV with it... Which is slightly tempting.
I can't get into handhelds despite multiple attempts to do so (a reason I don't own the Switch), but I'm still impressed by the product quality so far (plus Analogue has a good, and expensive, reputation in this area).
...you know you can leave Switch permanently plugged into your TV, right?
Wait, didn't you announce you bought a Switch a while back?
No, I didn't. I did buy a PS4, but I'm pretty sure I would remember owning a Switch, much less announcing it.
Also--"a reason", as in "one of." Though perhaps the most prominent, since literally everyone I know in person who 1) owns a Switch and 2) still uses it regularly...uses it as a handheld. I'm the guy who returned his onyx black 3DS within the 90-day return period at Target.
Must have gotten you confused with someone else, sorry.
I play my Switch 98 percent docked. And in practice, it acts no differently than my PS4 and Xbox One. No compromises, no weirdness, just turn it on, and it's on my TV. There's tons of reasons not to own a Switch, but "my friends only use it as a handheld" is a bit odd.
I can't get into handhelds despite multiple attempts to do so (a reason I don't own the Switch), but I'm still impressed by the product quality so far (plus Analogue has a good, and expensive, reputation in this area).
...you know you can leave Switch permanently plugged into your TV, right?
Wait, didn't you announce you bought a Switch a while back?
No, I didn't. I did buy a PS4, but I'm pretty sure I would remember owning a Switch, much less announcing it.
Also--"a reason", as in "one of." Though perhaps the most prominent, since literally everyone I know in person who 1) owns a Switch and 2) still uses it regularly...uses it as a handheld. I'm the guy who returned his onyx black 3DS within the 90-day return period at Target.
Must have gotten you confused with someone else, sorry.
I play my Switch 98 percent docked. And in practice, it acts no differently than my PS4 and Xbox One. No compromises, no weirdness, just turn it on, and it's on my TV. There's tons of reasons not to own a Switch, but "my friends only use it as a handheld" is a bit odd.
Not really. Most of my multiplayer time is still spent with people I know in person (and not people on these forums, for example)--and while many of them own Switches (it's popular!) they almost exclusively play when they meet in person. Which means if you want to play with them, you have to do so in handheld mode like they do (or share a single Switch, which means relying on a one small controller approach). That, of course, leaves, singleplayer games--which are more interesting to me than multiplayer games on Switch--but it's still a good reason. I can't think of anyone I know who actually has the paid multiplayer service from Nintendo, though I'm sure some of them do. Just no one I know in person.
No idea what you mean by "weirdness", but "compromises"--yes, there are, by definition. Most of my playing time is spent with multiplatform releases (though I did buy a PS4 solely for a particular exclusive, albeit not a very popular one), and those are very much compromised on the Switch. Very consistently. Look at Doom, or Overwatch, or The Witcher 3, or Bloodstained, or Minecraft or even Cuphead (in a "weird" and subtle way). They're all yes compromises because of the platform. If I got off my butt and actually tracked down people to play online with, I'd be using a very compromised multiplayer ecosystem to work with too (which might be some of the reason for the above). Of course, they also feature one very unique feature: you can play them on a portable device. Except I wouldn't, as I noted.
(This actually goes to the game that almost convinced me to buy a Switch--Super Mario Galaxy. Outside of hacking, there's no other version of the game to compare that too, so it's actually not compromised! If I did buy a Switch, that'd probably be the reason, and I've never ruled it out accordingly.)
But that really doesn't have much to do with Plug-n-Play Retro Gaming, especially since I play my SNES classic titles on a mini system or a RetroPie device, so I wouldn't use a Switch for that.
I can't get into handhelds despite multiple attempts to do so (a reason I don't own the Switch), but I'm still impressed by the product quality so far (plus Analogue has a good, and expensive, reputation in this area).
...you know you can leave Switch permanently plugged into your TV, right?
Wait, didn't you announce you bought a Switch a while back?
No, I didn't. I did buy a PS4, but I'm pretty sure I would remember owning a Switch, much less announcing it.
Also--"a reason", as in "one of." Though perhaps the most prominent, since literally everyone I know in person who 1) owns a Switch and 2) still uses it regularly...uses it as a handheld. I'm the guy who returned his onyx black 3DS within the 90-day return period at Target.
Must have gotten you confused with someone else, sorry.
I play my Switch 98 percent docked. And in practice, it acts no differently than my PS4 and Xbox One. No compromises, no weirdness, just turn it on, and it's on my TV. There's tons of reasons not to own a Switch, but "my friends only use it as a handheld" is a bit odd.
Not really. Most of my multiplayer time is still spent with people I know in person (and not people on these forums, for example)--and while many of them own Switches (it's popular!) they almost exclusively play when they meet in person. Which means if you want to play with them, you have to do so in handheld mode like they do (or share a single Switch, which means relying on a one small controller approach). That, of course, leaves, singleplayer games--which are more interesting to me than multiplayer games on Switch--but it's still a good reason. I can't think of anyone I know who actually has the paid multiplayer service from Nintendo, though I'm sure some of them do. Just no one I know in person.
No idea what you mean by "weirdness", but "compromises"--yes, there are, by definition. Most of my playing time is spent with multiplatform releases (though I did buy a PS4 solely for a particular exclusive, albeit not a very popular one), and those are very much compromised on the Switch. Very consistently. Look at Doom, or Overwatch, or The Witcher 3, or Bloodstained, or Minecraft or even Cuphead (in a "weird" and subtle way). They're all yes compromises because of the platform. If I got off my butt and actually tracked down people to play online with, I'd be using a very compromised multiplayer ecosystem to work with too (which might be some of the reason for the above). Of course, they also feature one very unique feature: you can play them on a portable device. Except I wouldn't, as I noted.
(This actually goes to the game that almost convinced me to buy a Switch--Super Mario Galaxy. Outside of hacking, there's no other version of the game to compare that too, so it's actually not compromised! If I did buy a Switch, that'd probably be the reason, and I've never ruled it out accordingly.)
But that really doesn't have much to do with Plug-n-Play Retro Gaming, especially since I play my SNES classic titles on a mini system or a RetroPie device, so I wouldn't use a Switch for that.
...Switch allows you to play with friends online. Just like the other systems. You can even play locally on the TV with multiple controllers. (I've hosted Smash nights at my house with the Switch plugged in.) And the "compromises" you listed have nothing to do with portability, but with Nintendo doing an underpowered console. (Although Cuphead runs exactly the same -- I have it on both systems.) Which, if you'd like, is a legitimate reason to not own a Switch. But like I said before, I can play my Switch exactly like I do my other systems, no difference.
I can't get into handhelds despite multiple attempts to do so (a reason I don't own the Switch), but I'm still impressed by the product quality so far (plus Analogue has a good, and expensive, reputation in this area).
...you know you can leave Switch permanently plugged into your TV, right?
Wait, didn't you announce you bought a Switch a while back?
No, I didn't. I did buy a PS4, but I'm pretty sure I would remember owning a Switch, much less announcing it.
Also--"a reason", as in "one of." Though perhaps the most prominent, since literally everyone I know in person who 1) owns a Switch and 2) still uses it regularly...uses it as a handheld. I'm the guy who returned his onyx black 3DS within the 90-day return period at Target.
Must have gotten you confused with someone else, sorry.
I play my Switch 98 percent docked. And in practice, it acts no differently than my PS4 and Xbox One. No compromises, no weirdness, just turn it on, and it's on my TV. There's tons of reasons not to own a Switch, but "my friends only use it as a handheld" is a bit odd.
Not really. Most of my multiplayer time is still spent with people I know in person (and not people on these forums, for example)--and while many of them own Switches (it's popular!) they almost exclusively play when they meet in person. Which means if you want to play with them, you have to do so in handheld mode like they do (or share a single Switch, which means relying on a one small controller approach). That, of course, leaves, singleplayer games--which are more interesting to me than multiplayer games on Switch--but it's still a good reason. I can't think of anyone I know who actually has the paid multiplayer service from Nintendo, though I'm sure some of them do. Just no one I know in person.
No idea what you mean by "weirdness", but "compromises"--yes, there are, by definition. Most of my playing time is spent with multiplatform releases (though I did buy a PS4 solely for a particular exclusive, albeit not a very popular one), and those are very much compromised on the Switch. Very consistently. Look at Doom, or Overwatch, or The Witcher 3, or Bloodstained, or Minecraft or even Cuphead (in a "weird" and subtle way). They're all yes compromises because of the platform. If I got off my butt and actually tracked down people to play online with, I'd be using a very compromised multiplayer ecosystem to work with too (which might be some of the reason for the above). Of course, they also feature one very unique feature: you can play them on a portable device. Except I wouldn't, as I noted.
(This actually goes to the game that almost convinced me to buy a Switch--Super Mario Galaxy. Outside of hacking, there's no other version of the game to compare that too, so it's actually not compromised! If I did buy a Switch, that'd probably be the reason, and I've never ruled it out accordingly.)
But that really doesn't have much to do with Plug-n-Play Retro Gaming, especially since I play my SNES classic titles on a mini system or a RetroPie device, so I wouldn't use a Switch for that.
...Switch allows you to play with friends online. Just like the other systems. You can even play locally on the TV with multiple controllers. (I've hosted Smash nights at my house with the Switch plugged in.) And the "compromises" you listed have nothing to do with portability, but with Nintendo doing an underpowered console. (Although Cuphead runs exactly the same -- I have it on both systems.) Which, if you'd like, is a legitimate reason to not own a Switch. But like I said before, I can play my Switch just like I do my other systems, no difference.
Yes, that's why it's "one of." The compromises are a separate reason, as there were more than one. You didn't ask why I don't like playing handheld video games, but you did ask why I wouldn't want to play Switch if I can use it as a fixed system and not play it handheld--and I told you why. They are compromises by definition. They do enable the portability, which I also noted, which is plenty of reason for other people to think they're more than worthwhile trades. I just don't feel that way--and we've returned to the beginning.
Ignoring the actual compromises, online multiplayer on the Switch hasn't gotten the best reception (the current voice-chat arrangement leaves lot to be desired, since that's the primary method of communication), and I already said that my Switch-owning friends don't generally use it, which rules that out. I also already said you can play locally, but when the people I'd be playing with don't play the Switch as a home console, and I'm not really in a position to force them otherwise...well, I've already explained that. "Get new friends," sure, but that's a project for another day. In the meantime, my old friends can be played with not on the Switch. Or I could play singleplayer games. But I have those on Xbox One and Playstation 4, so...more reasons for me presently.
I have figuratively and literally never doubted your reasons for owning the Switch. But they don't apply to me--hence the explanations. I'll go ahead and repeat it though: the Switch sounds like an excellent fit for you, as you've described it. You're not encountering any compromises, which is awesome. My reasons for why it isn't are just as good, and I've explained them at length already (the gameplay experience would be extremely compromised for multiplatform games, etc.), and we can avoid wasting more of people's time with this pretty boring conversation.
(Cuphead doesn't let you use cloud saving on Switch as far as I know. Does it? If not, that's the "weird" compromise, since it has no multiplayer co-op, leading me to play most of it on other people's consoles. Not gameplay, but still a game difference. It'd be hard to imagine this issue ten or fifteen years ago before online save storage on the Xbox 360.)
EDIT: I was about to ask "Do Switch games save on the cartridge?" Google suggests they do not.
I can't get into handhelds despite multiple attempts to do so (a reason I don't own the Switch), but I'm still impressed by the product quality so far (plus Analogue has a good, and expensive, reputation in this area).
...you know you can leave Switch permanently plugged into your TV, right?
Wait, didn't you announce you bought a Switch a while back?
No, I didn't. I did buy a PS4, but I'm pretty sure I would remember owning a Switch, much less announcing it.
Also--"a reason", as in "one of." Though perhaps the most prominent, since literally everyone I know in person who 1) owns a Switch and 2) still uses it regularly...uses it as a handheld. I'm the guy who returned his onyx black 3DS within the 90-day return period at Target.
Must have gotten you confused with someone else, sorry.
I play my Switch 98 percent docked. And in practice, it acts no differently than my PS4 and Xbox One. No compromises, no weirdness, just turn it on, and it's on my TV. There's tons of reasons not to own a Switch, but "my friends only use it as a handheld" is a bit odd.
Not really. Most of my multiplayer time is still spent with people I know in person (and not people on these forums, for example)--and while many of them own Switches (it's popular!) they almost exclusively play when they meet in person. Which means if you want to play with them, you have to do so in handheld mode like they do (or share a single Switch, which means relying on a one small controller approach). That, of course, leaves, singleplayer games--which are more interesting to me than multiplayer games on Switch--but it's still a good reason. I can't think of anyone I know who actually has the paid multiplayer service from Nintendo, though I'm sure some of them do. Just no one I know in person.
No idea what you mean by "weirdness", but "compromises"--yes, there are, by definition. Most of my playing time is spent with multiplatform releases (though I did buy a PS4 solely for a particular exclusive, albeit not a very popular one), and those are very much compromised on the Switch. Very consistently. Look at Doom, or Overwatch, or The Witcher 3, or Bloodstained, or Minecraft or even Cuphead (in a "weird" and subtle way). They're all yes compromises because of the platform. If I got off my butt and actually tracked down people to play online with, I'd be using a very compromised multiplayer ecosystem to work with too (which might be some of the reason for the above). Of course, they also feature one very unique feature: you can play them on a portable device. Except I wouldn't, as I noted.
(This actually goes to the game that almost convinced me to buy a Switch--Super Mario Galaxy. Outside of hacking, there's no other version of the game to compare that too, so it's actually not compromised! If I did buy a Switch, that'd probably be the reason, and I've never ruled it out accordingly.)
But that really doesn't have much to do with Plug-n-Play Retro Gaming, especially since I play my SNES classic titles on a mini system or a RetroPie device, so I wouldn't use a Switch for that.
...Switch allows you to play with friends online. Just like the other systems. You can even play locally on the TV with multiple controllers. (I've hosted Smash nights at my house with the Switch plugged in.) And the "compromises" you listed have nothing to do with portability, but with Nintendo doing an underpowered console. (Although Cuphead runs exactly the same -- I have it on both systems.) Which, if you'd like, is a legitimate reason to not own a Switch. But like I said before, I can play my Switch just like I do my other systems, no difference.
Yes, that's why it's "one of." The compromises are a separate reason, as there were more than one. You didn't ask why I don't like playing handheld video games, but you did ask why I wouldn't want to play Switch if I can use it as a fixed system and not play it handheld--and I told you why. They are compromises by definition. They do enable the portability, which I also noted, which is plenty of reason for other people to think they're more than worthwhile trades. I just don't feel that way--and we've returned to the beginning.
Ignoring the actual compromises, online multiplayer on the Switch hasn't gotten the best reception (the current voice-chat arrangement leaves lot to be desired, since that's the primary method of communication), and I already said that my Switch-owning friends don't generally use it, which rules that out. I also already said you can play locally, but when the people I'd be playing with don't play the Switch as a home console, and I'm not really in a position to force them otherwise...well, I've already explained that. "Get new friends," sure, but that's a project for another day. In the meantime, my old friends can be played with not on the Switch. Or I could play singleplayer games. But I have those on Xbox One and Playstation 4, so...more reasons for me presently.
I have figuratively and literally never doubted your reasons for owning the Switch. But they don't apply to me--hence the explanations. I'll go ahead and repeat it though: the Switch sounds like an excellent fit for you, as you've described it. You're not encountering any compromises, which is awesome. My reasons for why it isn't are just as good, and I've explained them at length already (the gameplay experience would be extremely compromised for multiplatform games, etc.), and we can avoid wasting more of people's time with this pretty boring conversation.
(Cuphead doesn't let you use cloud saving on Switch as far as I know. Does it? If not, that's the "weird" compromise, since it has no multiplayer co-op, leading me to play most of it on other people's consoles. Not gameplay, but still a game difference. It'd be hard to imagine this issue ten or fifteen years ago before online save storage on the Xbox 360.)
EDIT: I was about to ask "Do Switch games save on the cartridge?" Google suggests they do not.
Which is fine and I can respect your personal choices (though I should point out your friends can play multiplayer online while undocked), but none of the compromises you listed are a result of the system being portable. Nintendo's been underpowered since the Wii for various reasons. Nintendo's been weird about online since Wii because, well, they're Nintendo. (Not defending them, just pointing out it's what they've done long before Switch.)
And yes, Cuphead allows for cloud saves, assuming you subscribe to Nintendo online. (That's not just a Nintendo thing -- Sony requires PS Plus for cloud saves too.)
I can't get into handhelds despite multiple attempts to do so (a reason I don't own the Switch), but I'm still impressed by the product quality so far (plus Analogue has a good, and expensive, reputation in this area).
...you know you can leave Switch permanently plugged into your TV, right?
Wait, didn't you announce you bought a Switch a while back?
No, I didn't. I did buy a PS4, but I'm pretty sure I would remember owning a Switch, much less announcing it.
Also--"a reason", as in "one of." Though perhaps the most prominent, since literally everyone I know in person who 1) owns a Switch and 2) still uses it regularly...uses it as a handheld. I'm the guy who returned his onyx black 3DS within the 90-day return period at Target.
Must have gotten you confused with someone else, sorry.
I play my Switch 98 percent docked. And in practice, it acts no differently than my PS4 and Xbox One. No compromises, no weirdness, just turn it on, and it's on my TV. There's tons of reasons not to own a Switch, but "my friends only use it as a handheld" is a bit odd.
Not really. Most of my multiplayer time is still spent with people I know in person (and not people on these forums, for example)--and while many of them own Switches (it's popular!) they almost exclusively play when they meet in person. Which means if you want to play with them, you have to do so in handheld mode like they do (or share a single Switch, which means relying on a one small controller approach). That, of course, leaves, singleplayer games--which are more interesting to me than multiplayer games on Switch--but it's still a good reason. I can't think of anyone I know who actually has the paid multiplayer service from Nintendo, though I'm sure some of them do. Just no one I know in person.
No idea what you mean by "weirdness", but "compromises"--yes, there are, by definition. Most of my playing time is spent with multiplatform releases (though I did buy a PS4 solely for a particular exclusive, albeit not a very popular one), and those are very much compromised on the Switch. Very consistently. Look at Doom, or Overwatch, or The Witcher 3, or Bloodstained, or Minecraft or even Cuphead (in a "weird" and subtle way). They're all yes compromises because of the platform. If I got off my butt and actually tracked down people to play online with, I'd be using a very compromised multiplayer ecosystem to work with too (which might be some of the reason for the above). Of course, they also feature one very unique feature: you can play them on a portable device. Except I wouldn't, as I noted.
(This actually goes to the game that almost convinced me to buy a Switch--Super Mario Galaxy. Outside of hacking, there's no other version of the game to compare that too, so it's actually not compromised! If I did buy a Switch, that'd probably be the reason, and I've never ruled it out accordingly.)
But that really doesn't have much to do with Plug-n-Play Retro Gaming, especially since I play my SNES classic titles on a mini system or a RetroPie device, so I wouldn't use a Switch for that.
...Switch allows you to play with friends online. Just like the other systems. You can even play locally on the TV with multiple controllers. (I've hosted Smash nights at my house with the Switch plugged in.) And the "compromises" you listed have nothing to do with portability, but with Nintendo doing an underpowered console. (Although Cuphead runs exactly the same -- I have it on both systems.) Which, if you'd like, is a legitimate reason to not own a Switch. But like I said before, I can play my Switch just like I do my other systems, no difference.
Yes, that's why it's "one of." The compromises are a separate reason, as there were more than one. You didn't ask why I don't like playing handheld video games, but you did ask why I wouldn't want to play Switch if I can use it as a fixed system and not play it handheld--and I told you why. They are compromises by definition. They do enable the portability, which I also noted, which is plenty of reason for other people to think they're more than worthwhile trades. I just don't feel that way--and we've returned to the beginning.
Ignoring the actual compromises, online multiplayer on the Switch hasn't gotten the best reception (the current voice-chat arrangement leaves lot to be desired, since that's the primary method of communication), and I already said that my Switch-owning friends don't generally use it, which rules that out. I also already said you can play locally, but when the people I'd be playing with don't play the Switch as a home console, and I'm not really in a position to force them otherwise...well, I've already explained that. "Get new friends," sure, but that's a project for another day. In the meantime, my old friends can be played with not on the Switch. Or I could play singleplayer games. But I have those on Xbox One and Playstation 4, so...more reasons for me presently.
I have figuratively and literally never doubted your reasons for owning the Switch. But they don't apply to me--hence the explanations. I'll go ahead and repeat it though: the Switch sounds like an excellent fit for you, as you've described it. You're not encountering any compromises, which is awesome. My reasons for why it isn't are just as good, and I've explained them at length already (the gameplay experience would be extremely compromised for multiplatform games, etc.), and we can avoid wasting more of people's time with this pretty boring conversation.
(Cuphead doesn't let you use cloud saving on Switch as far as I know. Does it? If not, that's the "weird" compromise, since it has no multiplayer co-op, leading me to play most of it on other people's consoles. Not gameplay, but still a game difference. It'd be hard to imagine this issue ten or fifteen years ago before online save storage on the Xbox 360.)
EDIT: I was about to ask "Do Switch games save on the cartridge?" Google suggests they do not.
Which is fine and I can respect your personal choices (though I should point out your friends can play multiplayer online while undocked), but none of the compromises you listed are a result of the system being portable. Nintendo's been underpowered since the Wii for various reasons. Nintendo's been weird about online since Wii because, well, they're Nintendo. (Not defending them, just pointing out it's what they've done long before Switch.)
And yes, Cuphead allows for cloud saves, assuming you subscribe to Nintendo online. (That's not just a Nintendo thing -- Sony requires PS Plus for cloud saves too.)
That's interesting--I didn't know about the cloud saving. Switch also has longer load times for Cuphead, which is another subtle difference, but that's less of an issue if you're not terrible at the game like I am.
I actually already addressed portable (shouldn't call it "handheld") play with multiplayer, and alluded to the small controllers (aside from the fact that it's a rather small screen to crowd around, a reason I have trouble with handheld games, I really don't like those controllers). So that's why that won't work (though you are correct in speculating that my acquaintances fall back on that--after local multi-machine multiplayer, which is their go-to). I'm generally not in the habit of trying to get other people to change their habits, and if I was, I'd be terrible at it.
Putting aside the long list of technical compromises (at least we're acknowledging they are that) that are all good reasons for me not to want to play multiplatform games on the Switch (it takes a lot to make a console that portable), I can elaborate on that: aside from not liking the Switch's handheld controls, I have trouble with portable games despite multiple efforts at doing so.
That's not exclusive to the Switch at all, of course, it just so happens that not using the Switch portable makes it a great deal harder to play with the people I want to. That's why I recounted the 3DS I did own not making it past the return period (I also sold a Gameboy Advanced SP that I owned for more than a year to its credit--also black--and a clear-plastic original Gameboy). You said "the Switch can be docked, which is how I do it," so I gave you a long list of reasons why that's not viable. Let's look at portable mode then: handheld gaming has become less and less attractive to me as I get older (I owned each of these for a shorter length of time before tiring of it). I could probably write paragraphs on it, but I bet you can figure out why by now (also I use mass transit less and own a lot more music). That is related to the Switch in portable mode. And--to return to the original point--it's the reason why I could see myself buying the Analogue Pocket (I especially like the physical design of the device, more than the Switch in fact, but I bet the controls are similarly disappointing or more so) only to have to sell it when I realize I never play it.
On the bright side, I'm old enough to prefer saving money to repeating my same mistakes.
I can't get into handhelds despite multiple attempts to do so (a reason I don't own the Switch), but I'm still impressed by the product quality so far (plus Analogue has a good, and expensive, reputation in this area).
...you know you can leave Switch permanently plugged into your TV, right?
Wait, didn't you announce you bought a Switch a while back?
No, I didn't. I did buy a PS4, but I'm pretty sure I would remember owning a Switch, much less announcing it.
Also--"a reason", as in "one of." Though perhaps the most prominent, since literally everyone I know in person who 1) owns a Switch and 2) still uses it regularly...uses it as a handheld. I'm the guy who returned his onyx black 3DS within the 90-day return period at Target.
Must have gotten you confused with someone else, sorry.
I play my Switch 98 percent docked. And in practice, it acts no differently than my PS4 and Xbox One. No compromises, no weirdness, just turn it on, and it's on my TV. There's tons of reasons not to own a Switch, but "my friends only use it as a handheld" is a bit odd.
Not really. Most of my multiplayer time is still spent with people I know in person (and not people on these forums, for example)--and while many of them own Switches (it's popular!) they almost exclusively play when they meet in person. Which means if you want to play with them, you have to do so in handheld mode like they do (or share a single Switch, which means relying on a one small controller approach). That, of course, leaves, singleplayer games--which are more interesting to me than multiplayer games on Switch--but it's still a good reason. I can't think of anyone I know who actually has the paid multiplayer service from Nintendo, though I'm sure some of them do. Just no one I know in person.
No idea what you mean by "weirdness", but "compromises"--yes, there are, by definition. Most of my playing time is spent with multiplatform releases (though I did buy a PS4 solely for a particular exclusive, albeit not a very popular one), and those are very much compromised on the Switch. Very consistently. Look at Doom, or Overwatch, or The Witcher 3, or Bloodstained, or Minecraft or even Cuphead (in a "weird" and subtle way). They're all yes compromises because of the platform. If I got off my butt and actually tracked down people to play online with, I'd be using a very compromised multiplayer ecosystem to work with too (which might be some of the reason for the above). Of course, they also feature one very unique feature: you can play them on a portable device. Except I wouldn't, as I noted.
(This actually goes to the game that almost convinced me to buy a Switch--Super Mario Galaxy. Outside of hacking, there's no other version of the game to compare that too, so it's actually not compromised! If I did buy a Switch, that'd probably be the reason, and I've never ruled it out accordingly.)
But that really doesn't have much to do with Plug-n-Play Retro Gaming, especially since I play my SNES classic titles on a mini system or a RetroPie device, so I wouldn't use a Switch for that.
...Switch allows you to play with friends online. Just like the other systems. You can even play locally on the TV with multiple controllers. (I've hosted Smash nights at my house with the Switch plugged in.) And the "compromises" you listed have nothing to do with portability, but with Nintendo doing an underpowered console. (Although Cuphead runs exactly the same -- I have it on both systems.) Which, if you'd like, is a legitimate reason to not own a Switch. But like I said before, I can play my Switch just like I do my other systems, no difference.
Yes, that's why it's "one of." The compromises are a separate reason, as there were more than one. You didn't ask why I don't like playing handheld video games, but you did ask why I wouldn't want to play Switch if I can use it as a fixed system and not play it handheld--and I told you why. They are compromises by definition. They do enable the portability, which I also noted, which is plenty of reason for other people to think they're more than worthwhile trades. I just don't feel that way--and we've returned to the beginning.
Ignoring the actual compromises, online multiplayer on the Switch hasn't gotten the best reception (the current voice-chat arrangement leaves lot to be desired, since that's the primary method of communication), and I already said that my Switch-owning friends don't generally use it, which rules that out. I also already said you can play locally, but when the people I'd be playing with don't play the Switch as a home console, and I'm not really in a position to force them otherwise...well, I've already explained that. "Get new friends," sure, but that's a project for another day. In the meantime, my old friends can be played with not on the Switch. Or I could play singleplayer games. But I have those on Xbox One and Playstation 4, so...more reasons for me presently.
I have figuratively and literally never doubted your reasons for owning the Switch. But they don't apply to me--hence the explanations. I'll go ahead and repeat it though: the Switch sounds like an excellent fit for you, as you've described it. You're not encountering any compromises, which is awesome. My reasons for why it isn't are just as good, and I've explained them at length already (the gameplay experience would be extremely compromised for multiplatform games, etc.), and we can avoid wasting more of people's time with this pretty boring conversation.
(Cuphead doesn't let you use cloud saving on Switch as far as I know. Does it? If not, that's the "weird" compromise, since it has no multiplayer co-op, leading me to play most of it on other people's consoles. Not gameplay, but still a game difference. It'd be hard to imagine this issue ten or fifteen years ago before online save storage on the Xbox 360.)
EDIT: I was about to ask "Do Switch games save on the cartridge?" Google suggests they do not.
Which is fine and I can respect your personal choices (though I should point out your friends can play multiplayer online while undocked), but none of the compromises you listed are a result of the system being portable. Nintendo's been underpowered since the Wii for various reasons. Nintendo's been weird about online since Wii because, well, they're Nintendo. (Not defending them, just pointing out it's what they've done long before Switch.)
And yes, Cuphead allows for cloud saves, assuming you subscribe to Nintendo online. (That's not just a Nintendo thing -- Sony requires PS Plus for cloud saves too.)
That's interesting--I didn't know about the cloud saving. Switch also has longer load times for Cuphead, which is another subtle difference, but that's less of an issue if you're not terrible at the game like I am.
I actually already addressed portable (shouldn't call it "handheld") play with multiplayer, and alluded to the small controllers (aside from the fact that it's a rather small screen to crowd around, a reason I have trouble with handheld games, I really don't like those controllers). So that's why that won't work (though you are correct in speculating that my acquaintances fall back on that--after local multi-machine multiplayer, which is their go-to). I'm generally not in the habit of trying to get other people to change their habits, and if I was, I'd be terrible at it.
Putting aside the long list of technical compromises (at least we're acknowledging they are that) that are all good reasons for me not to want to play multiplatform games on the Switch (it takes a lot to make a console that portable), I can elaborate on that: aside from not liking the Switch's handheld controls, I have trouble with portable games despite multiple efforts at doing so.
That's not exclusive to the Switch at all, of course, it just so happens that not using the Switch portable makes it a great deal harder to play with the people I want to. That's why I recounted the 3DS I did own not making it past the return period (I also sold a Gameboy Advanced SP that I owned for more than a year to its credit--also black--and a clear-plastic original Gameboy). You said "the Switch can be docked, which is how I do it," so I gave you a long list of reasons why that's not viable. Let's look at portable mode then: handheld gaming has become less and less attractive to me as I get older (I owned each of these for a shorter length of time before tiring of it). I could probably write paragraphs on it, but I bet you can figure out why by now (also I use mass transit less and own a lot more music). That is related to the Switch in portable mode. And--to return to the original point--it's the reason why I could see myself buying the Analogue Pocket (I especially like the physical design of the device, more than the Switch in fact, but I bet the controls are similarly disappointing or more so) only to have to sell it when I realize I never play it.
On the bright side, I'm old enough to prefer saving money to repeating my same mistakes.
The pro controller is aces and makes playing Switch on TV a dream. I wouldn't be surprised if your friends have it already.
And if "I can't play online with friends" is such a barrier for you with Switch, then why are you so attracted to a portable game system that doesn't have any online mutiplayer at all? And one that your friends might not ever own?
I can't get into handhelds despite multiple attempts to do so (a reason I don't own the Switch), but I'm still impressed by the product quality so far (plus Analogue has a good, and expensive, reputation in this area).
...you know you can leave Switch permanently plugged into your TV, right?
Wait, didn't you announce you bought a Switch a while back?
No, I didn't. I did buy a PS4, but I'm pretty sure I would remember owning a Switch, much less announcing it.
Also--"a reason", as in "one of." Though perhaps the most prominent, since literally everyone I know in person who 1) owns a Switch and 2) still uses it regularly...uses it as a handheld. I'm the guy who returned his onyx black 3DS within the 90-day return period at Target.
Must have gotten you confused with someone else, sorry.
I play my Switch 98 percent docked. And in practice, it acts no differently than my PS4 and Xbox One. No compromises, no weirdness, just turn it on, and it's on my TV. There's tons of reasons not to own a Switch, but "my friends only use it as a handheld" is a bit odd.
Not really. Most of my multiplayer time is still spent with people I know in person (and not people on these forums, for example)--and while many of them own Switches (it's popular!) they almost exclusively play when they meet in person. Which means if you want to play with them, you have to do so in handheld mode like they do (or share a single Switch, which means relying on a one small controller approach). That, of course, leaves, singleplayer games--which are more interesting to me than multiplayer games on Switch--but it's still a good reason. I can't think of anyone I know who actually has the paid multiplayer service from Nintendo, though I'm sure some of them do. Just no one I know in person.
No idea what you mean by "weirdness", but "compromises"--yes, there are, by definition. Most of my playing time is spent with multiplatform releases (though I did buy a PS4 solely for a particular exclusive, albeit not a very popular one), and those are very much compromised on the Switch. Very consistently. Look at Doom, or Overwatch, or The Witcher 3, or Bloodstained, or Minecraft or even Cuphead (in a "weird" and subtle way). They're all yes compromises because of the platform. If I got off my butt and actually tracked down people to play online with, I'd be using a very compromised multiplayer ecosystem to work with too (which might be some of the reason for the above). Of course, they also feature one very unique feature: you can play them on a portable device. Except I wouldn't, as I noted.
(This actually goes to the game that almost convinced me to buy a Switch--Super Mario Galaxy. Outside of hacking, there's no other version of the game to compare that too, so it's actually not compromised! If I did buy a Switch, that'd probably be the reason, and I've never ruled it out accordingly.)
But that really doesn't have much to do with Plug-n-Play Retro Gaming, especially since I play my SNES classic titles on a mini system or a RetroPie device, so I wouldn't use a Switch for that.
...Switch allows you to play with friends online. Just like the other systems. You can even play locally on the TV with multiple controllers. (I've hosted Smash nights at my house with the Switch plugged in.) And the "compromises" you listed have nothing to do with portability, but with Nintendo doing an underpowered console. (Although Cuphead runs exactly the same -- I have it on both systems.) Which, if you'd like, is a legitimate reason to not own a Switch. But like I said before, I can play my Switch just like I do my other systems, no difference.
Yes, that's why it's "one of." The compromises are a separate reason, as there were more than one. You didn't ask why I don't like playing handheld video games, but you did ask why I wouldn't want to play Switch if I can use it as a fixed system and not play it handheld--and I told you why. They are compromises by definition. They do enable the portability, which I also noted, which is plenty of reason for other people to think they're more than worthwhile trades. I just don't feel that way--and we've returned to the beginning.
Ignoring the actual compromises, online multiplayer on the Switch hasn't gotten the best reception (the current voice-chat arrangement leaves lot to be desired, since that's the primary method of communication), and I already said that my Switch-owning friends don't generally use it, which rules that out. I also already said you can play locally, but when the people I'd be playing with don't play the Switch as a home console, and I'm not really in a position to force them otherwise...well, I've already explained that. "Get new friends," sure, but that's a project for another day. In the meantime, my old friends can be played with not on the Switch. Or I could play singleplayer games. But I have those on Xbox One and Playstation 4, so...more reasons for me presently.
I have figuratively and literally never doubted your reasons for owning the Switch. But they don't apply to me--hence the explanations. I'll go ahead and repeat it though: the Switch sounds like an excellent fit for you, as you've described it. You're not encountering any compromises, which is awesome. My reasons for why it isn't are just as good, and I've explained them at length already (the gameplay experience would be extremely compromised for multiplatform games, etc.), and we can avoid wasting more of people's time with this pretty boring conversation.
(Cuphead doesn't let you use cloud saving on Switch as far as I know. Does it? If not, that's the "weird" compromise, since it has no multiplayer co-op, leading me to play most of it on other people's consoles. Not gameplay, but still a game difference. It'd be hard to imagine this issue ten or fifteen years ago before online save storage on the Xbox 360.)
EDIT: I was about to ask "Do Switch games save on the cartridge?" Google suggests they do not.
Which is fine and I can respect your personal choices (though I should point out your friends can play multiplayer online while undocked), but none of the compromises you listed are a result of the system being portable. Nintendo's been underpowered since the Wii for various reasons. Nintendo's been weird about online since Wii because, well, they're Nintendo. (Not defending them, just pointing out it's what they've done long before Switch.)
And yes, Cuphead allows for cloud saves, assuming you subscribe to Nintendo online. (That's not just a Nintendo thing -- Sony requires PS Plus for cloud saves too.)
That's interesting--I didn't know about the cloud saving. Switch also has longer load times for Cuphead, which is another subtle difference, but that's less of an issue if you're not terrible at the game like I am.
I actually already addressed portable (shouldn't call it "handheld") play with multiplayer, and alluded to the small controllers (aside from the fact that it's a rather small screen to crowd around, a reason I have trouble with handheld games, I really don't like those controllers). So that's why that won't work (though you are correct in speculating that my acquaintances fall back on that--after local multi-machine multiplayer, which is their go-to). I'm generally not in the habit of trying to get other people to change their habits, and if I was, I'd be terrible at it.
Putting aside the long list of technical compromises (at least we're acknowledging they are that) that are all good reasons for me not to want to play multiplatform games on the Switch (it takes a lot to make a console that portable), I can elaborate on that: aside from not liking the Switch's handheld controls, I have trouble with portable games despite multiple efforts at doing so.
That's not exclusive to the Switch at all, of course, it just so happens that not using the Switch portable makes it a great deal harder to play with the people I want to. That's why I recounted the 3DS I did own not making it past the return period (I also sold a Gameboy Advanced SP that I owned for more than a year to its credit--also black--and a clear-plastic original Gameboy). You said "the Switch can be docked, which is how I do it," so I gave you a long list of reasons why that's not viable. Let's look at portable mode then: handheld gaming has become less and less attractive to me as I get older (I owned each of these for a shorter length of time before tiring of it). I could probably write paragraphs on it, but I bet you can figure out why by now (also I use mass transit less and own a lot more music). That is related to the Switch in portable mode. And--to return to the original point--it's the reason why I could see myself buying the Analogue Pocket (I especially like the physical design of the device, more than the Switch in fact, but I bet the controls are similarly disappointing or more so) only to have to sell it when I realize I never play it.
On the bright side, I'm old enough to prefer saving money to repeating my same mistakes.
The pro controller is aces and makes playing Switch on TV a dream. I wouldn't be surprised if your friends have it already.
And if "I can't play online with friends" is such a barrier for you with Switch, then why are you so attracted to a portable game system that doesn't have any online mutiplayer at all? And one that your friends might not ever own?
...
And--to return to the original point--it's the reason why I could see myself buying the Analogue Pocket (I especially like the physical design of the device, more than the Switch in fact, but I bet the controls are similarly disappointing or more so) only to have to sell it when I realize I never play it.
(Aside from the fact that these sort of retro devices attract me not for their use as gameplaying devices, but because of the meticulous technological approach to hardware reproduction, which really isn't that uncommon an interest in this thread.)
If this Pocket is like the other analogue consoles, it will have an SD card slot that some "unofficial" firmware will open up. And then you have a highly accurate handheld emulator with zero input lag, that you can also dock, but is still more portable than something like a Switch. Very cool and the first Analogue thing I'm considering. I've been looking for the best way to play GBA games in particular on a somewhat larger screen, and this might be the ticket.
If this Pocket is like the other analogue consoles, it will have an SD card slot that some "unofficial" firmware will open up. And then you have a highly accurate handheld emulator with zero input lag, that you can also dock, but is still more portable than something like a Switch. Very cool and the first Analogue thing I'm considering. I've been looking for the best way to play GBA games in particular on a somewhat larger screen, and this might be the ticket.
I hadn't even thought about the size. They picked a number--surely deliberately?--that's 10 times the height and width of the Gameboy screen (and obviously it's in color)--so 100-times the pixel count. Unless I'm bad at math.
That's potentially a very, very sharp screen (that still will scale-up GBA--as the "lowest end" of the supported devices--visuals suitably). If you could play full Neo Geo games on it, via the hack, that's pretty cool too--though I'm still suspect about the controls, it's still a neat idea. Though sadly and understandably, these sort of things don't go down in price as far as I know, even if $200 is more reasonable.
I just read their site and they said that it is limited? Dang... I do like the fact that they are using FPGAs in it which makes my Engineering part of my brain happy. But yeah, in the end it probably would sit there with my existing GameBoys, GameGear, and 3DS.
Posts
Moving that STUN Runner cabinet down my basement stairs is something I will never forget. It took three of us an hour. The highlight was when we discovered it wouldn't fit because of the marquee sign on top - which does not come off. So trying to angle something that size and weight upwards so it would clear the overhang was... well. It was an experience.
But we did it.
And that's not counting the U-Haul trip to pick the thing up and drive it across the city. It was too goddamn tall to fit in the van, so we had to lay it down on its side.
Steam | XBL
I am wondering if that is where most of the weight is at.
The control deck didn’t seem that heavy to me. It was definitely easier to plug in than the Rampage machine. The difference in quality between the two was noticeable.
My Backloggery
Selling Board Games for Medical Bills
The recent one has updatable firmware. For some reason Frogger and Space Invaders are not the Atari originals.
Like Mega Man Legends? Then check out my story, Legends of the Halcyon Era - An Adventure in the World of Mega Man Legends on TMMN and AO3!
Steam | XBL
I saw multiple versions. Not sure what the difference is between them
Selling Board Games for Medical Bills
Curious, what is the USB keyboard for? Older DOS based stuff or other older computers like C64 or Apple? I'd assume we can discuss in generalities given GOG exists for legal versions of the first and a lot of the latter are now public domain.
For plugging into controller port 2 and pressing Esc.
If memory serves, that's how it works, starting to tweak the thing.
Unfortunately, having only had laptops in the last quite a few years, I don't have this most basic of accessories lying around, and I'm disinclined to spend more than a pittance on one
I honestly haven't thought any further ahead with what to do with it besides getting those games running at a civilized 60Hz (and/or NTSC speeds). That's the first hurdle.
Steam | XBL
To borrow a phrase from all the Southerners I live near, or at least how I imagine them talking, "Hot damn."
Yeah, this is pretty badass for people who like gaming with their original cartridges. It's not my thing, but I really respect this stuff.
My Backloggery
...you know you can leave Switch permanently plugged into your TV, right?
Wait, didn't you announce you bought a Switch a while back?
No, I didn't. I did buy a PS4, but I'm pretty sure I would remember owning a Switch, much less announcing it.
Also--"a reason", as in "one of." Though perhaps the most prominent, since literally everyone I know in person who 1) owns a Switch and 2) still uses it regularly...uses it as a handheld. I'm the guy who returned his onyx black 3DS within the 90-day return period at Target.
I still sit here drooling over that cabinet. Longing to play Star Wars once again (as they intended it and not with a mouse or GC controller), try out the Empire Strikes Back game and to see if I could ever get past the Speeder Bike portion of Return of the Jedi.
But that means I would have to sell a ton of Transformers and one shelving unit. Or all of my old consoles and the TV with it... Which is slightly tempting.
Steam: betsuni7
Must have gotten you confused with someone else, sorry.
I play my Switch 98 percent docked. And in practice, it acts no differently than my PS4 and Xbox One. No compromises, no weirdness, just turn it on, and it's on my TV. There's tons of reasons not to own a Switch, but "my friends only use it as a handheld" is a bit odd.
Not really. Most of my multiplayer time is still spent with people I know in person (and not people on these forums, for example)--and while many of them own Switches (it's popular!) they almost exclusively play when they meet in person. Which means if you want to play with them, you have to do so in handheld mode like they do (or share a single Switch, which means relying on a one small controller approach). That, of course, leaves, singleplayer games--which are more interesting to me than multiplayer games on Switch--but it's still a good reason. I can't think of anyone I know who actually has the paid multiplayer service from Nintendo, though I'm sure some of them do. Just no one I know in person.
No idea what you mean by "weirdness", but "compromises"--yes, there are, by definition. Most of my playing time is spent with multiplatform releases (though I did buy a PS4 solely for a particular exclusive, albeit not a very popular one), and those are very much compromised on the Switch. Very consistently. Look at Doom, or Overwatch, or The Witcher 3, or Bloodstained, or Minecraft or even Cuphead (in a "weird" and subtle way). They're all yes compromises because of the platform. If I got off my butt and actually tracked down people to play online with, I'd be using a very compromised multiplayer ecosystem to work with too (which might be some of the reason for the above). Of course, they also feature one very unique feature: you can play them on a portable device. Except I wouldn't, as I noted.
(This actually goes to the game that almost convinced me to buy a Switch--Super Mario Galaxy. Outside of hacking, there's no other version of the game to compare that too, so it's actually not compromised! If I did buy a Switch, that'd probably be the reason, and I've never ruled it out accordingly.)
But that really doesn't have much to do with Plug-n-Play Retro Gaming, especially since I play my SNES classic titles on a mini system or a RetroPie device, so I wouldn't use a Switch for that.
...Switch allows you to play with friends online. Just like the other systems. You can even play locally on the TV with multiple controllers. (I've hosted Smash nights at my house with the Switch plugged in.) And the "compromises" you listed have nothing to do with portability, but with Nintendo doing an underpowered console. (Although Cuphead runs exactly the same -- I have it on both systems.) Which, if you'd like, is a legitimate reason to not own a Switch. But like I said before, I can play my Switch exactly like I do my other systems, no difference.
Yes, that's why it's "one of." The compromises are a separate reason, as there were more than one. You didn't ask why I don't like playing handheld video games, but you did ask why I wouldn't want to play Switch if I can use it as a fixed system and not play it handheld--and I told you why. They are compromises by definition. They do enable the portability, which I also noted, which is plenty of reason for other people to think they're more than worthwhile trades. I just don't feel that way--and we've returned to the beginning.
Ignoring the actual compromises, online multiplayer on the Switch hasn't gotten the best reception (the current voice-chat arrangement leaves lot to be desired, since that's the primary method of communication), and I already said that my Switch-owning friends don't generally use it, which rules that out. I also already said you can play locally, but when the people I'd be playing with don't play the Switch as a home console, and I'm not really in a position to force them otherwise...well, I've already explained that. "Get new friends," sure, but that's a project for another day. In the meantime, my old friends can be played with not on the Switch. Or I could play singleplayer games. But I have those on Xbox One and Playstation 4, so...more reasons for me presently.
I have figuratively and literally never doubted your reasons for owning the Switch. But they don't apply to me--hence the explanations. I'll go ahead and repeat it though: the Switch sounds like an excellent fit for you, as you've described it. You're not encountering any compromises, which is awesome. My reasons for why it isn't are just as good, and I've explained them at length already (the gameplay experience would be extremely compromised for multiplatform games, etc.), and we can avoid wasting more of people's time with this pretty boring conversation.
(Cuphead doesn't let you use cloud saving on Switch as far as I know. Does it? If not, that's the "weird" compromise, since it has no multiplayer co-op, leading me to play most of it on other people's consoles. Not gameplay, but still a game difference. It'd be hard to imagine this issue ten or fifteen years ago before online save storage on the Xbox 360.)
EDIT: I was about to ask "Do Switch games save on the cartridge?" Google suggests they do not.
Which is fine and I can respect your personal choices (though I should point out your friends can play multiplayer online while undocked), but none of the compromises you listed are a result of the system being portable. Nintendo's been underpowered since the Wii for various reasons. Nintendo's been weird about online since Wii because, well, they're Nintendo. (Not defending them, just pointing out it's what they've done long before Switch.)
And yes, Cuphead allows for cloud saves, assuming you subscribe to Nintendo online. (That's not just a Nintendo thing -- Sony requires PS Plus for cloud saves too.)
That's interesting--I didn't know about the cloud saving. Switch also has longer load times for Cuphead, which is another subtle difference, but that's less of an issue if you're not terrible at the game like I am.
I actually already addressed portable (shouldn't call it "handheld") play with multiplayer, and alluded to the small controllers (aside from the fact that it's a rather small screen to crowd around, a reason I have trouble with handheld games, I really don't like those controllers). So that's why that won't work (though you are correct in speculating that my acquaintances fall back on that--after local multi-machine multiplayer, which is their go-to). I'm generally not in the habit of trying to get other people to change their habits, and if I was, I'd be terrible at it.
Putting aside the long list of technical compromises (at least we're acknowledging they are that) that are all good reasons for me not to want to play multiplatform games on the Switch (it takes a lot to make a console that portable), I can elaborate on that: aside from not liking the Switch's handheld controls, I have trouble with portable games despite multiple efforts at doing so.
That's not exclusive to the Switch at all, of course, it just so happens that not using the Switch portable makes it a great deal harder to play with the people I want to. That's why I recounted the 3DS I did own not making it past the return period (I also sold a Gameboy Advanced SP that I owned for more than a year to its credit--also black--and a clear-plastic original Gameboy). You said "the Switch can be docked, which is how I do it," so I gave you a long list of reasons why that's not viable. Let's look at portable mode then: handheld gaming has become less and less attractive to me as I get older (I owned each of these for a shorter length of time before tiring of it). I could probably write paragraphs on it, but I bet you can figure out why by now (also I use mass transit less and own a lot more music). That is related to the Switch in portable mode. And--to return to the original point--it's the reason why I could see myself buying the Analogue Pocket (I especially like the physical design of the device, more than the Switch in fact, but I bet the controls are similarly disappointing or more so) only to have to sell it when I realize I never play it.
On the bright side, I'm old enough to prefer saving money to repeating my same mistakes.
The pro controller is aces and makes playing Switch on TV a dream. I wouldn't be surprised if your friends have it already.
And if "I can't play online with friends" is such a barrier for you with Switch, then why are you so attracted to a portable game system that doesn't have any online mutiplayer at all? And one that your friends might not ever own?
...
(Aside from the fact that these sort of retro devices attract me not for their use as gameplaying devices, but because of the meticulous technological approach to hardware reproduction, which really isn't that uncommon an interest in this thread.)
I hadn't even thought about the size. They picked a number--surely deliberately?--that's 10 times the height and width of the Gameboy screen (and obviously it's in color)--so 100-times the pixel count. Unless I'm bad at math.
That's potentially a very, very sharp screen (that still will scale-up GBA--as the "lowest end" of the supported devices--visuals suitably). If you could play full Neo Geo games on it, via the hack, that's pretty cool too--though I'm still suspect about the controls, it's still a neat idea. Though sadly and understandably, these sort of things don't go down in price as far as I know, even if $200 is more reasonable.
Steam: betsuni7