Episode 437: High Fidelity Classic Gaming Redux (Patreon)
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This week brings us simultaneously an informative public service episode and a call back to the podcast's past. Back in 2016, nearly six full years ago, we hashed out a rundown of the many different options available for playing classic games on modern devices. It was a little tech-oriented, but most existed as a breakdown of the options available beyond "digging up an Nintendo deck, plugging it into a flatpanel TV never designed to display low-resolution analog video, then weeping." A lot has changed on this front over the past half-decade or so, and mostly for the better. Yes, old games and vintage tech have ballooned in price, but at the same time, many new options exist for revisiting the games of the 8-through-64-bit generations and enjoying them in exceptional quality and faithfulness.
This time around, I pulled in my coworker Joe Modzeleski (who does a lot of work with Limited Run Games' emulation efforts) and the enigmatic Porkchop Express, patron saint of misteraddons.com, to join me for a high-level overview of the many, many ways in which you can play old games today. From software emulation platforms like Nintendo Switch Online and MAME to FPGA-based hardware emulators like Analogue Pocket and MiSTer to sophisticated mods and flash devices for original hardware, the greatest challenge facing anyone who loves classic games these days is not figuring out how they can play, but rather deciding how they prefer to play.
Edits by Greg Leahy and cover art by Nick Wanserski. Musical selections this time around:
- 05:08 - Super Mario Land (GB): Muda Kingdom
- 12:22 - Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES): Battle Theme
- 20:53 - Super Mario World (SNES): Bonus Screen
- 29:02 - Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (FDS): Invincible Star
- 36:05 - Turbografx-16 Mini: Menu BGM
- 45:11 - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PSX): Master Librarian
- 52:46 - Galactic Pinball (VB): Colony
- 1:03:55 - Tempo (32X): Hi-Fi Performance | Ninja Five-O (GBA): Select Menu
- 1:14:07 - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch): Mappy Medley
- 1:24:38 - X-Men vs. Street Fighter (CPS-II): Storm
- Closing - Haruomi Hosono: Galaga (Name Entry arrangement from the 1984 album Video Game Music)