@mereel You might be thinking of Aquiris Game Studio, the developer behind Horizon Chase and a sequel. They're going to be a full time Fortnite developer now.
I wouldn't of minded seeing this be the last major 1st party release (although as a Switch owner that's in no rush to see a successor appear, I won't argue if that doesn't end up the case).
Not only because it's an excellent Zelda game and a classy way to exit the scene, but also because of the Wii U fan in me.
Somehow it would please me greatly to see the Switch fade after receiving a direct sequel to the Wii U's crowning achievement, further testament that there was quite a lot to love on Nintendo's short lived and underappreciated Wii U.
@Doctor-Moo M2 is developing and self-publishing them, so they're not going it for another company that has hired them.
I guess they must've just licensed these and I misconstrued all the news that said they had "acquired the rights to rerelease" them as meaning they now owned this IP?
@DanAmrich Thanks so much for digging into this and taking the time to respond.
I've been able to play a lot of Atari's 1970's arcade legacy in recent decades thanks to collectors and vintage arcades, so you're probably right that I'm simply misremembering in this particular instance and the 4 speed shifter that I recall was from a Sprint 1 or Sprint 2 cabinet rather than the two times that I've played Sprint 8.
Crossing my fingers that you guys get the chance to do another patch and add some DLC like Berzerk and Frenzy now that they're Atari SA IP.
@DanAmrich Hi Dan, I'm not sure if you'll notice this now that several months have passed since Atari 50 released, but I've been hooked on Sprint 8 lately and had a question. Did Digital Eclipse modify the game to only have low gear and high gear?
The two cabinets I've had the pleasure to play on in real-life through the years both had 4 speed gear shifters. And Atari 50's bonus gallery mentions something like how it originally had a 4 speed shifter.
Whatever the case, it plays beautifully on Atari 50. It's a shame most Atari 50 owners probably glossed right over this one due to the 70's era graphics.
My only complaint is I've had so much fun in Sprint 8 that now I wish Atari's Sprint 4 and Indy 4 were here as well, not to mention Sprint One and Indy 800 from Kee Games (Sprint 2 from Kee is on the Code Mystics collection, but that would've been great to see as well).
Bought my last round yesterday (The 3rd "last round" since last Fall, lol). Metroid Fusion, Zero Mission, Mario Kart Super Circuit, and Wii Sports Club: Bowling.
While I've been impressed with the calibration routine in a few of them back then like Ghost Squad, I can't say that I've experienced them on a truly large modern television.
@asmi8803 Based off my experiences using the Joy-Con in a similar manner in games such as Super Mario Galaxy in 3D All-Stars, House of the Dead, World of Goo, and so on, they'd need an on-screen crosshair.
The calibration starts to drift immediately and there's no fixed point of reference like the Wii had with the sensor bar to help combat that.
@nhSnork Wii U was emulation, too. The emulation layer is responsible for the on-screen crosshairs and such, just like when using a mouse with lightgun games on your favorite PC emulator. No original code was modified for the NES Zapper games and the rom files are fully compatible with an original NES and Zapper lightgun.
"We're getting closer each day to the shutdown of the 3DS and Wii U eShop services."
While we've been getting closer to the shutdown of the 3DS and Wii U eShop services ever since day 1, that inevitable day has actually yet to even be announced.
What's ending at the end of this month is purchasing. Nintendo says the shops are sticking around for redownloading past purchases and if the still online DSi and Wii shops are any indication, they could be around for quite a while yet with this limited functionality.
While almost a moot point when one can't purchase new games and with ample warning time to get one's digital collection all downloaded to their system by the end of this month, that's still going to be appreciated by some folks that have something unfortunate like their external hard drive on their Wii U fail after this month.
The GameCube library was never officially going to return to the Switch. The best you can hope for are select titles, predominantly 1st party releases, one day appearing to join Super Mario Sunshine.
The move was amazing and special, but the sport going forward doesn't need 40 cars riding the outside wall on the last lap of every Martinsville race trying to gain a similar advantage (Although I'd pay to see that at least once, lol).
I briefly started it a few years ago (thanks to the Humble Bundle promotion it was in) and wasn't hooked, but I'll have to give it another try one of these days and see if it clicks.
The still online Wii and DSi shops for redownloading of past purchases don't lend much credence to the suggestion that the Wii U and 3DS eShops will disappear quickly after next March.
I didn't get too far in this before I had to stop. Complaining that the gamepad had proper analog sticks instead of 3DS sliders is difficult for me to comprehend.
And as for the size, put it up next to a Switch. Extremely similar in size, yet more comfortable to hold than a Switch with stock Joycons. At least in my opinion that rather invalidates that complaint when one is presumably fine with the size of the Switch in handheld mode.
@Joekun That's one of the interesting bits of Atari history why that isn't the case.
I didn't go into it with my earlier comment, but the videogame crash made Warner Communications sour on Atari. The home/business side of the business (The consoles and computers) was sold in 1984 to Jack Tramiel of Commodore computers fame and was rebranded as Atari Corp. Along with that went the rights to all previous Atari arcade games.
When Atari Corp finally disappeared in a reverse merger with a non-videogaming firm in the mid 1990's after the Jaguar and Lynx had failed, the videogaming rights were sold to Hasbro and then finally to Infogrames around the turn of the century (Which rebranded itself as Atari SA, the company releasing Atari 50 next month).
But Warner retained the arcade division itself back in 1984 and it continued under the name Atari Games, with home releases under the name of Tengen during the 8/16-bit era (Atari Corp had exclusive rights to the Atari name for home use). They were eventually purchased by WMS Industries (i.e., Midway) in the mid 1990's.
When Midway went bankrupt in the late 2000's, most of their IP was sold off to Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment (A homecoming of sorts for Atari Games). Thus all those 1984 and later arcade games that saw release under the Atari banner are owned by the same company known for the movie themed Lego videogames, the modern Batman games, etc.
That's the short version of why there's two different companies today that own the vast majority of heritage originally released under the Atari name.
@DanAmrich Sadly, I can't make it this year. But I'll be looking forward to hearing the thoughts of other people that get to try it out early.
I did however think of another question. Now that the big three are all open to keyboard/mouse support, is there any chance that we'll see the spinner games, paddle games, and track-ball games support such USB accessories? Mouse support would go a long ways towards making games like the Breakout titles enjoyable on here.
@Joekun Like many of the games people have been bringing up here in the comments, that's from a different Atari and is another Atari Games release. So it's a Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment property and doesn't belong to the publisher of this collection, Atari SA.
While I believe that there are some exceptions, basically everything that was released in arcades under the Atari banner from 1984 (I believe Marble Madness was the first) through 1999 when the final games like Rush 2049 appeared, were Atari Games properties. Those that released before 1984 are largely owned by Atari SA, with the notable exception of Battlezone which sadly got sold off a few years back.
The exceptions to that 1983/84 rule appear to be a few early 1984 machines. I'm not 100% sure on this, but it appears as if Return Of The Jedi, Firefox, and Atari's domestic release of TX-1 (Released under license by Atari) were all Atari Incorporated releases early that year before the split-up was done later in 1984.
We'll just have to hope that someone like Digital Eclipse gets a crack at this vast library of coinop videogame history (Not only Atari Games, but they also own most of the Williams, Leland, and Midway libraries as well as maybe some of the Cinematronics games thanks to Tradewest/Leland owning them at one point).
@DanAmrich I'm sure you can't answer much in the way of questions here, but can you tell us anything about how the steering is being handled on Fire Truck, Sprint 8, and "Race 500" for the 2600 on Atari 50?
I ask since Code Mystics came up with a clever mapping scheme that went a long ways towards making classic overhead arcade racers playable with modern gamepads.
In that the player simply had to point the analog stick in the direction that they wanted to steer and the emulator would correctly orient the steering inputs to align with the desired direction.
It was so much better than how games like Super Sprint used to be handled on compilations where the player is moving an invisible free-spinning arcade wheel with left and right inputs on an analog stick.
I thought Sprint 2, Fire Truck, Monte Carlo, Race, and Super Bug would be mere curiosities on the Flashback Classics compilations, crippled by having to use a controller too foreign to what they were designed to use.
Instead to my pleasant surprise I found myself wasting many an hour in those. Super Bug in particular became a bit of an addition for me. Has me looking forward to giving Sprint 8 a try in Atari 50 in a few weeks.
The gist of what I repeated is what I've heard through the grapevine. Sounds like there's a much stronger connection with the defunct original firm than I had been led to believe, so I won't go repeat that false information elsewhere now that I've been set straight.
I'm just glad we have you and everyone else at Digital Eclipse, Code Mystics, M2, and Hamster to bring the classics of the past back in front of modern audiences. I love supporting all four of the industry's premier emulation experts.
@AstroTheGamosian The Atari that released the Jaguar was formed in 1984 and died in 1996 in a reverse merger with disk drive manufacturer JTS. They wanted the millions that Atari had in their bank account while the Tramiels wanted stock in a viable company and didn't think Atari had a future.
Since they weren't a videogaming firm, they then sold all of Atari's IP to Hasbro Interactive a year or two later. Hasbro had a brief fling with remakes and then sold it all to the French owned Infogrames around 2000 or so, which is where the roots of today's Atari SA begin.
The Atari Flashback line was started by the late Curt Vendel's Legacy Engineering. AtGames didn't enter the picture until the Atari Flashback 3. The Flashback 2 in particular was special, using a highly accurate 2600-on-a-chip that Curt designed that replicated all of the 2600's circuitry on a single integrated circuit. Could even be modded with a cartridge slot.
Then the lackluster emulation based AtGames products started.
@SepticLemon Paperboy was Atari Games through and through. They had no connection to Midway at that time.
When Warner Communications broke up Atari Inc in 1984 and sold the home side of the business and previous arcade titles off to Jack Tramiel, they retained the arcade division as Atari Games.
Atari Games continued to function as an independent entity until the early 1990's when Warner Communications, by then called Time Warner, reacquired majority ownership and stopped using the name.
It wasn't until the spring of 1996 when Time Warner sold Atari Games to Williams Industries that the Midway connection was established that people now associate Atari Games with. Other than a short time releasing arcade games again as Atari Games after being sold (with home conversions for systems like the N64 carrying the Midway name), people associate Atari Games with Midway thanks to years of arcade collections.
From almost the dawn of arcade compilations, classic Atari Games content were released under the Midway banner on consoles and PC's, mixed in with arcade classics from Midway, Williams, and Leland (the company best known for releasing Super Off-Road). Even after Midway had ceased to exist as a company and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment had acquired the remains, Midway Arcade Origins for PS3/360 perpetuated that when it was released in 2012 by WB.
But Paperboy was originally released over a decade before Midway ever entered the picture.
@Parker75 All those Lynx games are outside licenses.
California Games is Epyx, Blue Lightning is Epyx, Rygar is Tecmo, S.T.U.N. Runner is Warner Brothers, Gauntlet is Warner Brothers, Chip's Challenge is Epyx, Gates of Zendocon is Epyx, and Electroscope is also Epyx.
It would've been nice to see the Epyx content licensed like Evercade did for their pair of Lynx cartridges. I was particularly hoping to see Checkered Flag, another Epyx title on the Lynx.
Only Warbirds made the cut on here from my personal Lynx wishlist.
Atari Anthology is the collection you were likely referring to from that same console generation (It did have Crystal Castles).
As a side note, both collections were developed by the original Digital Eclipse studio. I think most folks assume today's Digital Eclipse is that same company, but in actuality today's developer is a completely different company.
The founder of today's Digital Eclipse had some connection to the original studio before it was closed up in the late 2000's. He purchased the name to brand his new venture as Digital Eclipse back when Backbone Entertainment / Foundation 9 died a decade or so back and liquidated their assets.
Digital Eclipse competitor Code Mystics actually has a much stronger connection to the original Digital Eclipse, being founded by one of the key employees of the first Digital Eclipse (Jeff Vavasour) and employing many former Digital Eclipse programmers.
@speedyb Crystal Castles wasn't on that. You must be thinking of Atari Anthology for the Xbox and Playstation 2.
I never picked up on that issue, but I have noticed at least three emulation issues on Atari Flashback Classics. The missile trails on the 2600 version of Missile Command are screwed up on level 15 (not an issue in the older Code Mystics collections on the DS).
Secondly, the bell sound effect is all wrong on arcade Fire Truck and sounds awful. Not a button you'll likely ever press more than once just to hear how it sounds, so it wasn't a serious issue that the sound effect is off. But on a real cabinet it actually sounds like a bell. Will probably be the 1st thing I check out on Atari 50.
Lastly, the high score isn't properly retained on arcade Red Baron. When you fire up the game again you'll briefly see your high score, but then it promptly disappears for some reason. Same issue happens in Red Baron on the Code Mystics developed pair of DS collections from years earlier.
Most of the time though their emulators are solid enough.
@joey302 Midnight Mutants involves other parties like the estate of Al Lewis (Grandpa Munster from 'The Munsters'). There's also debate on other potential rights holders.
The box says "is licensed from Pixcel Software Inc" while Atari Corp is credited with a copyright. And the manual says "copyright 1990 SNK Corporation. Midnight Mutants is a trademark of SNK Corporation." And the Atari Compendium site claims the SNK credit is an error and that the game was developed by Radioactive Software.
It's also never been listed in Atari SA's IP catalog of software that they're willing to license out.
@blackknight77 That's on Atari Flashback Classics for the Switch, just in case you didn't already know and might be interested.
I'm kind of surprised myself though to not see them include everything from the 7800 that they own outright without the need of licenses. I figured with it being a new platform for console collections that they'd toss everything in that they could for the 7800.
Also MIA from the 7800 lineup of content that Atari SA owns clear title to (and which doesn't involve outside licenses) are Food Fight, Motor Psycho, and Planet Smashers.
I'm especially surprised to see Food Fight miss the cut given how great of a 7800 game it is, but with the arcade original also included, at least we get an even better version of Food Fight.
@ultraviolet Defender was a Williams game in arcades. Thus Defender 2000 for the Jaguar would've meant securing a license from Warner Brothers just as Atari Corp originally did from Williams back in 1995.
Apparently (and unsurprisingly since it's the norm for classic compilations) there was no budget to pursue outside licenses for this collection. We do get several games from Big Five Software, but it sounds as if Atari SA bought the rights to Miner 2049er and Bounty Bob Strikes back a while back, so they're not actually licensed games here if accurate.
The one potential exception is Cloak & Dagger from the arcade. Was turned into a movie tie-in game, but past the name it had little in common with the film. I rather suspect Atari SA's lawyers have decided that the title is safe to rerelease given the generic nature to that phrase that existed long before the film and the lack of any real connection in the game to the movie (The film on the other hand showcases the arcade game a fair bit). We'll have to wait and check out the fine print in the legal section of the credits and case artwork to know for sure.
I don't know if there's much hope of WB doing anything with their classic Midway/Atari Games/Williams/Leland library, but hopefully we at least see Activision's 2600 library make a return one day to mainstream consoles.
There's little room at today's current Activision for such a classic compilation on consoles, but with the shakeup with the Microsoft acquisition, just maybe something positive like that will happen.
Microsoft through the years have greenlit numerous small scale projects such as for the old Xbox Live Arcade service. The Game Room service for instance is a good illustration of a relevant example.
And with a collection of 2600 (and hopefully classic Activision releases for other 80's consoles and 8-bit computers) being a far cry from being a system seller, I don't think they'd necessarily even make such a release be a Xbox/Windows exclusive if it ever happens.
Time will tell. While "Activision Anthology 2" is at the top of my mind when I think about the events going on at Activision in 2022, such a potential project is obviously a non-factor with what Microsoft is trying to do right now and isn't on anyone's radar at either management team.
@KingMike While I believe that they both had that notoriety, a quick look at some production numbers off the AtariAge forum that were shared by the late Atari expert Curt Vendel confirm that E.T. wasn't overproduced to such a degree.
With five million cartridges manufactured, it was several million short of the system's install base. Only Pac-Man's print run outnumbered the system's own install base.
@Westlondonmist Indeed, although they're at least actually publishing this one and funding its development in a rare change of pace. Quite a difference from most products that have featured this IP in recent years.
Even Atari Flashback Classics wasn't really published by them, even though you'll see them listed as the publisher at sites such as this one. That's where the AtGames splash screen when firing up that earlier compilation enters the equation.
It was that name, infamous for years of shoddy Sega Genesis plug and plays, that actually handled the typical duties of a publisher for Atari Flashback Classics by engaging retailers to get the product on store shelves (and fronted a lot of the development expense in exchange for a slice of the pie).
Atari SA was the publisher on paper only, outsourcing those duties to AtGames.
@Nerdling You missed one of the best, Super Burnout.
A game that perhaps would've been realistic to secure had they sought out some outside licenses, where as I imagine the big name 1st person shooters would've been cost prohibitive.
@Grumble It has similarities as well with past hits for Atari. Especially Raiders of the Lost Ark, an iconic Atari 2600 release.
But E.T. will never escape the fame it earned from being overproduced on the eve of the crash (legend has it more were made than there were 2600 systems, due to Atari's faith it would drive system sales) and being liquidated.
It will always be one of the "worst games of all-time" for the general public, even though it's actually more around C+ territory by 2600 standards. I could easily name 100 far worse games on the 2600 from the many fly by night publishers that popped up to cash in on the videogaming craze and helped almost drive it into the ground with a flood of low quality releases.
Games that offer up little to no entertainment value, unlike E.T. which as you said can be fun when one reads the manual and learns how to play it.
Those were done by Atari Games. In 1984 the home console and computer line was sold to Jack Tramiel of Commodore fame along with past arcade IP (Properties like Asteroids were out of production for arcade sale but still had value with home releases, thus were bundled and sold alongside the console/computer side of Atari). Today it's owned by the remains of the French company formerly known as Infogrames, renamed as Atari SA.
The arcade division continued afterwards under the Atari Games label and their IP is owned today by Warner Brothers Interactive after their acquisition of the bulk of Midway's IP when the latter went bankrupt and was liquidated. It was them that produced the games you mentioned and many others. So it's WB that's sitting on these and not making them available these days.
Thus you won't ever see that stuff in a collection of home Atari classics or pre-1984 arcade content from Atari SA.
@Teksetter If you grab the excellent Code Mystics developed collection on the Switch (Atari Flashback Classics), it not only has the 2600 version you're likely talking about, but also the far superior arcade version of Sky Diver.
That earlier collection didn't review well such as at this site, but it wasn't because it was poorly developed (Code Mystics does good work) or because it didn't have good games. It was poorly received because most of those tasked with reviewing it have little to no interest in that era of gaming.
So if that doesn't describe you and you enjoy a fun oldie, the older collection complements this upcoming release nicely. 92 of the 150 games aren't being carried forward, including 14 arcade classics.
@Hck They've had jailbreaks since day 1. Hasn't detracted from any of the aspects that you're talking about. It's only enhanced these systems.
They're also fully optional and don't even need to be installed for the occasional individual that doesn't appreciate added features. Features that I'd like to add don't even necessarily equate to piracy.
I play my own rom dumps for instance on my Super Nt. It was very cool going through my collection, backing up my own games, and preserving my old save files. Hardly piracy when I now play those files via my Super Nt's SD card thanks to the jailbreak firmware.
The achievement list leaking for it in fact was the first concrete evidence that this deal was in the works quite a few months back.
The only clue we had previous to that was Nintendo applying to get the game removed off Germany's ban list a year or so early (It would've been automatically reviewed and likely cleared in 2023 now that Germany is less strict with violence in videogames, if I recall correctly the news articles here and elsewhere about it).
@D3M0N666 It's quite clear the Xbox iteration is a substantial revamp that amounts to a remaster.
Whether they dusted off that old Xbox 360 project and ported it to the Xbox One (or perhaps even emulated that old 360 code after bringing it to completion) or started fresh isn't being said. But it's quite clear when you connect various statements made by different MS/Rare employees that we can expect 60 fps, 4k, dual analog, reworked textures, etc. That's a remaster in my book.
Edit: Perhaps I've been giving them a bit too much credit. It sure doesn't look like reworked textures in these screenshots.
What makes you guys think that the Switch is ever getting the remaster? I think it's pretty clear that what Switch is getting is the emulated N64 original running via the Switch Online N64 emulator.
It's Xbox One and Series X/S getting the remaster. So there's little reason to hope for that ever appearing on the Switch. But on the bright side, presumably as a compromise to even things out somewhat between the two, online multiplayer is going to be a Switch exclusive.
And that's a pretty big deal right there for many (Although since I'd just be playing it locally anyways, I'll stick with the remaster I'll get for free via Rare Replay).
@F_Destroyer No, the European PS3 didn't have full PS2 emulation to enable backwards compatibility. Full PS2 emulation on the PS3 didn't happen until the PS2 Classics range of downloads was made available well after PS2 BC had been killed off.
What the European launch units (And 80 GB PS3's in North America) had was a hybrid hardware/emulation setup. Instead of containing both the PS2's CPU and GPU like launch systems in Japan and North America did, the PS2's CPU (the Emotion Engine) was emulated by the PS3 itself with only the PS2's GPU remaining.
That's why PS2 backwards compatibility eventually disappeared but PS1 didn't. When the PS2's GPU was eliminated in subsequent cost cutting (Which was about when I bought my PS3, circa 2008), Sony discontinued the feature.
Had it been full fledged software emulation, it would've remained just as PS1 BC did (Even the last Super Slims played PS1 discs).
I've not sounded annoyed with any of you guys. I just didn't want random people misinterpreting that into thinking their purchases will go away next March like I tried to explain to JC.
People have so many misconceptions about these digital stores. For instance I bet I've helped a dozen people through the years that changed Xbox 360's and happened to comment somewhere that I frequent about how they're sad that they can't redownload a favorite game they bought since it had been delisted.
They've always been pleased to discover that they misunderstood what getting delisted means and that instead of searching for it in the store where it's not available from anymore, that their download they paid for is waiting in their purchase history for them.
You're way too defensive and worked up over it. I was just trying to make sure that some casual that doesn't follow the news regularly doesn't come in and think their Wii U and 3DS downloads are going to disappear next March.
If you'd feel better, I'll even happily delete my comments in here since it's no sweat off my back. I was trying to potentially be helpful to someone, not annoy anyone like I've clearly done with you.
Say the word and all these posts will go poof as soon as I see it.
The article is discussing purchased and downloaded Switch games disappearing locally at the user's end on their own personal system. Read the full quote since I didn't bother quoting all of it the first time.
"We all know that games on the 3DS and Wii U are scheduled to disappear when their respective eShops close down in March 2023, but you probably weren't expecting Switch games to disappear, too."
She sure seems to be saying that they're one and the same to me (i.e., purchased downloads disappearing on your own system).
It was very much worthy of clarification with all the casuals that visit here that don't keep up with the news like some of us do. Contrary to what she alludes to with her comparison, no purchases are disappearing next March off of anyone's Wii U or 3DS. Even your ability to even redownload your past purchases from these systems isn't disappearing next March.
All that's ending is the ability to make new digital purchases off the Wii U and 3DS eShops. A big loss of course, but a very different loss than what she's implying with that quote about people's downloaded Wii U/3DS games expiring next March by comparing it with this Switch news. They're two very different things here that probably shouldn't of ever been compared.
One is an OS limitation at the user's end that hides some of their installed digital purchases. The second is the discontinuance of online purchasing that will have zero effect on one's installed digital purchases.
Comments 763
Re: 'Quake II Remastered' Rated Ahead Of QuakeCon 2023
@mereel You might be thinking of Aquiris Game Studio, the developer behind Horizon Chase and a sequel. They're going to be a full time Fortnite developer now.
Re: 3DS System Update 11.17.0-50 Is Now Live, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
My two systems aren't even connected to the internet anymore and I've disabled wifi on both of them.
Re: Soapbox: If Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Isn’t Switch’s Swan Song, It Really Should Be
I wouldn't of minded seeing this be the last major 1st party release (although as a Switch owner that's in no rush to see a successor appear, I won't argue if that doesn't end up the case).
Not only because it's an excellent Zelda game and a classy way to exit the scene, but also because of the Wii U fan in me.
Somehow it would please me greatly to see the Switch fade after receiving a direct sequel to the Wii U's crowning achievement, further testament that there was quite a lot to love on Nintendo's short lived and underappreciated Wii U.
Re: Classic NES Title 'Gimmick!' Confirmed For Switch Release This July
@Doctor-Moo M2 is developing and self-publishing them, so they're not going it for another company that has hired them.
I guess they must've just licensed these and I misconstrued all the news that said they had "acquired the rights to rerelease" them as meaning they now owned this IP?
Re: Classic NES Title 'Gimmick!' Confirmed For Switch Release This July
I thought M2 owned Flying Shark and Snow Brothers?
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@DanAmrich Thanks so much for digging into this and taking the time to respond.
I've been able to play a lot of Atari's 1970's arcade legacy in recent decades thanks to collectors and vintage arcades, so you're probably right that I'm simply misremembering in this particular instance and the 4 speed shifter that I recall was from a Sprint 1 or Sprint 2 cabinet rather than the two times that I've played Sprint 8.
Crossing my fingers that you guys get the chance to do another patch and add some DLC like Berzerk and Frenzy now that they're Atari SA IP.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@DanAmrich Hi Dan, I'm not sure if you'll notice this now that several months have passed since Atari 50 released, but I've been hooked on Sprint 8 lately and had a question. Did Digital Eclipse modify the game to only have low gear and high gear?
The two cabinets I've had the pleasure to play on in real-life through the years both had 4 speed gear shifters. And Atari 50's bonus gallery mentions something like how it originally had a 4 speed shifter.
Whatever the case, it plays beautifully on Atari 50. It's a shame most Atari 50 owners probably glossed right over this one due to the 70's era graphics.
My only complaint is I've had so much fun in Sprint 8 that now I wish Atari's Sprint 4 and Indy 4 were here as well, not to mention Sprint One and Indy 800 from Kee Games (Sprint 2 from Kee is on the Code Mystics collection, but that would've been great to see as well).
Re: Horizon Chase Turbo Dev Aquiris Joins Epic Games To Work On Fortnite
What a waste of an excellent developer.
Re: Limited Run Teases One Last Physical Release For Nintendo 3DS
Unless they've secured Sega 3D Classics Volume 3, I'll pass.
Finally getting Turbo Outrun on my 3DS would be the one thing that would get me to order a game again from this outfit.
Re: When Does The 3DS And Wii U eShop Close? Nintendo eShop Closure Guide
Bought my last round yesterday (The 3rd "last round" since last Fall, lol). Metroid Fusion, Zero Mission, Mario Kart Super Circuit, and Wii Sports Club: Bowling.
All for Wii U this time around.
Re: Countdown: Wii U eShop Spotlight - Duck Hunt
@countzero Interesting to know.
While I've been impressed with the calibration routine in a few of them back then like Ghost Squad, I can't say that I've experienced them on a truly large modern television.
Re: Countdown: Wii U eShop Spotlight - Duck Hunt
@asmi8803 Based off my experiences using the Joy-Con in a similar manner in games such as Super Mario Galaxy in 3D All-Stars, House of the Dead, World of Goo, and so on, they'd need an on-screen crosshair.
The calibration starts to drift immediately and there's no fixed point of reference like the Wii had with the sensor bar to help combat that.
Re: Countdown: Wii U eShop Spotlight - Duck Hunt
@nhSnork Wii U was emulation, too. The emulation layer is responsible for the on-screen crosshairs and such, just like when using a mouse with lightgun games on your favorite PC emulator. No original code was modified for the NES Zapper games and the rom files are fully compatible with an original NES and Zapper lightgun.
Re: Capcom Reminds Monster Hunter Fans To Grab 3DS & Wii U Entries Before eShop Closure
"We're getting closer each day to the shutdown of the 3DS and Wii U eShop services."
While we've been getting closer to the shutdown of the 3DS and Wii U eShop services ever since day 1, that inevitable day has actually yet to even be announced.
What's ending at the end of this month is purchasing. Nintendo says the shops are sticking around for redownloading past purchases and if the still online DSi and Wii shops are any indication, they could be around for quite a while yet with this limited functionality.
While almost a moot point when one can't purchase new games and with ample warning time to get one's digital collection all downloaded to their system by the end of this month, that's still going to be appreciated by some folks that have something unfortunate like their external hard drive on their Wii U fail after this month.
Re: Video: MVG Checks Out "Awesome" Update For GameCube Emulator On Xbox
The GameCube library was never officially going to return to the Switch. The best you can hope for are select titles, predominantly 1st party releases, one day appearing to join Super Mario Sunshine.
Re: Random: NASCAR Bans Ross Chastain's "GameCube" Inspired Wall-Ride Move
The move was amazing and special, but the sport going forward doesn't need 40 cars riding the outside wall on the last lap of every Martinsville race trying to gain a similar advantage (Although I'd pay to see that at least once, lol).
Re: Limited Run Reveals Its First Physical Nintendo Switch Release Of 2023
Limited Run Games is horribly ran. They lost me as a customer a while back.
Re: Best Of 2022: The Story Of Affordable Space Adventures, The Wii U eShop's Best Exclusive
I briefly started it a few years ago (thanks to the Humble Bundle promotion it was in) and wasn't hooked, but I'll have to give it another try one of these days and see if it clicks.
Re: Best Of 2022: "NCL Has Been Waiting For This Day Since 2014" - Former NOA Employee Talks Nintendo eShop Closures
The still online Wii and DSi shops for redownloading of past purchases don't lend much credence to the suggestion that the Wii U and 3DS eShops will disappear quickly after next March.
Re: Soapbox: After 10 Years I Finally Got A Wii U, Here’s What I Thought
I didn't get too far in this before I had to stop. Complaining that the gamepad had proper analog sticks instead of 3DS sliders is difficult for me to comprehend.
And as for the size, put it up next to a Switch. Extremely similar in size, yet more comfortable to hold than a Switch with stock Joycons. At least in my opinion that rather invalidates that complaint when one is presumably fine with the size of the Switch in handheld mode.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@Joekun That's one of the interesting bits of Atari history why that isn't the case.
I didn't go into it with my earlier comment, but the videogame crash made Warner Communications sour on Atari. The home/business side of the business (The consoles and computers) was sold in 1984 to Jack Tramiel of Commodore computers fame and was rebranded as Atari Corp. Along with that went the rights to all previous Atari arcade games.
When Atari Corp finally disappeared in a reverse merger with a non-videogaming firm in the mid 1990's after the Jaguar and Lynx had failed, the videogaming rights were sold to Hasbro and then finally to Infogrames around the turn of the century (Which rebranded itself as Atari SA, the company releasing Atari 50 next month).
But Warner retained the arcade division itself back in 1984 and it continued under the name Atari Games, with home releases under the name of Tengen during the 8/16-bit era (Atari Corp had exclusive rights to the Atari name for home use). They were eventually purchased by WMS Industries (i.e., Midway) in the mid 1990's.
When Midway went bankrupt in the late 2000's, most of their IP was sold off to Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment (A homecoming of sorts for Atari Games). Thus all those 1984 and later arcade games that saw release under the Atari banner are owned by the same company known for the movie themed Lego videogames, the modern Batman games, etc.
That's the short version of why there's two different companies today that own the vast majority of heritage originally released under the Atari name.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@DanAmrich Sadly, I can't make it this year. But I'll be looking forward to hearing the thoughts of other people that get to try it out early.
I did however think of another question. Now that the big three are all open to keyboard/mouse support, is there any chance that we'll see the spinner games, paddle games, and track-ball games support such USB accessories? Mouse support would go a long ways towards making games like the Breakout titles enjoyable on here.
@Joekun Like many of the games people have been bringing up here in the comments, that's from a different Atari and is another Atari Games release. So it's a Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment property and doesn't belong to the publisher of this collection, Atari SA.
While I believe that there are some exceptions, basically everything that was released in arcades under the Atari banner from 1984 (I believe Marble Madness was the first) through 1999 when the final games like Rush 2049 appeared, were Atari Games properties. Those that released before 1984 are largely owned by Atari SA, with the notable exception of Battlezone which sadly got sold off a few years back.
The exceptions to that 1983/84 rule appear to be a few early 1984 machines. I'm not 100% sure on this, but it appears as if Return Of The Jedi, Firefox, and Atari's domestic release of TX-1 (Released under license by Atari) were all Atari Incorporated releases early that year before the split-up was done later in 1984.
We'll just have to hope that someone like Digital Eclipse gets a crack at this vast library of coinop videogame history (Not only Atari Games, but they also own most of the Williams, Leland, and Midway libraries as well as maybe some of the Cinematronics games thanks to Tradewest/Leland owning them at one point).
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@DanAmrich I'm sure you can't answer much in the way of questions here, but can you tell us anything about how the steering is being handled on Fire Truck, Sprint 8, and "Race 500" for the 2600 on Atari 50?
I ask since Code Mystics came up with a clever mapping scheme that went a long ways towards making classic overhead arcade racers playable with modern gamepads.
In that the player simply had to point the analog stick in the direction that they wanted to steer and the emulator would correctly orient the steering inputs to align with the desired direction.
It was so much better than how games like Super Sprint used to be handled on compilations where the player is moving an invisible free-spinning arcade wheel with left and right inputs on an analog stick.
I thought Sprint 2, Fire Truck, Monte Carlo, Race, and Super Bug would be mere curiosities on the Flashback Classics compilations, crippled by having to use a controller too foreign to what they were designed to use.
Instead to my pleasant surprise I found myself wasting many an hour in those. Super Bug in particular became a bit of an addition for me. Has me looking forward to giving Sprint 8 a try in Atari 50 in a few weeks.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@DanAmrich Interesting information, thanks Dan.
The gist of what I repeated is what I've heard through the grapevine. Sounds like there's a much stronger connection with the defunct original firm than I had been led to believe, so I won't go repeat that false information elsewhere now that I've been set straight.
I'm just glad we have you and everyone else at Digital Eclipse, Code Mystics, M2, and Hamster to bring the classics of the past back in front of modern audiences. I love supporting all four of the industry's premier emulation experts.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@AstroTheGamosian The Atari that released the Jaguar was formed in 1984 and died in 1996 in a reverse merger with disk drive manufacturer JTS. They wanted the millions that Atari had in their bank account while the Tramiels wanted stock in a viable company and didn't think Atari had a future.
Since they weren't a videogaming firm, they then sold all of Atari's IP to Hasbro Interactive a year or two later. Hasbro had a brief fling with remakes and then sold it all to the French owned Infogrames around 2000 or so, which is where the roots of today's Atari SA begin.
The Atari Flashback line was started by the late Curt Vendel's Legacy Engineering. AtGames didn't enter the picture until the Atari Flashback 3. The Flashback 2 in particular was special, using a highly accurate 2600-on-a-chip that Curt designed that replicated all of the 2600's circuitry on a single integrated circuit. Could even be modded with a cartridge slot.
Then the lackluster emulation based AtGames products started.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@SepticLemon Paperboy was Atari Games through and through. They had no connection to Midway at that time.
When Warner Communications broke up Atari Inc in 1984 and sold the home side of the business and previous arcade titles off to Jack Tramiel, they retained the arcade division as Atari Games.
Atari Games continued to function as an independent entity until the early 1990's when Warner Communications, by then called Time Warner, reacquired majority ownership and stopped using the name.
It wasn't until the spring of 1996 when Time Warner sold Atari Games to Williams Industries that the Midway connection was established that people now associate Atari Games with. Other than a short time releasing arcade games again as Atari Games after being sold (with home conversions for systems like the N64 carrying the Midway name), people associate Atari Games with Midway thanks to years of arcade collections.
From almost the dawn of arcade compilations, classic Atari Games content were released under the Midway banner on consoles and PC's, mixed in with arcade classics from Midway, Williams, and Leland (the company best known for releasing Super Off-Road). Even after Midway had ceased to exist as a company and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment had acquired the remains, Midway Arcade Origins for PS3/360 perpetuated that when it was released in 2012 by WB.
But Paperboy was originally released over a decade before Midway ever entered the picture.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@Parker75 All those Lynx games are outside licenses.
California Games is Epyx, Blue Lightning is Epyx, Rygar is Tecmo, S.T.U.N. Runner is Warner Brothers, Gauntlet is Warner Brothers, Chip's Challenge is Epyx, Gates of Zendocon is Epyx, and Electroscope is also Epyx.
It would've been nice to see the Epyx content licensed like Evercade did for their pair of Lynx cartridges. I was particularly hoping to see Checkered Flag, another Epyx title on the Lynx.
Only Warbirds made the cut on here from my personal Lynx wishlist.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@speedyb You linked me to a video of Atari Flashback Classics Volume 2 for the Xbox One and Playstation 4, released back in 2016.
This was the lineup for Midway Arcade Treasures, the release you originally named (Which was a Xbox, PS2, and GameCube release).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_Arcade_Treasures#Games
Atari Anthology is the collection you were likely referring to from that same console generation (It did have Crystal Castles).
As a side note, both collections were developed by the original Digital Eclipse studio. I think most folks assume today's Digital Eclipse is that same company, but in actuality today's developer is a completely different company.
The founder of today's Digital Eclipse had some connection to the original studio before it was closed up in the late 2000's. He purchased the name to brand his new venture as Digital Eclipse back when Backbone Entertainment / Foundation 9 died a decade or so back and liquidated their assets.
Digital Eclipse competitor Code Mystics actually has a much stronger connection to the original Digital Eclipse, being founded by one of the key employees of the first Digital Eclipse (Jeff Vavasour) and employing many former Digital Eclipse programmers.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@speedyb Crystal Castles wasn't on that. You must be thinking of Atari Anthology for the Xbox and Playstation 2.
I never picked up on that issue, but I have noticed at least three emulation issues on Atari Flashback Classics. The missile trails on the 2600 version of Missile Command are screwed up on level 15 (not an issue in the older Code Mystics collections on the DS).
Secondly, the bell sound effect is all wrong on arcade Fire Truck and sounds awful. Not a button you'll likely ever press more than once just to hear how it sounds, so it wasn't a serious issue that the sound effect is off. But on a real cabinet it actually sounds like a bell. Will probably be the 1st thing I check out on Atari 50.
Lastly, the high score isn't properly retained on arcade Red Baron. When you fire up the game again you'll briefly see your high score, but then it promptly disappears for some reason. Same issue happens in Red Baron on the Code Mystics developed pair of DS collections from years earlier.
Most of the time though their emulators are solid enough.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@joey302 Midnight Mutants involves other parties like the estate of Al Lewis (Grandpa Munster from 'The Munsters'). There's also debate on other potential rights holders.
The box says "is licensed from Pixcel Software Inc" while Atari Corp is credited with a copyright. And the manual says "copyright 1990 SNK Corporation. Midnight Mutants is a trademark of SNK Corporation." And the Atari Compendium site claims the SNK credit is an error and that the game was developed by Radioactive Software.
It's also never been listed in Atari SA's IP catalog of software that they're willing to license out.
@blackknight77 That's on Atari Flashback Classics for the Switch, just in case you didn't already know and might be interested.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@joey302 They skipped a ton of stuff.
I'm kind of surprised myself though to not see them include everything from the 7800 that they own outright without the need of licenses. I figured with it being a new platform for console collections that they'd toss everything in that they could for the 7800.
Also MIA from the 7800 lineup of content that Atari SA owns clear title to (and which doesn't involve outside licenses) are Food Fight, Motor Psycho, and Planet Smashers.
I'm especially surprised to see Food Fight miss the cut given how great of a 7800 game it is, but with the arcade original also included, at least we get an even better version of Food Fight.
@ultraviolet Defender was a Williams game in arcades. Thus Defender 2000 for the Jaguar would've meant securing a license from Warner Brothers just as Atari Corp originally did from Williams back in 1995.
Apparently (and unsurprisingly since it's the norm for classic compilations) there was no budget to pursue outside licenses for this collection. We do get several games from Big Five Software, but it sounds as if Atari SA bought the rights to Miner 2049er and Bounty Bob Strikes back a while back, so they're not actually licensed games here if accurate.
The one potential exception is Cloak & Dagger from the arcade. Was turned into a movie tie-in game, but past the name it had little in common with the film. I rather suspect Atari SA's lawyers have decided that the title is safe to rerelease given the generic nature to that phrase that existed long before the film and the lack of any real connection in the game to the movie (The film on the other hand showcases the arcade game a fair bit). We'll have to wait and check out the fine print in the legal section of the credits and case artwork to know for sure.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
I don't know if there's much hope of WB doing anything with their classic Midway/Atari Games/Williams/Leland library, but hopefully we at least see Activision's 2600 library make a return one day to mainstream consoles.
There's little room at today's current Activision for such a classic compilation on consoles, but with the shakeup with the Microsoft acquisition, just maybe something positive like that will happen.
Microsoft through the years have greenlit numerous small scale projects such as for the old Xbox Live Arcade service. The Game Room service for instance is a good illustration of a relevant example.
And with a collection of 2600 (and hopefully classic Activision releases for other 80's consoles and 8-bit computers) being a far cry from being a system seller, I don't think they'd necessarily even make such a release be a Xbox/Windows exclusive if it ever happens.
Time will tell. While "Activision Anthology 2" is at the top of my mind when I think about the events going on at Activision in 2022, such a potential project is obviously a non-factor with what Microsoft is trying to do right now and isn't on anyone's radar at either management team.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@KingMike While I believe that they both had that notoriety, a quick look at some production numbers off the AtariAge forum that were shared by the late Atari expert Curt Vendel confirm that E.T. wasn't overproduced to such a degree.
With five million cartridges manufactured, it was several million short of the system's install base. Only Pac-Man's print run outnumbered the system's own install base.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@Westlondonmist Indeed, although they're at least actually publishing this one and funding its development in a rare change of pace. Quite a difference from most products that have featured this IP in recent years.
Even Atari Flashback Classics wasn't really published by them, even though you'll see them listed as the publisher at sites such as this one. That's where the AtGames splash screen when firing up that earlier compilation enters the equation.
It was that name, infamous for years of shoddy Sega Genesis plug and plays, that actually handled the typical duties of a publisher for Atari Flashback Classics by engaging retailers to get the product on store shelves (and fronted a lot of the development expense in exchange for a slice of the pie).
Atari SA was the publisher on paper only, outsourcing those duties to AtGames.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@Nerdling You missed one of the best, Super Burnout.
A game that perhaps would've been realistic to secure had they sought out some outside licenses, where as I imagine the big name 1st person shooters would've been cost prohibitive.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@Grumble It has similarities as well with past hits for Atari. Especially Raiders of the Lost Ark, an iconic Atari 2600 release.
But E.T. will never escape the fame it earned from being overproduced on the eve of the crash (legend has it more were made than there were 2600 systems, due to Atari's faith it would drive system sales) and being liquidated.
It will always be one of the "worst games of all-time" for the general public, even though it's actually more around C+ territory by 2600 standards. I could easily name 100 far worse games on the 2600 from the many fly by night publishers that popped up to cash in on the videogaming craze and helped almost drive it into the ground with a flood of low quality releases.
Games that offer up little to no entertainment value, unlike E.T. which as you said can be fun when one reads the manual and learns how to play it.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@Coffeemonster Not this Atari.
Those were done by Atari Games. In 1984 the home console and computer line was sold to Jack Tramiel of Commodore fame along with past arcade IP (Properties like Asteroids were out of production for arcade sale but still had value with home releases, thus were bundled and sold alongside the console/computer side of Atari). Today it's owned by the remains of the French company formerly known as Infogrames, renamed as Atari SA.
The arcade division continued afterwards under the Atari Games label and their IP is owned today by Warner Brothers Interactive after their acquisition of the bulk of Midway's IP when the latter went bankrupt and was liquidated. It was them that produced the games you mentioned and many others. So it's WB that's sitting on these and not making them available these days.
Thus you won't ever see that stuff in a collection of home Atari classics or pre-1984 arcade content from Atari SA.
Re: Atari Anniversary Collection Full List Of Games Possibly Revealed In Retailer Leak
@Teksetter If you grab the excellent Code Mystics developed collection on the Switch (Atari Flashback Classics), it not only has the 2600 version you're likely talking about, but also the far superior arcade version of Sky Diver.
That earlier collection didn't review well such as at this site, but it wasn't because it was poorly developed (Code Mystics does good work) or because it didn't have good games. It was poorly received because most of those tasked with reviewing it have little to no interest in that era of gaming.
So if that doesn't describe you and you enjoy a fun oldie, the older collection complements this upcoming release nicely. 92 of the 150 games aren't being carried forward, including 14 arcade classics.
Re: Retailer Leak May Have Revealed Full List Of Games In Atari's Anniversary Collection
@ChromaticDracula Because it isn't their game. That's an Activision release.
Re: You Can Now Play NES Games On The Analogue Pocket
@Switch_Pro The point is to play videogames on it and have fun.
Re: You Can Now Play NES Games On The Analogue Pocket
@Hck They've had jailbreaks since day 1. Hasn't detracted from any of the aspects that you're talking about. It's only enhanced these systems.
They're also fully optional and don't even need to be installed for the occasional individual that doesn't appreciate added features. Features that I'd like to add don't even necessarily equate to piracy.
I play my own rom dumps for instance on my Super Nt. It was very cool going through my collection, backing up my own games, and preserving my old save files. Hardly piracy when I now play those files via my Super Nt's SD card thanks to the jailbreak firmware.
Re: Nightdive Studios Was Apparently "Close" To Reviving GoldenEye 007
@KevinP Was announced that same day.
The achievement list leaking for it in fact was the first concrete evidence that this deal was in the works quite a few months back.
The only clue we had previous to that was Nintendo applying to get the game removed off Germany's ban list a year or so early (It would've been automatically reviewed and likely cleared in 2023 now that Germany is less strict with violence in videogames, if I recall correctly the news articles here and elsewhere about it).
Re: Nightdive Studios Was Apparently "Close" To Reviving GoldenEye 007
@D3M0N666 It's quite clear the Xbox iteration is a substantial revamp that amounts to a remaster.
Whether they dusted off that old Xbox 360 project and ported it to the Xbox One (or perhaps even emulated that old 360 code after bringing it to completion) or started fresh isn't being said. But it's quite clear when you connect various statements made by different MS/Rare employees that we can expect 60 fps, 4k, dual analog, reworked textures, etc. That's a remaster in my book.
Edit: Perhaps I've been giving them a bit too much credit. It sure doesn't look like reworked textures in these screenshots.
https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2022/09/13/james-bond-returns-goldeneye-007-on-game-pass/
Not altogether unattractive looking, but nothing like how it looked on Xbox 360 where the textures were all replaced by new assets.
I can see where your statements are coming from now, D3M0N666.
Re: Nightdive Studios Was Apparently "Close" To Reviving GoldenEye 007
What makes you guys think that the Switch is ever getting the remaster? I think it's pretty clear that what Switch is getting is the emulated N64 original running via the Switch Online N64 emulator.
It's Xbox One and Series X/S getting the remaster. So there's little reason to hope for that ever appearing on the Switch. But on the bright side, presumably as a compromise to even things out somewhat between the two, online multiplayer is going to be a Switch exclusive.
And that's a pretty big deal right there for many (Although since I'd just be playing it locally anyways, I'll stick with the remaster I'll get for free via Rare Replay).
Re: Nightdive Studios Was Apparently "Close" To Reviving GoldenEye 007
@Knightrider1 I really doubt it will release on Switch first. I just about can guarantee a simultaneous release.
Re: Soapbox: Endless Zelda Remakes Are A Poor Substitute For Backwards Compatibility
@F_Destroyer No, the European PS3 didn't have full PS2 emulation to enable backwards compatibility. Full PS2 emulation on the PS3 didn't happen until the PS2 Classics range of downloads was made available well after PS2 BC had been killed off.
What the European launch units (And 80 GB PS3's in North America) had was a hybrid hardware/emulation setup. Instead of containing both the PS2's CPU and GPU like launch systems in Japan and North America did, the PS2's CPU (the Emotion Engine) was emulated by the PS3 itself with only the PS2's GPU remaining.
That's why PS2 backwards compatibility eventually disappeared but PS1 didn't. When the PS2's GPU was eliminated in subsequent cost cutting (Which was about when I bought my PS3, circa 2008), Sony discontinued the feature.
Had it been full fledged software emulation, it would've remained just as PS1 BC did (Even the last Super Slims played PS1 discs).
Re: Best 3DS And Wii U DLC You Should Get Before The eShops Close Forever
What games are supposed to become unavailable before March 2023, as the article says?
I've not heard anything about that. Does anyone have a list of content that's confirmed to be pulled before the eShop's end?
Re: PSA: Are Your Switch Games Disappearing? You May Have Too Many - But You Can Fix It
@Fiskern I'm not.
I've not sounded annoyed with any of you guys. I just didn't want random people misinterpreting that into thinking their purchases will go away next March like I tried to explain to JC.
People have so many misconceptions about these digital stores. For instance I bet I've helped a dozen people through the years that changed Xbox 360's and happened to comment somewhere that I frequent about how they're sad that they can't redownload a favorite game they bought since it had been delisted.
They've always been pleased to discover that they misunderstood what getting delisted means and that instead of searching for it in the store where it's not available from anymore, that their download they paid for is waiting in their purchase history for them.
Re: PSA: Are Your Switch Games Disappearing? You May Have Too Many - But You Can Fix It
@jcboyer515 Take a deep breath, man.
You're way too defensive and worked up over it. I was just trying to make sure that some casual that doesn't follow the news regularly doesn't come in and think their Wii U and 3DS downloads are going to disappear next March.
If you'd feel better, I'll even happily delete my comments in here since it's no sweat off my back. I was trying to potentially be helpful to someone, not annoy anyone like I've clearly done with you.
Say the word and all these posts will go poof as soon as I see it.
Re: PSA: Are Your Switch Games Disappearing? You May Have Too Many - But You Can Fix It
@jcboyer515 I disagree.
The article is discussing purchased and downloaded Switch games disappearing locally at the user's end on their own personal system. Read the full quote since I didn't bother quoting all of it the first time.
"We all know that games on the 3DS and Wii U are scheduled to disappear when their respective eShops close down in March 2023, but you probably weren't expecting Switch games to disappear, too."
She sure seems to be saying that they're one and the same to me (i.e., purchased downloads disappearing on your own system).
It was very much worthy of clarification with all the casuals that visit here that don't keep up with the news like some of us do. Contrary to what she alludes to with her comparison, no purchases are disappearing next March off of anyone's Wii U or 3DS. Even your ability to even redownload your past purchases from these systems isn't disappearing next March.
All that's ending is the ability to make new digital purchases off the Wii U and 3DS eShops. A big loss of course, but a very different loss than what she's implying with that quote about people's downloaded Wii U/3DS games expiring next March by comparing it with this Switch news. They're two very different things here that probably shouldn't of ever been compared.
One is an OS limitation at the user's end that hides some of their installed digital purchases. The second is the discontinuance of online purchasing that will have zero effect on one's installed digital purchases.