Hardware vs. Emulation

I like to play on real genesis hardware but i don't have all the games i want so sometimes i fire up a emulator to play castlevania or sonic and knuckles 3 for example. I also noticed the sound is better on the emulator than on the real thing, maybe has something to do with me having a model two genesis. Also when playing sonic the hedgehog (1 or 2) i don't have a filled screen on the genesis system while i do have full screen on the emulator. Thats just weird. But nothing beats playing on the real genesis hardware! Its a certain feeling i cant explain.

Emulators do come in handy sometimes because of the save states. Helped me beat the f*cking final boss in sonic 2. I can now finally finish sonic 2 in one go on the real genesis!

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Originally Posted by crazyteknohed

I'm hardware only as far as playing in front of a telly is concerned, but a Wiz running Picodrive is a much better way of playing on the go than a Nomad and a sackful of batteries and carts.

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Depends on the size of your sack yo.

For the Turbo/PC Engine I play on my laptop..too expensive to get it

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Originally Posted by Zebbe

Copyright infringement is stealing. You are taking material which belongs to someone, without paying for it. Making copies for yourself doesn't fall under fair use, because you have no right to copy someone else's work with this intention.

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I'm not trying to push any hard opinions on anyone here but it this was true then wouldn't major software companies like Apple be getting into great legal trouble for allowing people to rip music from their CDs onto their computer?

I play most of my games on the move or in bed next to my gf on my psp. I tend to buy everything I like anyway or at least try to, if a game is several hundred ill just keep it on my search cheap list. I've been using emulators and mods since the mid 90's and am probably one of good gamers because of buying the good things that I get exposed to. I don't know how long this will last though, as with hitting the several hundred mark yeas ago and plenty of gaming left in my young body :), I'll have to put a limit on things. Right now I have a ps3 collection building and I don't even own one :(. Of course if everything goes digital copy only :(...(please don't) but probably will then I won't have to worry about moving a ton of stuff around.

I know i am going off topic, But how do you play imports on the Sega genesis.

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Originally Posted by Curryman123

I know i am going off topic, But how do you play imports on the Sega genesis.

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For the most part Sega Mega Drive/Genesis games are region free but some games (mostly released during the later part of the console's lifespan) do have a region locking system. In this case you need to either have your system modified or buy a converter which allows you to play imported games.

I'm in the "I play emulated games that I don't have" crowd. There are games I will never be able to afford, so I play them on emulation. Eliminate Down and Grey Lancer are good examples. Emulation is also great for "test driving" games.

For my two cents, piracy isn't stealing. Stealing is when you actually take something and deprive the original owner of it. Semantics, I know, but there you are.

I'm fairly pro emulation. I emulated sega games all my internet life up until fairly recently. It's about the games, yes, but there is a certain tactile sensation involved with all of it as well. Having the cartridges, the artwork, the nice looking cases. It's not entirely just about the games. Same as people who like vinyl as opposed to CDs. It's not just about the music or games, it's about the experience.

One of my points against emulation is also that it's very easy to just browse through a list of games, play one for a few minutes then lose attention and move on to another without really giving the first one a chance! If you've got the cart, chances are you've paid money for it or at the very least expressed an interest in it and stolen it from someone. :D So you're going to put a bit more effort in. Especially when you have to unplug a cart, put it back in the box, find another cart, plug it in.

Having said that, I have no problem with emulation at all. Some people will use all my pro arguments as entirely negative arguments. I can understand that! Consoles are floor fillers, that's for sure. One more set of wires on the floor can be a room hog, especially for people in fairly small flats. Also, the bastard consoles never have ever had long enough wires and having to spend even more money on extensions is irritating. Grr...

:D

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Originally Posted by Enternal

I play most of my games on the move or in bed next to my gf on my psp.

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You have a gf? I thought we didn't have those.

Only hardware, to me, emulation seems like cheating and makes me feel like im cheap not to own real things. But I'm not cheap so I have plenty of hardware and games. I like to touch things and taking carts out of boxes instead of looking list of untouchable games...

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Originally Posted by cleeg

You have a gf? I thought we didn't have those.

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I have a bf and I have also played PSP next to him. God damn Patapon fever.... or he watched how I played God of war 1 and 2 :P. Or I watch how he plays.

I have a wife, and it's strictly games or wife. Rarely the two together. I know, I should get a divorce.

Divorce the sega? Never :D

Hardware only, playing a game on an emulator is about as handicapped as it gets.

Does anyone still have that pic 17days used for his avatar? I need that.

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Originally Posted by Enternal

I play most of my games on the move or in bed next to my gf on my psp.

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This is me after a big night out at my gf's university. She sleeps for hours, some I get some megadrive emulation going! :)

At home it is CDX with 32x or my modded Genesis 3 with wireless controls.

I own about 50 carts and the other games/hacks are played through the everdrive cart. :cool:

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Originally Posted by old man

Does anyone still have that pic 17days used for his avatar? I need that.

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http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs45/f/20..._by_JuggsG.jpg

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Originally Posted by cleeg

I have a wife, and it's strictly games or wife. Rarely the two together. I know, I should get a divorce.

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Originally Posted by Strok

Divorce the sega? Never :D

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Funny; you guys should start an act:)

I've been avoiding it, but I'll throw in my two cents worth on the ethics of emulation. I don't have a problem with it because it typically deals with software that is "dead". Playing a ROM of a Genesis game isn't typically costing anyone revenue. The exception is those of us who emulate rather than buy an emulation option (like the Genesis Collection for various platforms that is available at the moment).

Personally, if the collection is worth my money, I'll buy it (even if I can emulate all the games for free). I will pay for something that is offered. But for those games that are not available in any form, I will gladly emulate them to test them out, or even to play them for a while. I prefer playing on hardware, so I'll buy games I really like, but as I said before, that isn't feasible for some Genesis/Mega Drive games.

So to me, emulation is harmless as long as it doesn't take money from any rightful software vendor's "purse". I don't believe Genesis emulation does, and it's my belief that those of us who love Sega games will buy them when they're made available in a platform we use (I've bought copies of Sonic for my iPhone, in addition to having them on hardware, in addition to having the ROMs, in addition to buying them in the PS3 collection).

One can emulate ethically; so can't we all just get along? :)

Sketch, yeah I have a similar view. I've bought Genesis games on the 360 that I already have ROMs of. Because I want to support the recognition of these old games. I've bought Capcom classic paks and such too (both volumes for PSP) and the megaman collections (classic and X series) for the GC and PS2. I don't have a Wii, but if I did I'd probably purchase a few VC games as well. Hell, even SOTN which I own for PSP (Dracula X game) and have the CD image for the PC emulator, I bought on the 360 Live arcade.

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Originally Posted by cleeg

I have a wife, and it's strictly games or wife. Rarely the two together. I know, I should get a divorce.

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Originally Posted by Strok

Divorce the sega? Never :D

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Originally Posted by tomaitheous

Sketch, yeah I have a similar view. I've bought Genesis games on the 360 that I already have ROMs of. Because I want to support the recognition of these old games. I've bought Capcom classic paks and such too (both volumes for PSP) and the megaman collections (classic and X series) for the GC and PS2. I don't have a Wii, but if I did I'd probably purchase a few VC games as well. Hell, even SOTN which I own for PSP (Dracula X game) and have the CD image for the PC emulator, I bought on the 360 Live arcade.

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Amusingly, I own or have owned all of the collections you list. I don't have a Wii either, but if these games come to my PS3, I'll probably buy'em again. Instead of losing money because I emulate on occasion, these bastards are making money off me by selling me the same game over and over again! :)

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Originally Posted by Guntz

http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs45/f/20..._by_JuggsG.jpg

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Actually I was looking for the one he modified to say "bitches don't know about my romz!!". Thanks anyway. :)

Emulation is best for when you are traveling. When was the last time you were able to stick your Genesis/Sega CD/32x, plus all your games, into a suitcase?

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Originally Posted by dbtmellis

Emulation is best for when you are traveling. When was the last time you were able to stick your Genesis/Sega CD/32x, plus all your games, into a suitcase?

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http://bitcast-a.bitgravity.com/revi...e-sega-cdx%2F1

Skip 16 minutes into the video (this is actually from a thread in 'Insert Coin' if you're interested).

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Originally Posted by old man

Actually I was looking for the one he modified to say "bitches don't know about my romz!!". Thanks anyway. :)

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Fixed.

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/6...owboutmahr.jpg

Thanks, now I have teh funny for whenever the emulation threads pop up again. :)

"Mostly hardware, but emulation for some titles"

I would be hardware only, if it wasn't for my habit to 'try before I buy.' I almost never buy a game without trying it out first, and most of the time this happens with emulators. However I generally end up getting every game I get an emulation of, except for the few unavalable in PAL region.

I use both real hardware and emulation

When I play rpgs I usually play them on emulators for save states and for the fast forward mode which really helps with the tedious level grinding some rpgs demand.

Original hardware only for me. I only play on emulators to get clean screen shots.

I do buy re-release collections for various reasons and have used emulation on the go in the past and recently. I paid for the Genesis emulator for my Android phone. It cost half of what Sega was charging at the time for an inferior emulation of only Shining Force for iphone. Shining Force alone justified it for me.

Like I said, I still buy various sets and like supporting publishers, but I own the "license use" or whatever for Shining Force in particular several times over with all the official copies of the game I already own, including the Genesis and Mega Drive originals.

To be honest, I really don't like playing through emulation. It just doesn't feel the same, especially with screen size and the controller not being the same. If I'm playing Genesis games, I want to play with a Genesis controller, not a knockoff PS2-style USB controller. I've used emulation in the past if I REALLY wanted to play a game that I didn't have yet/couldn't obtain (See: Blockbuster Championship II Cart, Tetris), but even still it just doesn't feel right.

And what's the point of even having the hardware if you aren't going to use it? Hardware all the way!

Hardware wins.

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Originally Posted by Baloo

To be honest, I really don't like playing through emulation. It just doesn't feel the same, especially with screen size and the controller not being the same. If I'm playing Genesis games, I want to play with a Genesis controller, not a knockoff PS2-style USB controller. I've used emulation in the past if I REALLY wanted to play a game that I didn't have yet/couldn't obtain (See: Blockbuster Championship II Cart, Tetris), but even still it just doesn't feel right.

And what's the point of even having the hardware if you aren't going to use it? Hardware all the way!

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The controller is definitely a big part of making a Genesis game feel like a Genesis game...

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Originally Posted by sketch

The controller is definitely a big part of making a Genesis game feel like a Genesis game...

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Quote for truth.

Right now my favorite Genesis controller is the official 3-Button. Why? Because it makes me feel even more that I'm playing a Genesis game. I have fond memories of playing Sonic & Knuckles in horrible RF with this kind of controller. It has a very "nostalgicible" feel to it. :D

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Originally Posted by Guntz

Quote for truth.

Right now my favorite Genesis controller is the official 3-Button. Why? Because it makes me feel even more that I'm playing a Genesis game. I have fond memories of playing Sonic & Knuckles in horrible RF with this kind of controller. It has a very "nostalgicible" feel to it. :D

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Amusingly, I *just* got my first, original 3-Button Sega controller (embarrassing, I know). When I started collecting as the Genesis was dying, I bough a Genesis 3. Since then, I've picked up a number of consoles and controllers, but always seemed to pick up 6-button controllers through circumstance. I finally ran across one in the wild for cheap and picked it up. I have to say, I really like it a lot. It's now my preferred controller (unless a game needs 6 buttons, like SF or Comix Zone). I like the heft and the ease of pressing the buttons. The d-pad is superior to the 6-button as well (at least, to the ones I have). It's amazing I've gone this long without one.