Share your hidden gems and insider tips

thelostsoul

@caver01 Wow, thats a brilliant idea! Unfortunately I don't have spinner, but it is on my to do list. Until now, I didn't think about racing games with a spinner.

Clyde

@thelostsoul Interesting, because that was one of my first thoughts to try sometime. I even looked for a handheld spinner but, alas, without any luck up until today. So, if you happen to know or stumble upon a handheld spinner, I'd very much like to hear about it. :)

By the way, does anyone remember the NeGcon for the PS1? Or even know where to get (a similar) one? In a way, this controller is a real hidden hardware gem.

Oh, and I just learned about the Jogcon from Wikipedia article. Didn't know that one. Also a nice handheld design for racing games.

mediamogul

@clyde said in Share your hidden gems and insider tips:

By the way, does anyone remember the NeGcon for the PS1?

The NeGcon controller can be emulated in lr-pcsx-rearmed with the left joystick and there are several configuration options to customize the behavior. Unfortunately there are no USB adapters that support the actual controller itself. However, mapping a steering wheel, spinner or other analog device as the left joystick should allow some pretty creative control schemes to the NeGcon games. The Nintendo labo steering wheel would be an interesting experiment.

Clyde

@mediamogul Very interesting, thanks. But I'm looking for the opposite: a way to steer non-PSX games with a handheld controller like the NeGcon.

It's very unfortunate that there're no NeGcon-to-USB adapters out there. :(

robertvb83

@clyde wow this would be so freaking super cool... I would love to use a NeGcon controller for other games too

standard PSX-controller-usb-adapters won't work here?

mediamogul

@robertvb83 said in Share your hidden gems and insider tips:

standard PSX-controller-usb-adapters won't work here?

Unfortunately not. The NeGcon's analog control scheme actually predates Sony's own and is a non-standard implementation. Also, by all accounts, a few of the buttons don't function either.

Clyde

@mediamogul *hates the universe that makes this possible* ;)

edit: I acquired two RaceRoom Driving Controllers some years ago, but they have a way too strong pull to their center position to provide a pleasant playing experience. :/ And they are too small for my adult hands.

VictimRLSH

I didn't save any dial encoders from my days operating arcades (89-93), BUT I do have two Happ Supersticks. :)

mediamogul

Here's one from the brilliant minds behind 'Little Sampson', entitled 'Cocoron'. I'm gonna spend some time with it over the weekend, but based on its pedigree and concept alone it's worth recommending. Here's a link to the English translation patch and below is the Game Dave video that turned me on to it.

Starcade2084

@mediamogul I played the heck out of Activision's "Frostbite" to where I got a proper high score and managed to take a usable picture off the tv. I never got around to sending the picture in thus never earning the one patch I could've (it was the only 2600 Activision game I had back then.) I wish there were repros of the patches or some enamel pins I could get to stick on my jacket.

Clyde

@starcade2084 Welcome to the club. I also never sent in my picture of H.E.R.O. 😳

mediamogul

@starcade2084 said in Share your hidden gems and insider tips:

I wish there were repros of the patches or some enamel pins I could get to stick on my jacket.

Same here. I'd be great if they released a pin set as part of some anniversary or something.

celly

I just started playing Zombie Shiko - Eigo Ryoku Sosei Jutsu - English of the Dead on my DSi and holy crap, this game is a lot of fun. Its basicly The House of the Dead 2 or the Typing of the Dead but instead of shooting or typing, you write the words out with the stylus on the touchscreen. The game is a Japan exclusive but navigating the menus is easy and once you get to playing, the words are English.

VictimRLSH

Bill's Tomato Game (Amiga, Megadrive/Genesis). This game is a take on the Lemmings theme were you have to prepare a path to travel safely along. You have a tomato on a springboard, and you fling it into the playfield where you have placed devices to help the tomato reach the goal without becoming tomato sauce. Fortunately, you get unlimited tomatoes to try and solve the level, but there is a timer. After each level you get a 4-character password so you don't have to start over each session (but I just use save state on Genesis version). Horribly addictive.

thelostsoul

@celly Unfortunately I don't use a DS emulator. It looks so fun to play, but thats something only gonna work with appropriate input devices.

@victimrlsh This is a true hidden gem and an interesting idea. I prefer the Mega Drive version, as have full gamepad support and less pain working with the Amiga emulator. The Mega Drive version is a prototype, but seems to be fully functional.

KN4THX

They aren't really hidden gems, but a lot of people didn't seem to own these two or play them when I did:

*NES - Jackal *- Reminds me of a vehicle Contra but way more fun to me than Contra, I love the vehicle combat.

NES - Crystalis - Kinda simple and plain but still fun. It's an RPG closer to Zelda than anything I believe.

PSX - Tetris Plus - Great game. It has a puzzle element where an explorer who looks like Bob The Builder is trying to reach the bottom floor. He tries to go down but if there isn't an opening he climbs your blocks if they aren't too high and there spikes at the top that will kill him. It's super fun to compete with a friend. We used to play this and Mario Kart 64 Battle mode once GoldenEye lost a bit of steam with us.

thelostsoul

@thedatacereal We actually played a Tetris Plus version for arcade at MAME ROW Tetris Plus 2. I can recommend it too, a really cool and quality game. Here and there I read about Jackal, never played it. Same goes to Crystalis, which got high praise at some point. Is this game made by SNK?

VictimRLSH

@thedatacereal If you like vehicle combat, have you ever played the Arcade game Silkworm?

thelostsoul

@victimrlsh I had Silkworm for Amiga and it had gorgeous explosion soundeffects! But I was playing it too bad to complete it. The Arcade version does not come even close to the music and explosion sounds of the Amiga version.

VictimRLSH

@thelostsoul I was not aware of that, I'll see if I have that image (or even the disk, cleaned out the Amiga store in Mill Creek when I lived in Seattle, games were going for $1 a pop, I might have it in my crate of stuff I never played). Speaking of glorious hidden gems, I spent most of my Amiga days playing MechForce (but I already started a MF thread).