Dean Rands | Crowence
@crowence.com
“Game Designer and Developer” who is slowly imploding. Games are great.
Work and thoughts at crowence.com
(Sorry, but please don't ask me for money - I don't have any)
Work and thoughts at crowence.com
(Sorry, but please don't ask me for money - I don't have any)
I just gave it a read, and it was a cool write-up (especially since the Intellivision and its era are blind spots for me). Sucks that your time with DF is up (from the outside, I thought it'd be a long-term thing), but best wishes for what comes next. Nice work with the site, in general.
January 19, 2026 at 9:28 PM
I just gave it a read, and it was a cool write-up (especially since the Intellivision and its era are blind spots for me). Sucks that your time with DF is up (from the outside, I thought it'd be a long-term thing), but best wishes for what comes next. Nice work with the site, in general.
Oh, sorry for the spam, but just saw another caveat - the 2X doesn't take SCART (the Pro takes Component, but the Mini only takes Composite and S-Video, and S-Video isn't as common in Europe as America). So, if you're leaning on Composite, you're likely not going to get a sharp/clean image.
December 22, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Oh, sorry for the spam, but just saw another caveat - the 2X doesn't take SCART (the Pro takes Component, but the Mini only takes Composite and S-Video, and S-Video isn't as common in Europe as America). So, if you're leaning on Composite, you're likely not going to get a sharp/clean image.
Could be - I can't speak for its quality personally, but I know that a lot of reputable people trust RetroTINK products. But yeah, there's the caveat that it's a line doubler, so most of the scaling and processing is up to your TV. Could be good for your use case, though :¬)
December 22, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Could be - I can't speak for its quality personally, but I know that a lot of reputable people trust RetroTINK products. But yeah, there's the caveat that it's a line doubler, so most of the scaling and processing is up to your TV. Could be good for your use case, though :¬)
Yeah, the higher-end RetroTINKs, OSSC Pro and Pixel FX Morph are big money. The RAD2X cables are less money, but system-specific (and still pretty pricey for cables) and they're line doublers, so a lot of scaling is still left to the whims of the TV itself...
December 22, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Yeah, the higher-end RetroTINKs, OSSC Pro and Pixel FX Morph are big money. The RAD2X cables are less money, but system-specific (and still pretty pricey for cables) and they're line doublers, so a lot of scaling is still left to the whims of the TV itself...
I don't like the grammatical ambiguity (either word could be reasoned to work for either description), but a hitbox is a collider that hits other colliders and a hurtbox is a collider that determines a character getting hurt when hit. I think this is agreed-upon for fighting game devs and players.
December 22, 2025 at 7:03 AM
I don't like the grammatical ambiguity (either word could be reasoned to work for either description), but a hitbox is a collider that hits other colliders and a hurtbox is a collider that determines a character getting hurt when hit. I think this is agreed-upon for fighting game devs and players.
Your building's about to have an infestation
(Looks super good)
(Looks super good)
December 21, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Your building's about to have an infestation
(Looks super good)
(Looks super good)
(I still don't have any upscalers, since I intend to get a pricey one when I can for video capture, but generally like sticking with my CRT. So yeah, can't speak from personal experience, but people who spend the big money seem very happy with RetroTINK upscalers.)
December 21, 2025 at 4:33 PM
(I still don't have any upscalers, since I intend to get a pricey one when I can for video capture, but generally like sticking with my CRT. So yeah, can't speak from personal experience, but people who spend the big money seem very happy with RetroTINK upscalers.)
There's a whole rabbit hole of upscaling solutions made for games (to minimise latency and overcome sync issues with resolution switching), for a massive range of prices. retrorgb.com/upscalers.html covers some options, and YT channels like My Life in Gaming have made videos on a load of them.
Upscalers - RetroRGB
Upscalers If you prefer to play your classic consoles on a modern flat-panel TV, you can route your game system through a device that "upscales" the original resolution of your console into modern res...
retrorgb.com
December 21, 2025 at 4:33 PM
There's a whole rabbit hole of upscaling solutions made for games (to minimise latency and overcome sync issues with resolution switching), for a massive range of prices. retrorgb.com/upscalers.html covers some options, and YT channels like My Life in Gaming have made videos on a load of them.
It's just me with less hair
December 18, 2025 at 6:15 PM
It's just me with less hair
It just needs a "Remind Me Later" button for the cherry on top
December 18, 2025 at 3:16 PM
It just needs a "Remind Me Later" button for the cherry on top
Fun video :¬)
Man, I've wanted to try out Dark Edge since seeing people playing it on the Astro City Mini (and those reflections in that water stage). I definitely wish that more large publishers were cool with funding weird experiments like that these days, but hey ho...
Man, I've wanted to try out Dark Edge since seeing people playing it on the Astro City Mini (and those reflections in that water stage). I definitely wish that more large publishers were cool with funding weird experiments like that these days, but hey ho...
December 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Fun video :¬)
Man, I've wanted to try out Dark Edge since seeing people playing it on the Astro City Mini (and those reflections in that water stage). I definitely wish that more large publishers were cool with funding weird experiments like that these days, but hey ho...
Man, I've wanted to try out Dark Edge since seeing people playing it on the Astro City Mini (and those reflections in that water stage). I definitely wish that more large publishers were cool with funding weird experiments like that these days, but hey ho...
He's definitely one of the people whom I'm sad about still being over in that hellscape - found it fun to read (or at least try to read) his random musings when I still used Twitter. Same goes for Harada and his threads.
December 9, 2025 at 3:47 PM
He's definitely one of the people whom I'm sad about still being over in that hellscape - found it fun to read (or at least try to read) his random musings when I still used Twitter. Same goes for Harada and his threads.
Sequel's great, too. Definitely need to replay both of them soon.
November 21, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Sequel's great, too. Definitely need to replay both of them soon.
The game and accessory are super cool, though pressing the buttons while holding the DS up kind of destroys my wrist... Only used it with an original model DS, mind you.
November 20, 2025 at 1:58 PM
The game and accessory are super cool, though pressing the buttons while holding the DS up kind of destroys my wrist... Only used it with an original model DS, mind you.
My head always reaches for this track: youtu.be/tVUYyVfydqY?...
Super Metroid Music - Brinstar (The Jungle Floor)
YouTube video by Metroid Music Channel
youtu.be
November 15, 2025 at 10:52 AM
My head always reaches for this track: youtu.be/tVUYyVfydqY?...
Ah, Zero Zero's great, too (though I wish I were better at the 電車でGO! gameplay... Need to actually practise...). I do love my Playdate :¬)
November 7, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Ah, Zero Zero's great, too (though I wish I were better at the 電車でGO! gameplay... Need to actually practise...). I do love my Playdate :¬)
I guess it's obvious that I have pretty obstructive mental issues. Getting anything done is an arctic expedition. I still manage to shower every day, as though people will notice. My cat's lovely and innocent, but clearly getting old. If anyone reads this, sorry for the weight. Have a good one.
9/9
9/9
November 5, 2025 at 12:46 PM
I guess it's obvious that I have pretty obstructive mental issues. Getting anything done is an arctic expedition. I still manage to shower every day, as though people will notice. My cat's lovely and innocent, but clearly getting old. If anyone reads this, sorry for the weight. Have a good one.
9/9
9/9
There's so much kindness, coolness, discovery and beauty, but so many are following leaders in a push for hate and division, and following corporate interests in the devaluation of creativity. With this world trajectory, I often wonder what I'm even hanging around for, given my own prospects.
8/9
8/9
November 5, 2025 at 12:46 PM
There's so much kindness, coolness, discovery and beauty, but so many are following leaders in a push for hate and division, and following corporate interests in the devaluation of creativity. With this world trajectory, I often wonder what I'm even hanging around for, given my own prospects.
8/9
8/9
I've grown disconnected and misaligned from the world around me. Where there still remain aspirations, they're pinned-up as impossibilities. I work as though moving towards some of them, actually going nowhere and always conscious of that. I see nothing else worth pursuing.
7/9
7/9
November 5, 2025 at 12:46 PM
I've grown disconnected and misaligned from the world around me. Where there still remain aspirations, they're pinned-up as impossibilities. I work as though moving towards some of them, actually going nowhere and always conscious of that. I see nothing else worth pursuing.
7/9
7/9
Where previously I'd felt myself worsening conversations (such that I'd avoid talking to people not approaching me), I've grown to see a man who worsens lives, sanding away at those who care. People clearly want for me to be okay, but whenever I manage to make an impression, it's pain.
6/9
6/9
November 5, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Where previously I'd felt myself worsening conversations (such that I'd avoid talking to people not approaching me), I've grown to see a man who worsens lives, sanding away at those who care. People clearly want for me to be okay, but whenever I manage to make an impression, it's pain.
6/9
6/9