Sixfortyfive
@sixfortyfive.bsky.social
ATL retro game / FGC guy.
The PS2 probably benefits the most from a CRT, as it has the greatest percentage of true 480i titles in its library. So you either need a good deinterlacer or just an actual tube TV.
But a higher-quality video signal is also a benefit. It shipped with YPbPr component support, after all.
But a higher-quality video signal is also a benefit. It shipped with YPbPr component support, after all.
November 29, 2025 at 2:59 PM
The PS2 probably benefits the most from a CRT, as it has the greatest percentage of true 480i titles in its library. So you either need a good deinterlacer or just an actual tube TV.
But a higher-quality video signal is also a benefit. It shipped with YPbPr component support, after all.
But a higher-quality video signal is also a benefit. It shipped with YPbPr component support, after all.
About 12 years ago I went down the rabbit hole of getting RGB cables and/or mods for all of my retro consoles. The N64 ended up being the only one where I felt it was ultimately pointless. So much of that library's aesthetic is built around the smeariest textures you've ever seen in your life.
November 29, 2025 at 11:11 AM
About 12 years ago I went down the rabbit hole of getting RGB cables and/or mods for all of my retro consoles. The N64 ended up being the only one where I felt it was ultimately pointless. So much of that library's aesthetic is built around the smeariest textures you've ever seen in your life.
Modular difficulty lets each player tailor the experience to their individual preferences. Static difficulty means that some players will hit a wall, but by collaborating with others (either via co-op or just sharing strategies), they can overcome it
The latter experience used to be way more common
The latter experience used to be way more common
November 29, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Modular difficulty lets each player tailor the experience to their individual preferences. Static difficulty means that some players will hit a wall, but by collaborating with others (either via co-op or just sharing strategies), they can overcome it
The latter experience used to be way more common
The latter experience used to be way more common
A lot of people who have a problem with this kind of design also don't really appreciate the idea that a single-player game can still be a social experience.
November 29, 2025 at 10:05 AM
A lot of people who have a problem with this kind of design also don't really appreciate the idea that a single-player game can still be a social experience.
Couching one's own preferences and tastes as a moral imperative is one of the absolute worst pet peeves of mine and those losers should be shamed for it every time.
November 29, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Couching one's own preferences and tastes as a moral imperative is one of the absolute worst pet peeves of mine and those losers should be shamed for it every time.
It's ableist to not write pop music.
November 29, 2025 at 9:52 AM
It's ableist to not write pop music.
Some people even expressed disappointment that it got "less support" than Mario Maker 1... when it got about twice as many substantial content updates as the first game.
The sequel simply had less emotional impact on these people, and they can't separate those feels from what the game actually is.
The sequel simply had less emotional impact on these people, and they can't separate those feels from what the game actually is.
November 29, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Some people even expressed disappointment that it got "less support" than Mario Maker 1... when it got about twice as many substantial content updates as the first game.
The sequel simply had less emotional impact on these people, and they can't separate those feels from what the game actually is.
The sequel simply had less emotional impact on these people, and they can't separate those feels from what the game actually is.
The one game in recent history that sticks out to me in this regard more than any other is Mario Maker 2. A whole lot of casual visibility for that game died the moment that Nintendo announced the final update, even though it's the type of game that should live on forever via community content.
November 29, 2025 at 9:48 AM
The one game in recent history that sticks out to me in this regard more than any other is Mario Maker 2. A whole lot of casual visibility for that game died the moment that Nintendo announced the final update, even though it's the type of game that should live on forever via community content.
A lot of "gamers" these days--insofar as they can be observed through social media--tend to talk about games more than be about games.
There's a certain crowd who is *way* into trailers and Discourse but don't stick around long after launch or when dev """support""" (more stuff to buy) dries up.
There's a certain crowd who is *way* into trailers and Discourse but don't stick around long after launch or when dev """support""" (more stuff to buy) dries up.
November 29, 2025 at 9:48 AM
A lot of "gamers" these days--insofar as they can be observed through social media--tend to talk about games more than be about games.
There's a certain crowd who is *way* into trailers and Discourse but don't stick around long after launch or when dev """support""" (more stuff to buy) dries up.
There's a certain crowd who is *way* into trailers and Discourse but don't stick around long after launch or when dev """support""" (more stuff to buy) dries up.
Jet Set Radio I'm somewhat less confident about, as I feel like they had already mostly forgotten what made that game good by the time Future released.
November 29, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Jet Set Radio I'm somewhat less confident about, as I feel like they had already mostly forgotten what made that game good by the time Future released.
Hell, even Sonic Superstars passes the "worth it" bar to me. I could nitpick *a lot* about that game if I wanted to, but it at least mostly plays how I think that style of game should, and if that's the kind of bone I'm thrown for that franchise once per console generation then I can live with that.
November 29, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Hell, even Sonic Superstars passes the "worth it" bar to me. I could nitpick *a lot* about that game if I wanted to, but it at least mostly plays how I think that style of game should, and if that's the kind of bone I'm thrown for that franchise once per console generation then I can live with that.
Cynicism is my default resting state, but Streets of Rage 4 and Sonic Mania have bought Sega at least a "maybe it'll be worth it" level of benefit of the doubt for the immediate future.
November 29, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Cynicism is my default resting state, but Streets of Rage 4 and Sonic Mania have bought Sega at least a "maybe it'll be worth it" level of benefit of the doubt for the immediate future.
To me it clearly ties into SMB2J being "for super players," the tag line on its box art. Super Mario Bros is a game for people who have never played a platformer before. SMB2 is for people who know how to play Super Mario Bros.
November 29, 2025 at 4:55 AM
To me it clearly ties into SMB2J being "for super players," the tag line on its box art. Super Mario Bros is a game for people who have never played a platformer before. SMB2 is for people who know how to play Super Mario Bros.
The reason why I assume it's intentional is because the dev team clearly understood the "shell kick on stairs" trick well enough at this point to have patched out every (easy) instance of it in VSMB just a few months prior, yet they allowed for this with literally the first structure in SMB2J.
Super Mario Bros. Lost Levels Infinite Lives
YouTube video by St X
www.youtube.com
November 29, 2025 at 4:55 AM
The reason why I assume it's intentional is because the dev team clearly understood the "shell kick on stairs" trick well enough at this point to have patched out every (easy) instance of it in VSMB just a few months prior, yet they allowed for this with literally the first structure in SMB2J.
Like, I think there is value in the final boss encounters of the Genesis Sonic games granting the players no rings and thus being rather demanding tests of pattern recognition and reflexes, but I also like that debug mode is available for a player who just doesn't really want to bother.
November 29, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Like, I think there is value in the final boss encounters of the Genesis Sonic games granting the players no rings and thus being rather demanding tests of pattern recognition and reflexes, but I also like that debug mode is available for a player who just doesn't really want to bother.
I'd probably fall into an "anti-options" type, but I'm all in favor of just bringing back cheat codes. Like when there's a clear demarcation of what is "intended/normal" and what's extra, it just lands better to me.
November 29, 2025 at 4:16 AM
I'd probably fall into an "anti-options" type, but I'm all in favor of just bringing back cheat codes. Like when there's a clear demarcation of what is "intended/normal" and what's extra, it just lands better to me.
It also leads to getting bait-and-switched. If you click w/ the launch version of a game only for it to be altered into a state you no longer recognize (Tekken 8), and you can't return to the version you liked, it kills the desire to pick up another game that'll eventually have the same problems.
November 29, 2025 at 4:00 AM
It also leads to getting bait-and-switched. If you click w/ the launch version of a game only for it to be altered into a state you no longer recognize (Tekken 8), and you can't return to the version you liked, it kills the desire to pick up another game that'll eventually have the same problems.
Hyper-frequent patch culture caters to a userbase that *doesn't* adapt. Why actually grind out solutions to your problems when a few highly visible content creators can just play debate politics and steer the conversation into having the devs "fix" it for you?
November 29, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Hyper-frequent patch culture caters to a userbase that *doesn't* adapt. Why actually grind out solutions to your problems when a few highly visible content creators can just play debate politics and steer the conversation into having the devs "fix" it for you?
I've legitimately felt bait-and-switched on a couple of games to the point where it's more or less killed my interest in picking up another one. Can't even go back to the "good" versions in some cases. Why even bother?
I especially pity anybody who got into Tekken 8.
I especially pity anybody who got into Tekken 8.
November 29, 2025 at 3:55 AM
I've legitimately felt bait-and-switched on a couple of games to the point where it's more or less killed my interest in picking up another one. Can't even go back to the "good" versions in some cases. Why even bother?
I especially pity anybody who got into Tekken 8.
I especially pity anybody who got into Tekken 8.
One of the single biggest reasons I got into fighting games in the first place was to get *away* from patch/rules discourse. I absolutely hated to partake in scenes where the debate politics of "what should the game be?" took up just as much mindshare as grinding out what the game *is.*
November 29, 2025 at 3:50 AM
One of the single biggest reasons I got into fighting games in the first place was to get *away* from patch/rules discourse. I absolutely hated to partake in scenes where the debate politics of "what should the game be?" took up just as much mindshare as grinding out what the game *is.*
Like, literally one of the main reasons I got into fighting games was to get *away* from this kind of discourse. I absolutely hated to partake in competitive scenes where the politics of "what should the game be?" took up just as much if not more mindshare than just grinding on what the game *is.*
November 29, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Like, literally one of the main reasons I got into fighting games was to get *away* from this kind of discourse. I absolutely hated to partake in competitive scenes where the politics of "what should the game be?" took up just as much if not more mindshare than just grinding on what the game *is.*
One of the most underrated aspects of Super are the occasional ways that it butts in to remind the viewer that Goku isn't particularly altruistic or selfless.
And it's really funny how that manages to chaff people who can't get the idea of "Goku as Superman" out of their heads.
And it's really funny how that manages to chaff people who can't get the idea of "Goku as Superman" out of their heads.
November 29, 2025 at 1:35 AM
One of the most underrated aspects of Super are the occasional ways that it butts in to remind the viewer that Goku isn't particularly altruistic or selfless.
And it's really funny how that manages to chaff people who can't get the idea of "Goku as Superman" out of their heads.
And it's really funny how that manages to chaff people who can't get the idea of "Goku as Superman" out of their heads.