Retro gaming at it's best

[Scooter]

I've been more in collector mode of late instead of into actually PLAYING the games. Dorky, I know.

Last night I decided to go to bed early. I didn't feel like reading so I popped Sonic 3 into my new Nomad and played until the rechargable battery gave out then connected the AC adaptor to keep going. I didn't get very far and I apprently STILL suck at the special stage stuff but I was rather amazed at just how good the screen is on the Nomad. The only real limitation is the size of the screen which makes reading small fonts and seeing very small sprites difficult but this particular game has large sprites and bright colors and looks freaking fantastic and holds up pretty well even when the action on screen gets moving quickly. Keep in mind I also have a PSP which has a wonderful screen so it's not like I'm simply not used to a better screen. The Nomad screen blows the Game Gear screen away entirely, especially when the screen has to scroll rapidly, but part of that comparison may be the Game Gear's less sophisticated hardware and software. I still like 'em both.

I got some killer games for the Game Gear recently that I'll probably be playing in bed on my Game Gear soon. What a great way to relax at the very end of the day. I've never before owned Tails Adventure, Sonic Labyrinth or Defenders of Oasis since I could never find them back in the day when I had my Game Gear stuff new so these would be great bedtime players.

Man how I wish I'd have bought a Nomad years ago when they were new! I am disappointed that one of my favorites, Decap Attack, won't play on the Nomad though. I hope it's the only one I have that's like that. Other games like Steel Empire are hard to play on the hand held since many of the bullet sprites are so small they barely if at all register on the tiny screen so it can be hard to tell what weapon you are using or if you are shooting in the right direction.

My wife must think I'm quite a geek and probably look like I'm on life support what with all the power cords, headphone cords and such draped around me to play privately so as not to disturb her reading or sleep. In the end, I guess I'm still a gamer who collects and not just a collector!

Does anyone else still play their retro handhelds on a regular basis?

[abeisgreat]

I still play my Nomad every week or so. I love some of the old basketball games from genesis

[Gamerforlife]

I use to play some stuff on the original Gameboy like Super Mario land, Castlevania and TMNT. Unfortunately, I sold the gameboy and the games I had years ago. Since then, I don't really play portable games anymore. It's not that the interest isn't there. It's just that I can barely keep up with games on the bigger consoles.

I have a nice setup in my room with a small tv with an SNES, Genesis, Saturn, N64 and Dreamcast hooked up to it through a very small entertainment center. Whenever I want to unwind before bed I usually just play something on one of those systems or watch tv. My setup is conveniently next to my bed so if I get sleepy, I don't have far to move.

The family room is for the the PS 2, Gamecube, Xbox and Xbox 360, basically all the modern stuff. The bedroom is the best place for older systems because if I want to play something before bed I want something that is uncomplicated and doesn't make me stare constantly at a now loading screen. Ninety percent of modern games don't meet that criteria.