Random Gaming Thoughts

[Exhuminator]

even if technically correct

I say facts are facts. Regional or not.

Is the PS2 "retro"? Considering it's now two generations behind us, I'd say so. Is the PS2's gargantuan library of amazing games' fun factor somehow diminished because of its feature obsolescence compared to modern platforms? Nope.

[CRTGAMER]

It was the king of its time, but I now I finally see it as an outdated system. No HD, No HDD, No wireless controllers, no online store, no online gameplay, and many of the games got better/bigger sequels (GTA 3 -> GTA 5) or an HD update on them.

Some of that is also regional, even if technically correct. The PS2 HDD was primarily supported only in Japan, and was only otherwise released in the U.S. for example. For a lot of the world, the PS2 never had one.

That Hard Drive is the best feature for anyone wanting to mod their PS2 without the risk of soldering a Mod Chip. Throw in a large hard drive (Fat PS2), install the PS2 games and put the discs away. Add a Flip Top to install import games as well, no mod chip needed! No idea why anyone would prefer running PS2 disc games on a PS3 when this option is so much faster loading.

As mentioned there are quite a few PS2 games that support 480p; two go all the way up to 1080i. There are unique and exclusive games on every console, the PS2 has quite a few worth keeping it hooked up.

[Westane]

She blows on it not in it because she saw me do it ONE TIME when I was in a rush. Every couple months I open my cartridges and clean the contacts with Brasso and 91% Isopropyl Alcohol and clean out all the cartridge slots on my console. My games also live in closed plastic cases, so there's virtually no crap to get blown up into them.

Unless you're living in an open shack in the middle of the Amazon jungle, you shouldn't need to keep cleaning them that often , especially if they're staying in cases. Even then, you should only use the brasso if they're badly corroded. Brasso has abrasives, so you're scrubbing the gold plating off for no reason.

Clean carts when you first get them. Clean them and the system if there's a problem or if something happens to get them dirty. Otherwise, leave them alone.

Alright look, listen here you!

,,,

...

...

... Okay fine.

[Ack]

There were lots of wireless PS2 controllers such as:

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-PlayStat ... controller

Hell, the SNES had wireless controllers come out for it. I don't think wireless tech should even be considered for what makes a "modern" versus "retro" console.

[Westane]

There were lots of wireless PS2 controllers such as:

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-PlayStat ... controller

Hell, the SNES had wireless controllers come out for it. I don't think wireless tech should even be considered for what makes a "modern" versus "retro" console.

If we classify the PS2 as a retro console, then we also have to classify the Gamecube and Xbox as retro as well. I think people are more willing to call the GC retro, and less so Xbox, but the PS2 is still in this weird middle ground.

If we take a trip to Google...

ret·ro

adjective
1.
imitative of a style, fashion, or design from the recent past.
"retro 60s fashions"
noun
noun: retro
1.
clothes or music whose style or design is imitative of those of the recent past.
"a look that mixes Italian casual wear and American retro"

Then yes, it's easy to call that generation retro for the sake of technicality, but then you consider games like Resident Evil 4/1/0 on the GC, Shadow of the Colossus and FF12 on the PS2, and... uh... I'm sure the Xbox probably had a couple good games, too!

I just call anything 2+ generations ago retro, otherwise my brain starts hurting.

[Ack]

But the PS2's clothes are definitely imitative of the past. You don't get a sleek 1980s Ridley Scott feel from it?

[Exhuminator]

It's true from a literal definition the term "retro" is wrong in referencing what an old console actually is. But in the common video gaming lexicon, "retro" simply has a different intended context. "Superannuated", "antediluvian", or "outmoded" might be more apt descriptors for obsolete console technology. But in the case of the PS2 I prefer "classic".

[Westane]

My PS2 still rocks the bouffant, doesn't yours?

Classic, though, I like/use classic.

[lisalover1]

Like I have said in the past, I think the reason most of the community has kept the Dreamcast as the "last retro console" for so long is not because it was a certain age, but instead because it represented a fundamental shift in ideas about what games should be. The DC was the last console for which arcade ports were a huge selling point - an idea pre-collapse Sega had always been inextricably married to. When it died, I believe the industry took it as a sign that the very idea was dead, too. That, and it also marked the end of the era in which console game development was entirely Japan-centric. With events such as the launch of the Xbox and the decline of the JRPG's popularity in the west, western developers became more prominent than ever. Plus, the more popular Japanese developers of this new era were the ones which started tailoring their efforts towards the more-powerful western market. This is why I believe the Dreamcast is considered the last "retro" system, even to this day - just because it lived and died against these new trends in console gaming. It was the last bastion of the mindset of the "classic era".

[mjmjr25]

blows on it

NO.

Westane - clear the dust away with canned air, by blowing, with an alcohol damped q-tip or any other means to remove whatever debris is in the way of getting a good connection.

I do not understand this craziness that surrounds blowing on your carts.

Here's what I do when I get a new PCB:
1. Rinse it under hot water
2. Scrub it with soap, water, and a bristle brush
3. Put it in the overn at 180 degrees for 30 minutes
4. Airdry it for a day

Here's how many issues i've had:

0

I've been blowing on carts that haven't loaded up the first time since 1986 - here's how many issues i've had:

0

The issue is moisture on the pin that is receiving power and the possibility of frying the system or cart. I've never seen this happen - i've only heard this can happen. So long as you don't dunk the cart in the bathtub and then immediately plug it in - you'll be good to go.

I'm guessing there is more natural moisture in the air in a humid areas than is emitted when your daughter blows on her carts.