Hyperkin 64: Could It?

I've had this soak into my head the possibility of this system. Obviously the other Hyperkin products were for other cartridge based systems. It seems very logical to go the Nintendo 64 route and probably be one of the very last projects to tackle. But I do think there will be problems. It ties into the whole fifth generation of gaming.

Outside of PlayStation, that generation has its struggles with emulation. No one dabbles with the 3DO and Atari Jaguar due to a lack of interest. The Saturn has had many leaps. Still some struggles because of the complicated hardware, but the progress has been large in improvement the last 10 to 15 years. The last time I was into N64 emulation was about four years ago around this time. And personally, it had progress but still a lot of problems.

A lot of it is either big frame rate issues or it's a graphical glitchfest. I know sports games aren't coveted by hardcore gamers, but a lot of them suffer from one of the two. It's a shame that they don't get the same treatment like a Goldeneye or Mario 64. Speaking of which, some of the big name titles like Banjo-Kazooie struggle. That being said, it depends on the computer/laptop you're using, the emulator for the 64, and specific plugins for said emulator. Some games work a certain method. Others, a different one. A lot of people don't realize that the 64, like the Saturn, has a bit of complicated hardware, too. But the progress in emulating is a bit behind the Saturn.

Regarding the Hyperkin 64, I'm not sure this thing will do well whenever it comes out. There's a lot of bugs that need fixing for the games, and I can't see this being coveted by gamers. A lot of patches will be needed to keep customers happy.

When's a Game System Overrated or Underrated?

Whenever you're enjoying a game system, you're focused on the games it offered and the ones that hold some sentimental value to you. Sometimes, you might share the same sentiments as others. You could also look at a few things that make them either overrated or underrated. How does it come down to that?

You can still enjoy something that is overrated, but that doesn't mean you're going to be putting it on a pedestal. One example is the Super NES. Especially if you search deep into the library, it's a good system. However, it's praised so much by fanboys, any legit criticism you have is drowned out by them. Not to mention some of the titles are put high on that pedestal and that you can't say anything negative about Mario or Final Fantasy or that type of thing. The sad thing also for that system, most fanboys can only name about 20 titles and that's it, most of it being Nintendo and role playing games. Playing games doesn't always mean only playing the ones everyone talks about.

Underrated is a different animal. Even if a system did very well, there are some that ignore the library that was offered like the Game Boy. If you can look beyond Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon, it sported a decent library of games from both Nintendo and third party games. A number of them hold a lot of playability today. Although finding games for this kind of handheld is difficult, that doesn't mean they are worthless. There are hidden ones that you might enjoy. You never know what you're going to find in something like a Game Boy.

What if they are both? You can say a system is both underrated and overrated, but you better have your reasons. Like the Sega Saturn for example. A lot of people tend to overrate it by over exaggerating the quality of it's library. It's good, but it's not that good. However, it has those titles that many ignore and don't get looked at, making it seemed more underrated than you think. I'd say the same thing with the Nintendo 64 for some of the same examples. Over exaggerating the quality of the library, but a number of them being ignored. That doesn't mean they are systems you shouldn't go after. But that doesn't mean you'll share the same thoughts of certain people.

What's your take on overrated or underrated? It can go either way in today's world of gaming.