A Dark Emulation Scene

This week is a very dark one for the emulation scene if what is said is true. I've never been a huge fan of bsnes/higan, which is a Super NES emulator that strived for accuracy and making all games work. SNES9x I thought was a better one. But that doesn't mean anything for the time being as the guy who created higan has supposedly passed away via suicide. Near/byuu took his own life and fingers are being pointed towards online bullies that harassed him and make things worse for him and anyone close to him. It has upset a lot of people involved in gaming and the emulation scene.

Online bullying is not new. It has grown out of control in the last ten years or so. Controversial figures, teenagers, anyone can be a target, whether it's real criticism or straight up harassment. In the realm of people getting picked on, I feel like that's more from teenagers who feel that the whole world is against them. But this can also apply to adults as well. Near was the target of a group that has been in the spotlight at points for other types of tragedies. There were things about him such as being non-binary and several other things that no one will realize.

Near had been working on emulation for over 15 years. The dedication from that is a huge welcome. If only others would do that for stuff like Sega Saturn and obscure systems that don't get enough love. But the dedication has also lead to people who flat out hate the guy. I would have to wager that it got so severe that he lost it mentally. You act in ways you typically don't do. It wouldn't surprise me if he had depression. Unfortunately, that is still a stigma whenever mental health comes into play. Nothing ever gets done and almost always when it's too little, too late. While a different situation, this feels a lot like what happened with comedian Robin Williams. Top of their game and then they end their life. No one to help them or to even see a doctor.

Also unfortunate is the online bullies getting doxxed. Groups can get pissed, but fighting fire with fire was a very bad idea. The best way to fight back is to go after the people in charge of running those types of sites and create a huge stink. Some question if Near even passed away. There was a confirmation made by someone close him that it did happen. Some have suggested punishments for the future. That won't happen. I look at it as huge legal issues since anyone around the world can say anything and laws are different everywhere.

The best anyone could potentially do is to talk to a suicide helpline or speak to doctors. Maybe we can stop making mental health and depression so taboo. Let's make more people aware of this. Very unfortunate with what happened to Near. The best we can do is celebrate the efforts made to make emulation much better. A lot has changed since 2004 and if not for people like him, the scene would not have thrived.

YouTube Videos: Sep 28-Oct 4

YouTube Videos Sep 7-13

Mortal Kombat Overview/Review

September of 1993 brought in huge hype for the port of Mortal Kombat to the home market. It was an institution in the arcades the year before and was more for its graphics and violence compared to Street Fighter II. With its release on the 13th known as Mortal Monday, it showed up on the SNES, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, and Game Gear. Within the next year, it was on the Sega Master System in Europe, DOS computers, Amiga, and the Sega CD. I'll have my thoughts on the SNES and Genesis versions.

All versions followed the same story as the arcade. The seven fighters all have their reasons for being in Shang Tsung's tournament. As far as intros, at least the computer versions retain the stuff the arcade had. Windows 3.1 and the Amiga were very capable of doing a lot more compared to home consoles.

With that in mind, graphics outside of the computer versions had to be toned down. If we're digging into the 16-bit ones, the SNES version was mostly accurate. A little toned, but it was there. Animations were very strong. The Genesis suffered from the color palette, but was decent on its own. Its animations were minimal. Audio, the computers and Sega CD version were in touch with the arcade, especially on computers. The SNES version was more accurate, but was very quiet and didn't have that oomph that the arcade had at times. On the Genesis, it was more lively and felt more action like. Everything except the Genesis handled sound effects and voices with strong efforts.

The emphasis for Mortal Kombat was on the blood and fatalities. It has the basic moves that most fighters had. You had to fight everyone including yourself, a few endurance matches and then the final bosses. With the SNES port, the controls were a little sluggish, but it wasn't unplayable. It took some time and once you got the hang of it, you could do some damage. Regarding the Genesis, it was a bit smoother despite the limited animations. There wasn't any lag or anything.

If I'm going to put a knock into those two ports, it's the very high difficulty. Even on easy, you will have problems. At least the SNES version allows for infinite continues. Of course, we can't talk about that one without mentioning the censorship. That was dumb on Nintendo's part.

If you're looking for a port of the original, it can go either way. The arcade version itself may still be on PS3 and 360 if you're looking for that.  Mortal Kombat has its place in both success and controversy. It wasn't a slouch back then, but may change depending on your tastes in fighting games and the series.

Genesis: 6.5 out of 10      SNES: 6.5 out of 10

YouTube Videos: June 1-7

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.

YouTube Videos: April 20-26

YouTube Videos: April 13-19