ToastyFrog
Inexplicable Treasure Hate
Thanks! The nice thing about working in a niche is that the audience is smaller but more personally invested, and more supportive.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Chrontendo Thread of playing The Good, The Bad, The Ugly of the Famicom/NES
- Thread starter Worthintendo
- Start date
Thanks! The nice thing about working in a niche is that the audience is smaller but more personally invested, and more supportive.
Speaking of Game Boy World, have you considered starting using a Super Game Boy 2 for capture instead? As I'm sure you know, the original Super Game Boy runs about 2% slower than an actual GB and this was corrected with the SGB2. Not a huge difference but in some games the audio suffers a little.
Just wanted to say that I also really enjoy your Game Boy-world thing you have got going. As well as retronauts and the direction of USGamer!
ToastyFrog
Inexplicable Treasure Hate
I would have picked one up by now, but someone said they were going to send me one. That was a few months ago and it still hasn't shown up. Hopefully that will still happen...
Anyway, enough about my stuff. New Chrontendo!
The h.264 60fps version has been uploaded to Archive now, for those who prefer that:
https://archive.org/details/ChrontendoVolume48
I've also updated my little episode guide text file to cover all episodes. Good for finding out which episode contains which games. And the old link in this thread is dead anyway. Not as fancy as the incomplete episode guide linked on the blog, but it gets the job done. You can find that here:
http://synt4x.org/chrontendo_episodes.txt
https://archive.org/details/ChrontendoVolume48
I've also updated my little episode guide text file to cover all episodes. Good for finding out which episode contains which games. And the old link in this thread is dead anyway. Not as fancy as the incomplete episode guide linked on the blog, but it gets the job done. You can find that here:
http://synt4x.org/chrontendo_episodes.txt
Worthintendo
Member
Updated the main post with all the recent Archive.org links I'd been missing. Can't wait to sit down and watch the new episode 
Hey thats awesome, is it cool if I add it to the first post?
Updated the main post with all the recent Archive.org links I'd been missing. Can't wait to sit down and watch the new episode
Hey thats awesome, is it cool if I add it to the first post?
Of course!
I also have similar ones for Chronsega and Chronturbo. I could upload them and update this post in a minute with links to those as well.
Edit:
Chronsega: http://synt4x.org/chronsega_episodes.txt
Chronturbo: http://synt4x.org/chronturbo_episodes.txt
So glad it finally got released! Hopefully the next few episodes are released at a more frequent pace... from what I understand, Dr S's social commitments plus the whole arcade game roundup presented a big roadblock to this getting released.
Also, anyone else a fan of his voice? It's a weird thing to say, but I find it strangely soothing, and I love his pronunciation of "ninja" ("neen-jah")
Also, anyone else a fan of his voice? It's a weird thing to say, but I find it strangely soothing, and I love his pronunciation of "ninja" ("neen-jah")
tose
Always makes me a bit drowsy when watching.
Been rewatching this lately, and I must say I am really surprised by his opinion of Battle of Olympus. That game is no masterpiece of course, but it is a solid game that takes some good stuff from Zelda 2/Simons Quest and add a very (for the time) interesting setting and some pretty fun combat and exploration. Not a 9 or 10-game for sure, but definitely a solid 6.
If I remember correctly, I thought he had some good reasons for it. The levels do get confusing and some of the enemies are annoying. And he's right about that first boss. He also didn't like/was very disappointed with Zelda 2 though, so his opinion is not surprising I guess. I feel like in many cases he'll looks for flaws more thoroughly if a game has a reputation or is one of those games that are remembered by many. I appreciate that actually. He doesn't simply praise every game that is fondly remembered, but sometimes it can perhaps be a bit too thoroughly.
JinjoUnchained
Member
His Battle of Olympus review was one of the few moments on Chrontendo when I strongly disagreed with him. OK, so there's a cheap boss or two and a couple of maze levels where screens look too similar. Those minor annoyances didn't stop me when I was 7 and shouldn't be a problem for a retro gamer. You'd think he'd pillory Metroid if he hated similar backgrounds so much.
Other one that stands out his review of Legacy of the Wizard. Another tough retro game that was par for the course for its' era, but Dr. S singled it out for some reason as some singularly unfair dungeon crawler. I hate to say "git gud", but...
I definitely agree that his complains were valid - they were just very overblown imo. For instance that early boss isnt really that hard, and the map is not that confusing. Zelda 2 is another AMAZING game that i dont think he gave a fair chance (my third favorite game on the system actually). And yeah Legacy of the Wizard really got shafted as well. Maybe this is natural when you have to play so much, your patience gets a little thin - but then again, like you say, Metroid is a way more monothome and frustrating game than either Zelda 2, Battle of Olympus and Legacy of the Wizard, and that game got pretty good review. Same applies to Kid Icarus.
Anyways, in general I really like his commentary, and just the fact that he is doing it, is amazing and I really hope he is back to normal schedule now.
Didn't see this posted yet and wanted to pass it along. His latest series, in addition to the Jaxxon Appreciation Society that goes issue by issue of the original Star Wars comic, is a yet-untitled video series going through all of the UK's Video Nasties banned movies. Might be worth a watch if you're into Dr. Sparkle's work.
I saw this topic yesterday and watched the first episode. Conceptually this is a really interesting idea but the guy is so dry and I just can't imagine that he makes all of the sholveware games interesting. That being said, I'm inclined to continue watching because I'm interested in learning a lot more about the Famicom and how its games develop over its lifespan.
Its definitely worth it. He is not over-the-top trying to be funny, but he still has some witty lines in every episode. More importantly, he does amazing resarch, and is really informative, so you should definitely continue.
Btw, came to his views on Blaster Master just now, and after how he has slammed stuff like Zelda 2, Legacy of the Wizard and Battle of Olympus (which we recently talked about) - I was surprised he gave this game such high praise. Its definitely a good game, but I think its way more frustrating than all those games, especially considering the fact that there is no saving or continues. Also, that crab-boss is ridiculously hard to beat, and the weapon-leveling system is pure bullshit. So yeah, I was surprised. Nice to finally see Sunsoft starting to put out decent games at that time - too bad the series still hasnt catched up the superior games (like the amazing Batman).
GreenTornadoX
Member
Not Chrontendo related but Dr. Sparkles Favorite Albums of the Year.
Finally, a face to go with the voice!
OrbitalBeard
Member
I never knew about this thread!
I LOVE Chrontendo, Chronturbo and Chronsega! I also LOVE Game Boy World!
Love love love....these shows are so great. All I have to say, really. Can't wait for more.
I LOVE Chrontendo, Chronturbo and Chronsega! I also LOVE Game Boy World!
Love love love....these shows are so great. All I have to say, really. Can't wait for more.
PassiveObserver
Member
Whoa what a trip to see his face. He's a legend though.
You could also see him in the intro to his pilot episode for the Video Nasties series. His head was shaved there though, so I guess that video was recorded a while ago. Was pretty mindblowing to finally see what the man behind that voice looks like after all these years. And now we get to see his hair as well! Who knows, one of these days we might even learn what his name is haha.
That video nasties project has the potential to be great. I was born at the start of Thatchers reign in the UK and was obsessed as a teen at the idea that there were films that I simply wasn't allowed to see. The very notion that the state was protecting me from vile, scrofulous cinematic output, and that VHS copies of said material were changing hands for literally hundreds of pounds at the time fascinated me.
So the fact that Drsparkle has chosen this as a project is weirdly resonant with me, he seems to be chronicling my pubescent obsessions fairly comprehensively.
If he ever makes a feature length documentary about Linsey dawn Mckenzie or Digitiser, then I don't think I can be held accountable for any such actions as may occur.
Also, new chrongaming series on the snes that might warrant our support below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0W0cUNA7fE
So the fact that Drsparkle has chosen this as a project is weirdly resonant with me, he seems to be chronicling my pubescent obsessions fairly comprehensively.
If he ever makes a feature length documentary about Linsey dawn Mckenzie or Digitiser, then I don't think I can be held accountable for any such actions as may occur.
Also, new chrongaming series on the snes that might warrant our support below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0W0cUNA7fE
GreenTornadoX
Member
JinjoUnchained
Member
Nice find, I'm in! I like that he used the Paul Rudd SNES commercial.
Dragoon En Regalia
Member
Really warming up to Chrontendo after having trouble mustering the interest. I think Sparkle's enunciation could improve, but it's only the opening episodes, and I'm sure he's improved since. Jaleco and Sunsoft definitely improved over time...
His fact-checking could use some revision: middle of episode 32, where he talks about Mark Flint's Famicom games, he says the programmer was a Texan working in Japan on PC and console. Both Wikipedia.jp and magazine synopses indicate he's Japanese, using an English pseudonym for unstated reasons (likely because he wanted to future-proof against the national stigma towards PC gamers/developers). Just clarifying this mistake ahead of time; I'm surprised Chrontendo's not the main hit when searching for this man on Google. (Sparkle also sounded really skeptical about Flint's prowess...Moon Ball Magic and Fire Rock get mixed reactions, but the PC games, like Zone for the PC-98 in 1985, are technically impressive for that era.)
His fact-checking could use some revision: middle of episode 32, where he talks about Mark Flint's Famicom games, he says the programmer was a Texan working in Japan on PC and console. Both Wikipedia.jp and magazine synopses indicate he's Japanese, using an English pseudonym for unstated reasons (likely because he wanted to future-proof against the national stigma towards PC gamers/developers). Just clarifying this mistake ahead of time; I'm surprised Chrontendo's not the main hit when searching for this man on Google. (Sparkle also sounded really skeptical about Flint's prowess...Moon Ball Magic and Fire Rock get mixed reactions, but the PC games, like Zone for the PC-98 in 1985, are technically impressive for that era.)
Worthintendo
Member
New Chronsega live on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_ds-YneEUU
Will update the main post as soon as the episode is up on Archive.org
Will update the main post as soon as the episode is up on Archive.org
Worthintendo
Member
Got an email from YouTube saying the new ep was upYou're jumping the gun.
Got an email from YouTube saying the new ep was up
It was private for a while.
But it's up now.Worthintendo
Member
Huh, he must have quickly set it to private after he uploaded it for some reason.It was private for a while.
Updated the main post with the archive.org link for Chronsega 9, also when did Archive.org get an ugly new site design :/
Nice! It's been a while since a new Chronsega. In fact, the last one was released in November 2012!
Odd that he hasn't updated the blog yet, although I guess not all formats are up yet. Seems the 60fps versions aren't uploaded. Maybe he's waiting for that.
And agreed about the archive.org redesign. I don't like it. Specifically I don't like how it lists the different files. :|
Odd that he hasn't updated the blog yet, although I guess not all formats are up yet. Seems the 60fps versions aren't uploaded. Maybe he's waiting for that.
And agreed about the archive.org redesign. I don't like it. Specifically I don't like how it lists the different files. :|
OrbitalBeard
Member
Yesssss new Chronsega episode!
JinjoUnchained
Member
Hey Chrontendo fans: the latest Retronauts podcast is about chrongaming and features Dr. S! Link below:
http://www.usgamer.net/articles/what-is-chrongaming-let-retronauts-fill-you-in
http://www.usgamer.net/articles/what-is-chrongaming-let-retronauts-fill-you-in
hosannainexcelsis
Member
So, is this dead? Hasnt been an update in forever
Dang, when I saw this was bumped I thought a new video might have actually come out.
Anyway, the last thing I can find is that back in August Dr. Sparkle said that Chronturbo 5 was almost completely recorded. No news since then, but there have been super long breaks between episodes before and a new one has always eventually come out, so I wouldn't give up hope yet.
At least that is something. Should just drop Chronturbo and especially Chronsega (since Greg Sewart is doing a great job on that anyways) now to get some progress on this.
kunonabi
Member
Does Sewart even do those vids anymore? All I see from him are bits and let's play stuff.
He is supposedly almost finished with the next one, they talk about it once in a while on the P1-podcast.
New Chronturbo is out on archive.org. Will be on Youtube tomorrow.
https://archive.org/details/ChronturboVolume5
https://archive.org/details/ChronturboVolume5
I always get so disappointed when this gets bumped, but FINALLY! Really looking forward to this
Worthintendo
Member
awesome ^_^, I know what I'm watching tonight
jacob armitage
Banned
Excellent! Wonder what my new partner will think of this, i don't think an episode has come out since we've started dating. Hopefully i'll be able to watch it tonight
transience
Member
chrontendo is a gem. I should get back to it... I made it to episode 25 or so and just moved on to other things. it's tough to make time to watch hours devoted to the super monkey daiboukens of the world.