Love letter to a generation

I want to talk about what I genuinely believe has been the greatest generation of gaming there has ever been - and no, this is not another overwrote trip down Memory Lane where I harp on about arcades. This article is about the last generation of games machines, the generation which, with the release of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this month, is finally entering retirement.

While I'm far from the oldest gamer around, at 38 I am still an old gamer. I'm old enough to remember the halcyon days of the 8-bit generation, the dawn of 16-bit generation and the sense of wonder that came with the first polygonal graphics. I started out on an old Pong clone, which featured two paddle controllers, five game modes and that's it! I "progressed" from that to an Atari 2600, then an Acorn Electron, then a Sega Master System, then a Commodore Amiga, then on to a PlayStation, an N64, a PC (with all the upgrading jiggery-pokery that goes with PC gaming), a Dreamcast, a PlayStation 2 and a GameCube combo, and I currently own a Wii and Xbox 360, with a smattering of PC gaming via Steam. I've owned GameBoys of all generations, as well as a Neo Geo Pocket and now get my mobile gaming kicks on my Sony Xperia phone. I was there when arcades ruled gaming and I rue the fact I did not realise they were fading into obsolescence until it was too late. I spent a number of years working in the industry for one of the UK's oldest developers, only to see them falter and fold under the mounting development costs of the last generation. What I'm saying is, when it comes to gaming, I've pretty much seen it all. So believe me when I say this past generation, the generation of the online console, DLC, motion gaming and indy games, has been the greatest generation in gaming history. Let's have a look at what's been going on since launch of the first last gen console.

Ex-Box

In 2001 Microsoft entered the console market with the Xbox, a vast black leviathan of a games machine with an equally vast controller, nicknamed "The Duke". The console was moderately successful, with Halo proving to be one of the most important games of the whole generation, but the Xbox was no where near as popular as its main rival, the PlayStation 2. Nonetheless, I think we were all surprised when Microsoft promptly replaced it, a mere 4 years later. That replacement was the Xbox 360, followed a year later by Sony's new console, the predictably named PlayStation 3. Little did anyone realise at the time just how different things were going to be this time around.

The first Xbox, not to be confused with the Xbox One.

High definition and online gaming

The mid-2000s saw the popularisation of two technologies that were crucial for getting the most out of the 360 and PS3: HDTVs and broadband internet. Suddenly, home consoles could offer the kind of high quality visuals and intense online competitive play which had previously been the preserve of PC gaming only. Both consoles had their fair share of brilliant online games, such as Forza 2 and Gears of War on the 360 and Killzone 2 and Resistance: Fall of Man on PS3, but it was a game that was available on both systems that really elevated online console gaming. That game, if you hadn't guessed, was Infinity Ward's sublime, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. From the moment we saw the ghilly suit and perks trailers, we knew this was going to be great, but we had no idea it would pretty much take over the gaming world, with people who might otherwise not even call themselves gamers buying consoles and playing nothing but Call of Duty.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was probably the most important
game of the generation.

But online gaming didn't just mean multiplayer, it also offered companies the opportunity to flog us Downloadable Content, or DLC for short. Some of this stuff genuinely added to the gaming experience, things like additional level packs, weapons and vehicles, but some of it was trash (the horse armour for Elder Scroll IV: Oblivion epitomised this kind of virtual racketeering)! It also allowed companies to push patches for their games, which lead to the unfortunate situation where games would ship needing to be patched right out of the box. The other controversial thing online consoles allowed companies to do was charge for content that was actually shipped on the disc . This had people incensed, although the idea of licensed software was not anything new, it was just new to video games; operating systems and software suites have been doing the same thing for years.

Motion gaming explosion

While Microsoft and Sony were winning over hardcore gamers, Nintendo, in a way that only Nintendo could pull off, won over non-gamers with something completely different. Technologically, the Wii console was years behind the 360 and PS3, but its use of motion based gaming as the central control method opened up the hobby to millions of people, from young children to mothers looking to do some exercise to old folks who had never previously even used a computer. For many people, the only games they needed on the Wii were Wii Sports, which was bundled with the console, and Wii Fit, complete with its high tech scales known as the balance board. Nonetheless, the console went on to ship over 100 million units - more than either of its HD rivals.

PlayStation Move is probably the best motion controller of them all.

Of course Microsoft or Sony could not allow Nintendo to corner such a significant part of the market and so in 2010 Sony launched their own version of the Wii-mote called the PlayStation Move and Microsoft launched their controller-free answer, the Kinect sensor. Neither proved to be as popular as Nintendo's console and for many hardcore console gamers these devices were an affront to everything the 360 and PS3 stood for.

Rise of the indies

Something else significant happened during the last generation. In stark contrast to the rising budgets and increasingly cinematic feel of games such as Uncharted, Heavy Rain and Mass Effect, small and independent studios started to attract the attention of the gaming press. Figures such as Jonathan Blow, Phil Fish and Markus "Notch" Persson created imaginative, alternative games that formed the foundation for the indie dev scene (which was also the former name and focus of this very blog). With the success of Minecraft and rave reviews Braid received, small developers started springing up everywhere. And thanks to the popularity of iPhones and Android phones, these developers found audiences everywhere.

These days I don't have much time to play games and so I love all the little gems that are out there. The other thing about the indie dev scene is that they tend to make games with a retro aesthetic. For many this was done to cut costs, but it soon became fashionable and despite the HD capabilities of the modern consoles, it was no longer a crime to show your pixels.

(Clockwise from top-left): Minecraft, Braid, Fez and Super Meat Boy,
four of the most influential indie games over the past 5 years.

More than just a games machine

Just as mobile phones have become smart phones, with more power than most PCs had back in 2005, so too have consoles grown to become more than just games machines. These days people are just as likely to use their consoles to play DVDs and Blu-Rays or use one of the many media streaming services, such as Netflix or the BBC iPlayer to stream movies, TV series and even live events! I actually have friends who only use their consoles for this, because they can do such a good job of it (especially the PS3). 

Who needs Sky or Virgin Media?

My highlights

I wouldn't be writing this article if I didn't have lots of highlights, some of which I have spoken about already in So you don't like modern games? Aside from what I talked about in that article, other highlights have included the rise of the indie scene, with many of my favourite games costing less that £15 quid. Fez is such a beautiful, ingenious game that it makes me feel sad for people who don't play games. I've also loved the renewed popularity of pinball, thanks to Zen Studios and Far Sight Studios. I own versions of their tables on my phone, my PC (via Steam) and my 360 and I'm constantly dabbling with them. Other highlights have been little things like cable-free controllers (once I wised up and bought a load of rechargeable AAs). But if I had to pick just one franchise that has thrilled and enthralled me the most, it would be Bioware's Mass Effect. For me this series encapsulates everything that was great about this generation.

I've probably thrown myself harder into this generation than any other during my adult life, but despite that there are a number of big gaps in my gaming career over the past 8 years. Most notably, I've not played any of the Assassin's Creed games. I thought the original looked great, but it came out in 2007, same as COD4, Mass Effect, Portal, Guitar Hero III, Super Mario Galaxy and Uncharted, so something had to give. And because I no longer own a PS3, I haven't had the chance to play Last of Us, a stunning example of just how powerful and progressive modern games have become.

The new generation

I'm not one for early adoption, not least because early games are often poor, but also because I take a long time to get through games; I still have a considerable stack of 360 and Wii games to finish. Deciding which console to buy is always tricky. Last time around the decision was made for me, because I won my 360 in a competition and my Wii came with a phone contract. I did briefly own a PS3, but at the time there were not many exclusive games and Sony's online services did not compare well to Microsoft's, so I sold it (sorry, Sony fans). 

In some ways, as games machines get closer to one another, as the PS4 and Xbox One undoubtedly are, it actually gets harder to decide. Back in the days of the MegaDrive vs SNES, both machines had loads of exclusives, so which ever you chose you were going to get a pretty distinct experience, but the Xbox One and PS4 will only have a handful of exclusives, with only a few games on either machine to sway your decision one way or the other. I really like the look of the Xbox One and of all the next gen games I've seen Titanfall interests me the most, but... after 6 years of intensive gaming on the Microsoft machine, I fancy a change of scenery, so I'm being pulled towards the PS4. However, there is a new player coming next year, one who's service I already use and like a lot more than either Sony's or Microsoft's, so who knows.

One thing's for sure: I've been gaming for over 30 years and with how busy I am at work, it's about the only hobby I have left, so whatever happens, I'm not going to quit now.

MTW

Is gaming now an acceptable hobby for an adult?

Short answer is no! But that doesn't make for much of an article, so let's expand on the subject.

Despite the popularity of the big franchises like Grant Theft Auto and Call of Duty or the success of the family-friendly Wii or the pervasive nature of casual games on Facebook and mobiles, it seems to me people's attitude towards gaming as a specific hobby has not improved at all over the last couple of decades. I know plenty of people who play games like Candy Crush Saga or FIFA 14 (perhaps even more than I play my games these days), but they don't consider it a hobby; it's something akin to listening to the radio in the car and given no more priority in their lives than that.

How bad is it?

It depends on who you talk to, but at the most extreme it's worse than I originally thought. Here's a quote from a guy where I work, on hearing some other guys talking about the upcoming Xbox One and PS4:

"If that's what you do with your time, you might as well commit suicide. I mean, what's the point?"

While I didn't think people's acceptance of gaming as an adult hobby had grown much, I had not realised how strongly some people felt. And as I get older (I'm in my late 30s), I'm finding people are even more bewildered by my enjoyment of gaming.

Really, gamers, it's for your own good.

But it will improve?

Maybe, but I doubt it and I have a very simple reason for saying that: just because someone likes something casually, doesn't mean they understand taking it to the next level.

Over the past decade the Marvel movies have been a huge success, with plenty of people seeing Iron-Man and Avengers in the cinema, then going on to buy the film on DVD and Blu-Ray, but only a very small percentage would go on to buy the comic books. Likewise, although millions of people bought Wii's, only a small percentage bought its most hardcore game, Monster Hunter Tri (2 million sales worldwide, compared to the 100 million Wii consoles sold).

Monster Hunter Tri -- probably not one for the Candy Crush fans

I actually think as games get more mainstream press coverage, the more of a backlash there seems to be against them. Whatever depth of gameplay there is in Grand Theft Auto V, the fact Sky News still talk about shagging hookers and then killing them to get a refund means the game probably does more damage to the medium than good. At best, non-gamers deem the coverage to be either a waste of valuable news time or some subverted form of advertising; at worst they see it as damaging to children (who shouldn't be playing such games, but in the minds of these people only kids should play games, so it's catch 22).

Likewise Call of Duty's dedicated fanbase talking about how great it is to shoot people online or World of Warcraft players talking about playing 30+ hours a week doesn't help either and neither will the inevitable footage of people queuing up for Xbox Ones and PS4s. We'll be seen as pathetic man children who have nothing better to do with their time.

It's not just games

I know plenty of people for whom the idea fiction full stop (let alone outright fantasy) is something to be shunned in adulthood. To paraphrase another guy I once worked with, on the subject of reading novels,

"As soon as I read, 'John walked into the room' I just think, no he didn't, he's not real and neither is the room." 

As far as suspension of disbelief goes, that's as fragile as it gets.

'To be or not to be?' Well, not to be, cause it's all made up!

Does this actually matter?

To me, no, there are plenty of niche hobbies I don't understand and (whether I realise it or not) sneer at, comic books and roleplaying board games among them. Equally, there are plenty of mainstream hobbies and activities I don't get, such as soap operas, reality TV and pretty much all spectator sports. 

As gamers, it's more important we understand and accept gaming's place in society and culture. The following are both fundamental to gaming as a medium, but also mean other people cannot take them seriously:

• Games are something people first indulge in as children and so they are automatically associated with toys.
• They focus on violence as the main sources of motivation and entertainment.
• They are ethereal and nothing you achieve in a game exists in reality. Once the console or computer is turned off, it's gone.
• Generally speaking, games are disposable. Once we complete a game or a sequel is released, we move on. And while this is a ostensibly a retro gaming blog, the fact it retro gaming is a pretty small niche in the community.

What can we do to improve people's attitude?

As much as you love your games, your best bet is not to take them too seriously and don't get too defensive about your hobby. Nobody like an evangelist and the more you argue, the more you are likely to reinforce people's views that mature gamers need to get a grip. In my experience I've found a version following line is your best defence when asked if you play games or why you play games:

"Yeah, I play a few games here and there. It's better than watching X Factor or Geordie Shore."

And then move on, change the subject. Admittedly talent shows and reality TV are soft targets, but that's the point. And when you get back home to your console or PC and you fire up some brilliant, awe-inspiring game that pushes our beloved hobby to new heights, games like Mass Effect, Heavy Rain, Skyrim, Fez, Journey or dare I say it, Grand Theft Auto V, remember, at the end of the day, the non-gamers of this world are the ones missing out and that's not your problem.

(For the record, the guy who made the suicide comment suggested exercise as something better to do as a hobby, which to me is on par with suggesting "eat breakfast" or "get dressed" as a hobby.)

MTW 

Were old games bad?

It was the DICE Interactive Arts and Sciences Awards last night and Kotaku's Stephen Totilo was there to see the show and meet the legends--past and present--of the video games industry.  Now, I like Kotaku, they cover an incredibly broad range of video game-related news and they are one of the few sites that dares to review games without attaching a meaningless score to the bottom.  However, I did not realise that Totilo was a retro game-hater and such an attitude makes me a little bit sad.  Anyway, Totilo was on the red carpet at the event and asked various video game luminaries, "Were old video games actually good?" and "Weren't they just milking me of my quarters?"  Among those who answered were industry legends Ed Logg (designer of Asteroids) Rich Adam (designer of Gravitar) and Ed Rotburg (designer of Battlezonem, a game I plan to cover in a future CotM).  You can watch the interview on Kotaku.com or by clicking the link below:

http://kotaku.com/5885859/we-asked-the-red-carpet-were-old-video-games-actually-bad

Here's my (perhaps predictable) two-penneth worth:

In any generation of video games there are good games and bad games.  Even today, for every Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or Portal 2 there's a Duke Nukem Forever or Postal III.  If you were unlucky enough to live near an arcade that only had bad games in it, then sure, you may feel old games were a waste of time, but are you really going to call out Pac-Man, Space Invades, Street Fighter or Tekken as bad games, especially when they are all still relevant today?  No, I didn't think so.

And yes, old arcade games were deliberately hard to make you put more money in, but you could argue modern console games, with their 8 - 12 hour campaigns, are designed to be completed so that you buy the next release as soon as possible.  And yes, I would include Skyrim in that, because even Bethesda admit the main quest can be completed in under 3 hours.

Oh alright, I admit it, I've spent nearly 60 hours on Skyrim and I'm only ²/_3rds through the main quest, but my point still stands--I think.

MTW

Sega what have you become

Over the past month and a half I have been travelling up and down the country a lot visiting my wife's family in Scotland.  On my travels I've noticed arcade games have even disappeared from the majority of motorway services. I guess why would kids want to play a 15 year-old Time Crisis or Daytona USA machine when they've got DSis, PSPs and smart phones in their pockets. However, Sega (who I voted my favourite arcade manufacturer only last month) still has the a strong presence, but only in the form of prize machines, such as Sega UFO Catcher and Key Master.

They all have proper (bat-style) arcade joysticks, which I can't help looking at and thinking, "You used to be used for Shinobi, Golden Axe and Virtua Fighter. You used to control PROPER GAMES!"

Like the true journalist I am (ahem), I decided to try these latest "amusements".  It felt good to be using a proper arcade stick again, but much to my dismay, the games themselves are incredibly challenging and addictive.  Key Master looks deceptively simple, but success is not only difficult, but also requires genuine skill, unlike traditional grabber machines.  I sunk a couple of quid into one machine trying to will something for my son.  I could have spent more, but I still hate the things.

MTW

So you don't like modern games?

I write a blog where I wax lyrical about old arcade games and the only modern games I talk about are the ones like old games. So does that mean I only like old games? No, on the contrary, I love modern games and working in the industry has done nothing to quell my enthusiasm for games new and old.

Here are 10 modern games (in alphabetical order) I love, that have nothing to do with arcade gameplay mechanics.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

I don't get comic books and I didn't like either of Chris Nolan's Batman films, but despite this, I loved Rock Steady's Batman Arkham Asylum. For the first time I could see why comic book fans wanted Batman to be dark and brooding, rather than camp and colourful. This game has brilliant combat, great gameplay mechanics and lots of atmosphere.

Bioshock 

What is it about us humans that makes us love dystopian visions more than utopian ones? Maybe it's like Agent Smith said in the Matrix: "Did you know that the first Matrix was designed to be a perfect human world? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program." The world of Rapture started out as a utopian society, where science and human endeavour were rewarded above all else, but that's not the world the player gets to see. Instead we see what happened when it all fell apart. And what a glorious playground for the dangerous and insane it is too.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series

Street Fighter II turned arcades into battlegrounds, with players demonstrating their nerve and skill in face-to-face competition. These days that competitive spirit may have moved online, but it's just as fierce as it was 19 years ago. The Call of Duty franchise has been around for almost half of that time, but with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare everything changed. The new generation of online consoles came to life like never before and the world had a new favourite competitive game.

Elder Scroll IV: Oblivion

Tolkien will never know just how big the ball he started in motion when he wrote Lord of the Rings has become. From other fantasy authors such as Robert Jordan, David Eddings, Terry Brooks and David Gemmel, to boardgames like Dungeons & Dragons, to card games like Magic the Gathering, to videos games like Bethesda's Elder Scrolls series. The latest instalment in this legendary series is a triumph of video game design and technical prowess. Outside of MMORPGs (more on those later), few video game worlds are as vast or as well realised as Oblivion's.

Gears of War series

The new flagship series for Microsoft's Xbox 360, Gears of War is a grim and gritty sci-fi horror, with some of the most visceral action in video game history. But it's also a series that's got more to it than just big guys, big guns and bloody gore. There is real emotion and pathos in this series - Don's pursuit of his captured wife in the second game is testament to this. It also conveys the feeling of comradery among soldiers better than any other game too; in Gears, you are not a lone soldier, you are one of four brothers, together to the bitter end.

Mass Effect series

A sprawling sci-fi RPG, with as much focus on conversation as combat, Mass Effect's world is deep and involving and somewhere I would love to live. Few games have ever been so cinematic and the blend of combat and conversation is unrivalled. The series shifted focus with the sequel to be more action-orientated and less open, but at the same time the characters and their relationships grew. I can't wait for the third instalment.

Mirror's Edge

More dytopia, but a very different kind of Bioshock's grim and rotting world. The unnamed city of Mirror's Edge is polished and gleaming, but every bit as broken. Incorporating parkour with first person action sounds like a recipe for disaster, but with Mirror's Edge it works beautifully. Running, jumping and sliding through the city is fluid, exhilarating and dare I say it, liberating. It's a game that feels like it could not have existed on previous generations and is definitely a product of our time. For this one I had to include a video, so those who haven't seen it can witness it for themselves.

Super Mario Galaxy series

Nintendo's mascot is one of the few 90s gaming icons to survive the transformation to 3D polygonal graphics. Super Mario Galaxy is one of the most fun, charming and above all inventive games you are ever likely to play. I feel the Wii was a bit of a misfire overall, with far too many inspired games with poor controls, but this game shows just what the machine is capable of, both with its graphics and its motion controls. The sequel has just come out and actually manages to be even better than the first one. I don't know how Nintendo do it.

Portal 

Oh my God, what a game Portal is. Ingenious and hilarious, stark and yet brimming over with character thanks to the menacing, maniac matriarchal super computer that is GlaDOS. The puzzles in this game are some of the best ever offered up in video games, thanks to the sublime portal gun, but beyond the puzzle package here is a game that manages to tell such a great story with so little effort.

World of Warcraft

Five years ago, a bunch of my work colleagues convinced me to try Blizzard's new massively multiplayer role -playing game, World of Warcraft - or WoW for short. I had previously tried Everquest and not liked it, but I had liked the Warcraft and Starcraft strategy games, so I gave it a go. I was quickly hooked. I also introduced it to my fiancée  thinking we would maybe play it for a few hours a week, but she became hooked too, and for the next two years we were putting tens of hours a week into this vast, colourful and engrossing game. We're married now with two kids, so neither of us have time for WoW, but if we did, we'd probably be hooked again.

So there we have it, ten modern games/franchises that I've enjoyed every bit as the arcade games of my youth. Arcade throwback I may be, but gamer I am first and it's my love of games that lead me to the arcade in the first place and it's that continued love that keeps me playing today.

MTW

Capcom pledges ¥100,000,00 to Japan's tsunami relief fund

On Friday 11th March, an earthquake off the east coast of Japan sent a tsunami crashing into the coast of Sendai, destroying cars, boats, homes, businesses and, most troubling of all, nuclear power plants, like the one in Fukushima.  At this point the death toll is over 4000, with nearly 10,000 missing and over 100,000 sleeping in temporary shelters with radiation levels rising all the time and snow freezing them to the bone.  It's one of many recent sobering reminders of the power of mother nature, as this video shows:

Japan may be the 2nd richest country in the world, but the damage done is unprecedented, so they need all the help they can get to rebuild their homes, businesses and lives.  Legendary arcade developer, Capcom have pledged ¥100,000,000 (which is about £780,000) and have dropped the price of Street Fighter IV for the iPhone to 59p with all proceeds going to towards the relief effort.

So this is the perfect opportunity to pick up a great game for a dirt cheap price and help the people of the spiritual home of arcade games get back on their feet.

MTW

The Remake Debate

Street Fighter II

A couple of weeks ago I discussed whether or not fans of arcade games should use emulators and ROMs to play their favourite classics.  It's one of arcade gamings hottest topics and one where the arguments will continue forever more.  One of the other hot topics is remakes.  Now before I continue, I should point out the differences between ports, remakes and reimaginings.

• Ports are where the art assets, sound banks and code from one games machine are merged with code written to work with another games machine. 
• Remakes are where new art, sound and code is used to create to a new game that matches the original as closely as possible.  Often remakes take advantage of more powerful hardware, but where possible the gameplay is left intacted.
• Reimaginings are neither remakes nor sequels.  They are new games, with not only new art, sound and code, but new ideas about how the game should play.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

All three have their pros and cons.  Ports should be identical to the original game, however things often have to be changed to work with the limitations of the target machine, which can render them unplayable.  Remakes should look and play great, however purests may not like to see their favourite games changed in any way.  Reimaginings are the ones most at risk as derision, for exactly the same reasons as movies based on books that change characters and plot elements.  What all this comes down to is the further you stray from the source material, the more likely you are to upset the very people most interested in playing it.

After Burner II

Now, you may think I'm against remakes, but quite the opposite.  Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation
Network are home to a number of fantastic remakes, which in my opinion not only look and sound great, but serve as wonderful homages to the original.  Some of the best examples include:

• After Burner: Climax 
• Arkanoid Live
• Bionic Commando Rearmed 
• Final Fight: Double Impact (which contains Final Fight and Magic Sword)
• Outrun Online Arcade
• R-Type Dimensions (which contains R-Type and R-Type II) 
• Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.

After Burner Climax

So next time you are presented with a remake of one of your favourite old games, give it a go, you may even find it gives it a whole new lease of life.

MTW

The Emulation Debate

To MAME or not to MAME, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of legal persecution or to take arms against a sea of pirates, and by opposing end my arcade gaming, to die having never played Go Go Mr Yamaguchi.  Erm... anyway, emulators have been around for ages and for some, it's only way they've experienced certain classics.  But what is emulation all about and is it legal? Let's dig a little deeper and find out.

Emulators: Software in disguise

Emulators are not just programs that play old arcade or console games; their code mimics the functions of a piece of hardware, such as the motherboard from an arcade machine, so that programs written for the emulated hardware can be run on totally different hardware. Generally speaking, in order for an emulator to work well, the hardware it's running on has to be significantly more powerful than the original hardware. This is because it takes time (specifically memory load times and CPU clock cycles) to load and run each command in the emulator. In order to translate the functions of the original hardware to the new hardware, the faster the processor and memory, the quicker this translation can take place and the more smoothly the game will play. Emulating one processor on another is one thing, but the processor running the emulator also has to emulate the graphics chips, sound chips and I/O (input/output) board of the emulated hardware. So, the more complicated the hardware, the longer the translation takes. As such, the quality of the emulation varies. Generally speaking, 8 and 16-bit machines based on Intel 8080 and 8088 processors, the Zilog Z80 processor or Motorola 6500 or 6800 processors can be emulated pretty well. The difficulty comes with 32 and 64-bit machines based on the Motorola 68000 series or MIPS Rx000 series processors from the mid-90s onwards. The result is slow frame-rates, which no amount of power can overcome.

The most celebrated arcade emulator around is the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator or MAME for short. As the name suggests, MAME can emulate dozens of different arcade machines, but it's not the only one out there.  There are a number of others that emulate just one or two arcade boards, often resulting in better emulation for those machines. Such emulators include KAWAKS, which emulates Capcom CPS1, CPS2 boards and the SNK Neo Geo and ZiNc, which emulates Sony ZN-1 and ZN-2, Namco System 11/12, and Konami GV/GQ arcade hardware.

 

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Playing from memory

In order to play games on an emulator, you also need need the data that was stored on the arcade machine's ROM chips.  This information has to be "dumped" into one or more files, usually in a binary format. These collections of binary files are then collectively known as a ROM image. There can be dozens of files required for a single, simple game, all of which need to be correctly named and kept together so that the emulator can load all of the data successfully. Thankfully, modern emulators can often play ROMs as compressed Zip files, so you don't have to worry about losing track of individual binaries.

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What good is power without control?

Whether or not the graphics and sound can be emulated effectively, games with bespoke control schemes do not translate very well. While games that only used a joystick and buttons work fine, especially if you have something like a Hori EX2 Fighting Stick, and even racing games tend to fair quite well, games with specialised controls, such as rotating joysticks (a la Xybots or Search and Rescue) or games with paddles can be almost unplayable. One such example is the legendary Tron. While the light cycles levels play fine, a typical dual-analogue controller does a terrible job of emulating the paddle needed to aim the turret on the tank battles and Tron's arm in the I/O tower or MCP Cone levels.

While it is easy to think pinball tables, with their two buttons and a plunger, would be easy to emulate, few pinball emulators do a good job of emulating the pinball table's crucial third control mechanism: nudging the table. There are degrees of both subtlety and force that skilled pinball players just cannot obtain by flicking an analogue stick.

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Insert piece o' eight to play

It's easy to forget that most arcade games are owned by companies that are still trading and as such they still under copyright protection.  It's also easy to justify downloading and playing games through an emulator, because in many cases there is no other way to play a lot of these games. But none of this matters in the eyes of the law. Just because someone leaves a classic car in a garage and never drives it, doesn't mean you can take it and claim it's the only way you could enjoy such a vehicle. Put simply, emulation is piracy and the recent rise of the HD port, you never know when a company is going to reprise an old franchise.

So what can an old gamer do?

The games industry as a whole has reached an exciting point in its life.  Never before have we had so much choice. In the last few years there's been a resurgence of interest in retro gaming and now there are loads of legal emulation services, most notably Microsoft's Game Room for Xbox and PC and the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Arcade, both of which offer games from as little as a couple of quid. Admittedly neither service has an exhaustive range of games, but by purchasing arcade classics  from a legitimate source, you can play safe in the knowledge you have done the right thing.

MTW