Web Log

Retro Gaming

Here are some of my ramblings about retro video games and collecting. Some of this will be technical like getting the best video out of your old consoles with US consumer-grade hardware, and some of it will be purely subjective like what old game is getting the most dust knocked off of it this month.

I’m no expert, but I’m always looking to learn more about all this. Also, I must note that I grew up in the late-90s, and my console of preference at the time was the PlayStation 1 (and a bit of the GameBoy Color) which continued to be my only console for years to come. In fact, I don’t think I picked up another console until my 20s which was a Genesis, weirdly enough.

If you’re looking for a more in-depth overview of my retro gaming rig, check out the Retro page.


Spring Cleaning Sale!

It’s that time of the year again! Time to go through all your old retro collection pieces and figure out what should stay and what should go. In my case, I think it’s a good opportunity to make some use out of my store here (you may have noticed the “Items for Sale” button in…

New Additions to the Store

Recently picked up some new stock and have added these two new gems to my for sale section. They came out of a particularly interesting early-2000s Alienware rig, so they’ve got to have that alien-shine to them, right? Anywho, if you’ve got any questions about these or anything else for sale, hit me up.

NES-inspired 8bitdo N30 Wireless Mouse

When this new mouse was first announced, I thought it might have been a late April Fool’s joke. But of course I was wrong. Only 8bitdo, makers of some killer wireless retro controllers, would actually take this concept from Industrial Designer, Daniel Jansson, back in 2009 and make it a real product. Since I’d be…

I Programmed My First Cartridge!

After about 2 months of collecting supplies, programming, and putting it all together, I finally got my first cartridge running on an Atari 2600! The game I put on there is Spider Web which I have been working on off and on for a few months. It is written in 6502 assembly and tested using…

Going beyond the Stars with the Sega Saturn

Local Pickup When I’m drinking my early morning (iced) coffee, I typically peruse the local Craigslist boards without much of notice for the majority of listings. I’m here looking for the big juicy deals that would really be worth my time, not any nonsense. Though I usually come up short, two ads caught my attention…

PCI/AGP Grab Bag

Time for a little humble brag. After a quick scan of Craigslist yesterday morning, I saw a fairly non-descript ad mentioning a few old video cards for sale without many details of the actual cards available. I was able to recognize two of the close-up photos of cards that were included: an ATI Radeon 9500…

Big Box PC Garage Sale Pickups

It was just a normal Saturday running errands up and down Garden St. Normally, I get out my thift-shopping cravings by hitting up my short list of trusty non-profits once a week to see what forgotten items land on their shelves. I hadn’t had any plans until I glanced upon the yard sale sign in…

Going Wireless on Old Gear (Cont.)

As I mentioned in my previous post, I mentioned that I was interested in ordering two M30 controllers to pair with my new 8BitDo Genesis Retro Receivers. Well, I gave in to the temptation and put my order in a week or two ago. The controllers finally arrived in their typical minimalist 8BitDo packaging that…

Removing the Clock Capacitor from your Xbox

The original Microsoft Xbox is one of my favorite consoles. Because of Microsoft’s history in computing, it had so many unique properties to it that differed from every other console on the market at the time. This is discounting the Dreamcast which heavily influenced and was influenced by Microsoft. One equally unique and unfortunate feature…

Going Wireless on Old Gear

If you haven’t heard of 8bitdo yet, then you’re really missing out. Having paired up with Analogue on the Nt mini, Super Nt, and upcoming Mega Sg, they’ve really entrenched themselves with hardcore game collectors as the best option for wireless controllers that are compatible with old consoles and nearly every new platform on top…

Where Games Go to Die

A few weekends ago on my way back from the 30A, Sam and I stopped by the Gulf Breeze Flea Market. They had your typical fare but a bit smaller and less crowded than the usual market. It wasn’t until we came to the end of the stalls that we hit the jackpot. It was…

CastleMania Games

Warning! Promo ahead! Lately, I’ve been using this company, CastleMania Games, to get my hands on some really cool stuff that’s been difficult to source elsewhere. From the few orders that I’ve made in the past few months, they have been wonderful to work with. Their customer service is fantastic and have a ton of…