martin_F
Still Fresh
Hi all. Been lurking for about a month, and thought it was time to say hello.
Have had an interesting few weeks, that has ended up bringing me here.
Months ago (earlier this year, or was it late last year) I came across the GP32, and to be honest it blew me away. Everything I read told me I wanted one. However having a Sydney (Australia) mortgage, 3 kids, one income and a kiwi wife that demands we go to NZ atleast once a year to catch up with family, we don't have a lot of disposable income - the GP32 didn't happen.
But then 2 months ago, my nana in England died
(yes I am english, up north like. English dad, kiwi mum ... 3 aussie kids ... one interesting family, especially when the rugby is on).
Before I know it, I get a cheque from her will for what equates to about $AU600. Now, my nana would have wanted me to enjoy this money. The missus was happy for me to blow it on myself (bless her), so I start looking up the GP32 again, and discover ... the GP2X .... Well thats it sorted then, gotta get me one, except its not out yet.
So anyway, lots more reading, and I discover the PSP scene :blink:
It will also run emulators, aswell as playing those modern things (huge retro fan though, first machine was a vic-20, then apple II, Amiga 500, then a 486. Also big fan of the speccy and c64. Missed the whole console thing 'till the psx, but keen to get into the snes and genesis).
Anyway, then I discovered that you needed a 1.0-1.5 PSP to play homebrew, so the decision was made, GP2X 4ME !!!!
Since then I have discovered a few online places flogging off 1.5 PSP machines, and then they release the downgrader. Now I was undecided.
This money being a bit of a one off, I had to make the right decision (for me), so I have spent 2-3 weeks reading this forum and http://psp-news.dcemu.co.uk/, assessing, deciding.
I have been into many a shop in the last two weeks, playing on PSPs (they all seem to have ridge racer going on it - is that the only game or something !), but I never bought one, for some reason it just didn't happen. I did discover that it was a pretty cool machine though, the new games certainly look way cool on it. Didn't like the pad or the analog stick though, and hey, gfx alone do not make gameplay.
Tonight I finally made a decision.
* If I buy a PSP, the whole lot of the $$s will be gone (PSP $395, 1GB $200)
* Not sure I am overly excited by modern games - I spend more time coding up my vic-20 mini-game entry (http://www.ffd2.com/minigame/) or playing on or working on my mame cab, than I do on my xbox or PC.
* I will never watch a movie on a PSP ... bad enough watching a movie on the back telly (51cm) never mind a tiny tiny screen.
* I love the fact that I am likely to get the maximum use of screen real estate (while running emulators), on the GP2X's, thanks to its resolution (the piccies of some of the emulators on the PSP (especially the speccy) look terrible.
* Emulators are the #1 priority, everything else is an added bonus.
* The change from the $600 I will use as a start of fund for a WG D9200 monitor for my mame cab.
So gp2x it is. I guess I am probably too late to preorder for the first batch now, so will preorder anyway, and hope to get it by chrissy.
Furthermore, being a softie by profession, I am keen to develop for the thing aswell. And if no-one has ported a vic-20 emulator to the gp2x by xmas, then ... well I shall just have to start work on it myself !
So, apols this has been a long email. I tend to ramble a bit.
Cheers for now.
Martin
Have had an interesting few weeks, that has ended up bringing me here.
Months ago (earlier this year, or was it late last year) I came across the GP32, and to be honest it blew me away. Everything I read told me I wanted one. However having a Sydney (Australia) mortgage, 3 kids, one income and a kiwi wife that demands we go to NZ atleast once a year to catch up with family, we don't have a lot of disposable income - the GP32 didn't happen.
But then 2 months ago, my nana in England died
(yes I am english, up north like. English dad, kiwi mum ... 3 aussie kids ... one interesting family, especially when the rugby is on).
Before I know it, I get a cheque from her will for what equates to about $AU600. Now, my nana would have wanted me to enjoy this money. The missus was happy for me to blow it on myself (bless her), so I start looking up the GP32 again, and discover ... the GP2X .... Well thats it sorted then, gotta get me one, except its not out yet.
So anyway, lots more reading, and I discover the PSP scene :blink:
It will also run emulators, aswell as playing those modern things (huge retro fan though, first machine was a vic-20, then apple II, Amiga 500, then a 486. Also big fan of the speccy and c64. Missed the whole console thing 'till the psx, but keen to get into the snes and genesis).
Anyway, then I discovered that you needed a 1.0-1.5 PSP to play homebrew, so the decision was made, GP2X 4ME !!!!
Since then I have discovered a few online places flogging off 1.5 PSP machines, and then they release the downgrader. Now I was undecided.
This money being a bit of a one off, I had to make the right decision (for me), so I have spent 2-3 weeks reading this forum and http://psp-news.dcemu.co.uk/, assessing, deciding.
I have been into many a shop in the last two weeks, playing on PSPs (they all seem to have ridge racer going on it - is that the only game or something !), but I never bought one, for some reason it just didn't happen. I did discover that it was a pretty cool machine though, the new games certainly look way cool on it. Didn't like the pad or the analog stick though, and hey, gfx alone do not make gameplay.
Tonight I finally made a decision.
* If I buy a PSP, the whole lot of the $$s will be gone (PSP $395, 1GB $200)
* Not sure I am overly excited by modern games - I spend more time coding up my vic-20 mini-game entry (http://www.ffd2.com/minigame/) or playing on or working on my mame cab, than I do on my xbox or PC.
* I will never watch a movie on a PSP ... bad enough watching a movie on the back telly (51cm) never mind a tiny tiny screen.
* I love the fact that I am likely to get the maximum use of screen real estate (while running emulators), on the GP2X's, thanks to its resolution (the piccies of some of the emulators on the PSP (especially the speccy) look terrible.
* Emulators are the #1 priority, everything else is an added bonus.
* The change from the $600 I will use as a start of fund for a WG D9200 monitor for my mame cab.
So gp2x it is. I guess I am probably too late to preorder for the first batch now, so will preorder anyway, and hope to get it by chrissy.
Furthermore, being a softie by profession, I am keen to develop for the thing aswell. And if no-one has ported a vic-20 emulator to the gp2x by xmas, then ... well I shall just have to start work on it myself !
So, apols this has been a long email. I tend to ramble a bit.
Cheers for now.
Martin