Random Gaming Thoughts

[BoneSnapDeez]

I think those lines are blurred regarding aesthetics, not gameplay (for the most part). I can't think of a single NES platformer that has checkpoints every 20 seconds and 500 spike traps per stage.

[MrPopo]

I can't think of a single NES platformer that has ... 500 spike traps per stage.

Mega Man 2, Wily Stage 3.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I can't think of a single NES platformer that has checkpoints every 20 seconds and 500 spike traps per stage.

Those games were on the MSX.

[BoneSnapDeez]

[Gunstar Green]

I can't think of a single NES platformer that has ... 500 spike traps per stage.

Mega Man 2, Wily Stage 3.

Mega Man 4's level designers were also particularly in love with spikes.

[marurun]

Honestly, if older systems had higher resolutions and thus more pixels, there would have been more spikes.

[RCBH928]

I think those lines are blurred regarding aesthetics, not gameplay (for the most part). I can't think of a single NES platformer that has checkpoints every 20 seconds and 500 spike traps per stage.

I agree, the gameplay is different but I see this as a positive. Personally I find the retro gameplay style ruthless having to die at the late stages and having to play the whole game from the start again.

They were built for a different era when entertainment was scarce and people played a cartridge to death.

[RCBH928]

So Apple allows Xbox One controllers and PS4 controllers to work on iphone and ipads, if they let Xbox and PS4 stream games too I wonder if that will kill the competitive advantage of the Nintendo Switch.

[isiolia]

So Apple allows Xbox One controllers and PS4 controllers to work on iphone and ipads, if they let Xbox and PS4 stream games too I wonder if that will kill the competitive advantage of the Nintendo Switch.

It likely doesn't change much. The long and short is that all of the consoles are using Bluetooth for their controllers anyway. Other than MS, platform holders have little or no motivation to create proper drivers for their respective controllers to use them on devices other than their own console (Sony has rolled support into their streaming app). For Apple (or Valve, for that matter), opting to write the support for those controllers themselves gives their customers a wider range of potential products to buy (or use, since they may already own one). It's a nice move. However, it's not bringing anything that wasn't technically already there. More general Bluetooth controllers were already available, Apple has a Steelseries one and a Hori one on their accessories page for instance.

XBox streaming can be done, at least, by a third party app. I think the app MS has for it is only to manage your Xbox stuff (you can stream to Windows though). Sony has an official one on iOS already, and other platforms. If you have the connection to support it, you can stream your PS4 to game away from home, I have a friend that does that routinely, albeit on a Surface I think.

More or less, you can already do that, and either too few people realize they can, or they just don't care.

[RCBH928]

I checked the PS Streaming app and it says you can not use the DS4 controller with this app.

I think the major difference here is that there is already an install base of 140M users with X1&DS4 controllers, so people can use this new feature without opting to buy a separate controller. Also as iPads gets more powerful, the iOS games themselves might compete with the Switch sin Nintendo IPs. I do not expect the iPad to run Doom or Dark Souls though.