Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category
Weekly Touchbase Goes Audio Starting Today!
For those that have been keeping track of my Weekly Updates – and thank you to that small, but dedicated group – this has migrated to an audio weekly show starting today with the first audio update live now! Links are below, but the following paragraph provides more details.
From now on these weekly updates will go live in the RetroActive Podcast feed, which you can subscribe to and find on major podcast platforms. The first episode further explains this decision, but the reasoning is to reduce the time commitment with maximum output and my personal need to vent about video games. I will discontinue posting about each episode here to prevent readers from receiving multiple alerts, but I wanted to inform everyone who checks the site, gets emailed updates, or may have missed the post on socials. There are no plans to discontinue posting written works here or video content on the YouTube channel, but I find it best to rely on the automation of each outlet. Links will be on the sidebar of the web site, but below is your quick one-stop shop for convenience.
- RetroActive Podcast site main page: https://spydersvenom.podbean.com/
- RSS Direct Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/spydersvenom/feed.xml
PSP Emulation on PS4/PS5 in 2025
Within the last year, I’ve noticed a slew of PSP titles now available on the PS4 and PS5 thanks to the retro focus of the PS+ classics catalog. What was intended to entice me to join the platinum tier of Sony’s subscription service ended up being a gold mine of free downloads from the many digital purchases I’ve made in the past. I recently booted up a handful of these titles to give them a spin and figured I’d share my findings. After doing some searches for information online, there’s a lot of misinformation and outdated posts so I figured I’d make this breakdown of the current state PS4/PS5 emulator and compare it to PC’s alternative and, of course, the real thing. Let me be clear that I’m only speaking of PSP games and emulation, not the PS1 and PS2 games that are also in the classics catalog and also have emulators on the PS4/PS5. For this analysis, I focused on 3 specific releases: Daxter, Killzone Liberation, and Resistance Retribution.
PSP on PS4/PS5
On both the PS4 and PS5 these games render at 1920×1440, upscaling from the native PSP resolution of 480×272, and a 4x integer scale puts the resolution at 1920×1088. I didn’t see any cropping so it’s likely that the pixels aren’t quite 1:1 on the scaler, but honestly I didn’t find anything to look too off or stretched. If you play on a vanilla PS4, the game will downscale to 1080p, and on PS4 Pro, PS5, and PS5 Pro the image can also output upscaled to 1440p or 2160p (4K), depending on your set resolution. You can also hit the Options button to enter the emulator menu and navigate to settings for further customization. There you will find an underscan feature that allows you to crop the image to different scaling values, adding black borders. I didn’t love that the values were seemingly arbitrary numbers like “+1” and “+2,” but the effect is clearly seen as you change settings. Visuals will look modernized by default and overall I find that it creates a clean image that looks preferable when putting these titles on much higher resolutions. If you prefer, the settings also have 3 additional visual presets: modern, classic arcade, and modern arcade. Frankly, I couldn’t tell much of a difference with each of the presets other than default aside from tweaking brightness and/or softening the image in some way. None of these looked ideal to my eyes and there is notably no scanline feature, so my recommendation is to leave the settings to default for both the underscan and visual presets. Of note, any full motion video (FMV) cutscenes will remain in original resolution and simply be upscaled, so expect it to be blurry and chock full of artifacts. This is the nature of the beast since those are pre-rendered and can’t be rendered by the emulator.
Weekly Touchbase #2
Look at that, a week has gone by and I haven’t posted a single thing other than the first weekly touchbase. I admit, that’s not good, and if I’m going to have no posting between these updates then it’s hard to recommend people keep reading. From here on out, there will be at least one posting per week beyond the touchbases. I can promise that this week since I’ve already written one post that is set to go live tomorrow and I *hope* the second post to will go live the following day.
Happy to say there’s not much to report on the personal front. I’ve found that in my 40s, sudden changes are less positive and definitely less exciting than they were in my 20s and 30s. So far in February the daughter, wife, dogs, house, health, and job are all consistent. With any luck that is the case for the rest of 2025, so don’t expect to hear anything unless it’s changed.
One thing that I have noticed is that the spark for shopping has somewhat diminished. A new retro gaming store popped up in town that’s like a 5 minute drive from here and it seems to be run by someone who is a fan of gaming first and a businessman second. Sadly, that usually means the place won’t last long, but I remain optimistic. I made plans to head out and see the place on Friday and here we are on Sunday night (when I write this) and I still haven’t been over to see it. I’m overthinking it, but my hesitation is that I have nothing I want to discuss with the owner or anyone working there and I’m even less likely to buy something. I don’t have any holy grails or even anything I can think of that I’m seeking when I go to retro stores. In fact, I’m more interested these days in reducing media in my collection instead of increasing it. Do you find that to be the case around you? Most of my friends outside of the region still seem excited to go check out the local gaming haunts – I’m looking at you, Austin – but perhaps my impression is skewed by confirmation bias. Let me know.
Read the rest of this entry »Weekly Touchbase #1
A warm hello to my readers, this post and ideally those that follow each week is an opportunity to connect about my personal life, upcoming plans, and best yet to interact with you on a regular basis. These posts will be candid and honest because without that, there’s really no purpose for me to keep this blog going. Anyway, with the formals out of the way, let’s kick it off.
Personal Updates
I want to re-address the elephant in the room: why did I leave the VGP podcast? I decided that in 2025, I would begin to simplify my life because I was struggling with my current state. This included removing many things that I didn’t feel I could consistently participate in, which sadly included the podcast. There was no animosity between Rob and myself – and if there had been we are the type of hosts that would openly tell the audience – but I didn’t want to keep up with the tasks required to keep the podcast going. I also largely stepped away from social media, specifically Twitter (it will never be X to me), because there was a lot of base negativity going on there and I felt it was a toxic environment. I moved over to BlueSky, but at the risk of a mild political comment – and I will always strive to be apolitical – it has become somewhat of an echo chamber for the far left. I’ve been open with my feelings that I do not want politics in my gaming social media, so I left one extreme for the other and it’s been deflating. I think I’ll continue to use both platforms for alerting of posts (currently working on an automated Twitter solution), but I wouldn’t expect much participation beyond that. Discord is probably the best platform for me, but I didn’t think the GH101 server had enough members to feel “social,” if that makes sense. That Discord server, and it’s current state, were solely my fault, so I did purge it to the dismay of the great and loyal folks that still frequented it.
Dogtown Afternoon: My Experience With Phantom Liberty
Additional content is often separated or piecemeal, feeling like an afterthought to the developer that most don’t play. For me, it’s a necessity to any title I enjoyed, because I am always curious where a developer goes from the originally conceived end of the game. It’s rare to see massive expansion packs like Phantom Liberty that manage to integrate into the main campaign, so much so that it can play out as an alternate timeline. Not only that, but zero corners were cut here. Keanu Reeves returns as Johnny Silverhand and is with you as much as he was in the original, plus a new cast of characters that includes personal favorite Idris Elba round out the experience. While the area you largely play in, Dogtown, is the anchor to the campaign, there’s nothing stopping you from exploring all of Night City, missions from the main game, and even unique circumstances and dialogue now unlocked through Phantom Liberty. This expansion doesn’t feel like it adds to the game, it feels like it rebuilds it.
Read the rest of this entry »I Finally Wrapped Resident Evil 4 Remake
Resident Evil 4 is on that short list of gaming’s most notable titles. Despite being two decades old, somehow it manages to hold peoples’ interest with a positive opinion. The remake was highly anticipated, garnered much praise, and as an unapologetic fan of the franchise, I was there day one. While sticking to the original’s formula, Capcom treated this remake like all the others by improving visuals, tweaking the story, updating scenarios, and a slew of quality of life changes. If you are going to play Resident Evil 4 today, I’d highly recommend the remake. Despite this, I often found myself losing interest interest after about 30 minutes and eventually this 20+ hour gauntlet felt more like a slog, and it’s all my own fault. Having finally completed it, I have to admit the journey as a whole was fulfilling, but I think I’ve had my fill of Resident Evil 4 for the rest of my life.
Read the rest of this entry »Fun News Updates: Questions for Trees, Ninja Gaiden, and an FPGA PS1
When I look at the news today, little of the stories I read put me in a positive mood. Yesterday three news stories happened that put a smile on my face and I’m sharing them with all of you in hopes that at least one of these does the same.
Questions For Trees Has a Fresh New Episode
With the conclusion of the Video Game Purists podcast hosted by Rob “Trees” and myself, a wonderful slice-of-life podcast rose from those ashes like a phoenix called Questions For Trees. Not to be mistaken on content, it’s your old pal Trees literally answering questions written in to the show’s e-mail: questionsfortrees@gmail.com. For the uninitiated, he doesn’t just quickly answer your question, he turns it into the catalyst for an entertaining story or discussion. This was a bonus show we would sometimes do on VGP when we had to take a week off, so the first four episodes are an introduction and sample of those, but this week’s fifth episode was brand new content! I won’t spoil much, but in the roughly hour long discussion Trees mentions what he thinks is the best console generation and I happen to agree with him. Questions for Trees can be found by searching most podcast readers or by simply following the link above to be taken to the Spotify podcast page with all the details. Additionally, questions can be submitted via the email above. Help support Trees by subscribing and be part of an upcoming episode by submitting a question today.
Read the rest of this entry »Sonic X Shadow Generations Reminds Me I Still Can’t Connect With Sonic in 3D
Longtime listeners of the Gaming History 101 podcast will recall that I have an issue with Sonic the Hedgehog’s legacy. While I admit not putting Sonic 2 on the Genesis/Mega Drive top 10 was as much a jerk move as it was sincere, those 16-bit games were great additions to Sega’s catalog. It was when Sonic went 3D that the entire franchise fell apart and it has never seemed to recover. The newest release by Sega, Sonic X Shadow Generations, is a hybrid remaster of the original Sonic Generations with an additional campaign for Shadow that proves Sega still hasn’t found the magic. I’ve often heard that Sonic Generations was the bastion of hope in the PS360 generation that proved a solid 3D Sonic title was possible, albeit with the conceit of 2D-esque levels as well. That was not my experience. I found it to have all the problems I struggled with all 3D Sonics and dragged my way through the first series of levels and boss just to verify it. While I admit that the updated Shadow campaign has some tricks to soften the blow of what is essentially an auto-pilot runner with some QTEs mixed in, the core design remains. Seeing that only the visuals and performance were touched in the Sonic Generations levels hinted that gameplay and quality of life features take a backseat to flashy visuals and nausea-inducing speeds. Granted, perhaps that’s what Sonic titles are in the 3D space and my biggest issue is that I either don’t accept that or I long for a Sonic game isn’t coming. Okay, let’s hash it out, today I finally admit to my appreciation for 2D Sonic titles and discuss my issues in the 3D titles that ruin the experience for me every time. Needless to say that if you are a fan of 3D Sonic titles or have ever referred to him as “The Blue Blur,” I’m likely to frustrate you.
For the Love of 2D
I received the Sega Genesis for Christmas in 1992, and at that time the promotion was a model 1 system with the original Sonic the Hedgehog in the box and you could send in a card to get the recently released Sonic 2 for free. Honestly, my draw to the Genesis was for the arcade-like titles and not necessarily for Sonic titles, but the urge to play them was undeniable. Sega made sure these titles employed graphical tricks not seen elsewhere, my personal favorite being the layered backgrounds in the bonus levels of the original Sonic. I also liked that it had simple controls of a d-pad and one button (all 3 buttons on the Genesis pad did the same thing) and it had vast levels of exploration. It’s the exploration part that oddly got lost in the mix of Sega’s advertising and game magazine coverage, but I feel confident that for most that played these early games the exploration was the experience. Sonic may have been able to go fast, but the game design would punish you for being to hasty and running ahead, especially in Sonic 2. For me it was discovering the many different routes through any given level and what pick-ups and secrets were found on the highest platforms or lowest depths. Exploration was also a necessity when I eventually played Sonic CD on the Sega CD a couple of years later, because that game migrated between the past, present, and future, with some obstacles only being overcome in certain locations at only one of the time periods. To me, Sonic is essentially an action platformer focused on exploration with the ability to go fast when the level permits, but the marketing presents a speed-running marathon play style that most do not engage with. This sin is doubled when Sega decided to use Sonic to go head-to-head against Mario, but aside from being mascot platformers the games hold little in common.
Read the rest of this entry »Neon Dreams: Returning to Cyberpunk 2077 in 2025
Despite being released just over 4 years ago, there’s consistent draw to return to Cyberpunk 2077, an open world first-person RPG by developer CD Projekt Red (of The Witcher fame) based on a tabletop game simply entitled Cyberpunk. The first 15 months or so of this title’s life was a tragic tale of poorly optimized console versions that were borderline unplayable and drove players to avoid the game completely. At the time I first picked up and played the game, it was available on Playstation and Xbox for a mere $10 at big box retailers, the version I purchased at Best Buy even came with a free steelbook. Then came the big version 1.5 update that supported the new generation of consoles and ironed out a lot of the problems in February, 2022. Finally on September 21, 2023, the title was once again overhauled with a 2.0 update that provided gameplay changes, additional enhancements, and an expansion, Phantom Liberty, two days later. Needless to say the history of this title is a roller coaster that thankfully concludes in a redemption story.
I first took the plunge into Night City as protagonist V in May, 2022, on my Xbox Series X. Despite initial hesitations and a distaste for rewarding publishers that release games in unacceptable shape, I enjoyed it, completing a female run in 42 hours. Back then I remember feeling like the characters you meet, aside from Panam and Takemura, were largely throwaway with sudden breaks in their stories. I also remember thinking that many of the early systems were annoying, such as having to use spec points to do basic things like upgrade weapons and the armor system affecting your aesthetics prevented me from feeling like I was truly roleplaying V. Side content was also harder than I expected, especially hunting cyberpsychos that could kill you in a few shots but had to be taken down non-lethally in ways the game barely explained. In the end, I would consider it “good, but not great” (or 3.5/5 for those of you who just need a score).
Now playing the 2.2 release, not only has Cyberpunk 2077 changed significantly, but so has my PC hardware. These days my gaming PC consists of a 12th generation i7, an RTX 4070 TI, a lightening fast SSD, and 32GB of RAM to boot. As the release of Phantom Liberty hit the shelves of physical and virtual stores alike, I was tempted to dive back in. Given the very positive feedback of the 2.0 update, praise for the expansion, new ray tracing features (including full path tracing on PC), and a killer deal on the Ultimate Edition, I decided it was time for a replay on this newest and best version. Boy, am I glad I did.
Read the rest of this entry »Another Door Opens
It’s the first day of 2025 and all I can currently think about is the past. I shouldn’t be. You can’t change the past and if being into retro games and pop culture has taught me anything about the past, it’s that we should learn from it. In an attempt to move on, I’m “re-launching” Gaming History 101 as a blog. I intend to use this space to explore and discuss various topics of popular culture, but the core focus of retro video games should be the largest volume of content. Previously this site was intended to inform, being a resource for the readers as opposed to the authors. It worked for a while, but eventually I found myself more interested in exploring new games and topics. By that time, however, there was a strong audience on the site and with the Gaming History 101 podcast that I feared de-railing the whole thing.
In the last 24 hours I have done just that in my current ventures, ending the Video Game Purists podcast with episode 234 and removing the GH101 Discord Server, and it’s already clear this wasn’t a popular choice. A wise person once advised me to do these projects for myself and never for other people, but frankly I have not followed that advice until now. I no longer want to be the researcher digging into little facts for the reader, I don’t want to do a weekly podcast to entertain listeners, and I don’t want to talk about what others want to talk about. As admittedly selfish as those statements are, I want to discuss, create, and play what I want to play. I’m sorry to those wonderful people in the community, both the vocal and silent ones, that appreciated everything we’ve been able to create over the years with myself and co-hosts like Rob “Trees”, Jamalais, and countless others.
So what is this blog going to be about? It’s my place to post highlights on the various experiences I’m exploring. Those who have listened to my podcasts know that in addition to video games, I really enjoy movies, tech, and reading, which is pretty much what you can expect in terms of topics. Unlike the past, it’s not going to specifically be reviews or deep dives, but rather a catalyst for engagement. My goal is not engagement between myself and the audience, but that will hopefully be a side benefit. Instead, my goal is to encourage the reader to engage with these things I explore and the post itself will discuss why they may want to. It’s likely these posts will read like most of my other content because I’m not trying to change anything about my style. I hope that with the written form I can ramble less, improve my writing skills that have dwindled since my graduation from Journalism school more than 20 years ago, and improve the quality of what I put out. Time will tell.
Gaming History 101 