My computer gave up the ghost this evening. We had some sort of power surge, and it appears to have fried my power supply — thankfully, it seems to just be the power supply and nothing else, but we had a lot of "fun" trying to diagnose the issue and blowing the fuses in every kettle lead we had in the process.

I can't imagine a life without computers, but dear God if I don't fucking hate what we now know as "the PC" sometimes. I think back to the good old days of the dear Atari 8-bit and ST, and they either worked or they didn't. (Well, okay, the ST's myriad compatibility issues depending on what day of the week it was were a bit silly, but you could learn to live with them.)

In my experience though? PCs break for seemingly no reason. One morning you'll try and turn it on and it just goes "nah". In the last couple of years I've had my computer forget it had a hard drive, forget it had an operating system, refuse to display things properly and, as we stand now, refuse to turn on altogether. It's immensely frustrating, because you don't realise how much of your life sits on those little no-longer-beige boxes until you're suddenly confronted with the possibility that you might not be able to access their contents any more. PC Master Race my arse.

With any luck, it is just the power supply and not a fried motherboard or any other components. The various tests Andie and I ran this evening would appear to suggest that is the case, but we'll have to wait and see. Hopefully I'll be able to collect some components from our local(ish) computer emporium tomorrow and give them a go, and all being well that should get Peashy mk. 2 up and running again. It's not as if I'm spending a lot of money right now what with not going out or driving to work, but it's still £100 I could have done without having to spend!

Oh well. It is what it is.

Thankfully, I got everything I wanted to achieve out of the way before this happened tonight! "Normal service" may be disrupted for a day or two, however, so please understand if… things are a bit more sporadic than usual! 🙂

Anyway, as irritated as I am right now, there's nothing else I can do at the moment, so I guess there's nothing for it but to sit in bed and play retro games. Oh no!

I think I might take another short break from… probably social media in general for the most part, aside from private messages.

I saw a message from Matt Papa at Inti Creates earlier that resonated somewhat with me. He was talking about how he had gone cold turkey on Twitter in an attempt to improve his mental health, and in an attempt to reintegrate it into his life, he had felt himself just starting the old routine of endlessly scrolling, refreshing, all that sort of thing, over and over again… and I know that this is something I do.

Right now, this is not a healthy thing to be doing when you're already feeling a bit bleak and depressed, because there is no escape from the bleakness out there. There are better, more fun ways to be spending one's time — and with everything as it is right now, the bleakness is stifling a lot of real conversations that people might want to have that are nothing to do with The Current Troubles.

It's not that people are actively "silencing" others — it's more a noticeable feeling that a lot of people just don't want to talk in public right now. And I get it. I completely understand. But all that leaves is a mire of misery that you can wallow in… or that you can turn your back on, walk away from and have a more pleasant few days.

With that in mind, I won't be actively checking "public" social media for the next few days because I just need to tune out for a bit. You can still send me a DM private message or leave a comment on MoeGamer, YouTube or anywhere else you happen to see me — and of course I'll still be posting on MoeGamer and YouTube in the meantime — but I'm otherwise going "dark" for a bit. Much needed.

I've honestly not had a ton of time to spend with my new Evercade as yet, but the little time I have spent with it has been oddly reminding me of when I used to play my Atari Lynx as a kid. This is a compliment, by the way — and entirely appropriate, considering that two cartridges' worth of Lynx games are on the way for the system.

I think it's something to do with the combination of the games that are on the system and their overall aesthetic and feel… and perhaps a touch of the actual physicality of the device, too. The Evercade is a nice-looking system with some of the loveliest physical controls I've had the pleasure of using for a while — the D-pad in particular is beautiful — but it's also a £50 handheld made in China, meaning it also has a few little idiosyncrasies that give it a certain amount of character… just like the dear old Lynx.

Thankfully, the screen is better than the Lynx — LCD technology has come a long way — but the overall "feeling" the system gives me is similar. It's a system I pick up when I'm in the distinct mood for a particular type of experience. While there are alternative avenues to play most of the stuff I have for Evercade — primarily through emulation — there's something… very distinct about playing it on that handheld. And I like it a lot.

Expect plenty of Evercade games coverage in the coming weeks, because this system is going to be keeping me company when the day job bores me!

Chris and I recorded a great podcast today — one where we both had a lot to say and felt passionately about the subject matter.

The main topic of the show is, as always, the primary attraction, in which we talk about the games on the PC Engine Mini and its local variants, but we also have a good conversation about Phantasy Star Online 2, 51 Worldwide Games and a lot of other things besides. It was just what I needed for a bit of distraction from the endless bleakness out in the world, so thanks Chris, once again, for not only being a great podcasting partner, but a great friend too.

I spent a lot of this afternoon recording some footage of the games we talked about — including some from the PC Engine Mini that I hadn't tried yet. I'm very taken with the Bonk/PC Genjin games, as bizarre as they are, and of course that system is absolutely rammed to bursting point with incredible shoot 'em ups. Not all of which are monstrously difficult, even; I got a long way through Star Parodier while recording footage without needing a single continue.

The PC Engine Mini is easily my favourite of all the mini consoles that have come out to date. While there's some great stuff on the Nintendo Classic systems and the mini Mega Drive also has some great titles — including a few that haven't been seen for a long time, like Alisia Dragoon — the PC Engine Mini is just rammed with such joyful Japanese exuberance that I can't help but smile ever time I just boot the damn thing up and hear that jolly menu music.

If you've been on the fence about these mini consoles, this one, more than any other, is a solid investment — especially if, like me, you don't know the PC Engine as a platform all that well.

2020 has been, as many people have commented already, absolute shit. For so many reasons. I've been doing my best to shake off any unpleasant, negative feelings for the most part — as I've previously talked about, the whole "lockdown" thing initially was absolutely fine with me, as I'm more than happy to do my thing independently — but as time goes on, it seems that things are just getting worse and worse, not better.

The chaos surrounding the race relations situation in America has been bleeding over into this country quite significantly. Public places are being defaced, things are being destroyed, creative works are being removed from public circulation… it's all starting to get a bit scary, to be perfectly honest. As I saw one person on Twitter say the other day, "that's the point", and I sort of get that… but for someone who has always done his best to keep his head down, get on with things, be a generally decent sort of person to anyone he comes into contact with and, you know, not be a racist… I don't really know how to react.

I honestly don't know what the end outcome of everything happening right now is going to be, and in some ways I feel like I don't want to know. There are already some things happening that are setting dangerous precedents, and I don't know if the people who are fighting for what is an inherently just cause realise what some of the long-term, unintentional side effects of the current situation are going to be.

I guess all we can do is wait and see, really. With each passing day it feels like it's getting harder to remember what a "normal" life was like. And I don't like it.

Thank heavens for video games, I guess.

I'm left strangely underwhelmed by all the PS5 stuff so far. With every new supposed "innovation" in gaming tech I find myself drifting further and further away from the mainstream — not from gaming itself, because there are still people out there making things that people like me enjoy, but from the supposedly "exciting" part.

I mean, consider the things I'm most excited about right now. My new PC Engine CoreGrafx Mini. My Evercade. The fact that I'm playing through a series of RPGs and massively enjoying the installments that came out in the mid-2000s. Has modern gaming completely left me behind?

Well, no, because there's still a ton of stuff that I enjoy. It's just not the stuff that gets big online streaming reveals to millions of people. And that's why it's important to talk about, to celebrate, to explore in detail. Because while you can bet every big site will have fifty clickbait "How to [x] in Spider-Man: Miles Morales" guide articles on their front page the moment that game launches, who's going to be writing about… well, I don't know, because nothing from the more "niche interest" end of the spectrum has been announced or confirmed for PS5 as yet!

Anyway, this isn't to get down on people who enjoyed the PS5 reveal or who are excited for what it showed off. I just find it interesting how much my tastes and priorities have changed over the years. While I once would have been there on the virtual front row for a new console reveal, oohing and aahing with the best of them… today I find myself much more enamoured with the older systems, the less powerful platforms and the lower-budget end of the market — because for my tastes, anyway, that's where all the truly interesting stuff is going on.

I'm having a great time with 51 Worldwide Games, and I haven't even jumped online to compete against other people yet. The package is a lot of fun just for single-player competition against the computer — which, it turns out, is a great way to learn these games and start to figure out some good strategies — and also for local multiplayer, either on a single TV or with multiple Switches.

Since it seems that a fair few people have actually picked this up and are enjoying it, I've been wondering if there was any sort of semi-organised multiplayer community appearing for it. I haven't seen any sign of one as yet, so I'm trying to think of the best way to get one up and running.

At present I'm thinking a Discord would be the obvious choice, with channels for each of the games so people could discuss how to play, strategies and best ways to learn, plus at least one "looking for players" channel where people can hook up and get some online matches going.

I'd set it up myself right now, but I'm not sure 1) if anyone would join and 2) if I want the responsibility of managing a community. That said, I'd say the average breed of person who is playing 51 Worldwide Games is probably a world apart from trashtalking battle royale fans… probably, anyway.

I dunno. I'll mull it over. In the meantime, if you're reading this and are interested in competing on a smaller scale, let me know and we'll see if we can organise something!

Hello folks, sorry I've been a bit sporadic in terms of timing here lately, my mental health has taken a bit of a nosedive recently and it's been making it a bit difficult to remember and focus on things. I'll try and do better though; this blog helps kind of "centre" me throughout the day at times, or, more commonly, helps me process the day I've had, since I usually end up writing it last thing at night!

Anyway. Positivity! My Evercade has shipped and should (hopefully) be with me tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to getting started on some coverage for this — I'd like MoeGamer to become a reliable, helpful source of information about this system and the games available for it, so expect plenty of articles!

The company also announced their next cartridge today: it's an Oliver Twins collection, featuring a selection of the classic Codemasters programmers' finest console titles, including several Dizzy games. Like most of the other Evercade cartridges, this is not the most obvious choice to go for, but dang if it isn't an interesting choice! Dizzy games are a British institution, and being able to easily revisit a bunch of them on a modern system will be really cool.

Would have perhaps been nice to see some home computer versions as well as the console games, but it looks like Evercade hasn't looked into computer emulation as yet, only consoles. Give it time! There could always be an Oliver Twins Collection vol. 2, after all!

Anyway. Expect a first look at the system tomorrow, followed by some articles about the specific games and cartridges as I get to them. Bookmark https://moegamer.net/evercade to stay up to date!

I haven't had a lot of time to sit down with the PC Engine CoreGrafx Mini yet, but the little time I have spent with it so far has been enormously positive. There's a host of… weird games on there that I'm really enjoying checking out — and I'm extremely delighted to have an official copy of Parasol Stars that I can play any time. (Still kind of want an Atari ST version too, though.)

I haven't "dared" explore the Japanese side of the system so far as yet as it's a bit intimidating! Realistically speaking, I know that not all of the games are going to be incomprehensible — Snatcher is probably out of reach, sadly, but at least it's there if my Japanese does happen to improve in the future — but it's still just a bit daunting to look at all the stuff there and think "uh… where to begin?"

I guess the answer, really, is just to dive in to each and every thing, see what it is and see how I get along with it. Doubtless I'll discover some new favourites along the way — even from my limited experiences so far, I already know that I want to spend a lot more time with Chew Man Fu, for example!

I've had a bit of a rough day mental health-wise today. Trouble is, it doesn't really feel "right" to talk much about it right now what with All The Other Shit Going On in The World Right Now.

However, All The Other Shit Going On in The World Right Now is part of what's contributing to it all, I think. I am not a smart man when it comes to Things Going On in The World, and I have a tendency to want to believe that most of the time, human beings are "all right" and generally do the right thing. When I get reminded that no, there are still significant portions of humanity who are not "all right" and who do not generally do the right thing… well, it sounds strange to say, but it stresses me out.

I realise this is a ridiculous thing to say when people out there are getting injured and dying for their causes, and I 100% accept that. But, to be perfectly honest, that is about the limit of my being able to process everything that is happening. I'm exhausted, mentally and physically. I don't know what to do, I don't know if I should do anything, I get frustrated at the online noise about it, then I get frustrated at myself for being frustrated at the noise when it is actually over something important for once rather than a Californian undergrad Social Sciences student's hobby horse of the hour.

I dunno. I flipped some money at itch for their enormous 740+ charity indie game bundle the other day, and I've had a good laugh at One Angry Gamer for his "Traitors of America" list. It was particularly amusing to see everyone from all "sides" of the Internet to come together and laugh at his idiocy, but it's also a bit depressing to see, say, The Joy of Sticks on YouTube — one of the calmest, most pleasant folks out there — getting thumbs downs on his Atari ST videos for acknowledging the situation in the world.

The Internet is dumb. I think I'm going to spend the rest of the evening having a bit of peace and quiet if at all possible, and hopefully wake up a bit more ready to face the world tomorrow.