The Horror

[Concept]

I've finally got a mint copy of Radiant Silvergun sitting here. Yet I can't play it just quite as of yet because I'm sending my Saturn off for a multi-region mod.

Argh. Argh. Argh. Argh. Argh. Argh. Argh. Argh. Argh.

This is frustrating. ><><><><><><&g t;<><><><><><> <><><><

So... Waiting. Or to be more precise, those short, but paradoxically seemingly neverending waits just before you actually get to play a game. I'm sure those of you saliviating for some Viewtiful will know what I mean.

Isn't this the true ultimate horror? When your trying to be patient with all your might, but you just can't.

Care to share any other stories from the past of those horrible, dragged out final few hours/days before you get the game of your dreams?

[lordcookie]

What is true horror is when you get the Saturn back and realise the modding was done badly and doesnt allow your Saturn to play any games at all .

I hate having a game and not being able to play it. When I got my xbox and PS2's chipped I bought games ready to play on them when the got back yet they seemed to take for ever to arrive again. The consoles only took a week to arrive back but it was the longest week ever.

[Geoff D]

Settle down children & let me take you back to Christmas of 1998.

It was a Wednesday. The snow lay thin on the ground & young urchins scampered around my legs, asking for coins; yet I payed no mind - on I strode to my local game shop, where I'd had the good sense to preorder Ocarina Of Time many weeks previous - so many that I was 5th on the preorder list. 'Come in Wednesday' they had said - 'We'll have our stock early'.

The shop door opened with a jingle & warm, inviting lights welcomed me in - I loosened my scarf & sighed at what was to come - Wednesday was a good day. Wednesday was to be the best of days.

I approached the counter, reaching into my pocket for crisp notes, ready to exchange with the portly shopkeeper - he knew why I was there. I almost failed to register the fact that he wasn't smiling - again, I thrust the notes at him, urging him to take them, to complete the transaction. He looked down at the counter.

He had only received 4 copies. I was 5th on the preorder list. A little piece of me died that day.

[Concept]

What is true horror is when you get the Saturn back and realise the modding was done badly and doesnt allow your Saturn to play any games at all .

I hate having a game and not being able to play it. When I got my xbox and PS2's chipped I bought games ready to play on them when the got back yet they seemed to take for ever to arrive again. The consoles only took a week to arrive back but it was the longest week ever.

Although I've arranged it through a third party, I found out Saur's going to be doing the mod. So... To say I'm relieved is an understatement. I feel less apprehensive that someone I trust and who knows their stuff will be taking my Saturn in.

It's the wait that's the prob. No matter how short. Must. Play. That. Shmup.

Charlie angel - I got Ocarina Of Time bought for me as Christmas present back in '98, and because I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, I didn't buy my own copy 'on the side'. But... ><

...My brother picked one up for himself a few days before on release, and I was sat there listening to him rant and rave about it for ages right in front of me. You know, I've never wanted to punch a family member so much before.

[Che Musashi]

Yes for me the wait for Viewtiful is excrutiating. I keep hoping to get a phone call from my wife saying it arrived in the mail today...I haven't wanted a game this bad except for Virtua Fighter evo..which apparently every part of the world gets before us. Curse you Sega, you better have that 10th anniversary edition in it!

[geldra]

Sometimes i think that "the waiting" and the whole anticipation for a game is better than the game itself......Being drip fed snippets about the game then discussing them on places like ntsc is a major part of my gaming life....in fact i'd say i do more anticipating and discussing than playing.

[darkangel]

Ok people listen to tale of woe...

I pre-orderd u.s zelda windwaker as soon as I could on a candian website. Needless to say I was VERY VERY excited. So the day came and went when it was supposed to have arrive. no probs I thourght, all i ahve to do is wait jsut one more day...

2 weeks past and it was driving me crazy! When it did come I was away at boarding school so my friedn sent it to me with wonderful promises that it would come on the saturday. Saturday came, and no game. I rang my friend and he said that the post office had sent it back to him! Hmmmm intresting story. Anyway he had a copy as well and all the while i was waiting it for him to send it to me he wasm bragging to me how amazing it was!

I finally got it after a week of him ranting and raving about it. I have never wanted to hurt a friend before but this was close.

[yashiro]

Concept, you DO know there's is a working Saturn emulator (internal Sega code) right?
Yes, it will run RSG.

Let me know if you need a hand finding it. Not as good as the real deal but if you're really desperate...

[Concept]

Thanks for the info.

Although it probably won't matter as my PC is so old that I doubt it can even run a NES emulator properly.

I'll wait. It'll be slow and unbearable when I send my Saturn off tomorrow, but I'll wait.

And then when it comes back, I'll play RSG until my eye-sockets burst, to make up for the lost time.

[Papercut]

I was seriously interested in getting Psyvariar about 12 months ago, but I was having trouble finding the capture edition. They've gone up a little in price since then, but even at the time I couldn't track one down.

I didn't have a modded PS2 either, and was paranoid about getting screwed over by some inexperienced cowboy.

6 months later Tokuda manages to get some new ones so I buy one of Allan, after playing it at Saurians and being seriously impressed.

By now through ntsc-uk I know will2003 and Saurian can help me out with a modded PS2, but I have an older v4 that they would be reluctant to work with (understandably). Now, back in the day I was a bit handy with electronics, so I think 'ah **** it, I'll fit it meself'. So I order the chip and ?30 worth of electronics bits and pieces to fit it.

The game turns up within a week of the mod chip, and I have to sit through another week before the electronics show up. I'm on the phone every day trying to find out why my solder paste and wire hasn't turned up yet. Frantic.

The electronics kit turns up a week later, but no thin wire, so I still can't fit the chip and play the damn game. By this point I'm chasing warehouses in Belgium to try and find out where my wire is.

A month later I spoke to Saurian who kindly donated some thin wire to the cause. I spend the next three hours fitting the Messiah 2, a beautiful job even if I do say so myself

I boot Psyvariar... and it crashes.

It turns out I'd wired up one side of the DVD controller to the Messiah 2 off by one pin, because I'm following a pdf file that has a badly placed overlay detailing the pin connections. I only discover this after completely removing the Messiah 2. Much swearing commences.

Once re-fitted, and it works, I can finally play Psyvariar. Two months after I'd bought it

The wire turned up a week after that.

[Firsty]

Hahaha just mod you saturn yourself.
It's so easy.

I had a bad wait once.
Xmas 96 I think.
I got N64 and Mario 64.

HOWEVER it was the worst weather in Ireland for decades.
COMPLETELY windy.
Woke up to find the power was out.
It was out for 2 days.
Horrible.

[Concept]

Ah man. It gets worse.

Just as I'm about to leave with my Saturn to the post office, the converter cart I ordered turns up.

Lo and behold, I can't resist. I unpack everything, plug the Saturn back in, and boot up RSG via the cart, albeit in 50hz.

So I've been playing virtually since I've been awake this morning. I just know I'm going to have major withdrawal symptoms from this beautiful, beautiful game when I repack things back up again in a few minutes.

This is just one big tease!

Ok. Time to get my Saturn off on it's way.

[Saurian]

There's always something on the horizon making you cluck, I thought the waiting pain would subside a bit now that Joe is here and F-Zero is not that far away....so Taito/Success decide to drop the bomb and announce Psyvariar2.

Have they no compassion? I'm climbing up the walls now! >_<

Dont worry about your Saturn man, you will have multiregion 60hz goodness

[Concept]

When the board start posting full impression threads on Viewtiful Joe, it's going to be both a pleasure and a nightmare for me. I haven't pre-ordered as I intend to buy it sometime at the beginning of next month.

But yes. There always has been something on the horizon to reach out to. It's strange though. You'd think waiting would be harder when a game is really far off from being released. However, the closer it gets the harder it becomes.

I remember waiting for Shenmue II on DC PAL... After SOA canned the American version, I was so sure they were going to do the same in Europe. So I bought the Japanese version to tide me over, but that just made things worse.

I'm not worried about my Saturn. It's being modded by the modding don.

In fact I'm quite excited about the whole Japanese software side opening up for me... There are so many great shooters on the Saturn it staggers belief.

One question: Psyvariar. What's it like in comparison to RSG? Is it a different kind of shmup?

Better? Worse? Or just different?

[Vaipon]

Ikaruga was the most tortuous wait I can remember. Ever since seeing the first gameplay video I wanted it, but at the time there was no console version even planned. I was overjoyed when the rumour about the DC version got out. Then they (Treasure) go and deny the whole thing leaving all the fans confused and worried that they may never get to play the thing in their own home. The original pre-order release date came and went and still no news, until finally, Treasure announce the September release date and everyone is excited all over again. That was one of the longest waits for a videogame I can remember and all the drama preceding it made us want the game even more (exactly what Treasure wanted all along of course). When I finally got it I played it for weeks solid.