- NES games reborn in 3D/VR environments
- Evokes strong feelings of nostalgia
- Enhanced light gun game experience
- Highly recommended for retro/VR enthusiasts
- Awkward, unresponsive control scheme
- Poorly designed, clunky UI
Verdict
Mostly positive
Summary
Positive 84% · Negative 16%. Score: 16 / 100
Positives:
- The emulator provides a novel way to experience classic NES games by converting them into 3D and VR environments. This enhances immersion and nostalgia, making the games feel fresh and engaging. Many reviewers highlight the impressive visual transformation and the unique experience of revisiting childhood favorites in a new dimension.
- Reviewers express strong feelings of nostalgia and childhood memories when playing classic NES games in 3D/VR. The experience successfully recreates the feeling of experiencing the game for the first time, evoking a sense of fascination reminiscent of the 80s/90s era of gaming.
- The 3D conversions are not automated but meticulously crafted by hand, demonstrating a genuine love for the source material. Reviewers praise the stunning visuals and attention to detail in the 3D recreations of classic NES games.
- The emulator enhances light gun games like Duck Hunt and Hogan's Alley by allowing the VR controller to be used as a gun. This provides a more immersive and accurate shooting experience, replicating the feel of the original light gun peripherals.
- The emulator offers flexible viewing options, including on-the-fly image rotation, zoom, and adjustable camera angles. These features allow players to customize their perspective and explore the 3D environments in detail, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
Negatives:
- The game suffers from unresponsive and unintuitive controls, including awkward default mappings, input lag, and the inability to remap controls. VR controls are clunky, and controller support is inconsistent across different menus and actions, sometimes requiring keyboard or mouse input.
- The user interface and menus are poorly designed, difficult to navigate, and sometimes laggy. Specific issues include unintuitive navigation, reliance on cumbersome input methods like 'gaze' selection, and difficulty in ROM selection and assignment.
- The 3D effect is inconsistent and not available for the entire NES library. Some titles exhibit a flat, non-3D appearance, and the initial list of optimized game profiles is small. Some games could use more 3D enhancements.
- The emulator has several issues, including the existence of separate VR and non-VR versions (the VR version includes both modes), the lack of fast forward/rewind features, and the use of outdated gaze-based selection in VR menus. The VR version being a separate purchase instead of DLC is also a negative point.
- The list of supported games is limited, with many popular titles missing. Reviewers express disappointment over the lack of support for specific games and desire a more comprehensive library.
Gameplay:
- The conversion process and setup are not automatic; users must find ROMs separately and configure each game individually. The number of natively supported titles is limited, requiring community adaptations for others.
- The game allows camera repositioning and viewing angle adjustments, creating a slight 3D effect. Games with scrolling implement a panning camera, causing 3D elements to turn, which may affect gameplay.
- The program includes both VR and non-VR components, offering a unique way to play NES games. However, only a limited number of games (roughly 30) are playable in 3D within VR.
- The game offers flexible control options with support for both VR controllers and gamepads. It also features a mixed reality mode, allowing players to remove the black background using Virtual Desktop for an enhanced experience.
- A community of players adapts other NES games for the emulator, expanding the library of playable titles. Duck Hunt is specifically recommended as a showcase for the game's most impressive features.
Performance:
- The game and its emulator are generally reported as stable and performant, often working well out of the box. This is a positive sign for accessibility and user experience, indicating a smooth initial setup and gameplay experience for many users.
- Some users report unplayable performance or minor skipping, while others find the performance acceptable. This discrepancy suggests that performance may vary depending on hardware or specific game configurations.
- Some users may need to manually configure settings to get certain peripherals, like USB NES controllers, to work with the VR emulator. This could be a minor inconvenience for some users.
Recommendations:
- The emulator is highly recommended, especially for VR and retro enthusiasts, offering a unique and refreshing way to experience classic NES games. Reviewers highlight its fun factor, value for money, and the immersive VR experience it provides. Many suggest it's a must-own for those with VR headsets who love retro gaming.
- Reviewers are enthusiastic about the emulator's potential and express a strong desire for continued development, more supported games, and further enhancements. They hope to see more titles remade in this style and for the VR implementation to extend to other platforms like SNES. The large number of supported games is a key selling point.
- The game is still playable using a keyboard as an alternative control method. Using a phone headset solution, VRidge/RiftCat is the best bet.
- Purchasing Micro Mages on Steam is specifically recommended because it provides a supported ROM file that looks particularly good in the emulator. This highlights the importance of optimized ROMs for the best experience.
Miscellaneous:
- The emulator requires users to supply their own ROMs, which means users must obtain game files separately. This aspect is consistently mentioned across multiple reviews.
- The software supports a growing list of NES titles, with a focus on classics and an increasing number of games receiving the 3D treatment. The number of supported titles is specifically mentioned, indicating ongoing development and expansion of the library.
- Reviewers are requesting support for specific NES games, indicating a desire for a broader range of playable titles within the emulator. The requests are specific, naming titles such as Kid Icarus and Blaster Master.
- The emulator supports both well-known and homebrew NES games, including titles that can be legally obtained. This detail highlights the variety of content available and the potential for users to explore both classic and indie games.
- The game is in early access, and the developer is actively assisting users with issues. This suggests ongoing development and responsiveness to user feedback.
