[HN Gopher] RetroFab: Playable 3D simulations of vintage electro...
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       RetroFab: Playable 3D simulations of vintage electronic games
        
       Author : todsacerdoti
       Score  : 169 points
       Date   : 2025-02-09 09:50 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (itizso.itch.io)
 (TXT) w3m dump (itizso.itch.io)
        
       | jhbadger wrote:
       | This is really well done. While I've seen other simulations of
       | hand-held games, I really appreciate how they even include the
       | instruction booklets with many of them. It really gives the
       | feeling of actually having these games, some of which (several
       | Game & Watch games) I owned as a child, and many others that I
       | always wanted but didn't.
        
       | alklinewebb wrote:
       | this is absolutely well, very well done!
        
       | chungus wrote:
       | Wow, there goes 20 minutes. Really enjoyed it, thanks.
        
       | hassleblad23 wrote:
       | Very well done. Congrats.
        
       | ktallett wrote:
       | Wow! This is really cool. I love this idea and the
       | implementation, great job!
        
       | anonzzzies wrote:
       | Very nicely done!
        
       | empressplay wrote:
       | I was like, "Do they have Wildfire? Do they have Wildfire...? Yes
       | they have Wildfire!" Thanks for sharing this!
        
       | distantsounds wrote:
       | is that MAME in the backend?
        
       | 31337Logic wrote:
       | Thank you!!
        
       | remram wrote:
       | Tried Yahtzee, it doesn't look like you can remove the hold on a
       | die after you've rolled?
        
         | Bjartr wrote:
         | It's probably enough to leave a comment on the page if the
         | author is active on itch
        
           | remram wrote:
           | Did that thanks! The game's page doesn't allow comments but
           | the one with the list of games does.
           | 
           | edit: I also found a discussion forum:
           | https://itch.io/board/2744567/feedback
        
             | remram wrote:
             | Update: author fixed it within a few hours.
        
       | kevinsync wrote:
       | WOW -- thank you for transporting me back to the mind-bending
       | hell that is that 1989 TMNT game! I remember convincing my mom to
       | buy me that at Meijer, and riding in the back seat of the car at
       | night, squinting, only able to see the LCD screen for a split
       | second at a time, each time we passed another street light lol
        
       | ranger_danger wrote:
       | How is this legal? Surely they do not have permission from all
       | those rightsholders to reproduce and distribute their IP like
       | this.
        
         | echelon wrote:
         | Especially Nintendo. They've got quite a few Nintendo ROMs.
        
           | anthk wrote:
           | Early LCD machines had no ROMs I think.
        
         | rgovostes wrote:
         | Firstly, who cares? It would be a sad day when Bandai goes
         | after a non-commercial homage to 1980s LCD games they probably
         | forgot about.
         | 
         | Since 2003, the Copyright Office has granted a DMCA exemption
         | in particular for preservation of video games, e.g.,
         | https://www.copyright.gov/1201/docs/librarian_statement_01.h...
         | 
         | > Computer programs and video games distributed in formats that
         | have become obsolete and which require the original media or
         | hardware as a condition of access.
         | 
         | Most recently, in the 2024 review of DMCA exemption requests,
         | no video game companies objected:
         | 
         | > The Software Preservation Network (''SPN'') and LCA jointly
         | petitioned to renew the exemption for individual play by gamers
         | and preservation of video games by a library, archives, or
         | museum for which outside server support has been discontinued,
         | and preservation by a library, archives, or museum, of
         | discontinued video games that never required server support. No
         | oppositions were filed against renewal, and one individual
         | filed a comment in support.
         | 
         | Itch.io itself is able to host the project thanks to DMCA safe
         | harbor provisions.
        
           | ranger_danger wrote:
           | But itch.io is not a library. That exception is explicitly
           | for "a library, archives, or museum." Even if they were
           | technically a library, courts have already ruled that mass
           | unlimited lending is not what they meant by 'individual
           | play'.
           | 
           | I think this is pretty clearly infringing, the only issue is
           | that the rightsholders themselves have to be the ones that
           | bring a suit against them.
        
       | ugh123 wrote:
       | Frogger is surprisingly playable :)
        
       | gamedever wrote:
       | Here's this too!
       | 
       | https://www.emuvr.net/
       | 
       | I was hoping RetroFab was going to be electro-mechanical games.
       | 
       | You might like this music video
       | 
       | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVDaT6b8Lbc
        
       | omoikane wrote:
       | I like that Nintendo DS Game & Watch Collection is included, so
       | we are basically playing an emulation of an emulation :)
       | 
       | Also, I never knew Game & Watch were cloned by Elektronika. It's
       | funny to see what are almost the exact same games with subtle
       | differences (e.g. "Octopus" vs "Ocean Secrets").
        
       | mwexler wrote:
       | That is an astonishing list of games. I was surprised to have
       | memories of so many of those rush back, even just from the
       | picture.
        
       | hombre_fatal wrote:
       | Man, the LCD graphics look so good. Insane amount of polish too.
       | I can't imagine how you could polish this any more.
        
       | anthk wrote:
       | I still have the physical Western Sheriff one. Really good for
       | its day.
        
       | animal531 wrote:
       | I still have my Donkey Kong 2 and Jnr. Unfortunately I played my
       | Turtle Bridge that I got when I was probably 7 or so to
       | smithereens.
       | 
       | I wore out the buttons and also as a kid you can't help but touch
       | the screen, so it had several sections that no longer displayed
       | properly.
        
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       (page generated 2025-02-10 23:02 UTC)