Chris Covell
@chriscovell.bsky.social
I'll be posting retro gaming, retrocomputing, and retro dev stuff.
Canadian living in Japan
https://www.chrismcovell.com/
Canadian living in Japan
https://www.chrismcovell.com/
A stop by HardOff also found me this 3.5" floppy disk case, unused and unopened for 297 yen :) Stylish and useful, but it's already full now!
November 15, 2025 at 12:40 PM
A stop by HardOff also found me this 3.5" floppy disk case, unused and unopened for 297 yen :) Stylish and useful, but it's already full now!
Stop by HardOff after work. I thought this Sanyo PH-WCD800 boombox (missing speakers) was rather handsome, though apparently it's from 1987, when boring blackness was beginning to take over. I like its wide dual cassette doors & feature maximalism, such as an LED spectrum analyzer on the tape door!
November 15, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Stop by HardOff after work. I thought this Sanyo PH-WCD800 boombox (missing speakers) was rather handsome, though apparently it's from 1987, when boring blackness was beginning to take over. I like its wide dual cassette doors & feature maximalism, such as an LED spectrum analyzer on the tape door!
I was switching between Famicom & PCE/TG16 games and was annoyed at how PCE screens were shifted to the left compared to Fami. So I did some measurements: the Fami's active pixels start ~7.6us after the end of HSync while the PCE's can be 7.0us (early) or 8.47us (late), but never the same as Fami :/
November 10, 2025 at 11:37 PM
I was switching between Famicom & PCE/TG16 games and was annoyed at how PCE screens were shifted to the left compared to Fami. So I did some measurements: the Fami's active pixels start ~7.6us after the end of HSync while the PCE's can be 7.0us (early) or 8.47us (late), but never the same as Fami :/
In 2005, I translated the fun Game Gear game Head Buster to English, and recently I found the game boxed w/ manual. So, here's the manual transcribed & translated, giving lots of details about weapon stats, movement, etc.
www.chrismcovell.com/HeadBusterEn...
(www.chrismcovell.com/HeadBusterEn...)
www.chrismcovell.com/HeadBusterEn...
(www.chrismcovell.com/HeadBusterEn...)
November 9, 2025 at 12:10 AM
In 2005, I translated the fun Game Gear game Head Buster to English, and recently I found the game boxed w/ manual. So, here's the manual transcribed & translated, giving lots of details about weapon stats, movement, etc.
www.chrismcovell.com/HeadBusterEn...
(www.chrismcovell.com/HeadBusterEn...)
www.chrismcovell.com/HeadBusterEn...
(www.chrismcovell.com/HeadBusterEn...)
And at another HardOff there was an original F-Zero slot car racing set from TOMY from the early '90s... cool but a ridiculous price on this one
October 31, 2025 at 2:22 AM
And at another HardOff there was an original F-Zero slot car racing set from TOMY from the early '90s... cool but a ridiculous price on this one
I went on a little walking trip to a relatively new HardOff in Zama. Pretty bleh there, though they did have a *really* grimy but unique General/Paxon MSX1 built into a TV. RF inputs only, but the article I have here says the internal MSX connection was RGB, so it should have been a sharp display.
October 31, 2025 at 2:09 AM
I went on a little walking trip to a relatively new HardOff in Zama. Pretty bleh there, though they did have a *really* grimy but unique General/Paxon MSX1 built into a TV. RF inputs only, but the article I have here says the internal MSX connection was RGB, so it should have been a sharp display.
The pre-Transformer Soundwave, known as "Cassetteman" in the Microchange series, has been selling for almost-mad amounts on Yahoo Japan. So, to assuage those pangs, I stitched together some photos and printed up a smaller-scale Cassetteman box, just for fun.
October 29, 2025 at 12:56 AM
The pre-Transformer Soundwave, known as "Cassetteman" in the Microchange series, has been selling for almost-mad amounts on Yahoo Japan. So, to assuage those pangs, I stitched together some photos and printed up a smaller-scale Cassetteman box, just for fun.
You know how you know something is yours? You customize its appearance, its colors, tweak it until it's perfect and fits how you like to work & use it; and then you don't change a thing about it for years and are happy.
The current world is full of UIs telling us "No, this is ours, not yours. Ours."
The current world is full of UIs telling us "No, this is ours, not yours. Ours."
October 17, 2025 at 12:49 PM
You know how you know something is yours? You customize its appearance, its colors, tweak it until it's perfect and fits how you like to work & use it; and then you don't change a thing about it for years and are happy.
The current world is full of UIs telling us "No, this is ours, not yours. Ours."
The current world is full of UIs telling us "No, this is ours, not yours. Ours."
Yeahhh! I was playing through some FDS games randomly for an hour and popped in Gyruss FDS. I got a good stock of about 7 extra ships without dying once, then those damn random tentacle etc bosses came in. But I held out to the end and finished the game with 1 ship in reserve. 👍
October 13, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Yeahhh! I was playing through some FDS games randomly for an hour and popped in Gyruss FDS. I got a good stock of about 7 extra ships without dying once, then those damn random tentacle etc bosses came in. But I held out to the end and finished the game with 1 ship in reserve. 👍
1) Begin video on a well-researched topic guaranteed to appeal to subscriber base
2) subtly change tone and start to tell a story that reveals a time of personal weakness or inadequacy
3) launch into promotion of today's video sponsor and how they can magically solve your failings too.
2) subtly change tone and start to tell a story that reveals a time of personal weakness or inadequacy
3) launch into promotion of today's video sponsor and how they can magically solve your failings too.
October 8, 2025 at 12:20 AM
1) Begin video on a well-researched topic guaranteed to appeal to subscriber base
2) subtly change tone and start to tell a story that reveals a time of personal weakness or inadequacy
3) launch into promotion of today's video sponsor and how they can magically solve your failings too.
2) subtly change tone and start to tell a story that reveals a time of personal weakness or inadequacy
3) launch into promotion of today's video sponsor and how they can magically solve your failings too.
Laid up at home with a cold so I thought I'd play around once again with communicating with PC-Engines and Famicoms through RS-232/UART and doing fun stuff.
October 5, 2025 at 4:38 AM
Laid up at home with a cold so I thought I'd play around once again with communicating with PC-Engines and Famicoms through RS-232/UART and doing fun stuff.
I bought Puzzle Boy for the GB recently, so here is a box scan, plus some of the art minus the hero, Poterin (ポテりん) in this Japanese version of Kwirk. The other characters are Nasubi-Kun (ナスビくん), Carota (キャロ太), P-Man (Ｐマン), and Tomato-Chan (トマトちゃん).
September 23, 2025 at 1:18 AM
I bought Puzzle Boy for the GB recently, so here is a box scan, plus some of the art minus the hero, Poterin (ポテりん) in this Japanese version of Kwirk. The other characters are Nasubi-Kun (ナスビくん), Carota (キャロ太), P-Man (Ｐマン), and Tomato-Chan (トマトちゃん).
Also here's a chart illustrating the curious situation I've found myself in:
September 21, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Also here's a chart illustrating the curious situation I've found myself in:
I managed to find cheaply a 110 film camera in a beat-up box that came with actual Kodak 110 film in its own beat-up box. Let's slot this thing in and see what shots we can get!
... (says here I'd better develop my prints before May 1988.)
... (says here I'd better develop my prints before May 1988.)
September 21, 2025 at 1:41 AM
I managed to find cheaply a 110 film camera in a beat-up box that came with actual Kodak 110 film in its own beat-up box. Let's slot this thing in and see what shots we can get!
... (says here I'd better develop my prints before May 1988.)
... (says here I'd better develop my prints before May 1988.)
A little drawing from the instruction manual of Puzzle Boy (US: Kwirk) on the GB.
September 19, 2025 at 12:11 AM
A little drawing from the instruction manual of Puzzle Boy (US: Kwirk) on the GB.
I didn't buy much for myself at today's HardOff, but I loved the pastel '80s colours of this blank 10-min cassette, themed for making your own Karaoke tapes
September 15, 2025 at 1:46 PM
I didn't buy much for myself at today's HardOff, but I loved the pastel '80s colours of this blank 10-min cassette, themed for making your own Karaoke tapes
I took a trip to a new HardOff (Aikoishida) today and they had a nice antique & toy section. Obviously it was seeded with the stock from a shuttered old toy store because they had tons of '80s/'90s licensed kids' show goods. Game-adjacent ones were Wataru, GranZort, Solbrain, B-Daman, and Haadogumi.
September 15, 2025 at 1:42 PM
I took a trip to a new HardOff (Aikoishida) today and they had a nice antique & toy section. Obviously it was seeded with the stock from a shuttered old toy store because they had tons of '80s/'90s licensed kids' show goods. Game-adjacent ones were Wataru, GranZort, Solbrain, B-Daman, and Haadogumi.
Remember way back ('90s) when idiots would add up the bits of all the CPUs on machines, and we end up with the Neo-Geo being "24 bits"? We actually should bring that back: it would add a lot more honesty to projects where a Raspberry Pi does the heavy lifting and yet the headline is "DOOM on NES!!"
September 15, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Remember way back ('90s) when idiots would add up the bits of all the CPUs on machines, and we end up with the Neo-Geo being "24 bits"? We actually should bring that back: it would add a lot more honesty to projects where a Raspberry Pi does the heavy lifting and yet the headline is "DOOM on NES!!"
Do you remember Nintendo Power's 'Purple Period'? 👀😶
It's a time from late '90~Apr '91 when many screenshots had a purple tint to them.
I don't think this was a printing error: more like their RGB NES for capture had a miscalibrated Green control.
Famimaga in Japan had similar problems at this time.
It's a time from late '90~Apr '91 when many screenshots had a purple tint to them.
I don't think this was a printing error: more like their RGB NES for capture had a miscalibrated Green control.
Famimaga in Japan had similar problems at this time.
September 14, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Do you remember Nintendo Power's 'Purple Period'? 👀😶
It's a time from late '90~Apr '91 when many screenshots had a purple tint to them.
I don't think this was a printing error: more like their RGB NES for capture had a miscalibrated Green control.
Famimaga in Japan had similar problems at this time.
It's a time from late '90~Apr '91 when many screenshots had a purple tint to them.
I don't think this was a printing error: more like their RGB NES for capture had a miscalibrated Green control.
Famimaga in Japan had similar problems at this time.
Alright, so I've listed the regional differences I had known about in Super R-Type on The Cutting Room Floor. ✌️😄
tcrf.net/Super_R-Type
tcrf.net/Super_R-Type
September 1, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Alright, so I've listed the regional differences I had known about in Super R-Type on The Cutting Room Floor. ✌️😄
tcrf.net/Super_R-Type
tcrf.net/Super_R-Type
Screenshot Saturday: been playing Super R-Type on SFC. Why oh why did the US version swap out the beautiful view of the asteroid belt and Jupiter (? Saturn?) in the JP version for the generic TNG-intro-style purple and green planets?
August 31, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Screenshot Saturday: been playing Super R-Type on SFC. Why oh why did the US version swap out the beautiful view of the asteroid belt and Jupiter (? Saturn?) in the JP version for the generic TNG-intro-style purple and green planets?
I'm going to put my recent little write-ups about visiting several HardOff stores on my webpage, I think, so I made an image link in preparation...
August 23, 2025 at 12:37 PM
I'm going to put my recent little write-ups about visiting several HardOff stores on my webpage, I think, so I made an image link in preparation...
18/final. In the past when I wanted/needed something specific at HardOff and was dismayed at the prices, I became frustrated looking around. But mostly now I have fun and enjoy the walks and the showcases. The best game museums in Japan are HardOffs, and the best actual game shop is your own room.
August 16, 2025 at 1:17 AM
18/final. In the past when I wanted/needed something specific at HardOff and was dismayed at the prices, I became frustrated looking around. But mostly now I have fun and enjoy the walks and the showcases. The best game museums in Japan are HardOffs, and the best actual game shop is your own room.
17/ A brief stop next at Nishi-Tokorozawa. This merest vapour of a HardOff shop had a token games section, and not much else interesting. I did stock up on colourful DD & HD 3.5" floppies...
The final stop was Higashi-Kurume, which was all average-sized and decent. I bought GB Dracula Densetsu here.
The final stop was Higashi-Kurume, which was all average-sized and decent. I bought GB Dracula Densetsu here.
August 16, 2025 at 1:05 AM
17/ A brief stop next at Nishi-Tokorozawa. This merest vapour of a HardOff shop had a token games section, and not much else interesting. I did stock up on colourful DD & HD 3.5" floppies...
The final stop was Higashi-Kurume, which was all average-sized and decent. I bought GB Dracula Densetsu here.
The final stop was Higashi-Kurume, which was all average-sized and decent. I bought GB Dracula Densetsu here.
16/ I found a novelty 110-film camera keychain for 500 yen. Minus the Bakabon styling, it was the same that I had as a kid.
On the way home, I passed by a house whose owner clearly had their best years in the 1990s: Seattle Mariners towel and 90s Hondas baking in the sun & sinking into the lawn...
On the way home, I passed by a house whose owner clearly had their best years in the 1990s: Seattle Mariners towel and 90s Hondas baking in the sun & sinking into the lawn...
August 16, 2025 at 12:01 AM
16/ I found a novelty 110-film camera keychain for 500 yen. Minus the Bakabon styling, it was the same that I had as a kid.
On the way home, I passed by a house whose owner clearly had their best years in the 1990s: Seattle Mariners towel and 90s Hondas baking in the sun & sinking into the lawn...
On the way home, I passed by a house whose owner clearly had their best years in the 1990s: Seattle Mariners towel and 90s Hondas baking in the sun & sinking into the lawn...