Do you think using Save States is allowed in Retro Games in today's meta?

[DragonMals]

Previously, I've asked this on my now deactivated Twitter/X account for this question, but I asked this: Do you think using save states is good or not on Retro games? Most people said yeah, especially for those hard NES games people played back in the day, but now it's your turn for users of GBATemp. I wanna hear your thoughts! You can even go into long explanations why you do or don't. I want to hear your thoughts .

Also, congrats to me for making this my first ever poll that I've casted out! I'm pretty much new to making this, so if I'm doing anything wrong, please... inform me as soon as possible. As for my take:

I think that Save states should be allowed if you're struggling through a game that you're trying to beat, no matter what generation of the game you're playing on. However, if you want to play the gaems how you've intended it to be, then go ahead. I personally use them everytime I play a game just for playing it casually, or just for messing around with it. Same thing goes for cheats, however I barely een use cheats becuase I personally don't like using them.

 

[BlazeMasterBM]

It all depends. If I'm trying to beat a game, I don't ever use save states. It's basically cheating and doesn't really count as beating the game.

However, save states are nice and can be useful. I will admit I am guilty of using save states sometimes on my emulators, on those old games where you can't save your progress. I make a save state if I'm done playing, then come back to it later and never use the state again. Yes it's kinda cheating but if you're playing on original hardware, it's the equivalent to just leaving the game running until you come back to it.

Save states are also very useful for testing things out in games. If you're trying to perform a glitch or a specific maneuver, save states are perfect for practicing. They're also good if you want to practice a specific part of the game without having to reach it legitimately every time.

So yes, save states are useful for many things, but I consider it cheating if you use them to beat a game. Besides, where's the fun in that ?

(You did perfectly fine making a poll btw )

 

[DragonMals]

It all depends. If I'm trying to beat a game, I don't ever use save states. It's basically cheating and doesn't really count as beating the game.

However, save states are nice and can be useful. I will admit I am guilty of using save states sometimes on my emulators, on those old games where you can't save your progress. I make a save state if I'm done playing, then come back to it later and never use the state again. Yes it's kinda cheating but if you're playing on original hardware, it's the equivalent to just leaving the game running until you come back to it.

Save states are also very useful for testing things out in games. If you're trying to perform a glitch or a specific maneuver, save states are perfect for practicing. They're also good if you want to practice a specific part of the game without having to reach it legitimately every time.

So yes, save states are useful for many things, but I consider it cheating if you use them to beat a game. Besides, where's the fun in that ?

(You did perfectly fine making a poll btw )

This is a pretty solid take. I think I should edit my message to give off my thoughts about it altogether. I haven't done that in my previous post, so I guess I can thank you for inspiring me to do so.

Thanks with the poll too! I thought I've messed something wrong, but I am still learning things c:

 

[Hanafuda]

It all depends. If I'm trying to beat a game, I don't ever use save states. It's basically cheating and doesn't really count as beating the game.

However, save states are nice and can be useful. I will admit I am guilty of using save states sometimes on my emulators, on those old games where you can't save your progress. I make a save state if I'm done playing, then come back to it later and never use the state again. Yes it's kinda cheating but if you're playing on original hardware, it's the equivalent to just leaving the game running until you come back to it.

Save states are also very useful for testing things out in games. If you're trying to perform a glitch or a specific maneuver, save states are perfect for practicing. They're also good if you want to practice a specific part of the game without having to reach it legitimately every time.

So yes, save states are useful for many things, but I consider it cheating if you use them to beat a game. Besides, where's the fun in that ?

(You did perfectly fine making a poll btw )

Exactly. Use them if you want or need to, so the game is more enjoyable for you or so you can develop your skill at a certain challenge. Just don't go around claiming you "beat the game" unless you start at the beginning and play to the end without using them.

 

[DragonMals]

Exactly. Use them if you want or need to, so the game is more enjoyable for you or so you can develop your skill at a certain challenge. Just don't go around claiming you "beat the game" unless you start at the beginning and play to the end without using them.

What about a Shoot em up like Gradius? Same rules apply? I hate to sound like I'm dumb, but the only game that I had to use hard save states with is Gradius III for the Arcade. Played it on the 3 and 4 collection on the PS2, and that game is notirious for it's diffficulty.

 

[Hanafuda]

What about a Shoot em up like Gradius? Same rules apply? I hate to sound like I'm dumb, but the only game that I had to use hard save states with is Gradius III for the Arcade. Played it on the 3 and 4 collection on the PS2, and that game is notirious for it's diffficulty.

Just like I said ... there's nothing wrong with using save states on a non-pausing game like that (or any game) to improve your personal enjoyment of the game. Arcade games in particular were made to levels of difficulty intended to purposely kill you over and over. They get more of your quarters that way. But there's a difference between "I finished that game" and "I beat that game." And if you're honest with yourself and others about that distinction, the only thing that matters is you have fun and your own personal satisfaction. Right?

 

[DragonMals]

Just like I said ... there's nothing wrong with using save states on a non-pausing game like that (or any game) to improve your personal enjoyment of the game. Arcade games in particular were made to levels of difficulty intended to purposely kill you over and over. They get more of your quarters that way. But there's a difference between "I finished that game" and "I beat that game." And if you're honest with yourself and others about that distinction, the only thing that matters is you have fun and your own personal satisfaction. Right?

Yep! Although I do wish that I can plsg thy game without save states, I don't think I'll be alive when that time comes cause I'll be playing that game over and over and over and over and over and over again until I've managed to best it.

I'm not that type of gamer though unless it comes to certain games like Terraria for instance. Terraria has an expert mode (and a master) that I've been trying to play for a long time until I've almost naturally play the game on Expert.

 

[Hanafuda]

Yep! Although I do wish that I can plsg thy game without save states, I don't think I'll be alive when that time comes cause I'll be playing that game over and over and over and over and over and over again until I've managed to best it.

I'm not that type of gamer though unless it comes to certain games like Terraria for instance. Terraria has an expert mode (and a master) that I've been trying to play for a long time until I've almost naturally play the game on Expert.

There are some game endings I never would've been able to see if it weren't for save states. Cuz I suck, and because as a fulltime working married adult I just ain't got time for all that. I haven't been using them for some time though because I moved off emus for the most part and just play original hardware now. And I'm about fed up trying to unlock the Parade Cart by beating Double Dash, let me tell ya.

 

[DragonMals]

There are some game endings I never would've been able to see if it weren't for save states. Cuz I suck, and because as a fulltime working married adult I just ain't got time for all that. I haven't been using them for some time though because I moved off emus for the most part and just play original hardware now. And I'm about fed up trying to unlock the Parade Cart by beating Double Dash, let me tell ya.

I see, I see. I would be using original hardware if it weren't for how many places sell games for high prices. I don't have the money to just be getting classic games unfortunately.

Good luck getting that cart though! Iirc I remember it being difficult to get
.

 

[FAST6191]

Mirror mode all track GP was a nightmare -- all my muscle memory was tuned for 150CC normal. I managed it first time in the end but it was not a sure thing I could lose the last 5 races for where even today (many years since then) I will only fail to be massively clear on points when playing another human player and they sneak in there instead.

Amusingly though for many purposes it is not the best cart -- the heavy carts with the best top speed do the best both for bashing others out the way but also if you master turbos and boosts then the slow acceleration becomes a moot point.

As far as savestates then a website that is all about cheats, ROM hacks, custom tweaks to things and the like... is the answer ever going to be anything other than "your game, your rules"?

 

[hippy dave]

"Allowed"?
"Today's meta"?

Unless you're playing games as a job, then you're doing it for you, not anybody else, so do it how you want. I usually want to try and get the original experience/beat the original challenge, so will try to do it without external helpers like save states, but will make exceptions when it suits me, because I'm doing it for me, not to impress strangers on the internet

 

[Marc_LFD]

Even back in the 90's saving a game started to appear on NES/SNES games so people could just turn off the console, boot it up, and play from where they were before. Save states are perfectly normal, really.

I do remember during the PS1/PS2 days I didn't have a dang memory card so all of the content I'd unlock, I'd end up losing because I'd turn off the console.

 

[DragonMals]

I do remember during the PS1/PS2 days I didn't have a dang memory card so all of the content I'd unlock, I'd end up losing because I'd turn off the console.

This. I remember back when I played the Gamecube and whenever I want to play those games, I didn't have a memory card, and I would try to leave the system on for as long as I can before I turned the system off and lost all of my data.

Something I wished that the Gamecube had but I think didn't have a technology, is to have a backup smaller memory card built into the system that can support a couple of games. It would've been perfect

 

[The Catboy]

i use save states all the time, sometimes as backups and other times to avoid obtuse save methods, like needing to find a save room or something. I don’t always have time to save outside of a save state

 

[DragonMals]

i use save states all the time, sometimes as backups and other times to avoid obtuse save methods, like needing to find a save room or something. I don’t always have time to save outside of a save state

Octuse save methods? Wdym by this?

 

[The Catboy]

Octuse save methods? Wdym by this?

Obtuse
And I mean methods other than just press a button, hit save from a menu, and turn off the game.
So like, save points, passwords, and other non-real time save methods.

 

[DragonMals]

Obtuse
And I mean methods other than just press a button, hit save from a menu, and turn off the game.
So like, save points, passwords, and other non-real time save methods.

Ahhh....

Also thanks for the grammar fix. didn't know I said it wrong lmao

 

[AmandaRose]

I feel the same about save states as I do about using cheats for games. And that is a hell no. I never use either as I want to play the game the way it was designed to be played.

But hey just my personal choice if others want to use em then so be it.

 

[TunaKetchup]

Why is save states capitalized? Why are you using so many buzzwords?

Simply put, save states are a crutch for normies. If you use them you're not a real gamer. Simple as.

 

[DragonMals]

Why is save states capitalized? Why are you using so many buzzwords?

Simply put, save states are a crutch for normies. If you use them you're not a real gamer. Simple as.

I'll keep the above message in my mind for the future. I don't know why I like using capital letters. Don't know what you mean by buzzwords.