Dreamcast and Xbox boost for video game preservation

Almost 500 more Xbox and Dreamcast game builds preserved by Project Deluge

Project Deluge has released an impressive bundle of pre-release game builds and prototypes collected by the preservation grou Hidden Palace, including 349 Xbox and 135 Dreamcast games.

You can peruse the collection online, and the latest batch includes Pac-Man World Rally, He-Man: Defender of Grayskull and even Hail to the Chimp, which would eventually become an Xbox 360 game.

• Over 750 PlayStation 2 builds online
• Around 80 Sega Saturn prototypes
• 370 original PlayStation pre-releases

Gaming history: The Dreamcast games include Test Drive Cycles and early versions of Jet Grind Radio, 4 Wheel Thunder and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Project Deluge has recovered and preserved over 1,700 prototypes.

Lone hero: “These aging items were miraculously rescued from being destroyed, thrown away, or sold through the herculean efforts of one person,” said Hidden Palace, who is struggling to keep the site up under the sudden onslaught of traffic.

Where did Megalovania originate?

a) Undertale
b) Smash Bros
c) Homestuck
d) An Earthbound ROM hack

The answer will be revealed at the bottom of today's issue. Join up with our community on Twitter and Facebook to discuss what the answer could be.

Pokémon Trading Card Game Live app

The Pokémon Company has announced a new mobile app called Pokémon Trading Card Game Live which brings the popular Pokémon trading card game into the digital realm.

It appears to be a revised version of Pokémon TCG Online that lets collectors do battle on the go in cross-platform matches versus both mobile and desktop players.

Mobile & PC: Pokémon Trading Card Game Live is launching for PC and Mac as well as iOS and Android, and will tie into the physical TCG through new booster packs that will include codes that presumably add the booster pack to your digital collection.

TCG for all: “Add new cards by scanning code cards, purchasing in-game booster packs, and participating in daily quests, among others,” according to the feature list. Finally, your Shiny cards will be safe from scratches and oily fingers.

Digital Eclipse talks Marvel vs. Capcom 2

Is there any way something like Marvel vs. Capcom could happen today, or would the weird tangle of corporate ownership interests strangle even the idea of a remastered version of the arcade classic? Digital Eclipse has been bringing arcade games to home consoles for 30 years, and they're thinking hard about solving the conundrum.

Studio head Mike Mika talks about remastering Marvel vs. Capcom 2 in an interview with Shacknews, and how to overcome the various challenges that would entail.

Publishers: Obviously, the first step would be to get Disney and Capcom in a room to put together an agreement, both Digital Eclipse and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 fans think that's what they should do.

Expiration: Marvel vs Capcom 2 was ported to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 back in 2009 while Marvel-mania was arguably still winding up, but was pulled from sale when various contracts expired.

The show must go on in The Amazing American Circus

The Amazing American Circus is an oddball deck-building rogue-lite that puts you on the carny trail across America after your father leaves you his circus. On the way, you perform shows to impress audiences and take on quests to prepare for a circus competition with a truly astounding grand prize.

That sounds like a simple enough setup, but The Amazing American Circus still manages to make a bit of a hash of it with awkward voice acting and a half-baked presentation. The game plays a bit like Darkest Dungeon without all the gore and madness, replacing eldritch horrors with a tough crowd and fierce attacks with tricks and performances.

• Starting the Show: Each of your performers have a set of cards that represent various performances, and you use them to impress the crowd and discourage hecklers.
  • While the nonviolent premise is interesting, it doesn't manage to amuse: Your performances don't look very impressive and the unimpressive animations coupled with the ponderous UI animations make the game feel slow.
  • Between performances, you can upgrade your circus, make meals, and train performers. There's a lot to do and a lot of stats to juggle, so if micromanagement is your thing you will have lots to keep you busy.
• Reservations: While it's inevitable that a game about a travelling circus in the 1800s features some politically incorrect elements, The Amazing American Circus manages to bungle representation in unexpected ways. Native American crowd members occasionally and inexplicably bring a totem pole with them and wave tomahawks while whooping if unimpressed by your performance.

While The Great American Circus's presentation struggles to engage and the gameplay is a bit slow, it's still a unique and intriguing twist on deck-building and tycoon-style management. If you're a patient sort and really like the circus, there's lots to like here – except for the whole Native American thing, that just kind of sucks.

PROS:

• Unique, non-violent gameplay
• Plenty of secrets to discover

CONS:

• Slow-paced
• Lacklustre presentation
• Awkward representations, even for the period

Fall VR Emporium on Humble Bundle

Humble Bundle's got a pay-what-you-want Virtual Reality bundle on offer in the Fall VR Emporium, and paying at least £10.82 bags 7 VR enabled games: Zero Caliber VR, A Fisherman’s Tale, Paper Beast, Arizona Sunshine, House Flipper VR, Unit You Fall and Wands.

• BioWare pitched an ‘evil Yoda’ for Knights of the Old Republic but somehow ended up working on Mass Effect instead
• GamesMaster TV series “set to make a return” on UK's Channel 4 after premiering on YouTube
• Luigi appeared as a guest character in Sega GT prototype for Dreamcast waving a flag in a secret race called sonygt2
• Catan – World Explorers servers will shut down on November 18th since the “global, location-based” MMO failed
• Nvidia releases Windows 11 Game Ready Driver so GeForce users can smoothly transition to the new operating system

Where did Megalovania originate?

ANSWER: An Earthbound ROM hack!

Megalovania is one of the most iconic music tracks in gaming history. Composed by Toby Fox, the tune became spectacularly popular on two separate occasions: First when it appeared in the webcomic Homestuck, and again when it played during the fight against Sans in Undertale.

Megalovania was actually written for the final boss fight in an Earthbound ROM hack known as the Halloween Hack (or “Press the B Button, Stupid!”), which turned Earthbound into a darker and more challenging game with Dr. Andonuts as the villain. While the ROM hack hasn’t aged very gracefully, Megalovania certainly has and it’s easy to see why Toby Fox keeps using it in his work.

Today's issue of DailyBits was written by Gavin Herman, Erlend Grefsrud, Simon Priest, and Jamie Davey. If you have any feedback or news tips for the team, please email us!