Is Using Save States Bad / Cheating? - Retro Bird

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Games played: Castlevania: Bloodlines (<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="0">0:00</a>), Metal Storm (<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="10">0:10</a>), Super Mario Bros. 3 (<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="40">0:40</a>), Bonk's Adventure (<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="55">0:55</a>), Gradius II (<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="70">1:10</a>), Ristar (<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="80">1:20</a>)

[@neogohanamv]

I once made the mistake of telling someone I used save states, but luckily I was able to reload my state to before I told them, and they were none the wiser, heh heh

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Well done :)

[@HelterSkelterz]

haha good one X)

[@meropolis]

Lol pin this 😂

[@mRibbons]

I like using save states in games with multiple choice dialogue or gameplay scenarios. Its fun to see how things play out without having to start a whole new game.

[@Interlink98]

In a time crunched world, saves states are good for people who don't have the time but want to continue the games that don't offer the opportunity to continue easily.

[@rockguitarist931]

There is nothing like the relief of FINALLY getting to the checkpoint in a retro game.

[@DivisibleByWaffle]

I'm helping introduce a friend to the world of video games, and when they asked me about savestates I said, "There's no wrong way to play a game unless you aren't having fun, or you're causing someone else to not have fun. So do whatever you want!" I then proceeded to show them every major glitch I can pull off in Pokemon Red and said, "Look! I'm playing the game how I want to!"

[@View619]

Ultimately, having the option is better than nothing. I'm not a fan of redoing specific areas, but definitely love them for being able to save between sessions.

[@NoturnaGamer]

Play retro games the way you enjoy them with save state or without save state. The important thing is to have fun. I think save state invites the new generation to play retro games. I see this more often than before.

[@ymarksthespot]

I was really bad about using save states to do perfect runs, which sucked all the fun out of playing old games. But now I try to use them only to highlight good stages/bosses and otherwise play through the game as normal. Save states are most useful to drop right before a hard boss, so you don't have to slog through whatever stage/cinematic prelude beforehand. Beyond all that, they were a road to OCD for me. Great points made here, friend. Thanks again.

[@GreyWolfLeaderTW]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="144">2:24</a> -- I lost it at the banana costume for Samba De Amigo

[@ryanstewart4444]

I remember having two fans running over blocks of ice just to keep an NES cool enough so that my friends and I could go outside for a while while we were trying to get through Contra. Thank God for save states. If there is any hope of getting the newer generations into old games, some quality of life improvements must be made, and save states are a big one. Really, the only people that are anti SS are the Retro Gamer Gate Keepers, and I've got more important things to do than deal with them.

[@claytongrayum777]

I used the rewind button on Aladdin for Switch and do not care one bit! SNES flying carpet gave me nightmares as a kid.

[@Blaster1986]

Overall, I think savestates are more beneficial than harmful. They’re especially handy for games you were NEVER able to save and it sure beats writing out and entering those insanely long passwords some games had back in the day (Mega Man X is an example that comes to mind). They also have allowed me to play unforgivingly hard shmups for more than just a minute before it’s Game Over. Where they fail? They can prevent you from truly mastering a game and you can save a state at a very bad time in the game where you can be stuck forever if you didn’t also make a ‘normal’ save.

[@supersquirrels7]

Yes!! Skipping the passwords is the best and those games with those like 2 minute long opening loading screens… the ps1 and ps2 emulators with the automatic save state for resume are amazing. I can just put the game down whenever.

[@TheDeath138]

Metal Gear's password system comes to mind.

[@blitheringrando1410]

I love save states, especially on a handheld. Talk about play anything anywhere! Now time eater games are more digestible

[@joesshows6793]

Your delivery is brilliant

[@bmwolgas]

I only use savestates to long-term pause a game. I never use them to re-do something.

[@zhelldog]

My mindset has always been “achievements in video games are not actual achievements. Nobody cares that you beat a game. This is entertainment; enjoy it and go do something real”

[@TheUnleetGamer]

nah, i play for fun not frustration

[@patwilliams7362]

I get it for newer generations. From what I have heard, they made the games so darn difficult so you would get your money's worth as a customer. $50 to beat a game in a two hour sitting would hurt the brand. If I am wrong, let me know!

[@TheUnleetGamer]

@@patwilliams7362 i'm a 16bit era kid, i just dont have the patience and time i used to

[@patwilliams7362]

@@TheUnleetGamerGames have come a long way and so have the players. No prob with safe states. I'm 43, f off with limited continues, I have to work in the morning lol

[@bmeht]

get gud

[@TheUnleetGamer]

@@patwilliams7362 same

[@kennethc2466]

Options are great! Kinda like your videos. Also, love your composite controller hand and real CRT screen shot. Cheers!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thank you!

[@Tall_Order]

The minecart stages in donkey kong country are notorious for forcing me to use save states.

[@rockguitarist931]

The warp-barrels are a lifesaver on some of those stages.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Those stages are so fun. Any reason to play through them again for me :)

[@seabass3884]

bro i started playing dkc for the first time and was fun until that first minecart level, that difficulty spike turned me off completely

[@butchdeadlift7551]

I replayed it a few months ago and I still had the muscle memory to beat them from when I was a kid haha.

[@supersquirrels7]

Often I’ll use save states just to get past annoying sections. I’ll go through an entire game without save states then use 20 on a tedious section before the boss and then go right back to not using any again. Just do whatever will make the game more fun for you.

[@complete-mayhem-x64]

Two thoughts here I used to speedrun Super Metroid, and all the faster runners told me I should get a Nakitek game saver. It plugs in sort of like a sonic and knuckles cart and adds a save state to the snes. That was an absolute god send for practicing boss fights! When I was younger I was playing through Shadowrun for Genesis. My battery in the game cart was bad so I couldn't save. After leaving my Genesis on for 5 days as I played my way through, my Genesis started to fail! The video out never worked right and became unusable, I was a very sad kid that day! All that to say, play how you want and enjoy your time gaming!

[@jerryklein3]

Save states are essential for: Speedrunners Content Creators People with limited time Super Fans

[@deltasyn7434]

I generally use stave states to make of up for missing QOL like long passwords, or just not having a save function at all. But I won't use to circumvent challenges the game has set.

[@megamob5834]

I think it’s fair play if a game has no/unfair checkpoints, or even limited lives/continues. Sometimes you just want to see the end of a game. But I do think that there is a tipping point where save states can be abused to the point of removing all challenge, thus defeating the purpose of even playing the game.

[@riversart2030]

Well said. Not every game needs to be challenging, but a lot of games certainly benefit from it. The thought of having to replay the entire level or even the entire game if you die creates tension and adds weight to your actions, making victory all the more rewarding. This is something that I miss about retro games. That being said, I sometimes like to use save states on difficult games to "practice" boss fights but I always try to go back and beat them legitimately afterwards.

[@maxwellsmith5627]

I agree, but with certain games I think save states are a bad thing. Like super monkey ball, we're the fun is overcoming your frustration and playing it so many times you get good at it.

[@Doortodoorgeek]

I hear a voice and I think ... do I have a banana in the kitchen, no, no, wait ... do I have enough bananas ...... no, no I do not

[@itsamegrabbins]

I’ve fallen into the trap of over relying on save states and it almost made the game more frustrating and less worth my time. These days I try to be mindful of using them every now and again or when I feel like I’ve made meaningful progress in the game.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

That's true. It can slip into madness if you become overly reliant.

[@itsamegrabbins]

@@RetroBirdGaming thanks for another great video btw! And it was super fun seeing you at PRGE this year 🍌

[@drhoads08]

I used save states to go back and beat some games that I never could. Gradius (NES), DKC (SNES) and sadly Castlevania (NES) and even with save states I could not beat the grim reaper! It was nice to finally beat the other two though!

[@TheKill3rShark1]

I wish I could make a save state before I burned my finger with a soldering iron, if only I knew angry hot sticks didn’t like me…

[@markusszelbracikowski956]

I feel like a dirty dog by using the rewind feature, but then again some older games are so broken and unfair I can't even cope with how people beat those without save states 😂

[@TheDeath138]

Well, to be fair, back then, we weren't buying games all that often. We were lucky if we got 1 game a year, so we played the shit out of whatever we did have to the point that we could actually beat them in a single sitting. Those days are long gone for me though.

[@jeffb.6642]

Cheating is only bad in online multiplayer games or tournaments. Single player games and retro games? Sure, go for it.

[@koolaid33]

Imagine someone penalizing people for cheating in a singleplayer game. One of my personal favourite things to do in SP games is to use cheat codes, mod them or use new additions in later releases like save states. Sure, using an invincibility code in an older game is "cheating", but if that game is hard enough, I don't really care. It's however you feel like playing the game. Whether or not you like the features, whether or not you use them, they are nice additions and they add some way to make games more accessible.

[@davidclaxton3674]

There's nothing wrong with save states. It's just not impressive to me if people use them when bragging about beating something like Battletoads with it.

[@Bslahsusnald]

For games that are well designed and have good controls, save states ruin the accomplishment of beating a difficult game. For games that have terrible controls, level design, or just outright impossible to beat, save states are good for seeing the game through. Also it's good for games that are long but just lacked the technology at the time to save your game.

[@Kuli24000]

Exactly this and perfect example. Play the way you want to play, but when it comes to bragging what you beat to OTHER PEOPLE, you NEED to say you used save states otherwise it's a straight-up lie. I absolutely love using save states and even unlimited lives cheats and all that jazz for my own non-bragging fun. Edit: also, using a save state to essentially pause so you can resume later, that's fair game.

[@Bslahsusnald]

@Kuli24000 I agree 👍

[@SvennyMcG]

I think this encapsulates my thoughts too. I use them where possible but only because I can’t grind a game the way I did when I was 8. I beat Mega Man 2 as a kid, but when I played it recently with my kids we used the rewind feature, especially with the phantom platform parts because I wasn’t about to spend any excess time memorizing the patterns. I did when I was a kid though and the two experiences are similar but different in accomplishment

[@cd4playa1245]

Battletoads is one of those games where I’d still be kinda impressed if someone beat it with save states.

[@AJBats]

Save states allows for extra control over game difficulty for getting to experience a game or adding an easier mode when one doesn't exist. I like to think of clearing a game without save states as demonstrating mastery over your favorite games, and a fun goal to give yourself on the games you cant put down.

[@IowaRetroGamerDad]

I always loved this discussion. There is gatekeepers out there that will curse the people who used save states and frankly, I love them. I do think if you abuse the hell out of them its cheating. Like saving every 1 minute like its a checkpoint. lol

[@A.Person...Maybe...]

Sometimes the only way you can see the end of a game IS by using cheats: 1: Impossibly hard or extremely difficult games. One i remember is Ghouls n Ghosts, where even when you DO complete it, you STILL havent completed it. 2: some games have parts nobody can get past without "cheating" because they are bugged. Savestates dont apply for this one but cheats do

[@smoothkid765]

been watching this channel for a couple years now and it still blows me away how genuinely good you are at the games you showcase. Really wish I could play Ristar on my own genesis. One day!

[@SkeletorTclaws]

Save state is the closest thing to experiencing groundhog day style magic.

[@leviwarren6222]

I'm something of a purist when it comes to save States, but I wasn't in my younger days and I can safely say that without save States, I very likely wouldn't love some classic games as much as I do.

[@JoshuaJayMusic]

I had to use save states to get through the SNES Star Wars trilogy, junk was hard.

[@OBGat]

As someone who didn't have a memory card with my ps2, I feel this so much. Built-in memory was a godsend. Also I beat Sonic Heroes with heavy use of save states. Anyone who has played the casino levels know why.

[@theconsolekiller7113]

It really comes down to how you enjoy playing games and what rules you put in place for yourself, if any. The top players use save states to practice specific sections over and over again and then put it all together legit. Similiar to how a musician practices sections of a song they need to refine and doesnt replay the entire song to practice a section for 10 seconds, each time. Its just efficient practice when used as a practice tool and not a way to cheat through games. I have a very strict spreadsheet called the KILL LIST and have gone through close to 4000 games and I also have a rules list that I put in place to try to keep entries consistant. Ive always been goal oriented so I enjoy filling out the list and hitting certain goals to keep that fire strong. It really only matters what you enjoy and what matters to you, otherwise there would be no satisfaction in playing these games. Not everyone wants a game to be challenging, and some really need that to stay engaged. These days I will save state "cheat" through a game fully which serves as my practice run, for games with limited lives or continues. I will replay certain hard sections until I can beat them several times in a row and then move onto the next part of the game. I do this until I complete a practice run of the full game, then start making legit attempts at the game and saving during those attempts just in case I fail and need to practice parts that need refining, for my next attempts. I can never view practice as cheating, though I was hesitant to do this at first as I come from the time where none of this tech existed. Once I realised that it doesnt matter how I master or learn the game, aslong as I have the skill and do it then I've beaten the game legit. Its also a choice to adhere by the old ways and even avoid using turbo on a controller or anything that veers away from the original experience. It just depends what you want out of it. I wouldnt say any answer is wrong since its something we do for personal satisfaction/enjoyment. Only you know what you enjoy. Save stating through a game can also be a great way to see if you are interested in putting in the work to learn it and push yourself farther with it. There's a few other legit uses for save states that I find extremely useful too : Faster restarts in games with unlimited continues (skip loading scenes or intro cinematics every time you die, especially useful in fighting games), resume a game later/ Bypass password screens (if it has unlimited continues). I also use this in conjunction with fast forward to get through loading screens quicker in CD based games.

[@cubeskywalker4953]

I mainly use save states for two things. 1 - As a replacement to just leaving the console turned on when I want to take a break (for a few hours, a few days, weeks, months) 2 - As a replacement for the honestly kind of tedious code systems that some games use for loading your progress. The last time I used save states to "beat a game" by inching along was Sunset Riders. I felt kind of disappointed afterwards, so I decided that I wouldn't use them that way quite as often.

[@HughLeFitness]

Is it still possible to pick up a SNES classic these days?

[@gregorys9629]

Possible but very expensive. Super Famicom classics are easier to find though.

[@Nateanderthal]

I generally use save states in games where you would normally have checkpoints to keep things above board

[@animemaster4861]

Part of me does want to see if I can beat the games that I used a save State at any part of the level. It feels like the ultimate challenge if you can beat an entire game without saving

[@garrettwilkes1674]

My approach to playing hard retro games goes like this: 1) first playthrough using Rewind and all the Save States to my heart's content 2) if I like the game, go back and make Save States at the beginning of each level / boss 3) practice those for a bit 4) go for the "1 Credit Clear" of beating the game without save states Best of both worlds.

[@harrisonhill8388]

I play a lot of retro Shmup games, and without savestates they are INCREDIBLY difficult to master. Someone playing on a real machine has to play almost all of a Shmup game just to practice the end boss once, before having to restart. Savestates allow you to practice the most difficult parts over and over while skipping the bits in-between them. It saves an incredible amount of time.

[@sabrielkytori]

The big thing with save states, especially on games you’re unfamiliar with, is it’s very easy to get yourself in a situation where you’re stuck and can’t roll back, effectively ruining the run through anyways.

[@williamcounihan3229]

I remember leaving school in the 1980's to play my ColecoVision that I saved for so long to have. I love those early game consoles and I still have most of them. Save states are cheating , plain and simple. Activision had the patches to get the iron on/ sew on patches for your high score, that you took a polaroid of your high score, after one month long sitting, to master the game, sent the photo to Activision, and then waited for the patch. There was no way to cheat back then, until a few console games that featured a pause feature. ColecoVision and Atari 5200 were the first, I believe. Thanks for your videos. I can see that you have a passion for Retro games, and thanks for your efforts. Good times! William

[@jason_mc77]

Leaving the NES on with the game paused was definitely risky business. As a 10ish year old kid I would've loved to have save states, instead of trying to convince my mom for "5 more minutes until I get to a checkpoint." Who am I kidding as a 50ish year old man I tell my wife "5 more minutes until I get to a checkpoint" 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@rockguitarist931]

I've enjoyed watching your bread bag clip collection grow over the years.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I appreciate you noticing!

[@MINI_91]

Perfect timing for this topic. I have just started using my mini consoles again and I'm trying to tick off some Mega Drive/Genesis, SNES and NES games from my backlog and I constantly struggle morally with the ability to use save states. I have never used save states and I still prefer not to for the most authentic and original experience but if the game lacks a normal save function or uses a password system, then I replace it with a save state. I don't always feel like sitting through an entire game in one session, or I just don't want to start the entire game over due to cheap deaths and lack of knowledge with a new game's level design, enemy patterns and placements or a massive mistake I made earlier that will cost me a game over later when I'm trying a new game. If I like the game enough, I will go for a playthrough without save states at a later time, but it depends on how much spare time I have on hand and how fun the game is.

[@rotallyPumpered]

Sometimes, saving anywhere is part of the design. PC-focused games like Doom and Half-Life don't have any restrictions on this stuff, and I think it's a big part of the secret sauce behind their appeal. You have complete control over how frequently you make saves, and there's no stigma to it. You're the best judge of how difficult your games should be.

[@boohiss83]

If it's just you and your friends for fun go nuts. Once it involves some kind of ranking/competition like a speed run then nope.

[@TheGunmanChannel]

They're definitely a double edged sword. Recently been playing Xbox 360 Goldeneye leaked, so that forces me to play properly without save scumming, lol, because I tell you now, if I had the option to, while doing Train 00 Agent, I definitely would have, but you do lose something, it totally changes the experience.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I absolutely agree. It changes the experience and that's something to consider when deciding whether or not to use them.

[@RayPruitt-ji9jx]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="165">2:45</a> Or flipping the difficulty switch on your opponent's side of the Atari 2600. I did that to my sister in Space Invaders while saying "fat, skinny, fat, skinny..."

[@AL_Talks]

Growing up with a Sega Genesis I was lucky if a game had a password system. When Sonic 3 came out it had a save and it was glorious. When I played Lunar: Silver Star Story and could save anywhere I was like, "this game is perfect" and then I discovered save states. Keeping someone from saving a game whenever they want should be considered a war crime.

[@michaels9917]

Save states are the only way I'm able to beat/progress in most retro games. I'm looking at you, Battletoads!!!

[@GPAnimations]

Save states are the only reason I was able to beat Monster World 4 on the Genesis Mini earlier this year. It was an enjoyable experience, so I ended up buying the collectors edition of Wonder Boy Asha in Monster World for Switch right after and beating that.

[@KilterTalks]

There's something fun about beating a game without savestates. In my experience, using savestates can feel like "going on a tour" of a game more than beating it. No judgement either way and there are some games where using savestates was the only way I could tolerate them. But finally beating something like Ninja Gaiden without savestates just hits different.

[@vitolibido]

Game developers make games so difficult or most of the time not knowing what to do next that it really makes me think games developers try their best to deter you from playing their games.. it’s as if they don’t want you to play their games… for example mega man 1-5 for game boy I was not able to survive more than the first 10 seconds of each first stage.. 99% of games we don’t play for those two reasons

[@joshuamtzchz2596]

Save states are pretty helpful in fighting games like in Capcom fighting collection I used check points in darkstalkes, red Earth, street fighter ll and cyborg punk full metal madness those games are really tough so it's pretty cool to use them some times

[@army103]

I've learned to really like using save states! With most older games, I just want to have some fun and experience them; I don't really feel compelled to master them like I might have when they were the big, new thing. Besides, I think I paid my dues playing without save states for decades, and I don't get to use them with modern, non-emulated games, either, so why not enjoy the convenience where I can?

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I've noticed a lot of people with thoughts similar to yours. Having put in the time decades ago.. giving yourself a break now haha :)

[@socialistprofessor3206]

I have gotten several monkeys off my back with Save States. They have changed my life😅

[@Yipper64]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="140">2:20</a> I think the idea would be that you cheat *yourself* out of the intended experience. Deciding to stick it out instead of using save states might take more time but it has a different experience, one that could arguably be said to be more fun overall even if it comes with some frustration. Its an understandable thing to do, but I think people who dont like save states feel the need to justify not using them ironically enough. Idk sort of the emotion I feel hearing this at least, I like not using save states.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Usually, when people call it cheating, they're not referring to cheating yourself. However, I really like you looking at it that way and think that makes a lot of sense. Naturally, people will argue over how much the intended experience matters, what that would be, how much it matters etc. But, it's a worthwhile angle to look at the discussion from. Thanks for the comment :)

[@MJones-je6po]

I just played through Donkey Kong Land via NSO using the rewind feature liberally. I loved it. I wanted to experience what the game had in store. I could go back and memorize the game like I have with DKC, but I much prefer trying a wider swath of games. More retro games!

[@daryl4841]

Save states remind me a little of riding an e-bike. If you just want to get to your destination with less effort and you have fun enjoying the journey then have at it. Nothing wrong with having fun. As far as any kind of competitive accomplishment though I think the activities are rendered null and void. Nobody wants to watch an ebiker in a race and nobody cares to watch someone "beat" a game without dying using frequent save states.

[@Robert_Shmigelsky]

For me it can depend on the genre of the game. You can lose some enjoyment if using save states causes the game to be a breeze, and you rush through it as a result.

[@ScottAskins-t3n]

My first video game console did not have save states. Commodore Vic-20 did not have anything other then saving the game to tape or floppy disk once you spent 3 hours typing out the code first (As long as you had no syntax error's) to play the game.

[@filidhdeklend893]

"The whole thing" way to call me out, man!

[@Solemn-h6v]

For me to not use save states I have to really love the game, otherwise I just feel like I'm wasting my time on a game I have no interest in mastering.

[@markracer3281]

I'll take bread-clips next to banana peels any day of the week!!! Love your channel, R.B.!!!

[@SwordsmanOrion]

Oh wow.... you just unlocked all the memories I have of hiding the glowing red light of my NES or SNES when 8 had to leave it all all day while I was at school. I forgot I used to have to do that all the time

[@RetroBirdGaming]

You sure did!

[@MattKimura]

Another thing people accuse others wrongfully for is using walkthroughs or looking up puzzle solutions.

[@erikcarpenter9915]

Save states should be the standard for every game. They have been around since the 90s on PC games and were only rare on consoles because developers didn’t want to allocate more memory to multiple save files. We don’t have those limitations anymore. Imagine if you could save a file right before a boss fight in games like Elden Ring instead of relying the last save/check point. Would save us a whole lot of time wasted on playing easy parts over just to get to a part that is challenging.

[@Moulinoski]

I usually create a save state when I get a password or start a new level. I remember the days of writing down passwords and I don’t miss them. Some passwords are LONG too! Faxanadu’s passwords give me trouble if you can believe that! Some games also don’t even have passwords or anything, like SMB3 as you showed.

[@inceptional]

Where did you get those little plastic SNES cases at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="444">7:24</a>?

[@MrIndigoninja]

I use them as quicksaves/for password games as convenience so I can easily pick up where I left off. Once I load a savestate, I "discard" it. I don't care if people use them for savescumming, but not for me.

[@Artoliann]

Tbh, I probably wouldn't have decided to sit through and beat earthbound. someday I'll probably beat earthbound without it, but yeah I think save states are pretty good for learning the flow of certain retro games or making more frustrating parts of these games just a little less frustrating, which is always a good thing.

[@ZuperNEZ]

I use save states for games that lack a proper save system and rely on passwords. I am not wasting my time typing down a 25 characters when I could just "Load State" instead.

[@darrenklein6090]

As I understand it, a lot of games of the 8- and 16-bit eras were intentionally made very difficult so that you couldn’t just rent a game and beat it over a weekend, you’d have to buy it in order to have the time to get good at it. Since they were often made extra-hard as part of a business decision and not due to some FromSoft-like creative vision, I think it’s ok to give yourself a little helping hand with a save state. As far as “cheats” go, save states are barely immoral.

[@rickykeim2005]

I like save states. I don't have to wait for specific save points in a Game and I can just save whenever I want and that's an improvement in my book.

[@TheBobanator777]

As a Sophmore in Highschool who enjoys old and new games equally, I use save states quite a lot. usually every 3-10 minutes or right before a boss fight. I never really use it on original hardware, I just use it if the emulator (classic consoles/collections) I am using offers them. If not, I just play them normally.

[@ACtheACE]

Save states have a place in practice but it doesn't count that u beat the game if u used them. Use them to get used to the hard parts until you're ready to beat the game for real.

[@jacobhorne7046]

If you sold a shirt that had dirty doggery on it I would definitely buy it!! 🎮🕹️

[@Amp5150]

street fighter 2 on SNES doesnt save the scoreboard between restarts. So I made a save state on my SNES classic at first to save the scoreboard every time I beat it, but then I had a crazy idea in the back of my head that what if the devs put some easter egg if you beat the game 1000 times in a row!

[@bawanafox251]

Right now I am playing Megaman 4 GB version in NSO and using save state because don't want using password. Yes, agree too always remember a golden or certain rule when using save stated like don't use save state in half battle when fight a boss because that cheating.

[@WWammyy]

Been playing games since the 90's and I've only briefly tried save states because when I have it fundamentally changed the way the game plays. I find it cumbersome to go into a menu and load up a save state. Some people are so good at this they assign the states to load and save keys but me I end up confused overwriting the save state. I'm not opposed to them but I do prefer to use cheats such as infinite lives.

[@brisingr14]

Saved states are like dirty dogging a video game.

[@Minx420]

Save states aren’t the problem. it’s forgetting to save in a game with no auto save or doing it way too often, that take away from the experience. Your first play through shouldn’t be perfect, mistakes will be made and that’s how you learn. On the other hand your first play through also shouldn’t *feel* impossible either or you risk rage quitting.

[@AnarickTheDevil]

I find it hard to make myself play games that are not on a hand held device anymore. Most hand held devices allow save states and have sleep mode along with being able to take it with you makes it difficult for me to go back to normal consoles.

[@tonyp9313]

Some retro games I won't play with Save States. I'll play them in 1 sitting. Then other games I will play with Save States. I find save states to be more relaxing since it completely removes a challenge from a game.

[@stratfender89]

I think you forgot to mention something about save states. They can be a great way to fully explore a game. It's easy to do the magic whistles in Super Mario Bros 3 to get to the last world, but with save states, you can see all of the levels from start to finish and appreciate all the thought and innovation that went into the game.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Good point. Allows you the opportunity to experiment and play around with things a bit more.

[@MrEd20901]

Save states are great, especially for password games. Who hasn't lost progress in a game because you couldn't read your own handwriting or couldn't tell if the screen was showing an "l" or a 1, or 0 or O.

[@alexanderdiaz0512]

I really have to stop staring at my PS1 manuals. And smelling them, why do they smell so good? It's like nostalgia in a booklet

[@cd4playa1245]

This is the most Retrobird video ever. 😂

[@dionvandenberg]

I'm watching this right after Stalker 2 and PC Game Pass decided to nuke my 90 hour save game.

[@FlareFoot57]

If it weren’t for save states, I would’ve loved Parasite Eve less, and I wouldn’t want to live in that dark timeline. I would like to do another playthrough where I take off the save state training wheels at some point.

[@yujiro424]

My only issue with save states is when people use them as a reason for why a part of the game isn't difficult. I have had people say things like that because they never played the original versions where save states aren't a thing. That may be something only I have experienced, but it still was very annoying. Otherwise, I don't care if people use them or not. Video games are just that games enjoy them

[@one7decimal2eight]

No. As an adult I don't have the time I did as a kid. And I have no desire to start over if I wipe.