I don't have any legitimate games to test to see if it's just the bootleg, but basically whenever I put my burnt CD-r with Shenmue disc 1 into my new DC it resets the console, and then when I try playing it again it says "Please insert disc"

I don't know if there's a problem with the laser or if my DC simply can't play burned games, but for anyone knowledgable on DC troubleshooting, does this symptom sound familiar?

Also, the disc I burned Shenmue onto was 700mb, and the iso was 750mb I believe. I can't remember if I used overburn or not.

Well I know Miyamoto has practically disowned it at this point. I don't think he was too impressed in retrospect with the design choices he made. I mean I agree with him.. when you look at something like Mario 3, it's tough, but it's fair. When you die, it's truly your fault. Not the case with SMB2-jp. It's deliberately designed to kill you, not challenge you.

The SNES definitely. It's the only console that universally has all my favourite games on it and an absolutely perfect lineup, from a subjective view of mine. I mean when you have games like A Link to the Past, Super Metroid, Mario World and Yoshi's Island and Chrono Trigger to name a few off the top of my head.. you can't get much better than that.

I think Miyamoto would be inclined to agree with you.

I'm pretty much coming to terms with the fact that I'll probably never complete any version of it. I still struggle with the original Super Mario Bros. I mean I can beat it, but not without difficulty. I have a much easier time with 3 and world given the stiffness of the original game's controls.

@Eikichi-Onizuka: I was mainly talking about the famicon version haha I always go for the original versions of each game I play and then do remakes at a later time.

Well christ.. this is gonna be a gruelling experience.

Have any of you beaten it? I've beaten almost every Mario game ever made but this one in particular intimidates the hell out of me.. especially after watching playthroughs. I'm all for challenge which is why I love 2D Mario games so much, but this one seems almost cruel. But for completionist purposes I do want to complete it.. I just want to know how manageable it is with enough practice.

I also have a question about reproduction cartridges. I'm thinking about picking up one of these [link removed by me cause legality] since I prefer the feel of the NES gamepad to the Wii U. If anyone has experience with these, how are they in comparison to an official famicon cartridge? Does it play alright or are there technical issues with unofficial cartridges?

I was born in 1994 and the industry was well into the era of 64 bit gaming when I was a kid.... but idk.. I've never considered myself a "modern gamer". My first console was an NES with the original Super Mario Bros and Duck Hunt. From there I got a SNES and an N64 and so on as the years passed. I was always a generation behind which really helped me broaden my scope and appreciate older games.

Hey, I've been replaying Mario 3 a lot more lately but I've been noticing that when there are lots of enemies on the screen and I'm blasting through the level, the game can slow down a little. Is this normal or is there something wrong with my cartridge / system?