YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

A selection of smaller questions from readers

AMIGA POWER

I want to play old Amiga games that my dad used to play on his Amiga 500. What's the best/easiest way to go about it? PC and emulator, Raspberry Pi and emulator? Buy an Amiga 500 and games? Mike via Twitter

An original Amiga 500 is one option, although the original floppy disks are failing as time goes on. There are other options, though – Amiga Forever uses the excellent WINUAE emulator and includes officially licensed versions of Kickstart and Workbench, as well as games and demos. Antstream also includes a reasonable selection of officially licensed Amiga games and is very easy to use, though you should check out our review in issue 198 before you put down your money.

SCART ATTACK

What are affordable ways of having as many consoles plugged in as possible without ever having to mess around behind the telly swapping SCART cables? Kev Moneyball Mase via Twitter

You’ll need to get yourself a SCART switcher – but they’re becoming less common these days.

The cheapest models offer manual switching, which means you’ll need to get up and physically push switches each time you want to start a different console. For real convenience, you’ll need automatic switches that detect which port has an active signal – these typically also need a power supply of their own.

HARD TIMES

As a guy in his mid-forties I worry that my better days are behind me. Surely the day will come when one won't be able to play our beloved (retro) games due to an ageing brain that just can't hack it anymore. Do you have any advice? Simon Forward via Twitter

As studies have shown that learning reshapes the brain and can slow the progression of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, it’s possible that trying to acquire a new skill may help you. Although you’ll have less time to play games, you’ll gain value in other potentially exciting ways. You may also choose to adjust the types of games you play, trading in fast action for slower, more considered experiences. However, the best advice we can offer is not to worry about cognitive decline, because you may never experience it – you could stay sharp well into your old age. Alternatively, you may not reach old age at all. Life is chaotic, and none of us know how long we have. We should enjoy life while we can, and share it with those we love.