This is where I'll share some of the cool websites I happen to know about!
PLEASE NOTE: I'm sharing this purely for the sake of my love for the internet & gaming, and so future people can help keep these projects alive. For legal & preservation reasons, I do not advocate for piracy in any way. I cannot stop you from doing so, however... just keep it hush-hush, alright? ;)
Noclip - A website that houses 3D fly-throughs of different video game levels & maps.
The Cutting Room Floor - If you want to learn about all the unused or cut content from your favorite games, this is the place to check out. You'd be surprised at just how much stuff might've never seen the light of day.
Perfect Dark PC Port - What it says on the tin: due to a decompilation, we now have a fully functional PC port of the N64 game Perfect Dark, with mouse support, widescreen, 60fps, & more! YOU NEED THE ORIGINAL ROM FILE OF PERFECT DARK, THIS WILL NOT WORK OTHERWISE!!!
Zelda 64 PC Port - Similar story to the above, but with the N64 Legend of Zelda games. So far only Majora's Mask is playable, but they have loads planned in the future.... YOU NEED THE ORIGINAL ROM FILE OF MAJORA'S MASK, THIS WILL NOT WORK OTHERWISE LIKE PERFECT DARK!!!
ReDRIVER 2 - I'm sure you get it by now; PC port, modern systems & features like 60fps, no emulation needed. YOU NEED THE ORIGINAL DRIVER 2 ISO'S IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS WORK!!!
Sonic Unleashed 3DS - An in-progress port of Sonic Unleashed for the Nintendo 3DS, New & original. So far it's only the first level of Windmill Isle with no SFX, but take it from me; it works... I tried it on actual hardware!!
TASVideos - Tool Assisted Speedruns/Superplays is the art of using various tools (save states, slow down, macros) to create the theoretical perfect run of a video game; no mistakes, perfect inputs, ideal timings, the works. TASVideos is a constantly updated 'hall of fame' to these speedruns; you'll find many a game broken in half & beaten at the speed of light... and faster than that. A lot of the TAS's even have author commentary, so you'll never miss what's going on!
Chao Island - A site dedicated to documenting & helping you learn about the wonderful world of Chao from Sonic Adventure 1 & 2.
Online Crash Team Racing - A dissassembly of Crash Team Racing, that ports it to PC with full, 8 player, online play. YOU NEED THE ORIGINAL CTR PS1 ISO TO MAKE THIS WORK!!!
OpenGoal - A recompilation of the original Jak & Daxter trilogy, playable on PC! Precursor Legacy's done, 2 & 3 are in progress. YOU NEED THE ORIGINAL .ISO FILES TO MAKE THIS WORK, JUST LIKE THE REST!!
PRESERVATION
The Internet Archive - A massive website dedicated to archiving everything & anything that can be stored online. Books, movies, games, pictures, music, & more... not to mention the incredible Wayback Machine.
ihavenotv.com - A site filled with a bunch of FREE documentaries to watch. Lots of options to choose from.
USEFUL TECH
ExplorerPatcher - A project dedicated to improving Windows 11... mostly by reverting it back to Windows 10. It doesn't downgrade anything, don't worry: a ton of its settings can be tweaked to your liking.
Vencord - A client mod for Discord that gives you a bunch of options, including custom themes! Mods are technically banned according to Discord TOS, but as long as you don't abuse the mod (and use it in servers that ban it), you'll be just fine.
Filezilla - A free FTP tool. FTP, long story short, means you can remotely transfer files from your PC to whatever is connected to the same internet network. I used it recently to install the Sonic Unleashed 3DS Port above onto my 3DS, no wires or SD card readers needed. Once you understand how to find IP addresses for your devices it's smoooth sailing.
Bulk Crap Uninstaller - A program meant for uninstalling other programs, or 'bulk crap.' It allows you to run multiple uninstallers at the same time, as well as clean up any remnants of those programs.
SpotX - Wanna listen to Spotify without the ads ruining everything, but you don't wanna pay for premium? ...Don't tell 'em about this, k? It gives you a bit more besides just ad-free listening ;)
Rainmeter - A highly customizable tool that basically brings back the desktop widgets of Windows XP & 7. It's very cool.
FUN
Melonking - It's... something I really can't describe with words. You just have to look at the site yourself to see what makes it so special.
Cloudhiker - A sort of 'random button' that brings you to a random website they have in their database. Very fun if you need something to kill time; you might even find something awesome.
Speedhunters - From their own site: "Speedhunters is an international collective of photographers, writers and drivers with a shared passion for uncovering the world's most exciting car culture stories." Trust me, there's a reason they're an official part of the Need for Speed series.
WebNeko - A lil' cat for your website that can run around :)
Bombing Science - A site all about the art of graffiti. It's specifically an online store for the materials you need for it. (GRAFFITI IS ART, VANDALISM IS A CRIME, LIKE JET SET RADIO SAYS. BE RESPONSIBLE IF YOU TAG.)