Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

This is the main shmups forum. Chat about shmups in here - keep it on-topic please!
Post Reply
neorichieb1971
Posts: 7666
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:28 am
Location: Bedford, UK
Contact:

Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by neorichieb1971 »

Hi,

Thinking of picking up a Neo Geo CD front loader for the novelty value.

I was looking at Last Resort which I know has a better soundtrack. But what about Pulstar?

I had a neo geo cd once before and Viewpoint had some choppy loading bits in it, especially around the bosses.

I might get Bri'kinger if I can find it, not sure if its worthy of the price. I believe no official cart version came out for it.



Thanks for your information.
This industry has become 2 dimensional as it transcended into a 3D world.
User avatar
BIL
Posts: 18957
Joined: Thu May 10, 2007 12:39 pm
Location: COLONY

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by BIL »

neorichieb1971 wrote:I was looking at Last Resort which I know has a better soundtrack.
Oh heck no! :shock:

STAGE 3 BGM "SONAR"
HARD AF (■`ω´■)
EXCUSE ME WTF HAPPEN HERE (■`W´■)

STAGE 1 BGM "JACK TO THE METRO"
BANGIN (■`ω´■)
HEY I SAID JACK TO NOT JACK OFF (■`W´■)

I dunno, I always thought the more mechanistic cartridge BGM fit the game better. Apologies for tangent! PLS CONTINUE Image
User avatar
brentsg
Posts: 2303
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2009 9:01 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO USA

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by brentsg »

neorichieb1971 wrote:Hi,

Thinking of picking up a Neo Geo CD front loader for the novelty value.

I was looking at Last Resort which I know has a better soundtrack. But what about Pulstar?

I had a neo geo cd once before and Viewpoint had some choppy loading bits in it, especially around the bosses.

I might get Bri'kinger if I can find it, not sure if its worthy of the price. I believe no official cart version came out for it.



Thanks for your information.
They teach patience.
Breaking news: Dodonpachi Developer Cave Releases Hello Kitty Game
neorichieb1971
Posts: 7666
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:28 am
Location: Bedford, UK
Contact:

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by neorichieb1971 »

brentsg wrote:
They teach patience.
I didn't mind the loading times of the shooters that much.



I also though the last resort OST on CD was pretty good.
This industry has become 2 dimensional as it transcended into a 3D world.
bigbadboaz
Posts: 1135
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2005 4:08 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by bigbadboaz »

Last Resort soundtrack is a plus, though it's so much different from the cart I'm not sure it's straight up "better". I go back and forth.

Viewpoint soundtrack is a definite improvement, just on clarity.

Same thing for Pulstar, and I really felt it affected the game hugely overall. Adds to the epic feel without that music sounding compromised.

Not a shmup, but Last Blade is another title where I felt the CD music puts the atmosphere over the top. And that game is all about atmosphere.

I might suggest not going for the front-loader, though: slow and, I believe, unreliable. CDZ fan here, though they can have their own issues.
User avatar
Kiken
Posts: 3954
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 11:08 pm
Contact:

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by Kiken »

brentsg wrote:
neorichieb1971 wrote:Hi,

Thinking of picking up a Neo Geo CD front loader for the novelty value.

I was looking at Last Resort which I know has a better soundtrack. But what about Pulstar?

I had a neo geo cd once before and Viewpoint had some choppy loading bits in it, especially around the bosses.

I might get Bri'kinger if I can find it, not sure if its worthy of the price. I believe no official cart version came out for it.



Thanks for your information.
They teach patience.
The Neo CD versions of Viewpoint and Last Resort only load once conventionally (each game is loaded entirely into the system's memory as it boots up). However, Neo CD games love to briefly pause for music track shifts (instead of letting the game simply play with a short of amount of dead air as the laser switches between tracks, everything stalls to allow the laser ample movement time). Any game that is based off a cart larger than about 100 Megs though, is going to have inbetween level loading.. Pulstar on Neo CD is pretty egregious, especially if you turn on Visual Mode (which will load up a short animated intro before every stage).

Both Sonic Wings/Aero Fighters games and TSS have fairly short load times between levels.
User avatar
Austin
Posts: 1262
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 6:32 pm
Location: Fairfax, VA
Contact:

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by Austin »

Yep, the short pause to switch music tracks was common during this era and hardly exclusive to the Neo-Geo CD. Best just get used to it.

The main thing as has been mentioned is new CD audio for many of its games. Another bonus is the built-in memory. No external memory card needed for game saving. Some other types of games (like Metal Slug 1 and 2) have extra modes.

Most of the CD shooters don't have any (or much) loading between stages--just the one long load instance at the very beginning, then they act like you're playing on a cart. Pulstar and Ironclad may be the only exceptions here. Both are pretty tolerable in my opinion. Exception: Don't play Pulstar with the animations on. Not. Worth. It.

I've wanted a front loader just for the novelty of it, but I think when it comes to reliability the top loaders are the better buy. Just something to keep in mind.
User avatar
MintyTheCat
Posts: 2023
Joined: Sat Jun 19, 2010 3:46 am
Location: Germany, Berlin

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by MintyTheCat »

neorichieb1971 wrote:Hi,

Thinking of picking up a Neo Geo CD front loader for the novelty value.

I was looking at Last Resort which I know has a better soundtrack.

I might get Bri'kinger if I can find it, not sure if its worthy of the price. I believe no official cart version came out for it.
I doubt that a CD machine is 'worth it' these days given how drives and drive-belts and even the lasers may need to be replaced these many years later.

For the same price you could get another NeoGeo : AES/MVS/CMVS unless you really want one.

For Last-Resort: It for me at least have one of the best Shmup soundtracks and I have it on every format - including the harder to track down official CD soundtrack in addition to the NCD game. The music for the CD LR is different and worth hearing but I prefer the original over all.

There is no official cart for Birkinger but the game has been available as a custom game for many years now.
I have not played and cannot vouch for it but I'd imagine that the CD official release on the NCD would also be expensive - have to ask yourself why you wish to own it.
More Bromances = safer people
User avatar
donluca
Posts: 852
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2015 8:51 pm
Location: Italy
Contact:

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by donluca »

Remember that there's now an ODE in development (or maybe it's already done, can't remember) for the NeoGeoCD, so that might help shortening the loading times, thus getting us the best of both worlds: CD Audio music quality and quick loading times.
User avatar
BIL
Posts: 18957
Joined: Thu May 10, 2007 12:39 pm
Location: COLONY

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by BIL »

MintyTheCat wrote:For Last-Resort: It for me at least have one of the best Shmup soundtracks and I have it on every format - including the harder to track down official CD soundtrack in addition to the NCD game. The music for the CD LR is different and worth hearing but I prefer the original over all.
Underrated stuff - those klaxoning power chords, mechanistic backbeats and sombre synths are simultaneously imposing and catchy as hell. Jackboot-pop. :mrgreen:
User avatar
MintyTheCat
Posts: 2023
Joined: Sat Jun 19, 2010 3:46 am
Location: Germany, Berlin

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by MintyTheCat »

BIL wrote:
MintyTheCat wrote:For Last-Resort: It for me at least have one of the best Shmup soundtracks and I have it on every format - including the harder to track down official CD soundtrack in addition to the NCD game. The music for the CD LR is different and worth hearing but I prefer the original over all.
Underrated stuff - those klaxoning power chords, mechanistic backbeats and sombre synths are simultaneously imposing and catchy as hell. Jackboot-pop. :mrgreen:
The entire soundtrack is good but the crowning point is level 4 : 'Melting Point'. The relaxed and sure presses of the echoey bars of that cold Synth playing the verse is quite special. But the final level's music is also very good and it's pretty upbeat. Ah, they don't make music like this any more. I'm pretty much a hardcore fan of LR and I've played it for many, many years and it's just nice and polished but the music I can listen to - like many NeoGeo games - just to hear it on the native hardware as it's that good.

I remember seeing the AES in the flesh back in the very early 90s and LR is one of the games that pledged me towards eventually owning an AES (rough memory here, but must have been '94 that I saw the AES again as I'd sene it before when samurai spirits 1 was released and I eventually bought my first AES for my 19th Birthday - old school as I'm 40 this year :D ) - the games that I liked back then were LR, Top-Hunter and King of the Monsters 2, and I managed to find them all and still have them these years later. I really like the NeoGeo still to this day.

But back to LR: the artwork is amazing and although it's not 'new' concept wise (90s' dystopia SciFi - think Silent Moebius for look with a bit of akira manga thrown in), it is, like many SNK games, so very well produced and polished and it's in a league of class beyond the majority of its era.

I would imagine that LR is expensive these days on MVS and AES so perhaps CD is the way to go or the use of a Flashcart. I have it also on my NG Mini too and I've completed it on Hard-Mode on it using the tiny little joystick on the Mini :D
More Bromances = safer people
bigbadboaz
Posts: 1135
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2005 4:08 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by bigbadboaz »

That CD soundtrack you guys are talking about for LR - is that yet another arrangement of the tracks, or literally the OST from the CD version of the game?
User avatar
Tarma
Posts: 714
Joined: Mon Jan 27, 2014 3:21 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by Tarma »

As a few others have said, if you're going into NGCD for the games, and you're not that bothered about loading times, get the top loader.

The front loader is a big fat piece of plastic, with a not particularly smooth CD tray... it's a bit like Arkwright's till if you understand the analogy!

The top loader is also a lot easier to work on for CD maintenance (if needed).

Last Resort on the NGCD is great and the CD soundtrack is pretty awesome as well :)

As for Brikinger - that goes for a pretty penny nowadays especially complete with obi... a gamers copy, if you can find one, will still be really expensive!
User avatar
OmegaFlareX
Posts: 884
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 10:15 pm
Location: Virginia, USA

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by OmegaFlareX »

donluca wrote:Remember that there's now an ODE in development (or maybe it's already done, can't remember) for the NeoGeoCD, so that might help shortening the loading times, thus getting us the best of both worlds: CD Audio music quality and quick loading times.
Might be close to done? I saw this linked from another forum I read:

https://twitter.com/furrtek/status/1203567645871820800
User avatar
donluca
Posts: 852
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2015 8:51 pm
Location: Italy
Contact:

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by donluca »

OmegaFlareX wrote:Might be close to done? I saw this linked from another forum I read:

https://twitter.com/furrtek/status/1203567645871820800
Yup, that's the one!
User avatar
MintyTheCat
Posts: 2023
Joined: Sat Jun 19, 2010 3:46 am
Location: Germany, Berlin

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by MintyTheCat »

bigbadboaz wrote:That CD soundtrack you guys are talking about for LR - is that yet another arrangement of the tracks, or literally the OST from the CD version of the game?
No, it's the cart: MVS/AES versions and IFF I remember correctly a couple of tracks from the CD version - but I could be wrong as it's been ages since I've looked at it.
More Bromances = safer people
User avatar
BIL
Posts: 18957
Joined: Thu May 10, 2007 12:39 pm
Location: COLONY

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by BIL »

Is this the Garou/Last Resort double feature from Scitron? It's got an arrange track for Last Resort, #17 / Jack To The Metro. Not from the Neo CD soundtrack, as far as I know.

OST arranged track
Neo CD version

Rest is cartridge OSV.
User avatar
MintyTheCat
Posts: 2023
Joined: Sat Jun 19, 2010 3:46 am
Location: Germany, Berlin

Re: Neo Geo shmups - Any advantages for the CD versions?

Post by MintyTheCat »

BIL wrote:Is this the Garou/Last Resort double feature from Scitron? It's got an arrange track for Last Resort, #17 / Jack To The Metro. Not from the Neo CD soundtrack, as far as I know.

OST arranged track
Neo CD version

Rest is cartridge OSV.
Yep - that's the one.

NCD's 'Melting-Point' has that soft, melancholic jazz vibe to it. I prefer the colder and more sombre and industrial original but it's still a stand out track on the NCD version of LR I feel.
More Bromances = safer people
Post Reply