My MegaDrive (Genesis) Collection

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Turrican
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Post by Turrican »

Rob wrote:For the Link to the Past to Ocarina gap it might as well have been 20 years. To punctuate how much more stunning it is. Best game ever!
It's much more stunning, and yet it doesn't hold a candle to the '93, monochromatic, handheld, tiny, overlooked masterwork that is Link's Awakening :D
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Rob
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Post by Rob »

Ha, I'll never understand the immense appeal of Link's Awakening (as the best Zelda or whatever). I finished it a few years back (DX even) and it is good. But it is no better than ALTTP. Actually less good in that, yes, it's on Game Boy.

WHAT IS UP WITH THAT GAME. It is definitely not overlooked when anyone anywhere can praise it so much, and I've seen it multiple times.
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Neon
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Post by Neon »

Turrican wrote:
Neon wrote:
Dammit, you. All of those games listed are a top 100 games of all-time gamefaqs snore. I really tried playing Super Metroid last year and I just couldn't. Dud.
Generally I'd agree, Super Metroid, Zelda, Chrono Trigger and all that are pretty boring. Much like the PCE, the shit everyone recommends for SNES sucks mostly.
Here's a short summary of humankind's history:

Big bang > Earth > begins life in the sea > homo sapiens > gamers play to SMW, SoM, Chrono Trigger etc > bored by these "yawn games" that they take for granted, true hardcore gamers go in search of the true, hidden gems that only they can discover and truly appreciate, because the rest of humanity is clearly inferior > thus, with the internet they spread the Verb: the best games ever are Little Ralph, Panzer Bandit, Biometal and that other one with the japanese title you never heard before. The other losers that thought Super Metroid was a cool game have been brainstormed by Nintendo.

:wink:
Neon wrote:Bloodlines, Hard Corps and RKA are the best things they had going in those days. I can see the appeal of Castlevania 4, but Contra 3 is a dud. Sparkster is a dud. 1 Parodius is enough. Twinbee sucked/sucks. Etc.
The only one I agree on is RKA, which is miles and miles better than both its sequels. Hard Corps tried hard to be as cool as Spirits but, no way. It's also worth to mention that something like three years are between them. (the same could be said for AlttP and OoT, btw)
Blah Blah Blah, same things you've always been saying. If we're not TOTALLY OPEN MINDED by liking games everyone else likes, we're just trying to be hardcore and think we're better than everyone else.

My best friend's favorite game is Super Mario World, out of the 12 or so videogames that he owns. He is a MUCH better person than me, smarter, kinder, funnier, etc. So there goes that part of your theory. As for the hardcore part, I sacrificed my non-mainstreamity years ago by liking Red Hot Chili Peppers (pre-californucation) and Parliament Funkadelic.

Your perspective is making you dismiss opinions opposite of yours to too great a degree. I'd say some of the criticisms leveled against the games you ardently defend are at least somewhat valid. Me, I can't stand Super Metroid or GTAIII for GAMEPLAY reasons. And for the same reasons I prefer Diet GoGo to say, Sonic games. To just assume everyone who doesn't like the games you do because they're not open minded is just plain insulting.

You do realize the problem exists, probably to a much greater degree, at the other end of the spectrum? Mainstream folk who want nothing to do with 'weird' games and won't try to understand them or give them a fair chance.

And the other quote is from Rob, btw. Not a huge Castlevania fan but RKA and Hard Corps are great fun.
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Post by BrianC »

Rob wrote: Contra 3 is simply Contra on the SNES. What one would expect, kind of a slower colorful take on Contra. Hard Corps has the multiple distinct characters, multiple switchable weapons, multiple paths/endings, faster action, more/bigger bosses. You know, more of everything basically. The one drawback would be the absence of stretches with soldiers and other smaller enemies/environment obstacles, but I think the originals handled that style well enough and Hard Corps was something different. Different is good.
I agree that Hard Corps rocks, but I don't agree with your comments on Contra 3. First off, the graphics in Contra 3 are not cartoony or pastel colored and fit the Contra theme well. Contra 3 doesn't have multiple characters, but it does have the ability to hold two weapons at once, a first for Contra at the time.

The game doesn't let up when it comes to enemies or intense situations. In one level, you are avoiding a climbing mech on a wall and then a spike floor appears and you suddenly end up fighting the enemy. That same enemy tries to attack you by launching itself at you. Stages throw multiple enemies at you, espeically on harder modes. The game often mixes up the action with vechicles or changes within the same stage.

While Contra 3 doesn't have as many bosses at Contra Hard Corps, the bosses in the game are varied, well designed, and very intense. The bosses range from a Skeleton that likes to fill half the arena with time bombs to a fight with a battle ship while riding on missiles. Some of the bosses are quite huge too.

Contra 3's overhead levels are hit or miss (though I personally like them), but it can't be argued that they help add variety to the game (especially since both overhead levels are quite a bit different from each other). The ability to play them in multiplayer two different ways is a nice touch. These levels are quite a bit different from the overhead levels in Super C, so they at least offer up something new.

Contra 3 doesn't have multiple endings, but it does reward you by only giving you the best ending on hard. Also, many designs in Contra Hard Corps like the speeder bikes, the rotating plane stage with the ninja, switching weapons (though used to a lesser extent in 3), climbing up walls and hanging on bars, and the bombs were first used in Contra 3. The constant autofire was used in Operation C first, but this addition carried over to both Contra 3 and Hard Corps and adds to both games.
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Turrican
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Post by Turrican »

Neon wrote:Blah Blah Blah, same things you've always been saying. If we're not TOTALLY OPEN MINDED by liking games everyone else likes, we're just trying to be hardcore and think we're better than everyone else.
Well, what can I say... I find it flattering that you somehow shown you read my previous posts on this subject ^_^. Yeah, that is basically what I've said so far.
Neon wrote:Your perspective is making you dismiss opinions opposite of yours to too great a degree. I'd say some of the criticisms leveled against the games you ardently defend are at least somewhat valid. Me, I can't stand Super Metroid or GTAIII for GAMEPLAY reasons. And for the same reasons I prefer Diet GoGo to say, Sonic games. To just assume everyone who doesn't like the games you do because they're not open minded is just plain insulting.
Well, now... My perspective isn't any different from the others at shmups, for the very true reason that I love the genre, and with anything that involves specialization, you get an acquired taste for some very weird / rather obscure games. I cannot stand sport games, most racing simulations, and generally fps. And I'd rather play Zanac Neo than those. So you see, despite what I've been saying so far, I'm really one of you. This is just like when I'm polemic towards collectors: I often hit the right nerve on them, because I know their weak spot, 'cause I'm one of them to an extent.

About defending these games "ardently" - I don't think games of that caliber need an ardent defense, really. They are in most cases (as you put it by bringing GTA into discussion) million sellers and what mainstream usually enjoy. I happen to think that there's a reason why gamers liked these titles, and no, that reason is not heavy advertising and masses enslaved by multinationals... Especially for the 16bit era, when the gamers were really a niche and quality had an huge impact on sales.

So you see, more than an ardent defense, I like to think to it as a simple reminder.
Neon wrote:You do realize the problem exists, probably to a much greater degree, at the other end of the spectrum? Mainstream folk who want nothing to do with 'weird' games and won't try to understand them or give them a fair chance.
Certainly I do! It's of course a shame, but it can't be helped. It's easier for "us" to be able to appreciate Recca AND Halo, than will ever be for someone who never got the urge to buy an import game to like both GTA and, say, a never-translated cult like Policenauts. Or even worse, people who are so acquainted with their beloved genres that would be scared even by the idea to play something as bizarre as Katamari. So yeah, you are perfectly right.

However, I don't post on "newbieboard 2.0" or GameFAQs or else, I post on shmups. So I criticize our spectrum's end because here's what's needed to do. Look, I do love when someone comes up with a website like Twin Dreams and express to others just how delicious Umihara Kawase is. It's just the gamer's passion that I hope will never left me. It's these people (among which I'd humbly put myself too) which really get a grasp of what videogames are able to achieve.
It's just that I find stupid when people forget what the staples of a genre, or often the masterworks of a whole media form, are. So yeah, an archaeologist who "finds" Umihara deserves praise. One that forgets who is Mario and diss it because it's not obscure deserves to be kicked in his/her ass. :wink:

Thanks for the constructive criticism however, Neon. Your reply was intelligent enough to reassure me I spend my net time on a great forum, with great guys.
Neon wrote:And the other quote is from Rob, btw. Not a huge Castlevania fan but RKA and Hard Corps are great fun.


Sorry, man, my bad :P

Oh, and Rob... I too liked SotN better than Super Metroid (although it's perfectly sane to feel otherwise)... But the Snes offered that kind of awesome free-roaming adventure right in 1993. You know, I'd like to see you in 1993: "Super Metroid? Who cares!! I'll just wait four years and will play the awesome SotN!" :P
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Turrican
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Post by Turrican »

Neon wrote:Me, I can't stand Super Metroid or GTAIII for GAMEPLAY reasons. And for the same reasons I prefer Diet GoGo to say, Sonic games. To just assume everyone who doesn't like the games you do because they're not open minded is just plain insulting.
No classic is perfect, no game is beyond criticism. So I have no problem if you say you don't like GTA or Metroid's gameplay (I'd like to take chance to say Rob is quite good at backing his gaming preferences with valid arguments). However, when you express criticism, try to develop a bit. Because just saying "oh, yeah, those Snes titles you mentioned are sooo GameFAQS-ish. Really boring" is not intelligent criticism, just fanboy rambling. :)
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Neon
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Post by Neon »

I happen to think that there's a reason why gamers liked these titles, and no, that reason is not heavy advertising and masses enslaved by multinationals... Especially for the 16bit era, when the gamers were really a niche and quality had an huge impact on sales.
Definitely. Certainly people genuinely enjoy them.
One that forgets who is Mario and diss it because it's not obscure deserves to be kicked in his/her ass. Wink
Also agreed.
Thanks for the constructive criticism however, Neon. Your reply was intelligent enough to reassure me I spend my net time on a great forum, with great guys.
Thanks...I was still waking up when I wrote it, hence the irritability/ramblings ^_^. A lot of my favourites are niches within a niche (e.g. Shippu Mahou Daisakusen or Joe & Mac Returns) and I wouldn't want you getting the idea that guys like me play such obscure titles because of some punk-rock need to have 1337 tastes. I think they're genuinely excellent and if they weren't I'd play something else (even if, horror of horrors, my hardcore-ity takes a hit).

I could probably offer quasi-decent criticisms for GTA3 and Super Metroid but we've already gone pretty far OT from Sam's Megadrive collection ;)
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Rob
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Post by Rob »

Oh, and Rob... I too liked SotN better than Super Metroid (although it's perfectly sane to feel otherwise)... But the Snes offered that kind of awesome free-roaming adventure right in 1993. You know, I'd like to see you in 1993: "Super Metroid? Who cares!! I'll just wait four years and will play the awesome SotN!" :P
The dank cave blob-fights just aren't very cool to me. Simon's Quest is my favorite game from my NES childhood, so it's not like they came out of nowhere with SOTN. I think the original Metroid has better atmosphere than Super Metroid also (especially the soundtrack, and some freakish colors which makes it less tedious to look at). I think atmosphere is very important in games which require practically camping out in areas and revisiting them half a dozen times. The "puzzles" otherwise are just finding the right weapons to break walls, and what's left is bosses. The bosses were cool!

BTW, my cool Genesis "collection":

Beyond Oasis
Bio Hazard Battle
Burning Force
Castle of Illusion
Castlevania: Bloodlines
Contra: Hard Corps
Forgotten Worlds
Gain Ground
Golden Axe 2
Landstalker
Lightening Force
Ranger X
Revenge of Shinobi
Ristar
Rocket Knight Adventures
Rolling Thunder 3
Shinobi 3
Sonic The Hedgehog
Streets of Rage 1/2
Thunder Force 2/3

I almost forgot I sold about half, inlcluding cool stuff like Alisia Dragoon, Elemental Master and Phantasy Star IV. :(
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Neon
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Post by Neon »

I've given away most of my genesis stuff, cause I prefer emulators to real consoles in the case of the 16 bit systems. Might re-buy it all someday when I'm loaded, but really savestates, ability to use Saturn pad, translated roms, etc. are too convenient.

I don't think my opinions are particularly valuable, I'd just like other's take on them to see if I've misjudged anything, so here's what I like on 16 bitters atm:

My hypothetical Genesis collection:

Chiki Chiki Boys
Hard Corps
Devil Crash
F 15 Strike Eagle II (I have an inexplicable fondness for crappy old flight sims - any way to boost the framerate on this via emulation, BTW?)
Tengen Gauntlet
Fire Shark
Mega Turrican
Pulseman
Ristar
Road Rash 3
Rolling Thunder series
Sensible Soccer
Road Rash 3
Rocket Knight Adventure
Snow Bros
Twin Hawk
V-V
Wardner

SNES:

Do Re Mi Fantasy
Ganbare Goemon
Ganbare Goemon IV
Gradius 3 (I'm coming around to it, fantastic OST)
Kirby's Dreamland 3
Joe and Mac 2
Magical Pop'n
Megaman X (now available in finer form on PS2)
Spanky's Quest
Starfox
Super Mario Kart
Yoshi's Island
Umihara Kawase

Interesting but not really excellent ones:

Hebereke no Popuun (kinda sorta, not really but I like the gfx)
Cybernator (good music on the 1st level)
Power Piggs of the Dark Age (lol)
Rendering Ranger R2
Rockman & Forte
R Type 3 (great atmospherics, like when that thing in the 1st level rushes onto the screen, also great gfx, but R type isn't really my thing)
Super Gussun Oyoyo

PC Engine:

1943 Kai
Be Ball
Bloody Wolf
Bomberman 93
Daisenpu
Devil's Crush
Don Doko Don
Kunio-Kun soccer
Parasol Stars
Taito Chase HQ

Interesting but not really excellent ones:

Kunio-Kun Dodgeball
Legendary Axe
Magical Chase (actually, all 3 of these are pretty good, just can't get into them)
Outrun and Power Drift are done better on SS.

PCE CD:

Rainbow Islands
Kunio-Kun Soccer
uhm...
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Danny
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Post by Danny »

I envy Neon because of his Megadrive Snow Bros cart... hope that's avliable here in the UK! :D
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Turrican
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Post by Turrican »

Rob wrote:Simon's Quest is my favorite game from my NES childhood, so it's not like they came out of nowhere with SOTN. I think the original Metroid has better atmosphere than Super Metroid also (especially the soundtrack, and some freakish colors which makes it less tedious to look at). I think atmosphere is very important in games which require practically camping out in areas and revisiting them half a dozen times.
I agree on all three issues: 1) Simon Quest ranks among my NES favs too! 2) Super Metroid is cool, but the original is cooler / scarier / sounds creepier 3) I'm a total sucker for atmosphere.

About Super Metroid, I believe we were all in a more naive world, feeling fine with the "more of the same" kind of sequel. I mean, such criticism reminds me of criticism towards SCV IV, ie "already been there, done that on NES" - perhaps with time we just forgot how cool it was to play these games with the 16 bit graphics and atmosphere.
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Post by DC906270 »

Yeah, i agree with the above. I got Castlevania IV for my SFC on import on release, probably paid about $100 for it at the time, i can remember how awesome it was back then, i was stoked even with the gameplay.
now, when i stick it on, it is pretty dull :(
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Post by sjewkestheloon »

i currently own a very small megadrive collection, but that way i actually play the games rather than let them sit and collect dust. i plan on slowely adding shmups and the occasional other game in good boxed condition until i have a heafty collection that i can reture to the trusty anytime pile.

i currently have:

gynoug (wings of wor)
arrow flash
thunder force IV
strider
super fantasy zone

i think a local shop has battle squadron so i'll be picking that up on saturday if it's still there.
Number of 1cc's : 5
Now playing: Gunbird
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Neon
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Post by Neon »

Danny wrote:I envy Neon because of his Megadrive Snow Bros cart... hope that's avliable here in the UK! :D
Yeah, better than arcade perfect translation. Tengen in general seems to have been awesome on the Genesis.
i currently own a very small megadrive collection, but that way i actually play the games rather than let them sit and collect dust.
Good man. Battle Squadron is pretty mediocre though, I'd recommend ebaying for Toaplan stuff instead.
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Post by sjewkestheloon »

hell yeah! scrub battle squadron. i just won a jap gairies boxed in good condition and bio hazard battle boxed without instructions both for £20 shipped! can't wait to try out gairies as i've heard great things.

looks like i'm going to have to get some clippers on my megadrive case though or the bugger won't fit in the slot. this is all i need to do isn't it??
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