We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Anything from run & guns to modern RPGs, what else do you play?
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

i was really baffled by how accommodating everyone was in that thread and how much the guy just totally dug his fucking heels in. keeps bringing magical chase up (a game that bored me to fucking tears) as an example ad nauseum and then even goes into talking about how great & revolutionary braid and limbo are :[ like god damn. says deaths & checkpoints are arbitrary in shooters, but not in limbo where the puzzle-solving is seriously just trial & error and repetition - imho that's more arbitrary than the vast majority of games that use those features and limbo would have been better as a pure narrative game without most of its punishments. limbo's deaths often frustrated the hell out of me and felt pointless.

felt like i was reading a thread from 2010 on hg101 or something!! bil, i think you are spot-on that soldier blade would have been a great rec (and i'm always happy seeing someone rec battle formula, which my roommate has as one of her like half-dozen 1cc's) - it's one of the shooters that got me into shooters after thinking they were an impossible genre - but i really don't think he'd have been amicable to receiving it. the sheer stubbornness in that thread is really something to behold, i have to wonder what on earth he thought was going to happen when he started spouting off about this shit - did his posting history suggest this or something?? how did he get that far before the breakdown?

i feel like i've clogged the scrolling action thread with takedowns on strawmen with more fortitude :[ mother fucker literally says 'nintendohard' in three different posts!! links to tvtropes repeatedly! oh my god. i laughed so many times at this thread, but at the same time, it is also truly frustrating to read.

"And arcades had lives because of coins"

aaaaa!!!!! he seems to have no conception of what he wants out of a game, at all. just chasing this weird ambiguous comfort level difficulty.

to quote a favorite part of the thread where welshy is driving home that "games have rules," something the guy doesn't understand -
and the objective of Angels with Scaly Wings is to bang a dragon.
genuinely solid VN btw Image

i'd argue the point is to "experience an engaging and interactive narrative" rather than being as directly goal-oriented as that, but hey, that's a fairly good way of punctuating it lol
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Steamflogger Boss »

That's the funny thing about MC, it's C tier. Coryoon is too. Value definitely isn't an indicator of quality.


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Neutopia ニュートピア フレイの章 [HUCARD] [US/JP]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

The PCE's answer to The Legend of Zelda. It's remarkably similar so if you like TLOZ this is definitely a game you should play. If you are like me and don't love wandering around and having to figure out things that aren't immediately obvious then ymmv. Once you know the game it's fairly short. I would say a typical first playthrough is 5.5-6 hours and subsequent runs should be 2 hours or less.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Ys I-IIイースI・II [CD] [JP/US]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

The hit that started it all. Still my favorite version to this day but bear in mind it is using the bump system so if that's a deal breaker for you don't play this. If not it really is a delight. This is a lot more straightforward than something like Neutopia. Great music, surprisingly alright dub and a brisk play that should run you around 90 minutes for the first game. The 2nd game, which starts immediately after beating the first (sick anime cutscene for a game this old) is a bit long and will likely take over 3 hours.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Ys IV The Dawn of YS イースIV -ザ・ドーン・オブ・イース [CD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

This is more of the same in regards to I-II but longer and not as good. SCORCHING HOT TAKE FROM THE FIRES OF MOUNT DOOM: I like this more than Ys III. To me Oath is the definitive Ys III, with this game it's not so clear. I go back and forth between this and Celceta. Play this if you are a big fan of the series. If you are just looking to "play the hits" this is one you can skip.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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More coming later kitten, great thread.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by it290 »

I rather like Coryoon; it has so much character and flair and reminds me of one of my absolute favorites on the system:

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PC Denjin - Punkic Cyborgs - PC電人 PUNKIC CYBORGS(aka: Air Zonk) [HUCARD] [US/JP]

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Review by: it290

One of the most inventive shooters of the 16bit era, Air Zonk sees the titular Zonk blasting through a half dozen-odd zany levels accompanied by a squad of unlikely companions ranging from a garbage truck to a cow; in his ultimate form Zonk can merge with these buddies to unleash chaos. Powerup selection, order, and timing are key here as although the game is lenient, once things go downhill they do so fast. Rollicking music and color parallax graphics (unusual for the platform) put this leagues ahead of its CD sequel.

[RATING 4/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by it290 »

And one more...can I make a humble request that we add the developer name to the title tagline? I feel like the devs aren't getting their day in court here...

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Metal Stoker - メタルストーカー [HUCARD] [JP ONLY]

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Review by: it290

Face's Metal Stoker is a top-down tank shooter in the same spiritual mold as Wolf Team's Granada or Namco's Assault, yet remains distinct from either. Driving a futuristic assault vehicle, the player must navigate mazes of challenges and enemies with a versatile array of weaponry and the ability to alternate between fixed and 8-way directional fire. The game's pacing remains consistent throughout, although its difficulty curve sometimes fluctuates wildly. Satisfying if somewhat workmanlike graphics complement excellent music (sometimes dynamic!) as the player makes their way through this quintessentially idiosyncratic 90's game.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Steamflogger Boss »

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Star Parodier/Fantasy Star Soldierスターパロジャー [CD] [JP/US]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

This is a game I would put as a must play. It's extremely easy to the point where even someone that doesn't ever 1CC things could 1CC this by accident. Even I have 1LC'd it and I suck. Looks and sounds great. Offers three ships to choose from but I always found using the actual typical Soldier ship to be a little bland and against the point of this game. As such I highly recommend playing through at least once with the PC Engine and Bomberman ships. A bit of a novelty and likely not something to revisit frequently.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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PC Genjin/Bonk's AdeventurePC原人 [HU/CD] [JP/US]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

CD in the US only. As an aside, that CD is still one of the best values on the console. Hudson's answer to other platforming mascots. This falls in the middle for me, much more enjoyable than any Sonic game on the Genesis but it's no SMB3. Good controls but just what I would call acceptable graphically. A game that no PC Engine owner should be without!

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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PC Genjin 2/Bonk's RevengePC原人2 [HU/CD] [JP/US]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

CD in the US only. Better visually than the first and takes a slightly different approach to gameplay, opening up a bit more and has plenty of secrets to find. Same tight controls and the music is really good. Bonk peaks here. Final note: this is the first game that has made me wish there were half points in the scoring. This is better than PC Genjin but that game isn't a 2 and this isn't a 4.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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PC Genjin 3/Bonk's Big AdventurePC原人3 [HU/CD] [JP/US]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

CD in the US only (what a recurring theme!). The weakest of the Bonk games. Why you ask? It's simply too long. The first two will have first time players that are decent clocking in at around an hour while this game is closer to 2. Another issue is that super sizing yourself doesn't really offer anything in regards to gameplay, it's just there to look cool. Going small on the other hand is required for gaining access to some areas. All in all, only play this if you can't get enough caveman in your life.

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

it290 wrote:And one more...can I make a humble request that we add the developer name to the title tagline? I feel like the devs aren't getting their day in court here...
my problem with this is that it starts to get a little complicated. e.g. in the review you just posted for metal stoker, face is not the developer. it's sankindo, who only developed 3 games. one of them is cross wiber, which i've brought up somewhere on the forum once before as a tidbit. i also mention in the review of the game i did in the youtube description box on my nomiss replay that they notably did not make cyber cross, which cross wiber is probably a sequel to and shares a lot of elements with.

there's a lot of instances where the publisher and developer don't match in a weird way, and even when you have the same developer, it's sometimes a substantially different internal studio or staff, anyway.

here's a weird one: makyo densetsu and ankoku densetsu only have two staff in common despite both games being 10+ teams, but they feel surprisingly similar. the line where publisher and developer actually means anything sometimes obscures a bit, to me, especially when you wind up with atlus and red collaborating on ankoku densetsu, but makyo densetsu is credited to victor musical (edit: looking at GDRI, it's apparently actually aicom, which later folded into sammy - did a couple staff leave for red or atlus or something??). i usually bring a name up when it has an associated bar of quality with it, but as far as the reviews actually needing them - i don't know, i feel it sometimes actually obscures information.

also, here's a question: did face make anything? despite a couple of games credited to them as such on mobygames, i don't know if that's actually the truth or just a lack of proper information. hany in the sky is credited to them on mobygames, but hany on the road, which doesn't even have a mobygames entry, was done by arc system works, at least according to GDRI. they apparently also did part, maybe all of hany in the sky? who knows! i've looked this stuff up before and it boggles my mind a bit.

if a couple others want known developer/publisher added to these reviews, i'll think about it, but it's 1. a lot of work, as i'll have to frequently cross reference both GDRI and mobygames and 2. honestly not very useful information (without further explanation and examination of common staffers or commentary on studio/publisher history, which can be discussed in extended reviews or even in indexed mini-reviews if meaningful enough) a pretty substantial amount of the time. it was something i thought about before making the thread at all, but i settled that reviews and individual games should usually speak for themselves. this is a thread i'm making for everyone's convenience, though, so if enough people are interested, i'll go for it.

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i played a whole bunch more PCE forgotten worlds today. i quite like it a lot and managed to capture a nomiss with perikles' advice on that final boss safe spot. my final score is 4,966,600 - which could have been substantially higher if i'd kept napalm the whole game instead of upgrading to the 80k laser, which i really do think is quite doable. i went to compare it to the arcade version, but i can only play that via capcom classics collection, which has *ominous thunderclap* INPUT DELAAAAYYY. feels like i'm playing the whole damn game in molasses :[ i just couldn't stand it and put it down without too much play. difficulty on the PCE version seems a little more subdued, but i noticed a few parts are actually slightly easier on the arcade version (comparing both on default settings) due to occasionally lower enemy or boss hp and more maneuvering room, even with the arcade version's extra enemies and projectiles.

seems like a really good conversion, tbh! some sub-weapons seem to perform a little better, i really prefer how option/satellite handling works in this version, and i like the audio more. it lacks the parallax, but that frankly doesn't bother me too much. hard mode meaningfully increases enemy projectiles, which sounds cool, but also ups the health on a lot of various enemies. as much as i came to like this game, i feel that pushes shit into euroshmup-ish territory. it really just does not feel good to not be able to smoke popcorn enemies, especially when you're rapidly switching targets and two-button rotation frankly isn't the most fluid or precise thing in the world to begin with. i think i'm gonna give that a pass and be happy with default setting nomiss. i look forward to tackling the arcade game whenever i either get over myself enough to get a good MAME set-up on a CRT or become a pcb tycoon.

will add a review to the index once i've converted my nomiss.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Steamflogger Boss »

I've got some more in the pipeline but for games where it's been a long time since I've played them I am also giving myself a bit of a refresher course by popping them in. I feel like doing Outrun is probably pointless because that game has been discussed to death but if anyone really wants me to do that, lmk. I've done every route permutation multiple times on the PCE version.

As far as that side topic... WOW WHAT A BANGER THREAD. I don't venture outside of Off Topic much these days and probably at least 95% of the time that I do it is for the Hardware section. Truly the OP has a dizzying intellect.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

added forgotten worlds and a corresponding replay & review via youtube
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by BIL »

Steamflogger Boss wrote:I feel like doing Outrun is probably pointless because that game has been discussed to death but if anyone really wants me to do that, lmk. I've done every route permutation multiple times on the PCE version.
I'd appreciate it - there's at least a few of us ardent conversion archaeologists on the forum. :smile:
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by soprano1 »

Unfortunately I lack the ability or skill to post a useful review. Nevertheless, this already has the making of a quality topic. Congratulations on the idea, kitten.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by PC Engine Fan X! »

Turbo Technologies Incorported (TTI) did release a Hu-Card version of Bonk 3: Bonk's Big Adventure to compliment the Super CD-Rom2 version of the same name in the USA back in 1993. I know this is so because I own a TTI produced Hu-Card of Bonk 3 myself -- it might not have gotten a wider retail distribution stateside as with the SCD version of the same name but it did nevertheless.

In addition to have having a secret 3-button control scheme in the TTI Super CD-Rom2 release of Forgotten Worlds, one can use a standard TG-16 or Duo gamepad to control the option that circles around the player -- of course, an optional NEC Avenue Pad 3 gamepad works just fine in either JPN or USA versions of SCD Forgotten Worlds as well.

Also, if you have access to a NEC PC Engine Duo-RX variant console + an Arcade Card Duo or Pro + a copy of Spriggan, the framerate of the entire game + various cutscenes are sped up from the get-go/cold boot. Found out about this cool little easter egg by accident one day -- makes me wonder if this cool trick in speeding up the framerate of Spriggan was mentioned on the various Japanese PC Engine BBS forums back in the mid-1990s? Hmmm...

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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Steamflogger Boss »

PC Engine Fan X! wrote:Turbo Technologies Incorported (TTI) did release a Hu-Card version of Bonk 3: Bonk's Big Adventure to compliment the Super CD-Rom2 version of the same name in the USA back in 1993. I know this is so because I own a TTI produced Hu-Card of Bonk 3 myself -- it might not have gotten a wider retail distribution stateside as with the SCD version of the same name but it did nevertheless.

In addition to have having a secret 3-button control scheme in the TTI Super CD-Rom2 release of Forgotten Worlds, one can use a standard TG-16 or Duo gamepad to control the option that circles around the player -- of course, an optional NEC Avenue Pad 3 gamepad works just fine in either JPN or USA versions of SCD Forgotten Worlds as well.

Also, if you have access to a NEC PC Engine Duo-RX variant console + an Arcade Card Duo or Pro + a copy of Spriggan, the framerate of the entire game + various cutscenes are sped up from the get-go/cold boot. Found out about this cool little easter egg by accident one day -- makes me wonder if this cool trick in speeding up the framerate of Spriggan was mentioned on the various Japanese PC Engine BBS forums back in the mid-1990s? Hmmm...

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This is correct. I wasn't trying to mislead with my review, I just wanted to mention that the CD was only available in the US.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by it290 »

Might as well. I honestly can't get enough of playing SFII on the PCE, especially with the Hori 6button pad. Could never get on with playing SFII with 4 face and 2 shoulder buttons.

Kitten: Are Supergrafx games kosher for this thread? Been playing a fair bit of Supergrafx Daimakaimura and it's my next likely candidate.

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STREET FIGHTER II' CHAMPION EDITION - ストリートファイターII' (Street Fighter II: Champion Edition) [Hucard] [JPN]
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Review by: it290

Depending on your preferences, SFII:CE may well be the definitive 16-bit SFII port. Graphical fidelity is marginally improved over the Mega Drive port and controls are flawless on a 6-button pad. It's 'only' Champion Edition, but the game is perhaps most playable on the PC Engine, which is a towering achievement for the console. Audio quality suffers in comparison to the SNES, but the themes here don't disappoint when played loud. Although this port is largely undifferentiated from its peers, its technical achievements speak for themselves.

[RATING 4/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

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it290 wrote:Kitten: Are Supergrafx games kosher for this thread? Been playing a fair bit of Supergrafx Daimakaimura and it's my next likely candidate.
might as well work 'em in! it's such a small library and more than relevant enough. i'm curious in picking one up, eventually. perhaps somewhere way down the line.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Xyga »

it290 wrote:16-bit
The generation maybe, the console's CPU no.

Which makes several games of the library like that SFII port even more impressive in the end.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by BIL »

Ah, the SGX. A small yet impressive catalogue. Tragically short-lived. A little goofy-lookin'. A vertitable JohnCazaleGrafx. Image

This reminds me that I've 1CCd the first loop of Aldynes, though it's been three years and I worry I might give an inaccurate viewpoint of its difficulty, so I'll hold off on a formal contribution pending a revisit. Some warblings: it's a really good take on stern IREM-esque hori tactics, and considerably tougher than the console norm, though visibility issues in one stage (the needlessly busy, blurry fourth) and unoptimised controls (should've gone with MUSHA-style formation switching and Dragon Saber-style passive charge shot) dint it slightly. Also the last boss's one attack is both an utter cheapshot bitchslap that'd make Psikyo weep in admiration, and a total IREM-style "where's the Waldopixel?"

Still, no regrets shelling out for my copy, because I have... teh boner for my console-original toughies! See also Metal Storm (FC). Ohshi, that one literally is an IREM game.

st4 art deco mishap aside it's notably good-looking in the first half... and really nice-lookin' in the latter. Memorably plaintive, surreal atmosphere in the penultimate stage. Stage design likewise starts out serviceable before gaining steeply in both intensity and creativity around the halfway point. It's a neat game provided you're into its subgenre. Anyone expecting Gate of Thunder approachability or Winds of Thunder freewheeling will get curbstomped into next Christmas. Image End credits refer to it as "R-Type Gaiden," dunno if any ex-IREM staff were involved but it's a super cute nod either way.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by it290 »

Xyga wrote: The generation maybe, the console's CPU no.

Which makes several games of the library like that SFII port even more impressive in the end.
True. Stunning what they were able to achieve with the 'lil wonder box.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Jonny2x4 »

Xyga wrote:
it290 wrote:16-bit
The generation maybe, the console's CPU no.

Which makes several games of the library like that SFII port even more impressive in the end.
While a CPU's processing speed matters a lot, it's not the end-all/be-all factor in determining the overall specs of a console. Technically speaking, the Intellivision was a 16-bit console, but nobody is going to argue that it's on-par with a Mega Drive or Super Famicom. The PC Engine had a pretty powerful VDP that made up for its 8-bit CPU.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Xyga »

And who'd buy the Jaguar's 64s now? yet...
Sure, at the time the core bit 'mattered' since this was as much marketing info we had and none of our kids selves knew about VDPs, Hz and buses and stuff.
In any case categorized 16bit was erroneous but persisted 30 years because the games look 'too good for 8'. :P
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

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Steamflogger Boss wrote:I feel like doing Outrun is probably pointless because that game has been discussed to death but if anyone really wants me to do that, lmk. I've done every route permutation multiple times on the PCE version.
I'd like that. Maybe it's been discussed on other forums, but not here. If anything, I think there's actually been more talk here about Outrun 2 than the original.

Like you, I've recently come around to the realization that the Mega Drive version is in fact the better conversion (colors and inferior Japanese track layout notwithstanding), but the PCE port still appeals to me as being kind of like a souped-up version of the Master System port.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Steamflogger Boss »

The crowd has spoken I'll do that later. I think it's a neat little version but definitely not the best.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Steamflogger Boss »

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OUT RUNアウトラン [HU] [JP]

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Review by: Steamflogger Boss

A solid conversion of the best arcade racer ever made. Tunes are great and all there. Visuals aren't amazing but are as good as you could hope for on this console. Not the premier version but worth a go for PCE and/or Outrun enthusiasts. Definitely the best game of this type on the PCE.

[RATING 3/4] [NO REPLAY]

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Note that there are quite a few games in this exact genre on PCE. Some decent, some mediocre and one that is downright awful. I will cover them later.
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Specineff
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Specineff »

PC Engine Fan X! wrote:
Also, if you have access to a NEC PC Engine Duo-RX variant console + an Arcade Card Duo or Pro + a copy of Spriggan, the framerate of the entire game + various cutscenes are sped up from the get-go/cold boot. Found out about this cool little easter egg by accident one day -- makes me wonder if this cool trick in speeding up the framerate of Spriggan was mentioned on the various Japanese PC Engine BBS forums back in the mid-1990s? Hmmm...

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
And of course, this won't work with a regular Duo or Duo R, right?
Don't hold grudges. GET EVEN.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by PC Engine Fan X! »

Specineff wrote:
PC Engine Fan X! wrote:
Also, if you have access to a NEC PC Engine Duo-RX variant console + an Arcade Card Duo or Pro + a copy of Spriggan, the framerate of the entire game + various cutscenes are sped up from the get-go/cold boot. Found out about this cool little easter egg by accident one day -- makes me wonder if this cool trick in speeding up the framerate of Spriggan was mentioned on the various Japanese PC Engine BBS forums back in the mid-1990s? Hmmm...

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
And of course, this won't work with a regular Duo or Duo R, right?
Yep, several other shmupper have mentioned that this Spriggan "speed up the overall framerate of the entire game including cutscenes" trick works only with a PC Engine Duo-RX console setup and not with a PCE Duo nor a PCE Duo-R variant console setup. I'm not sure why this is but it works like a charm nevertheless (assuming if you have access to a PC Engine Duo-RX console to begin with).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
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Strider77
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Strider77 »

Ys IV The Dawn of YS イースIV -ザ・ドーン・オブ・イース [CD]

[RATING 2/4] [NO REPLAY]
Delete this...
And of course, this won't work with a regular Duo or Duo R, right?
It doesn't work at all, I've seen him peddle this for years and I've tried it.
Damn Tim, you know there are quite a few Americans out there who still lives in tents due to this shitty economy, and you're dropping loads on a single game which only last 20 min. Do you think it's fair? How much did you spend this time?
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Steamflogger Boss »

Why though? Too high or too low? Feel free to write your own for a contrasting viewpoint. Better to have a discourse than to delete things you don't agree with...
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

Steamflogger Boss wrote:Why though? Too high or too low? Feel free to write your own for a contrasting viewpoint. Better to have a discourse than to delete things you don't agree with...
^ yeah, this. i'm clear about this in the OP, but if you disagree with any review, you're absolutely more than welcome to write your own. this is 100% a compendium, not a "who writes first then permanently canonizes the shmups forum opinion on the game." i'm kind of surprised that no one has added a review for something already reviewed yet, tbh! multiple sources of input are welcome on every single game. even if you both agree with an already given-score and the review, the extra chorus is useful, but if you disagree, all the more reason.

just don't directly pick at other reviews in your own, of course.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Sumez »

Jonny2x4 wrote:
Xyga wrote:
it290 wrote:16-bit
The generation maybe, the console's CPU no.

Which makes several games of the library like that SFII port even more impressive in the end.
While a CPU's processing speed matters a lot, it's not the end-all/be-all factor in determining the overall specs of a console. Technically speaking, the Intellivision was a 16-bit console, but nobody is going to argue that it's on-par with a Mega Drive or Super Famicom. The PC Engine had a pretty powerful VDP that made up for its 8-bit CPU.
Moreso, the "bit" of the CPU is mostly inconsequential. The PCE had a much faster CPU than the SNES, and if I have to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure what makes the SNES a 16-bit CPU that wouldn't have made the MegaDrive a 32-bit one.

Assigning a generic "bit" count to a CPU is completely a marketing ploy and has absolutely zero relevance for the consumer. If you're not programming assembly code for the CPU, there is no reason for you to care.
Anything technically impressive you've ever seen a SNES do is entirely related to its graphics chip and DMA features, and isn't anything that can be quantified by simple numbers.
Steamflogger Boss wrote:Why though? Too high or too low? Feel free to write your own for a contrasting viewpoint. Better to have a discourse than to delete things you don't agree with...
Strider77 is a troll, better to just ignore him.
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by Sumez »

Parasol Stars - パラソルスタ - The Story of Bubble Bobble III

Taito's second attempt at reinventing the Bubble Bobble formula is no less interesting than the three earlier games in the series.
In a slight step back towards the original game, every stage is an arena where all enemies need to be defeated, and your parasol weapon allows you to stun enemies and throw them into eachother for an accumulated combo bonus. However, it also works as both a shield and movement tech, and in a two-player game it allows you to interact with your buddy as you throw eachother around and doubtlessly challenge your friendship.

Feels like it could and should have been a genuine arcade game, but a few twists makes it clearly suited as a console title. The biggest issue is that the game takes a long time to wind up. The first four or five stars are very easy (but with a total of 10, a 1CC is still a genuine challenge), and the scoring system is essentially broken, due to awarding a point bonus based on the number of credits you have left at the end of the game. It is really too bad that a real arcade version never came out, but that doesn't keep this one from still being super fun to play, and the happy music and huge and colorful sprites really showcases Taito at their strongest in terms of production value.

Though a few ports were made for various platforms by Ocean, the only original Taito-developed version remains on PC Engine, and even though the Amiga version is good for what it is (and even has its own original secret stage), the original is absolutely the way to go. One of the best games on the system.

Redacted version available here
Last edited by Sumez on Fri Nov 01, 2019 9:39 am, edited 2 times in total.
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kitten
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Re: We Love the PC Engine - A User-Made Review Compendium

Post by kitten »

sumez - bit too far over the 100 word soft limit, there.

i've said a few times in the thread so far that discussion and longer reviews (even humongous ones) are fine for the thread, but i want the indexed reviews on the front page to stay around 100 words.
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