Saturn DoDon Pachi differences

[Gamer707b]

Hi all
couldn't find anything on this. Want to get the Saturn version. There is the first run of the game and the 2nd "Saturn Collection" version with the white boarders. Are there any actual game differences besides the jewel case?

I know with Souky the 2nd run, Otokuyo version was the one to get. The first run had messy, glitched out Japanese text during gameplay.

[alamone]

I believe they are the same - that said, the slowdown feels quite different from the PCB and the explosions were downscaled so they look extra pixelated - if you don't mind that, it's certainly cheaper than the PCB. There's also the PSX version, but that one doesn't support 2P play, although the explosions are higher res.

The glitches in Soukyu I believe were due to playing the game on US region Saturns with a 4-in-1 or other region bypass. The game would detect the region as US in-game and try to run as Terra Diver but the assets weren't setup properly and it would look weird. So it would have worked fine if you had a Japan region Saturn.

[Gamer707b]

Yea, I've heard over the years about the pixelated explosions on Saturn over the PS1 game. Doesn't bother me. Also, another common beef with the Saturn game over the pcb is scoring and chaining. Again, I don't mind one bit. Maybe it can be an issue for the potential WR holders, but the Saturn game will be plenty good for most of us. I was just curious on how the 2nd run version ran. Thanks for the feedback buddy!!

[guigui]

No difference between the "Satakore" (red and white border) and the standard Saturn version of Dodonpachi. Only the packaging is different.

Though as sais above be aware that the Saturn version of DDP is not, at all, an arcade perfect port.

[Kiken]

I believe they are the same - that said, the slowdown feels quite different from the PCB and the explosions were downscaled so they look extra pixelated - if you don't mind that, it's certainly cheaper than the PCB. There's also the PSX version, but that one doesn't support 2P play, although the explosions are higher res.

The Playstation port of DDP does support 2-player simultaneous play, however, both players are forced to select the same ship type (for example, both must play as C-Type). This is because the ship type is set in the Options menu and not selectable during regular play. Both players may choose between Shot and Laser variants though.

[davyK]

Saturn DDP looks bad if you are not using TATE mode and rotate the screen. It looks nice when you do that though. The explosions are pixelly but it doesn't spoil the look of the game for me.

As others have said here, it is not accurate when compared to the arcade game. But for lower skilled players like me who have played it on MAME and Saturn and aren't comboing entire levels it's a nice game that feels like DoDonPachi. My best run is to level 5 on 1 credit in the first loop (score 15m) ....so judge for yourself if I am worth listening to!!

It also has a Saturn mode with a new level and the ability to practice the 2nd loop.

If you are buying this just to play the game you would be better just using MAME. But to play and collect it's a nice game.

[lovecraft]

The PSone versions of DonPachi and DoDonPachi are quite excellent if you play them in TATE. They both beat the Saturn ports.
Also, if I recall, the Saturn DDP suffers of missing sound fx in a couple of levels.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

The Playstation port of DDP does support 2-player simultaneous play, however, both players are forced to select the same ship type (for example, both must play as C-Type).

This is a really annoying oversight. It obviously won't affect most players, but it's still very strange.

Reminds me of Night Raid's PS1 port simply removing 2 player mode for some reason.

[Rastan78]

Didn't RayCrisis PS1 also strip out 2 player?

[BareKnuckleRoo]

If that's the case, I wonder why? Was it because they couldn't get the game to run at full speed in 2 player or something?

[Sengoku Strider]

I know with Souky the 2nd run, Otokuyo version was the one to get. The first run had messy, glitched out Japanese text during gameplay.

It does? I've had it for a couple of years and nearly 1CCed the game but never encountered this.

[pulsemod]

so the most accurate home version of DDP to get is still instant brain? I'll admit I haven't given it much home play between the port issues and non-remappable controls of IB's version sounding rough

[Rastan78]

If that's the case, I wonder why? Was it because they couldn't get the game to run at full speed in 2 player or something?

Could be? Night Raid and RayCrisis are both from the same G-Net hardware.

[Sengoku Strider]

so the most accurate home version of DDP to get is still instant brain? I'll admit I haven't given it much home play between the port issues and non-remappable controls of IB's version sounding rough

Electric Underground did a pretty in depth side-by side-analysis of each of the three a little while back:

https://youtu.be/1jURSk4JVIQ

[pegboy]

The Saturn version has Saturn mode, which I do think is alright and possibly worth the purchase. 1 loop game with an extra stage (looks great but is actually kinda lame) and a watered down Big Bee and Hibachi fight at the end which is actually pretty fun.

That said, the "arcade mode" of the Saturn version is a big pile of crap and should be avoided at all cost.

[BrianC]

I know with Souky the 2nd run, Otokuyo version was the one to get. The first run had messy, glitched out Japanese text during gameplay.

It does? I've had it for a couple of years and nearly 1CCed the game but never encountered this.

The first run has an unfinished English translation that causes glitches, which was removed entirely for reprintings. I heard there is a workaround, though.

[Gamer707b]

You all are very knowledgeable on Dodon Pachi. I did play the Arcade game when I took a trip to Chicago over at Ghost Arcade a few years ago, but the skill level that I'm at, I honestly won't even be able to tell the difference. Just reading a few of the comments though and I've already learned a ton. Thanks fellas.

[Gamer707b]

I know with Souky the 2nd run, Otokuyo version was the one to get. The first run had messy, glitched out Japanese text during gameplay.

It does? I've had it for a couple of years and nearly 1CCed the game but never encountered this.

The first run has an unfinished English translation that causes glitches, which was removed entirely for reprintings. I heard there is a workaround, though.

Correct. Being that I have a North American Saturn, that is why I went with the Otokuyo version when I bought it a while back.

[BrianC]

Being that I have a North American Saturn, that is why I went with the Otokuyo version when I bought it a while back.

Setting the system language to Japanese should solve the issue too, though I don't remember if that is possible with the NA Saturn.

[Sengoku Strider]

Setting the system language to Japanese should solve the issue

Ah. Model 1 JP Saturn here, that would explain why I've never seen it, lol.

[pulsemod]

Electric Underground did a pretty in depth side-by side-analysis of each of the three a little while back:

awesome, thanks for the link!

[BrianC]

Setting the system language to Japanese should solve the issue

Ah. Model 1 JP Saturn here, that would explain why I've never seen it, lol.

It can still be set to English, which comes in handy for Nights and Dynamite Deka, both of which have English text in their JP versions (somewhat surprising for the latter since it's the JP version of Die Hard Arcade).

[Kiken]

The Playstation port of DDP does support 2-player simultaneous play, however, both players are forced to select the same ship type (for example, both must play as C-Type).

This is a really annoying oversight. It obviously won't affect most players, but it's still very strange.

It's not an oversight, just a concession when working with the limited RAM available on the PSX. It's no different from Capcom cutting out animation frames from their fighting games when porting them.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

But that's the question isn't it? Was that the actual reason? Or was it simply because they couldn't be bothered to implement a way of allowing 2P to select different ships?

[Gamer707b]

But that's the question isn't it? Was that the actual reason? Or was it simply because they couldn't be bothered to implement a way of allowing 2P to select different ships?

I guess we'll never truly know. Devs are like politicians. They only tell us what they can/want, but we don't really know what's true and what's half truth. Heck, it can be B.S for all we know.

[Jonpachi]

No, Kiken is right, and there's not much speculation being made here. Even when playing single player, PSX DDP has you setting your ship type in the options menu. This is because they're clearly dumping all the unnecessary frame data for the other two ships from RAM before the game starts. Think about all the frames of ship movement, shot, laser, etc that they don't have to store. They wouldn't have added in this system just for fun. It's a work-around for the Playstation's limited memory, and the fact that 2P mode exists with the same limitation speaks to that.

[Sengoku Strider]

Setting the system language to Japanese should solve the issue

Ah. Model 1 JP Saturn here, that would explain why I've never seen it, lol.

It can still be set to English, which comes in handy for Nights and Dynamite Deka, both of which have English text in their JP versions (somewhat surprising for the latter since it's the JP version of Die Hard Arcade).

断る。 It's how I justify most of my gaming purchases to myself, as language practice/reinforcement. You'd be surprised how much odd vocab you can be forced to learn from system menus.

[Steven]

^ and that's why everything I have is set to Japanese

[BareKnuckleRoo]

They wouldn't have added in this system just for fun. It's a work-around for the Playstation's limited memory, and the fact that 2P mode exists with the same limitation speaks to that.

Llook at something like Harmful Park that has you switching between 4 weapons on the fly each with its own bomb; that has to have a LOT of graphics loaded in memory at once. 2P in DDP wouldn't have been impossible surely, even if you have to do some tricks like reducing the number of animations in DDP's 2P mode or something.

So I question if it really was a memory constraint, a framerate issue, or they simply didn't see the value in investing time coding a way to implement multiplayer. My hunch is it's the last one.