How is the Gen/MD version of Truxton/Tatsujin?

Milkgoat · Post by **Milkgoat** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:03 am

Is it a decent port?

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:19 am

All told, yes. There are obviously some things missing since it's an early Genesis title (mostly in the animations), but it still plays fine, has a good amount of arcade game intact, and has an actual ending now (after five loops though).

szycag · Post by **szycag** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:33 am

It was a launch game here in North America, wasn't it?

Anyways, I like it a lot, although it's one my least favorite of the Toaplan ports on Genesis, it's still good.

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:43 am

I don't believe it was a launch title. Instead, it came out shortly after launch if I recall correctly.

ROBOTRON · Post by **ROBOTRON** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:14 am

I liked it...its a good port. Its also had some pretty decent music too.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:20 am

Great port, not so crushingly difficult as the arcade ver., and autofire by default :D

DEL · Post by **DEL** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:13 am

Great port, not so crushingly difficult as the arcade ver.,

The PC Engine Hucard version is pretty much arcade perfect. I ignore the Gen/MD port.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:21 am

I think the PCE version is even harder than the arcade.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:57 am

CIT wrote:I think the PCE version is even harder than the arcade.

Because of the cropped screen? The arcade version kicks my ass, with its fast bullets and how long it takes to get properly powered up. Do the ports have a similar speed to the PCB? I got rid of my Genesis cart before I had a chance to compare.

DEL · Post by **DEL** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:44 pm

CIT wrote:

I think the PCE version is even harder than the arcade.

I don't think so. I did a 1CC loop of it on my handheld PC Engine GT for a laugh, so it can't be harder.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:46 pm

Yeah, the two large gunning asteroid things from the beginning of the game are pretty tough to beat in the hucard port.

That said, I probably should pick it up sometime for my GT...it'd be a fun game to have on the run.

toaplan_shmupfan · Post by **toaplan_shmupfan** » Wed May 28, 2008 7:44 am

There are some non-trivial technical differences with the Genesis version vs. the arcade version, at least from my own gameplay observations:

* It seems that all multi-shot enemies require less shots than the arcade version, but this could also be due to the very high rate of speed of the rapid fire (holding down the C button).

* The level 3 red weapon spread shot is a "rainbow circle shot", which is a very significant change from the arcade. Rainbow circle shot is two rainbow colored circles shooting around the ship (in addition to the existing spread shot at level 2 powerup level). This makes it very difficult to be rammed by enemy ships, effectively changes the overall difficulty of stages where enemy ships enter from the bottom of the screen. That said, the rainbow circles are not shields, so the player ship can still be hit by enemy fire and, of course, Truxton has lots of fast enemy fire.

* The first round (stages 1 through 5) actually uses slower and simplified patterns vs. the arcade version. This is immediately obvious when the first two midbosses only fire a diamond shot up and a laser down and do not also fire the three way spread shot towards the player ship. But, despite the simplified/slower shot patterns, the difficulty is still very high at Round 1, Stages 4 and 5... and I think the spinning/diving ships in Stage 4 may actually be moving faster than the arcade version?

* The music is double speed, and in some cases rekeyed from the original arcade music. To me, this sort of changes the pace of the game, which was already fast paced in the arcade version, into sort of a frantic game. Others may not mind this change as much.

Everything else seems reasonably true to the arcade, with the understanding that older console games had simplified graphical elements when compared to the arcade version.

Now, there is a way to start at Round 2, using a Game Genie. Do this:

Insert the Truxton cartridge into the Game Genie.
Insert the Game Genie into the Genesis--make sure the Game Genie power switch is on.
Power on the Genesis--the Game Genie light should also light up.
Enter code SANA-BJZY, then press Start.
The Truxton title screen will appear--select a difficulty and start the game before the attract mode appears.
After the game has started (or if the attract mode already started), the ending to the first round will immediately start--turn off the Game Genie when the ending starts. (Leave the Genesis powered on.)
After the ending completes, the game will start at the next round--Round 2, stage 1.

Note: If the Game Genie is not powered off, then endings will continue to play--one ending each for Rounds 1 through 5--until Game Over is finally displayed for Round 6, Stage 1.

(Round 2, Stage 2 is about as far as I get on Normal at this point, either by playing through Round 1 first, or by using the Game Genie code to start playing at Round 2. On Easy, Round 2, Stage 4 is where I get stopped at this point in time, again using either method at the start of a game.)

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Wed May 28, 2008 8:17 am

The difficulty seems to be a bit harder when set to JP mode. In the first stage in hard mode, the bullets seem faster. One of the mid bosses shoots that doesn't on the other difficulties, or the US hard mode.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Wed May 28, 2008 9:24 am

Ed Oscuro wrote:Great port, not so crushingly difficult as the arcade ver., and autofire by default

Note: Looks like ass.

PC-Engine port much more faithful to the original, same story as Kyuukyoku Tiger. The color change makes the MD port look like a doujin approximation of the original, not that you'll notice if you're focusing on the game.

Can't really offer anything over what DEL and Toaplan shmupsfan have added...thanks!

Post by **undamned** » Wed May 28, 2008 4:27 pm

If you never fire up MAME or cough up $60 for the PCE HuCard, I honesly don't think you will feel robbed by the MD/Genny ver. I love the Genny ver. and it is quite honestly the game that "sold" me on the genre at large.
-ud

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Wed May 28, 2008 10:44 pm

MD/Genesis version is very playable. I don't think anyone is kidding themselves that these are perfect ports, but this and Fireshark can be had for pennies and they are one hell of a lot of fun to play.