UPDATED:Treasure Developing Sega Gunstar Heroes PS2 release

[sethsez]

Yeah, I really don't understand all the complaints about the Sega Ages series

Many (NOT ALL) of the people who complain about them haven't actually played them.

[BUHA]

are these released in the USA? I'm not familiar with the sega ages line of games but I thought they were released in the US. Can anybody clarify?

And I personally think that if they ported RSG to the PS2 it'd sell well. Ikaruga did well, why wouldn't RSG?

[PaCrappa]

Yes. The US title is "Sega Classics Collection" and it is the bomb. Especially if you like Fantasy Zone. That and Hudson's Bonk remake are like the best classic remakes yet. This disc contains:

Outrun (trash)
Space Harrier (better than the original by miles)
Virtua Racing (the original was trash, this one is no different)
Monaco GP (see above)
Tant R (awesome, just like the original)
Golden Axe (keep your Genesis cart)
Columns (never liked it before but this one is okay)
Fantasy Zone (killer)
Bonanza Bros (awesome)
Alien Syndrome (sweet)

Pa

[Specineff]

There was also a mention of a Panzer Dragoon remake. Hopefully Sega Ages doesn't screw that up(I'd kill zombie Jesus if they messed with the art). But hey if they can churn out a hi-res 60 FPS version of the game I would crap myself with the fury.

If you think PD would be cool, imagine a Hi-res, 60FPS Panzer Dragoon Saga.

[PaCrappa]

They don't need half that many frames to convey such boredom inducing schlock. Worst RPG I ever played.

Thank you and good night,
Pa

[TVG]

Yeah, I really don't understand all the complaints about the Sega Ages series

Many (NOT ALL) of the people who complain about them haven't actually played them.

thats not true!1
cept for me, i tought it was generally accepted that sega ages sucked, and didnt bother with it.

every single review ive read describing those as shit sure helped there.

so they're not that bad? or are you people just indulgent?

[sethsez]

They're not that bad. Golden Axe, Outrun and Space Harrier are awful, but the rest are quite good.

[Neon]

Yeah, but none of these are Saturn games.

I was referring to the insert credit article:

Thanks to some Japanese blogs we know that Famitsu's latest issue announces a forthcoming 'Gunstar Heroes Treasure Box (Gunstar Heroes, Alien Soldier, Dynamite Headdy)'. It supposedly will be part of 3D Ages' Sega Ages 2500 Series, since it's mentioned along with Panzer Dragoon, Last Bronx, Dynamite Deka [Die Hard Arcade], Advanced Daisenryaku and Sega Memorial, all for the PS2.

I'm no huge Panzer Dragoon fan, I remember Last Bronx and Dynamite Deka as both kind of sucking. I've never even heard of Advanced Daisenryaku or Sega Memorial though...are these generally considered worth checking out?

[BrianC]

I like the SEGA Ages collection, though I do agree that some reviews were rather harsh on it. I like all of the remakes except for Golden Axe. One thing that does bug me with the reviews is that they talk about Virtua Racing like it's the most accurate to the original, when it really isn't very accurate, though it is still fun. VR is also the glitchiest game in the collection. My favorites in the collection are Space Harrier, Fantasy Zone, Monaco GP (I love the updates and the classic version is cool too), Outrun, Tant-R, Bonanza Bros, and Alien Syndrome.

BTW, according to the IGN article, 3D Ages won't be making the SEGA Ages packs anymore. Starting with volume 20, SEGA will be taking over the rest of them. This probably means less poorly designed ports like Golden Axe.

[Marc]

Can anyone tell me what's supposed to be wrong with Out Run? I coulda sworn I'd read it was supposed to be a pretty decent remake?[/quote]

[sethsez]

It feels like a pretty impressive freeware clone for the PC. You know, it'd have a name like "OutRace!" or something and would look like it came straight from 1998, but people would overlook that because it was free.

[azmun]

Hopefully not... I'm really getting tired of this port happy BS.

I'm a bit ambivalent here. While I was never too keen on these compilations (they usually don't provide much value), they do offer others the chance to experience some of these classics that were missed for whatever reasons. That said, you can't expect much innovation coming out of these releases. When you consider the alternatives, you can either make exact replicas or upgrade just the graphics and/or sound and music. Either way, gameplay stays or at least, should remain the same.

[D]

Galaxy Force II rocks the Saturn!!!!!
Not arcade perfect. I want an arcade perfect port.

[BrianC]

Hopefully not... I'm really getting tired of this port happy BS.

I'm a bit ambivalent here. While I was never too keen on these compilations (they usually don't provide much value), they do offer others the chance to experience some of these classics that were missed for whatever reasons. That said, you can't expect much innovation coming out of these releases. When you consider the alternatives, you can either make exact replicas or upgrade just the graphics and/or sound and music. Either way, gameplay stays or at least, should remain the same.

It's interesting how complations can have as many as 80 games, sometimes with them ported over very well, and still have not much value...

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

From the article Kron linked:

"Galaxy Force II: Appearing in perfect ported form. The project was actually started in order to give the game a perfect port for the first time!"

OMFG! I love that game!

Now this is news.

I seem to think there was no Galaxy Force I and the 'II' was just tagged on for show, in the same way the was a 'II' on the end of the Apidya logo just for fun.

[Marc]

I think it was similar to the Afterburner thing, Afterburner 2 wasn't a follow-up as such, just a slight upgrade to the original. I think?

[Recap]

I think it was similar to the Afterburner thing, Afterburner 2 wasn't a follow-up as such, just a slight upgrade to the original. I think?

Quite right. If I recall, Galaxy Force had a diifferent dedicated cab.

And don't hold your breath for a Radiant Silvergun port. As I mention at IC, RS has nothing to do with Sega, while the MD Treasure games were developed for that company (I think these games' IPs are currently co-owned by both).

[BulletMagnet]

In any case, even if RSG was ported someplace else, I doubt that it would include the expanded Saturn Mode found on the original port...that's not to say that the regular ol' arcade game by itself is anything to sniff at, but in any case I don't think that Saturn RSG owners have any reason to be up in arms no matter what happens.

[Valgar]

The thing is ESP published RSG while Sega published all of Treasure's Genesis games. And like Recap pointed out, Sega may possible co-own some of their games.

I remember reading on the Treasure BBS once that Hiroshi Iuchi one time posted saying he wished he could port RSG but it just wasn't possible.

[azmun]

It's interesting how complations can have as many as 80 games, sometimes with them ported over very well, and still have not much value...

For me, it's not so much the number or quantity of games but rather how much (quality) time you spend on the cart or disc. IMHO, there are only a few handful of games with such substance that can hold one's interest in the long haul. After awhile, most games become stale.

[Kiken]

In any case, even if RSG was ported someplace else, I doubt that it would include the expanded Saturn Mode found on the original port...that's not to say that the regular ol' arcade game by itself is anything to sniff at, but in any case I don't think that Saturn RSG owners have any reason to be up in arms no matter what happens.

Exactly... if it did get ported to one of these re-release collection discs, it would most likely just be a straight port of the ST-V original.

And actually, I noticed numerous times when a re-release of a past game was issued, that the original version went up in value.

[BrianC]

It's interesting how complations can have as many as 80 games, sometimes with them ported over very well, and still have not much value...

For me, it's not so much the number or quantity of games but rather how much (quality) time you spend on the cart or disc. IMHO, there are only a few handful of games with such substance that can hold one's interest in the long haul. After awhile, most games become stale.

Yeah, I'm more about quality, but I noticed that reviews often seem to focus on what isn't in the collection. The GCN Sonic Mega Collection has fine emulation and a good selection of games (though Sonic 3D blast and Spinball are debateable, I actually like those games), but it got 7.0s and ratings like that for leaving out Sonic CD and Sonic 3 and Knuckles (despite the fact that Sonic 3 and Knuckles is in the collection). Also, it seems like extras like developer commentary are almost more important to reviewers than the games in the collection. Stuff like that is cool, but I get collections to play the games.

BTW, I actually like the SEGA Ages Outrun quite a bit. I think the handling is dead on and the game really feels like the classic Outrun. I like the new direction SEGA seems to be going with the SEGA Ages series. It seems the next batch will have more games with the originals included and even some ports of Master System games. SEGA better bring some of these to the US in collections. We need a US version of Alien Soldier!

[PaCrappa]

I don't see how the notion that collections of remakes/ports have no value came up in a thread about Gunstar Heroes, Dynamite Headdy and Alien Soldier being on one disc. No value? WTF? Seriously.

Pa

[BrianC]

I don't see how the notion that collections of remakes/ports have no value came up in a thread about Gunstar Heroes, Dynamite Headdy and Alien Soldier being on one disc. No value? WTF? Seriously.

Pa

It comes up becuase of the flawed way the media reviews collections. In Japan, games often come in one game collections instead of compliations. Yet, the classic NES series gets flak here for one game, even if it's a very good game, at 20 dollars. 20 dollars is not a bad price for a game and most of the classic NES series can be had for cheaper now. Here in the US, even quality multi game collections are rated low and a port of one older game on a modern system, even for cheap, is almost completely out of the question.

[azmun]

I don't see how the notion that collections of remakes/ports have no value came up in a thread about Gunstar Heroes, Dynamite Headdy and Alien Soldier being on one disc. No value? WTF? Seriously.

I think you missed the point completely. For some gamers who already own or have experienced the following games, there is really no point in obtaining these collections/compilations. On the other hand, if you missed out (after all these years) playing them, these releases are well worth it and shouldn't be passed by again.

[jp]

I'm not all that worried about them porting Saturn games...


Look at Virtua Fighter 2... Panzer Dragoon will probably even worse.

[Dylan1CC]

Yup, this is good news but who needs updated visuals for these gems? How hard could it be to at least also include the original versions of the games on the disc?

Gunstar Heroes doesn't need "improved" graphics. So...no originals included on the disc means I am still willing to punch my wallet in the gut and get Alien Soldier someday off ebay.

EDIT: Panzer Dragoon's dated jaggy 3D polygons (bless 'em) couldn't hurt from a bit of polish though.

[PaCrappa]

I don't see how the notion that collections of remakes/ports have no value came up in a thread about Gunstar Heroes, Dynamite Headdy and Alien Soldier being on one disc. No value? WTF? Seriously.

I think you missed the point completely. For some gamers who already own or have experienced the following games, there is really no point in obtaining these collections/compilations. On the other hand, if you missed out (after all these years) playing them, these releases are well worth it and shouldn't be passed by again.

Okay then. I doubt I'd have missed the point if you had said that in the first place. When you say it that way it means something. Previously it sounded as though you were griping just to see your words on a monitor. Which is something I'd do. Stop the madness man!

Pa

[BrianC]

Yup, this is good news but who needs updated visuals for these gems? How hard could it be to at least also include the original versions of the games on the disc?

Gunstar Heroes doesn't need "improved" graphics. So...no originals included on the disc means I am still willing to punch my wallet in the gut and get Alien Soldier someday off ebay.

EDIT: Panzer Dragoon's dated jaggy 3D polygons (bless 'em) couldn't hurt from a bit of polish though.

Who said there would be no originals included? From what I read in the news bytes, I get the impression that the games will be the originals. D3 is no longer involved with the SEGA Ages collections. SEGA is taking over. This will probably mean more originals and less horrid remakes like Golden Axe.

[llabnip]

I'm not all that worried about them porting Saturn games...

Given that I've got a collection that would rival even yours, I'm not worried either... but the PS2 continues to cut into the Saturn exclsuives (with no end in sight) as well as provide a ton of its own exclusives (not to mention the Genesis and Dreamcast games that have jumped ship - Sonics, Street Fighter 3rd Strike, KOF2k+, now Treasure's Megadrive games, etc.). I heard the Dragon Force double pack is coming for the PS2 (if it's not out already). More will follow. Is it really all that unthinkable that Battle Garegga will appear on a retro pack for the PS3? Or Radiant Silvergun ported for the first time? I think it's only a matter of time. There will be a point when the PS3 not only has a ton of its own great games, but all the games for the PS2, PS1 and many of the better games from systems (Dreamcast, Saturn, Genesis and SMS) and arcade boards from years past...

These ports - for better or worse - do depreciate the impact of the Saturn... One of the things I love about the Saturn are the tons of great games in generes that I enjoy that were only done for that system. There was a time, not long ago, when you simply couldn't recommend a better machine for shooters or fighters. Those days are gone. So while these Sega Ages ports and other collection packs (Psikyo, Taito, Capcom, Playmore/SNK, etc) don't worry me, they do diminish the shine and lure of owning a Saturn (or Dreamcast or Genesis). I don't blame Sega or the other companies for producing compilation packs... they are very popular and it does give a wider audience a chance to play these great games which may have otherwise languished in the back-catalogs of machines long since departed from this world.