What's your opinion of the Mega Drive?

[louisg]

For SNES, don't forget the Capcom platformers (including Super Ghouls n Ghosts) and Hagane for single-shot games! I'm pretty sure there's more, like I don't think you can save in Run Saber (though that's scraping the bottom of the barrel)

[Rob]

it's like saying genesis has shining force, phantasy star and, landstalker and thor.

Except these (in PS's case, 4 specifically) are all excellent.

[Shatterhand]

I can look for the magazine and scan it or retype the article if anyone is geek enough to be interested in this kind of stuff. I loved reading it back at the time

Please do.

Ok, I'll do it. I'll be at my mom's house next weekend. My old magazines are all there, I'll get it, and I'll post the article here

[louisg]

Yeah, from what I can tell as a non-RPGer, Genesis is underrated these days for RPGs. I remember before SquareSoft mania hit, the big RPGs were like the Phantasy Stars and Shining in the Darkness on Genesis, and then good ol' Dragon Warrior on NES. The SNES games are probably pretty good (with Chrono Trigger being the only jRPG I ever enjoyed), but it's only just looking back from a post-Final Fantasy 7 era that we put so much emphasis on them.

[Herr Schatten]

I can look for the magazine and scan it or retype the article if anyone is geek enough to be interested in this kind of stuff. I loved reading it back at the time

Please do.

Ok, I'll do it. I'll be at my mom's house next weekend. My old magazines are all there, I'll get it, and I'll post the article here

Thanks a lot in advance. I just remembered something related. In one issue of Retro Gamer magazine, there was a 'making of' Stardust/Super Stardust. In the article, the main programmer explained how the trick was actually done. Unfortunately, I can't remember it offhand, though, and I can't look it up ATM, because I don't have my RG magazines with me. (I don't live at home right now, because my apartement got destroyed by a burst water pipe.) Once I move back in and get my stuff from the storage facility, I can look it up. It's going to be another couple of weeks, though.

[Ganelon]

The SNES games are probably pretty good (with Chrono Trigger being the only jRPG I ever enjoyed), but it's only just looking back from a post-Final Fantasy 7 era that we put so much emphasis on them.

Well, if "we" refers to the diehard Nintendo fans, they still think back to the SNES as the golden days of RPGs. I wouldn't necessarily say they're wrong either; the SNES does have some of the best 2D RPGs around; nowadays, most 2D RPGs seem to come with lackluster budgets. While I agree there's a very good quantity of decent quality, the MD has a few standouts and most of the RPGs are decent.

That said, if we look at history to prove something, RPG series started in the 16-bit cart era have fared ridiculously poorly regardless of system:

-Shining Force died in 1 generation, Thor died after 1 next-gen sequel, Phantasy Star is a remnant in name only.
-Ogre Battle has been mostly held hanging with re-releases, Estpolis probably should've been left for dead, Chrono Trigger has been inexplicably left dormant, Mother has been nearly unused outside of Smash Bros., Albert Odyssey entirely changed gears for naught.
-For multiplatform games, Landstalker made its last ill-fated spiritual return for the DC, Langrisser the same situation.

It's startling that for -all- the RPG series created in the 16-bit cart era, only Breath of Fire and Star Ocean (both on the SFC) have managed to be consistently alive (and the former is about to head the same way). Now, popularity doesn't dictate a good game no more than it would good art, but it's just an interesting observation how much perseverance series like DQ, FF, and Ys had to stand the test of time.

[Domino]

MD>PCE>SNES

[Shatterhand]

-Shining Force died in 1 generation

You are forgetting Shining Force 3 on Saturn (Which is awesome). And, to a certain extent, Shining Force EXA on PS2.

[Ganelon]

You are forgetting Shining Force 3 on Saturn (Which is awesome). And, to a certain extent, Shining Force EXA on PS2.

By one generation, I meant after after the first generation. I can hardly forget SFIII after the complete 4-game series burned $200 in my wallet back in the day. And ironically I still prefer Shining Force II... I didn't want to include EXA since it's about as much Shining Force as any other Shining title but I suppose it's fair enough to acknowledge it as a descendant by title only.

[Rob]

Well, if "we" refers to the diehard Nintendo fans, they still think back to the SNES as the golden days of RPGs.

They would, but the obvious truth is PS1.

[louisg]

The SNES games are probably pretty good (with Chrono Trigger being the only jRPG I ever enjoyed), but it's only just looking back from a post-Final Fantasy 7 era that we put so much emphasis on them.

Well, if "we" refers to the diehard Nintendo fans, they still think back to the SNES as the golden days of RPGs. I wouldn't necessarily say they're wrong either; the SNES does have some of the best 2D RPGs around; nowadays, most 2D RPGs seem to come with lackluster budgets. While I agree there's a very good quantity of decent quality, the MD has a few standouts and most of the RPGs are decent.

I also forgot Ys, which was a pretty big deal at the time, and the zillions of computer RPGs: If you were a die hard RPGer in 80s in the US, you were probably playing games like Ultima, The Magic Candle, or Bard's Tale on your home computer (and that's just the tip of the iceberg).

[Obiwanshinobi]

It's startling that for -all- the RPG series created in the 16-bit cart era, only Breath of Fire and Star Ocean (both on the SFC) have managed to be consistently alive (and the former is about to head the same way).

If by "RPG" you mean jRPG, then you forgot Tales of... (third best selling series in Japan, apparently).

[dunpeal2064]

It's startling that for -all- the RPG series created in the 16-bit cart era, only Breath of Fire and Star Ocean (both on the SFC) have managed to be consistently alive (and the former is about to head the same way).

If by "RPG" you mean jRPG, then you forgot Tales of... (third best selling series in Japan, apparently).

I didn't know Final Fantasy died. I know they kinda got worse, but thats opinion. I believe they are still good and running, since they just released 2 new games, and will probably be raping their old titles for years to come.

Breath of Fire, on the other hand, has been dead here in the states since Breath of Fire IV imo. And even that game, although it was good, was outdone by others in the same era.

[Teufel_in_Blau]

I love the Mega Drive.

It was my first console.

By that time I preferred the Run and Gun type games like Earthworm Jim and Vectorman. Also, Sonic 3 &K owns my heart.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I didn't know Final Fantasy died.

Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and MegaTen are from the 8-bit era. He was making a point about franchies one generation younger.

Breath of Fire, on the other hand, has been dead here in the states since Breath of Fire IV imo. And even that game, although it was good, was outdone by others in the same era.

In my opinion BoFV: Dragon Quarter (released in all regions) is one of the most alive jRPGs for the PS2.

[Ganelon]

If by "RPG" you mean jRPG, then you forgot Tales of... (third best selling series in Japan, apparently).

Yeah, obvious oversight, whoops. Anything else? Or we could go back to MD comparisons.

[Shatterhand]

I can look for the magazine and scan it or retype the article if anyone is geek enough to be interested in this kind of stuff. I loved reading it back at the time

Please do.

Ok, I'll do it. I'll be at my mom's house next weekend. My old magazines are all there, I'll get it, and I'll post the article here

There was no need to go anywhere, thanx to the Amiga Magazines Rack, here it is:

http://amr.abime.net/issue_354_pages


Check out Pages 28 and 29.

The Turrican trick he describes is pretty old, it has been used since 8 bits gaming.

And what I said earlier about Stardust has some info wrong, and some that's not even in the article which I probably read it somewhere else, hehe My memory is working worse as I get older

Edit: BTW, I can't believe the Stardust Tunnel Sequence only has 3 frames, or else it wouldn't work on Youtube's 25fps. I'll test this on Winuae, advancing frame by frame... the thing is too smooth to be just 3 frames.

Edit2: And from all the tricks described in this article, I think the Elfmania one is the smartest of all. I remember when I read this article , I already had the game for a while (Those magazines would get here in Brasil 2 to 3 months late, while we would get the pirated games sometimes even before their releases) and had NEVER noticed the waterfall stopping. After reading this, I hurried to load the game, and then I saw the waterfall stopping when the screen gets crowded... and I just thought it was the work of a genius there.

Of course, after that, I would *always* notice the waterfall stopping animating. (It would first get slower, and then completely stop if the screen gets too crowded)

[ChainsawGuitarSP]

Top 5 because I'm too indecisive to list anymore.

Megadrive:
Pulseman
Gunstar Heroes
Fire Shark
The Newzealand Story
Splatterhouse 2

SNES:
Umihara Kawase
Mega Man & Bass
Pocky & Rocky
Castlevania: Dracula X
Super R-Type

EDIT: Derp, I don't know how I failed to notice the other 4 pages... Oh well.