The Sega Mega Drive/Genesis Thread (NEW)!!!

[CIT]

Made it to the Round 4 boss in Shadow Dancer. Holy hell, much more nasty than the previous bosses. My strat has just been to try to stay on the other side of the screen than him when he stops (Only consistent way I've found to avoid his fireballs, although bumping into him might be viable to dodge them as well).

The problem is, it seems random where the heads stop on the wheel, and even when they stop in the right place, I had to have enough time to get across the screen before he even shoots his fireballs, or else I do no damage. Even when all those things happen right, I don't hit him half the time.

Still was able to cheese him down to about 2 hits left before running out of time on the clock (First time happening in this game). Should be able to clear him out today. Hoping to find some strat that is faster on him.

Indeed, the invincibility frames after bumping into him are the key exploitable here. Basically, you'll want to lunge at him right when he stops so that while you bounce back the fireballs pass right through you. At that point you can jump towards him again to do some damage. Once you get the rhythm down, I find him actually easier than the stage 3 boss, where more precise play is necessary.

[Ruldra]

Indeed, the invincibility frames after bumping into him are the key exploitable here. Basically, you'll want to lunge at him right when he stops so that while you bounce back the fireballs pass right through you. At that point you can jump towards him again to do some damage. Once you get the rhythm down, I find him actually easier than the stage 3 boss, where more precise play is necessary.

Eh, sounds too risky. Never had a problem with that boss myself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... b6U#t=1000

Notice how I jump before he stops so I'm already in position to hit him. If I see a shuriken isn't going to connect, I move away before he shoots the fireballs. Gives me lots of space to dodge safely. If he stops too close to me, I just move away and try to position myself better for the next attack.

Also, you don't hit the heads in the wheel, you hit the flashing center.

[BIL]

I think that boss would've been a lot cooler if it killed on contact (it's a gigantic burning metal wheel, after all). Feels slightly weak compared to the other four. I particularly like the randomness and spacing aspects of the first two, you can always get caught by a nasty setup if you're not careful.

[dunpeal2064]

Still on a mad Genesis/MD kick:

Shadow Dancer: Took the wheel down. A little bit of confidence goes a long way with this boss, since hitting him halts his attack that phase. Still plenty of time to dodge after realizing you might not be able to land a blow. Made it to Room 4 in the next (last?) zone, but the room of ninjas took me down. Those dman red ninja's, having an active hitbox if they are in the air whatsoever, and damn can they make some pretty large leaps. Definitely going to see this one through. Aside the weird reverse-shmup stages, the pacing in this game is top-notch. I never get bored of an area or boss, no matter how many times I play them, and jumping down/up a ledge or over a fence into perfect positioning for a quick slash kill feels great. The dog is really coming in handy, too, now that I know when to be aggressive with him. Timing definitely matters if you don't want to see your wolf turn into a pup.

Decap Attack: Finished this one up. Still enjoy this one fairly well, although the pacing didn't hold through to the end. Still, I think this game could be a fun speedrun. I "found out" that, with the speed increase from the speed potion, you can keep your higher rate of speed even after the potion wears out, as long as you are in the air. On top of this, as you float by enemies, if you aren't high enough in the air to jump off and maintain speed, you can head-bash to push yourself through their sprite without getting hit Or losing that increased speed. So, I guess the goal would be to find the best route for however many speed potions are needed, find the best jumping-off points to maintain that speed, and route in head-powerups if/when necessary. The float mechanic and head throw still feel great.

Twinkle Tale: Just starting this one up, made it to stage 4 before getting overrun. Pretty fun game. Homing shot is terrible, and I've only found it useful in Stage 3 when you are stuck on a small path, and vultures are taking cheap shots at you. Other than that, spread for enemies and straight shot for any large enemy/boss will make quick work. The split paths are, sadly, a little lame, and really only seem to be "Do you want a few more points or an easier go, for the next 5 seconds". Would have liked to see them take those paths a little further. Still, the bosses are nice, and the overhead action/shmup feel is really nice.

Still working on my Sonic speedrun as well, mostly trying to really, realllly fucking nail that Marble Act 2 glitch. Its ridiculously precise, and failure = death. Having the US cart, I don't have much room for error when it comes to deaths. Really should source a nice MD copy for those extra lives (and the occasional lack of a spike glitch could come in handy). On the plus side, Green Hill Zone Act 2 is down-pat now, can make a pretty consistent 20s/21s clear.

[Heavy Viper]

Nice to see a Mega Drive thread going for so long!

I've recently been buying up a few MDs for audio purposes, but I also took the plunge and region/PAL60 modded my Model 1 Mega Drive from childhood. That (unfortunately - or not, depending on your view :3) lead to me putting down the cash for a Mega Everdrive flash cart, as well as hunting down Japanese copies of my favourite games. jMD game packaging is so gorgeous!

Recently took the modded MD to a games night, and finally rocked 4-player Micro Machines 2 Turbo Tournament. Was a total blast, everyone loved it. Also got the Bad End on Bubble Bobble - though technically that's a Master System game...

Myself, though? I just tried to get a high score going for Thunder Force IV, but I completely fell to pieces at Stage 8's boss. Was going really well, too, then just death after death. Kinda crushing! Really wanted to get a score in that thread. Aside from TFIV, the Everdrive has given me a chance to (affordably) try out some authentic Gley Lancer. I saw it getting a bit of flak on the first page for being a bit uninspired, but I think it holds up well. It's a solid shooter with a nice feel to it, and the multiple weapon sets add some nice spice. And the music? Oof, beautiful.

Panorama Cotton might be the one to try next. Another hideously expensive one...

[dunpeal2064]

Finally, after many failed attempts, cleared Shadow Dancer. What a game. The last boss is a real asshole. Well, actually he is a complete wimp, but those ninjas!

Really helped finding out that you are guaranteed an extra life If you don't shoot any ninjas in the bonus stages. Also found some hidden 1ups I had not seen before.

Love the new title screen after the clear. Gotta come back and get the "No Shuriken" clear, and possibly go for a 2 loop.

Now, what ninja action game do I go for next? Strider or Return of Shinobi? Never played either and just got em in the mail.

[BIL]

Two classic ninja sidescrollers, but on MD Revenge of Shinobi is definitely superior. Strider is a good port of a great game (at the time it was a godsend), but unless you're a MD historian, these days you're a lot better off with the 99% perfect PS1 port. It's a bonus disc for NTSCU Strider 2, in NTSCJ it's legit one half of Strider Hiryu 1 & 2.

Revenge remains a bona fide classic of the system and ninja sidescrolling subgenre. Just don't expect it to play anything like Shadow Dancer! (the division between arcade and MD Shinobi lines can be surprising)

Regarding Shadow Dancer MD's bonus stages, you can get EZ 3UPs every time by hugging a wall and firing non-stop. I mainly do this so I can enjoy the insane rapidfire bass. ^__^

[dunpeal2064]

Revenge of Shinobi it is!

I was only able to sort the Shinobi series out thanks to your previous posts in this thread, so I won't expect a similar game. I was enamored by Shadow Dancer, so I think at some point I should revisit the original Shinobi (SMS version if its decent?), but I'll save that for now, as I am quite curious to experience some "Super" action.

Is this the Shinobi that has a hidden 6-button layout? And, if so, is it best to stick to the original scheme for a first-timer?

[BIL]

No, the secret six-button mode is in the sequel Shinobi III / Super Shinobi II. I definitely recommend at least trying it - simply being able to block on reaction is a massive improvement (not possible in 3-button mode, which requires you to attack then keep the button depressed). Separate melee and projectile buttons are nice too - you can use the former from quite a longer distance than normal, making air attacks particularly smoother, in addition to hacking down projectiles with the katana. And you won't be prevented from throwing shuriken while near or on top of crates. The game's main draw is Joe's expanded moveset, so the additional control is really good to have.

I'd avoid SMS Shinobi - tried it the first time myself recently and wasn't happy. Preserves none of the arcade's fluidity and precision, nor does it add anything interesting. Some of my favourite games ever are "arcade imperfect" home conversions that did their own thing (mainly Famicom titles), so I always try out even long-since outdated ones... on that subject, for the MD Senjou no Okami II / Mercs is definitely worth a go. The exclusive Original Mode is like a badass coinop ARPG.

[BrianC]

SMS Shinobis are frustrating. I liked what I played of the first one, but it definitely pales in comparison to the arcade. From what I tried, Cyber Shinobi feels really clunky, and Shadow Dancer feels clunky in a different way due to trying too hard to be like the arcade (it's also missing levels). Alex Kidd in Shinobi World seems to be the best Shinobi related game on the system, though it's more of a platformer. Game Gear actually made out better with two original Shinobi games that combine aspects of Mega Man, Metroid, and Super Shinobi.

[EmperorIng]

While I think Shadow Dancer is a fine game, Revenge just takes the game to a whole new level in terms of stage design, bosses, and sheer atmosphere. It's a good'un.

[stryc9]

Talking about Strider, it's been a while since I've played the coin-op, but man. the MD version is a glitch fest and a half.

I won't post a detailed list of the remarkable glitch-induced deaths I've suffered over the past couple of nights since I'm sure most of you know exactly what I'm talking about. It can make it pretty difficult to keep your runs consistent though, I will say.

The arcade version wasn't quite that bad on this front was it?

[BPzeBanshee]

No, the secret six-button mode is in the sequel Shinobi III / Super Shinobi II. I definitely recommend at least trying it - simply being able to block on reaction is a massive improvement (not possible in 3-button mode, which requires you to attack then keep the button depressed). Separate melee and projectile buttons are nice too - you can use the former from quite a longer distance than normal, making air attacks particularly smoother, in addition to hacking down projectiles with the katana. And you won't be prevented from throwing shuriken while near or on top of crates. The game's main draw is Joe's expanded moveset, so the additional control is really good to have.

Wait, what? Block on command exists for this one? How do I enable this?

[BIL]

The arcade version wasn't quite that bad on this front was it?

Not quite, though it's still got several oddities (details here). The biggest failing of the MD port is in the final stage - up until that point it's very close to the arcade, but you can feel the wheels falling off in the inverse gravity chamber (the chunkier collision makes blitzing through AC-style nearly impossible).

The PS1 version introduces a couple glitches of its own, but overall it's a much more stable experience. Most notably it's all but impossible to clip through the second Ouroboros to your death, where the ride is pure glitchy terror in the AC/MD versions.

Wait, what? Block on command exists for this one? How do I enable this?

GSK explains

edit: bah gawd, been playing SS1 all afternoon.



KENJUTSU NO TATSUJIN (・｀ω´・)

I do recommend liberal use of Ikazuchi/shield magic when learning stages though, to make POW easier to hang onto (without crouch-blocking everywhere you go). Bit of memorisation needed in the wider-open, shooting enemy-populated stages like 2.1/waterfall and 7.2/battleship (enemies can fire well before you know they're there - once you know their positions, killing them from offscreen is second nature).

[Obiwanshinobi]

Is the American Gauntlet IV any different from the Japanese Gauntlet? Is the latter in Japanese?

[Strider77]

Both have language options. They default to what ever your console region is also.

[BrianC]

Both have language options. They default to what ever your console region is also.

The US version is region locked.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Recently took the modded MD to a games night, and finally rocked 4-player Micro Machines 2 Turbo Tournament. Was a total blast, everyone loved it.

If you get another chance, play Mashed: Fully Loaded (by the makers of Micro Machines). It's one of THOSE 4-player games (I like singleplayer too; the AI is fun, first Burnout way).

Anybody knows how Micro Machines Turbo Tournament '96 fares in 60 Hz on real hardware?

[gameoverDude]

Youtube: Genesis SFIICE & SSFII with a modified PCM audio driver.
Stef's Sound Hack V7 for Street Fighter II Special CE
Stef's sound hack for Super SFII
Comparison of SCE unhacked & hacked

There's no blaming the lousy sound quality of SFII SCE & SSFII on the Genesis hardware. It was Capcom's fault. They could not code a PCM sound driver worth a damn.
BTW, the version of SFIISCE in the first Youtube link also has Pyron's color hack applied.

If Capcom had made the Genesis SFII SCE like this to begin with, the SNES version (Turbo) would've been toast. The Genesis version does have some details in stages that the SNES version misses.

[Xyga]

Strange I always thought SFII SCE musics already sounded better than the SNES's.
It's only the voices that are crap on MD/GEN, and you can feel the lack of colors but everything else is very good, it's one of the best 16bit arcade ports I've ever played.

[Heavy Viper]

Recently took the modded MD to a games night, and finally rocked 4-player Micro Machines 2 Turbo Tournament. Was a total blast, everyone loved it.

If you get another chance, play Mashed: Fully Loaded (by the makers of Micro Machines). It's one of THOSE 4-player games (I like singleplayer too; the AI is fun, first Burnout way).

Will do!

Anybody knows how Micro Machines Turbo Tournament '96 fares in 60 Hz on real hardware?

All of Codies' Mega Drive games, with one or two exceptions, seem to work fine in 60Hz. Micro Machines in particular works great - the game does run faster, of course, but the lap timer seems to keep good time in either 50 or 60Hz.

Super Skidmarks is one exception, appears to be 50Hz only - I get some nasty screen rolling when I try to run it in 60.

[BrianC]

All of Codies' Mega Drive games, with one or two exceptions, seem to work fine in 60Hz. Micro Machines in particular works great - the game does run faster, of course, but the lap timer seems to keep good time in either 50 or 60Hz.

Super Skidmarks is one exception, appears to be 50Hz only - I get some nasty screen rolling when I try to run it in 60.

The odd thing about Super Skidmarks, is that the music seems to have been adjusted for 60Hz, telling from emulator. I'm guessing it was partially optimized, but the developers forgot to adjust the resolution for 60Hz.

The only Codemasters game I have is Psycho Pinball, which happens to be an import. It works great on my Genesis systems.

[null1024]

Revenge remains a bona fide classic of the system and ninja sidescrolling subgenre. Just don't expect it to play anything like Shadow Dancer!

This, right here.
Sometimes, I feel like I want to play Shinobi 3. Pretty normal feeling, that. So I do it.
and then all of my Shadow Dancer habits kick in and I'm out of shurikens and all sort of shit

Still, I love the Genesis Shinobi games to death though [haven't played too much of Revenge though, I'll probably start on it once I clear Shadow Dancer].

[Drum]

Puggsy is sorta cool. Weird little physics-based platformer. Hadn't heard of it til the other day.

[Xyga]

Puggsy is very nice but can get very frustrating at times.

The MCD version is somewhat enhanced beyond sound if I recall (more visual effects).

[Captain]

Is it bad if I think Pugsy sucks. hard.

?

[Drum]

No.

[evil_ash_xero]

Revenge remains a bona fide classic of the system and ninja sidescrolling subgenre. Just don't expect it to play anything like Shadow Dancer!

This, right here.
Sometimes, I feel like I want to play Shinobi 3. Pretty normal feeling, that. So I do it.
and then all of my Shadow Dancer habits kick in and I'm out of shurikens and all sort of shit

Still, I love the Genesis Shinobi games to death though [haven't played too much of Revenge though, I'll probably start on it once I clear Shadow Dancer].

I like Shinobi III a good deal better than RoS. It's just a natural evolution of the first game (in Japan, they are Super Shinobi 1 and 2).
Revenge has the better music though. And the first version has all those crazy characters, which is quite the laugh.

And another thing, look how awful our art is compared to the JP version. I don't know why they did this to us kids, back in the day. It was abuse!

[Captain]

How can you possibly dislike S3's music. In fact, It would be easier to point out the one or two tracks that are bad, than to point out all the good ones from that game.

[Bar81]

And another thing, look how awful our art is compared to the JP version. I don't know why they did this to us kids, back in the day. It was abuse!

That's downright gorgeous compared to most US art at the time.