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

[Xyga]

I can't remember another last boss in an MD game that's suddenly as ridiculously tough except maybe the one from MD Phelios.

Didn't the JP version of Monster World V lack the circular saw thing on the floor ? I haven't played that version but you can imagine the difference it makes.

EDIT: http://youtu.be/fbiDQhNjAc0?t=3m37s

[BrianC]

I can't remember another last boss in an MD game that's suddenly as ridiculously tough except maybe the one from MD Phelios.

Didn't the JP version of Monster World V lack the circular saw thing on the floor ? I haven't played that version but you can imagine the difference it makes.

EDIT: http://youtu.be/fbiDQhNjAc0?t=3m37s

This and the 360 version of Monster World IV were both mentioned a long time ago. I remember posting about that altered PCE version (Dynastic Hero) and how the US version of that lacks the changes made to Wonder Boy in Monster World (which was originally Wonder Boy V, not Monster World V. It's Monster World III). However, I'm not a fan of the changes made to Dynastic Hero, especially the removal of references to earlier Wonder Boy/Monster World games.

[kitten]

an in-depth reply, now!

Aero Blasters

any reason to recommend this over the pc engine version? i recall hearing conflicting opinions on which was better, and seem to recall them both having their own set of flaws? i feel like i'd mostly just be choosing the MD version for its snazzy box.

Bad Omen (fucken insane Sakimoto/Iwata OST, beyond even Verytex; the paddle action is weird and a little edgy, but hangs together well enough to indulge)

i'd never even heard of this one! looks really neat. i can kinda see why this one isn't more commonly talked up, but it does look worth a play, at least.

Chelnov (DECO's masterful, tough and technical autoscrolling run/gun platformer... their finest hour maybe? Definitely try this one)

i really wish this one weren't so pricey, given that it's data east and lord knows if i'll end up liking it that much. i might bust out the ol' emulator for a few of these to see how much i'd enjoy them before i actually commit - the combination of price + reputation of the dev are a little too significant to make a blind jump. i dislike emulating, but with these prices, i've got to start building a priority system higher than "looks like it would be good." i recall trying this ages ago and not even getting used to the controls before giving it a pass. less a damnation and much more a "i'm new to this console's library, if ain't good immediately, i know there's plenty more to find that will be." i'd be willing to just buy this one if it were cheaper, the GCCX episode did enough to give me a bit of endearment, at least.

Crack Down (weird and utterly hardcore topdown action/puzzle time-attacker)

this kind of weirdness really strikes me as incredibly, uniquely mega drive. i can't imagine a game like this fitting into another library, honestly. i've seen this recommended a few times, elsewhere, but it's one that always stays off my radar. your post will definitely be something useful to come back to as a quick reference for quite some time to come.

Eliminate Down (TFIV's twisted doppelganger; operatic yet arcade-tight hori shooting with endless killer setpieces, impeccable fundamentals and artfully UGLY style)

gad, your MD collection has got to be worth several thousand. would you say this is actually comparable to TFIV's quality of play? i watched a play and it seemed like something i'd peg a good bit lower.

Gauntlet (only a casual Gauntlet fan myself but holy fuck, what a port from M2; Quest Mode delivers an almost puzzle/action experience; also SAKIMOTOO [& Iwata] )

never much enjoyed gauntlet - does the quest mode offer anything particularly unique? i've got dungeon explorer 1 & 2 sitting around, waiting to be played next week in 3-player, and i feel if i really like those i might be hungry for a bit more. how would this stack up to those?

Hellfire (lantern-jawed titan of checkpoint hori shooting from Toaplan; WIMPS FUCK OFF)

iirc, there's a hellfire s or something on the pc engine. is that one notably better?

Herzog Zwei (epitome of the flawed but stunningly creative oddity; needs 2P for best result)

i always thought it was amusing that del name-dropped that one. never given it even a cursory go. how's the 2p even work?

[lmao i have a copy of this?? when did this happen. oh god i've become a collector]

Jewel Master (solid B tier sidescrolling action, with a surprisingly extensive custom weapon system; don't overlook for lack of hype, it's very solid!)

really?

i completely dismissed this one with just a cursory glance some time ago. had amusing animation, at least! i love how the top half of the body feels like a totally different beast than the bottom half.

Kujaku Ou II (ala Jewel Master [shared staff], it's simple but totally solid sidescrolling action, with the finest sidescrolling flamethrower I know of)

i've wanted to play the sms original ever since i found out mystic defender was actually a sequel back over in japan. is it (the original) any good? i sort-of like mystic defender and want to pick up kujaku ou II just for the better character sprite. for a straight sega game, i feel like it somewhat undeservedly gets the short end of stick when stacked up against other earlier, staple titles like golden axe and whatnot. phoenix rie did art for this! it deserves a little attention.

Marble Madness (TENGEN, NOT EA) (ala Gauntlet, only casually into this arcade icon but what a fucking port! needs mouse for best results)

mouse, you say? i've heard the tengen port of this game talked up to be the best, but i don't think i ever heard suggestion to actually play it with a mouse. as much as i dislike rare, i've got to say that i'm pretty happy for the time being with their nes port of the game, which is often stacked up to be the 2nd-most faithful.

Marvel Land

i often hear this one spoken of pretty poorly, is it actually any good or more of a namco curiosity?

Rambo III (third after Jewel Master and Kujaku in the cheap n' cheerful action trio; yet again, don't judge by its minimal technical flash, it knows what it's doing)

friend of mine is a big advocate of this one and it's something i'm always forgetting to stick on the radar! he's also quite the big fan of earlier mega drive stuff like kujaku ou 2, space harrier 2, juuouki, etc. surprised not to see space harrier 2 on this list - not a fan of that kind of rail shooter? personally, i never liked 2, but enjoy the arcade original (which that one 360 compilation had the courtesy to include).

Senjou no Okami II (arcade mode is a solid albeit 1P-only port; ORIGINAL MODE is a fucken topdown army ARPG revelation)

yet another that constantly falls of the radar! i've not played the MD/Genesis port of this in ages, but i remember running through the arcade game back on one of the CCC's a while ago. how much does this original mode tend to differ?

Undeadline (hard as coffin nails; will delight the few as it horrifies the many! get stuck the fuck in, or flee in terror? you'll know where you stand within seconds)

this, in particular, is what i was talking about with hoping the expensive games would not actually pay off in fine games. it looked too cruel and a little too rudimentary in its presentation to be holding anything special. you vouch for it, though? i don't know if that necessarily places it up my alley, but i'd be curious if you've ever had more to say on this one. i've never heard much about it and was curious if some found it appealing or if it was merely a rarity in the library. even when our tastes do not align, i do value your input on some of these for future reference.

Wardner no Mori Special

you know, i've heard the name for this one numerous times, but i don't think i'd ever looked at a play until just now. not much of a looker, but seems like it plays relatively well enough.



good inspiration for who i'd like to be when i grow up, too.

(p.s. how do you record/compress your gifs to be so small in file size & high quality? and how'd you get imgur to accept a 6mb gif without it turning into one of those pseudo-video-things?)

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also, any reason you've not got shiten myouou in your collection? most other absences i can hazard a guess at, but i'd put this one at least around or maybe between the quality of kujaku ou II and juuouki. nothing i'd say is of a particularly notable quality, but solid enough to be worth a gander. also figured you'd have dynamite duke. both a' those are pt cheap, kind of decent.

Any reason you aren't at least taking a hybrid approach with flashcarts?

i've thought about it a few times with how expensive some of these games are, for sure! i just consider myself passionate enough about classic games that i need some kind of form or restricting myself from going overboard or into burnout. plus, it's a way to set up satisfying, long-term goals. sometimes, these restrictions end up being a bit more arbitrary than other times, but i've not gotten so far ahead of myself that i require new stuff to refine myself on & appreciate at the moment. plenty of games in my library are starting to go neglected, and focusing on my backlog while aiming my sights on some bigger purchases that will be nice surprises is a good way to keep myself gratified.

of course, there are moments i want to immediately just tear into something hyper-alluring that i cannot possibly afford! there's quite a few arcade titles that are highly in that category, despite my sensibilities being a bit more firmly rooted in slightly more casual difficulty and console-oriented design. this might make them being a treat for later in life all the more gratifying, however, as i mentioned over in the action thread.

i wouldn't recommend most others to follow my pattern, but it works for me. i typically end up recommending others to try flashcarts & original hardware + crt for maximum impact with minimum investment! i think people should be careful to not recklessly indulge in their passion and keep the long-term in mind, and it's only with games i take this kind of approach.

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re: the sonic the hedgehog discourse.

never liked the series much at all! had a bit of fun with S3&K the last time i played it, but have just never been able to get into any of these games. even reasonable enthusiasts seem to agree that taking advantage of the speed requires some relatively ardent memorization. i particularly dislike how much of these games rely on that given your incredibly limited field of view versus your movement speed. so, so, so many paths end with you flying into spikes, an enemy, a stopper that sends you back, a pit, a dead-end, etc. kind of seems like rather dire design. imho, i'd rather play something more modern like super meat boy where the screen actually lets you see where these highly quick & inertial controls are actually going to end you up, or something like super mario brothers or gimmick!, which have some nuanced movement and inertia worked into their options without said fault of needing to memorize stages to react properly to them.

a friend of mine adores the series and is always getting me to try and play it. she's pretty serious about the first being the best game of the bunch! says that 2 has a strong first half but has horrible levels past that point, that 3 is quite good but a little bit more casual and too long, that CD has its moments but also really idiosyncratic stretches of unpleasantness, and that mania is actually surprisingly good and deserves accolades, despite also having a long warm-up period. i trust her evaluations of these games and she's written about several of them, but it's also from the perspective of someone willing to give these games a lot of time just for them to blossom, and i can't get over their initial humps. perhaps one day! i've beaten each of the originals, but getting competent with them has definitely eluded me.

by the way, she and most other serious players i know are strong advocates of ignoring bonus stages and secrets, even though that forfeits the best endings. it's often a big-time beginner's hang-up to think those are essential parts of the game, at least as far as she says.

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re: altered beast/juuouki discussion

it sure as hell ain't great, but i'd actually go to bat for this one. mostly solid, simple, well-paced, and of a satisfying length. features two higher loops of difficulty, too, iirc. there's some moments of definitely questionable design or cheapness, but i believe there is appeal in it beyond it being a significant era piece for its popularity and impressive presentation (though, of course, those are undeniable parts of why i find it interesting).

[Perikles]

I'm not BIL, but:

any reason to recommend this over the pc engine version? i recall hearing conflicting opinions on which was better, and seem to recall them both having their own set of flaws? i feel like i'd mostly just be choosing the MD version for its snazzy box.

In a vagary of fate that is both amusing and bemusing, the original arcade game is the easiest among the three, with the PCE port towering above them all, being the hardest 16-bit shmup 1-ALL as far as I'm concerned (let's not even speak about the second loop). I'd say it is too hard for what it is, the final stage and its maddeningly violent screen shaking during the iron bars section is truly unsettling. The MD port is a bit more merciful and also has better background graphics.

would you say this is actually comparable to TFIV's quality of play? i watched a play and it seemed like something i'd peg a good bit lower.

Nah, but what is? I personally like to think of Eliminate Down as the Manichean counterpart to Gleylancer - where the latter always keeps a serene composure even when the subject matter is organic, Eliminate Down is a grimy, oppressive game. Certainly similar to TFIV as far as the weaponry and some of the level design is concerned, albeit too long and sometimes repetitive. Still a very good game, however.

iirc, there's a hellfire s or something on the pc engine. is that one notably better?

No, it's considerably worse. I quote myself from my archaeology thread:

Overview: Unlike with all the other Toaplan games, there is one fundamental difference between the PCE port and the MD port in this case: the MD port behaves like every other conversion of this developer, sending you back to a checkpoint after you lose a life. The PCE CD port is possibly modeled after the 2P arcade game and does not have checkpoints. It's quite interesting to see such a singular exception, one has to wonder why that is.

The MD port is another case of a port that is clearly better than even the arcade original. It has additional power-ups such as a one-hit shield, but it still is quite a bit more demanding than the fairly trivial arcade game (this is doubly true if you play the Genesis/Western Hellfire which is harder than the Japanese version of the game, yet another singular occurrence) as well as stronger on the audiovisual front. The PCE CD port is moreso interesting for scoring than it is for survival since it doesn't loop at all and the difficulty is really low. What is attractive about this rendition is how power-up carriers behave: if you hit them with the yellow rear-shot, they will drop three items instead of one. If you're playing risky and maximize the speed you can try to get as many bonus items as you can (after you got every other upgrade, carriers will only drop these) and try to boost your score.

Résumé: While the PCE CD game is still competent enough, it has no hope of competing against the grandiose MD port. Granted, most people don't care much for either horizontal Toaplan game, but you'd be sorely missing out here. Hellfire might be a trifle repetitive, but the stage design is clearly tailor-made around the four different weapons you have, thus forcing you to switch around a lot, keeping you busy. I also quite like that the Easy setting allows for monumental marathon looping whereas the Hard difficulty is moreso appropriate for a couple loops or so, giving players distinct goals. I would recommend the PCE game if you would like to play a rather undemanding version of the game and want to play for a higher score.

how much does this original mode tend to differ?

It's a completely different game with action RPG elements of sorts. Much better than the arcade game and the port, too.

this, in particular, is what i was talking about with hoping the expensive games would not actually pay off in fine games.

Undeadline is the single best 16-bit shmup as far as I'm concerned. It strikes a perfect balance between offense and defense (both regarding the shield and the health bars/lives) - while you can deflect every bullet in a split-second, you still have to be utmost aggressive in order to prevail. You won't die right away when getting hit, but there's almost no hit stun which could've been an impending euro shmup trap, yet turned out to be a tense, mordant positional play of existential magnitude. Ghastly apparitions, ghouls and demons will grievously wound the player and time is of the essence, indeed. Chests are scattered in strategic locations throughout the stages, as is the terrain, rewarding military acumen handsomely. Deluges of enemies and cataracts of projectiles from some of the bosses also provide a superb spectacle. Every interstice and lacuna, every solution from an aporia is well-earned, crushing undulating waves of enemies is as satisfying as is winning a tempestuous boss fight. Game's not even that hard, frankly, but due to the aforementioned mechanisms, the tide of battle can turn in a fraction of a second, especially on the Crazy difficulty. Doubtlessly a masterful game, best played with a 1LC mentality.


I would also bold Darius II MD - one of the very best 16-bit ports in my opinion.

[Deadliar]

Undeadline's not your dad's shmup! It's a man's game! A man's man's game! It's hard. It's tight. It's unforgiving. The music is simple but heavy and unnerving. The enemies fire patterns that are basic but will still fuck you up. The weapon system is incredibly convenient but difficult to use.

Listen lad, ya play your Thunder Force and your Heavy Nova (bahaha) if you wanna look at pretty graphics, but if you want a challenge, get Undeadline and prepare to die. Let yourself get absorbed into the game and don't think about why the vampire doesn't have a head or why there's a fully manned ship in the sewers.

And hey, if you can't beat it, just remember that some people have it worse. At least you aren't commanding a fully manned ship in the sewers.

Edit: Fuck I was outsped!

[kitten]

much appreciated on all fronts, perikles! i'll definitely catalogue undeadline as something to check out, but likely in the distant future. my shooter tastes are definitely not as emphatically inclined toward raw challenge as you or BIL, but it's certainly better to consider this one holding some value versus shoving it into the back of my mind as bizarrely expensive oddity.

[FinalBaton]

Wow I just checked a Darius II longplay and I'm damn impressed. Game looks hella tight! And the presentation is super solid. Dayum...
Thanks for highlighting that one Perikles

Also thanks to BIL's list I have rediscovered MERCS. What a damn fun game. I had kinda forgotten about that one for some reason.

[BIL]

AB and GA were also by Makoto Uchida, who later did Dynamite Deka - that's why Chicken Legs appear in both (little bastards), and you can cosplay as Beast/Axe characters in the arrange mode of M2's superlative-as-usual PS2 Deka.

PS2 Dynamite Deka wasn't an M2 joint, Uchida's team at Sega Shanghai did it themselves.

Ohshi - thanks for the correction. With how perfunctory some of the non-M2 2500s were by comparison, I tend to assume anything great was their handiwork.

They also did a quasi-remake of Deka 2 named Dynamite Deka EX: ASIAN DYNAMITE which reskins the game to look vaguely Asian and replaces the powerup system with goofy character transformations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL3uyK70FEs

Ah, I've wondered about that one. Could tell it clearly wasn't an entirely new game, but I did think tweaking DD2's overpowered POW mode sounded good. I seem to remember reaching the point where I'd simply not use it in DD2. Knowing Uchida himself was in charge decidedly reinvigorates my interest.

any reason to recommend this over the pc engine version? i recall hearing conflicting opinions on which was better, and seem to recall them both having their own set of flaws? i feel like i'd mostly just be choosing the MD version for its snazzy box.

Deferring to our Master of Archeology Perikles on this one! I've been considering the PCE port myself, having decided on his reports that both were worth picking up.

i'd never even heard of this one! looks really neat. i can kinda see why this one isn't more commonly talked up, but it does look worth a play, at least.

I actually think it plays deceptively well - at first, the paddles' ability to just ghost through obstacles might seem like lazy design, but it allows unlimitedly inventive, hyper-aggressive play... hmm. Either way, the Sakimoto/Iwata OST is stunning. I'm getting chills just recalling the intro.

i really wish this one weren't so pricey, given that it's data east and lord knows if i'll end up liking it that much. i might bust out the ol' emulator for a few of these to see how much i'd enjoy them before i actually commit - the combination of price + reputation of the dev are a little too significant to make a blind jump. i dislike emulating, but with these prices, i've got to start building a priority system higher than "looks like it would be good." i recall trying this ages ago and not even getting used to the controls before giving it a pass. less a damnation and much more a "i'm new to this console's library, if ain't good immediately, i know there's plenty more to find that will be." i'd be willing to just buy this one if it were cheaper, the GCCX episode did enough to give me a bit of endearment, at least.

Would definitely suggest emulation here. Even outside of expensive oddities like Chelnov, I wouldn't own half the 8-32bit stuff I do, had I not personally vetted them. Maybe that's as much a warning as an endorsement of emulation.

this kind of weirdness really strikes me as incredibly, uniquely mega drive. i can't imagine a game like this fitting into another library, honestly. i've seen this recommended a few times, elsewhere, but it's one that always stays off my radar. your post will definitely be something useful to come back to as a quick reference for quite some time to come.

It's nice and cheap too! Best sort of obscure little gem.

gad, your MD collection has got to be worth several thousand. would you say this is actually comparable to TFIV's quality of play? i watched a play and it seemed like something i'd peg a good bit lower.

Absolutely. I'm just as likely to throw on either for a lengthy, stylish and user-friendly yet distinctly tougher than usual console hori credit (when I want outright brutality, it's time for Hellfire).

Having said this, not only was it not quite as obscenely pricey when I picked it up, I'm also a lover of the Toaplan-ish "grimy spaceship shooter" aesthetic, as exemplified by Hellfire and Zero Wing - ED has it in xenohorrific spades. So there's undeniably a stylistic element to my enjoyment of it. (but then again, TFIV's sunnier, glossier "super sexy space supercar" shooter is just as near my heart )

Either way, for the love of god, don't go into this one blind! I despise our tragic age. D:

never much enjoyed gauntlet - does the quest mode offer anything particularly unique? i've got dungeon explorer 1 & 2 sitting around, waiting to be played next week in 3-player, and i feel if i really like those i might be hungry for a bit more. how would this stack up to those?

Still not played any of the DEs, sadly, but I can tell you MD Gauntlet's Quest mode plays absolutely nothing like the AC game. Rather than strategically bludgeoning through the crowds in discrete stages, you need to use lateral thinking to gradually decipher a path to the boss of each tower. Oftentimes progress demands taking one step back for two forward - it can get pretty engrossing! It also adds a bit of light RPG upgrading, swapping out points in favour of cash. Nothing too deep but it's undeniably satisfying coming out of a cleared tower with loads of cash to spend at the various shops. And as per their usual standard, Sakimoto/Iwata's OST really elevates the experience.

iirc, there's a hellfire s or something on the pc engine. is that one notably better?

Echoing Perikles, no, not at all! But for the finest in hardcore STG port evaluation, hit up his archaeology thread. One of the most thorough and enduringly useful this forum has ever seen - I regularly consult it whenever I'm weighing up a new purchase.

i always thought it was amusing that del name-dropped that one. never given it even a cursory go. how's the 2p even work?

Good ol' splitscreen, side by side on the sofa. :3 It works great, right down to the usual caveat of being able to see what the other player is up to (as with stuff like Goldeneye 007, the "psychic connection" becomes part of the whole dynamic and leads to some uniquely cerebral showdowns).

Ala Crack Down, it's so utterly unique yet well-done and cheap, it's an easy recommendation from off the beaten path.

[lmao i have a copy of this?? when did this happen. oh god i've become a collector]

Nice.

really?

i completely dismissed this one with just a cursory glance some time ago. had amusing animation, at least! i love how the top half of the body feels like a totally different beast than the bottom half.

Absolutely - the first stage is pretty basic, the cookin' BGM aside, but it gains steeply from there. The animation is indeed very silly, but I really dig the locked vertical shot - battling hordes of airborne foes later on feels almost Metal Slug-esque.

i've wanted to play the sms original ever since i found out mystic defender was actually a sequel back over in japan. is it (the original) any good? i sort-of like mystic defender and want to pick up kujaku ou II just for the better character sprite. for a straight sega game, i feel like it somewhat undeservedly gets the short end of stick when stacked up against other earlier, staple titles like golden axe and whatnot. phoenix rie did art for this! it deserves a little attention.

I still need to try out the first game myself, but then Mark III in general is a huge unexplored frontier for me. Always glad to hear others enjoy KOII, anyway!

mouse, you say? i've heard the tengen port of this game talked up to be the best, but i don't think i ever heard suggestion to actually play it with a mouse. as much as i dislike rare, i've got to say that i'm pretty happy for the time being with their nes port of the game, which is often stacked up to be the 2nd-most faithful.

It's quite playable with a pad, but I wouldn't consider it nearly as great a port without the mouse support. Gotta have that tactile sense of rolling right on the edge of disaster!

i often hear this one spoken of pretty poorly, is it actually any good or more of a namco curiosity?

It's pretty good. My copy was absolutely mint and quite cheap - that'll always help competent examples of favoured genres, with me. I don't dig the aesthetic at all, but it plays the sort of perilous hop n' bop I enjoy on occasion. Quite hardcore!

friend of mine is a big advocate of this one and it's something i'm always forgetting to stick on the radar! he's also quite the big fan of earlier mega drive stuff like kujaku ou 2, space harrier 2, juuouki, etc. surprised not to see space harrier 2 on this list - not a fan of that kind of rail shooter? personally, i never liked 2, but enjoy the arcade original (which that one 360 compilation had the courtesy to include).

Same, I picked Rambo III up during an "MD early years" phase - I skipped SHII, After Burner II and Super Hang On, as though they're very iconic to me, I just don't think they capture the excellence of the source material (which I already had in arcade-perfect form via PS2 SHII Complete, Saturn Ages and Yu Suzuki Game Works, respectively). Meanwhile stuff like Rambo, Juuoki and Golden Axe play as smooth and tight as they always have.

Actually, I wouldn't mind picking up SHII sometime... but it'll only be a Marvel Land-style lucky find if I do. In the meantime I guess I technically do have it, via the PS2 collection. Always strikes me as kinda funny how SHII's biggest contribution to its series was giving M2 the perfect excuse for a second 2500 Harrier disc, haha.

yet another that constantly falls of the radar! i've not played the MD/Genesis port of this in ages, but i remember running through the arcade game back on one of the CCC's a while ago. how much does this original mode tend to differ?

Ala Gauntlet, but even moreso, the original mode is a completely different beast, with completely unique stages, several new enemy types, and a remarkably excellent new OST. It's still stage-by-stage, but otherwise there's tons of hidden nooks and crannies to ferret out in search of hidden equipment and cash (which, naturally, you can spend at the upgrade shops). Basically you're building up a badass army of Buff 80s Action Dudes as you progress. The default difficulty is pleasantly addictive, but it also includes a very challenging Hard and an outright crazy hidden XTREEM that'll make you sweat blood!

I wish the other CPS ports had included similar modes - I think Sega knew they really needed to bring home the bacon, with the loss of 3P or even 2P cooperative mode. Get Capcom Generation 4 (PS1) for that, and get this for the Arrange mode. One of the definining examples of a 16-bit port worth having alongside its perfect 32-bit counterpart.

this, in particular, is what i was talking about with hoping the expensive games would not actually pay off in fine games. it looked too cruel and a little too rudimentary in its presentation to be holding anything special. you vouch for it, though? i don't know if that necessarily places it up my alley, but i'd be curious if you've ever had more to say on this one. i've never heard much about it and was curious if some found it appealing or if it was merely a rarity in the library. even when our tastes do not align, i do value your input on some of these for future reference.

Deferring to Perikles on this one, but yeah, my love for this evil motherfucker is all too real. It may not be a looker but it'll kick your ass! Sometimes that's all I want from my STGs. ;3

you know, i've heard the name for this one numerous times, but i don't think i'd ever looked at a play until just now. not much of a looker, but seems like it plays relatively well enough.

It's a real goddamn shame about the MD port's colours... the PCB isn't too glamorous either, with its almost Cartman-esque main character and edgy monster designs, but it has an eminently fitting cool, mossy palette. Meanwhile the MD port looks... yeah. Absolutely no reason why it couldn't have approximated the arcade's visuals.

But it plays great! And as often with Toaplan MD ports, the OST is bangin'. Simpler but nervily dangerous action/platformer.

(p.s. how do you record/compress your gifs to be so small in file size & high quality? and how'd you get imgur to accept a 6mb gif without it turning into one of those pseudo-video-things?)

My PC's too potato to capture emulators in real-time (I'm notoriously frugal in most affairs, helps with the collecting ;3 ), so: Direct emulator playback capture to AVI (look up TASvideos, their emulators are all kitted out with the feature, and yes, this dastardly provenance is why I never put too much effort into my uploaded runs ), then run the AVI through the newest version of Instagiffer. BOOM!

As for Imgur, I dunno really... I've had my account since 2013, maybe that's why? If you ever need anything uploaded, hit me up any time.

also, any reason you've not got shiten myouou in your collection? most other absences i can hazard a guess at, but i'd put this one at least around or maybe between the quality of kujaku ou II and juuouki. nothing i'd say is of a particularly notable quality, but solid enough to be worth a gander. also figured you'd have dynamite duke. both a' those are pt cheap, kind of decent.

Very good question re: Shiten Myouou. Was very close to picking up a copy (ala Marvel Land, mint n' cheap) but ultimately decided to hold off. It certainly seemed decent from what I played. Duke's much the same.

There's probably a good two dozen further MD titles I wouldn't say no to, for the right price, condition and seller, but since I'm also a big fan of the FC, SFC, PCE, PS1 and Saturn (all of which have their own grails to chase), while dabbling in stuff like GB, GBA, PS2 and DC, I inevitably end up having to defer things. Particularly as I militantly refuse to settle for anything but CIB. Refuse, I say!

I've largely slowed down for the time being - did most of my hardcore acquirin' in my student days. More funds now but also more responsibilities. ;3

I'm not BIL, but:

Surprise Perikles backup, like getting a free BOMBA for those tough MD vs PCE questions

I would also bold Darius II MD - one of the very best 16-bit ports in my opinion.

It's excellent, indeed - another of those 16bit ports that entirely justifies itself in more arcade-perfect times. Ala Splatterhouse Part 2, I don't have the experience to recommend it authoritatively, but on the word of you and several other esteemed chaps, I knew I had to have it in my MD stash. Cheap too, which never hurts!

[FinalBaton]

Just bought a copy of Senjou no Ookami II online. Couldn't resist, lol.
It was cheap (by 2017 Ebay standards) so I had to grab it

[BIL]

Excellent choice, most definitely worth it. ;3





Super Manly 80s Action Movie RPG

[Deadliar]

Super Manly 80s Action Movie RPG

Isn't that Dynamite Duke? (A very nice game itself!)

[BIL]

More of a Dolph Lundgren simulator tbh. Although it does kinda encroach on Senjou's Rambo/Commando territory by stealing Super Contra BGM! Super Contra - Ruined Base vs Dynamite Duke stage 1 BGM

[Koa Zo]

an in-depth reply, now!

Marble Madness (TENGEN, NOT EA) (ala Gauntlet, only casually into this arcade icon but what a fucking port! needs mouse for best results)

mouse, you say? i've heard the tengen port of this game talked up to be the best, but i don't think i ever heard suggestion to actually play it with a mouse. as much as i dislike rare, i've got to say that i'm pretty happy for the time being with their nes port of the game, which is often stacked up to be the 2nd-most faithful.

Marvel Land

i often hear this one spoken of pretty poorly, is it actually any good or more of a namco curiosity?

re: Marble Madness, not just a mouse, more like a mini-trackball. The JPN Sega Mouse is designed such that the roller ball operates while the mouse is held upside down. Marble Madness is designed to take advantage of this. The game options allow for easy fine-tuning of the roller response. However, I find holding the mouse upside down is a problem as I often accidentally bump one of the buttons which brings up the options menu during heated play.

re Marvel Land. This is one of my favorite Genesis games. Absolutely more than a curiosity. I think more people don't talk about it because of the difficulty and the potentially annoying warp points can burn you out if you don't learn them - like being sent to the beginning of the game for taking an incorrect warp door. I love the colorful, playful game world, and the power-ups, and the strange character whip thing.

[BrianC]

No need to pick up a JP cart for Mystic Defender if you have a Game Genie, a JP MD, or a Genesis with a region switch. It plays the JP version on a JP region system. I'm not sure if the JP Kujaku Oh II is the same way (playing Mystic Defender on a US system. I think It may just have Kujaku Oh II on the cart, but there are cases of the JP version having the US version on the cart, even when the US publisher is different).

Bad Omen is the JP name for Devilish.

Interesting that the Contra ripoff music is even in the MD and SMS ports of Dynamite Duke.

[Bloodreign]

Marvel Land will make you rip hair out, there's bits where physics will work and send you plummeting into water (which is death), there's a bit where it's all ice you're running on, and the land isn't flat. If you aren't careful, you'll fall down and die, over, and over, and over, and over again. There's some nasty warps that work against you, including one near the end that will warp you to the games beginning stage, and the damned thing is invisible ( I don't even remember where it is, but I have run into it once only). It's good if you're aiming for score, but if you're looking to just finish the game, it is quite punishing. However, difficulty aside, Marvel Land is one I highly recommend.

[Leader Bee]

Any games like Super Famicom Wars on this system?

[Sumez]

The Langrisser games are the only games on the platform that I can think of in a similar style to the Famicom Wars games.
But I'm sure there are more obscure titles too.

[Leader Bee]

AHH thanks! I'm mostly interested in multiplayer though. A friend of mine really enjoyed the Famicom Wars Vs mode and I now have an everdrive to try out some megadrive/genesis games... Thinking of looking at Herzog zwei but understand it's a more actions, RTS style game.

[BIL]

Yeah, HZ is a fully-fledged and very fast-paced RTS. Albeit a primordial one, built around gamepad and split-screen; similar in concept, but very different in execution from Westwood and Blizzard's later genre staples. Rather than directing the action from bird's eye perspective via mouse pointer, you're in direct control of a badass jet/soldier mech, through which you oversee the building of new units, airlift them around the map, and provide direct attack/defense as needed. Get blown up (or run out of energy) and you'll be booted back to motherbase for a considerable rebuild wait, so you quickly learn not to abuse your firepower.

Highly recommended to just about anyone looking for arcadey head-to-head challenge with a longterm strategic element. Occasionally you'll want to lend your troops a hand and bust some heads personally, but you can't ignore the long game. Neglect to shore up your forces, or capture an outpost or two to bolster your cashflow and mecha's operating range, and your motherbase is goin' down! Blow up other guy's motherbase for SUPREME VICTORY.

Caveat: the simple interface and mechanics have generally aged well... basically on the commander side it's "BUILD [CHOSEN UNIT]" with orders to "[ATTACK ENEMY BASE/PATROL VICINITY/GUARD HOME BASE]," while in the field you fly around and attack ala STG, or airlift units drag/drop-style. Cash is auto-generated, quicker depending on how many outposts you control (outposts also let you refuel your mech on the spot, instead of trudging all the way home, and likewise let you pick up newly-manufactured units... the game's crucial balancing act is securing enough outposts to mount an efficient war effort, without allowing the enemy too much slack to do the same).

Be warned however, the unit AI (friend and foe alike) is very limited. Don't plonk that expensive tank that you've just ordered to besiege the enemy HQ in front of lava - the daft bugger will floor the gas and drive straight to its doom. Pick 'em up and drop 'em on the other side instead, where it'll merrily trundle off on its mission. It's all about ensuring a minimally complicated A-B path, with a bit of shepherding here and there as needed. Like a battalion of wind-up mice with great big fuckoff cannons on their backs. ;3

[BrianC]

The Langrisser games are the only games on the platform that I can think of in a similar style to the Famicom Wars games.
But I'm sure there are more obscure titles too.

There's also Vixen 357, also from Masaya.

[BIL]

I'm fairly clueless about turn-based wargaming, and TBS in general, but I wanted to refresh my memory on Master of Monsters - turns out it's single-player only, though. (Great OST! At first I thought it was by Sakimoto/Iwata, with those fat lows and crystalline highs; turns out its composer would later work with them)

Turn the volume up, this is some intense apocalyptic shit!

There's also Super Daisenryaku and the Nazi-riffic Advanced Daisenryaku: Deutsch Dengeki Sakusen, which are 1-4p. Both NTSCJ-only, not sure about translation options for those. EDIT: According to SegaRetro, Advanced got an English translation + manual at some point. Neato. Also from SegaRetro, seems Super requires an early-model MD to work. Never heard of that with officially-licensed NTSCJ carts, hmm.

[Blinge]

Honestly the overall impression of Sonic 1 in my memory is him sitting on a slow moving box in act 2 tapping his foot.

This was me last night.
Just wanted a quick game but after Marble Zone I'd had enough already..

Thank god for save states, one of his best inventions..
Now I can always start in Spring Yard forever.

[Deadliar]

I'm fairly clueless about turn-based wargaming.

You absolutely have to try Hybrid Front. It has great music and the presentation is realistic with a little bit of sci-fi (like hoverbikes, drones, etc). The unit sprites are really fucking cool. Dunno exactly what game I'd compare it to, but there's probably no need to do so at all! HF holds its own ground easily as a game with just the right amount of depth to require some strategy without making it tedious. It's in Japanese but entirely playable due to the simplistic interface, and you get the gist of how weapons work super fast (Artillery weapons only work if the unit doesn't move, and don't waste anything more than bullets on infantry or light enemies!).

I had tons of fun with this one once I got into it way back.It's been ages but I do recall there's one vital skill to remember to prevent getting obliterated later on in the game - capturing bases. If you cap one you can use it to restore ammo or heal and refuel units if I remember correctly. Of course you can win without even trying to cap anything for a long time (though it starts turning into a self-imposed challenge eventually).

[BIL]

Oh wow that sounds cool, thanks for the info! About all I knew of HF besides its genre was that badass boxart (same guy who did Nosferatu on SFC, if I recall right).

[BryanM]

Thank god for save states, one of his best inventions..
Now I can always start in Spring Yard forever.

See how great an easy warp zone woulda been?

Umihara Kawase plays with this mechanic to an excellent degree. To the point of saying "no game should be longer than 30 minutes!" so if you've been putzing around too long it forces you to see an ending.

I'm really not a fan of linear stages. One size does not fit all.

That's a really specific image - are you confusing my beautiful Juuoki with Cyborg Justice?

That was a simile to describe the kind of aesthetic it has.

While "kicking a zombie in the nuts until his nuts explode" is a more literal thing that happens in the game, it is a poorer description of its theme.

[BIL]

Thank god for save states, one of his best inventions..
Now I can always start in Spring Yard forever.

See how great an easy warp zone woulda been?

Isn't there a level select code? Hold A, up-down-left-right then Start, IIRC. Sonic 2 has one as well, but it was a Fort Knox bank job involving the options menu and its fucking stupid music. I think I hate Sonic 2.

That was a simile to describe the kind of aesthetic it has.

While "kicking a zombie in the nuts until his nuts explode" is a more literal thing that happens in the game, it is a poorer description of its theme.

LOL no

Kicking a zombie in the nuts until his head explodes

Get it right. Sperg hard or not at all.

[Skykid]

Crack Down rules.

Also waaaaaalllllsss offff teeeeexttt

[BIL]

You know you love them! (・｀W´・) （＾ω´ ）

[null1024]

Honestly the overall impression of Sonic 1 in my memory is him sitting on a slow moving box in act 2 tapping his foot.

This was me last night.
Just wanted a quick game but after Marble Zone I'd had enough already..

Thank god for save states, one of his best inventions..
Now I can always start in Spring Yard forever.

I wish all the Genesis Sonic games had a convenient level select. S1's is just u,d,l,r,A+start, you can do it without thinking about it, it's super convenient. S2's is annoying [slowly input a bunch of digits in the sound test, too lazy to go look it up], and S3's is absurd if you don't have S&K locked on [it's set up so you have to do it with the drums, I've managed it only once in my life].
S&K/S3&K's is mildly inconvenient, requiring you to actually start the game to enter the code, although the code is pretty simple [l,l,l,r,r,r,u,u,u,start,A when on the MHZ pulleys or on the AIZ swinging vines].
Sonic 3D Blast has the right idea [B,A,r,A,C,u,d,A at the title screen, lol], but that game is pretty jank. It does let you just go right to the one level in the game that's designed as a straight dash to the end though.
Oh, and the hack Sonic 3 Complete makes level select loads nicer there [l,l,r,r,l,l,l,l on the title screen].

Most of the reason it bugs me is that half the point of the series is to time attack the levels [so, you'd want to be able to start from whatever level whenever]. Of the Genesis-era games, only Sonic CD shipped with an actual time attack mode from the get go, which continues to piss me off. Chaotix was also supposed to have one, but that game's stupid unfinished.
You had to play the slightly jank Sonic Jam ports to get time attack in S1-3&K [and too bad if you liked Sonic 2 because lol random, semi-frequent, noticeable slowdown]... or more recently, you could play S1&S2 on mobile [and there's no nice PC port or anything] and enjoy time attack there [and RIP S3&K fans].

[Stevens]

I want to say Crack Down was the first arcade cab I saw here in the states with this: