Andi wrote:Is it possible to go back to the menu screen without having to restart the Saturn every time? My Game Shark's starting to go, and I have a lot of trouble running it in the first place sometimes.
The usual A+B+C+Start soft reset works, as does the Radiant Silvergun X+Y+Z+Start reset. (The latter actually takes you directly to the menu with whatever game you were playing still highlighted while the former dumps you to the title screen.)
While we're at it there's also a button you can hold after selecting a game to stretch the game to fullscreen, but I've forgotten what it was since I don't really like the effect.
I've never used a real MSX to compare, but I found the sound on the Saturn collection to be better than I was expecting given the age of the hardware. (The MSX1 hardware, not the Saturn. )
Shatterhand wrote:Exactly. If you spend more than 5 minutes with games you will find lots of gameplay in most of those games.
100% Agreed! Some real gems in there (and some duds). Like I've said, I still play lots of games on the 2600, Intellivsion, Colecovision and TI-99 and so the graphics here are really state-of-the art well... they are perfectly functional. Once you get past the somewhat dated graphics the gameplay is all that matters.
llabnip - DaveB
Once more the light shines brightly in sector 2814.
Shatterhand wrote:Exactly. If you spend more than 5 minutes with games you will find lots of gameplay in most of those games.
100% Agreed! Some real gems in there (and some duds). Like I've said, I still play lots of games on the 2600, Intellivsion, Colecovision and TI-99 and so the graphics here are really state-of-the art well... they are perfectly functional. Once you get past the somewhat dated graphics the gameplay is all that matters.
I still play games on older systems too. I still have the Atari 7800. I got an Intellivision fairly recently and I love it. I also have the Activision Anthology for GBA. Not quite the same as the games on a real system, but pretty darn close. I have been playing MSX games via emu, but I definatly plan to get the collection when I get a Saturn. I do wish the collection had some MSX2 games, but with some gems like the Gradius games, Anartic Adventure, some Track and Field games, Salamander, Twinbee, and a few others, it's hard to complain.
Then don't get the Saturn collection, buy a real MSX!
Just for the record, soundwise the emulation is 100% accurate, even with games that use the SCC chip.
And like I (and Laydock) have said before, the collection is worthy for Penguin Adventure alone. Now stick more 29 games with it, most of them being pretty good for starters, and you've get a real winner
I think that only Konami's Boxing and Hyper Sports 3 aren't really that good, and Hyper Sports 2 is unplayable. Everything else here can be enjoyable (Though yes, some of them for not much more than 5 minutes, like Super Cobra )
Basically, the only things I play on this disc are Sky Jaguar and Knightmare. However, they are awesome enough that I don't feel like I am getting a bad deal.
Shatterhand wrote:Then don't get the Saturn collection, buy a real MSX!
Just for the record, soundwise the emulation is 100% accurate, even with games that use the SCC chip.
And like I (and Laydock) have said before, the collection is worthy for Penguin Adventure alone. Now stick more 29 games with it, most of them being pretty good for starters, and you've get a real winner
I think that only Konami's Boxing and Hyper Sports 3 aren't really that good, and Hyper Sports 2 is unplayable. Everything else here can be enjoyable (Though yes, some of them for not much more than 5 minutes, like Super Cobra )
It's hard just to find those games and Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake costs a pretty penny. It's much easier getting a good amount of great games in one place with that Saturn collection. I want a MSX, but I don't like the idea of spending a hefty amount of money on one. Also, it's a computer, not a game system, which usually means taking up more space. I actually liked the MSX Super Cobra, though other ports are closer to the arcade (I should try and find the Atari 800 one).
It's probably because I've never played old MSX games before. If it was a NES Konami Classics collection, I would have liked it better, as I'm used to the old NES graphics & sound. I think the Equivalent NES games were better.
What's the equivalent NES for Penguin Adventure, Konami's Ping-Pong, Knightmare, Sky Jaguar...
I wish they had dropped both Hyper Sports games and Konami's Boxind, and instead of them, they could have F1-Spirit, Maze of Galious and The Goonies.
And the only reason I think those games weren't included (They really shoud have been, as they are among the best Konami MSX 1 games) it's because they had a password system, which maybe would give too much trouble to port for the Saturn/PSX . They added a hack so every game would Pause with a press of start (even games that didn't a pause feature in the original), I wish they also could hack those games to be able to introduce the password using the joypad...
Shatterhand wrote:I wish they had dropped both Hyper Sports games and Konami's Boxind, and instead of them, they could have F1-Spirit, Maze of Galious and The Goonies.
I actually like the Hyper Sports/Track and Field games. If I must, I'll get a joystick to play them, but I don't remember a pad being that bad for them. I even play the Gameboy Track and Field games.
i just ordered the game from mcvans.com. i am really looking forward to putting in an unhealthy amount of time with the Gradii', Salamander, and Knightmare (of course i'll try all the others too).
also, Postman was kind enough to point me towards Gradius 3 done up in Java, found here. it is a good bit of fun, although how faithful, i cannot say.
captain ahar wrote:also, Postman was kind enough to point me towards Gradius 3 done up in Java, found here. it is a good bit of fun, although how faithful, i cannot say.
It's a totally new game done in the style of the MSX Gradius titles, not a port of any of them specifically.
captain ahar wrote:also, Postman was kind enough to point me towards Gradius 3 done up in Java, found here. it is a good bit of fun, although how faithful, i cannot say.
It's a totally new game done in the style of the MSX Gradius titles, not a port of any of them specifically.
just got my copy in the mail today and it rocks something fierce. so far, only played the shooters and Antarctic Adventure.
in the three Gradius games i can only get to the first boss and not beat him. its like i have to learn Gradius all over again. in regards to Gofer Ep II, i have never been this humbled by a Gradius game (not even III on normal - PS2).
Knightmare looks to be a good bit of fun, but i haven't played it enough to really be familiar.
i wasn't expecting Parodius to play so closely to the arcade games. good fun.
and Salamander. my absolute favorite so far, and it tears me up at every opportunity. wasn't expecting things to be this merciless, but oh well.
anyway very happy with the purchase, and at $10 it makes it even better. good deals always add that extra something.
Shatterhand wrote:What's the equivalent NES for Penguin Adventure, Konami's Ping-Pong, Knightmare, Sky Jaguar...
I wish they had dropped both Hyper Sports games and Konami's Boxind, and instead of them, they could have F1-Spirit, Maze of Galious and The Goonies.
And the only reason I think those games weren't included (They really shoud have been, as they are among the best Konami MSX 1 games) it's because they had a password system, which maybe would give too much trouble to port for the Saturn/PSX . They added a hack so every game would Pause with a press of start (even games that didn't a pause feature in the original), I wish they also could hack those games to be able to introduce the password using the joypad...
I think the reason The Goonies wasn't included is becuase it's based on a movie lincense. I'm not sure what the deal was with Frogger being missing from the collection, though.
Hmm.. did they include ALL functionality of the games in these ports? I mean, Konami put TONS of secrets and stuff into their better MSX games. Some of it has probably never been found, or confirmed, like Salamander's twin shot and triple shot laser weapons, which are mentioned in the manual but nobody seems to be able to activate (except apparently one guy in msx.org through a memory hack). And in some cases, you need the keyboard to access the features,
for example, in Penguin adventure you needed to hit space bar exacttly 10 times in a certain bonus stage to get a secret item. And there are some bugs or features, like in Salamander, if you have Option hold active in two player mode, and the other player dies, the other will have the Option hold permanently (= until death).
So have they included all these? What about the case when you have to have another Konami cartridge in another slot to open extra stages and stuff, like the Salamander + Gradius II combination?
I was very disappointed with later games like Salamander 2 and Gradius 5, because they didn't have any of that. I keep dreaming that they put an Option chain item in Gradius 6 (dynamically places the options/multiples evenly between the ships in two player mode) ^__^
I never understood why Knightmare is so loved. It's simple and repetitive, above average maybe, but that's it. The non-shmup sequel, Maze of Galious, is amazing though, maybe even The Best Game in the World (tm), even beats Salamander and Penguin Adventure which are perfect to begin with. And needless to say, full of secrets.
And yes, the scrolling in Gradius/Salamander/Space Manbow games is hideous (doesn't hinder gameplay though), but I don't agree that the graphics are bad, on the contrary. Music is wonderful too, especially with the SCC. I would highly recommend reading the manuals for these games (Konami mega-roms, that is), these are surprisingly deep if you give them a chance.
Before Pope John Paul died he decreed that Aliens were also GOD's creatures and we should treat them with respect.
msx is as cool as ever. and now i have more "classic" computer addictions to nurse (although none are based on physical components). c64, x68k, and amiga rock loud enough for all to hear.
aside: Nemesis '90 Kai still makes my jaw drop... and my fists clench with rage
The games on this compilation are EMULATED, not "ported", so every feature on the game should be there...
Except Konami actually hacked the original games to add a few more stuff.
Like a PAUSE function for games that didn't have it in the first place (Antarctic Adventure or Konami's Soccer, for example)
In Penguin Adventure, you had to enter a cheat (type ILOVENORIKO in the level select screen) to activate continue. In this comp, continue is activated since start.
In the case of Penguin Adventure, pressing space bar 10 times is the same thing as pressing A 10 times on the saturn pad.
Now, you got me, I wonder if you can access the secret level of Salamander in this compilation. I suck at Salamander, so I can't check this out.
Maybe like Penguin Adventure, they just let the "cheat" activated since the beginning. Though the this Salamander + Gradius II cheat in a real MSX actually USES graphic stored in the Gradius II cartridge. (There's a way to acess this level without using the Gradius II cartridge, but you'll see garbled graphics)
I own Vol.2 for psx and I can confirm that [in Gradius II] it's indeed possible to play as Pentaro, which was one of the original combo cart features if i am not mistaken.
There should also be other kind of cheats, accessible from the main menu (muteki mode in gradius 2 would be needed ) but I was not able to locate a good Japanese cheat page and translate it
Last edited by Turrican on Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I'll dig through some of my bookmarks later, but it seems that while some of the secrets made it on to the PSX versions, pretty much none of them made it to the Saturn version. (Dunno about the Salamander extra level, but the various Gradius cheats and such are apparently completely disabled.)
And don't you eventually get the Salamander twin/triple shots from collecting enough 'E' icons? I seem to recall the player in one of the Hameko replays eventually getting them, although never actually using them. (I've never personally lived long enough to get past the first missile upgrade )
Zach Keene wrote:(I've never personally lived long enough to get past the first missile upgrade )
Yeah, really -what's up with these games being MUCH more difficult compared to the arcades they originated from / or other ports/versions around? I mean, Gradius II is insane, my deepest respect to all the MSX players out there, you sure went in for a training session!
)
well... they are perfectly functional. Once you get past the somewhat dated graphics the gameplay is all that matters.
) but I was not able to locate a good Japanese cheat page and translate it 