Donpachi - Saturn or Playstation version?

J-Manic · Post by **J-Manic** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:23 am

I tried searching for this topic, but nothing came up. I apologize if this has been discussed already.

What are the major differences between the two, if any?

Thanks.

Herr Schatten · Post by **Herr Schatten** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:50 am

Playstation.

The Saturn port is enjoyable, but flawed. It has more slowdown and worse sound. It has a nice practice mode and great screen-setting options, though. Plus it's usually cheaper than the PS1 version.

Get the Saturn version if you are forced to play in yoko or if you don't have access to a Playstation, otherwise skip it I'd say.

Post by **Ghegs** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:51 am

There's some info here and here.

D · Post by D » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:56 am

PS version

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:24 am

The PS version is superb, but be warned it's essentially Tate-only, as the Yoko mode is unplayable "wobble" mode. So if your TV is too heavy, you might want the Saturn version.

angrycoder · Post by **angrycoder** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:21 pm

*snip* deleted because its the wrong game.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:29 pm

angrycoder wrote:Saturn version has an extra level, but its not terribly good.

You sure about that? DoDonPachi has an extra level in Saturn mode, I know, but I don't think the original DonPachi does...

angrycoder · Post by **angrycoder** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 2:48 pm

BulletMagnet wrote:
angrycoder wrote:Saturn version has an extra level, but its not terribly good.
You sure about that? DoDonPachi has an extra level in Saturn mode, I know, but I don't think the original DonPachi does...

Shit, nevermind, my whole post is about dodonpachi. *deleted*

DC906270 · Post by **DC906270** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 2:51 pm

my god, for the nth time

J-Manic · Post by **J-Manic** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:16 pm

Thanks for the help guys.

Looks like I'll be grabbing the Playstation version then. I'll most likely pick up the Saturn version later, just to add it to my library.

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:41 pm

I remember winning an eBay auction for a mint but in used condition (but with no obi spine) SPS produced Dodonpachi PSX import from oxtsu.

Ended up buying the more expensive genuine arcade PCB of Dodonpachi as I had the rare opportunity to try it out twice in Japan back in early 2000.

I really dig watching the professionally done Gamest Vol. 39 of ZBL-NAI's Superplay VHS video of 1cc'ing DDP in 1997. I was the one who had it converted to DVD-R for oxtsu & Dave K. ^_~

Sure, I've played the original Atlus produced Donpachi PCB (USA Bios version) at a local arcade in 1995 and did end up buying a USA Bios version of Donpachi PCB a few years ago. A minty fresh PSX import copy of SPS's Donpachi is in my PSX game stash alrighty! ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 9:06 pm

D wrote:Apparantly in the PS version both players have to select the same ship!

I guess angrycoder was not the only one to mistake this DP thread for a DDP one.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:51 am

The Saturn port is horrible-it is playable, but only just. There's no excuse for the amount of slowdown in the Saturn port, considering the hardware.

This was, unfortunately, my first introduction to Saturn shmups. UGH! Don't waste your money-GET the PS1 port.

D · Post by D » Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:44 am

Turrican wrote:
D wrote:Apparantly in the PS version both players have to select the same ship!
I guess angrycoder was not the only one to mistake this DP thread for a DDP one.

Yeah, oh sorry.
Haven't played ps Donpachi and pcb Donpachi, but it's clear to me that the Donpachi port on the Saturn is not that good. Offcourse you still get Donpachi, but port wise I guess the ps version is beter in every aspect
Donpachi Saturn has no extra level whatsoever and I think in Donpachi PS both players can pick individual ships.
You see what had happened was that I was drinking again and seeing double I saw DoDo, but due to double vision I brought it back to Do, so yeah that's what had happened,....

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 7:27 am

I recently was debating on wich one also, this past week i picked up the ps vers for 60.00 after reading the posts on here. I have to say I'm glad I got the PS vers....

The explosions are to pretty to have pixelated...

All though I hate that 2 player is same ship only, but I love the game regardless. Plus I had never had a chance of playing it other than a few levels on mame once. I feel ashamed for not having this game sooner, but at the same time I love stumbling across such an GREAT game that slipped past considering shooters are made less these days....

ReKleSS · Post by **ReKleSS** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 7:46 am

While this topic is here... the PSX dodonpachi has one sound effect that's not in the arcade (well, mame at least) version. I think it comes from the star carriers, it's the same sound you get in Donpachi when enemies fire out a line of triangle bullets. If you know the one... is it in the saturn version as well?

J-Manic · Post by **J-Manic** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:00 am

Welp. I won me a minty copy of the Playstation version on eBay earlier this evening. I got it for $23.50, shipping included.

Is this a re-release version or something? I don't think it's the first print, which I'm pretty sure has a different looking front cover. Anyone have this version?

Post by **Ghegs** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:04 am

J-Manic wrote:Is this a re-release version or something? I don't think it's the first print, which I'm pretty sure has a different looking front cover. Anyone have this version?

I do. You're correct, it's a re-release. Aside from the cover, it's the exact same thing as the first print version.

Strider77, you'd be talking about Dodonpachi there.

J-Manic · Post by **J-Manic** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:07 am

I see. Well, as long as it's the same exact game, I've no problems.

Thanks for the confirmation Ghegs

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:44 am

hey... sorry about that. i was talking about dodonpachi

i'm crazed with it right now so i'm probably a little to eager to post anything i can on it, that combined with the fact i'm new to posting on here..

maybe i'll make a new post introducing myself and some of my fav shooters... as cheesy as that sounds

J-Manic · Post by **J-Manic** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 5:08 am

OK. So I finally got my copy of Donpachi today, and there seems to be something wrong with it. It starts up fine and all, but the BGM isn't playing correctly during gameplay. I can hear my console trying to load it in the game (my lens is making noises). The BGM will play for like 2 seconds and then it goes silent. And it'll keep doing this through the whole game. The sound effects are working fine. It's just the music that doesn't want to play (no music at all during the select fighter screen). And also, whenever I press pause, it takes forever for the game to unpause. The game seems to freeze for a few seconds before going back to the game.

Anyone else had this problem with the Playstation Donpachi? Could it be my console?

Note: I play all my imports on my U.S. console (1st model) by using an action replay unit, which I insert into a port on the back. There's also a spring that must be used to boot the games.

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 5:13 am

it's your system...

either that or the game might have redbook audio, when I was using the spring trick back in the day I always had that problem b/c the system will initially scan the track lay out of the US disc that you 1st put in... that spring is so it thinks u never swapped it out to start with and is trying to play that tracks according to that initial scan of that 1st disc that wasn't the game your playing....

well all this is true if you are doing what I think your doing...

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 5:14 am

btw i happen to stumble across a replacement cd drive for a PS1 the other day if it is your drive... dunno if it will be to your model but I came across it in some stuff I unpacked the other day

it should work actually if u are using the 1st model ps1

J-Manic · Post by **J-Manic** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 5:53 am

Thanks Strider77. That is exactly how I play all my imports. All my other import games play fine, and all of the sudden Donpachi won't.

Damnit!

Will that cd drive that you found really work? Is it better than the one I have in my PS1 now?

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 6:40 am

no, it's not going to help.. i thought it may have been your drive at 1st but then I read your post carefully and realized you were doing the swap trick....

only thing that will fix that is a mod chip or a jpn ps1 or 2 ect.

i do remember some games work better as boot discs than others... i think i use to use loaded as a boot disc. u want something that has a decent amout of tracks on it at a desent length each... like about 3 to 4 min each.

basically look threw your games and pop them in a cd player till u find one that plays, see if it tracks are a bit over dodonpachi and it's track times are about avg (like i said about 3 to 5 min)

this is a really spotty fix though.. it will work better sometimes but not fix it.....

the only other trick is to start up a us game and actually take the disc out while its spinning before it does that scan and put donpachi in right after..... the timing is tricky but doable, but the whole pulling the disc out while it's turning isn't super harmful, I don't really feel comfortable recomending it.

there might have been some advancements in ps1 boot discs or something, i dunno, been awhile since i use a jpn PS2... u could google it and see.

D · Post by D » Thu Aug 03, 2006 8:01 am

The ps has to read the "table of contents" of the Donpachi cd. This is usually done in te beginning of the loading of the disc.
You can dl boot discs that work, but it will take you a little time to time it right and it might not be the best thing for your PS. But if you like me and don't want to wait then dl the import player Lite for PS of your region. I did that and never looked back

J-Manic · Post by **J-Manic** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 9:34 am

D wrote:The ps has to read the "table of contents" of the Donpachi cd. This is usually done in te beginning of the loading of the disc.

Should I give it some time to load before I start playing the game? I doubt that will help, but it never hurts to ask. But I'm guessing that the sound my lens is making is my system trying to read the tracks.

But if you like me and don't want to wait then dl the import player Lite for PS of your region. I did that and never looked back

Can you tell me where I can download this "import player Lite"? Thanks.

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 4:35 pm

anyone know offhand the differences between the US and JP version roms, couldn't find anything in the ST

I guess I could play it on consoles but those are all the way in the other room

Post by **Icarus** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 5:12 pm

Neon wrote:anyone know offhand the differences between the US and JP version roms, couldn't find anything in the ST

I guess I could play it on consoles but those are all the way in the other room

From here:

AWJ wrote:The US version gives you more bombs at the end of a level, and certain enemies have less health.

Japanese version PCB is a mite harder than the US version PCB because of this.

charlie chong · Post by **charlie chong** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 1:39 pm

i used to have the sound probs playing imports with a swap card when i had my psx in the late 90s .... if i remember rightly you just have to find a psx disc for your right region that has more tracks than the game you are trying to play.. i remember i had one game that i always used and the sound would always work..(think it might have been a demo disc but cant be sure ..)

shmups.system11.org

Donpachi - Saturn or Playstation version?

Donpachi - Saturn or Playstation version?

The PSX version of Dodonpachi is ace in my book...