So, what you playing at the mo? Retro Edition

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119553428#Comment_119553428

I must go back to it. I really didn't get it or the rogue like elements on release.

CiDeRmAn

I remember getting Dead Rising for my quite new 360, but I had not gotten a HD TV at that stage.

The launch 360 was pre-HDMI being adopted by the console, so you were limited by your choice of AV cable and TV.

As a result the text throughout the game was almost unreadable!

DaveyDave

I remember that. I also remember the component output looking like crap on a 40" Bravia! I used the VGA cable into a 19" 1440x900 monitor with the audio connected to my tiny CRT via SCART. I remember how crisp everything looked, I miss the blades dashboard!

Mr.Saturn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119553829#Comment_119553829

Yeah, I get it with the clock - especially in the sense that you’re encouraged to get a layout of the place for pick-ups but then you’d wander in at the wrong time and get devoured by a boss who’s hanging around at a certain hour of the day.

Have had it happen a couple where I’ve hit a boss trigger when doing something else. Of course, you’ve also not saved since being engaged with the aforementioned something so you end up choosing what kind of progress you want to lose after getting decked.

Great time all said, adds a nice tension to proceedings.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119554000#Comment_119554000

That was a big complaint at the time. It wasn't so bad with RGB scart.

o1s1n

Never in a million years did it occur to me that Dead Rising could be played Roguelike but it makes perfect sense really.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119555046#Comment_119555046

It was made by the same team that made Breath of Fire Dragon Quarter which should also be played like a rogue like. They're actually very similar with both adding new stuff when you replay the game.

I think just at the time people did not know what a rogue like was in the west. Rogue likes were pretty big in the late 70's early 80's in colleges but game reviewers back then grew up on the NES and home computers. They would have had no idea how they worked. So you ended up with classics like Dragon Quarter, Tower of Druaga (PS2) and Mystery Dungeon Torneko getting shafted in reviews (and oddly Azure Dream getting good reviews). Dead Rising I think still didn't click with people but coasted on the weird newness of it and got more acceptance although I know I save scummed to a terrible ending and dropped the game.

Mr.Saturn

Just failed the critical path in Dead Rising again because I went and beat the wrong boss, which was just next door to the right boss. Love that for me — think it's back to Burnout Revenge for the weekend. Well, that and trying to find a copy of Tank!Tank!Tank! for a semi-reasonable price.

Retr0gamer

Finished Gargoyle's Quest. It's one of the best action platformers on the Gameboy. It's pretty tough but also quite short and has a password system. Really unique method of platforming as well.

Quigs Snr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119454448#Comment_119454448

Looks pretty good on the retron with the language patch. And only cost 20 something bucks for a boxed one in nice condition.

SuperBowserWorld

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119572835#Comment_119572835

Always wanted to play that game. It's like Ghosts n Goblins from the misunderstood baddie perspective. And looks great.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119574672#Comment_119574672

It's really good. Plays very different to G'nG, although it also plays very different from any other action platformer I've played.

Quigs Snr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119574697#Comment_119574697

Just fluked a copy for 7 euro on eBay, based on this recommendation. Probotector is proving a little more difficult to find cheaply.

SuperBowserWorld

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119574697#Comment_119574697

I have a Raspberry Pi 4 sitting there gathering dust. Must see what I can do with it !

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119574709#Comment_119574709

Probably better off sticking to contra 3. It's a good port but the snes game is way better. (Contra spirits the jpn version is more reasonable)

If you want a good contra game on Gameboy then operation C is the one to go for, it's an original contra GB game.

Markus Antonius

I'm almost finished Doom 64. I must say, I haven't enjoyed an FPS this much since I played Quake about 10 years ago.

Highly recommend, got it free on Epic gamestore too but offer has ended.

Retr0gamer

Spent the evening playing Space Manbow on the MSX2 and finished it. Incredible Konami shmup for the system. It looks absolutely stunning, far and away the best looking MSX2 game I've seen. Feels kind of like a mix between Gradius and R-Type. All the stages have their own gimmicks and themes. Bosses are huge although most are easy. The game is pretty tough and the stage 5 is the stand out in that regard, being a Gradius style speed stage, it gets a little easier after that but expect to make copious use of the infinite continues.

The game uses Konami's SCC sound chip and the music as a result is amazing. Lots of Konami composers worked on this including Michiru Yamane who went on to work on the Castlevania series.

If there's one complaint it's that to get the game working so well the game runs at 30 FPS but slows down a lot to 20 FPS. It makes the game a little choppier and sluggish feeling compared to other shooters but you get used to it.

The soundtrack is insanely good:

https://youtu.be/Xjjkc_9tuIM

SuperBowserWorld

Those games were polished to the nth degree in hardware and software. The designers just wanted to make the best out of the platform they had and were not distracted by people moaning on twitter.

I am reminded of

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parodius

I've only played the SNES PAL game. Most go back and try the NTSC version.

Also, didn't realise they had so many parodius games including sexy parodius.

Quigs Snr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119577229#Comment_119577229

... this is troubling. I decided that I would pick up every console of note since the 70s. I thought that I was nearly there. Just short of an Atari 5200, 7800, Sega 32X, and maybe an Amstrad 464 at a push. Aside from that its variants.. do I want a few more colour variants of gameboy ? What about a special editions... maybe pick up the Wonderswan Crystal, which is the only variant I dont have. Or perhaps add a TurboGraphx to go with the PC Engine I already have etc..

And now you come along with a tidy looking game on a system I hadn't considered. Is the MSX2 a significant step up on the MSX1 ? I see the latter go cheaply on eBay from time to time.

Retr0gamer

If you are going to go msx you'd want a msx 2. There's two variants as well 64kb ram and 128 kb ram so make sure you're not missing out on many games going for the right ram set up.

The msx2 is backwards compatible with the msx1. Konami supported it with loads of great games that are worth picking up. I would however recommend a flash cart as there's some great floppy only games which go for thousands and probably don't work anymore. Also it's home to some great fan translations so it's kind of essential for the system.

There's also the msx2+ which doesn't have many exclusive games and improves some games slightly (space manbow for instance has slightly cleaner scrolling). And the max turbo which are rare and stupidly prices but very few exclusives.

If you want to go down a rabbit hole wait until you see the good stuff on other japanese home computers like the PC 88, PC 98 and X68000

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119580244#Comment_119580244

Parodius is an amazing game. Got it's start on the msx1 and I'd say it shares a lot of staff with space manbow.

I love all the games in the series but my favourite is forever with me which is a big piss take of tokimeki memorial and has mental japanese running commentary. It's on snes but the ps1 and Saturn versions are arcade perfect.

SuperBowserWorld

I still wonder what is stopping Google or Amazon or Apple (FAANG bang bang) buying up legendary Japanese video game companies and all their intellectual properties.

I know Nintendo is not for sale, but how about Konami or Taito or IREM or Namco or or ... there is amazing worlds, characters, stories, universes, potential just languishing ...

If the Japanese won't sell to foreign companies then what's stopping Sony or Nintendo or ... doing this ?

Retr0gamer

Konami are a massive company outside of their videogames so they'd be taking on a load of sports gyms and other assets.

Taito are owned by square enix

Irem's IP seem to have been absorbed by Granzella who brought out the excellent rtype final 2 recently.

And bandai namco are pretty big and still pumping out great games but also involved in anime and toy production.

I think most have been absorbed and are too big or too complex to take over. Granzella being the odd one out but irems IP doesn't hold much weight anymore.

SuperBowserWorld

What's your opinion of Gemini Wing @Retr0gamer ?

It has a very clever power up mechanic where the power ups trail behind your ship like a snake. In two player you can share them with the other player, depending on where they "cut" the trail. Also, you can steal a trail from certain enemies and they can do same to you.

And it's an excellent shoot em up too.

o1s1n

I'd a mate that was absolutely in love with the C64 port of Gemini Wing when we were kids, he still goes on about it till this day!

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119583016#Comment_119583016

Ive actually never given it a proper go. It gets a shrug in the states but it got excellent home ports in Europe so is really fondly remember here. I must give it a go.

SuperBowserWorld

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119584657#Comment_119584657

Arcade version on emulator not a home port, as I've never seen or played those. I haven't played it since the 90s, but I do remember it being a lot of fun. I think there is a Switch version that runs on emulator and other means of course.

I'm coming up with a list of games I want to replay, and that's one.

Mr.Saturn

Alice: Madness Returns on the 360. It looks really beautiful and plays buttery smooth, aside only letting you invert the y-axis. Actually enjoying the darker riff on Carroll's world, having been slightly fearful it was going to be a bit edgelord 2000.

It's also a used copy but the expired code for download of the first game still worked.

The Last Bandit

Have Returned to Monkey Island and enjoying it so far, do like the new art style.

Colonel Panic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119586000#Comment_119586000

This was one of my favourite games of the generation. I’ve got it queued up to play via GamePass when I finish Dead Space, which is another amazing game from the time that had ahead really well.