So, what you playing at the mo? Retro Edition

Gradius · 26-10-2020 09:16PM

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Started Clock Tower.

Died miserably an hour into it.

Going to stick with it. Really liking it. Really impressed with the stereo sound, it's incredible with headphones.

Always wanted to give that a go. And haunting ground too. They look good!

I've been popping credits on r-type 2 the last while. Very good.

I never look at YouTube videos of others playing or look up tips cos I feel it spoils it a bit. It also makes some games shockingly difficult!

The third boss on r-type 2 is a blast because it's quite dynamic if you're going to rotate left/right/up/ down around the enemy ship, with shyt flying at you from every direction.

Gotten as far as 5th level boss so far. I'll crack it yet.

CiDeRmAn · 26-10-2020 09:56PM

Colonel Panic wrote: »

Yeah, it and Pure were two of the best racing games of the generation.

Blur is supposed to up there as well, though I could never get used to the realistic vehicles and courses with the weapons

Inviere · 27-10-2020 04:01PM

LIGHTNING wrote: »

I have been playing some 32x games over the last week or so. They did a really good job on some of them. Doom is well playable, and Blackthorn is excellent.

Retr0gamer · 27-10-2020 04:09PM

LIGHTNING wrote: »

I have been playing some 32x games over the last week or so. They did a really good job on some of them. Doom is well playable, and Blackthorn is excellent.

Doom has a soundtrack consisting of farts, runs in a postage stamp, a frame rate measured in dog years, has monster sprites that only face towards the player (which also eliminates any pretense of stealth) and is missing an entire chapter (basically a third of the game).

Still technically impressive. Pretty sure it was handled by Carmack and there was stories (not sure how true) or him waiting in the Sega america HQ begging to have a go at porting it. I think he had to rush it in the end and wasn't happy as he could have squeezed so much more out of it.

Is there a good 32X game outside of maybe Tempo and Virtua Racing?

Inviere · 27-10-2020 04:16PM

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Is there a good 32X game outside of maybe Tempo and Virtua Racing?

It's more of a curio-system for me. Far more akin to something that never should have gotten out of a R&D lab, let alone into homes. I like it from a technical perspective, but as a system to game on....it's not far off useless imo. There may be one or two exceptions, but not many at all.

I always felt they should have stuck with the Neptune concept rather than another mad addon. The Saturn was so close to release though, that the Neptune would have been a third wheel at that stage. More a symptom of Sega Japan & Sega America having no shared goal/communications?

Retr0gamer · 27-10-2020 04:34PM

Inviere wrote: »

It's more of a curio-system for me. Far more akin to something that never should have gotten out of a R&D lab, let alone into homes. I like it from a technical perspective, but as a system to game on....it's not far off useless imo. There may be one or two exceptions, but not many at all.

I always felt they should have stuck with the Neptune concept rather than another mad addon. The Saturn was so close to release though, that the Neptune would have been a third wheel at that stage. More a symptom of Sega Japan & Sega America having no shared goal/communications?

You kind of have to remember that the videogame market was still quite new then and nobody really knew what they were doing. A device that could give a system new life for a year or two isn't a bad idea. I think the biggest issue was it coming out pretty much at the same time as the saturn. Initial sales were great for it but that just completely died when the saturn was announced to be launched. Pretty sure the 32X might have launched around the same time as the saturn in japan, maybe even after it.

o1s1n · 27-10-2020 04:44PM

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Is there a good 32X game outside of maybe Tempo and Virtua Racing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ObaiI30500

Edit - What am I thinking, Cybermorph is on the Jaguar!

I've spent far too long away from my ****ty pseudo 3D 32 bit consoles :eek:

o1s1n · 27-10-2020 04:47PM

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Well I am playing them emulated on a portable device so they are running far better than on the native console. Virtual Fighter is also quite decent. BC Racers is also good (not as good as the PC version). Mk2 is also a decent port

Virtua Fighter is a pretty good port on it actually, as are Afterburner and Space Harrier if I remember correctly.

Kolibri Looks quite nice, if not a tad on the boring side.

Retr0gamer · 27-10-2020 05:00PM

o1s1n wrote: »

Virtua Fighter is a pretty good port on it actually, as are Afterburner and Space Harrier if I remember correctly.

Kolibri Looks quite nice, if not a tad on the boring side.

The Sega arcade ports are nice but pretty sure they ran at 30 FPS, but until the Saturn ports I suppose they were the best way to play them.

Kolibri is a game I don't understand. Novatrade/Appaloosa I don't think made a good game other than the Ecco games (and I'm not even sure the first one was even that good). It's actually impressive how they went from gorgeous Sega megadrive and 32X games to 3 Dirty Dwarves on the Saturn and utterly ruining the Contra series on the PS1 with those games having the worst art I've seen outside of the worst Amiga European developed games.

o1s1n · 27-10-2020 05:13PM

I've never actually played Contra Legacy of War - just watching some videos now and holy ****, that looks like something that should be on the 32X/Jaguar at most! Hideous looking stuff.

I see there are actually arcade machines in some parts of it which you can play and it opens up 2d style arcade games.

I don't know why, but I always absolutely love seeing videogames in videogames

Inviere · 27-10-2020 05:25PM

Retr0gamer wrote: »

A device that could give a system new life for a year or two isn't a bad idea.

Except there's never been a console addon that has garnered mainstream acclaim. The Megadrive, with a Mega-CD & a 32X needed THREE power supplies, and had to utilise some external video passthrough cabling to display on a TV. It was a mess on paper, as much as it was in reality

The Neptune was better on paper (especially considering the mess of 32X CD games)....but in reality, it had nowhere to fit between MegaDrive & Saturn.

I think the biggest issue was it coming out pretty much at the same time as the saturn. Initial sales were great for it but that just completely died when the saturn was announced to be launched. Pretty sure the 32X might have launched around the same time as the saturn in japan, maybe even after it.

I thought I had read that Sega of America pushed for the 32X, whereas Sega Japan didn't like the idea & backed the Saturn instead.

Retr0gamer · 27-10-2020 06:07PM

Oh I never said it wasn't a mess. I mean the device too the AV signal from the megadrive then performed some voodoo to put the 32X graphics on top of it. It's was a complete hack job. I don't know why they didn't use the expansion port like the mega CD, but I'm guessing mega CD support was mandatory so they couldn't use it.

The Mega CD was regarded as a success by Sega despite the low sales. I honestly think it was a good idea, a bit like the current 'Pro' consoles this generation that was just handled really poorly.

I thought I had read that Sega of America pushed for the 32X, whereas Sega Japan didn't like the idea & backed the Saturn instead.

It was more just there were two separate teams not talking to each other and making systems in parallel. Just a total lack of a global strategy on Sega's part. Japan saw the megadrive as a lukewarm success so wanted to focus on the Saturn while the Megadrive was a massive success in America so the US branch wanted to eek out another year or two of sales before the next gen arrived. You had neither side talking to each other and then once the plans of both sides were known they were competing with each other and sending out mixed signals to the public, was the megadrive the future when there was a brand new next gen console on the horizon in a few short months?

Complete corporate cluster**** that's only been matched by Sony and the PS3.

Inviere · 27-10-2020 06:13PM

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Complete corporate cluster**** that's only been matched by Sony and the PS3.

It really was.

In an ideal world, with both sides of Sega talking to each other....what would have been a perfect solution? Could they have launched Neptune instead, with a cut-down price (basically a MegaDrive II with a 32X internally), as a MegaDrive replacement? That'd be to bide time until the Saturn launch? Or would the perfect solution to just can the 32X project altogether, & put all their R&D and dev time towards Saturn?

Retr0gamer · 27-10-2020 06:24PM

Regarding add-on consoles not being a success, there is one important outlier, the PC engine CD which was a big success for Hudson/NEC and developers loved it in Japan due to the cheap disc medium. So it's not like they were all failures.

I do think the correct course of action was to can the 32X project. Put those development resources towards the Saturn to have more games in the launch window instead of wasting them on the 32X.

However I'm not sure it would have helped. Sony really just got everything right with the Playstation. Other than the plastic CD drives of the launch models it was just an amazingly well engineered and thought out console. And then they managed to sign up some real top level developers to work on it. The Japanese launch was poor but saved by Ridge Racer but by the time it hit the states it had a really exciting launch and by then had shored up Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy to really hit big in Japan.

Retr0gamer · 27-10-2020 06:25PM

o1s1n wrote: »

I've never actually played Contra Legacy of War - just watching some videos now and holy ****, that looks like something that should be on the 32X/Jaguar at most! Hideous looking stuff.

I see there are actually arcade machines in some parts of it which you can play and it opens up 2d style arcade games.

I don't know why, but I always absolutely love seeing videogames in videogames

If only Legacy of War was the worst thing they did to contra.... there's the horror of C - The Contra Adventure.

Chris_Heilong · 28-10-2020 12:20AM

Retr0gamer wrote: »

The Sega arcade ports are nice but pretty sure they ran at 30 FPS, but until the Saturn ports I suppose they were the best way to play them.

Kolibri is a game I don't understand. Novatrade/Appaloosa I don't think made a good game other than the Ecco games (and I'm not even sure the first one was even that good). It's actually impressive how they went from gorgeous Sega megadrive and 32X games to 3 Dirty Dwarves on the Saturn and utterly ruining the Contra series on the PS1 with those games having the worst art I've seen outside of the worst Amiga European developed games.

Arcade VF1 was 30fps. I think 23X doom was a good port but the sound ruins it and if ever a game needed a hacked .vgm track insert it is that one.

Retr0gamer · 28-10-2020 09:59AM

I meant afterburner and space harrier.

Retr0gamer · 28-10-2020 10:41AM

Little bit of retro playing lately. Have gotten a VR headset so experimenting with that a lot more though.

Started Jungle Strike. It's a much more interesting a varied game than Desert Strike. Missions are way more varied, performance is less choppy and the visuals are gorgeous. So pretty much a massive improvement on an already great game. Failed a mission in the first stage though so will need to go back to it.

Also playing the first Kings Field with a translation patch.... which needs a patch to run. For a game that is so horrible to play and looks so ugly it's kind of gotten its claws into me. I can see a lot of later souls games in it with the labyrinthian levels and how they loop around and open shortcuts and lots of random NPCs and how you are told nothing of the story or mechanics. There's something strangely compelling about it. Would a good candidate for a VR update!

Also played a bit of the PS360

My 360 seems to be on the way out. The disc drive won't open at all. Not sure what to do with that or if it's even worth replacing as I've either finished all my disc games or they are available on PC or Backwards Compatible.

On PS3 I had another go of Journey. That game still lives up to the hype.

Also had a quick go of Tokyo Jungle whish turned into a couple of hours. Forgot how fun that game is.

Inviere · 28-10-2020 10:54AM

Retr0gamer wrote: »

My 360 seems to be on the way out. The disc drive won't open at all. Not sure what to do with that or if it's even worth replacing

If memory serves, the drive is paired to the motherboard with a drive key. They're not just drop in replacements. You need to dump the key of the existing drive, buy an identical drive as a replacement, and use flashing software to flash that key to the new drive. You can buy other models of DVD drive, & flash the key to them...but it's XBL ban city then afaik.

The easiest method therefore is to buy an exact model of your drive, and physically swap the logic board over from old to new (assuming it's a mechanical problem and not something on the circuit board itself).

At that point you'd be as well having it RGH'd, and enjoy content that's no longer on the Marketplace etc.

Retr0gamer · 28-10-2020 11:23AM

It sounds like a mechanical issue. You can hear the drives whirring away but doing nothing.

It's a refurb model from when my original died of RROD and could even be pre jasper. Could be a case of looking for a cheap slim model as it sounds about as expensive and less hassle. Just a case then of how would I transfer all my downloaded games and content over, I don't think it will take the old model hard disks.

My dad uses the 360 for netflix so getting XBL ban isn't something I'd want.

barryribs · 28-10-2020 11:28AM

Retr0gamer wrote: »

It sounds like a mechanical issue. You can hear the drives whirring away but doing nothing.

It's a refurb model from when my original died of RROD and could even be pre jasper. Could be a case of looking for a cheap slim model as it sounds about as expensive and less hassle. Just a case then of how would I transfer all my downloaded games and content over, I don't think it will take the old model hard disks.

My dad uses the 360 for netflix so getting XBL ban isn't something I'd want.

I think that you can just image the hard drive you have and copy it onto a slim model.

Inviere · 28-10-2020 11:52AM

Retr0gamer wrote: »

It sounds like a mechanical issue. You can hear the drives whirring away but doing nothing.

It's a refurb model from when my original died of RROD and could even be pre jasper. Could be a case of looking for a cheap slim model as it sounds about as expensive and less hassle. Just a case then of how would I transfer all my downloaded games and content over, I don't think it will take the old model hard disks.

My dad uses the 360 for netflix so getting XBL ban isn't something I'd want.

There's an official HDD Transfer Cable for that exact purpose I believe.

Edit - And unofficial Chinese ones nowadays too I see.

CiDeRmAn · 28-10-2020 01:22PM

Seems only fair that your 360 drive should die after what you and your game did to my OG Xbox...
Karma... one only has to be patient...

The Last Bandit · 28-10-2020 04:10PM

Get yourself a rgh Xbox and load it up and pick up a fire stick for Netflix , I’m surprised the Xbox client still works tbh.

Think I paid €50 for mine in CEX before the world went to sh1te

DaveyDave · 28-10-2020 04:16PM

I've been playing a ton of the Spyro Reignited Trilogy lately. Specifically Spyro 3. I didn't enjoy it as much as the others so I didn't finish it until recently but I'm enjoying it a lot more now. Making good progress in getting 100% in a lot of levels. Need to finish up a few levels in 2 also but there's a few I didn't care to finish.

Been on a PS4 buzz lately, picked up Spiderman as I only got about 1/3 into it and I'm enjoying that, but would like to do something retro. I have better luck when I just throw on the PS Classic and pick something rather than looking at my games thinking "oh there's nothing to play" so I'll do that at some point.

Retr0gamer · 28-10-2020 05:49PM

The Last Bandit wrote: »

Get yourself a rgh Xbox and load it up and pick up a fire stick for Netflix , I’m surprised the Xbox client still works tbh.

Think I paid €50 for mine in CEX before the world went to sh1te

I could hack the 360 but the thing is I'm just polishing off the games worth playing on it that aren't backwards compatible and I've very little left. It's a lot of work for a console I'll probably take out of the rotation use.

Retr0gamer · 29-10-2020 11:37AM

Played some more Jungle Strike last night. Finding it a lot easier than Desert Strike. I've finished the first 4 missions. However the game is over twice as long with 9 missions instead of 4.

Lots more variety to the levels and mission structure. A few levels make you choose to complete missions out of order at risk. A night time mission I played would let you see where the supply items were if you completed the last mission but it was in a danger zone until you complete all other missions.

The Commanche has a lot more health that the apache from the first game but the enemies seem to hit a lot harder. And while it's easy going at first the current level seems to have very low supplies meaning I'll probably have to forage a lot more for supplies.

o1s1n · 29-10-2020 12:08PM

Cant wait till you get to the Urban Strike levels where you've to get out of the helicopter - eye bleedingly low frame rates.

Still, was a bit of a novelty at the time. I remember being quite excited about that when I read about it in games magazines.

Actually I can remember having chats with friends about how 'cool' it would be if you could get out of the helicopter in Desert and Jungle Strike - kind of felt like the developers had been listening to us.

Case in point as to why you shouldn't listen to children.

CiDeRmAn · 29-10-2020 12:44PM

o1s1n wrote: »

Cant wait till you get to the Urban Strike levels where you've to get out of the helicopter - eye bleedingly low frame rates.

Still, was a bit of a novelty at the time. I remember being quite excited about that when I read about it in games magazines.

Actually I can remember having chats with friends about how 'cool' it would be if you could get out of the helicopter in Desert and Jungle Strike - kind of felt like the developers had been listening to us.

Case in point as to why you shouldn't listen to children.

Reminds me of Star Wars: Rebel Strike (no relation) on the Gamecube.
The vehicle levels were of the usual high standard but, gods help us, some eejit decided to have our heroes on-foot and fúck me they were game-breakingly awful.
Spoiled the whole game and, possibly, killed the franchise right there and then.

o1s1n · 29-10-2020 12:46PM

Have you ever seen the 'Future Strike' teaser at the end of Nuclear Strike?

I never did read up on why it became Future Cop LAPD, must have a look and see if it's documented anywhere.

Either way, Future Cop is such a good game, I only played it back in the day on a demo disc but finally picked it up about ten years ago.

So, what you playing at the mo? Retro Edition

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