54 replies to this topic

[Hatta]

Chris Leach, on Wed Oct 26, 2011 7:56 AM, said:

I wish they would make a Road Rash 4.....bringing back Motorcylce racing and weapons galore on the new consoles!

Love that series!

The problem with that is that Road Rash is owned by EA.

[ComputerSpaceFan]

Can I ask the group for some 32X good game recommendations?
So far I only have Star Wars and am thinking of getting Virtua Racing and Shadow Squadron. I don't have the Everdrive flash cart so I can't play PAL games like Darxide but from what I gather I'm not missing out much.

Edited by ComputerSpaceFan, Wed Nov 16, 2011 1:32 PM.

[Rex Dart]

Tempo's a great platformer for 32X, Cosmic Carnage is a decent fighter, and MK 2 is one of the better ports available from what I hear. I haven't played too many others, at least that I'd recommend.

[hwj_chim]

For the 32x
Shadow Squadron: a space shooter that plays very well
Blackthorne: best version of the games
Kolibri: Best Humming Bird shooter ever.

[thegoldenband]

My 32X thoughts:

The good: Virtua Fighter and Space Harrier are both excellent ports/versions, and are pretty much impeccable. Virtua Racing is sort of pointless without high score saving (which the Japanese version has!) but it plays very well.

The OK: Shadow Squadron is decent, and might grow on me if I play it a bit more. Metal Head is a mech game with bizarre aesthetics and animations, but if you like early 3D games then it's actually pretty fun, as long as you hold down the Run button 99% of the time. The golf game seemed fine, if you like golf games.

The underrated: I have a real weakness for Cosmic Carnage despite the fact that it's really frustrating -- something about the combat system and graphic/sound design is appealing. I also think that Motocross is FAR better than its reputation, at least once you actually learn how to play the game.

The overrated: I didn't really like Kolibri -- it's a beautiful-looking game, but wasn't that much fun to play. I wasn't into Tempo, either. Blackthorne seemed like a sneery, less-compelling version of Flashback. A lot of people sing the praises of the 32X version of Mortal Kombat II but it seems buggy and unfinished to me, and I much prefer the SNES version. I should probably give all of these another chance except MKII, which I've played thoroughly (it grew on me a little bit but it's still a mess).

The pointless: A bunch of the rarest games seem like they hardly changed the Genesis version at all. I'm thinking of Primal Rage, Pitfall:TMA, and World Series Baseball Starring Deion Sanders.

The "how-the-@#$@-do-you-play-this?": I wasn't able to get much of anywhere with Knuckles Chaotix, DarXide, or Zaxxon: Motherbase 2000. I didn't try very hard with Knuckles so maybe that shouldn't count, but wasn't able to get past the first stage of the other two.

The bad: The 32X CD games seem pretty uniformly terrible, with the possible exception of Night Trap.

[Austin]

ComputerSpaceFan, on Wed Nov 16, 2011 1:31 PM, said:

Can I ask the group for some 32X good game recommendations?

My personal favorites are Knuckles Chaotix, Zaxxon's Motherbase 2000 (this is a really mixed bag for some people, so be warned), Tempo, and a few others below some have named. I also feel DOOM gets a bad rap these days. Yes, it has flaws (only 16 stages), but it's still a ton of fun to play.

ComputerSpaceFan, on Wed Nov 16, 2011 1:31 PM, said:

So far I only have Star Wars and am thinking of getting Virtua Racing and Shadow Squadron.

Virtua Racing is a must-have if you like Sega arcade-based titles, especially their early '90s racing games. This one is a solid translation (like Virtua Fighter). Shadow Squadron is a great game if that's your cup of tea (free-roaming, space sim/shooting action). It is a little more arcade style than the average game in its genre, so even I was able to get into it. I'm not normally a fan of that genre, so that should say something.

ComputerSpaceFan, on Wed Nov 16, 2011 1:31 PM, said:

I don't have the Everdrive flash cart so I can't play PAL games like Darxide but from what I gather I'm not missing out much.

You're not. It's impressive from a visual standpoint, but like a few other potential technological marvels on other platforms like the 3DO and Jaguar, it's got a pretty bad framerate at points and isn't all that fun to play. It had potential, sure, but it missed the mark. Only worth it from a hardcore collector's standpoint unfortunately.

thegoldenband, on Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:56 PM, said:

The good: Virtua Fighter and Space Harrier are both excellent ports/versions, and are pretty much impeccable.

Agreed. Also toss in Afterburner to the mix, too (it's actually After Burner II). Asides from maybe a slightly more random framerate, it's basically identical to the Saturn port a year or two later, just like Space Harrier was.

thegoldenband, on Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:56 PM, said:

The overrated: I didn't really like Kolibri -- it's a beautiful-looking game, but wasn't that much fun to play.

Likewise, I had this one back in the '90s but couldn't get into it. The graphics are beautiful, but something about the gameplay just doesn't feel right. I should probably give it another chance now, maybe I will appreciate it more.

thegoldenband, on Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:56 PM, said:

I wasn't into Tempo, either.

This is one that people seem to be 50/50 on. I'm in the crowd that enjoys it, but to anyone reading, be warned that it's not your average platformer of the day. It's very slow and isn't as conventional as other similar games from the era.

thegoldenband, on Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:56 PM, said:

A lot of people sing the praises of the 32X version of Mortal Kombat II but it seems buggy and unfinished to me, and I much prefer the SNES version. I should probably give all of these another chance except MKII, which I've played thoroughly (it grew on me a little bit but it's still a mess).

I agree as well that MKII on the 32X is overrated. It's good, and depending on your tastes possibly the best home port of the day, but that's not saying much given its competition. Someone on YouTube (I believe Game Sack) finally brought this to light and made a side-by-side comparison of it sat next to the Genesis version in one of their videos. Asides from more colorful characters with smoother animation, not a lot has changed. Even I noticed that back when I had it in the '90s and I was slightly disappointed. The Genesis backgrounds were regurgitated, likewise with most of the sound effects. The select and map screen is much more vibrant, the arcade intro and endings are there and look great, and some more arcade voice samples were added in, but thanks to reusing elements from the Genesis game and even still having some framerate inconsistencies (like the Genesis version), areas in this port feel like a hack-job.

thegoldenband, on Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:56 PM, said:

The pointless: A bunch of the rarest games seem like they hardly changed the Genesis version at all. I'm thinking of Primal Rage, Pitfall:TMA.

Yep, Primal Rage gave me the "a Genesis game slapped into a 32X cart shell" feeling more than any other port on the system. The colors, sprite sizes and animation *have* been beefed up, but to an almost unnoticeable degree. It's a shame, as I think the 32X could have done a much better job with it.

Pitfall has a really nice color pallette upgrade just like the PC and Jaguar versions, but it's framerate is inexcusable and the sound is garbage. It would have been an otherwise good port asides from that.

[marcfrick2112]

Aww, am I the only one that like Zaxxon: Motherbase 2000??
I do kinda like that game, tho I can barely get past level 2....

I agree with Kolibri, mostly... It's a Gorgeous game, I'll play it on occasion, but not for very long....

OK, I agree with all the suggestions, so far....

Genesis:
No one mentions Steel Empire? I must be the only person to love that game... it's a mostly horiz. shooter with a 'Jules Verne' kinda feel to it.... some of the enemies are just weird , like flying wind mills that fire missiles? OK, not anywhere near as weird as Sega CD's 'Keio Flying Squadron', but weird...
*anyone get the idea I love oddball shooters?*
hmm, anyone mention Gaiares yet?

more for the Genny:
Mega Bomberman
Chiki Chiki Boys

And the Ultimate Genesis game?? *with tongue firmly-in-cheek*
Exodus !! Huh? Never heard of it? It's great, it's an average-to-good Boulderdash clone, but you play Moses, and have to answer Bible questions after every level....
Apparently, they never got official Sega permission to make the cart. Unlicensed, AFAIK.

Oh, the best part, Moses fired little blue W's, representing the Word of God, of course.

Peeps, please do not think I am making fun of anyone's religion, I am not.... Just trying to describe the game...




32X:
Doom actually wasn't that bad....
Virtua Fighter was OK... *Tho, I have VF2 + some 'spinoff' on my Saturn, so it's hard for me to love the 32X version *
Moto Cross Championship isn't terrible, but the controls, are really touchy.....

Edited by marcfrick2112, Thu Nov 17, 2011 7:23 PM.

[Bloodreign]

Two games not mentioned here that are wonderful games:
Ristar: Great platformer from Sonic Team, came out late in the Genesis's life span, remarkably good and could've come before the hedgehog, but didn't.

Dynamite Headdy: I'm not too big a fan of Treasure games, but this is one I do enjoy, it's quirky as any other Treasure game, but it's a solid platofmer where you can get different heads that do different things. Gets challenging in a hurry though, but still awesome game.

I also second the last posters suggestions of Chiki Chiki Boys and Mega Bomberman, these 2 are a must for any Genesis collector.

[Chris Leach]

check out wonder boy in monster world for the genesis...then go and get a reproduction from Mrmark......Monster Boy IV ...... best game Ive played in a long time...

[bomberpunk]

Bloodreign, on Sun Dec 4, 2011 1:41 AM, said:

Ristar: Great platformer from Sonic Team, came out late in the Genesis's life span, remarkably good and could've come before the hedgehog, but didn't

this.

and of course Mega Bomberman as stated many times here.

[AtariLeaf]

If you love old arcade racing games, the Genesis version of Outrun is excellent and speaking of arcade ports on the Genny, Frogger is almost arcade perfect and while I'm at it, I really like Space Invaders 91.

[pixelated]

Some of my favorites, many of which have probably been mentioned here before:

Shinobi III
Streets of Rage 2
M.U.S.H.A.
Castlevania Bloodlines
Contra Hard Corps
NHL Hockey '94
Shining Force
Shining Force 2
Shining In Darkness
Road Rash
Truxton
Fire Shark
Bubble and Squeek
Gunstar Heroes
Lightening Force
Granada
Comix Zone
Kid Chameleon
Mercs

...and one of the ONLY 32x games I actually like - Space Harrier.

[SlowCoder]

So Yurkie,
Now that you've had the opportunity to stray from your ColecoVisions for a while, what do you think of the Genesis? Does it live up to your hopes?

[UberArcade]

Streets of Rage 1 - some of the best game music ever
Golden Axe 1
Dune - awesome
Strider - awesome
Rambo - Yes, Rambo is that good. Don't overlook it.
Budokan - Fun
Lakers vs Celtics - Fun as Hell
NHL hockey series - Crazy Fun
Batman
MJ Moonwalker
Super Hang On - Great racing game and has a story/quest mode the arcade didn't have
Also good arcade ports of Afterburner, Thunder Blade, Outrun, Space Harrier

[Reaperman]

Curious Sofa, on Fri Oct 28, 2011 9:13 PM, said:

Dragon's Fury (pinball port from TG-16, completely awesome)

I just got this one in the mail yesterday and have probably logged 3 hrs on it already.
It's the most fun I've had with video pinball without getting Elvira and/or the Party Monsters involved.

[Segataritensoftii]

Not really something you can go out and buy, but I'd really recommend Sonic Megamix if you have a Sega CD and have one or more spare CD-Rs. It is... awesome. Just see for yourself:

http://info.sonicret...edgehog_Megamix

[Reaperman]

One that hasn't been brought up yet is Scooby-Doo Mystery. A must for anybody itching for early-90's point and click adventures that don't take themselves too seriously.

I blew nearly 5 hrs of today on it. I think there's an SNES version too.

[Curious Sofa]

Reaperman, on Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:14 PM, said:

Curious Sofa, on Fri Oct 28, 2011 9:13 PM, said:

Dragon's Fury (pinball port from TG-16, completely awesome)

I just got this one in the mail yesterday and have probably logged 3 hrs on it already.
It's the most fun I've had with video pinball without getting Elvira and/or the Party Monsters involved.

Glad you dig it! If you're a fan of this, I would first recommend _against_ the pseudo sequel, Dragon's Revenge. I'm not sure offhand which game (if any) on the TG16 this was a port of, but it's just simply not as good.
I would secondly recommend checking out the downloadable Virtual Console for the Wii versions of the TG16 games (if you've got a Wii), Devil Crush and Alien Crush. They are like Dragon's Fury (since Dragon's Fury is a port of Devil Crush I believe?) but a bit more satanic in nature.

[Austin]

Curious Sofa, on Sat Dec 17, 2011 5:17 PM, said:

Glad you dig it! If you're a fan of this, I would first recommend _against_ the pseudo sequel, Dragon's Revenge. I'm not sure offhand which game (if any) on the TG16 this was a port of, but it's just simply not as good.

On the flip side, I recommend Dragon's Revenge. It's not nearly as polished as Dragon's Fury (it's Technosoft's port of a Naxat game, afterall), but I actually find it far more "controllable" (important in pinball games, IMO). In Dragon's Fury, the ball drains. And drains... and drains. Again. And again. And again. I find myself being able to progress much farther in Dragon's Revenge on each play and have longer ball times. The physics are wonky, but you can get a real control over the ball when you get used to it, something I can't seem to do in Fury despite the flippers moving so much smoother. I need to bust out Devil's Crush again on the Turbo to see if the short ball times were as much of a problem as it is in Technosoft's Genesis port.

As far as being a port of some sort, IIRC, Dragon's Revenge was a "new" game, I believe developed in the US by Tengen. I doubt it had the endorsement of Naxat or Technosoft though.

[marcfrick2112]

Hmm, Well.. I gotta say... no offense to anyone.. but for pinball, I much prefer the TG originals. Austin, I never have trouble with the ball draining like that in Devil's Crush, and have actually gotten some ridiculous scores....

[Reaperman]

nonner242, on Thu Oct 20, 2011 8:47 PM, said:

Below are my top picks...BOLD titles are so awesome I cannot control myself.
[...]
Red Zone

I ordered this one last night, and if it's half as awesome as it looks, it's probably going in my top 5. Why had I never even heard of it before? It really looks like it should have been one of the more popular games on the system.

[Austin]

Red Zone is likely to be one of the most difficult games you have and ever will play. Consider yourself warned.

[genesisguy]

I still think NHL '94 is the best hockey video game. It's fun as 1 player but once you add a second you can really eat up a lot of time.

Someone had mentioned Rambo and I think they meant Rambo III. It's actually a fun Run and Gun type game with a top dow perspective similar to that of the top down levels in Super C on the NES.

Speaking of Run and Gun:
Mercs is one of my favorite Genesis titles and I think it's deserving of the term, "really good".
Midnight Resistance is another. It's a bit early in the Genesis life and the graphics look more like a REALLY good 8-bit. But if you aren't a graphics whore it's a lot of fun. Others may not consider it "really good".

Austin mentioned X-Men 2 the Clone Wars. This is a kick ass game!
I've been listening to the Implant Gaming podcast and they've mentioned Bio Hazard War on a few occasions. I really like this one. Great graphics and unique soundtrack.

[rmaerz]

I love Road Rash 2 - one of the few of any console games where I can LMAO while playing. And the controls are spot on so you're not fighting control over the bike the entire time allowing you to work on beating up people instead.

Besides Sonic, Vectorman and Vectorman 2 are good platformers.

I started playing MK2 last night - seems pretty cool. I'm not into fighting games which may explain why it's difficult on the "very easy" setting for me. But, I like the challenge.

Super Monaco GP is a decent racing game and Frogger is pretty much the arcade game dumped to cartridge so if you like that title you won't be disappointed.

[Curious Sofa]

Don't worry about your fighting game skills, rmaerz. MK2 is a complete bee-hatch, AI wise on any difficulty. It cheats like such a bastard, with its ability to throw you (from nearly any distance, seemingly) but with your complete inability to throw the computer, ever, whether it's blocking or not....
And the way Mileena cheats is such a frustrating experience....
I love the game, don't get me wrong. But that AI is just way beyond broken. I enjoy it for ambiance more than anything.