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Angry Video Game Nerd

SonicMegaDrive

SonicMegaDrive

Member
Majine said:
He has said that he underestimated the PS1 at the time and jumped in late. Don't think his collection of PS1 games is as spectacular either.

Oh well.
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Yeah. And somebody who knows James better could correct me on this, but I've always got the impression that he generally prefers pre-32-bit gaming. I don't think he'll ever say anything as controversial as "I don't play too many new games, I generally stick to the classics", but it's an impression I've always had.
 
R

Razek

Banned
I never really had the fun to get into these types of arguments when I was kid since I was the only one on the planet (community) to own a console.

I've really liked the Nerds videos where he takes you back to that time period. I feel like I missed out, but I have come up with my own 'feeling' of what it would have been like back then since he always paints such a vivid picture. In a way, I got to experience it on my own. Same with the AVGN videos. I get a strong nostalgic rush every time he explains a game in detail.
 
MrCunningham

MrCunningham

Member
SonicMegaDrive said:
Hah. I noticed that, too. Hopefully people don't get too bent out of shape over it.
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It's true that they did release one game that used an additional processor in the cartridge. But James is still right about Sega moving to hardware add-ons over shoveling additional chips in the cartridge. They did make that conscientious decision to go with the 32x after the release of Virta Racing on the Genesis, and it only ended up confusing potential customers.

The Sega CD (Mega CD) was a bit of a different story though, as it was made to compete with the PC Engine CD in Japan. Sega was actually number three in sales and lagging behind the NEC PCE in Japan. They were more interested with trying to gain a number two position in sales.

When the Sega CD hit North American markets, SOA didn't really know what to do with it, so they tried to push the "interactive" FMV aspect of it.


Rikkun said:
WAIT, is the gameboy kid Randy from My Name is Earl?

PS: nevermind, I got my answer from the italian wikipedia, yes he is.
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Yup, that's Ethan Suplee. He was also really well known for being in a lot of Kevin Smith movies Like MallRats and Dogman.


The guy seriously lost a lot of weight though over the years.
 
A

alfredofroylan

Member
MrCunningham said:
When the Sega CD hit North American markets, SOA didn't really know what to do with it, so they tried to push the "interactive" FMV aspect of it.
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I still can't believe that we wasted so much time thinking about FMV as the "future" of videogames. On the plus side we got these beauties:
SegaCDWDCollection.jpg
 
SonicMegaDrive

SonicMegaDrive

Member
MrCunningham said:
It's true that they did release one game that used an additional processor in the cartridge. But James is still right about Sega moving to hardware add-ons over shoveling additional chips in the cartridge. They did make that conscientious decision to go with the 32x after the release of Virta Racing on the Genesis, and it only ended up confusing potential customers.

The Sega CD (Mega CD) was a bit of a different story though, as it was made to compete with the PC Engine CD in Japan. Sega was actually number three in sales and lagging behind the NEC PCE in Japan. They were more interested with trying to gain a number two position in sales.

When the Sega CD hit North American markets, SOA didn't really know what to do with it, so they tried to push the "interactive" FMV aspect of it.
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Mhm.

It was really a matter of the needs of the Japanese Megadrive vs the needs of the American Genesis, which would have been better off without the release of the CD add-on.

I wish somebody would write a book about all the internal drama that ensued during the Genesis days. All that stuff that went on behind the scenes, with the east competing with the west would be an interesting read. Or just a book about Sega in general. That would be nice.
 
MrCunningham

MrCunningham

Member
alfredofroylan said:
I still can't believe that we wasted so much time thinking about FMV as the "future" of videogames. On the plus side we got these beauties:
SegaCDWDCollection.jpg
Click to expand...

Yup, thanks to Working Designs for releasing those in the west. popful mail was one of my favorite games on the console. I also own The Silver Star and Vay. But I have never actually played Vay considering all the years I have owned the game.

Sega did release a few gems on the system. But SOA seemed to be more interested in FMV games than anything else. Silpheed, EWJ CD, Final Fight CD and Sonic CD were all pretty good too.
 
B

Bisnic

Really Really Exciting Member!
It's kind of sad how my parents never bought me a console as a kid before the N64, i missed a lot of good stuff back then. Sure my grand parents owned a NES and my parents rented a SNES and Genesis a few times, but that wasn't enough.
 
S

Shellshock929

Member
Watched the video, agreed with a lot of aspects, but at the end of the day, both consoles have some of the best games of all time. We were spoiled during the 16 bit era (moreso when you owned both).
 
Fox Mulder

Fox Mulder

Member
I love how he pointed out the genesis game cases were superior to crappy cardboard ones. They're so nice and don't even really cost as much as the SNES complete games do now.

Too bad Sega switched to cardboard boxes later in the console's life.
 
C

Chojin

Member
SonicMegaDrive said:
Mhm.

It was really a matter of the needs of the Japanese Megadrive vs the needs of the American Genesis, which would have been better off without the release of the CD add-on.

I wish somebody would write a book about all the internal drama that ensued during the Genesis days. All that stuff that went on behind the scenes, with the east competing with the west would be an interesting read. Or just a book about Sega in general. That would be nice.
Click to expand...

Steven Kent's "The First Quarter" now known as the Ultimate History of Video Games goes a bit into it, but sadly not as in depth as I would have liked. It's still a great read.
 
SonicMegaDrive

SonicMegaDrive

Member
bkfount said:
I love how he pointed out the genesis game cases were superior to crappy cardboard ones. They're so nice and don't even really cost as much as the SNES complete games do now.

Too bad Sega switched to cardboard boxes later in the console's life.
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Yeah. On the other hand, now a lot of those cardboard NES and SNES boxes are worth a lot of money in good condition, often more than the price of the actual game. :O
 
L

Lothar

Banned
SonicMegaDrive said:
Yeah. And somebody who knows James better could correct me on this, but I've always got the impression that he generally prefers pre-32-bit gaming. I don't think he'll ever say anything as controversial as "I don't play too many new games, I generally stick to the classics", but it's an impression I've always had.
Click to expand...

He's like me. I don't play any new games. I just don't seem to like any of them that I try out. But I still play a lot of NES, SNES, and PS1. I wonder if that's the case for a lot of people that grew up with NES and SNES.

And this is one of my favorite videos of his just to see him talk about good games for a change.
 
N

Natetan

Member
SonicMegaDrive said:
Yeah. And somebody who knows James better could correct me on this, but I've always got the impression that he generally prefers pre-32-bit gaming. I don't think he'll ever say anything as controversial as "I don't play too many new games, I generally stick to the classics", but it's an impression I've always had.
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I think in that video where he's taking questions at a convention he said just that.

I love it because I'm the same way. Gaming in my heart died around 1998.

I've played maybe five or so games since then that I really like: FFX, Ico, Okami, and Mother 3.
 
M

MrKaepora

Member
That snes music soooooogood.gif. Everytime I have a chance I still play my snes (starfox, Tecmo Super NBA Basketball, Batman Returns, etc) it's a console that doesn't age. Oh,and, regarding the designofthe console, the european-japanese model of the snes kicked ass.

I agree with James, long live the 16 bits era.
 
N

Natetan

Member
MrKaepora said:
That snes music soooooogood.gif. Everytime I have a chance I still play my snes (starfox, Tecmo Super NBA Basketball, Batman Returns, etc) it's a console that doesn't age. Oh,and, regarding the designofthe console, the european-japanese model of the snes kicked ass.

I agree with James, long live the 16 bits era.
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I actually got chills at that part. So good. Even the genesis was good when it was good,
 
F

friskykillface

Banned
Really amazing videos and made me laugh a lot in some parts, lol that sega commercial gchkyfbkyfjjuy

I'd say snes boxes were better , I loved the cardboard but I threw all of mine away :( oh god the ones I had, Mario RPG, Yoshis island, DKC3, super metroid, stupid kid me.


Never actually experienced this in school, snes vs genesis, it was N64 vs PS1 vs Saturn(1 kid had it so he talked about it a lot) in middle school


Lol those were the days
 
SonicMegaDrive

SonicMegaDrive

Member
Lothar said:
He's like me. I don't play any new games. I just don't seem to like any of them that I try out. But I still play a lot of NES, SNES, and PS1. I wonder if that's the case for a lot of people that grew up with NES and SNES.

And this is one of my favorite videos of his just to see him talk about good games for a change.
Click to expand...

It is definitely that way for a lot of people in their 30's and even 40's, I think, who kind of grew up around those old types of games. I also generally stick to the classics more than modern offerings.

More than anything, I think that is the true secret behind the popularity of the Angry Video Game Nerd. James' show, as well as others, have really helped propel the popularity of the culture of classic gaming. I think a lot of people who enjoy his show feel vindicated in that it seems OK that they prefer those older games still, and not have to feel like technology and standards have passed them by and that they should have to just give up the hobby that they grew up with just because the hobby moved on without them.
 
E

evilromero

Member
I agree with him on most points. As an owner of both systems I definitely felt the SNES just had a good edge over the Genesis. The Nintendo-made games were second to none, and ports like SFII and Mortal Kombat II just shit all over the Genesis versions. While I loved my Sega X-Men, Jurassic Park and Disney games, they really couldn't compare to experiences like a Link to the Past and Super Metroid.
 
S

Shadow Hog

Member
I don't think I agree with him on beat-em-ups feeling better on SNES, though admittedly what I've tried is limited. It's just, what I have tried from the SNES's beat-em-up library... I'd still take Streets of Rage 2 over that. Yeah, even Turtles in Time (which is still pretty great, mind).

Glad he agrees with me on Earthworm Jim sounding better on Genesis, though. I just really don't like the bass sample used in the SNES version; most of the other instruments are fine, but that one never sounded right.

Speaking of the Sega CD, why are they so friggin' expensive on eBay? If the library is so maligned as largely cartridge games with CD soundtracks and FMV games, you'd think they'd be cheap to come by. Instead they regularly sell for ~$100. Even broken ones are worth $50, apparently. It's insane.
 
H

Host Samurai

Member
When I was a kid I had the SNES first and it wasn't till mid way till I got the Genesis. I always thought the SNES was more superior. The games just felt...right? James was spot on when he compared beat em ups. SoR games were good, but the Final Fight games just feel so much better and thats how I felt with most games in that genre. I also have to disagree with James about Earthworm Jim, the SNES version, IMO had better sound FX and music, but whatevs.

In regard to the PS1 vs N64, it was always hard to compare them like the SNES vs Genesis. For one, the libraries are almost completely different. For me it was never which one was better, but which game I wanted to play. I can't compare Crash 1 with Mario 64 like I can compare Sonic with Mario World.

James could have also mentioned how easy it was to play Super Famicom games with the adapter. This opens the gap between SNES and Genesis even wider when comparing libraries.
 
S

Shadow Hog

Member
Host Samurai said:
When I was a kid I had the SNES first and it wasn't till mid way till I got the Genesis. I always thought the SNES was more superior. The games just felt...right? James was spot on when he compared beat em ups. SoR games were good, but the Final Fight games just feel so much better and thats how I felt with most games in that genre.
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I dunno, trying Final Fight (arcade/Sega CD version) after playing Streets of Rage 2 and Bare Knuckle 3, it's the one that feels oddly stiff. Final Fight 3 feels a bit better, I guess, but that just makes them comparable; neither one really felt better. Didn't try FF2.

Host Samurai said:
I also have to disagree with James about Earthworm Jim, the SNES version, IMO had better sound FX and music, but whatevs.
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Not even remotely. I elaborated my stance here; no real reason to waste time going over the same details. Long story short, I consider the CD versions to be the intended track, and although the Genesis version kind of lacks kick to its bass (which is funny, since the Genesis usually doesn't have trouble with this), it's truer to the original compositions. Also, the SNES bass sample sucks, sounding off-key in several segments (notably "For Pete's Sake").

Host Samurai said:
James could have also mentioned how easy it was to play Super Famicom games with the adapter. This opens the gap between SNES and Genesis even wider when comparing libraries.
Click to expand...
I don't like how he used unofficial add-ons in his argument, in all honesty. You don't even need one of those to play Super Famicom games. There are two plastic slats in the cartridge slot that physically prevent them from fitting; snap them off, and tada, Super Famicom games work. Might as well have brought up the Retrogen while he was at it - Genesis on my SNES? no wai

Super Game Boy, at least, was a good argument. A shame that the hardware was too different between the Game Gear and Genesis to allow for a simple passthrough like the Power Base Converter; a unit similar to the Super Game Boy would've been required, with the portable unit's hardware boiled down into a single cartridge.
 
SonicMegaDrive

SonicMegaDrive

Member
Yeah, count me in as one of those guys that prefers Streets of Rage over Final Fight. It might not look as pretty, but it feels a lot more fun to play to me.
 
nordique

nordique

Member
I really enjoyed his piece, and thought he was very fair in his assessment.

People who are hardcore Genesis fans might not agree with him, but I in the end agreed with his overall sentiments

SNES had the better controller, better games (that are still classics/fully playable today), better music/SQ, only problem was it came out a while after the Genesis


I've had great times with the Genesis though, but SNES was the clear winner imo.

SEGA did do a better job making the Genesis seem "cooler" at the time though.
 
MrCunningham

MrCunningham

Member
Host Samurai said:
Earthworm Jim, the SNES version, IMO had better sound FX and music, but whatevs.
Click to expand...

Maybe the sound effects were played at a higher bit rate on the SNES making them sound a little better. But the game was actually missing half the sound effects and voice samples from the Genesis version.

Shadow Hog said:
Speaking of the Sega CD, why are they so friggin' expensive on eBay? If the library is so maligned as largely cartridge games with CD soundtracks and FMV games, you'd think they'd be cheap to come by. Instead they regularly sell for ~$100. Even broken ones are worth $50, apparently. It's insane.
Click to expand...

This post should explain why:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=41077675&postcount=5992

But yeah, despite being an FMV centric machine, the Sega CD did have quite a few rarities and gems that make them a collectors item these days. It has the only version of Snatcher that was ever translated to English.

Shadow Hog said:
A shame that the hardware was too different between the Game Gear and Genesis to allow for a simple passthrough like the Power Base Converter; a unit similar to the Super Game Boy would've been required, with the portable unit's hardware boiled down into a single cartridge.
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The Game Gear was mostly identical to the Master System. It would be possible to play Game Gear games through a power base convertor on the Genesis, but the colours would look completely messed up. The Game Gear has a 12bit RGB palette while the Genesis only has a 9bit RGB global colour palette. Even though the Genesis could put twice as many colours on screen as the GG, it only had a selection of 512 colours compared to the GG's 4096 colours.
 
B

BassForever

Member
His recap was great overall, I agree with him that SNES > Genesis but both systems would be in my top 5 best consoles ever. Obviously there are little points here and there I would disagree with (Streets of Rage > Final Fight) but he did a great video anyways.
 
SonicMegaDrive

SonicMegaDrive

Member
MrCunningham said:
Maybe the sound effects were played ah a higher bit rate on the SNES making them around better. But the game was actually missing half the sound effects and voice samples from the Genesis version.
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Yeah, it was also missing tons of animation. And I'm pretty sure it has loading times. Yes, loading times!

I actually bought the SNES version after I *rented* and loved the Genesis version thinking it was going to be the superior of the two.

Oops. Well, live and learn.
 
B

bjork

Member
boutdown said:
I think he overlooked the sequels, 2 can easily compare to Final Fight in my book.
Click to expand...

It should, since it lifts almost every element from FF.

I love SoR2 and it's probably my favorite beat em up, but you can definitely tell where the influence came from.
 
S

Shadow Hog

Member
No argument that SoR lifted most of its gameplay elements from Final Fight. It's pretty blatant at times. I just think SoR2 did it better.

Bare Knuckle 3 did it even better, arguably... Music's worse, but I liked the added dashing, the extra buttons making it easier to do backward attacks, tying special attacks to a separate charge bar instead of always sucking away from health, etc. Not sure about Streets of Rage 3, didn't touch it after hearing they ramped the difficulty up absurdly (moved each available difficulty in the Japanese version down a level - that is, Easy in SoR3 is Normal in BK3 - and then added a "play a harder difficulty you dumbass" cutscene to the Easy mode - what was originally Normal mode, meaning you had to be able to play Hard mode in order to see any endings).
 
N

Natetan

Member
I think it's funny and somewhat unfair that he skipped over essentially sports games. That wad a big deal for some people. Not me but for some. Even I enjoyed NHL 94 etc.
 
H

Host Samurai

Member
I always believed that the Genesis version of EWJ preferred only because of the exclusive level (the dark level? I think). I had no clue there were missing sounds or animations. I owned the SNES version and years later played through the Genesis version and didn't notice anything crazy, that being said i liked the SNES version better. Maybe it has to do with the controls, the gun sound effects and even the music at times.

The Sega CD version tops all though.
 
Fox Mulder

Fox Mulder

Member
Natetan said:
I think it's funny and somewhat unfair that he skipped over essentially sports games. That wad a big deal for some people. Not me but for some. Even I enjoyed NHL 94 etc.
Click to expand...

sports games aren't for everyone, and I'm sure the SNES has technically superior versions of many of them. Still, Genesis has Mutant League Football.
 
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