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Retro-GAF unite!
- Thread starter IrishNinja
- Start date
D.Lo
Member
They really should have moved Skyward Sword to Wii U as a big launch game. It really helped the Wii take off among core gamers.
Then again it should have launched a year earlier, been called the Super Wii, come with a better Wii Remote instead of pad, ditched backward compatibility to move to new architecture, had 100% of the virtual console day 1, been $250 and come with Wii Sports 2...
Man they had such an easy sold 50+ million consoles if they too that route...
sixteen-bit
Member
WiiU will be forgotten once Switch gets enhanced ports of all its best games IMO. Which is fine.
Completely agree with all this lol. Nintendo needs to employ some real retro gamers if they want to get back on top!
D.Lo
Member
I think it will be the most expensive console of all in ten years. It's a main Nintendo so will maintain value just because of that. It has a bunch of exclusive excellent games and not all will get remasters.
It will be PC Engine/Saturn on steroids as a retro console.
PumpkinSpice
Banned
Still wouldn't have sold well. The Wii crowd was kids and middle aged women, and they all moved on to iOS gaming. There's no getting them back, the Switch isn't even trying.
I've been thinking that for a while. It's one of the reasons I haven't minded paying full price for Wii U games for the most part... aside from a few 15% off sales and Nintendo Selects, once they go out of print it's going to be so hard to get anything at a reasonable price.
theSlacker
Member
Sounds like any Nintendo console these days. I'm not even a superfan or anything but I'd still buy one just for the first/second party Nintendo games.
Until 15 years from now when it's selling for a ton. Really thinking about getting a backup WiiU just to make sure I have new gamepad when mine eventually breaks since I'm sure it will be even more expensive when that happens.
Shadowman16
Member
Finally had a chance to sit down and play a couple more Capcom Famicom titles. The gulf in quality between the two couldn't possibly be more apparent.
First up is Bionic Commando. I've always heard the NES port was better than the arcade version, but until now I'd never sat down and played through the entire game. Well that changed today as I played it through twice, and its fairly obvious since I played it through twice in one day that I loved the heck out of it.
It takes the basic idea of the arcade version - no jumping, bionic arm to swing, grapple and climb your way through stages and the side scrolling action element is still intact. However what changes is everything else - rather than 5 (or was it 6?) stages that the arcade version had, with enemies that would often spawn in annoying locations, you have a whole ton of stages and far, far better enemy placement. The stages vary like the arcade version - from your normal army basis, to a port at night, to some sort of woodland area with bizarre creatures and lots of enemy bases as you get closer to the final boss (in the Famicom version - its Hitler). New to the console port is the map screen where you can choose which area to tackle next, neutral zones where you can't (or shouldn't) shoot your weapon as you gather new items and top down short stages which really put the "Commando" in Bionic Commando.
The items are mainly required to progress in the game - different radios, passes and weapons need to be used to beat the various stages, though weirdly in this game you get the rocket launcher really early on (like the third stage or so) and its hilariously overpowered, clearly the best weapon in the game. On my second run I ditched the rocket launcher to see how much harder the game would be - slightly harder, some bits are tougher but it doesn't really make it insanely tough, just slightly slower going.
Mentioned above is the level design which I think is king in this game. The designers went all out to really force you to use your arm to swing through some pretty challenging levels (especially later on), once you get the hang of the arm you feel unstoppable, and its darn fun as well.
Now on the other end of the quality spectrum, I've also been struggling through "Pro Yakyuu? Satsujin Jiken!". Its basically an RPG with a murder/mystery plot that focuses around Baseball. And that's about the most interesting thing I can say about the game. The gameplay sucks, you just walk around talking to people, which then forces the story forward slightly and you rinse/repeat as the tedium rises. All the cities look almost identical (as do the baseball stadiums you visit) and your health is always depleting so your constantly healing yourself. Problem with the game is that the gameplay (or lack there of) is just not engaging - there aren't enough core RPG elements (no real action or puzzles to speak of apart from a couple of shitty mini games) and there is nowhere near enough baseball either so you have a game that is neither a good RPG or a good baseball game. Honestly - Yakuza 6 somehow looks to do both these themes better - its technically an action RPG that lets you visit multiple (ok 2) cities (Tokyo and Hiroshima - both of which are also in Yakyuu), there will certainly be a degree of murder/mystery in the plot and there is a full fledged baseball (RPG) mode in there, so there is plenty to enjoy. Darn I wish Yakuza 6 was out already...
Onto Mega Man 2 tomorrow, and who knows how many times I've finished that game... Can't wait, its still my favourite game of all time.
First up is Bionic Commando. I've always heard the NES port was better than the arcade version, but until now I'd never sat down and played through the entire game. Well that changed today as I played it through twice, and its fairly obvious since I played it through twice in one day that I loved the heck out of it.
It takes the basic idea of the arcade version - no jumping, bionic arm to swing, grapple and climb your way through stages and the side scrolling action element is still intact. However what changes is everything else - rather than 5 (or was it 6?) stages that the arcade version had, with enemies that would often spawn in annoying locations, you have a whole ton of stages and far, far better enemy placement. The stages vary like the arcade version - from your normal army basis, to a port at night, to some sort of woodland area with bizarre creatures and lots of enemy bases as you get closer to the final boss (in the Famicom version - its Hitler). New to the console port is the map screen where you can choose which area to tackle next, neutral zones where you can't (or shouldn't) shoot your weapon as you gather new items and top down short stages which really put the "Commando" in Bionic Commando.
The items are mainly required to progress in the game - different radios, passes and weapons need to be used to beat the various stages, though weirdly in this game you get the rocket launcher really early on (like the third stage or so) and its hilariously overpowered, clearly the best weapon in the game. On my second run I ditched the rocket launcher to see how much harder the game would be - slightly harder, some bits are tougher but it doesn't really make it insanely tough, just slightly slower going.
Mentioned above is the level design which I think is king in this game. The designers went all out to really force you to use your arm to swing through some pretty challenging levels (especially later on), once you get the hang of the arm you feel unstoppable, and its darn fun as well.
Now on the other end of the quality spectrum, I've also been struggling through "Pro Yakyuu? Satsujin Jiken!". Its basically an RPG with a murder/mystery plot that focuses around Baseball. And that's about the most interesting thing I can say about the game. The gameplay sucks, you just walk around talking to people, which then forces the story forward slightly and you rinse/repeat as the tedium rises. All the cities look almost identical (as do the baseball stadiums you visit) and your health is always depleting so your constantly healing yourself. Problem with the game is that the gameplay (or lack there of) is just not engaging - there aren't enough core RPG elements (no real action or puzzles to speak of apart from a couple of shitty mini games) and there is nowhere near enough baseball either so you have a game that is neither a good RPG or a good baseball game. Honestly - Yakuza 6 somehow looks to do both these themes better - its technically an action RPG that lets you visit multiple (ok 2) cities (Tokyo and Hiroshima - both of which are also in Yakyuu), there will certainly be a degree of murder/mystery in the plot and there is a full fledged baseball (RPG) mode in there, so there is plenty to enjoy. Darn I wish Yakuza 6 was out already...
Onto Mega Man 2 tomorrow, and who knows how many times I've finished that game... Can't wait, its still my favourite game of all time.
from a retro gaf perspective, I'm curious how Switch will handle games like Link Between Worlds, which was clearly a lower budget game meant for a handheld.
I feel like trying to sell people on a $60 2D Zelda for a "console" may be a difficult sell. Up until now, Nintendo had a good thing going with "console experiences" and "handheld experiences", where the latter would sometimes jump back a few gens (think NES games on GB, SNES games on GBA, N64 games on DS and 3DS)
then again, Nintendo had no problem releasing similar looking NSMB games on DS, Wii, 3DS and Wii U... so I'm hoping they won't be deterred from trying to deliver a 2D Zelda or Metroid for their new "console".
I feel like trying to sell people on a $60 2D Zelda for a "console" may be a difficult sell. Up until now, Nintendo had a good thing going with "console experiences" and "handheld experiences", where the latter would sometimes jump back a few gens (think NES games on GB, SNES games on GBA, N64 games on DS and 3DS)
then again, Nintendo had no problem releasing similar looking NSMB games on DS, Wii, 3DS and Wii U... so I'm hoping they won't be deterred from trying to deliver a 2D Zelda or Metroid for their new "console".
D.Lo
Member
Something like Link Between Worlds might be a download only going forward.
But that said I can't see any issue releasing it as-is. I would be more likely to buy it honestly. I much prefer playing on my TV at home, and have always bought every gadget that let me play portable games on the TV (Super Game Boys and GB Players etc).
Media and reviews would have to imply certain games are better or tailored for handheld play maybe?
But that said I can't see any issue releasing it as-is. I would be more likely to buy it honestly. I much prefer playing on my TV at home, and have always bought every gadget that let me play portable games on the TV (Super Game Boys and GB Players etc).
Media and reviews would have to imply certain games are better or tailored for handheld play maybe?
Shadowman16
Member
Coin operated famicom box that was apparently used in hotel rooms and the like.
Expensive ~
I ended up getting one of those Famicom box games for my Mega Man collection:
Rockman for the Famicom Hotel Box.
Fabthegnome
Member
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NormalFish
Banned
One thing that might be a boon of using cards as your physical medium in 2016 is that you could sell games at different tiers dependent on size (which, frequently, is proportional to budget). A game like ALBW could retail at 30 or 40, while BOTW would be 60. And Nintendo would save money on production costs.
PumpkinSpice
Banned
I don't think most consumers will be willing to spend even $30-$40 on a 2D Zelda game when a game of the scale and scope and budget of BotW is on the same platform at $60. People like you and me would, sure, but in comparison to the competition it just looks like a weak purchase for normals. And then trying to sell the same thing at $15-$20 digital only means less profit, and maybe making it not viable to make another ALBW-style Zelda game at all.
Sorry dude, but I tested it out til now, and nothing bad/unusual happened. I don't own a Super Famicom, but I keep my Japanese Saturn, Japanese MD2+MCD2 combo, PAL GameCube, PAL PS2 and Japanese PS2 connected to the Hama (of course, only 3 of them at the time), and I tested all kinds of possible combinations. Nothing odd to report. :/
I own the exact same model you linked above. Maybe a defective unit? I mean, as good as it comes, it's still a 15 euros device.
Shadowman16
Member
Having a bit of trouble finding out any info about this retro game since its fairly obscure - at the moment I'm playing Capcom's "LED Storm" (or Mad Gear as its also known) and on the 7th level (Thunder Road). It seems like there is a series of jumps early in the level that are impossible to clear unless your in the F1 car (you can't jump far enough).
Pity that there is so little info out there about the game - its a fun little racer/platformer hybrid. Much better than Capcom's last two efforts in the genre in the '80s - Speed Rumbler and Last Resort. Also, LED Storm has a beta that changes things up pretty drastically, seems like its the better game (pity they stripped so much from the game). As of this day, its only contribution to the wider Capcom games library is its title - Mad Gear which ended up being reused fairly quickly as the gang from Final Fight.
*edit* Figured it out, there are some platforms hidden to the sides of the ones I was trying to reach, great design there Capcom...
Pity that there is so little info out there about the game - its a fun little racer/platformer hybrid. Much better than Capcom's last two efforts in the genre in the '80s - Speed Rumbler and Last Resort. Also, LED Storm has a beta that changes things up pretty drastically, seems like its the better game (pity they stripped so much from the game). As of this day, its only contribution to the wider Capcom games library is its title - Mad Gear which ended up being reused fairly quickly as the gang from Final Fight.
*edit* Figured it out, there are some platforms hidden to the sides of the ones I was trying to reach, great design there Capcom...
Fabthegnome
Member
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IrishNinja
Member
oh yeah, gamecube prices alone point at this kinda hard. i'm trying to grab anything i'm interested in (that's not looking to get ported) on the cheap where i can, god knows i'll prolly be just like the GC where ill sit on stuff for years & finally get around to it and be glad to not pay a premium (FE: Path of Radiance, etc)
gingerbeardman
Member
GOAT theme tune on the Atari ST version by Tom Follin.
https://www.youtube.com/shared?ci=doZM3aFpdRI
CaramelMarx
Neo Member
a) You guys probably already know this, but just in case: the fan localization of Policenauts for Sega Saturn is done.
b) If you're feeling like a Kojima party - which is every day at my house! - why not check out my discussion of Snatcher during breaks?
c) Lastly, I'm looking for the best games Sega Saturn has to offer. Any suggestions? I've already heard that the Panzer Dragoon Saga is hot shit - but otherwise, it seems mainly to be a console of arcade ports.
b) If you're feeling like a Kojima party - which is every day at my house! - why not check out my discussion of Snatcher during breaks?
c) Lastly, I'm looking for the best games Sega Saturn has to offer. Any suggestions? I've already heard that the Panzer Dragoon Saga is hot shit - but otherwise, it seems mainly to be a console of arcade ports.
You say that like it's a bad thing
NormalFish
Banned
Eh, I'm not so sure. I think, among the "home console" market, a game being less than 60$ with a known name (like Zelda) indicates value. Also, I think people kind of underestimate the power of proper resolution. Look no further than Citra to see how easy it is to scale Nintendo's art to more modern hardware.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbxQXwwURPY
Everything 2D is a blocky mess though. I don't mind it but I'm pretty sure Nintendo does. It's probably too costly even to redo only the textures.
cyborgnumberblue
Member
If you don't like STGs and fighting games, you're going to be out of luck.
NormalFish
Banned
I was more using that as an example of how nintendo is already releasing games with fidelity that I don't think would offend people if actually made for proper resolution. 2D elements would of course be higher resolution on the NS, and that wouldn't change cost of production in any meaningful way.
Shin Johnpv
Member
I've been saying this for a bit too. I really think GC prices are going to be INSANE in another 10 years. Ohh talking about Wii U yeah that is definitely going to be nuts in 10 years. Tons of exclusives won't get ported and will be calling for insane prices.
Yeah, let's get them now!!!
D.Lo
Member
Gamecube is also a super kawaii console. I'll always love those tiny discs! And to this day that console amazes me, how in 2001 they could get such amazing graphics (highest polygon count in-game of the gen!) from such a tiny, quiet, reliable box, and with super clean IQ. It's an engineering marvel that hasn't been topped.
WiiU won't have that, but will have scarcity.
Joe Molotov
Member
I regret selling my GameCube component cables... (-_-｡
sixteen-bit
Member
I regret selling my GameCube component cables... (-_-｡
hdmi solutions tho
When are those coming?
Some people on assembler games forum can do it for you. I know BadAdd84 does but he is in the uk so probably not interesting for you. Maybe others are closer?
NormalFish
Banned
think whatever badassconsoles (think that's his name) is putting together is supposed to ship pretty soon.
I don't know of a service, but if you haven't looked into doing it yourself you might be surprised at how easy it can be. I converted a Raimais PCB from the international version to a Japanese version within the past year through a couple relatively cheap Amazon orders.
I'm gonna add your channel to the GAF retro media list if you don't mind. Also Saturn greats (exclusives?)
Nights into dreams
Dark Savior
Dragon force
Panzer Dragoon 1,2, and Saga
Shining Force 3
Shining the Holy Ark
Albert Odyssey
Magic Knight Rayearth
Virtua Cop 1 and 2
Astal
Guardian Heroes
Burning Rangers
Kingdom Grand Prix
Saturn Bomberman
Legend of Oasis (soundtrack is not yuzo's best...)
Virtua fighter 2
Fighters Megamix
Marvel super heroes vs Street Fighter (best version)
Assault suits Leynos 2( or was it valken)
Forgetting some I'm sure.
D.Lo
Member
how much are we talking for the equipment, total?
I'm sure I'm capable of it but it's not something I plan on doing a lot of.
IrishNinja
Member
^tight list. Elevator Action Returns & a few im forgetting cause booze
this is actually pretty interesting d lo, i'd dig more details!
this is actually pretty interesting d lo, i'd dig more details!
D.Lo
Member
Well, it kind of flows on from this;
https://nintendosegajapan.com/2015/07/26/goonies-famicom-disk-retail-release-reproduction/
I was pretty happy with how that turned out, and love the idea of recreating alternative history, releases that never happened. So I though 'what about the Japanese developed Konami NES games that didn't get Famicom releases'. Eg Rollergames, Base Wars, and Contra Force, which had a planned release as Arc Hound.
Well, I've almost completed packaging for a Japanese version of Rollergames, and am working on one for Arc Hound. Labels for carts, boxes, in styles and layouts matching those of their other Famicom releases. And I'm half done with a title screen hack for Arc Hound.
Not going to sell anything, I just enjoy making cool unique items.
IrishNinja
Member
that's...fucking dope, man. and considering it's easily in my top 3 most played games since getting an N8, awesome first choice too!
Shadowman16
Member
Really nice. I wonder how the ST port plays. If I get some free time I'll have to give it a try, even though I tend to stay away from retro computer ports of Capcom games after so many ended up being really bad (or just mediocre in general).
Anyway, I played some more LED Storm today and managed to 1CC clear the game (normal difficulty). Its actually not that hard once you get the feel of the tracks down, and I ended up finding it really fun. Its a great pity that a PC Engine/Famicom port never happened (I'm sure the PCE could have handled it just fine), its also a pity that the game never appeared on either of Capcom's compilations (I'd say its easily more deserved to be there than Last Duel or Avengers). Awesome soundtrack as well, all round while it had a few annoyances here and there I still really enjoyed the game,
More interesting is when you play the beta which is also playable on MAME. Its the full game, from what I understand the game got retooled (heavily) after location tests didn't go all that well. The basic concept of the game is the same - top down racer with platforming elements and the soundtrack remains intact, but so much is changed - first off the graphics are way better - much larger more detailed sprites, it looked wonderful, I can't believe they toned down the game so bad on release, secondly the health system was changed - so health pickups are harder to get but you get four checkpoints in the levels that restore a good chunk of health - so while the game is technically harder, its not really that much harder. Also, the jump mechanics are very different - here your car can do a hop as opposed to a jump, with jump pads littering the stages for the bigger jumps (as your car can't jump that far). This leads to loads of the stages being retooled with Thunder Road in particular being very different to how it is in the final game. Stage 8 is also different - since the health system works differently the stage is way longer now compared to the much shorter version included in the final game. Lastly in order to see the credits you have to beat your rival on stage 9, which is easier said than done. Oh, and loads of voice clips and cutscenes were also cut from the beta for whatever reason.
I'm so glad that emulation exists so that this game wasn't lost to the ages, its quite facinating to play through both games and see the differences.
Also, Parcelforce did the impossible and actually delivered me this today:
image by gouki16uk, on FlickrCaptain Commando for the Super Famicom (Wonder 3 is just pictured since I'd not snapped a pic of it previously). That's my Capcom binge done for a little while! Now continues the process of playing through each one...
I got this thing: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K73TSLM/?tag=neogaf0e-20 (it was about the same $50-$60 price when I bought it last year) and a single EPROM for around $5, maybe. I also got one of those UV light EPROM eraser boxes for like $16 in case I messed up, but didn't wind up needing it.
It is a bit much for a one-time operation, but I've already got a few more ideas in mind for things I'd like to do with it. Haven't looked into the types of ROM needed for various Famicom games, but in the case of my Raimais PCB I was able to use a chip that was 2x the capacity of the original by simply appending the binary data to itself before writing.
brandonh83
Banned
Trying to find a good CRT on craigslist. What should I be searching for? People are dumb and just list stuff as like "old Sony TV" with few details, if any beyond the screen size so I feel kinda lost in trying to find any. There's a listing for a 36" Trinitron but the pics are shit.
Try to find one that takes component and/or scart
You want Component (not Composite), and a non-HDTV / EDTV. They shouldn't be unless advertised though. Best is to ask for a photo of the back and and google the model number yourself. In any case you want to see it for yourself, to check if the screen has any damage or scratches. And you can discuss more about it, to know how it was used, where it was kept, etc.