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[IrishNinja]

literally just saw my first one in person at a buddy's house last weekend...it does look neat! i should mess with it next time...still, i know people mock the tower of power/segazord but the model 1 sits under a model 1 genny so sexy it makes my other consoles jealous*

Spoiler

*gamecube gets half-points for the GBA player, and man i would buy a dead 64DD on the cheap just to help that one out.

 

[dodgeme]

honestly, i do think they look sexy as fuck, but if i hadn't grown up with a near-launch model 1, i'd jump on a model 2. they're not ugly by my standards & work far better/are found far cheaper. i love the crap out of my current model 1 CD but half this thread swears it's gonna blow up any day now, and you don't really have to concern yourself with that much on model 2's.

I love my Model 1. They really aren't that bad to fix even when they do break. Have flipped quite a few that were "broken". Worst one I've gotten is actually the one I'm using as it had a few too many quirks to sell. Right now I gotta fix the switches on it sometime as the tray won't stay ejected long so you have to be quick

 

[IrishNinja]

^that's actually pretty reassuring to hear! i'm totally gonna bear that in mind if mine ever goes tits-up, heh

 

[Fularu]

Fun fact, I paid 40$ for my JVC X'eye on ebay in 2003. Came with about 15 SegaCD games and about 20 Genesis games.

Ebay was a goldmine back then.

 

[dodgeme]

^that's actually pretty reassuring to hear! i'm totally gonna bear that in mind if mine ever goes tits-up, heh

I mean the worst one I've had the gear that lifts the trey up got worn out so it would get stuck trying to engage. A little hot glue to fill in the spot on the gear and it works perfectly. I suppose if anything electrical goes it'd be a pain but I've really not encountered that on any of mine. Seems like it's mostly mechanical.

 

[IrishNinja]

Fun fact, I paid 40$ for my JVC X'eye on ebay in 2003. Came with about 15 SegaCD games and about 20 Genesis games.

Ebay was a goldmine back then.

ugh, the worst part about deciding to buy back my lost Sega collection in like 2012 was having this era of ebay (ironically when i sold it all) stuck in my mind. it's like whenever i see Sega-CD or much less 32X games at a premium, i still can't wrap my head around other people wanting them.

you can't even swing a deal like that one at a garage sale now.

 

[Fularu]

ugh, the worst part about deciding to buy back my lost Sega collection in like 2012 was having this era of ebay (ironically when i sold it all) stuck in my mind. it's like whenever i see Sega-CD or much less 32X games at a premium, i still can't wrap my head around other people wanting them.

you can't even swing a deal like that one at a garage sale now.

Tell me about it. My son in law stole Monster World IV from me (was a full japanese copy) and sold it for 5$ to a videogame store (and the owner knew the game was stolen, my ex son in law had no idea what the game was and the owner specifically told him he would pay him more if he could get him some more games from where he got that one).

Trying to buy it again now is almost impossible unless I'm willing to pay over 150$

Same shit with Shining The Holy Ark and Dragon Force, both in perfect condition and complete...

Life sucks sometimes

 

[Gunsmithx]

Nothing beats the Wondermega 1/2 (X'eye in the US).

*whistle*

Doesn't the X'eye and wonder mega 2 have worse sound then the good model 1? Thats what I thought I came across ib my research, its why I went for a model 1/cd model 2 combo(plus I love the look) though I'd love a wondermega 1 that thing is sexy.

 

[D.Lo]

Just got back to running RGB on Mega Drive. Used to use it years ago on my CRT, but haven't ever got it out to plug into the XRGB.

Seriously, only the PC Engine and maybe modded NES benefit as much from RGB as the Mega Drive. I think it's the high contrast of many of the best games, makes them so much sharper in RGB. Later more colourful systems like SNES and Saturn have more subdued colours.

XRGB don't like that split-screen Sonic 2 though...

 

[sixteen-bit]

Nothing beats the Wondermega 1/2 (X'eye in the US).

*whistle*

The original Wondermega is my favorite Sega gen 4 hardware configuration aesthetically, but no RGB is a huge bummer. The Wondermega RG2 / X'EYE fix this of course, but to me they look a lot cheaper and uglier than the first one.

 

[Uncle Rupee]

Yes and it's 20$

Unless you absolutely need to pay 200+ for it

Ah, ok. Didn't know it would run at full speed with a converter.

 

[trogdorddragon]

Ah, yes - Sega.

Although my first console was an Intellivision, I really got into things with the NES and later the Genesis with a heavy focus on the Sega CD and 32X.

 

[andymcc]

are you and I the only GAFfers with the dreamcast kiosk?

 

[cireza]

XRGB don't like that split-screen Sonic 2 though...

I believe that is because the game outputs double the resolution (vertically) in two players mode. Or it uses a display trick of some sort.

 

[Fularu]

I believe that is because the game outputs double the resolution (vertically) in two players mode. Or it uses a display trick of some sort.

The game outputs in 480i, on CRTs it gives the interlaced look (30 frames draw the even lines, 30 frames draw the odd lines in alternance)

 

[Foxix Von]

Those Dreamcast kiosks are gorgeous ;_;

 

[Armoured Priest]

are you and I the only GAFfers with the dreamcast kiosk?

I don't have one, but the used game store I frequent does...I could probably buy it them, but I have no place to put it (and my gf would kill me )

 

[mltplkxr]

Those Dreamcast kiosks are gorgeous ;_;

Really? Back in the day, a used game store near me threw one to the curb. I could've picked it up easy but left it there. Something about them is off. I can't decide if they where inspired by Daleks or studded dildos.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

Tell me about it. My son in law stole Monster World IV from me (was a full japanese copy) and sold it for 5$ to a videogame store (and the owner knew the game was stolen, my ex son in law had no idea what the game was and the owner specifically told him he would pay him more if he could get him some more games from where he got that one).

Trying to buy it again now is almost impossible unless I'm willing to pay over 150$

Same shit with Shining The Holy Ark and Dragon Force, both in perfect condition and complete...

Life sucks sometimes

Holy shit, that sucks. My sympathies. People are scum.

 

[Mercutio]

Fun fact, I paid 40$ for my JVC X'eye on ebay in 2003. Came with about 15 SegaCD games and about 20 Genesis games.

Ebay was a goldmine back then.

I sold a fully functional Turbo Express for $60 in 2003.

It had no stuck pixels.

I am history's greatest monster.

 

[7DollarHagane]

Is it bad that I play all my Super Nintendo and Genesis games through everdrive? I'm thinking about doing the same with Turbografx.

I just don't have room or money for all that stuff. I do collect NES and have almost 200 titles now. the SNES games I do have are CIB classics hand picked.

I figure that i spent a lot on wii virtual console and still buy these re-releases when sega does them so I'm doing my part.

 

[7DollarHagane]

I sold a fully functional Turbo Express for $60 in 2003.

It had no stuck pixels.

I am history's greatest monster.

I sold a CDX for around $40. At least I got it at a thrift shop for under $10.

Still would have been nicer to keep.

 

[dodgeme]

Just added these today. Still waiting on Undead Line to show up from Japan. Slowly getting closer to having most of what I want. But on these two, both were quite cheap, got Syd of Valis for $4 shipped and Sagaia went for under $15 thanks to the damaged label.

 

[Mzo]

Good ol' Syd. That's her name.

 

[A Black Falcon]

Syd of Valis, just as annoying as all the other Valis games! It's not terrible, but I find that series too annoying to be good... it is really, REALLY weird that my copy of Syd of Valis works in my 32X but doesn't work in the same Genesis without the 32X, though! It's not a 32X game!

On the other hand, this got me the game for free because it'd been returned to a store as nonworking and I said 'sure, I'll take it', so I'm not complaining, It's just really weird.

 

[IrishNinja]

haven't played Syd but i've scarcely heard a kind word about it...I adore III though

 

[Foxix Von]

Is it bad that I play all my Super Nintendo and Genesis games through everdrive? I'm thinking about doing the same with Turbografx.

I just don't have room or money for all that stuff. I do collect NES and have almost 200 titles now. the SNES games I do have are CIB classics hand picked.

I figure that i spent a lot on wii virtual console and still buy these re-releases when sega does them so I'm doing my part.

On one hand it's kind of disappointing to let go of collecting original cartridges but these things are starting to get expensive. I've been considering an everdrive cartridge myself. If only because it's the most cost effective way of getting translation patches to work on the original hardware short of buying up repro carts. That and I've pretty much put a full stop on buying sega CD games due to the crazy disc rot rates =/

 

[A Black Falcon]

haven't played Syd but i've scarcely heard a kind word about it...I adore III though

Syd is a slightly easier and Chibified version of II. It's okay, if you like Valis games. I think they're all annoying and unfair games more about memorization and frustration than good design or fun. They aren't awful, but they definitely aren't good.

 

[IrishNinja]

That and I've pretty much put a full stop on buying sega CD games due to the crazy disc rot rates =/

"crazy rates"? id agree to crazy price rises but ive yet to see a disc rot on any of mine/friends out here/etc, kinda feels like paranoia

Syd is a slightly easier and Chibified version of II. It's okay, if you like Valis games. I think they're all annoying and unfair games more about memorization and frustration than good design or fun. They aren't awful, but they definitely aren't good.

if you can memorize it, it's prolly not that unfair, and that's hardly a rare mechanic from that era - the game doesn't even get hard until later, and that's just learning which characters to use where.

and Valis III is definitely a good game - enjoyable action, good OST, and crazy impressive cutscenes at the time - that was like the most anime i'd seen at that point outside of a Matthew Sweet video!!

 

[Sixfortyfive]

I can't really respect Valis III at all.

The screen scrolls in such a way that you see more of the area behind your character than in front. It's hard to take a 2D game with a broken camera seriously.

 

[Mzo]

I liked the Super CD remake of Valis. Valis III and Valis IV are ok. Syd is pretty bad, lol.

They definitely suffer from forcing you too close to the right to scroll.

 

[IrishNinja]

see, ABF? everyone agrees that Valis III is awesome

stop being weird bruh

 

[Timu]

I'll give my verdict on the Valis games next year or so, but to play the real Valis II, not that Syd of Valis that I have no interest in, I would need a PC Engine CD but a cheaper alternative is to get a Japanese PSN card and since my bro has a Japanese account on PS3 I can use it there to get the PC Engine CD version.

 

[A Black Falcon]

"crazy rates"? id agree to crazy price rises but ive yet to see a disc rot on any of mine/friends out here/etc, kinda feels like paranoia

I don't know if it's disc rot, but I do have several (like 3-5) Sega CD games which won't play and have the 'can see light through them' holes. I have very few for any other console... though I guess I do have a few Dreamcast and Gamecube games which won't work either. In the DC case it's the 'can see light through' issue, and on GC... who knows. The discs usually look fine, and I tried getting them resurfaced, but they just won't work.

I would agree that this is usually a very, very rare issue, but I do worry about Sega CD games because I have more problem discs for that system, compared to the number of games I have for a system, than any other probably...

if you can memorize it, it's prolly not that unfair, and that's hardly a rare mechanic from that era - the game doesn't even get hard until later, and that's just learning which characters to use where.

Sure, if you love hard memorizer games, Valis should be right up your alley. But even for a memorizer game, the Valis series are pretty poor compared to, say, R-Type! At least Valis games are more fun than that other Telenet memorizer game with enemies barraging you zooming in quickly from all sides, Legion for the Turbo (PCE) CD...

and Valis III is definitely a good game - enjoyable action, good OST, and crazy impressive cutscenes at the time - that was like the most anime i'd seen at that point outside of a Matthew Sweet video!!

Sorry, none of them are good games. The basic design of the series is to swarm you with enemies that fly in quickly from all directions, forcing either rote memorization or very good twitch responses if you want to not die. It's extremely annoying game design. The bosses get overly hard as well. I haven't yet managed to finish a Valis game... the farthest I got in one was to the final boss of Super Valis IV, but I eventually gave up. Too hard and frustrating.

 

[IrishNinja]

I don't know if it's disc rot, but I do have several (like 3-5) Sega CD games which won't play and have the 'can see light through them' holes. I have very few for any other console... though I guess I do have a few Dreamcast and Gamecube games which won't work either. In the DC case it's the 'can see light through' issue, and on GC... who knows. The discs usually look fine, and I tried getting them resurfaced, but they just won't work.

damn...that does kinda sound like disc rot, sorry to hear that man.
with DC, i've heard many times that it's just picky with any minute damage to the disc; gamecube i know ive had a few (my copy of PN04, another i'm forgetting) that seem fine but just won't boot. ive also seen a few where the rim of the disc was damaged in shipping ever-so-slightly, and that's all it took to not work. i also take for granted that some discs with scratches on the top from labels/etc likewise might fail.

Sure, if you love hard memorizer games, Valis should be right up your alley. But even for a memorizer game, the Valis series are pretty poor compared to, say, R-Type!

i don't think it's any harder than say El Viento, which is also fantastic. and you can't just compare across genres like that!

Sorry

you're forgiven~

The basic design of the series is to swarm you with enemies that fly in quickly from all directions, forcing either rote memorization or very good twitch responses if you want to not die. It's extremely annoying game design. The bosses get overly hard as well. I haven't yet managed to finish a Valis game... the farthest I got in one was to the final boss of Super Valis IV, but I eventually gave up. Too hard and frustrating.

i also can't speak on Super IV as i haven't played it, but again, "rote memorization or very good twitch response" sounds more SHMUP-y than a 3rd person action game, man. i think you're kinda pushing it for III...it's not horde mode; the game sends enemies at you for sure but if you keep your sword/etc powered you can handle them, and it's not even one of those i'd describe as tough on crowd control. the bosses do amp up as you go along for sure, but again, learning a pattern to beat a boss is like 90% of the games from that era, hard to fault it here.

 

[Fularu]

Just added these today. Still waiting on Undead Line to show up from Japan. Slowly getting closer to having most of what I want. But on these two, both were quite cheap, got Syd of Valis for $4 shipped and Sagaia went for under $15 thanks to the damaged label.

So you're the one who outbid me on Darius II, I see Well you forced me to get a complete copy from Japan

 

[Khaz]

Well, I just got a Megadrive 2 and its cables, and a Master System 2, all for 10€ from someone who didn't know better (but still on eBay!). She said they just weren't working, but when I plugged them at home everything was working fine? Oh well, good for me I guess.

At least now I can say that with the original RGB cable (french only? the MK-1637-09) the buzzing much less prominent. I still have a barely noticeable, higher pitched buzzing but nothing like what I had before. Such a relief, with so many people telling me it was because the MD2 was crap, or that I needed to change my PSU.

 

[Mzo]

I'll give my verdict on the Valis games next year or so, but to play the real Valis II, not that Syd of Valis that I have no interest in, I would need a PC Engine CD but a cheaper alternative is to get a Japanese PSN card and since my bro has a Japanese account on PS3 I can use it there to get the PC Engine CD version.

Turbo CD Valis II is really, really bad. If I had to choose a "real" Valis II it'd be the X68000 version, based off the original PC-88 and MSX release. It has more interesting level design, a couple of shooter levels, and Yuko has different armors and weapons that affect her stats.

If anything, that Syd of Valis is the only console version that retains the armor and weapons switching aspect.

 

[Mzo]

The bosses get overly hard as well. I haven't yet managed to finish a Valis game...

I've beaten every Valis game on the Turbo and Genesis, and they've all taken around one lazy Sunday afternoon to finish. They're really short and you have a ton of health. Most bosses can just be spammed through IIRC, I don't remember learning too many patterns.

edit: oops, meant to make one post but hit enter by accident.

 

[Foxix Von]

"crazy rates"? id agree to crazy price rises but ive yet to see a disc rot on any of mine/friends out here/etc, kinda feels like paranoia

It's partially also due to the insane prices, but quite literally more than half of the Sega CD games I've purchased are showing signs of disc rot. At this point, for me, it's not worth investing in given the price of entry and high defect rate that I've experienced.

 

[Timu]

Turbo CD Valis II is really, really bad. If I had to choose a "real" Valis II it'd be the X68000 version, based off the original PC-88 and MSX release. It has more interesting level design, a couple of shooter levels, and Yuko has different armors and weapons that affect her stats.

If anything, that Syd of Valis is the only console version that retains the armor and weapons switching aspect.

I should had researched that, lol, guess Syd of Valis it is then.

 

[Raptomex]

Anyone have a modified Genesis with S-Video? I would love to learn how to do this.

 

[uncledonnie]

and Valis III is definitely a good game - enjoyable action, good OST, and crazy impressive cutscenes at the time - that was like the most anime i'd seen at that point outside of a Matthew Sweet video!!

Agreed, tough crowd in here it seems. I played the hell out of that game and enjoyed it.

 

[dodgeme]

So you're the one who outbid me on Darius II, I see Well you forced me to get a complete copy from Japan

It's funny to see the size of this community and bump into you guys on the forums haha. I've been waiting for it to come up for a while now as it doesn't come up all that often at a good price. Wasn't gonna let it go.

 

[Fularu]

It's funny to see the size of this community and bump into you guys on the forums haha. I've been waiting for it to come up for a while now as it doesn't come up all that often at a good price. Wasn't gonna let it go.

Well I grabed a CiB japanese copy for 17$ (25$ with shipping). Vendor accepted my best offer.

 

[dodgeme]

Well I grabed a CiB japanese copy for 17$ (25$ with shipping). Vendor accepted my best offer.

Not bad at all. I just can't get myself to buy Japanese copies of games unless that is the only place it was released.

 

[IrishNinja]

So you're the one who outbid me on Darius II, I see Well you forced me to get a complete copy from Japan

haha man i wish we had a way to nudge each other on these things, haha

It's partially also due to the insane prices, but quite literally more than half of the Sega CD games I've purchased are showing signs of disc rot. At this point, for me, it's not worth investing in given the price of entry and high defect rate that I've experienced.

geez...gonna be looking through my Sega-CD collection today =/

Anyone have a modified Genesis with S-Video? I would love to learn how to do this.

I do! literally no idea how it's done, but i do know it won't work right over RGB at the moment anymore. i literally have no idea what to do with this thing right now.

Agreed, tough crowd in here it seems. I played the hell out of that game and enjoyed it.

dear diary: today i made a friend

 

[Mzo]

I should had researched that, lol, guess Syd of Valis it is then.

lol but Syd of Valis is still really bad...

 

[Raptomex]

I do! literally no idea how it's done, but i do know it won't work right over RGB at the moment anymore. i literally have no idea what to do with this thing right now.

Well if I have to open my Genesis and start soldering or something I get nervous so I would get another Genesis just for this. I'm assuming something like that needs to be done.

 

[Mzo]

I do! literally no idea how it's done, but i do know it won't work right over RGB at the moment anymore. i literally have no idea what to do with this thing right now.

Something was fucked up with that Genesis's mod. The S-video was coming through with a really weird red tint on everything.

I want to mod a 32X for S-video!