Sega Sorta Christmas 2009
Kendrick Kerwin Chua
say about it. Every year we take a minute to talk about the Sega-related
goodies that we received (or bought for ourselves) as part of the yearly
holiday celebration, and misuse a proper noun as an adjective. How Sega
was your Christmas?
My first holiday item is Phantasy Star Universe for the Xbox 360, which I
picked up mostly for the sake of the collection. On the 360, this game is
notably inferior to its PS2 and PC counterparts in that the all of the new
content requires an online account, whereas the other platforms offer you
the majority of the storyline offline in a way that requires no network
connection or other annoying players. Still, the 360 version has its charm
in better and more convincing graphics, at the price of more frequent
slowdown. I've already played through most of the content on the PS2, so I
have no idea why I'm playing again apart from the dubious honor of earning
more Xbox Live Gamerpoints. Also, I'm finding Phantasy Star Zero on the
Nintendo DS a much more worthy successor to PSO than PSU was.
Something I bought ages ago but never actually got around to enjoying was
Hundred Swords, Sega's odd online RTS that ended up being published by
Activision. A new PC in the house means that I can install it properly
now, as the western markets never did get a copy of the Dreamcast version.
RTS is a strange world to me, and it's something that's never actually
clicked in my head as a reasonable leisure activity. Still, I'm hopeful
that I'll figure it out eventually between this and Tom Clancy's Endwar
(which I learned was developed by some of the talent that put together the
Total War series.) Speaking of Total War, I discovered to my dismay that
none of the current games in that series run under Windows 7, which means,
they'll have to stay on my busted old Dell for the time being.
So the majority of my Sega purchases have been spread out over the year,
rather than jammed into December like they have been in the past. This
might be because the retro retail locations are stocking less of it. All
8-bit and 16-bit stuff is drying up, and used Dreamcast games are getting
harder to find. Saturn games are also pretty uncommon now outside of
online vendors, which is disappointing given how plentiful they have been
in the past before. I'm also a little distressed that there hasn't been a
big Sega release to sustain us through the month. Bayonetta got delayed,
to name only one big game that was supposed to be jockeying for Christmas
money.
So my holiday didn't have as much Sega as it did before. How was yours?
-KKC, pondering post-Christmas shopping.
--
-- "I'm sorry sir, but these | kendrick |
clothes are for women only!" | @ io.com | http://www.io.com/~kkc
Scott H
> It's a Sega Sorta Christmas, or at least it will be if I have anything to
> say about it. Every year we take a minute to talk about the Sega-related
> goodies that we received (or bought for ourselves) as part of the yearly
> holiday celebration, and misuse a proper noun as an adjective. How Sega
> was your Christmas?
> So my holiday didn't have as much Sega as it did before. How was yours?
>
> -KKC, pondering post-Christmas shopping.
Bouncers (Sega CD, Complete) $10.
Finally, something I might actually use my 4-Player adapter for someday,
maybe.
Puggsy (Sega CD, Complete) $10.
Bought it because it was in great condition for only $10. I played it
for a while yesterday, it seems like a very unorthodox platformer and
its presentation is top notch. Unfortunately I cannot find any evidence
of the reputed "high color" level/screen anywhere on the net.
Formula One (Genesis, Boxed), the 3D racer from Domark, $10.
This one is just plain awesome, every Genesis owner should have a
complete copy right along side Super Monaco GP. I can't call it fully
3D because there are no panning replays, which Virtua Racing invented if
I recall correctly. All the same, this one is stunning to see in motion
on real hardware.
Prince of Persia: Arabian Nights (DC, Complete), Free from my father in
law for setting up his 47" LCD correctly.
What Tomb Raider and Soul Reaver on Dreamcast should have been, stunning
visuals and that classic Prince of Persia controls in full 3D. I prefer
Arabian Nights over the more cinematic-dependent PS2/Xbox era games.
Yet to arrive:
Genesis:
Beyond Oasis, $5
*I am interested in trading my current cart with minor cart label damage
to whoever wants it.*
Thunder Force II (Boxed), $5
Something I have wanted for a very long time and kept passing up.
Wonderboy in Monster World (Cart Only), $3
I've never played this one for long, I'm looking forward to checking it out.
Saturn:
Alone in the Dark: One Eyed Jack's Revenge (Complete), $7
I can't remember why I wanted this one other than that I think it
predates Resident Evil, and wasn't sloppily ported from the PS1. Those
are two bits of information I have yet to confirm though.
MS USB Sidewinder Wheel and Pedals, $29.50. Now I have two wheels and
one set of pedals, neato. Which is Directly Sega Related because I'm
going to use it on the HTPC/Mamebox for playing Sega Arcade and PC
titles. I may even try out some console emulators with it at some point.
Grand Total: $79.50
That's a hell of a lot more stuff than I could have gotten if I bought a
"new" game this Christmas. Also, having the chance to online race Bel
with a force feedback steering wheel in Outrun 2006 or Sega Rally Revo
is priceless.
--
Scott
Kendrick Kerwin Chua
Scott H <she...@gamepilgrimage.com> wrote:
>Kendrick Kerwin Chua wrote:
>> It's a Sega Sorta Christmas, or at least it will be if I have anything to
>> say about it. Every year we take a minute to talk about the Sega-related
>> goodies that we received (or bought for ourselves) as part of the yearly
>> holiday celebration, and misuse a proper noun as an adjective. How Sega
>> was your Christmas?
>
>
>Finally, something I might actually use my 4-Player adapter for someday,
>maybe.
Ooh, turns out I don't have a copy of that anywhere. Cartoony basketball
game that's not a sim, right? And don't you have Mega Bomberman lying
around for multitap action?
>Puggsy (Sega CD, Complete) $10.
>
>Bought it because it was in great condition for only $10. I played it
>for a while yesterday, it seems like a very unorthodox platformer and
>its presentation is top notch. Unfortunately I cannot find any evidence
>of the reputed "high color" level/screen anywhere on the net.
I picked this up a couple of years ago too, and it never clicked with me.
Beyond Sonic and Mario, I never did become as fond of platformers as the
rest of the world, so probably I didn't give it as fair a chance.
-KKC, who has two Genesis multitaps and runs around to see what games
support them.
Scott H
> In article <hh5oa6$e07$1...@news.eternal-september.org>,
> Scott H <she...@gamepilgrimage.com> wrote:
>> Kendrick Kerwin Chua wrote:
>>> It's a Sega Sorta Christmas, or at least it will be if I have anything to
>>> say about it. Every year we take a minute to talk about the Sega-related
>>> goodies that we received (or bought for ourselves) as part of the yearly
>>> holiday celebration, and misuse a proper noun as an adjective. How Sega
>>> was your Christmas?
>> Bouncers (Sega CD, Complete) $10.
>>
>> Finally, something I might actually use my 4-Player adapter for someday,
>> maybe.
>
> Ooh, turns out I don't have a copy of that anywhere. Cartoony basketball
> game that's not a sim, right? And don't you have Mega Bomberman lying
> around for multitap action?
I have wanted to pick up Mega Bomberman for ever, but I am not willing
to pay $25+ for a complete copy. This is mainly because Atomic
Bomberman on PC is still my favorite version, and I own iterations for
the Dreamcast and XBLA.
>> Puggsy (Sega CD, Complete) $10.
>>
>> Bought it because it was in great condition for only $10. I played it
>> for a while yesterday, it seems like a very unorthodox platformer and
>> its presentation is top notch. Unfortunately I cannot find any evidence
>> of the reputed "high color" level/screen anywhere on the net.
>
> I picked this up a couple of years ago too, and it never clicked with me.
> Beyond Sonic and Mario, I never did become as fond of platformers as the
> rest of the world, so probably I didn't give it as fair a chance.
Nothing Psygnosis made ever clicked with me. Puggsy seems to be
included in that mix. I can find nothing technically inferior about
Puggsy, I just don't really care about the innovations it offers.
> -KKC, who has two Genesis multitaps and runs around to see what games
> support them.
I want two things from the tech heads, and two things only. I want to
be able to use my light guns on HDTVs, and I want to be able to network
my Sega consoles with one device.
--
Scott
Kendrick Kerwin Chua
Scott H <she...@gamepilgrimage.com> wrote:
>Kendrick Kerwin Chua wrote:
>> In article <hh5oa6$e07$1...@news.eternal-september.org>,
>> Scott H <she...@gamepilgrimage.com> wrote:
>>> Kendrick Kerwin Chua wrote:
>>>> It's a Sega Sorta Christmas
<snip>
>I have wanted to pick up Mega Bomberman for ever, but I am not willing
>to pay $25+ for a complete copy. This is mainly because Atomic
>Bomberman on PC is still my favorite version, and I own iterations for
>the Dreamcast and XBLA.
My favorite is still Saturn Bomberman on the strength of the ten-man
multiplayer. My copy of Mega Bomberman is... (checks) not complete. One of
the later titles with the annoying cardboard box, right?
>>> Puggsy (Sega CD, Complete) $10.
>>>
>>> Bought it because it was in great condition for only $10.
<<snip>>
>> I picked this up a couple of years ago too, and it never clicked with me.
<snip>
>Nothing Psygnosis made ever clicked with me. Puggsy seems to be
>included in that mix. I can find nothing technically inferior about
>Puggsy, I just don't really care about the innovations it offers.
I liked Microcosm enough to want to check out the 3DO version after seeing
it on the Sega CD. I have a very vivid memory of getting the Sega CDX and
popping in that game, and then stunning my college roommates with the
whizzy effects of the intro movie. :)
>> -KKC, who has two Genesis multitaps and runs around to see what games
>> support them.
>
>I want two things from the tech heads, and two things only. I want to
>be able to use my light guns on HDTVs, and I want to be able to network
>my Sega consoles with one device.
You know, ever since Bel mentioned the light gun problem to me, I've been
looking into it. Although all the old NTSC screens ran at a consistent 15
Hz, HDTV units don't conform to a standard and might run as high as 120 Hz
to create the effect of a smoother frame rate. We can't very well change
the way TVs are manufactured, but we might be able to make a new light gun
that works with the TV. The fact of the matter is that all the 16-bit and
32-bit system light gun peripherals are cross-compatible, so it would only
take one gun (and a series of slightly different encoders) to make that
work for all the old systems. No promises, but if I figure it out I'll
post more about it.
-KKC, tracking post-holiday shopping packages.
BelPowerslave
>
> Finally, something I might actually use my 4-Player adapter for someday,
> maybe.
Shame be unto thou...the 4-player adapter should have already been in
use for General Chaos!!!
> Puggsy (Sega CD, Complete) $10.
>
> Bought it because it was in great condition for only $10. I played it
> for a while yesterday, it seems like a very unorthodox platformer and
> its presentation is top notch. Unfortunately I cannot find any evidence
> of the reputed "high color" level/screen anywhere on the net.
It's out there, somewhere, just give me a bit more time to find it. It's
possible it's another Psygnosis title that does it, but let me see.
> Yet to arrive:
> Genesis:
> Beyond Oasis, $5
> *I am interested in trading my current cart with minor cart label damage
> to whoever wants it.*
I really enjoy it. Can't remember what I am in it though. Some of those
bosses, the sprites are just insanely huge!
> Thunder Force II (Boxed), $5
Managed to get this while getting fucked on the SMS lot I got off
CL...it really sucks(imagine Fantasy Zone, but overhead view).
Definitely not what I was expecting.
> Wonderboy in Monster World (Cart Only), $3
>
> I've never played this one for long, I'm looking forward to checking it
> out.
It's pretty good, much like the others were on SMS.
> Saturn:
> Alone in the Dark: One Eyed Jack's Revenge (Complete), $7
>
> I can't remember why I wanted this one other than that I think it
> predates Resident Evil, and wasn't sloppily ported from the PS1. Those
> are two bits of information I have yet to confirm though.
I can only dream of how slow it's gotta run. Even on the PC and Mac,
with a modern machine, the shit runs unbelievably slow.
> MS USB Sidewinder Wheel and Pedals, $29.50. Now I have two wheels and
> one set of pedals, neato. Which is Directly Sega Related because I'm
> going to use it on the HTPC/Mamebox for playing Sega Arcade and PC
> titles. I may even try out some console emulators with it at some point.
See, I told you it's impossible to just find the peddles on their own. ;)
> Grand Total: $79.50
> That's a hell of a lot more stuff than I could have gotten if I bought a
> "new" game this Christmas. Also, having the chance to online race Bel
> with a force feedback steering wheel in Outrun 2006 or Sega Rally Revo
> is priceless.
T'will be fun, fo show.
Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/
"It wasn't impossible to build rapture at the bottom of the sea, it was
impossible to build it anywhere else."
- Andrew Ryan, BioShock
BelPowerslave
> multiplayer.
Indeed. It runs in the Saturn's high-res mode and even supports 16X9, right?
> My copy of Mega Bomberman is... (checks) not complete. One of
> the later titles with the annoying cardboard box, right?
Yup.
> I liked Microcosm enough to want to check out the 3DO version after seeing
> it on the Sega CD.
Agreed, I'll bet it looks nice. I hear there's a Windows version and
that'd be the one to ultimately end up with, I think. Ought to play
decently with the mouse, I'd think.
> I have a very vivid memory of getting the Sega CDX and
> popping in that game, and then stunning my college roommates with the
> whizzy effects of the intro movie. :)
Perhaps there are two intros to the game? The one I've seen is
horrible...in that Resident Evil sorta way. ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd2bc4qVC3c
> You know, ever since Bel mentioned the light gun problem to me, I've been
> looking into it. Although all the old NTSC screens ran at a consistent 15
> Hz, HDTV units don't conform to a standard and might run as high as 120 Hz
> to create the effect of a smoother frame rate. We can't very well change
> the way TVs are manufactured, but we might be able to make a new light gun
> that works with the TV.
Well, *supposedly* that light gun that came out for the Silent Scope
series works on HDTVs. Aside from the Guncon, I think it's the only
other one the actually works.
> The fact of the matter is that all the 16-bit and
> 32-bit system light gun peripherals are cross-compatible, so it would only
> take one gun (and a series of slightly different encoders) to make that
> work for all the old systems. No promises, but if I figure it out I'll
> post more about it.
Would be bad-ass to use the Saturn Stunner for Genesis, Saturn and
Dreamcast...and hell, Xbox too(why not?). ;)
The light gun genre has always been one of my favorites, ever since
getting Virtua Cop and Virtua Cop 2 on Saturn. I played the *fuck* out
of those two, and started going back and getting my hands on every light
gun game I could find, no matter the system.
For the Genesis/Sega CD/32X I have both "Justifiers" from Konami.
For the Saturn I have the Stunner from Sega.
From the DC I don't have anything, but am trying to find my way to a
Japanese Stunner for it...I hear it works on most American games and
those that it doesn't, I could just get the import.
For the PSX I have the Guncon and some other gun(since the Guncon
doesn't work with all light gun games, unfortunately).
Don't have anything for the Xbox...but then, how many light gun games
were out on the system(2? HotD 3 and Silent Scope?).
Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/
"No one can beat me."
- Ryu Hayabusa, Ninja Gaiden
BelPowerslave
> say about it. Every year we take a minute to talk about the Sega-related
> goodies that we received (or bought for ourselves) as part of the yearly
> holiday celebration, and misuse a proper noun as an adjective. How Sega
> was your Christmas?
Believe it or not, actually quite a bit...
> My first holiday item is Phantasy Star Universe for the Xbox 360, which I
> picked up mostly for the sake of the collection. On the 360, this game is
> notably inferior to its PS2 and PC counterparts in that the all of the new
> content requires an online account, whereas the other platforms offer you
> the majority of the storyline offline in a way that requires no network
> connection or other annoying players.
Yeah, after previous conversations about the various versions, I went
with the PC one. I still don't have the expansion, so I haven't even
installed or tried the game yet. I figured I'd just wait until I found
it for about $5 and install them both before I got started. I think,
more than anything, the stuff they cut by making it a DLC-only expansion
on the 360 is what did it for me...
Now, you do know that you don't have to have a Gold account to play it
online, right? For some reason they will let you play it online with
just a Silver account(assuming you pay whatever Sega wants to get online
with it). Speaking of...you hear of any PSU homebrew servers?
> Still, the 360 version has its charm
> in better and more convincing graphics, at the price of more frequent
> slowdown.
Sounds like another "quality" port from Sega...
> I've already played through most of the content on the PS2, so I
> have no idea why I'm playing again apart from the dubious honor of earning
> more Xbox Live Gamerpoints.
Correction: *Worthless* Xbox Live Gamerpoints.
> Also, I'm finding Phantasy Star Zero on the
> Nintendo DS a much more worthy successor to PSO than PSU was.
Did you ever play PSO E3 on GC? I actually used to own in, during my
short stint with the system, but never actually popped it in before
selling off the system.
> Something I bought ages ago but never actually got around to enjoying was
> Hundred Swords, Sega's odd online RTS that ended up being published by
> Activision. A new PC in the house means that I can install it properly
> now, as the western markets never did get a copy of the Dreamcast version.
> RTS is a strange world to me, and it's something that's never actually
> clicked in my head as a reasonable leisure activity. Still, I'm hopeful
> that I'll figure it out eventually between this and Tom Clancy's Endwar
> (which I learned was developed by some of the talent that put together the
> Total War series.) Speaking of Total War, I discovered to my dismay that
> none of the current games in that series run under Windows 7, which means,
> they'll have to stay on my busted old Dell for the time being.
Do the Windows 7 Compatibility Modes not work?
> So the majority of my Sega purchases have been spread out over the year,
> rather than jammed into December like they have been in the past. This
> might be because the retro retail locations are stocking less of it. All
> 8-bit and 16-bit stuff is drying up, and used Dreamcast games are getting
> harder to find.
Agreed.
> Saturn games are also pretty uncommon now outside of
> online vendors, which is disappointing given how plentiful they have been
> in the past before.
I see quite a few of these around here, but they're all usually titles I
already own or have no real interest in. Shoot me a list of what you're
looking for at some point, I'll see what I can do.
> I'm also a little distressed that there hasn't been a
> big Sega release to sustain us through the month. Bayonetta got delayed,
> to name only one big game that was supposed to be jockeying for Christmas
> money.
Be sure to grab the "awesome" PS3 version when it does hit. ;)
> So my holiday didn't have as much Sega as it did before. How was yours?
Oddly enough, I pitched my Amazon Wish List towards the family and they
came up with some old school Sega games for me. I was utterly thrilled!
Marvel vs Capcom on DC
Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers on DC
Cutthroat Island on Genesis
WarpSpeed on Genesis
Alex Kidd and the Lost Stars on SMS
Sadly my current situation has me not able to actually play any of them
other than via emulation(for most, not all), but it was still great to
open up a Genesis game on Christmas day. Brought me back, way back...was
so very nice.
Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/
"Live every week like it's Shark Week"
- Tracy Jordan, 30 Rock
Scott H
> My favorite is still Saturn Bomberman on the strength of the ten-man
> multiplayer. My copy of Mega Bomberman is... (checks) not complete. One of
> the later titles with the annoying cardboard box, right?
It is. I haven't had the privilege of playing Saturn Bomberman. If I
had, I wouldn't have had the privilege of playing it with ten other
people. I enjoy Atomic Bomberman for the wacky sound effects and some
of the diseases really take it over the top. It's nothing entirely new
to the Bomberman series, it is just better executed than, say, DC or
XBLA Bomberman gameplay wise.
> I liked Microcosm enough to want to check out the 3DO version after seeing
> it on the Sega CD. I have a very vivid memory of getting the Sega CDX and
> popping in that game, and then stunning my college roommates with the
> whizzy effects of the intro movie. :)
Isn't that the one where you fight off germs in a body, sort of an
unlicensed "Inner Space"?
> You know, ever since Bel mentioned the light gun problem to me, I've
been
> looking into it. Although all the old NTSC screens ran at a consistent 15
> Hz, HDTV units don't conform to a standard and might run as high as 120 Hz
> to create the effect of a smoother frame rate. We can't very well change
> the way TVs are manufactured, but we might be able to make a new light gun
> that works with the TV. The fact of the matter is that all the 16-bit and
> 32-bit system light gun peripherals are cross-compatible, so it would only
> take one gun (and a series of slightly different encoders) to make that
> work for all the old systems. No promises, but if I figure it out I'll
> post more about it.
Man, you have no idea... wait you probably do know how badly I want to
play my light gun games, from the SMS through the Dreamcast, on my 40" RPTV.
> -KKC, tracking post-holiday shopping packages.
--
Scott
Scott H
>> Bouncers (Sega CD, Complete) $10.
>>
>> Finally, something I might actually use my 4-Player adapter for someday,
>> maybe.
>
> Shame be unto thou...the 4-player adapter should have already been in
> use for General Chaos!!!
That's one I still need to pick up. For the longest time I got it mixed
up with Military Madness! I didn't even realize that it was 4-Player.
>> Puggsy (Sega CD, Complete) $10.
>>
>> Bought it because it was in great condition for only $10. I played it
>> for a while yesterday, it seems like a very unorthodox platformer and
>> its presentation is top notch. Unfortunately I cannot find any evidence
>> of the reputed "high color" level/screen anywhere on the net.
>
> It's out there, somewhere, just give me a bit more time to find it. It's
> possible it's another Psygnosis title that does it, but let me see.
Man, I hope so. So far the highest color output of the Genesis is
something like 74 in Sonic 2.
>> Yet to arrive:
>> Genesis:
>> Beyond Oasis, $5
>> *I am interested in trading my current cart with minor cart label damage
>> to whoever wants it.*
>
> I really enjoy it. Can't remember what I am in it though. Some of those
> bosses, the sprites are just insanely huge!
It's a great game, I like it better than Crusader of Centy. I consider
Beyond Oasis the start of all of the more modern adventure titles that
became popular in the original Xbox days.
>> Thunder Force II (Boxed), $5
>
> Managed to get this while getting fucked on the SMS lot I got off
> CL...it really sucks(imagine Fantasy Zone, but overhead view).
> Definitely not what I was expecting.
Oh I've played it and didn't like how it seemed as slow as Gradius. I
seem to remember the graphics being a little better than TFIII, and I'd
like to have the soundtrack for cycling on my mp3 player.
What happened with the SMS lot? Did the glasses never start working?
>> Wonderboy in Monster World (Cart Only), $3
>>
>> I've never played this one for long, I'm looking forward to checking it
>> out.
>
> It's pretty good, much like the others were on SMS.
The bad taste I still have in my mouth for the ice skating gameplay of
the first one prevented me from trying any of the others back in the
day. More recently I've been wanting the Turbo versions more, but they
are way too expensive.
>> Saturn:
>> Alone in the Dark: One Eyed Jack's Revenge (Complete), $7
>>
>> I can't remember why I wanted this one other than that I think it
>> predates Resident Evil, and wasn't sloppily ported from the PS1. Those
>> are two bits of information I have yet to confirm though.
>
> I can only dream of how slow it's gotta run. Even on the PC and Mac,
> with a modern machine, the shit runs unbelievably slow.
It should just be 2D backgrounds with 3D characters. If it wasn't
ported from the PS1 it is exactly the type of game the Saturn was
designed for. I should be picking it up today.
>> MS USB Sidewinder Wheel and Pedals, $29.50. Now I have two wheels and
>> one set of pedals, neato. Which is Directly Sega Related because I'm
>> going to use it on the HTPC/Mamebox for playing Sega Arcade and PC
>> titles. I may even try out some console emulators with it at some point.
>
> See, I told you it's impossible to just find the peddles on their own. ;)
Yeah, but I sniped the hell out of this one, hopefully everything
arrives in one piece. Hopefully monoprice ships my 10' USB cables too!
>> Grand Total: $79.50
>> That's a hell of a lot more stuff than I could have gotten if I bought a
>> "new" game this Christmas. Also, having the chance to online race Bel
>> with a force feedback steering wheel in Outrun 2006 or Sega Rally Revo
>> is priceless.
>
> T'will be fun, fo show.
>
> Bel
--
Scott
Kendrick Kerwin Chua
BelPowerslave <b...@whipassgaming.com> wrote:
>
>> My first holiday item is Phantasy Star Universe for the Xbox 360
>
>online, right? For some reason they will let you play it online with
>just a Silver account(assuming you pay whatever Sega wants to get online
>with it). Speaking of...you hear of any PSU homebrew servers?
I have a two-year investment in the PC/PS2 servers that I wouldn't want to
give up if I got a new Guardian's license. Sega is supposed to wipe out
old data after 30 days, but I've heard anecdotally that people have
renewed months later to see their characters still intact. I haven't heard
anything about PSU homebrew servers, but I'm sure it's only a matter of
time if interest holds up.
>> Also, I'm finding Phantasy Star Zero on the
>> Nintendo DS a much more worthy successor to PSO than PSU was.
>
>Did you ever play PSO E3 on GC? I actually used to own in, during my
>short stint with the system, but never actually popped it in before
>selling off the system.
The card game? Yeah, I played it. It didn't click the first time around,
mostly because it takes like a *month* to play through any one mission.
Also, the balance of the game is skewed towards the good guys, who have an
advantage in game sequence that the bad guy player can't possibly defend
against. Still, the way it added to the PSO narrative was interesting in
the way that it added internal dissent to the Pioneer refugees.
<snip>
>> Total War series.) Speaking of Total War, I discovered to my dismay that
>> none of the current games in that series run under Windows 7, which means,
>> they'll have to stay on my busted old Dell for the time being.
>
>Do the Windows 7 Compatibility Modes not work?
Not for Total War, since it does some funny direct hardware access that
people were supposed to stop doing in Windows XP. The new one with
Napoleon that isn't part of the original trilogy does work under Win7, as
far as I know.
-KKC, venturing out to shop on the days after Christmas.
BelPowerslave
> had, I wouldn't have had the privilege of playing it with ten other
> people.
I got to do it *once*, when I was up in Seattle at the Lobotomy office.
It was a bunch of those guys and Knightmare(Dan Jevons) from GameFan.
Was pretty hip, they had it on this huge-ass RPTV that had to be, at
least, 50 inches. We also got to play 7-player Death Tank on that
thing...the utter chaos of it all...
> Isn't that the one where you fight off germs in a body, sort of an
> unlicensed "Inner Space"?
Not to edge KKC out, but yes, that's the one. It actually comes out
alright on the Sega CD, the FMV looks alright...it's the enemies that
look horrible(all sprite based and clash horribly with the FMV, you know
the kind).
> Man, you have no idea... wait you probably do know how badly I want to
> play my light gun games, from the SMS through the Dreamcast, on my 40"
> RPTV.
With my sudden enlightenment about our SideWinder Wheels(more on this
later on down the post), it makes me wonder if we could find a lightgun
that, somehow, had drivers for the PC...then one could use it, via
emulation, across *all* emulate-able consoles. See, *that* would be
nice. I don't really know of any lightguns for the PC though...and about
the only one I could really see anyone putting any time and effort would
be the Guncon.
Enlightenment: After picking up my MS SideWinder Wheel(complete with
pedals) for just $5 at a GoodWill store I was thrilled...but it never
really hit me as to just how many games I could now play using it. This
wasn't just for MAME titles(which is what I had originally bought it
for), this could be used for PC games as well(duh)...and you know what's
out on PC? Outrun 2006, Sega Rally Revo, SR Championship, etc.
So, now we've got all MAME and virtually every PC racer covered...but
something was missing. What about PSX, Genesis or any other console?
Yup, you can use the wheel on those too! Virtually every console that
can be emulated can make use of the wheel. I can play any given N64 game
with the wheel via Project 64, I can play any PSX title with the wheel
via ePSXe, any Genesis, SNES, etc. game.
It, literally, blew my mind...
Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/
"We aim to try."
- Deputy Clementine Johnson, Reno 911
BelPowerslave
> give up if I got a new Guardian's license. Sega is supposed to wipe out
> old data after 30 days, but I've heard anecdotally that people have
> renewed months later to see their characters still intact. I haven't heard
> anything about PSU homebrew servers, but I'm sure it's only a matter of
> time if interest holds up.
I figured with all the homebrew PSO servers that they'd hit PSU
eventually. In fact, I was shocked to see that people have WoW servers,
FF Online servers, etc. I *almost* want to get that FF Online "Ultimate"
pack that has the game and all expansions for just $19.99 right
now...just so I can join one of the free servers and try it out. Hell,
if it came with a month trial(does anyone know if it does?) I'd buy it
just to try it out...
> The card game? Yeah, I played it. It didn't click the first time around,
> mostly because it takes like a *month* to play through any one mission.
> Also, the balance of the game is skewed towards the good guys, who have an
> advantage in game sequence that the bad guy player can't possibly defend
> against. Still, the way it added to the PSO narrative was interesting in
> the way that it added internal dissent to the Pioneer refugees.
Being a card game...is it like Pokemon in any way? I've played a few of
those on the GB...and I gotta say, they're not bad.
> Not for Total War, since it does some funny direct hardware access that
> people were supposed to stop doing in Windows XP. The new one with
> Napoleon that isn't part of the original trilogy does work under Win7, as
> far as I know.
Though I hear Windows 7 is quite good...it's my obsession with PC gaming
that has me not wanting to upgrade at all. We just now finally got to a
point where most stuff has been re-released or patched to work via
XP...I'd hate to give all that up. If I couldn't Quake, Unreal, etc. to
work...I'd die.
Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/
"There's only one man who can help me!"
- Marty McFly, Back to the Future, Part II
BelPowerslave
> up with Military Madness! I didn't even realize that it was 4-Player.
It's so fucking awesome...even just alone it's so fucking awesome.
> Man, I hope so. So far the highest color output of the Genesis is
> something like 74 in Sonic 2.
Well, again, it's just a single static screen that does it, nothing
in-game...but just the fact that they managed to pull it off is impressive.
> It's a great game, I like it better than Crusader of Centy.
Oh man, CoC is so good too...I don't know that I could choose...well, I
guess I could, I'd go with CoC just because it's a lot easier.
> Oh I've played it and didn't like how it seemed as slow as Gradius. I
> seem to remember the graphics being a little better than TFIII, and I'd
> like to have the soundtrack for cycling on my mp3 player.
Does it ever get out of the overhead view and back to a vertical or
sidescrolling shooter? I could live with it if these Fantasy Zone-like
levels weren't the entire game...
> What happened with the SMS lot? Did the glasses never start working?
I'm still having issues...but I am going to try a few more things.
> The bad taste I still have in my mouth for the ice skating gameplay of
> the first one prevented me from trying any of the others back in the
> day. More recently I've been wanting the Turbo versions more, but they
> are way too expensive.
Magic Engine...;)
> It should just be 2D backgrounds with 3D characters. If it wasn't ported
> from the PS1 it is exactly the type of game the Saturn was designed for.
> I should be picking it up today.
I am trying to remember if it has any actual polygons in the backgrounds
and I just can't remember. I had AitD Trilogy on Mac, back when I had my
Mac but I just never got around to putting in much time with any of them.
> Yeah, but I sniped the hell out of this one, hopefully everything
> arrives in one piece. Hopefully monoprice ships my 10' USB cables too!
Did you ever manage to get an AC Adapter, or did this one come with one?
Wait until you see how some games(MotorHead, for example) use the rumble
to simulate the engine shaking the car. It's wild.
Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/
"You fuck with me one more time...I'm gonna fill a tube sock with
oranges. I'm gonna beat you 'till I juice'em. Then I'm gonna drink that
juice in front of you."
- Captain Rogers, Reno 911: Miami
Kendrick Kerwin Chua
BelPowerslave <b...@whipassgaming.com> wrote:
<on PSO Episode 3>
>> The card game? Yeah, I played it. It didn't click the first time around,
>> mostly because it takes like a *month* to play through any one mission.
>> Also, the balance of the game is skewed towards the good guys, who have an
>> advantage in game sequence that the bad guy player can't possibly defend
>> against. Still, the way it added to the PSO narrative was interesting in
>> the way that it added internal dissent to the Pioneer refugees.
>
>Being a card game...is it like Pokemon in any way? I've played a few of
>those on the GB...and I gotta say, they're not bad.
It's superficially like Pokemon in that you collect cards and build decks,
but a more apt metaphor would be YuGiOh. Instead of a general field of
play, you have something like a chessboard where you place summoned
creatures and items. Their placement determines the sequence of combat and
delays the damage to your character.
>> Not for Total War, since it does some funny direct hardware access that
>> people were supposed to stop doing in Windows XP. The new one with
>> Napoleon that isn't part of the original trilogy does work under Win7, as
>> far as I know.
>
>Though I hear Windows 7 is quite good...it's my obsession with PC gaming
>that has me not wanting to upgrade at all. We just now finally got to a
>point where most stuff has been re-released or patched to work via
>XP...I'd hate to give all that up. If I couldn't Quake, Unreal, etc. to
>work...I'd die.
A lot of backward compatibility is built-in to Win7 already, and Microsoft
has a good list of documented issues. It's on their website somewhere to
look up game compatibility specifically, but I don't have the URL handy.
I'll post it again if I find it before someone beats me to it.
-KKC, the only person in his office on a Monday morning between holidays.
Scott H
>> Man, I hope so. So far the highest color output of the Genesis is
>> something like 74 in Sonic 2.
>
crate 1024 simultaneous colors. It's the image that I'm using for my
color count icons now (with the colors scaled down to suit each 64 color
range.
>
>> It's a great game, I like it better than Crusader of Centy.
>
> Oh man, CoC is so good too...I don't know that I could choose...well, I
> guess I could, I'd go with CoC just because it's a lot easier.
I like both to be sure.
>> Oh I've played it and didn't like how it seemed as slow as Gradius. I
>> seem to remember the graphics being a little better than TFIII, and I'd
>> like to have the soundtrack for cycling on my mp3 player.
>
> Does it ever get out of the overhead view and back to a vertical or
> sidescrolling shooter? I could live with it if these Fantasy Zone-like
> levels weren't the entire game...
It is a free flying overhead shooter and a forced side scrolling shooter
depending on what level you are on. Fantasy Zone was all side
scrolling, but let you go backward and forward. The only other shooters
I've played like the overhead section of TFII are Herzog Zwei, Star
Flight and Star Control.
>> The bad taste I still have in my mouth for the ice skating gameplay of
>> the first one prevented me from trying any of the others back in the
>> day. More recently I've been wanting the Turbo versions more, but they
>> are way too expensive.
>
> Magic Engine...;)
ME's uneven audio instrument volume problems blows me out every time I
try to play something on it. It's good for a test, but I just can't
tolerate it for a full play through.
> I am trying to remember if it has any actual polygons in the backgrounds
> and I just can't remember. I had AitD Trilogy on Mac, back when I had my
> Mac but I just never got around to putting in much time with any of them.
It's 2D backgrounds with (really bad) 3D characters. The gameplay has
already ruined this one for me. It is actually more difficult to aim
and shoot than RE1 if you can believe it. What's worse is that all of
the enemies have weapons and once they start opening fire you just don't
have time to aim anymore.
>> Yeah, but I sniped the hell out of this one, hopefully everything
>> arrives in one piece. Hopefully monoprice ships my 10' USB cables too!
>
> Did you ever manage to get an AC Adapter, or did this one come with one?
> Wait until you see how some games(MotorHead, for example) use the rumble
> to simulate the engine shaking the car. It's wild.
>
> Bel
Rats! I had forgotten about that AC adapter, this one didn't come with
one either. Ah well, I can just go and snag that adapter for my universal.
--
Scott
BelPowerslave
> crate 1024 simultaneous colors. It's the image that I'm using for my
> color count icons now (with the colors scaled down to suit each 64 color
> range.
Yeah, it looks a lot like that, from what I remember. I really hope I am
remembering correctly...I swear that I am. It's like that trick I was
telling you about, that allowed devs to make huge, full screen-sized
sprites with no slowdown(initially used in one of the Power Ranger or VR
games, and then in the incredible "VF Anime" game) on the Game Gear...I
saw it in a magazine, which is where I think I heard about this one.
> It is a free flying overhead shooter and a forced side scrolling shooter
> depending on what level you are on.
Ah, ok, it's good to hear that there are, at least, some side scrolling
levels.
> Fantasy Zone was all side scrolling,
> but let you go backward and forward.
Yeah, I've got it on the Genesis and played most of them on the SMS as
well. Just don't like switching directions and whatnot.
> The only other shooters I've played
> like the overhead section of TFII are Herzog Zwei, Star Flight and Star
> Control.
I've not ever run in to anything like it. Speaking of shooters though,
did you know that Panzer Dragoon Mini is now playable via Kega Fusion?
They managed to fix the varying refresh rates that KKC mentioned a long
while back. You really ought to give it a shot, it's damn impressive. I
also broke out something called "GG Aleste", thinking it would be like
MUSHA or Robo-Aleste...and it is, but just with a ship rather than a
mech-like flyer. Really good stuff. The GG continues to amaze me...
> ME's uneven audio instrument volume problems blows me out every time I
> try to play something on it. It's good for a test, but I just can't
> tolerate it for a full play through.
Hmmmmm, I guess I haven't run in to that just yet. Are you using the
most recent version? Granted, it has a lot of issues...and I haven't
played a lot of titles in it, but the few I have(I play a lot of Double
Dragon II and Batman) seem to be pretty rock-solid in terms of emulation.
> It's 2D backgrounds with (really bad) 3D characters. The gameplay has
> already ruined this one for me. It is actually more difficult to aim and
> shoot than RE1 if you can believe it.
I can...now that you mention the horrid control, it's all coming back. I
remember loading up on, back on the Mac, and making it to an enemy only
to give up after that encounter. ;)
> What's worse is that all of the
> enemies have weapons and once they start opening fire you just don't
> have time to aim anymore.
Yup. About the only AitD I've liked is that one on DC...good stuff. I
hear that, after the patch, the one on PC/360 is pretty good.
> Rats! I had forgotten about that AC adapter, this one didn't come with
> one either. Ah well, I can just go and snag that adapter for my universal.
Yeah, that'd work. Sometimes I have the rumble enabled, sometimes
not...without it, the wheel won't fight you when you make a turn.
Bel
--
Whip Ass Gaming: http://www.whipassgaming.com/
"Of course he had a gun. This is Texas! Everybody has a gun. My florist
has a gun!"
- Kathy Morningside, Miss Congeniality
Ted
Christmas Illumination event spaces in the Playstation Home Japanese and
Asian servers. Didn't actually attend the event so I didn't get the
glasses gift tho.