catching up again with the SEGA Genesis library

[ComputerSpaceFan]

What a coincidence (thread bump) , I just hooked up my Genny again this weekend - been playing Twin Cobra, Maximum Carnage, and 32X Golf Magazine 36 great holes (all of which I bought last week on a trip to Exchange).

 

Hey Cafeman, glad to see this older thread resurface.

In the past few months, I got me a Genesis2 and a 32X and I have been enjoying them immenseley. Always looking for 32X recommendations (so far I only have Star Wars and Virtua Racing and someday hope to get Shadow Squadron) so any you can pass along like your posting above would be awesome.

[+Cafeman]

Hey Cafeman, glad to see this older thread resurface.

In the past few months, I got me a Genesis2 and a 32X and I have been enjoying them immenseley. Always looking for 32X recommendations (so far I only have Star Wars and Virtua Racing and someday hope to get Shadow Squadron) so any you can pass along like your posting above would be awesome.

 

I saw 2 32X games during my visit to the Squirrel Hill Exchange today - a wrestling title, and BC Racers which was $15, too much for me considering I didn't like it much back in the day when I played it.

 

My quickie recommendations on 32x: Star Wars and Virtua Racing Deluxe are 2 of my favorites. Expecially VRD. Star Wars gets too difficult so I never beat it - but playing 2-player simultaneous (one person aims and shoots, the other steers the ship) makes it easier. Doom was really fun if that's your thing and don't already own a superior version.

 

I used to malign Moto Cross 32x, but now I think its fun. I used to malign Golf Magazine presents 36 Great Holes starring Fred Couples - but now, to be honest, I find it a fun and quick-moving golf game. It doesn't have the greatest visuals or sound or features, but it is very playable. Plus the landscape isn't all flat like on Genesis golf games. You'll grow tired of hearing ole Fred say the same thing every hole "Move it up a little". Like what's that mean?

 

Myself, I'd like to get a copy of Knuckles Chaotix again. Not as playable as Sonic the Hedgehog 1/2/3 but it had its moments. A very unique experience with pretty fun 3D 'virtua-ish" bonus levels too. Good use of color, far more colorful than any Genesis game.

[the.golden.ax]

Not sure if I mentioned it before but my son and I have enjoyed both the Tempo on 32x and Saturn recently. Highly recommended!

 

AX

[Chuck D. Head]

@Cafeman - Great thread! I love things like this to give me game selections when I don't know what I want to play.

 

@Ax - Tempo is one of my favorite platformers; I need to clean up my 32X and set it up (as soon as I get time

[VicViper]

I've been trying to track down alot of the better sega shooters the last few weeks. Just got a shiny complete copy of Hellfire of the ebay today, the game is a BEAST. haven't gotten past the pharoah boss on stage 2 yet . A few other great titles I've been playing-

 

Outrun- Used to play this all the time at a local restaraunt when I was a kid. still a great racer.

I

nsector X- Pretty decent shooter.

 

Lightening Force- This game was a monster to beat, even WITH the 99 live cheat code. Beautiful scrolling effects, probably the prettiest shooter on the system.

 

Burning Force- A Namco port, very similair to Space harrier. The first stage of each area is motorcycle, then Aircraft. there are awesome power ups, and little jump pads to pop you in the air when your on the motor bike. Each area ends with a bonus round where you are trying to collect bonus points. Check this one out, It surprised me.

 

Someone mentioned Air buster a few posts back. I played the TG16 port (Aero Blasters) and loved this game. the music was awesome.

 

I'm waiting for a copy of Elemental master to show up in the mail. trying to track down all the Renovation shooters before the prices go way up .

[Austin]

I'm waiting for a copy of Elemental master to show up in the mail. trying to track down all the Renovation shooters before the prices go way up .

 

Haha, I don't know if that will ever happen. Actually, I think Elemental Master used to be worth more in the past, but it seems you can get CIB copies from $10 - $15 now. Still, it's a great game and definitely worth the price!

[VicViper]

I'm waiting for a copy of Elemental master to show up in the mail. trying to track down all the Renovation shooters before the prices go way up .

 

Haha, I don't know if that will ever happen. Actually, I think Elemental Master used to be worth more in the past, but it seems you can get CIB copies from $10 - $15 now. Still, it's a great game and definitely worth the price!

I don't know, alot of the sega games have krept up a bit lately, especially complete in box. I couldn't snag a CIB truxton for less then twenty when I was looking a month ago. a few years back, they were everywhere for nothing.

[CGQuarterly]

Fire Shark and Truxton are both pretty good shooters on the Genny.

 

Chris

[+Cafeman]

On my most recent Genesis trip, I picked up Desert Strike, Jungle Strike, and Target Earth. I remember how popular the Strike series was but I never got into it. Playing it now, it still isn't my thing - mission-based flying & shoot targets accurately. Nice graphics and significant depth the the gameplay - I haven't had enough time to get good at these games yet.

 

I haven't tried Target Earth yet, because I had already put the Genny away on the day I found it. I played it years ago at a friend's house, I remember it gets rather difficult. I think the Japanese name is Assault Suit Leynos and I remember an import-only sequel on either Saturn or DC, but I never played that. Next time I hook up the Genny I'll play these more and report back.

[Cobra Kai]

I also just recently decided to start collecting Genesis again. I had sold about half my games a few years ago to raise money for something. I still had about 100 boxed games even after that purge, including a mint MUSHA. I'm glad I kept that one around.

 

So, I have a few used-game stores around my area and all those complete Genesis games are always right there in my face, so I decided to start collecting again. The great thing about Genesis, and a huge advantage it has for the collector is it's still easy to find complete games in great condition, and you don't have to pay a fortune for the privilege either. Last weekend I landed a whole bunch of games, not all complete, but all at least in the box:

• Vapor Trail
  
• Traysia
  
• Earnest Evans
  
• Caliber .50
  
• Midnight Resistance
  
• Revenge of Shinobi
  
• Space Harrier II
  
• Phelios
  
• Genghis Khan II
  

So, I probably paid around $40-50 for all those. I couldn't pass on the Renovation titles I didn't have yet, even though I knew that Earnest Evans was awful, I still wanted it. But I buttressed my shmup collection a bit with some good titles, and added a game to my growing KOEI games collection with Genghis Khan II. Vapor Trail is one nice little shmup, I'm very happy with that pickup.

[VicViper]

I also just recently decided to start collecting Genesis again. I had sold about half my games a few years ago to raise money for something. I still had about 100 boxed games even after that purge, including a mint MUSHA. I'm glad I kept that one around.

 

So, I have a few used-game stores around my area and all those complete Genesis games are always right there in my face, so I decided to start collecting again. The great thing about Genesis, and a huge advantage it has for the collector is it's still easy to find complete games in great condition, and you don't have to pay a fortune for the privilege either. Last weekend I landed a whole bunch of games, not all complete, but all at least in the box:

• Vapor Trail
  
• Traysia
  
• Earnest Evans
  
• Caliber .50
  
• Midnight Resistance
  
• Revenge of Shinobi
  
• Space Harrier II
  
• Phelios
  
• Genghis Khan II
  

So, I probably paid around $40-50 for all those. I couldn't pass on the Renovation titles I didn't have yet, even though I knew that Earnest Evans was awful, I still wanted it. But I buttressed my shmup collection a bit with some good titles, and added a game to my growing KOEI games collection with Genghis Khan II. Vapor Trail is one nice little shmup, I'm very happy with that pickup.

I am QUITE jealous of that IB vapor trail you have there. the only copy of that game I have found within a days drive was at a Play-n-Trade in Buffalo. It was beat, and they wanted 20.00 bucks for it, loose.

[Bloodreign]

Ristar- the game starts you off nice and easy, but by world 3, you'll start pulling hair out, especially the Simon Says type miniboss, still a great title.

 

Alisia Dragoon - I picked this up on a whim after trying the ROM out, and going to two game shops (Play N Trade and the now closed Game Over, shucks there goes my hard to get games connection) and finally finding it after spotting it days before. Game's awesome, and highly underrated.

 

Strider- I've never beaten this sucker on the Genesis due to the continue limit, but have on the PS1 Strider 1/2 combo pack. A wonderful early Genesis title that I wrote off for years (spoiled to the NES version, doesn't seem so hot this NES version now), but once I sank my teeth into the game, it felt good.

 

Chiki Chiki Boys - another game I succumb to the continue limit on, an excellent port of the Capcom arcade game, large sprites seemingly as big as the arcades. I have seen this one played through, doesn't have the seizure inducing flashing ending the arcade version has.

 

Revenge of Shinobi - recently picked this one up, got unlucky as it's Rev 1.1, I really need practice at this one, first boss embarrasses the hell out of me.

 

Dynamite Headdy - I forgot I had seen this one in the wild months before at a pawn shop, shockingly it never sold till I bought it very recently. I can get to the third stage in this one, but no further, this and Ristar really make me want to throw someone through a wall, love both games to death though.

 

Found this thread at the perfect time, I'm on one hell of a Genesis kick with Rocket Knight Adventure being a recent play. I can't stop playing a system that as a Nintendo kid loathed the hell out of, I was crazy I tell you (I got my first model 2 Genesis in 98, a year or so ago I got a model 1 w/o the high definition label).

Edited March 1, 2012 by Bloodreign

[+Cafeman]

Picked up a number of games and finally had some time to hook up the system and play. First up: Sunsoft's Superman.

 

First of all, I really like the soundtrack and evidently others do too!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLUpeHw7rlg

 

 

It isn't exactly what we might think of as Superman music, but its good.

 

To enjoy this game, you have to play it the way it is meant to be played. Mostly Supes walks, leaps, and punches. The neat thing is that his leap into the air is like a Dragon Punch and kills flying enemies if you do it right; likewise, he can trample enemies under his Super-Boots on the way back down - *if* you do it right, which I'm not sure I ever figured out how to constently do it. I think the collision rules are this: if the enemy hits Superman's fist or feet, it is destroyed, but if it contacts any other part (even his ankles or side of hand) YOU get hurt.

 

I disliked this game ever since it came out, but I'm looking for the good here. The animation is good, the music is good, the controls are learnable. The level design is crappy and hit-tastic, and the difficulty is off the charts. Everything must be shellacked with Kryptonite because Supes is easily hurt by things like a guy running across the roof. In the flying level, I think Krypto-fish are what are killing me off. FISH! Still, the absurdity is easily dismissed , it's just a 16-bit game right? I'm enjoying it but (as with the Incredible Hulk game for Genesis) I'm not sure if I'll defeat the difficult memorization-heavy levels before I just call it quits. I couldnt' find any cheat codes online for this game either.

 

I haven't gotten to the space shooter section but it looks awesome to me! Here is a mismash of some visuals from the game including the end because I know nobody else beat it.

Edited March 12, 2012 by Cafeman

[+Cafeman]

One of the moves in Superman is a spin move. Very very much reminiscent of in the film Superman: The Movie, when Superman spins and drills down into the ground. If you think of Superman in 1991 or 1992 when this was created, the only reference other than the comics would have been the 4 Christopher Reeve moves. There was no "Superman The Animated series" or "Justice League" yet. Superman hadn't been killed yet; I'm not sure the long-hair / different-costume version of Superman had even been invented yet. Anyway, the main villain in this game is Braniac, sporting a goatee which makes him look like a demented magician. Perhaps that is how he was being depicted in the comics. Myxlptlk is here too. "Prankster" is here but I don't know that character. After defeating Myxlptlk as the level 1 boss, the art shows Superman defeating a man who looks nothing like the little imp. Strange.

 

So, the total number of moves for Superman that I've experienced is - (Normal moves) -- punch, leaping shoryukin style punch, descend-from-leap boot kick.

Super moves require the meter in lower right of screen to be filled or semi-filled, and only 1 can be active; to switch, Supes has to grab an icon;

- Super-Punch (good for taking out bosses and steel doors in particular);

- Super-Spin into the ground (to make progress in some levels);

- Heat Vision - during flying levels. You don't seem to run out, thankfully.

 

After giving this game a fair chance, I find ... it's more fun than newer Superman games. "Superman Returns" at first looks awesome on X360, but quickly becomes dull to me. I prefer the 16-bit mold of this dated, unpopular game!

 

Other games I picked up and might comment on soon: Target Earth (hard! can't get past 2nd mission); Whip Rush (shooter); Air Diver (pretty horrible Afterburner ripoff; Thunderforce II (which I'd never played before! I love shmups by the way); Burning Force (Namco-programmed ripoff of Space Harrier); Batman (I owned before but ironicly fried the cart trying to prevent my dog from doing the same by pulling the cables out .. glad I found it again, only $5.00 too). Elemental Master too which was new to me.

 

Had a nice time last night listening to Bob FM (mix of 80's / classic rock & pop) , drinking Jack on the rocks, and Goo Gone'ing the price stickers off my genny carts.

[+Cafeman]

I've been trying to track down alot of the better sega shooters the last few weeks. Just got a shiny complete copy of Hellfire of the ebay today, the game is a BEAST. haven't gotten past the pharoah boss on stage 2 yet .

 

==> I've only seen Hellfire 1 time, and it is boxed and $20 locally. I didn't bite. But hearing about a tough pharoah boss makes me want to.

 

A few other great titles I've been playing- Outrun- Used to play this all the time at a local restaraunt when I was a kid. still a great racer.

 

I passed on this many times because I own it on Master System, Saturn (arcade perfect), and on Outrun2 for Xbox. So I finally got around to buying it last week and it figures ... the cart is bad, it boots up but the graphics/tiles/character sets are all whacked out. Gonna return it and get another copy.

 

Insector X- Pretty decent shooter.

Lightening Force- This game was a monster to beat, even WITH the 99 live cheat code. Beautiful scrolling effects, probably the prettiest shooter on the system.

==> I've owned Lightening Force for years. I've never beaten it. Guess I should look up the 99 live cheat code and try again. I had forgotten about Insector X, gotta keep my eyes peeled for that next time.

 

Burning Force- A Namco port, very similair to Space harrier. The first stage of each area is motorcycle, then Aircraft. there are awesome power ups, and little jump pads to pop you in the air when your on the motor bike. Each area ends with a bonus round where you are trying to collect bonus points. Check this one out, It surprised me.

 

==> I just picked this up too. Only played it for a little while so far, but it surprised me, too. Namco's reputation for good graphics and gameplay is proven true for this game too.

 

Someone mentioned Air buster a few posts back. I played the TG16 port (Aero Blasters) and loved this game. the music was awesome.

I'm waiting for a copy of Elemental master to show up in the mail. trying to track down all the Renovation shooters before the prices go way up .

 

Air Busters has been mentioned a bunch of times in this thread. I never see it in the wild. I just got Elemental Master for the first time (I didn't realize it was a Renovation shooter until now). I'm saving it for a little later.

[the.golden.ax]

I've actually been able to find two Air Busters in the wild around here. Kept one, and sold the other to Chris Leach IIRC. Fantastic game, was a fan of the TG16 version first back in the day. Wacky yellow box for that American version. They do tend to be on the high priced side if you find someone that knows what it is. In both occurrences locally it was in a bulk lot so it wasn't so bad overall.

[Chris Leach]

I bought that form you ax and gave it to my buddy Carl...then he went and sold all of his genny collection to some local store....so there is one for sale at a local shop now in my area!

[+FujiSkunk]

A few other great titles I've been playing- Outrun- Used to play this all the time at a local restaraunt when I was a kid. still a great racer.

I passed on this many times because I own it on Master System, Saturn (arcade perfect), and on Outrun2 for Xbox. So I finally got around to buying it last week and it figures ... the cart is bad, it boots up but the graphics/tiles/character sets are all whacked out.

 

You're not really missing a whole lot, especially if you have the Saturn version. I'm really not all that impressed with the Genesis version. It looks beautiful in screenshots, and it's definitely a good challenge to play, but there are too many little things about it that feel off to me, not the least of which is the relatively low frame rate. Even the background jumps back and forth as you're navigating the curves.

Edited March 13, 2012 by FujiSkunk

[+Cafeman]

I returned the faulty Outrun, I took it back at lunch, got Gauntlet IV instead. I know how the Genesis fake-scales things (jumping objects). I was curious how the Genny sound chip would produce the classic Outrun tunes.

[Chris Leach]

I remember playing Advanced Dungeons and Dragons on the Genesis forever and never accomplishing jack cept for the beating of the mayans or incans if I recall...Never could get past that.....maybe should give er another go to....?

[+FujiSkunk]

I returned the faulty Outrun, I took it back at lunch, got Gauntlet IV instead. I know how the Genesis fake-scales things (jumping objects). I was curious how the Genny sound chip would produce the classic Outrun tunes.

 

Not very well. That's another of the little things that chip away at the game's quality, in my opinion. However, in the music's case I blame bad programming more than hardware limitations. "Last Wave" (the high score theme) is played an octave too low, and the other tunes seem to be missing notes here and there throughout the song.

[the.golden.ax]

I just picked up a Gauntlet IV from PnT about 10 days ago, haven't tried it yet. Was hoping to dig out my 4-player adapter. It was CIB for $7.99! Plus I worked it in on a buy 2 get 1 sale with RayCrisis PSX and Final Doom for PSX (what I really wanted). Not bad for $16 after taxes and discounts. It isn't in super shape (little flaws) so I've been considering selling it. But I'll at least give it a go first. I could have put it on my Everdrive anytime but for some reason never did.

 

 

[Austin]

I could have put it on my Everdrive anytime but for some reason never did.

 

That's the funny thing about owning flash carts. The opportunity is there to play nearly any game in the Genesis library, but I sometimes find myself not trying the games until I get an actual copy. Weird.

[Atariboy]

I actually thought Outrun reproduced the music pretty well. It's one of the best parts of the release (And there is a nice original song added in as well that fits in well). But maybe I just don't have the ear to pick out the flaws in it.

 

I won't say what it is (We'll see how quick Cafeman notices it), but the sound effects are a far worse area for me (Something basic isn't there that should be there ). And the choppy scrolling hurts it significantly in the gameplay department.

 

Hard to go back to the Genesis ports of Outrun and Super Hang-On these days. The choppy scrolling has led to both not aging well at all compared to the arcade games they were based on that ran fast and smoothly.Especially after activating the 60fps in the Saturn Outrun conversion, the Genesis port really starts to show its age and the limitations of the hardware.

 

I just hope Super Hang-On gets released someday (The arcade version was announced for digital release about a year ago and has been rated by the ESRB for ages, but it has yet to be released). Until then, the nice GBA port will have to suffice.

Edited March 14, 2012 by Atariboy

[+FujiSkunk]

I actually thought Outrun reproduced the music pretty well. It's one of the best parts of the release (And there is a nice original song added in as well that fits in well). But maybe I just don't have the ear to pick out the flaws in it.

 

It's not bad, it's just lacking compared to what they could and should have done. My opinion, of course.

 

Coincidentally I recently wrote a review that does a little comparison between the C-64 and Genesis versions. Despite missing a lot of features and running on much weaker hardware, I actually like the Commodore version more.

 

Of course the Saturn version trumps them all, especially the 60fps mode you mentioned.