What have you been up to lately with your Genesis / Mega Drive?

[Tanooki]

Yes I got one each at two local stores nearly across the street from each other. They’re usually out of my way other than once a week so I lucked out.  Just like the earlier post from Wednesday, of the five I got that is across town and indirect so it’s quarterly at best there. 

[Chris+++]

32 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

Yes I got one each at two local stores nearly across the street from each other. They’re usually out of my way other than once a week so I lucked out.  Just like the earlier post from Wednesday, of the five I got that is across town and indirect so it’s quarterly at best there. 

 

Solid! I don't think we have any stores left in Albuquerque that carry classic games. There's the occasional thrift-store or flea-market find, but beyond that, it's the Internets (TM).

 

 

[Tanooki]

2 hours ago, Chris+++ said:

 

Solid! I don't think we have any stores left in Albuquerque that carry classic games. There's the occasional thrift-store or flea-market find, but beyond that, it's the Internets (TM).

 

 

That's rough.  I'm not cold turkey but I've largely swore off using ebay.  It's just far too easy to get sucked in for hours to then barely save any money while also having a constant feed of crap that financially and burden wise(time, space, etc) that goes too far.  If there's one I really want and don't care to wait another 1-5 years to wait short of dumb luck, I'm going local as it presents some interesting variety at a better price and spread out leaves time for actual use which is nice.  The finding time i need to, with the 2 yesterday, the 5 the day before, and a few others found locally within a weeks of days before that my shelf got loaded.  And that excludes some internet stuff in trade largely, even have a box a friend put out hours ago that has Aladdin inside of it along with a couple SNES titles too.  I'm enjoying this less stressful and life sucking way about it, it's almost retro, where on a little budget the kid finds a store, buys an item or a few, or when utterly done trades a friend as some did in the day (I didn't) and has an experience that's more worthwhile.

[DragonGrafx-16]

Last game I played in mine was Lightening Force (Thunder Force IV).  But I've been mostly distracted by my C64 for the last month or so.

[Tanooki]

I put a little bit of time on Joe & Mac and Test Drive II which both game in the mail and found locally today respectively.  Good games all around.

[newtmonkey]

Phantasy Star II

Wow, big difficulty spike in Uzo!  I hate grinding in RPGs (defined as, walking around in circles to earn money, etc.), so I've just been buying stuff as I can afford it naturally through exploration... I might be a bit underequipped, or I might need to load up on healing items since I blow through TPs so quickly.  Pretty annoying place to map, also!

[+jeremiahjt]

11 hours ago, newtmonkey said:

Phantasy Star II

Wow, big difficulty spike in Uzo!  I hate grinding in RPGs (defined as, walking around in circles to earn money, etc.), so I've just been buying stuff as I can afford it naturally through exploration... I might be a bit underequipped, or I might need to load up on healing items since I blow through TPs so quickly.  Pretty annoying place to map, also!

Yep, that does not seem like a fun one to map.  Have you made it to the top at all yet?

 

Honestly with you taking the time to map everything, that should take care of a lot of experience and meseta grinding.

[DeathAdderSF]

I applied the enhanced colors and PCM driver fix patches to Super Street Fighter II the other day, and had a go on my NTSC-modded Mega PC card. Très cool !

 

I actually hadn't played anything on the Genesis in quite some time, so it was a refreshing revisit to my favorite home console. I also started up Sonic 3, but just to listen to some of those dope tracks via the sound test.

[Steven Pendleton]

4 minutes ago, DeathAdderSF said:

I also started up Sonic 3, but just to listen to some of those dope tracks via the sound test.

lol that up up down down up up up up code is ridiculously hard to enter to get to that level select screen. I wonder if it's even possible on Saturn for normal humans.

[DeathAdderSF]

3 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

lol that up up down down up up up up code is ridiculously hard to enter to get to that level select screen.

 

Indeed. That's why I used a Game Genie code instead.

Edited April 26, 2022 by DeathAdderSF

[newtmonkey]

On 4/26/2022 at 7:49 AM, jeremiahjt said:

Yep, that does not seem like a fun one to map.  Have you made it to the top at all yet?

 

Honestly with you taking the time to map everything, that should take care of a lot of experience and meseta grinding.

I finally cleared this dungeon!  It actually was not as long/complicated as I was fearing, and although I kept putting it off, I ultimately got through most of it in a single long session last night.  I don't know if this is how the game plans it, but the final tree I found ended up being the actual one I needed!

 

It ended up being not too difficult to map, thanks to the sensible layout (note how the mountain fits neatly into vertical levels).  The only part I had to redraw was the portion left of the waterfall through one of the doors, as I didn't realize at first that both mountains connect in the middle.

 

I was able to earn enough exploring to get everyone equipped with their best stuff from Piata, and my main character reached level 15.

 

So far, I really like this game but it feels quite slow making progress and mapping it is not trivial.  I might take a break from this one for a short while and play something simpler like Super Mario RPG.

Edited April 27, 2022 by newtmonkey

[+jeremiahjt]

19 minutes ago, newtmonkey said:

I finally cleared this dungeon!  It actually was not as long/complicated as I was fearing, and although I kept putting it off, I ultimately got through most of it in a single long session last night.  I don't know if this is how the game plans it, but the final tree I found ended up being the actual one I needed!

 

It ended up being not too difficult to map, thanks to the sensible layout (note how the mountain fits neatly into vertical levels).  The only part I had to redraw was the portion left of the waterfall through one of the doors, as I didn't realize at first that both mountains connect in the middle.

 

I was able to earn enough exploring to get everyone equipped with their best stuff from Piata, and my main character reached level 15.

 

So far, I really like this game but it feels quite slow making progress and mapping it is not trivial.  I might take a break from this one for a short while and play something simpler like Super Mario RPG.

Nice map. Since I used a map and went straight to the correct tree, I do not know what happens when you go to the wrong tree. Does it not give you anything? Does it give you a fake leaf?

[newtmonkey]

@jeremiahjt

It just tells you, "this looks like the right tree, but it isn't" lol

So, a total waste of time.

[+jeremiahjt]

14 minutes ago, newtmonkey said:

@jeremiahjt

It just tells you, "this looks like the right tree, but it isn't" lol

So, a total waste of time.

That is not too bad. It would have sucked if it gave you a fake leaf, but did not tell you it was fake until you got it back and tried to make the gum out of it. Or even worse, let you make the gum but have the gum not work when you tried to use it.

[newtmonkey]

@jeremiahjt

Good point!  That would have been horrible, and it seems just like the kind of thing this brutal game would do 

 

[+jgkspsx]

I’ve been playing @Gemintronic’s War in the Machine:

 

(Note: in my version you play as a different ship, and Sinistar and the Bosconian station attack you the way the red ships in this video do.)

The controls are mind warping but a lot of fun. The music is catchy and gets stuck in my head. And the 3D works surprisingly well! There are very few copies available from GDG. I think it’s only available physically right now.

[+jeremiahjt]

On 4/20/2022 at 9:09 AM, jeremiahjt said:

Nope, no ROM cart for me, but the manager at the local game store bought a cartridge of it and said I could borrow it. That is the main reason I have been wanting to play it again. I figured I should at least play the original before I try the Arcade Edition.

I borrowed the Mortal Kombat Arcade Edition cartridge, I played through Mortal Kombat (on Very Easy, nothing special) and then played through the Arcade Edition.  There were some noticeable differences, but honestly I would have never noticed if I was not looking for them.

 

One thing that caught me off guard was that after I defeated Shang Tsung, I went straight into a battle with Ermac.  Now I never really played the Mortal Kombat sequels, but I have heard of Ermac.  I am pretty sure he was never in the first Mortal Kombat game though.

 

I also wanted to fight Reptile so I made that happen.  I did beat Reptile.

 

Afterwards I put the original cartridge back in to try to fight Reptile there.  I was not able to get to him.  I had the cheat mode enabled, so the stuff flew in front of the moon.  I did a double flawless with a fatality twice, but no Reptile.  Is there are certain skill level you have to be on to fight Reptile?  I got points for the Fatality, but I do not think I got them for the Double Flawless.  I am also 99% sure I did not block at all.

[+jeremiahjt]

On 4/20/2022 at 12:08 AM, jeremiahjt said:

I am currently trying to get through Altered Beast without using a continue.

I finally beat Altered Beast without using a continue. I was down to my last life, but I still had all my health, or at least almost all, left.

 

Not sure if I will put another Genesis game in rotation or just try to finish Phantasy Star III. I did just pick up Aero the Acro-Bat 2 and Earthworm Jim 2, so I could start one of those series. Although I only have the first Aero the Acro-Bat on Super NES.

 

I know Earthworm Jim is a much better thought of series, but I did find Zero: The Kamikaze Squirrel quite enjoyable. Or I could finally go back to Ristar.

[envytomdead2]

I have been on an ESWAT kick with a little bit of Shinobi 3

[+jeremiahjt]

22 hours ago, jeremiahjt said:

Or I could finally go back to Ristar.

I went with Ristar. Made it to the first stage of the fourth world tonight.

[Tanooki]

I've had a few Genesis local pickups lately that were quite a surprise such as CIB copies of Outrun 2019, Outunners, and Lion King which I've put a little time on, and I got my first MD title Magical Taruruuto-kun which is by Gamefreak, a few years before they went full on pokemon and it's pretty fun, colorful, well animated for sure as a nice platforming action title.

[Asaki]

On 4/19/2022 at 10:39 AM, newtmonkey said:

Phantasy Star II

This is the last game I played on my Genny, but it's been a little while. I bought some rubber pads to refurbish my three-button controller, but I need some super glue or something to get the d-pad piece to stay in place (it's too small).

I tried playing it for a good while, before I decided I didn't have enough patience or time for it, and installed the easy mode hack There is a HECK of a lot less grinding, now!

Still didn't get super far, though...I thought "Oh, no more first person dungeons, I won't have to draw maps this time!"

 

How wrong I was.

 

I've got a model 1, VA6 I think? Also a model 2 without the hookups, and a model 2 CD. EverDrive (x5 I think?).

Model 1 has CPU overclock installed, it's really nice for the games that support it. I'd like to install the s-video mod too, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Last time I looked, I couldn't even find an s-video port to install in it (but I might have a broken DVD player I can salvage from).

[+Gemintronic]

Contemplating making a procedural shooter with sim elements.  But, as usual my taste in gameplay and graphics is bonkers.

 

[+jgkspsx]

On 5/4/2022 at 5:16 PM, Tanooki said:

I got my first MD title Magical Taruruuto-kun which is by Gamefreak, a few years before they went full on pokemon and it's pretty fun, colorful, well animated for sure as a nice platforming action title.

EDIT: whoops, wrong magical anime 

 

The Game Gear game for this series was a very slow shmup.

[Austin]

I just bought a MegaSG and it should be arriving Tuesday, so I foresee plenty of Genesis in the near future. Fitting, as it should balance out the Super Nintendo binges I've been going on.