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

[newtmonkey]

7 hours ago, Asaki said:

Try this program: https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/1054/

It will patch GG codes directly to the ROM

Useful!  Thanks.

This will be useful for adding the unlimited continues code to Bloodlines

[DragonGrafx-16]

3 hours ago, zylon said:

been playing some of the shmups, that I have actual carts for. Mostly Bio Hazard Battle, one we had since the 90s, but Twin Cobra, Battle Squadron, and TF2 mixed in. Still can make progress in BHB, almost get to something in TC, nowhere in the others, lol.

If you want a Genesis shmup that is easy to get into, try Fire Shark... I beat the game on easy the first time I played, and got close to beating it on normal on another playthrough.

[zylon]

32 minutes ago, DragonGrafx-16 said:

If you want a Genesis shmup that is easy to get into, try Fire Shark... I beat the game on easy the first time I played, and got close to beating it on normal on another playthrough.

Fear not, I won't beat any of them on that, lol. I mainly play RPGs, Sonic on the 6-pak, & Wheel of Fortune. SMS/GG had some I can do well in, but that era's games, I find largely impossible. Instead of collecting, I just have the family oldies, and couple multi-carts 112-in-1, and 196-in-1  Most shooters on there, I rarely survive 1st level on easy with lives/credits maxed out. I last around a minute in Fire Shark 🤣

[newtmonkey]

Shining Force

I've been slowly making my way through this.  I usually just play one or maybe two battles at a time.  It's a great game that's quite addictive, but it does get repetitive.  I do like how the game slowly eases you into things, usually adding a new type of unit or enemy each battle... but sometimes it feels like the pace is a bit TOO slow, or maybe the game just doesn't have much up its sleeves, so to speak.  Anyway, I do like it a lot, so I'll keep plugging away.

 

Shining and the Darkness

I was in the mood for an RPG that "requires" mapping, so I decided to go with this, since I was enjoying Shining Force so much.  I say it "requires" mapping only because the levels are quite large and there is no free automap; you either have to use a consumable or cast a spell, and it only shows you the surrounding area (and only where you've been).

 

So far, it's extremely simple... far simpler than even Wizardry from 1981.  The manual mentions dark and spinner squares, so maybe it will get a little more interesting later on.  The dungeon design is so far very dull, just a bunch of winding passages with no thought put into them whatsoever.  It's also balanced quite poorly; even taking the time to step into and map every sqare I could, I was completely powerless against the first boss, and had to make 2-3 deaths runs against him until I reached level 8 (you keep all experience points if you die), and he suddenly became surprisingly easy.  It doesn't help that the game has you all alone up until that point, so there are no tactics to battle whatsoever.  You either fight, use an item, or run (usually you can't run).

 

Anyway, now that I have the rest of the party, I'm hoping that the game will get a bit more interesting.

[roots.genoa]

btw I recently bought WWF Wrestlemania The Arcade Game. It was quite cheap considering it was CIB and in good condition.

[+jeremiahjt]

6 hours ago, newtmonkey said:

The dungeon design is so far very dull, just a bunch of winding passages with no thought put into them whatsoever.  It's also balanced quite poorly;

I had given you a like, then I read this and had to take it away.  I quite enjoyed Shining in the Darkness when I played it seven years ago.  I think I liked it more than both Shining Force Genesis games, although all of them are great.  That first time the Kaiserkrab sidestepped onto the screen, I was amazed.  I thought that was awesome, along with a lot of the other enemies with entrances.  I had to get the grid paper out and map that one though.  It felt right to map it instead of looking up a map online.

 

Oh, as far as what I have been up to; still playing through the Phantasy Star games.  On the last one now, and I think I might be three quarters of the way through.

[newtmonkey]

Shining and the Darkness

This has definitely improved since getting a full party, though maybe it's a bit too easy now.  The first hour or so is a major struggle when it's just you, as enemies give so little experience and gold when killed.  However, once you get your full party and enter the Cave of Strength, enemies are not really much more difficult but give you way more exp and gold; I'm usually able to afford one or two equipment upgrades every expedition now.  Anyway, I'm sure it will get more difficult later.

 

Buffing/debuffing spells seem very useful in this.  The wizard character even starts out right away with Slow (maybe she gets it a level or two later, I forgot), which reduces an enemy's speed and defense; very helpful if not crucial against the miniboss enemies that have a chance of showing up at fixed squares throughout the dungeon.  Offensive magic seems pretty useless so far; she does more damage with her weapon than with Blaze 2, for instance.

 

The dungeon design is also getting a lot better, with memorable sections throughout that make navigating a bit easier.  I also started noticing some cool stuff like treasure chest mimics and pitfalls.  This alone puts it above Card Master (aka Arcana), a similar game on the SFC which I was previously playing.

[+jeremiahjt]

On 3/27/2023 at 10:26 AM, newtmonkey said:

The dungeon design is so far very dull, just a bunch of winding passages with no thought put into them whatsoever.

 

On 3/30/2023 at 8:10 AM, newtmonkey said:

The dungeon design is also getting a lot better, with memorable sections throughout that make navigating a bit easier.  I also started noticing some cool stuff like treasure chest mimics and pitfalls.

 

On 3/27/2023 at 10:26 AM, newtmonkey said:

It's also balanced quite poorly;

 

On 3/30/2023 at 8:10 AM, newtmonkey said:

This has definitely improved since getting a full party, though maybe it's a bit too easy now.

 

Oh no you don't!  You are not just going to pull a 180 on the two reasons I took away your like just to get a like from me.  Not going to wor... damnit! It worked.

 

[zylon]

Didn't need it, but snagged a Retrobiz "Minigen" for cheap

[newtmonkey]

Shining and the Darkness

I must say that the overseas title (Shining in the Darkness) is much more evocative, poetic even.  I'm glad they changed it from the original Japanese title; it pains me even to type that nonsensical title.

 

Another day, another dungeon (level).  I cleared (most) of the Cave of Strength, and explored the new part of Level 1 that opened up.  I guess the next objective is the Cave of Courage.  In clearing the Cave of Strength, I gained a few levels and plenty of gold to buy equipment upgrades.  It's nice to see that there is still plenty of unaffordable stuff, even though it feels like I'm making tons of money each expedition.  I like how shops will have rare items in a separate menu, and especially like how sometimes when you try to leave a shop, the shopkeeper will show you some expensive rare item not in his/her regular inventory as a last chance to make a sale.  I can never afford any of that stuff, but I'm sure later on, once I've exhausted the store inventories, this will be very cool.

 

I am gaining a slow appreciation for the dungeon design in this game.  I still think it falls behind the classic Wizardry and M&M series (or the awesome Elminage series on consoles), but is better than the awful dungeons in The Bard's Tales games.  It's definitely a step up from most console dungeon RPGs I've played, such as Card Master (aka Arcana) or the Shin Megami Tensei games.

Edited April 5, 2023 by newtmonkey

[newtmonkey]

Shining and the Darkness

I've been playing this a lot recently at night.  The perfect game to chill out with a nice beverage and a pad of graph paper.  The single music track for the dungeon (so far) has got pretty boring, so I keep the volume down low and put on some records in the background.

 

I cleared the caves of Strength, Courage, Truth, and Wisdom, and have some very nice equipment on my characters now, as I was able to find two pieces of Mithril Ore so far and made what appears to be near endgame-level equipment with it.  I also found a Dark Block, which is used to make very powerful but cursed equipment... I'll wait on that one.

 

It's a great game so far.  I guess I just have two minor complaints so far:

First, encounters become way too easy after the first 30-60 minutes.  Very few random encounters are dangerous enough to have to use spells, or even really think at all; you can mostly just attack every single round.  In this case, it's not a big deal, because the interesting thing about this game is not the combat but exploring/mapping the dungeon.

Second, the music is good, but there's simply not enough of it!  I quickly got sick of the single exploration track and single battle track.

[newtmonkey]

Shining and the Darkness

Finished!  A fun dungeon RPG that's gets a bit tedious yet very easy toward the end.  It's pretty simple as far as dungeon RPGs go compared with the classics (such as Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord and Might & Magic Book One), but is a hell of a lot more interesting than simplistic garbage like Double Dungeons (PC Engine) or mediocre titles like Card Master (aka Arcana) (SFC).  Worth a play!

Edited April 16, 2023 by newtmonkey

[+jeremiahjt]

I finally finished Phantasy Star IV and the whole Phantasy Star series (at least the main series).  I was thinking about starting Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun since the new Dungeons & Dragons movie just came out.  It has been on my to play list for a while, but now seems like a good time, with a good reason, to bump it up the list.  Also thinking about getting back to Ristar.  I played it a little bit a while back, but I did not finish it.

[zylon]

On 4/16/2023 at 7:15 PM, jeremiahjt said:

I finally finished Phantasy Star IV and the whole Phantasy Star series (at least the main series).  I was thinking about starting Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun since the new Dungeons & Dragons movie just came out.  It has been on my to play list for a while, but now seems like a good time, with a good reason, to bump it up the list.  Also thinking about getting back to Ristar.  I played it a little bit a while back, but I did not finish it.

I just used the thief, let the rest die, and stayed in hidden. lol, silly, but it will beat the game. Great music in that one. M&M2 was another I liked.

[Bloodreign]

Sunset Riders, Konami's first Genesis game they created (Junction was an earlier game Micronet I believe put out for Konami), the hell was Konami thinking going with just a 4 meg cart for the game. Go with 8 megs and you'd do the game better justice, there is a fan project going on (haven't heard anything in a year though) of a couple guys working on an arcade version of it for the Genesis to fix Konami's wrongdoings for this version of the game.

[zylon]

On 3/13/2023 at 10:23 PM, zylon said:

Fear not, I won't beat any of them on that, lol. I mainly play RPGs, Sonic on the 6-pak, & Wheel of Fortune. SMS/GG had some I can do well in, but that era's games, I find largely impossible. Instead of collecting, I just have the family oldies, and couple multi-carts 112-in-1, and 196-in-1  Most shooters on there, I rarely survive 1st level on easy with lives/credits maxed out. I last around a minute in Fire Shark 🤣

Correction, NES Sky Shark is the one I can't get off the opening screen of, most of the time, lol Fire Mustang is the gen one that I get about a minute in. I found Fire Shark on one of my multicarts, and is one I can actually play, unlike the TF trio, or Gaiares, etc. 

In other news, picked up a cheap repro of a missing game we had then, Task Force Harrier EX. Good times.  

[+jeremiahjt]

I ended up picking up Ristar again. Made it to the bird boss again and could not beat it. I then found the boss rush code and I have been using that exclusively. I finally beat the bird boss and made it all the way to the end boss, who I have as yet not been able to beat. He is pretty tough, but I am getting further against him.

[Razzie.P]

Finally decided to give Shining Force II a proper playthrough, so that's been my main jam over the past couple of days.  I love this type of game and the original has always been a favorite of mine (I've played though it several times over the years) but I've never given any serious playtime to the rest of the series.  Maybe an hour or 2 with part 2, and checked my CD to verify it worked on Sega CD, but I think its time to change that.

 

 

[Razzie.P]

I finished Shining Force II today.  This was a great game that, in my opinion, kept everything great about the original and made it all a bit better.  

 

I think I'll take a break before starting the next one.   I'm thinking of starting one of the following now --

 

Crusader of Centy  (I keep seeing it on "hidden gems" lists)

Beyond Oasis

Monster World 4 (have a translated ROM and I've loved the others in this series)

 

[+jeremiahjt]

7 hours ago, Razzie.P said:

I finished Shining Force II today.  This was a great game that, in my opinion, kept everything great about the original and made it all a bit better.  

 

I think I'll take a break before starting the next one.   I'm thinking of starting one of the following now --

 

Crusader of Centy  (I keep seeing it on "hidden gems" lists)

Beyond Oasis

Monster World 4 (have a translated ROM and I've loved the others in this series)

 

Shining Force II was great, but I think I enjoyed the first a bit more. I played Shining Force CD after finishing Shining Force II.

[roots.genoa]

9 hours ago, Razzie.P said:

I think I'll take a break before starting the next one.

The next one is not on Genesis anyway 😅

[Razzie.P]

9 hours ago, jeremiahjt said:

Shining Force II was great, but I think I enjoyed the first a bit more. I played Shining Force CD after finishing Shining Force II.

Yeah, I like part 1 more, too.  It's pretty special to me, and may be bias in my familiarity having played it so much.  But I do feel that 2 improved the gameplay overall.  The battles in the second half of the game really make me focus on strategy, unit placement and usage, etc quite a bit more than the original.  Which of course made the victories feel even more rewarding.

 

  

7 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

The next one is not on Genesis anyway 😅

It will be if the next one I play is part 1 again  😁

[zylon]

13 hours ago, Razzie.P said:

Yeah, I like part 1 more, too.  It's pretty special to me, and may be bias in my familiarity having played it so much.  But I do feel that 2 improved the gameplay overall.  The battles in the second half of the game really make me focus on strategy, unit placement and usage, etc quite a bit more than the original.  Which of course made the victories feel even more rewarding.

 

  

It will be if the next one I play is part 1 again  😁

Mom favored the 1st one, and played it to death. She was always finding new strange hidden characters to use, which kept changing the game for her.

 

BTW- did you really finish II? That includes the level after what is considered the final battle. It takes place on a grid shaped like Sonic, and has all the bosses as your opponents, at once.

[+jeremiahjt]

2 minutes ago, zylon said:

Mom favored the 1st one, and played it to death. She was always finding new strange hidden characters to use, which kept changing the game for her.

 

BTW- did you really finish II? That includes the level after what is considered the final battle. It takes place on a grid shaped like Sonic, and has all the bosses as your opponents, at once.

I forgot about that battle. I did win that one when I defeated Shining Force II. I like how Shining Force CD has Books III and IV after finishing the second Game Gear game.

[CaptainBreakout]

Ms Pac-Man!

 

Wait wait... Seriously... As far as I know... This is the ONLY two-player co-op of Ms Pac Man to ever come out on a classic system.

 

I'm not sure how well known this is. But yeah... Two player simultaneously co-op MS Pac-Man.

 

It's in the options.

 

Try this with a friend. It's a blast!

 

If you are using a modern controller, the controller has to be in 3-button mode for this game.  6-buttons Genesis controller will not work properly. If you use 8bitdo receivers they can be switched to 3-button mode by holding down the mode button on the controller for 3 second... The blue LED on the receiver will blink twice.