Sega Master System HSC - 2022 Summer Round 1 - Outrun

[BydoEmpire]

I'm taking a stab at getting the SMS HSC going again.  I'll run rounds 2-3 weeks, depending what people like the best, and for now I can commit to doing a summer round (June - September). Let's see how it goes.  Open to any feedback of course.  I have some ideas for (hopefully) fun and interesting rounds, but I wanted to just get it kicked off. I also like the "bonus point" system that the 7800 HSC does, so I'm adopting that here.

 

Summer is here! Put the top down, enjoy the sun on your face and the wind in your hair with Outrun.  Real hardware or emulators running the actual ROM are fine.

 

Round runs from June 10 (now) - June 26 (midnight PST).

 

Top score gets 10 points, next best score gets 9 points, etc.

 

Bonus point: play any other Sega Master System racing game.

 

 

Scores this round (please let me know if I mistyped anything from the thread (points in parentheses, plus a bonus point if applicable). Round ens tomorrow night, so there's still time to get a game in before we start Round 2.

 

1. Zoyous: 16,527,340 (10)+1
2. Razzie.P: 12,248,740 (9) +1
3. Lord Init: 7,190,360 (8) +1
4. Asaki: 5,616,580 (7) +1
5. BydoEmpire: 5,407,520 (6) +1
6. jeremiahjt: 5,264,100 (5) +1
7. Dashopepper: 5,244,500 (4)
8. Cynicaster: 4,494,680 (3) +1
9. RuySan: 4,069,7800 (2)
10. fakecortex: 3,838,780 (1)+1
11. jblenkle: 2,628,960 (--)

 

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by BydoEmpire

[Rogerpoco]

I'd play, I have a hard copy of this(and an Everdrive, as well), and my SMS is coincidentally on the floor, as I am playing Ayrton Senna SMGP2, lol(Bonus Point!!!).

But I'm really bad at most anything that isn't a timed/racing game, and the SMS doesn't have many...

 

[fakecortex]

Love me some SMS! Thanks for starting this back up. I need a larger collection, or an everdrive, and I surprisingly don't have this cart, so emu it'll be. Glad to see @Rogerpoco onboard!

[jblenkle]

Outrun - 2,628,960

[S.BAZ]

Hey I love this! 

 

For some reason the past SMS HSC's never quite got off the ground.  I hope this goes well.  I have some plans that'll probably get in the way, but for now I'm in!  

[BydoEmpire]

I haven't played this in a long time. What a great port of a great game.

 

4,159,600

 

[Rogerpoco]

No lie, other than the 2600 HSC(where I was a bad, bad Man, lol!)(teasing), I've kinda just popped in on a few other HSC's, INT, 8 Bit PC, then wound up on another system entirely-can't guarantee my overall commitment, but I'm pretty sure I'll play this one, I want to try to complete the course.

 

I remember now, the trouble I had with it, that caused me to not spend too much time on it(I love racing/timed games), it's the gearing, it's way too easy to shift into low when steering, and I'm pretty good with a controller.

 

Would suggest to EMU players to map the gears to something different than the steering, would surely help out quite a bit.

 

A little over 4 million now, but haven't gotten to spend too much time with it yet, I'll get something in soon.

 

Not sure how different the routes are, version to version, this/Genesis, etc, but I'll probably try to find/watch some good scores/times and see if there's an optimal route, if there is I'll def. share it, unless someone else knows and shares it first, lol!

I'd feel sure that there is tho, probably one of the main things you "need to know" to score high, the proper route to do it.

[fakecortex]

Ok, I gotta rtfm b/c I'm running out of time and my score is pretty low comparatively here. *Edit: Pretty sure I was in low gear the entire time ??‍♂️* Still, really digging the music and how laid back it is. I like that your car just flips and comes back, as opposed to crashing and burning like other games. Something is up with my sound at first tho- when the race starts, I hear this loud white noise that only goes away once I drive off the track; so I need to go a little off-road just to get things sounding right, haha.

 

Outrun - 723,440

Edited June 12, 2022 by fakecortex

[fakecortex]

Ok, here we go

 

Outrun - 2,585,780

[BydoEmpire]

5 hours ago, fakecortex said:

Ok, I gotta rtfm b/c I'm running out of time and my score is pretty low comparatively here. *Edit: Pretty sure I was in low gear the entire time ??‍♂️* Still, really digging the music and how laid back it is. I like that your car just flips and comes back, as opposed to crashing and burning like other games. Something is up with my sound at first tho- when the race starts, I hear this loud white noise that only goes away once I drive off the track; so I need to go a little off-road just to get things sounding right, haha.

 

Hah, the first game I played for this I was in low gear for at least the first half of my time. I thought it was up to shift into high and down to shift into low. I wasn't paying attention, being so pleasantly surprised how little I skidded out and how light traffic was!

[jeremiahjt]

Finally got a decent score of 3,766,380.  The first couple of races I was in low the entire time also.  After taking the left path twice I got to a section I had a very hard time navigating.  Speaking of sections, does anybody know the names of the course sections?  The manual states the first scene is always Coconut Beach.  The end scenes are from top to bottom Vineyard, Death Valley, Desolation Hill, Autobahn, and Lakeside.  I do not know the rest of the scene names for sure though.

 

This is how they are listed in the manual:

 

Gateway, Desert, Wilderness, Vineyard.

Alps, Old Capital, Death Valley.

Devil's Canyon, Cloudy Mountain, Seaside Town, Lakeside.

Desolation Hill, Wheat Field, Autobahn.

 

I believe my first left led me to Gateway and my second left took me to Desert, where my run ended.

 

My best guess is the first choice is left for Gateway and right for Devil's Canyon.  The next row from top to bottom I think is Desert, Alps, and Cloudy Mountain.  The penultimate row is Wilderness, Old Capital, Wheat Field, and Seaside Town.  The manual says there are 25 scenes, but I only count 15 and there are only 15 names given.

[Rogerpoco]

19 hours ago, BydoEmpire said:

Hah, the first game I played for this I was in low gear for at least the first half of my time. I thought it was up to shift into high and down to shift into low. I wasn't paying attention, being so pleasantly surprised how little I skidded out and how light traffic was!

Ya, I'm distracted right now, accidentally got a PS4, haha, but I'll be back on this the next couple days.

For real, being particularly decent at this type game-as I mentioned before the controls are among the most difficult I've ever dealt with.

Even on Super Monaco GP and Ayrton SMGP on Genesis you use the D-pad to change gears, and you certainly CAN pop out of the wrong gear inadvertently, but not as easily as this, and in a game where keeping your eyes on the road is a priority, having to look up and check your gear situation is a real killer.

My games tend to be around 4 million and almost always I get past the split in the road, but not quite to the checkpoint, I'm sure I'll at least be able to get TO the next stage, for whatever points that'll be worth, but I'm not as optomistic as I was about actually completing it(still possible).

Edited June 13, 2022 by Rogerpoco

[BydoEmpire]

Getting a bit better. I think a lot of it is getting familiar with the course, as opposed to differences between them.  For what it's worth, I've been sticking to L,R,L,R. The desert section taking L,L is tough because you can't see the variations on the road much.  Whatever the last section I was on in this run was tough because a lot of the course is at the top of a hill and you can't see far in front of you.

 

I'm also playing with a 3rd party Genesis pad, which has a nice, firm, well-defined dpad.

 

5,407,520

 

[+Razzie.P]

12,248,740

 

Finished Route A with a whopping 4 seconds to spare!  I chose all Left all the time.  For the other versions I played, I always thought that "left" equals easy, so I've been driving "Baby's First Route" all friggin' day and this thing was a struggle!

 

 

 

 

 

[+Razzie.P]

On 6/10/2022 at 2:56 PM, BydoEmpire said:

 I also like the "bonus point" system that the 7800 HSC does, so I'm adopting that here.

 

 

Bonus point: play any other Sega Master System racing game.

Care to elaborate on how that works?  I'm not familiar with the "bonus point" rules.

 

 We post scores of any other SMS racer and top score gets an extra point?   Or do we just say "I also played game x" and we automatically  get an extra point for that?  Or something different?

 

Thanks!

[BydoEmpire]

6 hours ago, Razzie.P said:

Care to elaborate on how that works?  I'm not familiar with the "bonus point" rules.

 

 We post scores of any other SMS racer and top score gets an extra point?   Or do we just say "I also played game x" and we automatically  get an extra point for that?  Or something different?

 

Thanks!

Just post a score from any other racer and you get an extra point, automatically.

[+Razzie.P]

Hang-On  -- Level 3 -- 297,660

 

 

First time playing this since Feb, 2011, where I recorded a Level 3 score of 1,630,460.   So yep, I'm a bit rusty.

 

 

[Asaki]

Played a tiny bit this afternoon, but this version's a bit more difficult than some of the other ports, and definitely more difficult than OutRun 3D.
I'm gonna blame the framerate.

 

Did about six runs, but only managed to top out at 4.1 million, running straight down the A route.

I got over 5 million in OutRun 3D without even trying.

 

On 6/12/2022 at 12:00 PM, fakecortex said:

Something is up with my sound at first tho- when the race starts, I hear this loud white noise that only goes away once I drive off the track; so I need to go a little off-road just to get things sounding right, haha.

I had the same problem emulating the game on the Wii, it went away when I turned off the Yamaha FM audio.

Also, does the Wii emulator have issues drawing the title screen, or does this game not have one? All I see is "PRESS START BUTTON" or whatever flashing.

Edited June 17, 2022 by Asaki

[Cynicaster]

I find all versions of this game pretty maddening but we all need some high score clubs in our lives.  ?
 

4,494,680

 

 

[Cynicaster]

RC Grand Prix - $317

 

Never played this before.  Not bad, perhaps not as polished as RC Pro Am. 
 

 

[jeremiahjt]

1 hour ago, Cynicaster said:

Not bad, perhaps not as polished as RC Pro Am.

This was what I was planning to play and I like this game much better than R.C. ProAm.

[Asaki]

12 hours ago, Cynicaster said:

I find all versions of this game pretty maddening but we all need some high score clubs in our lives.  ?

 

I wouldn't call myself "good" at the game, but in the more arcade accurate ports, I can at least make it to the finish line on the A route without much difficulty.

Edit: I think we need to share our soundtrack selections, too.
I have a hard time staying away from Magical Sound Shower. Love the remix in OutRun 2.

Edited June 17, 2022 by Asaki

[+Razzie.P]

15 hours ago, Asaki said:

Played a tiny bit this afternoon, but this version's a bit more difficult than some of the other ports, and definitely more difficult than OutRun 3D.
I'm gonna blame the framerate.

 

 

I had a pretty hard time with it, too.  I don't usually get all "grrrr!!" at games, but I'm pretty sure I now have some sort of deep rooted road rage type of hatred for blue Volkswagens.  Gonna have to hold me back if I see one on the road for real, now.  

[RuySan]

4069700

 

Very impressive looking, never played this port before. But definitely harder than the arcade or the Megadrive port. 

[jeremiahjt]

Improved my score with 5,264,100.  Going left every time I made it through the Desert, but ended before the split in Wilderness.

 

Bonus point is R.C. Grand Prix with a score of $846.  I did not have enough juice to make it through the final race.