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[IrishNinja]

Trio's back up for sale, if anyone missed it!

just got mine in the mail, it's pretty awesome. my 32X still hasn't shipped, so i gotta check back again to see which cords i need, prior posts settled that without a modded unit, i'll definitely need a set of composite cables, still unclear about mixing cables/etc since my Sega CD works just fine without 'em...

i swear pics of my collection are forthcoming, just waiting on a few lazy sellers to get it in gear for a better shot.

 

[Shadow Hog]

If you're using a stock Model 1 Genesis with a Sega CD, then the "mixing" port is designed to take an auxiliary 2.5mm audio cable (that is, the kind you'd use in headphone jacks, but male to male), plug it into the headphone jack in the front (which is the only way to get stereo audio on an unmodded Model 1) and feed it into the Sega CD so you can get stereo out proper.

...but S-Video mods tend to introduce stereo jacks as well, so this workaround is unnecessary.

 

[Genesis Knight]

Trio's back up for sale, if anyone missed it!

just got mine in the mail, it's pretty awesome. my 32X still hasn't shipped, so i gotta check back again to see which cords i need, prior posts settled that without a modded unit, i'll definitely need a set of composite cables, still unclear about mixing cables/etc since my Sega CD works just fine without 'em...

i swear pics of my collection are forthcoming, just waiting on a few lazy sellers to get it in gear for a better shot.

Says its out of stock?

 

[IrishNinja]

If you're using a stock Model 1 Genesis with a Sega CD, then the "mixing" port is designed to take an auxiliary 2.5mm audio cable (that is, the kind you'd use in headphone jacks, but male to male), plug it into the headphone jack in the front (which is the only way to get stereo audio on an unmodded Model 1) and feed it into the Sega CD so you can get stereo out proper.

...but S-Video mods tend to introduce stereo jacks as well, so this workaround is unnecessary.

right, that's my current situation to a T - so with the AC adapter handled, am i correct in thinking i only need a composite for the 32x itself, or am i forgetting something?

Says its out of stock?

ah, don't know how i missed that, sorry - looks like you can still pay for the item, and just wait on it to ship though. ill check back on their facebook, last week when they said they'dve have em soon, it was only a matter of days. pretty sure he knows they're a hot commodity, of sorts.

 

[A Black Falcon]

Perhaps it's only the Model 2 Genesis/Mega Drive that's needed, but I don't have a Model 1 Sega CD nor a Model 1 Genesis to verify this. The 32X most definitely can output its audio through the Sega CD though.

I looked this up, and found that the way it works is that the 32X only outputs video. Any additional audio created in the 32X is then sent down to the Genesis; the audio coming from the Genesis through the Genesis to 32X cable just passes that audio straight to the TV cable.

So, a Genesis 1 with Mixing cable and a Sega CD, or a modded Genesis 1, can indeed use those audio jacks for all of its audio out, yeah. And a Genesis 2 can do the same with the Sega CD's AV out jacks (or a pointless mode), if you don't have the stereo AV cable for the Genesis 2.

With either system (model 1 or 2 Genesis) the quality of the audio output depends on which system revision you have inside, of course. It varies. For some the Sega CD's AV jacks might be the best-quality audio output...

right, that's my current situation to a T - so with the AC adapter handled, am i correct in thinking i only need a composite for the 32x itself, or am i forgetting something?

You need that cable and adapter to connect the Genesis 1 to the 32X, and a Genesis 2/32X AV cable (mono or stereo, both kinds exist) or RFU to go from the 32X to the TV. Those are the two required cables (well, three, if you get the official Sega connecter cables, given that the Genesis 2 to 32X cord and Genesis 2 to Genesis 1 adapter are two parts).

 

[woodypop]

Trip to the pawn shop paid off:

Midnight Resistance for $3 (and new Clueless for $8). Hmm...which to do first?

 

[Slermy]

I looked this up, and found that the way it works is that the 32X only outputs video. Any additional audio created in the 32X is then sent down to the Genesis; the audio coming from the Genesis through the Genesis to 32X cable just passes that audio straight to the TV cable.

Oh interesting... makes sense in a way I guess. Thanks for clearing that up!

 

[IrishNinja]

I looked this up, and found that the way it works is that the 32X only outputs video. Any additional audio created in the 32X is then sent down to the Genesis; the audio coming from the Genesis through the Genesis to 32X cable just passes that audio straight to the TV cable.

...

You need that cable and adapter to connect the Genesis 1 to the 32X, and a Genesis 2/32X AV cable (mono or stereo, both kinds exist) or RFU to go from the 32X to the TV. Those are the two required cables (well, three, if you get the official Sega connecter cables, given that the Genesis 2 to 32X cord and Genesis 2 to Genesis 1 adapter are two parts).

okay, so AV cable and the connecting one...this, and this would suffice, yeah?

glad to hear the reasoning behind my stereo mod, was hoping it'd do since it does for the sega-CD, glad for the confirmation though.

Trip to the pawn shop paid off:

Midnight Resistance for $3 (and new Clueless for $8). Hmm...which to do first?

aw man, your town is the best...$3 for a great Contra clone, i'm jelly

 

[A Black Falcon]

okay, so AV cable and the connecting one...this, and this would suffice, yeah?

glad to hear the reasoning behind my stereo mod, was hoping it'd do since it does for the sega-CD, glad for the confirmation though.

Yeah, those cables would work, though for the Genesis 2 AV cable part of it, I'm sure you could get one cheaper than that from ebay... and if you're using your Genesis 1's mod-added AV out jacks for audio, you could just get a Genesis 2 mono AV cable on ebay, since you won't be using the audio part of it anyway I imagine.

 

[IrishNinja]

awesome, ordered both - now just waiting for this 32X to come in!

got back Phantasy Star 2-4 (along with Shining Force 2, which i never had!), hoping a deal with a fellow gaffer for part 1 + moonwalker and some 32x titles works soon, picked up Beyond Oasis & Truxton yesterday for a good price, so yeah, i'm well over my budget and have re-amassed quite a collection. there's other titles but they're either on my B list or things i wanna own again but likely won't replay (Shining in the Darkness, Vermillion etc) so they can wait.

Craigslist offer to trade my SNES dupes got one bite, guy wants to meet up for take one of several copies of SMW for his Quackshot (in shell), so that's cool. speaking of shells: these universal game cases made me quite happy for NES/SNES titles, but i'm not overly fond of how they stand out from standard genesis cases, anyone have extras or know a cheap way to get them? I have my own covers, it's just that there's only one auction i see on ebay for empties and it's like $12 for 3, which is crap. i found a store like an hour from here that has 9 for $2 a piece, just waiting to hear back if they're still available.

 

[woodypop]

got back Phantasy Star 2-4 (along with Shining Force 2, which i never had!), hoping a deal with a fellow gaffer for part 1 + moonwalker and some 32x titles works soon, picked up Beyond Oasis & Truxton yesterday for a good price, so yeah, i'm well over my budget and have re-amassed quite a collection. there's other titles but they're either on my B list or things i wanna own again but likely won't replay (Shining in the Darkness, Vermillion etc) so they can wait.

I've started PSIII a few times, but found it SO boring. The monster designs and battle backgrounds feel off, too. I much prefer II and IV (though I still haven't finished IV). I really ought to give Beyond Oasis another shot. I find the initial overworld theme to be very off-putting; it just grates on me how it's all low and quiet, then builds up to this weird crescendo. Ugh.

I played Truxton just a few weeks ago. It's kinda hard to go back to such an early, slow-paced shmup after being accustomed to later Genesis and Saturn shmups.

 

[IrishNinja]

i pretty much agree with your points, woody - PS3 is known as the bastard child (continuity/etc wise) but i fully agree that the lack of battle animations felt like a big step backwards after 2. i very much doubt ill replay 3 again, it's just for library purposes...getting it with the poster for $10 shipped was okay by me. you should tie up 4 sometime though, it's just so great! again, it's rare that a classic JRPG series gets so definitive an ending, to this day im still pleased it happened.

the time ive spent with Beyond Oasis, i wanna say i felt similarly but Pepsiman and others swear by it enough that i feel i need to give it a proper chance, also it was found for about $10 (loose) so that's about my range.

it's possible we'll agree about Truxton, last time i played it i felt it held up way better than say Thunder Force II, but not nearly as well as say MUSHA, as far as vertical shooters go. i blame Mark's CGR praise for my desire on that one, heh.

*edit $50-100 for Kolibri? hahaha okay, ebay

 

[Genesis Knight]

Great to see all the people trying out Beyond Oasis!

 

[galvatron]

*edit $50-100 for Kolibri? hahaha okay, ebay

First musha, now this? There's a gold mine in my closet!

 

[A Black Falcon]

First musha, now this? There's a gold mine in my closet!

Some of the US 32X releases, most notably Blackthorne, Kolibri, T-Mek, and Spiderman: Web of Fire, are expensive. Of those four Kolibri might be the least expensive, but it is a fairly uncommon game, and it's well known, so it shouldn't be surprising that its price is a bit high... only the fact that not many people have 32Xes keeps it down, but still, there are some pricey 32X games.

The most expensive 32X game, of course, is the Europe-only-released (and region-locked) Darxide, but of the US releases, it's probably Spiderman.

Of course, all of the pricey 32X games are decent to good games... unfortunately, they're not "expensive but not worth it at all" titles, though T-Mek gets mixed reviews. There are good 32X games that are cheaper, though, such as Space Harrier, Shadow Squadron, Star Wars Arcade, Virtua Racing Deluxe, After Burner, Tempo, and some others.

 

[IrishNinja]

There are good 32X games that are cheaper, though, such as Space Harrier, Shadow Squadron, Star Wars Arcade, Virtua Racing Deluxe, After Burner, Tempo, and some others.

just picked up the bolded from a fellow gaffer for about $5/each, boxed (a little bit more for a loose copy of Knuckles Chaotix, but far less than ebay's asking). i'll track down Shadow Squadron next time i have some $, that one looked cool. Was debating Doom as well, since it can be had on the cheap.

Kolibri is not-so-coincidentally like Ecoo for me: interesting conceptually, but i can't say i had a blast with my time with it (unlike Ecco, i barely knew what i was meant to do, except not hang around near frogs). an oddity like that attracts me, but i can't see going > $20 for a loose copy, and i'm in no hurry.
maybe i'll find that one weird guy in my city looking to trade it for a handful of SNES games, haha.

 

[Spectral Glider]

just picked up the bolded from a fellow gaffer for about $5/each, boxed (a little bit more for a loose copy of Knuckles Chaotix, but far less than ebay's asking). i'll track down Shadow Squadron next time i have some $, that one looked cool. Was debating Doom as well, since it can be had on the cheap.

Kolibri is not-so-coincidentally like Ecoo for me: interesting conceptually, but i can't say i had a blast with my time with it (unlike Ecco, i barely knew what i was meant to do, except not hang around near frogs). an oddity like that attracts me, but i can't see going > $20 for a loose copy, and i'm in no hurry.
maybe i'll find that one weird guy in my city looking to trade it for a handful of SNES games, haha.

$5 is an awesome price for those. I'm with you on Kolibri, I remember renting it back in the day and I couldn't wrap my head around it. Ecco I was able to though and I wound up becoming a pretty big fan of it, but damn if it wasn't a difficult game. Not Chakan-difficult, but still on the really challenging side.

 

[televator]

Finally, I'm this much more complete as a gamer.

Just for fun, I had a better shot of the machine on my camera.

 

[inm8num2]

My favorite.

 

[A Black Falcon]

just picked up the bolded from a fellow gaffer for about $5/each, boxed (a little bit more for a loose copy of Knuckles Chaotix, but far less than ebay's asking). i'll track down Shadow Squadron next time i have some $, that one looked cool. Was debating Doom as well, since it can be had on the cheap.

It's good to play Star Wars Arcade before Shadow Squadron anyway; Shadow Squadron plays sort of like Star Wars Arcade, but a lot better, so play the not-as-good one first... you're more likely to enjoy it that way. Star Wars Arcade isn't that bad, but the controls are somewhat limited (you turn VERY slowly), and the framerate struggles in the trench/tunnel levels.

As for Chaotix, the main game is really quite boring, with some of the most oddly empty levels ever designed (levels with only one or two enemies, no or maybe one spike, and no death pits in the whole thing abound), the 3d bonus levels are pretty awesome, and they're the reason why I don't regret buying it. But the poor main game is why I didn't put it on that list there, along with how it costs more than any of those games.

There are a few more decent 32X games of course (it does have a pretty good version of NBA Jam TE, for instance, and Star Trek Starfleet Academy Starship Bridge Simulator's decent), but there are only ~31 US cart releases, plus five CD gaems (all enhanced Sega cD FMV games), so the library is small... still though, it's definitely something Genesis fans should have. Games like Shadow Squadron, Virtua Racing Deluxe, and Space Harrier (that would be my top three) are great.

Kolibri is not-so-coincidentally like Ecoo for me: interesting conceptually, but i can't say i had a blast with my time with it (unlike Ecco, i barely knew what i was meant to do, except not hang around near frogs). an oddity like that attracts me, but i can't see going > $20 for a loose copy, and i'm in no hurry.
maybe i'll find that one weird guy in my city looking to trade it for a handful of SNES games, haha.

Yeah, I want Kolibri, but that price is a bit high... as of the game though, it's by the Ecco team of course, but it's a shmup/adventure, instead of whatever you'd call Ecco. You do just wander around at first, but it gives you goals as you go. The game does have flaws though, so yeah, I'm not sure if it's quite worth the price...

 

[ascii42]

instead of whatever you'd call Ecco.

Dolphin simulator

 

[Shadow Hog]

Don't bother with Doom. If you want Doom, buy this, put the WAD files in a folder alongside this, this or this (from most modern to most authentic, respectively), and go crazy from there. Playing a muddy version with farts for music, enemies that always face forward, and most of the stages missing really isn't worth the effort when the PC version and its community are far far more worthwhile.

 

[dark10x]

Finally, I'm this much more complete as a gamer.

Just for fun, I had a better shot of the machine on my camera.

Sonic CD is an odd one in that, while I appreciate having an original copy, the ports released a little over a year ago absolutely slaughter the Sega CD version. I simply can't enjoy the original release any more as a result of its awful performance.

 

[IrishNinja]

gotta try again: anyone have extra Genesis/SMS shells/cases they can sell me, or know where i can find some cheap? got a few more carts incoming and id like to get my collection a bit more uniform, i'm out of universal game cases as well but don't like them as much for this stuff

Don't bother with Doom. If you want Doom, buy this, put the WAD files in a folder alongside this, this or this (from most modern to most authentic, respectively), and go crazy from there. Playing a muddy version with farts for music, enemies that always face forward, and most of the stages missing really isn't worth the effort when the PC version and its community are far far more worthwhile.

yeah, i guess you're right...ive got the steam one but never got around to those mods, i should give them a go, i'm just a console kid that has to map out a control pad to be happy, heh

Sonic CD is an odd one in that, while I appreciate having an original copy, the ports released a little over a year ago absolutely slaughter the Sega CD version. I simply can't enjoy the original release any more as a result of its awful performance.

really? i haven't played the original (all the way through) in quite a while, was just playing the PSN one but i don't recall too many specific differences

 

[A Black Falcon]

Don't bother with Doom. If you want Doom, buy this, put the WAD files in a folder alongside this, this or this (from most modern to most authentic, respectively), and go crazy from there. Playing a muddy version with farts for music, enemies that always face forward, and most of the stages missing really isn't worth the effort when the PC version and its community are far far more worthwhile.

If 32X Doom had included episode 3 I'd say that it's worth getting, since it is extremely cheap and easy to find, and most people with 32Xes probably have a copy of it anyway, but yeah, overall, it's really disappointing -- 32X Doom has the fewest levels of any published version of Doom, and is completely missing anything from the last third of the game. It's kind of lame. Some people do like it, but personally, I'd rather play SNES Doom myself... sure, that version has the worst graphics, but it's a quite impressive port of the PC game in ways that even the Jaguar/32X/3DO/PS1 versions are not, in some ways (being accurate to the original level designs, having the changing light levels, etc etc.). Also, 32X Doom has atrociously bad music. It's kind of painfully weak. At least it HAS ingame music, unlike Jag Doom, but it's bad. SNES Doom's music crushes it.

 

[Sixfortyfive]

really? i haven't played the original (all the way through) in quite a while, was just playing the PSN one but i don't recall too many specific differences

It's been a while for me too, but loading times were probably a major sticking point when you consider that each use of time travel required the game to reload the stage.

I think the sprite scaling actually works correctly in the XBLA/PSN version of the special stages too. In the original, I remember it being difficult to judge distances when the UFOs got close to you, but that doesn't seem to be the case in the rerelease.

Plus you get the bonuses like the soundtrack select, Tails, and a proper 16:9 conversion. Real high quality port.

 

[MrCunningham]

really? i haven't played the original (all the way through) in quite a while, was just playing the PSN one but i don't recall too many specific differences

There are a few. The recent port has 16:9 aspect ratio, something the original did not. Bonus stages in run at 60fps while the Sega CD game ran at 20fps with BG's that ran at 60fps. Sonic has his spin dash from Sonic 2, which is different from his Sonic Cd spin dash (But this can be changed in the option menu). Stardust Speedway has real transparent spotlights as apposed to the fake "flickering" transparencies of the Sega CD game. Additional light beams were added for the final boss that weren't there in the Sega CD game. A few additional sound effects were added to things where there were no sound effects (not a big change). The timing is actually off for how long is takes to time travel in the 2011 port, which messed up things a little bit, but that was later changed in a patch. Tails was added as an unlockable playable character after you complete the game for the first time. Game features both American and Japanese soundtracks.

I used to play Sonic CD to death, so a lot of these little changes were noticeable to me. I remember spending a lot of time playing through the time attack mode in Sonic CD trying to get the shortest times possible for each stage and unlocking all the extra goodies. There were actually a few bugs in the 2011 port that weren't there in the Sega CD original that I noticed... in some random spots, there were areas where you could fall right off the map randomly or get stuck in a spot after time traveling. But these bugs were actually addressed in later patches.

 

[daninthemix]

Sonic CD is an odd one in that, while I appreciate having an original copy, the ports released a little over a year ago absolutely slaughter the Sega CD version. I simply can't enjoy the original release any more as a result of its awful performance.

What differences? I thought all those re-releases were just emulated?

 

[Sixfortyfive]

What differences? I thought all those re-releases were just emulated?

Sonic CD is a special case. It received a more thorough port.

 

[Rlan]

What differences? I thought all those re-releases were just emulated?

It was entirely remade. Actual widescreen support, smooth special stages, dual soundtracks, the works.

 

[daninthemix]

Oh wow, I'll have to grab the Steam version then. 16:9 alone makes it worthwhile.

EDIT - are there any other 16-bit Sega ports that received this treatment?

 

[MrCunningham]

What differences? I thought all those re-releases were just emulated?

No the 2011 Sonic CD port was running on a brand new engine built scratch that recreates the original game engine almost flawlessly, but at the same time adds some new enhancements. It was actually a fan made game engine that someone created in their spare time, and Sega hired that person to use it to port Sonic CD to. Just read my last post for a list of changes.

EDIT - are there any other 16-bit Sega ports that received this treatment?

Not that I am aware of... at least not from Sega anyway. It would be great if Sega could hire Taxman (the guy who ported Sonic CD) to port Sonic 1, 2, 3 and S&K to his Sonic Retro engine. But this almost seems like a one off thing :/ .

 

[Slermy]

No the 2011 Sonic CD port was running on a brand new engine built scratch that recreates the original game engine almost flawlessly, but at the same time adds some new enhancements. It was actually a fan made game engine that someone created in their spare time, and Sega hired that person to use it to port Sonic CD to. Just read my last post for a list of changes.




Not that I am aware of... at least not from Sega anyway. It would be great if Sega could hire Taxman (the guy who ported Sonic CD) to port Sonic 1, 2, 3 and S&K to his Sonic Retro engine. But this almost seems like a one off thing :/ .

Maybe they will, I imagine it takes time to do that kind of thing if you're just one guy.

Does anyone know what sales were like for Sonic CD? It's also complicated since Sonic 1-3&K are already on digital distribution channels. What would you label these?

 

[dark10x]

What differences? I thought all those re-releases were just emulated?

As others have noted, it was re-coded.

The primary difference is the removal of slowdown. The original Sega CD version suffered from tremendous slowdown that occurs in every single level in the game. It's really quite shocking how often the framerate dips on Sega CD. It's nowhere near as smooth as the Genesis games.

In addition, the special stages ran at like 20 fps on Sega CD while they operate at 60 fps in the updated port.

That's really the main issue right there. You get other improvements with the update version as well but the smooth performance is what makes it vastly superior.

 

[drizzle]

EDIT - are there any other 16-bit Sega ports that received this treatment?

Not officially.

However, there's always Streets of Rage Remake: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=426357

 

[televator]

Wow... that lead to some interesting revelations there.

Now, I heard that the digital re-release of Sonic CD had some improvements, but I didn't know to what extent. Now the visuals are all good enough for me to buy in, but how is the audio? Has the Genesis/CD audio been reproduced accurately or also improved some way?

 

[dark10x]

Now, I heard that the digital re-release of Sonic CD had some improvements, but I didn't know to what extent. Now the visuals are all good enough for me to buy in, but how is the audio? Has the Genesis/CD audio been reproduced accurately or also improved some way?

As a matter of fact, they have!

Aside from including both soundtracks, the re-release features a connective piece of music that allows the music to seem continuous. The original game used CD audio tracks which, after a minute or so, would fade out and then repeat. That was a bit jarring. The re-release solves this problem by introducing small musical sections designed to keep the music playing. It works beautifully.

 

[Shadow Hog]

There are a few inaccuracies, though... IIRC you can't activate time travel using the vertical conveyor belts in Quartz Quadrant, like you could in the original. This was fixed in the mobile versions, but thanks to Microsoft's draconian XBLA patching policies, I'm not sure the console/Steam versions will ever get fixed.

 

[MrCunningham]

As others have noted, it was re-coded.

The primary difference is the removal of slowdown. The original Sega CD version suffered from tremendous slowdown that occurs in every single level in the game. It's really quite shocking how often the framerate dips on Sega CD. It's nowhere near as smooth as the Genesis games.

In addition, the special stages ran at like 20 fps on Sega CD while they operate at 60 fps in the updated port.

That's really the main issue right there. You get other improvements with the update version as well but the smooth performance is what makes it vastly superior.

This thread made me pull out the Steam version, which I bought on the last amazon sale, but I have never actually played yet. I bought the iPhone version way back when it was released and played through and completed that one, and played through it again after the first patch was released that fixed a few issues. But the Steam version has been in my backlog for a while now.

But playing through the Steam build... wow. 75FPS at 1900x1200 resolution. It is so smooth, and no flicker or slowdown ever. It's a real treat playing a 2D platformer like this and something that I don't see very often. The Sega CD version definitely had slowdown and flicker in comparison, I think it was a latency issue between the Sega CD and Genesis that caused a lot of that.

I also pulled out my Sega CD version and ran it in Fusion for comparison...

Sega CD version running on Kega Fusion (ignore the 960x720 resolution and the SuperHQ Sound Disabled message. F11 is is my fraps screenshot key, which is also shared by the HQ sound key)

HD Version:

Aside from the 16:10 aspect ration (that's how my monitor is), you can already see some pretty noticeable differences. More of the playing field is visible, and also that spinning ring clearly has more frames of animation present in the HD version (which you can't see). It animates much smoother.


Another difference here is that the Genesis game uses fake transparencies (basically just the checkered solid/ blank colours) which is typical for Genesis/ Sega CD games...

HD version uses real transparencies.

Bonus Stages are much higher resolution in the HD version, obviously. But as pointed out before they run at 60FPS (well 75FPS for me) here while the Sega CD original had the playing field run at about 20FPS with the BG layer running at 60FPS. Sprite scaling on the UFO's are much smoother too.

In the Sega CD game, the spindash uses Sonic's standard roll animation, it doesn't animate differently:

In the HD version, he uses the Sonic 2 spin dash animation. Also the spindash works differently, here you have to charge it up by tapping the action button. In the original the spin dash is charged by holding it down for a longer period of time. Original and Sonic 2 mode can be switched in the options menu:

In the Sega CD game in Tidal Tempest, the sprites for the top of the water flicker really fast off and on. This is to try and simulate some sort of transparency effect. All the Genesis Sonic games did this.

In the HD update, the top of the water is actually transparent this time and does not flicker. Also, the background layer and playing field layer both have a swaying effect applied to them. In the Sega CD game, it's just the BG layer that sways.

There's a lot of little changes all over the place visually. Too many to list. And as pointed out by Dark10x the music is actually extended for some tracks and does a proper loop. While the Sega CD version usually fades out at the end of the CD tracks and just restarts at the beginning. The transitioning sounds so much nicer in the HD version audio.

There are a few inaccuracies, though... IIRC you can't activate time travel using the vertical conveyor belts in Quartz Quadrant, like you could in the original. This was fixed in the mobile versions, but thanks to Microsoft's draconian XBLA patching policies, I'm not sure the console/Steam versions will ever get fixed.

I don't know really if the Steam version was patched to fix some of those issues. I will have to play it through to find out.

 

[daninthemix]

MrCunningham - thanks for going to the trouble of posting all those screenshots, it really shows the difference. Does the PC version have some sort of filtering that makes it look smooth in high res?

This is definitely the version for me I think.

 

[MrCunningham]

MrCunningham - thanks for going to the trouble of posting all those screenshots, it really shows the difference. Does the PC version have some sort of filtering that makes it look smooth in high res?

This is definitely the version for me I think.

Yup, it has three different filter modes in the options: "smooth" "sharp" and "nostalgia" . All screenshot here were taken in nostalgia mode.

The original Sonic CD is still worth getting though, and one of the most common Sega CD games out there, it was also a pack-in game at some point. But the Steam version is a really classy port, definitely worth the $4.99.

 

[dark10x]

But playing through the Steam build... wow. 75FPS at 1900x1200 resolution. It is so smooth, and no flicker or slowdown ever. It's a real treat playing a 2D platformer like this and something that I don't see very often. The Sega CD version definitely had slowdown and flicker in comparison, I think it was a latency issue between the Sega CD and Genesis that caused a lot of that.

I actually think this was an issue with the engine they used.

I believe Sonic CD was based on the code designed for Sonic the Hedgehog 1. Yuji Naka, the programmer, went on to work in the US on Sonic 2 while a different team worked on Sonic CD back in Japan. It seems that they basically stuck with the code base created for Sonic 1, which ran slower.

This becomes evident with some of the homebrew rom hacks out there. Those based on Sonic 1 tend to run into the same type of slowdown as Sonic CD. The engine simply can't handle the extra objects and tile variation, it would seem.

Sonic 2 is much more tightly designed in comparison.

 

[MrCunningham]

I actually think this was an issue with the engine they used.

I believe Sonic CD was based on the code designed for Sonic the Hedgehog 1. Yuji Naka, the programmer, went on to work in the US on Sonic 2 while a different team worked on Sonic CD back in Japan. It seems that they basically stuck with the code base created for Sonic 1, which ran slower.

This becomes evident with some of the homebrew rom hacks out there. Those based on Sonic 1 tend to run into the same type of slowdown as Sonic CD. The engine simply can't handle the extra objects and tile variation, it would seem.

Sonic 2 is much more tightly designed in comparison.

Oh good explanation. I've heard problems about sprite scaling games suffering from slowdown because of bandwidth problems between the Sega Genesis and Sega CD units. I assumed it would be the same here. But Sonic CD being based on the Sonic 1 engine makes sense.

 

[Shadow of the BEAST]

I never like sonic games.

So i never delved in to it much. Anyway i bought sonic cd for mega cd a couple of years ago and gave it a spin. To me it felt very generic.

It felt more like a cheap level/expansion pack than a real game.

 

[Spectral Glider]

Love Sonic 1 and 2, Sonic CD....um, not so much. Didn't care for the time travel idea, but my biggest issue was Collision Chaos boss fight. I hated that level with the burning fires of 1 million suns.

 

[Seven Force]

Dammit, missed out on a lot of Sega CD/NES games for $60 on craigslist.

Doesn't sound all that great at first, but this particular lot had a complete copy of Snatcher with everything in great condition. :/

 

[Shadow Hog]

I'd feel bad for you, but you found Earthbound for 65 cents at a Goodwill.

Still sounds like a steal for whoever got it, though.

 

[djtiesto]

My favorite.

I remember the first time I heard about this game. Just after getting a new Genesis, I came across an old Mega Play (or another SEGA-only magazine) at a local dollar store... and saw coverage to it. Being desperate for RPGs after beating PS2 and 3, I just had to get it. I remember going to every store in the mall looking for a copy, but it was already out of print... then I thought to go to Saturday Matinee, and they turned out to have a single copy left!

Another memory I had of this game... in my music class in middle school, there was a girl who was reading the strategy guide in class. I should have tried to talk to her lol - back in 1992 I knew very very few people into RPGs.

Though the actual game itself was pretty disappointing... even though stuff like blatant fetch-quests, repetitive dungeons, tons of grinding, palette swaps everywhere, were rampant in late 80's-early 90's RPGs, in Vermillion they were MUCH more apparent to me for whatever reason. I like

Spoiler

how you get all your shit stolen from you at one point in the game, and then later the shopkeeper gives you the Sword of Vermillion as an apology

. And I also LOVE the music (plus sound test!). The boss fight song, the town themes, the dungeon song. I still remember most of the music in the game, even though I beat the game back in 1992!

BTW, were you ever able to find out what the Kulm Vase did? My greatest mystery with that game.

 

[woodypop]

Another memory I had of this game... in my music class in middle school, there was a girl who was reading the strategy guide in class. I should have tried to talk to her lol - back in 1992 I knew very very few people into RPGs.

No way, that blows my mind. Someone out of the blue reading the strategy guide (before they became commonplace), and a girl, no less. Wow.

Though the actual game itself was pretty disappointing... even though stuff like blatant fetch-quests, repetitive dungeons, tons of grinding, palette swaps everywhere, were rampant in late 80's-early 90's RPGs, in Vermillion they were MUCH more apparent to me for whatever reason. I like

Spoiler

how you get all your shit stolen from you at one point in the game, and then later the shopkeeper gives you the Sword of Vermillion as an apology

. And I also LOVE the music (plus sound test!). The boss fight song, the town themes, the dungeon song. I still remember most of the music in the game, even though I beat the game back in 1992!

I remember playing/finishing the game roundabout that time, too. It was okay, nothing spectacular. Loved the opening/start screen music. I don't think I could play through it again, though.

 

[dream431ca]

I'm gonna buy this system again. I want to collect for it. Amazing System!