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Sega Genesis/MegaDrive Appreciation Thread: Alien Storm > Golden Axe
- Thread starter IrishNinja
- Start date
Very interesting. Welp, thanks to you guys, I've been pushed to grab the game from Steam. I kinda regret doing it without thinking... I should have checked GOG. I prefer giving them my money before anyone else and their lack of DRM is certainly a big plus.
Thanks for the for the insanely detailed info fellas.
Shadow Hog
Member
No Sega game is available on GOG to my knowledge, so no loss.
As for those "audio bridges", fun fact - most of those came from unused tracks in early betas of the game. I doubt I was the first one, but I made a post on Sonic Retro pointing out that if you splice them at the end of the redbook audio tracks from the beta (which don't fade out like the ones in the final release), they sync up pretty damn well in most situations.
As for those "audio bridges", fun fact - most of those came from unused tracks in early betas of the game. I doubt I was the first one, but I made a post on Sonic Retro pointing out that if you splice them at the end of the redbook audio tracks from the beta (which don't fade out like the ones in the final release), they sync up pretty damn well in most situations.
MrCunningham
Member
The wacky workbench extended track in the HD remake is actually really fantastic with the extra instrumentation and proper looping. Tidal Tempest extended US track is pretty great too. I always kinda liked Spencer Nilsen's tracks. I never understood the hate.
Not that I hate the Japanese tracks mind you, but maybe I am just more accustomed to the US ones. Though my favorites were always the PCM tracks in the past. I always liked the sound of the Sega CD PCM chip. I kind of wish the game had a mix and match mode for music, that lets you select which region of track will play for what level.
Shadow Hog
Member
Another fun thing: those audio bridges were PCM tracks. Got cut in later betas (and the final, obviously).
MrCunningham
Member
That's interesting. It makes me wonder if they were trying to loop the CD tracks together with some PCM overlaying effect?
Spectral Glider
Member
I like Nilsen's work on it too. Both soundtracks are good IMO. Same with Ecco, love Nilson's CD version but also love what he did with the Genesis cart version too. And of course his Batman Returns on CD was excellent.
IrishNinja
Member
man i gotta check gamefaqs or something, i never did sort this out and i remember it driving me nuts in the day too!
PepsimanVsJoe
Member
Heh I just looked it up.
Apparently if you try to use the vase like an item, it breaks. But you get +10 to your AC (armor class).
IrishNinja
Member
...shit. that would've come in handy, and that sounds like the kinda thing i'dve normally tried back then too. i'm oddly upset now, pepsiman.
Early games had no region locking trickery aside from the different slot shape. You can just press start on the Game Genie screen and it boots. Later games need individual special codes (I believe). I think it's pretty easy to deal with... In the age of smartphones you can Google the code quick, and play.
Breaking tabs will only allow those games which need no Genie code anyway. I believe later games will still lock you out (unless you add the region switch too). And yes I think it would look ugly (the cart slot flaps will be shaped wrong! Lol).
Modding a JPN Mega Drive looks so much better since the slot already fits worldwide games. Though sadly... Genesis and PAL Mega Drive have better detailing, IMO
If you have a model 1 Genesis without the security screen all you really need is a 32X. Japanese Megadrive carts will fit in that and will work just fine.
IrishNinja
Member
damn, i hate that mine has said screen, that'dve saved me some trouble...ah well
got MM: wily wars code, i was told MUSHA's fine, that just leaves Super Fantasy Zone which im hoping wont give any trouble either
edit: so wish i could find this thing a few bucks cheaper, i love stuff like this for loose carts. prolly end up getting it anyway...
got MM: wily wars code, i was told MUSHA's fine, that just leaves Super Fantasy Zone which im hoping wont give any trouble either
edit: so wish i could find this thing a few bucks cheaper, i love stuff like this for loose carts. prolly end up getting it anyway...
ResidentDante
Member
Because I know you guys love to see those Mega Drive's/Genesis' covered in add-ons:
Yeah, I like both soundtracks as well, though I definitely prefer the Japanese soundtrack. Sounds very 808 State to me, which I've always enjoyed.
Also, I actually had my expectations screwed up when I originally purchased the game back in the 90s. I never had a Sega CD so I had to buy Sonic CD on PC instead but, prior to that, I had some Sonic screensaver with the full soundtracks from various games including Sonic CD. They included the JP tracks for some reason, however, so I was quite disappointed when I brought the game home and found a completely different soundtrack. Back then I wasn't aware of the reasoning for this and ended up confused instead.
Just snagged Shining in the Darkness over the past weekend. It was jumbled in with a bunch of cheap EA sports games for some reason. Anyway, i'm glad I found it since i've got a new found love for first person dungeon crawler RPGs, and that plus classic Shining = must play for me now.
Now to just recover SF1 and 2...
Now to just recover SF1 and 2...
IrishNinja
Member
congrats Tekno! i miss Shining, just waiting for that $10 auction with its shell. ill totally replay it one day, encounter rate aside
shop near here wants like $30 for SF 1 loose, fuck outta here! just got 2 for $30 which felt high, but i never played it (or CD!) so i'm kinda pumped, even if between that & FE: Awakening i'm far too buried in S-RPGs, heh.
also, picking up another bookcase tomorrow, i got this idea/vision for phase 1 of my classic game room project and ran with it...blue neon Sega logo lamp on its way, i swear i'll have pics up in the coming weeks when it's all together! its funny how the details of your collection can drive you nuts, like lack of shelf space forcing me to stack these genesis cases vertically rather than horizontally fucking sucks, because it's all about accessibility, not having to move 9 games to get at hyperstone heist
shop near here wants like $30 for SF 1 loose, fuck outta here! just got 2 for $30 which felt high, but i never played it (or CD!) so i'm kinda pumped, even if between that & FE: Awakening i'm far too buried in S-RPGs, heh.
also, picking up another bookcase tomorrow, i got this idea/vision for phase 1 of my classic game room project and ran with it...blue neon Sega logo lamp on its way, i swear i'll have pics up in the coming weeks when it's all together! its funny how the details of your collection can drive you nuts, like lack of shelf space forcing me to stack these genesis cases vertically rather than horizontally fucking sucks, because it's all about accessibility, not having to move 9 games to get at hyperstone heist
lol yeah thats kinda why I dont want the next Saturn game of the month to be Dragon Force or Shining Force 3. I'm already in Fire Emblem Awakening too.
I need something at some point, because all my classic games are in one of those storage tubs now.
EDIT: Wegas are awesome...Genesis Model 1 AV cables arent. The video plug in mine died, and now I need to find some more. I forget whether I had third party cables, but definitely going to track down some officials.
Umm...are there official Genesis 1 composite AV cables? If not, I guess I could just go with Racketboy since they havent failed me yet...
IrishNinja
Member
no idea if sega ever made official AV cables for genesis, but yeah, id go racketboy if nothing else.
man none of these Shining Force 2 game genie codes seem to work, and worse yet, you can't rightly save with this thing...how do dudes get around this, just flip the switch off, then save? does that work? balls.
man none of these Shining Force 2 game genie codes seem to work, and worse yet, you can't rightly save with this thing...how do dudes get around this, just flip the switch off, then save? does that work? balls.
smbu2000
Member
Weren't the av cables that were included with the system official? They were mono AV cables, but i don't know if they were sold separately. I don't think there were stereo cables for the Genesis 1 though as it can only out mono sound through the AV out on the back.
The Genesis 2 had both mono and stereo, I believe.
A Black Falcon
Member
There is an official mono AV (composite) cable for the Genesis 1, and official mono and stereo AV cables for the Genesis 2/32X. Yes, of course Sega made official cables. They are rarer than SNES cables in part because the SNES uses the same AV plug as the N64 and Gamecube so lots of people have cables compatible with that, while many fewer have these model-specific Genesis cables (even many Genesis 2 owners still only have the RFU), but they certainly exist, and are cheap.
Either get out your graph paper or print off a map, then, you'll need it... that and a VERY high tolerance for grinding.
FormallyMegadrive
Member
I feel like I should be here.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Because I know you guys love to see those Mega Drive's/Genesis' covered in add-ons:
That is pure Sega pornography.
ResidentDante
Member
I know! I just want to touch it, dismantle it and build it up together again!
IrishNinja
Member
literally the only reason i miss my model 1 sega cd is for the stacked shot...ima put my model 1 genny, 32x, game genie, s&k, and another cart but i feel i need to go higher
All the early talk about Rolling Thunder 2 made me wonder if it was on any collection on current consoles. Did a search and was happy to find it's on Virtual Console but $11AUD is a bit pricey for on game. Maybe if it was modernised for PSN/XBL then I'd jump out.
ResidentDante
Member
Aren't the Genesis 1 cables the same as the Master System cables? If so, that might help a little.
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
LOVED Shining in the Darkness!! Such a great Dungeon Crawler, and it's one game where I literally had to start making my own maps further in to avoid the traps.
Also happy to see Rolling Thunder 2 mentioned in this thread, as that was another fantastic gem!
IrishNinja
Member
^could be wrong, but i wanna say 1-800-USA-SEGA used to give out some free printed-out maps in the day, i know for sure they sent me Phantasy Star 1 (never would've found Lassic, much less Dark Falz without it!) but i'm pretty sure they sent me a few dungeons for Shining in the Darkness...really appreciated that, since i used so much of my notebook paper for Sherlock Holmes vol 1 around that time!
Rolling Thunder 2 is such hot shit. like i forget if 3 was as good (i wanna say it was comparable, on a rental way back when) but 2 had that co-op pick-up-and-play like SOR 2. so underrated.
Rolling Thunder 2 is such hot shit. like i forget if 3 was as good (i wanna say it was comparable, on a rental way back when) but 2 had that co-op pick-up-and-play like SOR 2. so underrated.
IrishNinja
Member
okay, looking @ RetroGameCave (who should have the Trio back in stock soon, their FB page says!), i saw this:
i cant find it on ebay, is this a powered converter or what? again my genesis is modded for s-vid but id love to get it over SCART/RGB if i could. i intend to get an XRGB down the road but if something like this worked it'd be a great stop-gap in the meantime.
i cant find it on ebay, is this a powered converter or what? again my genesis is modded for s-vid but id love to get it over SCART/RGB if i could. i intend to get an XRGB down the road but if something like this worked it'd be a great stop-gap in the meantime.
Genesis Knight
Member
My M1 Trio arrived yesterday, so now I have the M1 and M2. Woot. Too bad my M1 Genesis rig won't fit in my entertainment center.
IrishNinja
Member
aw man Knight, i feel your pain...ive had a tape measure & notes and been playing Tetris the last day or so to sort out how to make everything fit in a small apt, with a 3rd bookcase coming. it's tricky but my genny + sega CD are on the bottom shelf of an open-but-kinda-closed-onna-sides/top unit, so anytime i wanna use game genie, sega-CD or 32x down the road, i have to pull it out entirely. the 360 is now going vertical, because fuck it i got nowhere else to put it, haha
Holly HNNNNGGGG! I overheard one of the tech guys at work saying they're switching over to newer equipment. So I might be able to snag a 20" version of those very monitors (branded by Olympus). 1 or 2 if I'm feeling up to it. Only a few more months. ^_^
Genesis Knight
Member
Thank you based Sega for having the most hilariously cumbersome hardware lineup ever. You've been making our lives hell since the 90s.
Shining in the Darkness! My first experience with the Shining games, what really sold it for me was the artwork. I thought the cartoony visuals (I didn't know what "anime" was back in those days) were extremely detailed and well-done. Still never beat it though I made it really far. Some of those dungeons were really difficult to get through, I'd always get so lost
IrishNinja, I remember writing lots of snail-mail to SEGA when I was stuck in parts of a game, and they'd mail me text documents/FAQs (this was before I even knew what the internet was, like we're talking 1992-3). Got one for Shining in the Darkness and Taz-Mania, though by now they are long gone.
IrishNinja, I remember writing lots of snail-mail to SEGA when I was stuck in parts of a game, and they'd mail me text documents/FAQs (this was before I even knew what the internet was, like we're talking 1992-3). Got one for Shining in the Darkness and Taz-Mania, though by now they are long gone.
Shadow Hog
Member
I'm pretty sure Micomsoft (the XRGB guys) had a device that does just this... but it's insanely pricey on eBay (much, much more than it'd cost to just buy a modded console).
I mean, if you can find one and are willing to shell out the dough, swell, but I'll stick with my S-Video mod.
Rolling Thunder 3 is hot shit, too. In fact, I just snagged one in near mint condition locally this past Friday for $13. Pic soon.
I need to get 2 again. I used to own it. Don't right now. It's great. Rolling Thunder needs a modern update IMO. It would be an awesome thing for Namco to bring back.
Which shot are you looking at?
VVV Mars VG
Member
I'm a massive Megadrive fan, when I first saw Altered Beast I remember saying "OMG its arcade!!!" back then the difference between arcade games and home computers Amstrad/Spectrum etc was huge. Hell even shit games like Last Battle (Fist of the North Star) and Forgotten Worlds looked the business.
As it happens it was a little know game that captured me, playing in Debenhams on Oxford St (The best games department anywhere in London between 90 - 92) I saw Truxton, OMG, the sound, the graphics, it captured me. Then I saw Strider and Revenge of Shinobi only to be followed by Sonic. That's my first 4 games then and from there the passion for new releases never abated.
Back then of course I only got 2-3 games per year, at Christmas and Birthday. They were bloody expensive and there wasn't the demo's and TV/video coverage you see today. Apart from the listing in the back of magazines such as Megatech you'd never know what gems were out there. But it did mean you became an absolute badass at every single one of them, especially with 6 months wall to wall on the same levels, all making that next purchasing decision so important.
Eventually my fav game was Thunder Force 4 and the usual suspects STOR 2, Sonic 2, Gunstar Heroes etc, but even now I play emulation and enjoy a world of discovery. I could ramble on this subject all day.
As it happens it was a little know game that captured me, playing in Debenhams on Oxford St (The best games department anywhere in London between 90 - 92) I saw Truxton, OMG, the sound, the graphics, it captured me. Then I saw Strider and Revenge of Shinobi only to be followed by Sonic. That's my first 4 games then and from there the passion for new releases never abated.
Back then of course I only got 2-3 games per year, at Christmas and Birthday. They were bloody expensive and there wasn't the demo's and TV/video coverage you see today. Apart from the listing in the back of magazines such as Megatech you'd never know what gems were out there. But it did mean you became an absolute badass at every single one of them, especially with 6 months wall to wall on the same levels, all making that next purchasing decision so important.
Eventually my fav game was Thunder Force 4 and the usual suspects STOR 2, Sonic 2, Gunstar Heroes etc, but even now I play emulation and enjoy a world of discovery. I could ramble on this subject all day.
Shadow Hog
Member
What were some of the funkiest non-standard cartridges for the Genesis/Mega Drive. I was always a fan of the EA cartridges. What other weird ass cartridges were there?
For 4-player!
discoalucard
i am a butthurt babby that can only drool in wonder at shiney objects
Super Fantasy Zone will work just fine without any codes. In fact, since the game was made with an international release in mind (it was published in Europe but not NA), it will automatically change to English if you're playing on an American Genesis.
I guess now its just a matter of finding them, since I dont want to get a pair that'll just go out at some point.
I might just make a map, since I had more fun doing that in metroid 1 than following a faq. Are there at least midway entry points/checkpoints, or do you have to start from the top every time you enter?
I thought you guys would like it. LOL! It was the first shot I took but upon later review, I realized I failed to post the right shot.
Anyway, there's a local place somewhat near me that seems to sell 32Xs for a decent price. I'm gonna go check it out over my weekend...
smbu2000
Member
The monitor is very nice! Mine is very similar, except I have the one with 800 lines of resolution (theirs has 600).
http://www.broadcaststore.com/pdf/model/15570/pvm20.pdf
The quality is excellent and it looks great. I've only used the s-video connection so far as the RGBS connection uses connectors. I need to get something like this http://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/sony-pvm-scart-converter-bnc.html to be able to use my RGB cables with it.
Definitely great if you can find an inexpensive one. I paid a whopping 310 yen for mine! (Plus 3000 yen shipping as its about 66lbs/30kg!)
IrishNinja
Member
VVV that's a great looking collection man, damn
damn...i was so sure i had the PS1 ones left, but i cant find them anywhere either. tragic. id love to scan em for retromags or the like.
man, they so should! 3 is getting bumped up on my list. i just love the lack of transitions from one awesome set to another: YOURE SHOOTING ON A PLANE. OKAY, NOW YOU'RE IN EGYPT, GO
bottom left hand one, is that referring to an upscaler? we really need a thread for those!
aw cool, thanks man! good to know, looks like Wily Wars is the only one then
damn...i was so sure i had the PS1 ones left, but i cant find them anywhere either. tragic. id love to scan em for retromags or the like.
Rolling Thunder 3 is hot shit, too. In fact, I just snagged one in near mint condition locally this past Friday for $13. Pic soon.
I need to get 2 again. I used to own it. Don't right now. It's great. Rolling Thunder needs a modern update IMO. It would be an awesome thing for Namco to bring back.
man, they so should! 3 is getting bumped up on my list. i just love the lack of transitions from one awesome set to another: YOURE SHOOTING ON A PLANE. OKAY, NOW YOU'RE IN EGYPT, GO
bottom left hand one, is that referring to an upscaler? we really need a thread for those!
aw cool, thanks man! good to know, looks like Wily Wars is the only one then
A Black Falcon
Member
Rolling Thunder 3 is hot shit, too. In fact, I just snagged one in near mint condition locally this past Friday for $13. Pic soon.
I need to get 2 again. I used to own it. Don't right now. It's great. Rolling Thunder needs a modern update IMO. It would be an awesome thing for Namco to bring back.
I've never really liked Rolling Thunder 3... I mean, it's decent, but it's so different from the first two Rolling Thunder games that I don't like it as much as either of them. The game's a faster-paced game more about action than the first two; the deliberate pace is somewhat lost. The two player co-op mode that the second game has (yes, even on Genesis) is also gone. The game's just so much more actioney... you get multiple weapons, can choose a high-powered weapon from the beginning of the stage, etc. Overall it obviously feels like an attempt to make a faster-action Rolling Thunder game, but it gets a bit too far away from why I love the originals. In comparison, the second game plays pretty much exactly like the first one, but with improvements like co-op. It's the better game, in my opinion.
I'm sure the official cables are on ebay sometimes... the Genesis 2/32X ones look a lot like Saturn cables, but have some slight design differences, and a different pinout on the plug of course. The round plug's the same though, and you actually can plug a Saturn AV cable into a Genesis 2... it just won't work.
No, there aren't. What the game has instead is that the first floor has five different exits, to each one of the four trial dungeons, each of which is a bit over a floor long. Only after beating all of them will you go to the second through fifth floors of the main dungeon. So it's not all one big thing. Oh, and the game may only have ~10 floors worth of dungeon, but it more than makes up for that with its high encounter rate and stiff difficulty curve... like, at the beginning of the game, you literally have to level up a few times right in front of the entrance. Going much of anywhere will cause your near-certain defeat.
Synth_floyd
Banned
Isn't this supposed to be the ultimate in Sega cartridge porn?
IrishNinja
Member
nah, both the bottom units should be model 1's
my sega-cd is a model 2 as well these days, but ill still take a pic in green cargo pants one day! i dont have that big ass cleaning unit thing though
my sega-cd is a model 2 as well these days, but ill still take a pic in green cargo pants one day! i dont have that big ass cleaning unit thing though