Bar81
Member
As has been said, they are in no way similar.
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Sega Genesis/MegaDrive Appreciation Thread: Alien Storm > Golden Axe
- Thread starter IrishNinja
- Start date
As has been said, they are in no way similar.
Does anyone know how to beat the third level of Terminator 2: Judgment Day? I love the game based on the first two levels alone, but trying to get John Connor to survive up until the end of the level with the running terminators and the constantly flying H-K drones is damn well impossible for me, even with two players.
Cool! Same here, also thanks again.
I really like how Japanese manuals always have funny cartoons illustrating what you shouldnt do. The Wii manual was gold lol.
sixteen-bit
Member
What's the best Thunder Force on Genesis?
I'm just the opposite. But that's prolly cuz I bought GnG at release and played it to death, whereas I played Super much later on.
Probably. That being said, I only "beat" the first go around on Super. After hearing that bracelet bit, I actually shouted "Are you serious? For real?!" at my TV lol.
Shadow Hog
Member
I always figured the commonly accepted answer to this question was Thunder Force IV/Lightening Force [sic], with Thunder Force III coming in not far behind, and Thunder Force II just kinda there.
Genesis Knight
Member
4 is the best in the franchise and the best horizontal Shmup on 16 bit systems. The only people who say 3 are the guys who played that first and are now nostslgia'd beyond all hope.
IrishNinja
Member
don't ever give up on this! clean with alcohol & q-tips, if that dont work the bit to open genny carts is like a few bucks on ebay, ive revived "dead" ones by opening them, cleaning the connections & sometimes even using metal polish (you have no idea how much gunk this takes off), for real im never giving up on a cart again
baphomet
Member
Yea, definitely give it a good cleaning. I've literally never come across a cart game that no longer works after a good cleaning. That's includes the copy I found in a dump of Deadly Towers for the NES.
IrishNinja
Member
haha damn
This is a tough one. TFIV/Lightening Force has more levels, looks better (dat parallax scrolling) and has frickin awesome music. In some places it suffers from pretty bad slowdown, though. I think it's my second favourite shmup on the Genesis after MUSHA. TFIII has pretty great music too, but looks a little.. boring in comparison. They gameplay is pretty tight and overall it's a great shmup. No comment on TFII.
sixteen-bit
Member
Thanks for the enlightening responses. TF4 it is.
I don't think you will be disappointed. Some of the best VGM out there. At least if your into Metal
I remember being impressed by the arcade setup for Cyberball. The Gennie version looks kinda bland, but for $3 I'd have picked it up, too.
Less than two weeks until the Seattle Retro Gaming Expo! Getting pumped!
Good call. I've only played 2 and 4 but 4 is something else compared to all the SHMUPS I've played. Great sound track, lots going on, big sprites and cool weapons that fire both forewards/backwards. Also you can do the levels in any order.
Shadow Hog
Member
Well, the first four levels, anyway.
Yessir. To be fair I haven't played it all the way through.
Shadow Hog
Member
And I haven't played it at all :V
Really should pick up a copy one of these days, although I'm not sure if I'd want the Genesis or the Saturn version...
Really should pick up a copy one of these days, although I'm not sure if I'd want the Genesis or the Saturn version...
I was also wondering if anyone wanted to trade dupes? I've got Shining Force 1 and 2, Shadowrun loose in varying condition. I'm kind of looking for a copy of Castlevania Bloodlines or Phantasy Star IV if anyone wants to work something out. I'd even take Super Metroid on SNES.
A Black Falcon
Member
I like Lightening Force the best because it has outstanding graphics, and great gameplay too. The game is one of the best looking Genesis games, but it plays great too. At least at first the 100-life "code" is worth trying, though; it's a tough game, so it's fun to have enough lives to actually be able to beat it. But yeah, awesome game. I love it. And those graphics... wow. But yes, the gameplay's just as great as the visuals are.
As for the others, Thunder Force II has ... early ... graphics, and the gameplay is just okay. I actually think the topdown stages are decent, and like them more than the side-scrolling ones, but most people seem to feel the opposite. Regardless, the graphics are unimpressive and bland, it looks like the very early title it is, and the side-scrolling stages really aren't that great. They also get hard.
Thunder Force III is probably the easiest of the three. I don't have it, but I"ll get it sometime. It's a very popular game, and might be the most popular of the three Genesis games. I like the fourth one more, from what I've played of it, but it is a good game for sure. Graphics are in between II and IV; they're not bad, but aren't great either.
I do have Thunder Spirits for SNES, though. I like it; sure, it has more slowdown than TF III, and probably isn't quite as good as the original, but it's a pretty good shooter. It's interesting to see how it's similar to TF III, but not quite the same... it's worth having, I think. Even if it's not exactly the best SNES shmup, it's pretty fun.
As for the others, Thunder Force II has ... early ... graphics, and the gameplay is just okay. I actually think the topdown stages are decent, and like them more than the side-scrolling ones, but most people seem to feel the opposite. Regardless, the graphics are unimpressive and bland, it looks like the very early title it is, and the side-scrolling stages really aren't that great. They also get hard.
Thunder Force III is probably the easiest of the three. I don't have it, but I"ll get it sometime. It's a very popular game, and might be the most popular of the three Genesis games. I like the fourth one more, from what I've played of it, but it is a good game for sure. Graphics are in between II and IV; they're not bad, but aren't great either.
I do have Thunder Spirits for SNES, though. I like it; sure, it has more slowdown than TF III, and probably isn't quite as good as the original, but it's a pretty good shooter. It's interesting to see how it's similar to TF III, but not quite the same... it's worth having, I think. Even if it's not exactly the best SNES shmup, it's pretty fun.
Shadow Hog
Member
Really? I figured the fourth one was.
That's because Thunder Spirits is based on Thunder Force AC which is based on Thunder Force III, but changed a few things (notably, "Omake 2" from IV is used in lieu of "Truth" for Stage 4). Yes, the Genesis version came first, and yes, that makes Spirits a port of a port, which is always kind of silly to see.
I kinda wish the version of the title theme, "The Wind Blew All Day Long", was anywhere near as wistful-sounding as the version in TFIII, but AC made it sound more like the version from TFII, which... I dunno, I don't really like it anywhere near as much. Spirits version is better than AC's, if only because it puts more emphasis on the lead than the harmony, but is missing some of the chords towards the end that TFIII has, making it seem kinda flat.
Also, Spirits's version of "Venus Fire" is kinda naff, if only because the bass is drumming hard during the opening measures, while no other version does that. Kinda neuters the impact it had, and while the rest of the song is okay, that first impression's important.
smbu2000
Member
Been awhile since I've picked up new games, but I just got these the other day.
PSIV (390 yen), Tecmo Bowl (390 yen), Final Fight CD (790 yen)...that store had a special though if you buy any 3 retro games under 800 yen you get all 3 of them for 1,000 yen. That was a nice deal!
I picked up Rolling Thunder 2 at another store for the same price.
PSIV (390 yen), Tecmo Bowl (390 yen), Final Fight CD (790 yen)...that store had a special though if you buy any 3 retro games under 800 yen you get all 3 of them for 1,000 yen. That was a nice deal!
I picked up Rolling Thunder 2 at another store for the same price.
I was planning on playing my Genesis copy of Thunder Force 2 but after seeing the X68000 version, man. I don't like or see the point in playing sub-par versions of older games in 2013 in the first place, but the X68000 version of Thunder Force 2 especially seems way more natural.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Dat cover art ;_; Why did we get that horrible Boris Vallejo atrocity instead of this beauty, whyyyyyy
sixteen-bit
Member
If I could find a clean version of the original artwork without all the text and logos, I'd totally make a new cover for my loose copy.
Genesis Knight
Member
You need to learn to embrace the 90s US cheese man.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
I did that with Suikoden 1, haha.
theSlacker
Member
Easy to do with Suikoden 1 since it was a 1 disk game in a 2 disk case, and the manual had the good art on it. So could just move it to a 1 disk case with the manual as the cover.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
I didn't have the manual, my copy was disc + cover only, but I printed the artwork online and used it as CD cover.
So glad Suikoden 2 had nice art on the US cover.theSlacker
Member
Got a problem that googling around didn't give me any help for. Picked up a model 1 Genesis a week or so ago and it was working fine with the RF cable it came with. Recently ordered one of those "retro-bit" composite cables from ebay to hold me over till I can get a RGB cable, since RF is shit, and things are acting up. I get constant static on the screen even when the system isn't powered on, just plugged in. Get sound and video behind that static when I turn the system on. Was wondering if anyone knows what this is? If it is just a bad cable or if it is something wrong with the system itself.
Other details:
Yes the AV cable is for the model 1 genesis
The power adapter that came with the system is also a "retro-bit" one that feels cheap and has hookups for both Genesis 1 and SNES.
I don't have any other AV cables at the moment to test this out, and the local place I bought the system from didn't have any in stock when they sold it to me.
This problem only happens with the AV cable, not with RF.
Other details:
Yes the AV cable is for the model 1 genesis
The power adapter that came with the system is also a "retro-bit" one that feels cheap and has hookups for both Genesis 1 and SNES.
I don't have any other AV cables at the moment to test this out, and the local place I bought the system from didn't have any in stock when they sold it to me.
This problem only happens with the AV cable, not with RF.
Gunstarheroes
Member
Finally got manuals to complete my Comix Zone and Battletoads and Double Dragon (Plus: My Comix Zone still has the sampler CD!)
I also got CIB's of California Games, Micro Machines, Puggsy, and the big one of the haul, Mutant League Hockey. 20 bucks for all that goodness!
I also got CIB's of California Games, Micro Machines, Puggsy, and the big one of the haul, Mutant League Hockey. 20 bucks for all that goodness!
I've found a video upscaler that does a good job in upscaling a SCART signal and outputting it through HDMI. However, my piece of shit TV doesn't allow me to move around the picture when in 4:3 mode, meaning that I currently get a good output from the Megadrive but its just a few pixels too high and gets cut off at the top. Is there anything cheap that I can purchase that would allow me to fuck about with the picture being output from a HDMI cable before passing this to the TV?
TriniTrin
war of titties grampa
You have inspired me! I SHALL REVIVE YOU DEAD CARTS! YOU WILL WISE FWOM YOU GWAAAVES!
I've only had one game not work after a lot of cleaning, and it was Gyruss. Now whenever I get a cart, even if it looks pristine I take it to task with a rubber eraser and rubbing alcohol. Works wonders.
It's funny, I had a Genesis as a kid until it broke and have a new one today, yet the only games I ever owned for it are Sonic 1 through Knuckles and Spinball. I have two dozen on Steam but I'm very unfamiliar with the library. A lot of it seems to be arcade-style beat-em-ups and action games, which I'm not the biggest fan of. I tried Gunstar Heroes, Ecco, and Altered Beast, none of which I enjoyed much. Ecco was interesting as shit though. It had an awesome atmosphere, and ironically seems to be hard as nails, unless I just suck.
Gonna try Ristar and maybe Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle.
Gonna try Ristar and maybe Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Ristar is a great pick. Weird that you didn't like Gunstar Heroes, it's possibly the best side-scrolling shooter ever (IMO), but if you don't like the genre, well... what do you like? Maybe we can give recommendations.
I still like TFII, but I'm sure much of it has to do with nostalgia. It was my first 16-bit shmup, and the step up from the 8-bit NES at the time was incredible. The audio was kick-ass, particularly the music. And hey, digitized speech! (Yeah, I'm one of those guys who prefers the horizontal levels to the overheads, too.)
I kind of expected not to like it since I was pretty disappointed with Gunstar Super Heroes. I bought Super Heroes with enormous expectations after all the hype, but I prefer Metal Slug for co-op and even Astro Boy Omega Factor for single-player. I'm sure it's more fun with a second player though.
I like platformers so Ristar's a solid bet. I want to try something more unique to the Genesis, which is why I went for Altered Beast and Ecco right away and want to try Alex Kidd. I think it's some sort of adventure game. Sometimes it's fun going into games with absolutely no idea what to expect.
Booted up Kid Chameleon for the hell of it and what is even happening i'm bouncing all over the place and i've got anhks for lives and i turned into a samurai and i'm jumping on dinosaurs
I've finally reunited my collection. It's mostly Genesis but I have some decent Sega CD and Saturn titles to include.
Boxed Genesis:
Loose Genesis:
Sega CD/Saturn:
and the set up:
Sorry there's a tad bit of glare in the top right. I didn't see it until after I put everything away but some of the harder to read ones will be Pier Solar, Legend of Wukong from the Genesis shot and Micky Mania, Terminator, Brutal, Wing Commander and Ground Zero Texas from the Sega CD/Saturn shot. I think I'll continue to keep focusing my collection on boxed Genesis titles. I also have the Canadian variant of Sonic 1, which as a Canadian probably isn't that impressive but I thought there are some cool changes none the less.
Boxed Genesis:
Loose Genesis:
Sega CD/Saturn:
and the set up:
Sorry there's a tad bit of glare in the top right. I didn't see it until after I put everything away but some of the harder to read ones will be Pier Solar, Legend of Wukong from the Genesis shot and Micky Mania, Terminator, Brutal, Wing Commander and Ground Zero Texas from the Sega CD/Saturn shot. I think I'll continue to keep focusing my collection on boxed Genesis titles. I also have the Canadian variant of Sonic 1, which as a Canadian probably isn't that impressive but I thought there are some cool changes none the less.
TriniTrin
war of titties grampa
What's the eraser for?
Gunstarheroes
Member
I've finally reunited my collection. It's mostly Genesis but I have some decent Sega CD and Saturn titles to include.
Boxed Genesis:
Loose Genesis:
Sega CD/Saturn:
and the set up:
Sorry there's a tad bit of glare in the top right. I didn't see it until after I put everything away but some of the harder to read ones will be Pier Solar, Legend of Wukong from the Genesis shot and Micky Mania, Terminator, Brutal, Wing Commander and Ground Zero Texas from the Sega CD/Saturn shot. I think I'll continue to keep focusing my collection on boxed Genesis titles. I also have the Canadian variant of Sonic 1, which as a Canadian probably isn't that impressive but I thought there are some cool changes none the less.
That Pulseman Reproduction cart is my next big purchase. I also need to get the Phantasy Star 2 hint book so i have all 4 of the games absolutely complete.
sixteen-bit
Member
I bought my Comix Zone used from Blockbuster Video in the late 1990s. Funny enough, even though it was a rental, it still had the CD and case but no manual.
smbu2000
Member
I don't remember the covers being that bad in 90's ;-p
I love the cover art on the games. That's why I still want to buy the carts even though I have the Phantasy Star collection on PS2. I still need to pick up the other 3 games.
smbu2000
Member
They're good for cleaning the cartridge itself. It's easy to see dirt/gunk on SFC with the gray color so I use one on mine all he time. MD/Genesis games are black but it's still useful.
IrishNinja
Member
Noahd41, that's a fantastic collection man
some amazing games, but damn those covers are superior. so jelly!
cant imagine youll have a hard time finding it, but ive got a local guy who did a bang-up job with mine if you want
that's the spirit! never give up, the only upside to people thinking they're dead is how cheap they can go on craigslist, haha
some amazing games, but damn those covers are superior. so jelly!
cant imagine youll have a hard time finding it, but ive got a local guy who did a bang-up job with mine if you want
that's the spirit! never give up, the only upside to people thinking they're dead is how cheap they can go on craigslist, haha