Images

[PC-FX Discussion / Found low res pic of rumored racing game for Iron Man in article on the FX]

I cannot help that this is of such low-res/quality, it isn't my own scan.



I found it here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/65846913@N02/sets/72157627349694847/detail/

It's from Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 54

So this is what the rumored F-1 game for PC-FX looked like.
https://www.pcengine-fx.com/PC-FX/html/pc-fx_world_-_facts___rumors.html

Racing
NEC HE

Looks like this title might have been a victim of NEC's strict guidelines for what games could be made for the FX. NEC didn't want certain games to be made for the FX, and though NEC HE started development on this racer that was supposed to be based on F1 Circus from the PC-Engine, it was scrapped almost as quickly as it begun. Very unfortunate.

I don't know if the picture of the racing game is meant to be real-time, like the part of that 'Super Star Soldier 3D' that was real-time flat-shaded polygons,  or what.

[Off-Topic / Re: What are you currently listening to?]

Love's Contagious (Lamond Master Mix Medley)

^♫ https://soundcloud.com/handygrafx/loves-contagious-lamond-master

From the Love's Contagious single

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: "New PC Engines in Japan" article [GamePro - The Cutting Edge]]

Awesome. 

Dude, if you have a way of creating high-quality scan/photo from tripod, you gotta share them with Nulltard and me: https://archives.tg-16.com/magazine_database.htm?col=pub&val=gapr

 

The scans / pics were here on this page for anyone to use:

examiner . com/article/retro-games-journalism-gamepro-march-1990-aka-the-phantasy-star-ii-issue

lol, and I thought some new PCE clones coming out here

I was debating whether or not I should put 'March 1990' in the title, but decided to put it in the beginning of the post 

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / "New PC Engines in Japan" article [GamePro - The Cutting Edge]]

GamePro - March 1990

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Turbografx articles, ads from egm *UPDATED*]

First time I ever heard of PC-Engine was in Video Games & Computer Entertainment.

I believe this was VG&CE's first PCE article - April, 1989.








These aren't scans, they're photos I took some years ago, so sorry for the small size and poor quality.
I just use the slider on the Opera browser to make them readable.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Chris Covell's SuperGrafx Power Console Prototype -- Holy S***!]

I've seen a lot of incredible things Chris Covell has put on his website over the years, but for whatever reason, I'd never seen this particular page before.  Maybe it was put up recently, or perhaps it's been there for years. Either way, I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw it tonight.   Now most of us have known about the SuperGrafx Power Console for years,  I've never seen so much detailed info on it before. I also didn't know there was a difference between the prototype and what the Japanese press got to see later, a stripped down version.

So without further adieu:

NEC's Power Console! This was the massive attachment meant to go on sale in Spring 1990 following the Winter release of the SuperGrafx system. It was planned to usher in a new dimension of gameplay, similar to Capcom's much later Steel Battalion mecha command centre, by fitting over the entire body of the SuperGrafx console and taking over all controls. In the meantime, the SuperGrafx was a huge flop, and, tragically, plans for the Power Console and games that used it were shelved.

So, what do I have here? It's a prototype of the Power Console, sporting features that even the Japanese gaming press hadn't caught a glimpse of when a later (stripped-down) demo model of the Power Console was shown to them at NEC's unveiling party. Not only that, but my console came with 3 EPROM cards containing completely unreleased and unheard-of games/programs that were meant to showcase the power of the SuperGrafx and Power Console. But more about that later.

First, what features does the Console have? For starters, it has the basic direction buttons of the usual PC-Engine, configured as a round, arcade-style joystick, Select and Run in the centre, and 1,2,3, and 4 action buttons (that means 2 additional buttons over usual PCE pads) with rapid-fire switches for buttons 1 and 2. There is a large steering wheel / flight yoke in the centre that has triggers on the handles. The triggers are the same as the 1 and 2 buttons. The wheel has analogue movement both left and right, and up and down, augmented with an analogue throttle on the left side of the console for full 3-D movement in flight simulators or driving games.

Getting weirder, there is a jog dial as seen on VCR controls (top-left of the Console) and a 16-button numerical keypad (more of a calculator keypad) that is used for setting time & date on an LCD display as well as operating recording/playback of button presses, just as programmable joysticks on other systems are capable of. Did I say LCD? Yep, in the upper centre of the unit there is an LCD display that shows time (AM/PM/Date) as well as the settings for the button programming function. Next to that there is an LED array arranged like an airplane's radar that lights up dots to show the horizon, or approaching enemies in games like Battle Ace. Is this Hubris? Megalomania on the part of NEC? I say no: NEC knew what gamers wanted in a peripheral and were willing to pass on the cost to the buyer if it meant adding all the features anyone could ever want -- and some that few would ever want -- into the ultimate accessory. Because there's even more:

A few other features I haven't yet mentioned are a power switch (for the whole system) and reset button, and as can be seen, a full 5-player multitap built into the right side of the Console! (Player 1 uses the built-in joystick, of course.) Other ports down the left side are an additional video output from the Console, and a coin slot and bill feeder too! NEC's engineers thought of everything!! How come there's no cup holder, though, eh?

Power Console Software

Before you ask, no, the sample cards above don't contain SGX Strider or Galaxy Force. But they do contain three pieces of software I'm sure you've never, ever seen before! They were bundled with my prototype Power Console and used (obviously) to showcase and test out the superior features of the SuperGrafx and Power Console. Two cards have black protective covers on them and the third has no cover, presumably since it was always having its chips updated (being a hardware test card and all). So, let's have a look at the games!

The Super Kung-Fu

This one will be familiar to everyone already, since The Kung-Fu was the very first game Hudson ever developed for the PC-Engine in 1987. The original game was used to showcase the PCE and the vast gulf in graphics capability between it and the then-reigning Famicom. Well, obviously Hudson wanted to show the same vast gulf again with its new SuperGrafx console since our fighter's character in-game is MASSIVE! He takes up literally the full height of the screen, with his feet almost disappearing off the bottom of the screen and his head obscuring the life meter above. This really is a SUPER sequel, since the enemies are just as large, obstacles such as rocks are twice the size as before, and there is now true parallax scrolling of mountains, trees, etc. in the background thanks to the SGX's dual playfields.

Criticism of the first game's sloppy controls and rough animation has been addressed since our hero now animates much more smoothly and punches and kicks faster, too. The only downside to the game is now that everything is much larger, enemy bosses and the hero can't both easily fit on the same screen, so it's difficult to anticipate their moves when half of their bodies are off the right edge of the screen. At any rate, even if it may still be a shallow showcase of the system's technical capabilities, this awesome game should have been released!!!

Power Tool

The third and final card we have is more or less what the title screen says: a tool for testing out the many hardware functions of the Power Console itself. Thus, I don't think it was intended to get a consumer release anyway. I'm sure it was used more for diagnostics and perhaps as a low-level interface that other Power Console-aware games might have incorporated. The options after the title screen are pretty limited but include a memory viewer, a testing screen for the programmable joystick function of the Console, and an input / output test as seen below. All the buttons and analogue inputs can be easily checked, and the LCD and LED displays on the Power Console can be tested for correct operation.

As I'd mentioned before, this prototype Power Console comes equipped with a working 100-yen coin slot and yen bill feeder(!), just as arcade games and vending, token and change machines do. One can only wonder for what purpose NEC were planning such a feature in a home system. Maybe to bring more of that arcade feel home? Or perhaps to enable SGX games and hardware to be incorporated themselves into an arcade unit? Sort of a reversal of the original SGX philosophy: "With the SuperGrafx, we've made home videogames into an arcade-like experience again, so why not take original SGX games to the arcade?" Who knows?

Anyway, I guess any gamer who was willing to pay the cost of the Power Console was more than happy to keep feeding it more money even after purchase...

In conclusion, all I have to say is what an amazing list of features in a single peripheral!! NEC tried to demonstrate just how ambitious and original they were back in the early days of the PC-Engine and SuperGrafx. It's just too bad the market wasn't ready for such innovation. The 3 pieces of software shown here that got shelved also show Hudon's and NEC's competitiveness in the late '80s and early '90s: The Super Kung-Fu is a clear shot across Sega's bow with their new 16-bit Mega Drive and games like Super Thunder Blade and The Super Shinobi. The message is, "You're not the only one who can make 'Super' enhanced games on new hardware." Taisen Pro Mah-Jongg could be a reaction to Nintendo's Game Boy, with its link-up capability and 2-player, 2-screen (one on each GB) mah-jongg game Yakuman. And finally, the Power Tool makes complete use of all the Power Console's features. Although this test software didn't get released itself, it's clear that the on-screen interface of Battle Ace is an evolution (or devolution?) of the off-screen Power Console interface, with its radar scanner, on-screen crosshairs similar to the flight yoke indicator, and so on. It would have been great if the SuperGrafx had been released with additional games like these, games that totally show off the sheer power, or, er, at least difference, of the SGX system compared to all other consoles.

Everything here

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: EGM TurboGrafx-16 preview from summer 1989]

I found this web page from 2006:

http://www.revrob.com/sci-a-tech-topmenu-52/50-namcos-lost-game-console-super-system

Namco's Lost Game Console - Super System
Written by Rev. Robert A. Vinciguerra    Sunday, 02 April 2006



When? 1989. Where? Japan. Who? Namco.

After creating the most recognized video game mascot, in the 1980's Namco felt that they could do anything. Traditionally an arcade developer, Namco saw the success of Nintendo's Famicom (NES) system in Japan and abroad and felt that Pacman could take on Mario.

After Nintendo began to reveal information about their Super Famicom (SNES), Namco revealed that they were working on a true 16-bit console of their own, one which would have rivaled the processing speed of the MegaDrive (Genesis) and surpassed the color pallet and sound capabilities of the Super Famicom. It promised to be the most powerful 16-bit game console in the world, hence earning the name 'Super System.'


What happened?

In 1989 a console called the PC Engine was the number one selling game machine in Japan. In the West, American's were patiently waiting for their iteration of the system, the TurboGrafix, to hit their shores. The PC Engine was a joint venture between Japanese electronics giant NEC, and game development powerhouse Hudson Soft.



Namco began to question how they could compete in a market were veterans like Nintendo, Sega and NEC/Hudson were all gearing up for a prolific struggle for domination of the console hardware market.

They decided to align themselves with insurgent NEC. NEC recognized the brand power that came with Namco. In a time where video games were relatively underground or regarded as a kid's toy, Pacman was instantly recognizable and transcended all facets of society; age, gender, race and social class.

NEC and Hudson were already in the designing phase for a PC Engine 2. This would have also been a true 16-bit console, a follow-up to the PC Engine, and a guarantee that the PC Engine brand would endure for another hardware generation.

Talks between NEC and Namco were ongoing, and Namco's console was nearly complete and ready to be integrated with NEC's technology. It would have been ready for the US market within a year.

No Namco materialization or manifestation?

Jealousy has been known to humankind for as far back as history is recorded, and beyond. Just as jealousy exists in human society and even in the animal kingdom, it is also present in the business world.

Hudson feared that they would lose control over the PC Engine to Namco and that NEC would favor this new partner. As a result, Hudson pushed the PC Engine2 to the market, the version that they had co-designed with NEC, leaving Namco and their impressive hardware back in the lab.

This PC Engine2 came to be known as the ill-fated and ill-remembered SuperGrafx. The SuperGrapfx was more like a PC Engine 1.5 than a version 2.0. It featured upgraded graphics, but used the same 8-bit core, not living up to the promise of a true 16-bit console. It also offered no upgraded sound capabilities. Backwards compatible with the PC Engine's HuCards, the SuperGrafx hailed few supporters. NEC and Hudson would try one more time to enter the hardware market to compete with Sony and Sega with a 32-bit machine with CD based media, but the PC-FX faded even faster than its 16-bit ancestor.

Namco never released their Super System on their own and very little is know about the machine. There are no prototypes know to exist anywhere in the world, though it is widely speculated that Namco still owns at least one prototype as well as specifications.

...And all that could have been

The landscape of the game industry could've been very different had NEC partnered with Namco, or had Namco gone the same route as Sony when Nintendo backed out of their deal to create a CD add-on device for the Super Famicom codenamed "Playstation."

Had the SuperGrafx been canned in favor of the Namco console, Namco/NEC might still be major players today. Namco is one arcade developer who could've handily capitalized on their universally recognizable IP such as Pacman and Dig Dug, and as well as the success of their modern arcade hits such as Ridge Racer, Tekken, Soul Calibur and Time Crisis, and develop new IP such as Kalona and Ace Combat.

If Namco 'pulled a Sony' and decided to release their Super System on their own they may have wound up on top and remain major player today -or- Namco might have deteriorated under the pressure and costs of hardware development and folded before such classics and Soul Calibur and Dead to Rights could be imagined.

Despite the historical outcome of Namco's experiments with their own home videogame system, it would still be interesting today to see their 1989 Super System in action!

First of all, I don't believe this guy came up with this on his own.  He used one of the EGM news clips that *I* took a photo of.  That much I know for certain.   

I don't know for sure, but I believe he looked at the speculation & comments that I had written and posted on the subject of the PC-Engine 2 and the Namco console.  What he wrote was not copied from me, but I believe he based it on the research I had done.  Let's be clear, this guy did absolutely nothing wrong.  However I do feel a little credit was due. But whatever.  I'm actually glad this person made a page on Namco's console.

He did what I couldn't, make a website/page. So in a sense, I am grateful to him.



There is at least one mention of Namco's system posted on a usenet newsgroup in 1989:

However note that NEC is coming out with a PC Engine 2, and Namco (I think) has a new 16 bit machine they're thinking about marketing.

http://tinyurl.com/k2dwvug


Also, from The Strange (and Rare) Videogame Pics Page:
(credit to Fabrizio Pedrazzini)

ONCE TOUGHT TO BE POSSIBLE PLAYERS

Acorn (with a video game system based on the Archimedes/Risc PC platform)
 Amstrad (with a CD-I compatible system)
 Data East (they worked on a Neo Geo-type system called DECO)
 Epson (they worked on a 32-bit system)
Namco (they had a 16-bit and a 32-bit system ready)
Seta (like DE they worked on a Neo Geo-type system)
 SNK (with a Hyper Neo Geo 64 home version...)
 Sony (with a Gameboy-like handheld system that some sources said it had a color screen)
Taito (look here!)

http://faberp.tripod.com/Future.htm

I have no idea about a 32-Bit Namco console, I suppose its possible, but I've never even seen a rumor about this.

Anyway, while I think a 16-Bit Namco console could've been really neat -- I'd have much rather seen a true 16-Bit PC Engine 2 / SuperGrafx-16 designed by Hudson.

I could be wrong, but from what I've read (right or wrong), Hudson may have designed the custom chips in the Sharp X68000 computer.  I know they *did* design the OS for the X68K.
Either way, the first X68K came out in Japan in 1987, around the time of the PC-Engine. That means both were designed around 1985-1986. (the original Amiga chipset was shown in 1984 before its 1985 release).

Imagine then, what Hudson could've done with a system designed between 1988-1990...

Ah, all the "what could have beens".

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / May 1993 GameFan on PC-Engine Street Fighter II']

The first screens I ever saw of PC-Engine Street Fighter II' were these 

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / EGM TurboGrafx-16 preview from summer 1989]

I don't think the entire preview of TurboGrafx-16 from Electronic Gaming Monthly #2 (June/July 1989) ever got posted. 

So here it is, along with a few relevant pages.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Yet ANOTHER Military Madness release]

Hudson iPhone lineup: Military Madness NN, Aqua Forest 2, more
Author's pic
By Charles Starrett

Senior Editor, iLounge
Published: Wednesday, September 2, 2009
News Category: iPhone Applications



Hudson Soft has released details of its fall lineup of games for the iPhone and iPod touch. The company will be offering four new titles in the fall, including a sequel to the well-received Aqua Forest. Knights of the Phantom Castle is a hybrid strategy and action RPG game offering deep character customization including the forging of new weapons and development of new abilities, touch-screen controls, and numerous strategy decisions for the player to make in battle against the enemy. Military Madness: Neo Nectaris is an adaptation of the mobile game Military Madness 2, a sequel to the original and widely acclaimed TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine game Military Madness. In the turn-based strategy game, players will be asked to control armies via touch commands through 50 levels of tactical gameplay. Other features include upgraded visuals and an all-new musical score.

[General Gaming / Re: Details about Military Madness: Nectaris for consoles developed by Backbone]

Neo Nectaris (1994) PC-Engine Super CD-ROM²


Nectaris: Military Madness (1998, 1999) PlayStation
/9hmo9t.jpg


Military Madness: Nectaris  (2009)  PSN - XBLA - Wii Ware

[General Gaming / a complete run through R-Type on the Sharp X68000]

The X68000 rendition of R-Type is very interesting to observe in action.   It is not quite arcade-exact, and so it's not as close to the arcade as the PS1 R-Types version is. The PS1 port itself is not 100% arcade-exact because of the difference in screen resolution: PS1: 320x220 pixels (or something very close to that) arcade: 384x256 which is significantly higher resolution, but otherwise the PS1 ver. is basicly the arcade game, a carefully rebuilt port for the PS1 hardware.   

X68K R-Type is better than the PCE/TG-16 & PCE SCD versions in some areas:
*graphic detail
*parallax scrolling
*sound & music (debatable)
*perhaps color palette as well but it's hard to tell

yet worse in other ways:
*scrolling speed/smoothless was definitely slower/chopper than PCE/TG-16
*animation of certain objects like missiles was really slow   
*music is overall better on PCE, even if technically the X68K has advantage with FM Synth.
 
Concidering that X68K R-Type was made in 1989, while the PCE version was made in 1988, and also concidering the vast hardware differences between the X68K and PCE, there's no excuse for the X68K version not living upto and surpassing the PCE version in every single area.

Overall X68K R-Type is a faithful rendition of the arcade for a home computer system that blows the ever-living snot out of the weak AtariST-quality Amiga version, is lightyears ahead of it, and every other home computer rendition released in the late 80s/early 90s.

If the Amiga or any other home computer had been given a version of R-Type precisely identical to the X68K port, it would've been worth its weight in gold. Such a thing would've been hailed as the arcade coin-op machine playing on your home computer.



However, for the X68K, and by its standards, this rendition is actually sub-par. It's not the usual X68K quality of incredibly near an arcade game, like say, X68K Salamander or Fantasy Zone, ports that are so close its hard to tell.

[General Gaming / Re: Good news: R-TYPE Tactics II announced for PSP in Japan]

gameplay map screens:








3D battle animation screens:






CG cinema screens:

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Military Madness (for Android OS) Yet another new version of the PCE/TG-16 game?]

Excuse me for posting this in the TG-16 discussion form, I felt it wouldn't get noticed otherwise.  If later this needs to be moved to mobile game discussion, go ahead.

Anyway it seems there is yet another new version of Nectaris / Military Madness, for cell phones,  a 3rd one:

1. 2003/2005/2006 -Nectaris Cellular / Military Madness (slightly reworked version of the original 1989 game)
2. 2008/2009 Military Madness 2 (slightly reworked version of the 1994 sequel: Neo Nectaris)
3. 2009 Military Madness for Android (another remake of the original game?)

Military Madness is on all fronts! Hudson has released an all new version of everyone's favorite strategy game for smart phones supporting the Android operating system available on platforms like T-Mobile's G-1. You'll find all of the in-depth military action that has come to define the series with Military Madness on a scale you've never seen!

For Android users, grabbing the newest version of Military Madness has some sweet perks. For one, you'll be able to take full advantage of the touch-screen interface to select, move, and attack units of all types. Drag your finger across the screen to gain an overview of the entire map and plan your moves accordingly. Witness battles unfold in higher definition thanks to the upgraded visuals, while crucial stats are viewable on screen for every skirmish with the larger viewing area. If you need engaging tactical gameplay on the go, look no further. Military Madness on Android sets the bar.

http://hudsonent.com/gamedetail.php?game_id=202&console=1












Thoughts?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Final Fight PCE]

Not sure about a PCE HuCard version, but a PCE SCD version could've looked closer in terms of color and background detail (minus parallax)  than the MegaCD version, which lost ALOT of color and SOME graphic detail.  As CrackTiger mentioned, MegaCD version is redrawn.  It's only a rendition of the arcade, with less detail, not a pixel-exact port.

Of course, the X68000 version lost zero color or detail, and truly *looks* pixel-exact to the arcade ^__^

MegaCD|SegaCD vs Arcade


SFC|SNES  vs Arcade


GBA


X68000 vs Arcade


99.9% of people (nearly everyone) believed that the MegaCD-SegaCD version of Final Fight was arcade-exact, or damn close to it, and thus, it was the closest home version during the 1990s, until Capcom Classics Collection in recent years.  That's because all they knew of in the 90s were the two SFC-SNES versions (FF and FFGuy).  So in comparison, the MegaCD-SegaCD version *seemed* perfect compared to the Nintendo versions.  Almost nobody had ever heard of the Sharp X68000.  Even most people that knew about the obscure Japan-only SuperGrafx, did not know about the even lesser-known X68000.  It just did not exist to people. 

Anyway,  the MegaCD-SegaCD version of Final Fight was certainly the best home *console* version of Final Fight.  It retained all of the features of the arcade (all levels, all selectable characters, 2-player play), and on top of that it featured superior music and an exclusive animated intro that no other version, not even the arcade, had.  Like so many other things in life, all of this combined to BLIND most people into thinking the MegaCD-SegaCD version was more exact to the arcade than it really was.    Indeed it was an outstanding rendition of Final Fight, the best that could be bought domestically in the United States, and even those in Japan who did not own a X68000. 

Compared to IBM PCs and even Amigas, the X68000 was the Neo-Geo of home computers. Thank God the games didn't cost $200~$300. It's just the hardware that was expensive, much more so than the Neo-Geo itself.  I think a X68000 cost $1000 to $1500 at least,  in the range of a LaserActive.  I could be off by a few hundreds bucks, but does it matter, at THAT kind of cost? I think no.

To be clear, the X68000 Final Fight wasn't 100% exact in every way,  it did not put as many enemies on-screen as the arcade, I think only 5-6 at most, instead of the arcade's 7-8,  but still more than SFC-SNES's 3 and MegaCD-Sega's 4.

Anyway.... The creators of the PC-Engine family of hardware, Hudson, did contribute to the design of the Sharp X68000, at least it's OS, and perhaps (not confirmed) maybe its graphic chip(s) also.

If (oh man, IF!) NEC & Hudson had ever come up with a true 16-bit PC-Engine 2  (say in 1990 or 1991), rather than the modestly upgraded 8-bit SuperGrafx of 1989, I would've hoped for X68000-quality results.  The PCE/TG family would've become legendary, in the same sense as the Neo-Geo did.

I wish there had been a X68000 version of Forgotten Worlds.  I'm sure it would've been almost-exact, in the same sense that X68K  Ghouls 'N Ghosts, Strider, Final Fight and SF2CE were.

The X68000 is very much what I had wished the SuperGrafx (or PC Engine 2) had been.

[Off-Topic / EGM is coming back--Founder STEVE HARRIS to the rescue]

wayback://bitmob.com/../EGM-is-Back.html

egmnow.com

"ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY" FOUNDER
EXECUTES CONTRACT TO ACQUIRE PRINT AND ONLINE
PUBLISHING RIGHTS TO EGM MAGAZINE

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, May 29, 2009 — Steve Harris, founder of "Electronic Gaming Monthly" magazine, announced today that he has entered into an agreement with Ziff Davis Media to re-acquire certain assets, including trademarks and publishing rights, with plans to re-launch EGM in the second half of 2009.

"The re-launch of Electronic Gaming Monthly represents a welcome opportunity to continue delivering quality content to gaming enthusiasts," said Harris. "I feel honored to once again be associated with this respected magazine. The talented writers and designers who built upon EGM's original vision have left behind a publication that is uniquely positioned to be successful."

"Electronic Gaming Monthly is and always has been one of the most respected publications among the gaming enthusiast community," said Jason Young, CEO, Ziff Davis Media Inc. "We are pleased that EGM is now in the hands of its original creator, Steve Harris, and wish him and the publication the best of success in the future."

"We have exciting plans for the evolution of what will once again be a leading independent voice for the gaming community," Harris continued. "The twenty year success of the EGM brand has always been built upon a commitment to its readers who I believe will enthusiastically embrace the changes we are planning to introduce."

Additional details and future announcements will be made during the upcoming E3 expo and posted on the magazine's official website at EGMNOW.com or via the official EGM Twitter account at twitter.com/EGMNOW .

ABOUT ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY:

Electronic Gaming Monthly (aka EGM) was launched in 1988 by Steve Harris to provide independent news, reviews, and other content of interest to video game enthusiasts. The magazine enjoyed rapid success that continued after Harris sold the publication to Ziff Davis in 1996. It has remained an industry leader for more than twenty years and has enjoyed a strong and loyal readership base during that time.

Steve Harris (long ago)



JOY

[PC-FX Discussion / PC-FX preview from EGM2]

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / GamePro Article on Shuttle/CoreGrafx/SuperGrafx]

[PC/Console/Mobile Ports / Military Madness 2 for Verizon mobiles]

It's Neo Nectaris made for mobiles.

The military is back and is madder than ever in Military Madness 2, the sequel to the hit mobile military strategy game! Take the fight from the Moon to Mars through 48 new maps! Wage war with 8 new units, from the medic Teknik to the gargantuan Bioheiki bioweapons! You can even battle a friend with local multiplayer on one phone! By Hudson.

wayback.vzw.com/index.aspx?id=fnd_games_detail&appId=3216998

https://archive.org/details/military-madness-2-cellphones/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nectaris/comments/wgpc2n/military_madness_2_cellphones_2008_melange/

[General Gaming / R-Type Dimensions - An HD remix of R-Type + R-Type II for XBLA!]

I have been playing R-Type since summer 1989, a little time after came out for the Master System in the U.S.   I never got to play the original coin-op arcade machine, although with MAME I was able to experience what the arcade was like, and was also able to find a copy of R-Types for the PlayStation which has near-exact replicas of R-Type and R-Type II.


I was really excited when I learned that R-Type Dimensions was not yet another attempt at a 3D sequel like Delta and Final, but a remake of the first two games.  This is for me, literally, a dream come true, even though it might not be what everyone else wanted.

IMHO this HD remake / remix of R-Type and R-Type II for Xbox Live Arcade looks absolutely stunning.  It might also come out for PSN, but as of right now, it's going to be for XBLA only and  it should be released sometime in Q1 2009, probably for $10 or so. Whatever XBLA games cost.   

This will be a real treat for me, because I plan to finally get a 360 in the coming months now that the (hopefully reliable) Jasper units have made their way to stores.

What strikes me about R-Type Dimensions is the graphics have been remade with high quality new artwork and lighting effects in high-definition, and there is a new angled perspective.  All of this is optional. You can play with the original old sprite graphics.  Or you can play with the new remade HD graphics in normal perspective.  You can switch between old graphics, new graphics *and* angled perspective, on-the-fly.  So lets say you like the new HD graphics but don't like the new perspective, no problem, you can play without the shift in view but with the updated visuals. Something for everyone in terms of visual presentation.

There is also, for the first time in R-Type I & II,  2-player co-op mode, locally, or over LIVE!


Check out these videos:

TGS 2008 trailer
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/41124.html
http://www.gamersyde.com/stream_8957_en.html

additional TGS video

Check out the entrance to the BYDO base as it shifts from original graphics to new graphics with all the new detail and new perspective @ the 0.18 mark.  This is the 'best-case' for why the new graphics and new perspective actually work to a good effect, IMO.   I don't know if anyone agrees, but for those that might, you probably won't think so from any other footage or screenshot, except that part.  I was skeptical myself about the new graphics and especially the new perspective, but that part blew me away and convinced me it'll work.

recent developer interview with more footage
http://www.gamereactor.eu/grtv/?id=3568

all released screenshots
http://www.gamersyde.com/news_7195_en.html
http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/142/14271739/imgs_1.html























http://www.gamersdailynews.com/story-4814-RType-Combo-Pack-for-XBLA.html

"R-Type Dimensions" combines the genre-defining coin-op classics "R-Type" and "R-Type II," with a twist. Although classic gameplay remains untouched, "R-Type Dimensions" elevates the experience to greater heights with brand-new additions and enhancements. For the first time, "R-Type Dimensions" allows multiplayer co-op play locally or over Xbox LIVE for up to two players.* Fight through all 14 Bydo-infested stages in the original 2-D or all-new 3-D graphics with the ability to swap back and forth between the two seamlessly. Strike down the evil Bydo Empire and save the earth in "R-Type Dimensions."

Features:

"R-Type Dimensions" features include the following:
• Single player and co-op play. Locally or on Xbox LIVE for up to two players
• "R-Type" and "R-Type II." Two full playable classic coin-op games
• All-new Infinite game mode. Assuring completion of games regardless of skill level
• Classic game mode. Play that exactly mimics the original coin-op experiences
• Statistics tracking. Track all the player's vital stats
• Two free gamer pictures. Can be unlocked by players of all skill levels
• Achievements. Range from easy to advanced, making them appropriate for every skill level
• All-new 3-D graphics plus 2-D original graphics. Swap between graphic modes on the fly

This game will be the reason I sign up for an Xbox Live Gold membership, I can't wait ^__^

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: EGM #18 reader-letter + ed reply + pics of *supposed* SuperGrafx Strider]

 Here is one of the better write-ups on the whole subject

http://lscmainframe.topcities.com/sgxgame.html

Dossier: Strider on the NEC SuperGrafX

The SuperGrafX port of Strider is the most legendary and storied home version, bar none. Everyone has a different opinion or story about it. The most popular of these stories are collected (and hopefully debunked) here.

Some of these stories are true(-ish), and others stem from misunderstandings, while still others are downright fabrications. Here are just a few of them.

LEGEND I: "The programmer of the SuperGrafX Strider port killed himself."

Here's the story as propagated by Ralph Space and Strider-Otaku: in the wake of Strider's massive success in the arcades and on the Sega Genesis, Capcom decided to attempt developing the ultimate version, a home conversion of unparalleled quality for NEC's upcoming SuperGrafX/PC-Engine II console.

The unfortunate programmer assigned to this project was put under intense pressure to deliver a superior port, one that could beat both the arcade version and the acclaimed Sega Genesis/MegaDrive port. To do this, the programmer had to start from scratch, converting sprites into a format the SGX could understand as well as writing and optimizing new source code. Sega didn't have that problem with their conversion, as the Genesis/MegaDrive used the same processor as the CPS-1.

The project dragged on and on in development hell until the programmer finally cracked under the strain and had to be committed. A version for the Turbo Duo Arcade Card was hastily cobbled together and released to much critical derision. The Turbo Duo version was perceived as being vastly inferior to the Genesis/MegaDrive port, and it was this failure to beat out the Genesis version that drove the programmer to commit suicide.



Legend has it that, as an homage to the lost programmer, a teddy bear was placed in every Strider game, representing the programmer's regression. Capcom placed teddy bears even in games where Hiryu was merely making a cameo appearance, like this shot from Street Fighter Alpha 2 shows.

There's just a couple of problems with this legend. The first problem is that there's a teddy bear in THE ORIGINAL ARCADE GAME. You can see it for yourself: download Callus, download the ROM, and follow these directions. Once you actually get inside Ballog on the third level, get past the tanks and the railgun, go down the conveyors, and get to the spot on the floor next to a bunch of shells. If you go back up the conveyor to the topmost row of shells and destroy them, a small teddy bear will pop out of a porthole and laugh at you.
   


The second problem is that NEC Avenue was doing the SGX conversion, not Capcom. The employee wasn't even working for Capcom, so why would they continually pay homage to him in their own games? It's far more likely that the programmer got fed up with all the bullshit he had to put up with and quit working on it. The SGX never caught fire in Japan, much less here in the States, so that's probably why the game wasn't completed: the console died before they got a chance to get it out.

Far be it from me to get in the way of a legend, though. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

LEGEND II: "The SuperGrafX version was going to be better than the arcade version."

There's also no way at all that an SGX Strider conversion would surpass the arcade. Consider: the ROM size for the arcade version weighs in between 32 and 43 megabits, and the maximum ROM size for SGX carts weighed in between 8 and 10 megabits. The ROM would have to be reduced to 25% of its original size just to fit on the cartridge, so concessions would have to be made. The graphics and palette would've been an almost spot-on match, though, and with the SGX's superior sprite handling capabilities and additional scrolling layers, it would've definitely given the Genesis version a run for its money. But surpass the arcade? Not a chance.

LEGEND III: "The SuperGrafX version never existed. It was all a hoax."



[For years, this picture culled from EGM 18 was the only surviving screenshot.]    

Thanks to Lawrence over at NFG Games, quite a few people now think that the SGX version never existed at all. They point out that the only screenshots that have ever surfaced were from EGM #18 (article pictured above, screenshot on left), which wasn't known for its journalistic integrity. Any screenshots purporting to be from the SGX version are doctored arcade or X68000 pics, which the unsuspecting American audience fell for.

Additionally, since Capcom never officially announced the game's release and since other betas and even pirated games have shown up on emulation, but this conversion has not, odds are it never existed to begin with. So they say.



These scans change all that. They were taken from the Japanese magazine PC Engine Fan, and only recently resurfaced. The article immediately to the right is from the Sept. 1990 issue.


Check out the Kazakh shot on the bottom right of the second page. Here, I'll make it easy for you with a side-by-side comparison of the arcade and SGX screenshots:


Now, let's play "Spot The Difference." There are no less than seven points of difference between the arcade shot on the left and the purported SGX shot on the right. I'll list them.

   1.

      The resolution of the shot from the article seems to match one of the maximum resolutions of the SGX (352 pixels), while the arcade shot had to be trimmed down.
   2.

      The shot from the article is missing the "stars" background layer (BG3).
   3.

      There's no time elapsed in the shot on the right and the current score tally is 0, despite the player being halfway through the first level.
   4.

      The edges of Falchion's energy slash are curved more and taper around Hiryu's body more in the shot on the right than in the arcade game.
   5.

      Hiryu seems to have the edge of a red sash sticking out from his waist in the shot on the right. No existing Strider conversion has that.
   6.

      The health meter is completely red and has a gradient on each bar in the shot on the right.
   7.

      The pole Hiryu's clinging to in the arcade shot is thicker than the one from the article.

You can go through it yourself with a fine-toothed comb and find many more points of difference, but we'll stop with those.


Here's an excerpt from the Jan. 1991 issue of PC Engine Fan. You can see the same kind of tapering here as in the Sept. '90 excerpt.

If you look closely, the colors in the screenshots from these articles seem to be on a slightly different palette from the arcade version. You can most easily tell this in the shot with the moon in the Sept. '90 excerpt: the moon is much brighter and whiter than it was in the arcade.

These scans can't be from the arcade game or the X68000 game, and they're certainly not from the Turbo Duo version. The screenshots don't match up. This begs the question: which version are these scans from?

The evidence isn't conclusive, but it is pretty persuasive. These excerpts show a version of Strider with marked differences from anything we've seen. They were not taken from any other version, as they use different sprites and different color gradients. Either the SGX version did exist in some developmental form once or someone went to a hell of a lot of trouble to mock it up.

Credit goes out to Chris Covell and Bonknuts over at the PCEngineFX forums for doing the stellar research into these articles.
   

LEGEND IV: "There are ____ number of playable prototypes in existence."

Everyone has a different opinion as to what happened to the prototypes, the beta test versions that HAD to have existed if the game was actually being developed. Daniel Riley of SuperGrafx Extreme is most notorious for spreading the rumor that there were four copies of a three-level playable alpha in existence, which any dedicated collector could find.

Daniel bases his opinion on an old rumor dating back to a 1997 post on the Turbo List, an electronic mailing list for NEC enthusiasts, claiming that, all in all, NEC made five working prototypes. This post marked the first time anywhere on the Net that anyone claimed a specific number of Strider SGX betas existed.

Here's the post:

    From: Mike Lyon [lyonx008@gold.tc.umn.edu]
    Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 13:16:20 -0600
    Subject: SG Strider: The Scoop

    Here's the the scoop on Strider for the SG, for all those who are not familiar with the story.

    Strider WAS programmed, up to about level 4, for the Supergrafx. It is not vaporware, as is frequently reported. Instead of using a Strider "mold" (looking at previous code and formatting it for the system), the programmers started from scratch, which was a long and costly endevour. The game was intended to surpass even the arcade version, which sounds good to me. The Supergrafx was more than capable of it.

    When the project was scrapped, due to the massive NES/PCE war that I will not get into, there were FIVE WORKING E-proms. Not cards. E-proms. That's prototypes for all of you not in the know. They're big, ugly, and look nothing like Hu-cards. I do not wish to discount [some random poster], but just how his friend got a hold of this is fucking beyond me. Take these factors into account:

    Copy #1 went to the Hudson vaults. There it will remain until Hudson goes out of business, at which point it will become part of the Hudson estate or be turned over to a company that might buy them out.

    Copy #2 went to the head programmer of Strider. I believe he lives in Kobe. Good luck in finding him.

    Copy #3 was given to the original designer of Strider, who had a close interest in the development of the SG version. After the failure of the SG, he wasn't present for the ACD development, which could account for it's poor quality.

    Copy #4 was the press copy; this is the copy that Gamefan and EGM and all those mags had the Strider pictures in. The press E-prom contained only the first level of the game and a credit sequence, if I'm correct. The press copy, to the best of my knowledge, no longer exists.

    Which leaves copy #5 and copy #5 ALONE unaccounted for. Maybe [previously mentioned poster's friend-of-a-friend] is the lucky guy who owns THIS TRULY ONE OF A KIND ITEM, but I HIGHLY DOUBT IT.

It's not an entirely accurate post (for starters, the SGX was not "more than capable" of delivering an arcade-superior port, as we've seen), but it's still interesting stuff, huh? If this post is reasonably true, then there are/were 5 copies of the SGX Strider port. Copy 1 is in a vault, copy 2 went to Isuke, and copy 3 went to Moto Kikaku. All three would want to keep copies for themselves, if only for portfolio purposes. Copy 4 is most likely in a landfill somewhere. Gaming magazines don't archive stuff like that. They just don't have room.

Copy 5 is the only one still at large, and it's not on a CD or a HuCard. It's on an E-PROM. E-PROMs are used by gaming companies worldwide while testing games in developmental stages. If someone claims to have a copy of SGX Strider on anything even resembling a HuCard or CD-ROM, they're lying. Period.

Bear in mind, however, that the above post is just where the rumor started, and should be taken with a grain of salt. It's just another gamer's unsubstantiated opinion.

Regardless, if someone says they've seen Strider playing on their friend's SGX, it's almost certainly the ACD version they're talking about. The SGX could play old Turbo GrafX-16 games, and had a CD attachment you could buy that would play Turbo Duo games. So yeah, that person saw Strider playing on the SGX. It just wasn't the SGX version.

The game did exist in some form, at one point. Whether it still exists is anybody's guess. The likelihood of it being in any playable form is slim to none, yet to this day, people keep asking about this particular conversion, hoping that it will turn up somewhere.

Like me.  ^_~

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / 2 clearer scans (not camera pics) of SuperGrafx in EGM]

 

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: EGM #18 reader-letter + ed reply + pics of *supposed* SuperGrafx Strider]

We have to thank Chris Covell and others for the following:


Arcade Left  -  SuperGrafx Right ( maybe SuperGrafx !?)



The PC-Engine magazine articles:








Some of these screens are of the arcade.  However the screens with the Falchion energy sword slashes are not of the arcade, are believed to be or suspected to be of a SuperGrafx version.


Thanks again to Chris for the following translations of those 3 articles:

[From Sept. 90 issue]

"Strider Hiryu"
Daimakaimura was proof of the graphical merits [of the SGX]. Without a doubt, there is nothing left but this (Strider.)

Sale day tentative
Price tentative
Action
8M (only for SG)

Surprising action
Lost World (Forgotten Worlds), Daimakaimura, etc. are high-definition (distinguished?) games by Capcom in the field of action games; they furthered development with this masterpiece [?]. The motion of the hero was frightfully above that of similar action games up till then. The PC Engine version will make an appearance only for SG, and the number of animations of action should be able to be converted satisfactorily. However, I hope that so many animations are preserved without bogging down the speed of the game.

^ Hiryu's motion is the highest selling point of this game. [?]
<- Such diverse action as can be seen in this slope [of the mountain].

The backgrounds cannot be beat, either.
In this game, the beauty of the backgrounds adds charm to the flow of the animation. The exotic backgrounds have enthusiastic fans even now. If it appears on SG, it is possible to carry out the similar transplant of such beautiful backgrounds by taking advantage of the characteristics of BG2 -- the second scrolling layer. However, screens of such high quality surely consume a lot of game memory.

-> He fights under such backgrounds.
-> He can reach the tops of towers...
<- And do battle on these towers. This is such diverse action where the hero grabs, climbs, flies, bounds, and flips.

*The screens on this page are from the Arcade version.


[From Jan. 91 issue]

Are SG games being withdrawn?

"Strider Hiryu", which was announced as exclusive software simultaneously with the announcement of the SuperGrafx, has been changed into a PC-Engine/SG bi-compatible format. This is probably good news for PC-Engine users, but something to stop the hearts of SGX users. With this announcement, the lineup of games developed for the SGX by NEC Avenue has been ended. ['nakunaru' can mean 'lost' or 'died/dead']
But of course, the SuperGrafx will still be supported in a dual-format game, maintaining high-quality play. Incidentally, "Strider Hiryu" is one of the few HuCard games scheduled to have 8 Megabits.

*The screenshot on this page is from the Arcade version of "Strider Hiryu". It has become bi-compatible.

[From Sept. 91 issue]

PC-Engine/SG bi-compatible format (tentative)

"Strider Hiryu" has many fans by virtue of its stylish action and tempo. The charm of this game is in the fine motion of the hero Hiryu. The PC-Engine version will be a full conversion from the arcades, although the characters [have] become somewhat smaller. Moreover, on the SG, flickering decreases compared with the PC-Engine. The demonstration scenes after a stage is cleared are also due to be reproduced as-is. Since development is liable to be delayed, the release will probably be pushed to next year.
Development status is at 20%.

^ Hiryu faces a gorilla robot. [He's not as tough as he looks!] or [He's no pushover!] (Dictionaries are no help.)
^ Stylish action with Hiryu atop various mechanisms. That is the charm of this game.

Chris's thoughts:

Here is what I make of it all:
Games magazines can't be trusted to keep their information straight, so let's take it all with a grain of salt.

They say the screenshots are from the arcade version, but all the shots (except the shot in the Sept. 91 pic with Mecha-Pon) are demonstrably NOT from the arcade. (Any version that I've seen, anyway.)

Strider was announced at the same time as the SGX's announcement in 1989. At any rate, NEC Avenue had a license for it and Daimakaimura, and began some sort of development on both titles. NEC Avenue released some pictures of Strider around Sept. 1990. I don't think the magazines saw it in action because the writer of the Sept. 1990 article was speculating on how feasible the conversion would be, and wrote his hopes for smooth, fast animation.

In January 1991, the shocking announcement is made that Strider will be a PCE/SG bi-compatible game, like Darius Plus was. This obviously shows NEC Ave's lack of confidence in the SGX, and thus the SGX-only version is killed off.

Then in Sept. 1991, Strider still stands at just 20% completed. The article writer describes how Strider will play differently when on a regular PC-Engine or on a SuperGrafx. This could be speculation (drawing from experience with Darius Plus), a first-hand witness, or (more likely?) quoting from NEC Avenue's press releases.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / EGM #18 reader-letter + ed reply + pics of *supposed* SuperGrafx Strider]

I thought I'd get this properly scanned since the digital camera picture I took a year or more ago was incomplete (didn't capture the entire letter) and had some bad glare from light.






For those not familar with this legend, the pictures of Strider are almost certainly not from the supposed SuperGrafx version, but most likely from either the Arcade original or the nearly pixel-for-pixel Sharp X68000 computer version.


That said, there are at least 3 other Japanese PC-Engine magazine articles with a VERY curious version of Strider that is unlike the Arcade, X68000 or any other known version, and is believed to be from an E-prom  prototype/alpha/beta/whatever   of the supposedly real SuperGrafx version, which most of you have already seen.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / new Alien Crush [Returns] game for Wiiware (old original looks better though)]

neogaf.com/threads/hudson-soft-has-updated-their-gamenavi-website-with-new-listings.265285/
neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=10400701

-Alien Crush ( August) [yes, it's a sequel. There will be online learderboards]

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Trying to understand Hi-Ten Bomberman - What is was and what it was not]

Hi-Ten Bomberman - 1993 High Definition System

This thread back is here to at least partly help to clear up the confusion about Hi-Ten Bomberman. I certainly don't know everything about it myself. So I am relying on those that do have some actual knowledge, info, understanding, etc.

Thanks and credit to Assembler and Thibaut for information, video and pictures.

The easy part, what Hi-Ten Bomberman was not:

*was not a game that used two PC-Engine or PCE CoreGrafx systems linked together, as often believed.

*was not a PC-FX game or game-demo, as also often believed. 

*It was also, AFAIK, not made for PC-FX's forefather, Hudson's Project Tetsujin / IronMan, the 32-bit prototype board from 1992. I used to think it was. Okay and I suppose there's *some* possibility that Hi-Ten used this, but I doubt it. Hi-Ten might have been the perfect game for PC-FX's launch,  but it had nothing to do with PC-FX.  I guess it's very possible that Hudson had plans to bring Hi-Ten over to the PC-FX, but that a completely different story from the common misconception that Hi-Ten was running on PC-FX for demo & tournament purposes and just never came out commercially.

*Hi-Ten was also *not* converted to the Saturn as Saturn Bomberman.  Only some of the characters and the idea/desire to do a 10 player game on Saturn, came from Hi-Ten, not the actual coding / Hi-Ten game itself.


Now the hard part, what Hi-Ten Bomberman was:

*was developed by Katsuhiro Nozawa (I assume, at Hudsun Soft)
*was developed for / ran on a combination of several pieces of hardware.
AFAIK  ( andthis is where I might be partly wrong, or incomplete, etc)

* an NEC computer / computer board of some sort, be it a standard NEC computer (unlikely) or perhaps some custom system (more likely)
* some fancy equipment to generate the HD image 
* one or two CoreGrafx II systems for player control input.
* CoreGrafx II pads to play
* a large plasma HDTV for display. 


When we think of HD today, we think of 1080i, 1080p and 720p.  This was not the standard in Japan of the late 80s and early 90s.  Anything above 480i and 4:3  would've been considered HD then, even 480p + widescreen.  I don't know what resolution Hi-Ten Bomberman used. All I know is that it was higher than anything PCE/CoreGrafx/SuperGrafx could do.  Also higher than what Saturn did in its Bomberman.  It probably was not very high resolution or "true HD"  but it was certainly widescreen.


There were two versions of the game

Hi-Ten Bomberman
/hitenbomberman1993fu9.jpg

Hi-Ten KaraBom
/hitenbomdi0.jpg


other pictures (thanks Thibaut)

capture1ay0.jpg
capture2mn6.jpg
938qw7.jpg
capture3mf1.jpg
capture4sg3.jpg
capture5bq3.jpg
capture6xq8.jpg
capture7tm5.jpg
capture8xv1.jpg


See these threads on the subject (where a lot of the info I've posted comes from)
http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2095
http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13158
http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11126&page=2


VIDEO of Hi-Ten Bomberman (thanks Assembler!)


As I said before, Saturn Bomberman is completely different, it's not a conversion or port of
Hi-Ten Bomberman Hi-Ten KaraBom

Hi-Ten ran in some standard of high-def, and widescreen.  Saturn Bomberman did not run in any HD resolution and did not run in widescreen.  The graphics, the gameplay features,  between them are different. It seems Hudson did take a few of the features from Hi-Ten for Saturn Bomberman's 10-player mode, such as Bonk as a playable character, but otherwise the Hi-Ten experience never came home.

comparison:

Hi-Ten


Saturn Bomberman's 10-player mode


Any accurate additions, corrections, etc would be appreciated.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Military Madness reviews & comments from when it was new (1989-1990)]

confusing stuff below - I can't keep these games or series straight.....


Didn't Hudson work on an N64 game in the Wars (Famicom Wars / Nintendo Wars ) series that never came out?   
'64Wars' I think it was.  Part of the long-running Daisenryaku  series that actually pre-dates
Nectaris by at least a year.     edit: Boy did I screw that one up.  The two series are not related AFAIK. 
Daisenryaku dates back to at least 1986 on one of the Japanese computers (MSX or MSX2), and Famicom Wars came out in 1988. 

64Wars
   




edit:  yes indeed it was being developed by Hudson, not Intelligent Systems.
Found a bunch of screens 
http://gilgalegrouik.free.fr/index.php?level=album&id=1 
I've never seen more than two samll screen before.



There was also, another unreleased, turn-based strategy game for N64, Ultimate War(s), which may or may not have been related to the Daisenryaku series (edit: it was)

http://ign64.ign.com/objects/013/013209.html   
The 3D battles look somewhat better than those of PS1 Nectaris.   
I think Ultimate Wars may have been better than the more recent Daisenryaku game for Xbox.


It's kinda confusing, at least for me. The Daisenryaku games is a huge series spanning 2 decades and many platforms-- Weren't they sometimes called Wars also?  Then the Wars (edit: Nintendo Wars) series that includes Advance Wars.   Man I'm not clear on where those two unreleased N64 games fit.    From what I've researched (and  im still all confused, lol)  it seems 64Wars was a game that was part of the Nintendo Wars series AND the Daisenryaku series.
(maybe the Nintendo Daisenryaku games ARE Nintendo Wars games, someone help me lol )


I was not really thrilled with Daisenryaku VII: Modern Military Tactics on Xbox.  I didn't really spend enough time with it, to be fair.   I'm not that knowledgeable on the games of this massive series. That said,  I did own & finish Iron Storm on Saturn (good game but not as addictive as Nectaris...nothing is!) and I've tried some of the SFC & MD games.


edit: So the closest game on  MegaDrive to Nectaris/MM would not be Herzog Zwei (a radically different early RTS effort)  but Super Daisenryaku (1989?) and/or Advanced Daisenryaku (1991).   Neither of them are as fast or fun as Nectaris, yet perhaps they do have more depth.

Please excuse this MESS of a post, what a disaster.     I've tried to edit it as best as I can (not good).

[Off-Topic / Re: VG&CE article on Nickelodeon VR games for Nick Arcade]

Keep posting old cool articles like this.  I even made a thread somewhere on this site about old magazine articles (with scans), but the images are gone because I switched servers.

Sadly some of the best stuff that's in game magazine articles... I no longer have :/

A few examples of what I had, that I would've liked to be able to show you guys:

October 1992 Video Games & Computer Entertainment

A News Bits article on Hudson's 32-bit HuC62 System with descriptions of the functions of each processor/chip.
Although not mentioned by their official codenames, this was NEC & Hudson's IronMan / Project Tetsujin.

A 93 or 94 issue of GameFan on Project Tetsujin / IronMan. Because it was later than the 1992  EGM and VG&CE articles, but not quite at the time of PC-FX's release, they showed a polygon based, textured F-1 racing game. My memory of this now makes me think of a cross between Namco's Final Lap 1 / 2 and Sega's Virtua Racing. I never saw this anywhere else. It seems this game was described in the Facts & Rumors section as 'Racing'.

Next Generation issue 3, March 1995  on the PC-FX.    Showed Hi-Ten Bomberman on that HDTV and some actual PC-FX games.   At least the text of that one is here.

One of the last issues of the 1990s version of Electronic Games or maybe Intelligent Gamer / IG Fusion from 1997, on the SuperGrafx. They said 50,000 systems had been manufactured.


I'm kicking myself for getting rid of so many magazines.    

If anyone has these, I beg you, scan or take a pic of them for us.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Military Madness reviews & comments from when it was new (1989-1990)]

My favorite TurboGrafx-16 game has always been Military Madness.   This thread will be for old reviews & comments from around the time it came out:  late 1989 in Japan, early 1990 in the U.S.


From USENET


http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.video/msg/ca42e3cf442d5d84?dmode=source

I just got Military Madness for the TG16 last night.  It's a
super-duper war game - all strategy, no arcade action at all.  The
main map where you see all the pieces has the usual slick graphics,
but the interesting part is the close up when attacking.  You get to
see the armies shooting it out, and the graphics are very well done.

There are over two dozen different types of weapons/units, making the
game very difficult - it's definitely not for the casual player!
There are even "man" pages!  If you're into war games, I highly
recommend it.  One thing that's really lame is that the opposing
armies are green and blue, and the particular shades used are very
difficult to tell apart; any other two colors would have been ok, even
black and white!  I wonder how this color combination ever managed to
survive development?

With 32 levels of increasing difficulty, I think it'll keep me busy
for a long, long time.  Oh yeah - price was $55.

--Neil

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.video/msg/93a61ce6a55f0726?dmode=source

Military Madness is one of the best games for the Turbo.
        Pick it up, even if you're not a wargamer this one will
        appeal.  The graphics are well done, and the game play
        is excellent.  Each of the 32 levels gets harder than the
        last, so even the most ardent gamer will take weeks of
        non-stop play to finish.

review from EGM Number 8 - March 1990





USENET

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.video/msg/13020765a97311d7?dmode=source

TGX-16 Game Review

Title: Military Madness
Type: Strategy
Platform(s): TGX-16
Price: 54.99

One word describes this game perfectly: Awesome.  One word can also describe
the people who play this game: addicts.  If anyone has any doubts as to what
game to buy first for the TurboGrafx-16 my recommendation is to get this one
before anything else. I am NOT biased towards strategy games as this
statement would suggest, but I do LOVE this game!

My preferences seem to be towards RPG type games and mindless shooters, but
I consider myself a well rounded gamer (I play just about every type of game
there is).  Military Madness is one of the best strategy games I've ever
played.  Basically the scenario goes like this: The AXIS empire has built a
super weapon and plans to use it to conquer earth.  To save the earth you
must command your forces through sixteen maps until you reach the final
map in which you can capture the weapon and destroy it.  The maps are very
easy at first if you are used to strategy games, but even the most experienced
will have trouble with the later ones.  Once you finish the first sixteen
scenarios you will see the game ending.  You will then be put into the
advanced stages.  The advanced stages are another sixteen maps that are
identical to the first sixteen.  The only difference here is that both you
and the enemy have better weapons to use very early.  The initial positions
of your forces and the AXIS forces are also different.

Graphically, this is not the best of all TGX games but it is excellent
considering that this is a strategy game.  Your units are represented as small
icons.  When there is combat the game zooms closer to the combat field.  The
opposing units are now really detailed and the battle is graphically displayed.
This is a pretty nice effect, since you can see what's going on instead of just
viewing the results of a battle.

The sounds to this game are fair.  Pretty much what one would expect from a
strategy game.  It'd be unfair to include this in the ratings, so I'll exclude
it this time.

The game play for this game is the BEST!  If you like war games you'll love
Military Madness! There are several strategies that you have to learn, besides
how to move your troops.  Surround effect, support effect, and other things
that determine the result of an encounter are all vividly explained in the
online manual so that it's easy to get started.  To play this game you
basically move your units around the field of battle in an attempt to
wipe out the enemy or capture a factory.  Factories can either be neutral,
yours or the enemy's.  They usually contain units which you can use if
you control that factory.  Factories also repair damaged units. To win the
game you must wipe out all the enemy units or capture their prison camp.  Sounds
simple, but with 32 maps to conquer and a fairly decent computer opponent
you'll have many a sleepless night trying to beat this one!

Overall this game is a must get for anyone owning the TGX-16.  The playability
is by far the best in any TurboGrafx game so far and it is also one of the more
challenging games.  Well worth every penny you spend!

Graphics: 7
Playability: 10
Challenge: 10
Fun Factor: 10
Overall: 10

        -Zandos Rhoe

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.video/msg/bf8ac8c82733209a?dmode=source

Yes!  I second the motion that Military Madness is the best TG16 game
to date (and yes, I've finished Ys).

I would only add that the sound is encoded in Dolby Surround.  If you
don't have a four-speaker dolby surround system, you are missing quite
a bit.  I played it for a long time before I hooked it up to my
surround system, and was stunned by the improvement.  I also tried out
Axe and Devil's Crush, but unfortunately those did not improve when
hooked up to a dolby decoder.

I've finished Military Madness all the way through twice, and now when
I play I like to let the computer get all the neutral factories so I
can try to hold with only what I started with.  Makes it a lot more
challenging!  Hopefully Super Daisenryaku will be out (in English)
pretty soon for other Military Madness addicts like myself.

--Neil W.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / SUPERGRAFX Ghouls 'n Ghosts reviews, previews, comments/impressions]

Since the Ghouls 'n Ghosts poll thread closed, I'm starting this thread, a place to post previews, reviews, comments & impressions of SuperGrafx Ghouls 'n Ghosts.  Anything from magazines, websites,  message boards.  Doesn't matter if it's from 1990 or 2008.   Also, at least in this initial post, I will not agree or disagree with anything said about the game, whether it is accurate or inaccurate.

Sometimes I'll post an article that is more than just about GnG, that is about SuperGrafx in general, in order to get the comment about GnG.

..........|magazines|..........

EGM #6 - January 1990
imagepup.com/up/W7zV_1208811338_SGXa.bmp

EGM #8 - March 1990
imagepup.com/up/q1Ei_1208811473_SGXb.bmp

EGM #10 - May 1990
/egmghoulshypecrop4kn.jpg


EGM #11 - June 1990
/sggngdestroysgenfk2.jpg

EGM #13 - August 1990
imagepup.com/up/KFJa_1207429812_SGXGnGpre.jpg

EGM #14 - Sept 1990
imagepup.com/up/KRzs_1208913920_EGM14a.bmp
imagepup.com/up/7oWA_1208913959_EGM14b.bmp

EGM #14 - Sept 1990
/egm14sgxgng345x960py7.jpg

EGM #15 - October 1990
/supergrafx4it3.jpg

TurboPlay Magazine #04  - December 1990 / January 1991
imagepup.com/up/3Kct_1208915278_TurboPlayGnG.bmp

GameFan - 1994 ?
/gnggamefangraveyardik4.jpg


..........|websites|..........

http://www.gamezero.com/team-0/final_word/super_grafx/dai_makaimura.html

GameZero
Import Impressions





Dai Makaimura -- NEC Avenue/Capcom

Dai Makaimura (also entitled Super Ghouls & Ghosts) is from NEC Avenue, only for the SuperGrafx. Based on the hit arcade game Ghouls & Ghosts, this 8meg Hu-Card has you off to rescue the princess once again.

E.Phoenix
Hey, everyone and there pet fish has played this game, so just know that this version is graphically slightly better than the Genesis version. The sound is not as good as the Genesis, and the difficulty is extreme. Recommended if you can stand the difficulty.

R.I.P.
This has got to be one of the most difficult games that I have ever played in my life. Even using a code which gave me additional continues and lives, I have never been able to advance beyond third level. I felt that graphics and sound were comparable to the arcade version, and play control was very accurate as well. I really enjoy this game and still go back to it from time to time, in hopes that I'll hit that magical groove and win this puppy!

(1/96)

http://pcenginebible.roarvgm.com/HTML_Games/Ghouls_n_Ghosts.htm

Superb conversion that out-does the much hailed Megadrive version. Lovely graphics are let down only a little by the sound, but it's a top game nonetheless. The best Supergrafx game you can buy.

GRAPHICS: Excellent sprites and backdrops, visually the closest conversion of its time.

SOUND: Great tunes, but sound could have been better.

old version

GRAPHICS: Excellent near-arcade perfect sprites and backdrops.

http://web.archive.org/web/20030512174343/http://pcenginebible.roarvgm.com/HTML_Games/Ghouls_n_Ghosts.htm




http://www.defunctgames.com/shows.php?id=review-490

98%

Ghouls and Ghosts was the first must own game for the Super Grafx, unfortunately it was also the first must own game for the Sega Genesis. Having said that, let me just assure you, no matter what system you get it for Ghouls and Ghosts is one of the best side scrolling games of all time. Period.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/turbo16/review/R78408.html

This game was released in Japan on the quickly defunct Super Grafx system along with about 5 other titles. Only a few titles were released for the ill concieved system.

Despite the insipient doom of the Super Graphics, Ghouls'n'Ghosts was a great game (as good as the Genesis version) and a closer translation to the arcade. Obviously, it never made it to the states and very few people have ever played it or heard of it. Some American players did order it from mail order companies and that is how I came to play it at a friend's house back in 1992.

So how was it? The game was excellent. It was a closer translation of the arcade game than the Genesis / Mega Drive version, with all characters and intro scenes completely dupilicated (albeit washed out of a few colors). The bosses are slightly larger and more detailed than thier Genesis counterparts, as are many of the characters, including Arthur himself.

Graphics & Sound: 9/10: For the time this game was released these were the best visuals you could get on a home system (with the exception of the Neo Geo). However, although the graphics are mostly more detailed than the Genesis counterpart in some places they are actually less colorful than the Sega port. I don't know why this is as the Super Graphics had 256 colors on screen and the Sega Genesis only had 64. Wierd. The sound on this game was inferior to the Genesis version.

Game Play: 10/10: Exactly the same as the Genesis version. Very smooth, with no slow down.

Originality: 9/10: Ghouls'N'Ghosts was a standard platform game, but it had many bells and whistles not found in others. Such as top scrolling levels, and very original ways of getting your character killed.

Fun Factor: 8/10: This game was alot of fun. However, the difficulty level was too high for most players (just as it was for the Genesis version). The great difficulty insured hours of play but also guaranteed that many players lose interest in it before they reached the second level.

Over all: 9 of 10: If you can find this title it is worth owning, although buying the original arcade jamma board might be cheaper as this cart is extremely rare.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/01/04

http://www.illusionware.it/pc-engine/gng.htm

Review
Excellent port of the unquestionned arcade masterpiece. The cardboard outer box shows some great art so check it out!

The SGfx vers is technically superior to its MD counterpart

The NEC PC Engine Super Grafx version of GnG is amazing as well - best home console version that is, but too bad the system had a quick death and was very expensive at the time (and only available in Japan).

http://www.gamefaqs.com/coinop/arcade/review/R105176.html

To prove the power of the Super Grafx here, NEC released a new version of Capcom's Ghouls N' Ghost; a very popular arcade game which was also for the Sega Genesis. This new version of Ghouls N' Ghosts was so good looking that some people would say it had better than arcade graphics but still no one really cared about this aging title anymore in Japan especially when the Mega Drive version was just fine. So with their killer app game not selling the system and the other games weren't not winning any awards either, the Super Grafx was never a huge hit for NEC.

http://ryangenno.tripod.com/sub_pages/SuperGrafx.htm

Missing a few of the background details in this NEC SuperGrafx version.

http://www.skytopia.com/games/arcade/arcadecompare.html


..........message boards / forums / USENET..........

When the system is released three games will come out at the same
time, two by Hudson (a flight game and a hack-and-slash game), and
"Daimakaimura," otherwise known as "Ghouls and Ghosts."  This is
listed as being by "NEC Avenue," so I assume Capcom is doing the same
thing it did with Sega and not bringing the game out themselves.  From
the screen shots, the graphics look better than the PC-Engine
graphics, and possibly even better than the Megadrive (Genesis)
graphics.  It will be interesting to see how the two implemenations of
that game compare.

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.video/msg/88ff39826a617db4?dmode=source

However I don't see much interest in the Supergrafx, a high-end model
with a very high price.  So far there are only a couple games
available, and only "Daimakaimura" (Ghouls and Ghosts) seems to be
popular.  It was selling surprisingly well for a game for a system
with so few users, but the reviews were unflattering--essentially
saying that although the graphics were better than the Megadrive
version, that was it (and I believe the game price as well is very
high).

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.video/msg/27278c8a6d5a8590?dmode=source

Graphics maybe (it can have more sprites; that's all. Also Genesis
has 2 screens, Super Grafx has also 2 screens. PC Engine(TurboGrafx) has only
1.  )                     
Certainly not *better* sound...it's got similar ones in regular PC Engine;
it's just that most Super Grafx games have 6+ megs. (comparing Genesis'
version of Ghouls 'n Ghosts with that of Super Grafx isn't really fair:
Genesis version is only 5 meg and Super Grafx version is 8 meg.)

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.video/msg/8c23bd21fce36d3a?dmode=source

and it has been shown that the Ghouls and Ghosts SG is better
than the Genesis,

Personally, I don't even CARE that much that the SG Ghouls and
Ghosts has been said better than the Genesis version (as published
in American video game magazines).

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.video/msg/77d9ae0e9c775184?dmode=source

The SuperGrafx has pretty much died. It was an advanced, if you
will, PC-Engine (TurboGrafx) It had better graphics than the
standard PC-Engine. In fact, the SG version of Ghould and Ghost is
regarded to be the best home version, over the Genesis and Super
Nintendo versions. (oops, that is "Ghouls"...)

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.video.marketplace/msg/8ab64f575663b719?dmode=source

If the supergrafx WAS NOT backward's compatable it would be virtually
worthless, On the other hand if you are a Capcom diehard you would probly want
it just for the arcade PERFECT Ghost's and Ghoul's and 1941.

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.video.sega/msg/2474e2d19ce69cba?dmode=source

Ghouls and Ghosts: the Capcom title that made the SuperGrafx famous, surpassing
the 5-meg Genesis version with a full 8-meg arcade translation.

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.video.classic/msg/0223c6e683752bfa?dmode=source

There's only like 5 SuperGrafx games. The most notable is Ghouls 'n Ghosts, which is practically arcade perfect. I really hope the G'nG that was rated by the ESRB is the SuperGrafx version instead of the shoddy MD version.

http://www.vc-forums.com/supergrafx-t828.html

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: what was EGM's 1989 Game of the Year: Legendary Axe or Ghouls 'n Ghosts ?]

yes indeed, I am AirRaid.

HandyGrafx was a more suitable name. I choose it because it was one of the rumored codenames for TurboExpress
along with GameTank.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: what was EGM's 1989 Game of the Year: Legendary Axe or Ghouls 'n Ghosts ?]

super grafx                             genesis                         


                 super grafx                              genesis



First part of level 3, this is one of the few areas in the genesis version that hold up well against the super grafx but still not on the same level in my opinion.

Through out the game game the super grafx version shows more color, more detail, better drawn tiles/background objects, and better effects such as your special attack, enemy deaths and the tree animation on the first level.

What i like about the genesis version is the level of difficulty, the super grafx GnG kicks my ass and you only have 3 continues, i also like sound better.

ramble time ^__^  (blah blah blah blah)

SuperGrafx indeed has better detail in almost every place.   the tiles are better. there's around twice the number of colors on screen (although still only about 1/3 of the arcade).   I know for certain that SuperGrafx isn't using anywhere near the full amount of colors it can display. around 74 or so, compared to the just under 600 that it can do (like the PCE).    the Genesis version uses about ~34 colors. about half what it can do.  The arcade uses 200 or more colors on screen.  where am I getting those figures?
http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/16bitArcadeComp.htm   if the arcade only uses 200 colors (even slightly more) that's still a small fraction of  the max CPS1 can do: 2048 (maybe 4096) from a palette of 65,536.

 The SuperGrafx uses most of the original arcade artwork, although significantly downgraded, at least most of its there. unlike the Genesis version which is missing most of the background details.  I love the SuperGrafx version, it was certainly the closest home port from 1990 until 1994 when the arcade-exact X68000 version came along. but 99.999% of us didnt get to play that. so we had to wait another 4 years until the PS1 and Saturn versions came out in 1998. even then, a tiny percentage of gamers would've imported Capcom Generation 2.  so, we' have to wait another 5-6 years until Capcom Classics Collection came out on PS2 and Xbox.  by then, many of us had played it on MAME. but it was still great to have a legit port to play at home.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: what was EGM's 1989 Game of the Year: Legendary Axe or Ghouls 'n Ghosts ?]

just to show you how much the graphics of SUPERGRAFX Ghouls 'n Ghosts was downgraded from the arcade:

ARC - 1988

video:

SGX - 1990

video:

GEN - 1989

video:

note all the missing detail -  I could show you many more comparisons

also, the back-cover of X68000 version



snippet of a short review

The x68000 version of Ghouls'n'Ghosts is supposed to be so good as to literally eclipse the Mega Drive and the SuperGrafx versions. Everything apparently looks and feels arcade perfect from the color palette to the graphical definition of the sprites and the backgrounds.

http://www.illusionware.it/x68000/gng-x68.htm

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: what was EGM's 1989 Game of the Year: Legendary Axe or Ghouls 'n Ghosts ?]

I discovered that I did actually have my copy of that issue packed in a box ^__^   
(sadly, the awesome-looking cover, of which there is a picture of in my OP, was torn away long ago)

from that same magazine:



So it was Ghouls 'N Ghosts for Genesis that won The Best Game Of The Year

they also awarded, as I thought, best game for each system.
Legendary Axe won Best Game Of The Year for TurboGrafx,
but not best game overall which was indeed given to GnG.


It's slightly confusing because you see best game was also given to Legendary Axe.
the difference is, it's with (TurboGrafx).   

Ninja Gaiden won best game for Nintendo
WonderBoy 3 won best game for Sega Master System.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / what was EGM's 1989 Game of the Year: Legendary Axe or Ghouls 'n Ghosts ?]

GOTY 1989 was awarded in the 1990 Video Game Buyer's Guide (EGM Number 5, December 1989)



best game of 1989 was either Ghouls 'n Ghosts on Genesis or Legendary Axe on TurboGrafx-16.

I know both games won several awards. Legendary Axe was certainly TurboGrafx-16 game of the year but was it also overall GOTY, or was that overall best game of 1989 given to Ghouls 'N Ghosts?

I can't quite remember.

wish I still had that magazine :/

I'd like to get a confirmed answer. I've already Googled. most of what I read seems to be off people's memory which as we know is often wrong (even though sometimes it's right).  Some say it was Legendary Axe, some say it was Ghouls N Ghosts.   

I don't trust the info on Wikipedia either, which happens to say it was Ghouls 'n Ghosts.

[General Gaming / yes! STREET FIGHTER 4 is coming ~ destination unknown]

Capcom Announces Street Fighter 4 and More!


  Mark this year as one of the most momentous years for gaming. It's announcements like this one that keep making this job so worthy and awesome. After much anticipation and hype, Capcom finally delivers with their promises of bombshells.

   Street Fighter 4 was officially confirmed at their press event in London just a few hours ago. A concept trailer was shown depicting the series' two most recognizable fighters exchanging some moves.

   The current release date scheduled is more than a year away, which hopefully means we'll see it in time for the 2008 holiday season.

 

http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-news/2004.html

Oct 17, 2007

Street Fighter 4
Development has just begun and the release of the game is more than a year away. No platforms are yet confirmed - a highly stylised animated concept trailer of Ryu and Ken fighting was shown, but no game footage.

http://www.gamesradar.com/gb/xbox360/game/news/article.jsp?sectionId=1006&articleId=2007101714511031010&releaseId=20060321132945404017

Street Fighter 4 Confirmed

What could be better than Capcom bringing back Bionic Commando? How about Street Fighter 4? Games Radar is reporting from the Capcom Gamer's Day in London that the 4th game in the series has been oficially confirmed. A stylized trailer of Ken and Ryu fighting was shown, but no actual gameplay footage, and while development has started the game is still more than a year away for whatever platform it ends up coming out on, Still, we can all rest easy that it is indeed on the way. Along with this amazing news, Capcom also announced Lost Planet for the PS3, a new Ace Attorney game for the DS featuring and new main character, and an all-new sci-fi action adventure game called Dark Void. It takes a special kind of company to wait 20 years from the release of the original game to finally get to number 4 in the series. I can't wait for the year 2012, when we'll be playing Super Street FIghter 4 Hyper Mega Hologram Remix. Yum.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/finally/street-fighter-4-confirmed-311856.php



teaser-trailer video (NOT gameplay)

http://static.capcom.com/streetfighter/assets/trailer.flv

http://stage6.divx.com/user/blehblah/video/1750390/Street-Fighter-4-Trailer

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / WiiWare - Star Soldier R]

sorry if this has already been posted. 

neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=197943
neogaf.com/threads/this-weeks-nintendo-conference-summary-score-10-10.197943/

Star Soldier R
Developer: Hudson

Star Soldier R is the sequal off Star Soldier. A 3D verticale shooter filled with action, in which you have to destroy your enemies.

http://www.cubed3.com/news/8801/

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Graphics: Turbo vs. Genesis - ye old debate]

parallax scrolling seems to be a big part of the discussion in this and similar threads, and for good reason, it looks awesome when done right.    the thing is, even the Famicom/NES pulled off parallax scrolling in some games. Metalstorm and Ninja Gaiden 3 are prime examples. 

PC-Engine/TurboGrafx-16 R-Type has some parallax in some levels.  notably the 5th level



yet it's missing in the biological 2nd level.



the arcade had very basic looking parallax scolling in the that level, nothing fancy. just the blue background behind the biological containers and crustations on the top & bottem.  but in the PCE/TG16  R-Type everything is on one  plane.   


Now if you've played the Sharp X68000 computer version of R-Type, which is both better and worse than the TG16 version, you'd notice the parallax is there in the 2nd level and where ever the arcade had it. with that said,  it's not that the PCE/TG16 couldn't handle that parallax, since of course we all know the machine can be forced to do it.  I think it was just a matter of programmer choice, or time/budget since PCE R-Type was done in early-mid 1988, done in two parts, then merged onto a single HuCard for release on TG16 in 1989. 

IIRC the later Irem-developed R-Type Complete CD  also lacked parallax scrolling in the 2nd level.

parallax scrolling in general is interesting. on machines that only have one background layer in hardware, when parallax scrolling is done, we typically only 1 (maybe 2) layers of scrolling.

on machines that have 2 or more background layers, we often see multipul layers of parallax scrolling done.

there are exceptions to this rule though. the Amiga. it didn't have any hardware scrolling background layers, yet in games like Shadow of the Beast and Lionheart programmers achived many (more than 3-4) layers.

I'm trying to think of any games in the PCE family (any format) that use many layers. never played Shadow of the Beast on Duo, maybe there's a youtube vid of it.

[PC/Console/Mobile Ports / still craving a new Military Madness game for DS]

there's a glimmer of hope, even though it's a very very faint glimmer.

http://tinyurl.com/374nhg

Fantasy Island – Man Dreams of Nectaris

So this feature even had me fooled at first. A fan of Nectaris, also known as Military Madness in the US, mocked up this box art for the game on DS, and throws out a headline like "Hudson Announces Nectaris DS", that's the headline I long to hear. We actually thought we were doing a DS version too for a minute there! The guy does have some good ideas, and he clearly loves the game. Who knows, maybe its enough to inspire us to make a new version custom fitted for the DS. Til then you'll have to play the original version on the Wii Virtual Console. Which amazingly still holds up extremely well even by today's standards. The game deserves all the glory of one of the best strategy games of all time

so NFG's  dream of Nectaris DS made its way to Hudsonentertainment.com 

please Hudson, make it happen.  with Irem making a hex-based, turn-based strategy game in the R-Type universe for PSP,  it makes perfect sense to show what you can do with the Nectaris / Military Madness series in an innovative way on the highly innovative DS.   


Dare I ask for two Nectaris games, one for DS, one for Wii, that are linkable, locally,  between DS><DS,  DS><Wii and also worldwide via WiFi; DS><DS,  Wii><Wii,  DS><Wii.   Imagine the ultimate in Nectaris strategy fun, two games that would be good enough to last 10 years because of all the possibilities and addictive gameplay.  Come on, show Nintendo's Advance Wars team and fanbase how much better your turn-based Nectaris games are.

since NFG can dream, and since Hudson responded to this on one of their websites,  I too can dream & hope.

For now, it's back to playing Nectaris ported to Windows 95
(it's got better audio than the PCE /TG16 /Wii VC version, as well as mouse support!) 
and also I must finally finish  Neo-Nectaris which I never had the time or skill to complete.

[General Gaming / Re: R-TYPE TACTICS - PSP (turn-based strategy R-Type!)]

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/PSP/R-Type+...news.asp?c=3141

R-Type Tactics announced for PSP
A change of direction for the classic shooter franchise?
       
Product: R-Type Tactics
Developer: Irem
Genre: Shooter, Strategy

by João Diniz Sanches

Irem has just revealed R-Type Tactics to the Japanese press. The latest instalment in the popular shoot-'em-up series, the screenshots of Tactics revealed so far (in the trusty Japanese magazine Famitsu) look suitably beautiful, but then graphical splendour has traditionally been a hallmark of the series.

As has relentless alien blasting, of course. However, the new game's name suggests a change for the series. Indeed, reports claim R-Type Tactics is a turn-based affair rather than the straightforward side-scrolling shooting action typically associated with the game's predecessors (which date back to the late '80s). This would certainly tie-in with the wi-fi multiplayer support the game is said to feature.

We'll keep an eye on this one and report back once we have more details.

wayback.kotaku.com/gaming/holy-shit/r+type-tactics

Holy S***
R-Type Tactics... R-Type. Tactics.

Looks like Irem wasn't kidding when it titled R-Type Final, the supposed final shoot 'em up in the long running, hard-as-hell sidescrolling series. Yes, details are scarce, but from what we can gather by these awful, awful scans from the latest Famitsu, R-Type is ditching twitch gameplay for a more chin-rubbingly strategic bent. Hex-based, turn-based and awesome-based, R-Type Tactics looks like a crazy cross-genre shooter that's just crazy enough to work.

I promise, I'll be watching like a hawk for any and all updates on R-Type Tactics. Keep your eyes peeled for news and the inevitable online campaign for a North American release.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=164635

New R-Type takes flight on PSP
Wednesday 23-May-2007 12:56 PM
R-Type Tactics looks to take the series in a new direction

PSP will be the home of the next R-Type game, titled R-Type Tactics, reveals the latest issue of Famitsu magazine.

Firm gameplay details are yet to be revealed, but the word 'Tactics' in the title suggests it being some sort of turn-based strategy battle game, a theory supported by one of the screens in a blurry photo of the magazine. Just look to the right at the screen above the black box - that looks like a grid-based battle system to us.

We'd hope that the traditional shoot-'em-up gameplay of the series isn't completely abandoned, but we'll have to wait and see.

[General Gaming / R-TYPE TACTICS - PSP (turn-based strategy R-Type!)]

R-TYPE TACTICS for PSP ( turn-based strategy R-Type ! )



talk about "I never in a million years saw that one coming"

a famous space shmup / shoot 'em up series,
(the first game being the first killer-app for the PC-Engine btw)
becomes a turn-based hexagonal strategy game for PSP.

/57774_rtt1_122_497lo.jpg
/57780_rtt2_122_1192lo.jpg

/iup385196yf2.jpg


   
Reference: wayback.1up.com/reviews/r-type-command

The first thing I thought when I saw this was, "R-Type Nectaris"   

Although I seriously still want a new Nectaris / Military Madness game on PSP, or DS. 

However R-Type Tactics looks like it'll be a must-have, even if it's not localized--Neo Nectaris wasn't, and that didn't stop me from importing it.

[General Gaming / R-TYPE TACTICS for PSP ( turn-based strategy R-Type ! )]

talk about "I never in a million years saw that one coming"

a famous space shmup / shoot 'em up series,
(the first game being the first killer-app for the PC-Engine btw)
becomes a turn-based hexagonal strategy game for PSP.

/iup385196yf2.jpg


   
Reference: wayback.1up.com/reviews/r-type-command

[PC-FX Discussion / Re: PC-FX: Polygon Capable?]

btw this image seems to be 100% believable to me.  Looks like a leap beyond what SNES SuperFX, SuperFX2 and SEGA's SVP chips can do, yet  significantly BELOW the polygon power of Namco's System 21 and SEGA's Model 1 arcade hardware.

The above doesn't look like pre-rendered CG/FMV like these infamous shots:

[PC-FX Discussion / Re: PC-FX: Polygon Capable?]

I weap everytime I read these old EGM Quarterman Gossip columns

May 1990


June 1992
/rsznec32bitmt6.jpg

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: what the heck is this - an unreleased Rastan-style game for the SuperGrafx ?]

I've played to the 3rd level of Granzort,   or the level where you're in an underground jungle but there's a sun...


lol but I feel like an idiot because I know now it IS Grandzort because the status meter at the bottem gives it away

Granzort

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / what the heck is this - an unreleased Rastan-style game for the SuperGrafx ?]

it's from this meanmachines magagine article on the SuperGrafx

wayback.meanmachinesmag.uk/supergrafx.pdf

at first I was thinking, it was an early version of Granzort, but I don't think it is.  maybe it's just a regular PC-Engine game I don't recognize.

I did always feel that the SuperGrafx needed a Rastan or Legenary Axe style game.....

anyone have a clue as to what this is???

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Military Madness!]

I want new Military Madness / Nectaris games for the DS and the Wii.

the DS version should have decent 3D battle graphics, better than the poor PS1, and close to the unreleased N64/64DD game Gendai Dai-Senryaku: Ultimate War

video:

but traditional turn-based, hex-based gameplay. no realtime gameplay.

a Wii version should be different but also able to play with the DS through WiFi.  lots of downloadable maps, weapons, and online worldwide gameplay.


my heart nearly stopped when i saw this
wayback://nfggames.com / Hudson Announces Nectaris DS

Hudson Announces Nectaris DS

"Hudson Announces Nectaris DS", that's the headline I long to hear. Nectaris, released in North America as Military Madness, is fantastically popular in Japan, and it has a cult following overseas.

Unlike most hex grid strategy games Nectaris focuses on strategy and tactics rather than unit stats and realism. Realism is, in fact, eschewed in favour of a fanciful plot, with tanks and planes fighting for dominance on the surface of Earth's moon.

It's much easier to learn than Nintendo's popular Advance Wars, not being bogged down with frivolous features like commanders with different skills and special attacks. Nectaris is also very hard on the player, with the odds stacked against the player on every map. Unlike Advance Wars' endless battles of attrition, Nectaris demands that players use strategy and terrain to their advantage from the very first stage. Playing your units against the CPU head-on is the quickest way to end the game. Players must instead use field effects, called "Zone of Control", to surround and weaken enemies, and boost the offensive and defensive capabilities of allies. (See NFG Nectaris Guide)

Nectaris is a game that cries out for a DS release. It could make especially good use of the DS' dual screen architecture. I imagine being able to tap a unit on the bottom screen and seeing its details on the top, or scrolling around the zoomed-in map on the bottom and seeing the whole battlefield on top.

And the wireless capabilities! Nectaris has always had a two-player option, but hinking about wireless or (dare I say it) internet multiplayer makes me weak in the knees.

And then the extras. The virtually unlimited storage afforded by the DS carts could easily see all the maps from the PC Engine and Playstation versions as well as the extra units from the incredible Neo Nectaris bundled into one package. The DS is such an ideal platform for this game that it is nigh criminal for Hudson to not release this game. It's easy on the resources and there's a guaranteed audience of old fans, and the success of Advance Wars has created an awareness of the genre, with new fans looking to scratch an itch.

Come on, Hudson, how about it?

If not for them, do it for me.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Interview: Hudson's President Speaks Out!]

wayback.hudsonent.com/feature.php?feature_id=2
wayback.hudsonent.com/feature.php?feature_id=7

wayback.hudsonent.com/?f=Hudson_President_Speaks_Out__PART_1
wayback.hudsonent.com/?f=Hudson_President_Speaks_Out__PART_2
wayback.hudsonent.com/?f=Hudson_President_Speaks_Out__PART_3

Admin Edit 1/21/2024: Important note, this is now the definitive/full interview of Hudson's former US president, John Greiner, who is also the Ys Book I & II translator! When Hudson changed domains from hudsonentertainment to hudsonent, half of part 1 was lost/left behind and changed with more Q&A! I've now reconstructed ALL parts from 5 links in this post below thanks to WayBack!

Hudson's President Speaks Out! PART 1&2&3 A candid interview with Hudson President, John Greiner about the company's past and future. by J.Montes

How did you end up at Hudson?

I started off at Hudson by chance, traveling the world after graduating from college. I met the owners of Hudson and started working for them because they had some opportunities in the US. Hudson, of course, is a Japanese company and they needed a foreigner to help them acclimate to the US industry.

What would you say is Hudson's more important contribution to the electronic gaming industry?

Hudson has had a lot of pioneering moments. They were the very first company to publish a game in Japan on the PC (personal computer). They were the first company to support Nintendo as a third-party. They were the company that developed the TurboGrafx-16 system, or as it's called in Japan, the PC Engine. That system had the very first CD-ROM gaming media. So, I think in the early years, bringing the CD-ROM to gaming was probably the biggest contribution.

What was one of the earliest projects you worked on?

One of the earliest projects was Gundam, which was a shooter. Super Star Soldier, Ys, Tengai Makyo, and almost every title that (Hudson) Japan brought to America in the early years.

If you could pick any game out of Hudson's vast library of titles, which one would you say is your favorite?

My favorite game would have to be Bomberman. It seems to be everyone's favorite game, who's ever touched a Hudson product. But there's lots of other great games hidden behind the Bomberman veil. I think games like Chew-Man Fu, Bonk (which is a great game), and also games like JJ and Jeff. In America, that game was dumbed-down. But in Japan it was a very funny game! It was called "Kato and Ken". The gameplay was great but when they brought it to America they sort of ruined what made it funny; it was a great game, nonetheless. Dungeon Explorer's a great game. Military Madness – all these games are really classics of the 16-bit era.



A precursor to Triumph the Insult Dog? Here's a game where defecating would lead to "powering up" your character!
So you were employed in Japan. How did you end up back in the United States?

I had many chances to come back here and I never thought about coming back here until I had an opportunity that was golden. The cell phone market in the US really was that kind of opportunity. It's a brand new market; we know the success of the mobile phone industry in Japan. Hudson, again, was a pioneering member of DoCoMo's team (the biggest phone network and developer in Japan) that brought gaming to the Japanese cell phone market. So when you create a third screen like the cell phone, and you can be a part of that, games are a driving factor behind the technology. Your phones right now and your phones of the future – what's going to make it better? Not the voice technology, but the gaming technology is going to push it, push it, push it!

Recently, Qualcomm came out with their newest chipset, the 6550. That's pushed gaming to a point where people now want the newest cell phone. All this drives technology. It's all going to be part of people's personal electronic "wardrobe". They're going to want to have the best phone, the most fashionable phone, and games are going to be a part of that.

What was lure, the attraction, when it came to staying and living in Japan?

I'll answer that in two ways. First, the nice things about Japanese culture is that it's a very organized, clean, and civilized society. There's little crime, people have a protocol, and the way of life is very much respected because of the close proximity of people.

They also have other things like Japanese Inns called Gyokan, hot spring baths, great outdoor activities, beautiful mountains, and rivers. It's a very nice and easy place to live. That's the pleasurable aspect, but there's also the business aspect. Hudson is a great company! I've worked here for 18 years because of the company. It would be very hard for a westerner to stay at a Japanese company for that long, but Hudson has been a very easy company to fit into. They've always taken care of me.


hudsonent . com/images/featureasset/john05_2.jpg

Hudson has always had a very close relationship with Nintendo, how did this relationship start?

Hudson was the very first third-party developer and publisher for Nintendo. That took a lot of hard work. You asked me earlier what was one of Hudson's biggest contributions, well that was a big contribution: Getting Nintendo to admit third-parties for their platform. They were very much anti-third party. They wanted to do all the software themselves. Hudson was very persistent and used their relationship with Sharp in order to get in to see Nintendo and become that very first third-party provider. Past that, Nintendo has always looked to Hudson for great games and middleware tools and to be a supporter. So, we've had a very close relationship with them.

Ys is still a very popular RPG. What was your involvement in the US translation?

I wrote all the translation and did some of the voice-over work for that and did some voice direction. We had a professional director, but I helped the director in getting that game's ambiance right and bringing the game up to the level that it eventually turned out to be.

hudsonent.com/images/other_assets/Ys02.jpg

Ys: Book I & II, and Ys III - Wanderers from Ys are regarded as RPG classics. The series was one of the first RPGs to ever be produced for CD-ROM technology.
There's a rumor going around that you are the original inspiration for Bonk. True or false?

I think they're just looking for a bald head to model on! I'm not quite sure that's true (laughs). If I had a bald head and a hairy chest maybe that's something that would be true. But at the time, I had a full head of hair, so I don't think that's accurate.


Bonk went on to star in a multitude of sequels. It's not uncommon to see games like Bonk 3 fetch more than $150 on eBay!
Speaking of Bonk, we know he's making his reappearance on the cell phone very soon. The franchise has been dormant for some time, especially here in the US. Does Hudson have any future plans for Bonk?

We do. Bonk, we think, is a very well known character. NEC spent about $6 million to boost that character up, and I think it's a preeminent and ever growing title. People love the character; he's cute, he's fun, the game is very colorful. Everyone is excited about the release of Bonk on cell phones and we plan to spread Bonk out to other platforms; he definitely has a place in Hudson's future lineup. You'll be seeing more and more of Bonk!

Stay tuned as our interview with Hudson Entertainment's President continues with Part 2! He'll be discussing the company's future plans, the TurboGrafx-16 system, and more!

Hudson's President Speaks Out! PART 2 A candid interview with Hudson President, John Greiner about the company's past and future. by J.Montes

You helped launch the TurboGrafx-16 in the US. What was the most challenging aspect of that?

Those most challenging aspect of working with a Japanese company in general is bridging communication and helping each side understand how gaming culture is different in each country. Anyone whose ever done it knows the difficulty in not so much the language, but the nuances of meaning. Often, even in our own language, words tend to muddle the situation rather than clarify. So you have to be careful to bring the right nuance to a conversation and to explain things in a way that everybody understands. More than even language, its bridging the cultures (that's the most important aspect).

While the TurboGrafx-16 system was a fan favorite, it ultimately came in third in a three way race with Nintendos SNES and Segas Genesis. What about Sega and Nintendo that really made them stand out from the pack in the 16-bit era?

Very easy question, because it was obvious to us. Hudson came in and supported the TurboGrafx-16. We supported everything we could because all the hardware design was ours, the media was Hudson's. We had a lot of responsibility for the machine. Because we lead the effort directly in Japan, we had great success there. In the US, we partnered with the American side of NEC, who entered the gaming space for the first time, and did not quite understand how to market a game machine; it's really the marketing that killed it. The games were there; the games were as good as or better than the (Sega) Genesis. But Sega and Nintendo really nailed the marketing, and were able to speak to the gamer. And if you don't believe that, go back and look at the box art on the TurboGrafx-16. You'll laugh when you see it! Some of the old box art for TurboGrafx-16 games are really funny to look at today!


To this day, the TurboGrafx-16 carries a very loyal following.
Tell us your involvement with the Turbo Duo?

At the time, we were partnering with NEC and working together on the project. I think the Duo was an amazing machine, it just didn't get the traction. You look at the Duo and you think of using the CD-ROM technology and being able to capitalize on that. A lot of those games were RPGs, and that's what took advantage of the Turbo Duo. I think the US market was not really ready for the Japanese style RPGs. We came into the market a bit too early before American fascination with Japanese RPGs became so widespread. Even though Ys and games like that were great, what else would people use the Duo for? There were a couple of shooters like Lords of Thunder, which won tons of awards, things like that, that really showed what CD-ROM technology could do, but the price point for that machine was too high. NEC wasn't willing to take a big price hit in order to sell units. As you can tell today, with both Sony and Microsoft willing to take a hit on each system they would sell so that you can sell at a reasonable price point, that making sure you have sales of the hardware unit is key to success.

How about third party support?

Third party is the key to any game machines success and that definitely was a factor. Electronic Arts jumped onto Sega's bandwagon very quickly and we lost out on that opportunity. Hudson understands how third party support is key, as we were the first third party publisher back on the NES in Japan. However, during the early stage of the 16-bit era, a lot of companies were doing exclusive deals, which really prevented some great games making it way to the TurboGrafx-16.

Hudson has always had a very close relationship with Nintendo, how did this relationship start?

hudsonent.com/images/featureasset/johng3.jpg

Hudson was the very first third-party developer and publisher for Nintendo. That took a lot of hard work. You asked me earlier what was one of Hudson's biggest contributions, well that was a big contribution: Convincing Nintendo to open their arms to third-parties for their platform. They were very much anti-third party back then. They had some great development back then, as they do now, and they wanted to do all the software themselves. Hudson became a big advocator for having great third-party support, as that brings in fresh new ideas.

Past that, Nintendo has always looked to Hudson for great games and middleware tools and to be a supporter. So, we've had a very close relationship with them.

Where do you see Hudson going in the future?

I was on a panel two or three years ago and they asked me, "As a traditional game console maker, where do you see your revenues in 2-3 years? How much do you see coming from mobile? How much do you see coming from console?" At the time, everyone at the panel, THQ, Namco, everyone there said 10-20% of their sales would come from mobile. But Hudson has always been a leader on the mobile front. We had the very first cell phone booth at Tokyo Game Show. Everyone was like, "What's a cell phone booth doing at this show?!" But anyway, back at the panel I said within 2-3 years, over half of our sales would be from mobile.

Last year, for Hudson Entertainment, mobile sales are right up there with console sales. And we even expanded beyond games in mobile, as we have a great partnership with The Source, and we are one of the largest content publishers for all things hip hop. With consoles, buying product off a shelf is going to have a limited lifespan, just as renting movies from Blockbuster will have a limited lifespan. We're entering a new digital age and there's no reason you can't download things onto your phone, computer, or console. We want to be a technological leader and a pioneer in bringing that to the digital forefront; having people play games without having to go to the store. We embrace this vision, and you'll see us do more with digital distribution soon.



The TurboDuo sported some incredible titles like Lords of Thunder and Dragon Slayer

Hudson's been pretty quiet on the console side of things that past couple of years. How important is the US market to Hudson Japan?

I think this company (Hudson Entertainment) is a model of what Hudson Soft wants to do worldwide. The company as a whole now sees the importance of branding and marketing. We've always been making great games over the years, but we see how important it is to let everyone know that we do. We have great product but little real brand recognition outside of Japan. So we need to build on our brands and our IPs (intellectual properties), because of our intrinsic quality of being able to create great games and having that gaming DNA built into the company. We stand a great chance of being successful worldwide. I think the company sees the world market as essential; you simply cant just produce for Japan.

Our interview with Hudson Entertainment's President concludes in two weeks! Join us as he talks about the future of mobile technology, Hudson history, and party games!

Hudson's President Speaks Out! PART 3 The conclusion of our interview with Hudson President, John Greiner! Join us as he shares his memories and insights into the company's past, present, and future! by J.Montes

Hudson has a reputation of being the king of "party" games. Why do you think it's been so successful at these type of games?

That's a very good question because you really get down to the essence of gaming. What we try to concentrate on is fun gameplay and making games that people want to play again and again – addictiveness, if you will. What I think transpired with Mario Party is Nintendo said, "Hey, Hudson makes the best games for parties. Do something for us."

How we got Mario Party was looking through almost every single game that ever came out in Japan and playing those games, looking for the essential "hooks" that make a game addictive. By looking at those games, we really came down with seven basic addictive hooks. We were able to isolate those hooks and redress them and create lots of great party games. That's an engine, that's basic knowledge of what is fun. Very few companies have that knowledge and expertise. So that's been one of the critical points of Hudson's success: To really know what makes something fun.

Hudson has been very involved in the mobile market, translating a lot of its titles onto the cell phone. And now it's partnered with The Source to bring hip-hop culture and ring-tones to consumers. How did this deal come about?

The Source came about by understanding the hip-hop market and ringtones. When we first entered the US cell phone market we knew that ringtones were one of the keys to creating a stable and mobile business. It's something that Hudson Japan did and we wanted to follow suit. The door was closing quickly and we needed to get in there with big brand. We looked at the biggest genre, and that was hip- hop.



These guys look intense, huh? Are they digging Bomberman Land (coming soon for the Nintendo DS) or are they just constipated? This is the competitive spirit (not being constipated) that drives Hudson into making the best party titles around!
We chose The Source because it was one of the few umbrella brands that covered all of hip-hop, not just a certain label like Death Row. We wanted full coverage for any kind of hip-hop music. The Source is a hip-hop bible; it's a powerful brand. It's often times referred to as one of the true old school brands; one of the originators. We've been very happy with that partnership and we want to keep on doing business with them for a long time.

Where do you see the mobile industry going?

I see 3D playing a bigger role in creating a better gaming experience for mobile. We work very closely with Qualcomm. We developed the first prototype game for their 6550 Chipset which today is the LG VX9800 - the best phone out there for gaming. Qualcomm continues to develop better graphic processing, so by the end of next year you're going to see the 7500 Chipset which is going to rival the PSP on your cell phone!



The LG VX9800 is one of the first phones that provides full 3D capabilities for applications and this is the future of mobile gaming.
I hate the word "convergence", but I don't see a better word to describe what's going to happen on mobile gaming and cell phones. There will be convergence. That's the beauty of cell phones you don't need to go out and buy a disc. You don't need to go to the store to do anything. You just download it. And that's where the cell phone has its power. It's the convenience of downloading over the air.

oh God, I hope a new Military Madness game is in the pipeline, for DS and/or Wii!!!

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Superpcenginegrafx.com updated]

Sweet!



very excellent CrackTiger -  I believe that is the slightly larger EGM article I was looking for, on Ironman.   good job man.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Military Madness on Cell phone, anyone play it?]

some screens of Nectaris for mobile phones / cell phones




more here:
http://www.tinyurl.com/lx8r2


you can tell the size of the graphics have been re-formated for phones