Messages

I own it, and I will say that, disregarding how anyone feels about the game itself, this is, in my opinion, the best version of the game.

Besides higher video quality, here is a list of things to know about the new version:

- The intro is completely different from all previous versions of the game to be released. It explains the story a little better, but at the cost of not explaining the gameplay nearly enough. They don't even MENTION the whole color code system, which is very unfortunate for those playing this for the first time. On the upside, there is no bullshit with random game overs for watching too long, or it taking up in-game time to watch to penalize first-time players.

- There is a very useful new feature that makes playing the game less of a chore. In the options, you can select whether the room icons are just icons, as in previous versions, or thumbnail previews of what's going on in said room, making it much easier to keep track of what's happening in each room. No more channel surfing to see what's going on!

- There are a few deleted scenes reinstated into the game. You can actually trap Commander Simms near the end, or even allow the preteen boy to get killed by the augers, to name a couple.

- There is now a "checkpoint" at around where the disc change would occur in previous versions. If you make it to "Disc 2" and fail, you can restart from that spot, instead of the very beginning.

- A new Score Attack-style game mode.

- Tons of unlockable bonus features, including: a theater mode where you can re-watch any of the story-related scenes you've seen in previous playthroughs; two documentaries; behind the scenes images; and most interesting of all, a completely playable version of Scene Of The Crime, a prototype game made as a proof of concept to sell the idea of the ControlVision/NEMO (the unreleased console that Night Trap was originally designed for) to Hasbro.

All in all, if you like Night Trap at all, definitely give it a go. If you dislike the game, though, this version isn't likely to change your mind.

I'm glad things are going well! At first, I was disappointed that I couldn't participate (my Mic decided to break at the WORST possible time), but it may be for the best. I have trouble doing voices besides my own standard anyway. I'm now just happy that Sam got the publicity and talent to make this the best possible dub it can be.

Can't wait to see and hear the final results, Sam! That will definitely be a day long remembered!

Audition sent!

With a bag of Limited Edition Corn Nuts Roda Tree Nuts!

If people can't talk to trees after eating those, I'd demand a refund.

Hey, how are things going with preparing the dub? Are we any closer to recording?

 

Absolutely gorgeous. Sounds very close to the original Genesis version and perfectly captures the spirit thereof. I recently attempted to make my first chiptune; a version of Ys II's Termination for Genesis, but it didn't turn out nearly as well as yours. Kudos!

This is neat! I had heard of Barbarian, but never played it until now. Keep up the good work!

Calm down, cock body. Was just asking a question. You act like you freed us all from the Matrix. I didn't try to Catfish your mother so focus your nerd rage on someone else.

Hey CA-RRRAAAAZZZZYYY Dean, your mind is a soft trail of forgotten breadcrumbs.

And for the rest of you muppet-fisting f**k wagons; Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes 2, Cosmic Fantasy 1, 3, 4-1, and 4-2. Get on it. NOW.

If anyone here is acting high and mighty, it's you. Translations take a HUGE amount of time and effort, and you showing up, basically demanding that we drop everything and translate the games you want, then throwing a temper tantrum because we mildly teased and criticized you instead of immediately giving you your way, is not going to make things go any faster.

If you can't even handle such low-level teasing and mild criticism, then this is DEFINITELY not the forum for you.

[evil]

1) What right do you have to anything? I mean, complaining that you can't afford this or that, when it isn't a matter of life or death, or even the difference between eating unhealthy junk food vs eating healthy (i.e. more expensive), or not having the income to move out of the ghetto <- better quality of life by being safer. You're talking about physically owning games, to play on your old relic of a system. You have no inherent right to that. And in context, you have every opportunity to play or "own" any of these games via emulation, CD-R, or flashcard. So this whole, "I can't afford it" thing seems petty, especially knowing how expensive these systems are to collect for -> this isn't some surprise to you. Even if you did buy the game from PCEWORKS, it's not the original. It's still a fantasy of owning the original, which really isn't any different than CD-Rs, flashcard, or emulation. It's fantasy shelf candy.

I never claimed that owning these games was my right. It is indeed a "want" and not a "need." I could indeed just burn a game to one of my Taiyo-Yuden CD-Rs, and in all honesty, I should. The problem is, as you yourself put it...

Don't get me wrong. From a human-science perspective, I understand the experience with the relationship of owning a physical copy of the game. I understand that the experience of the game is more than just the controller and interaction with the game logic; it's the feel of the real controller, the sounds of the CD drive seeking, the act of taking the game out of its case, parsing through the manual, and placing it in the system - the physical affirmation of the system sitting in front of you; the aesthetics. All of it. But it's still a choice, not a right or something owed. And you have other options that aren't preventing you from playing any of these games - only your own view that's preventing you from enjoying them via other options.

Maybe it's because I have a bit of "collectard" in me, but I have a fascination with high quality game repros. They give me the same thrill I get from buying a new game; to be able to read through an elaborate manual, to put an actual cart or CD in my system; it's just not the same with emulation.

You are correct though, it is just an illusion, but for me, as a classic gamer, it's a very powerful one.

2) You feel bad that Tobias cheats people with deception, and you feel bad that he rips off homebrewers.. but none of that compares to the evil of having to deal with ebay sellers of the real products??? Do you realize the absurdity of that statement? I know you're trying to rationalize it with the minimal amount of guilt or feeling shitty about it, but in the end you pretty much just said, "I feel a little bad about what he's doing, but not bad enough to not to support Tobias". Your nod to the opposition is just that - for show. And that's what it boils down to for you. And if that's how you feel, then just say it. Don't shift the blame on ebay sellers. That's ridiculous. No one is forcing you to do anything - you made a choice. Own it. Don't squirm around it because it make your conscience feel better.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up there. I really do feel that eBay sellers are a major factor in why we have this situation to begin with. They are the ones who jack up the prices for original games, giving Tobias a reason to make these bootlegs in the first place. They are the majority of the ones trying to pass off these bootlegs as real to make a quick payday. They are likely the ones getting Tobias to make 1:1 replicas of the original packaging. I am pretty sure that they are part of the problem.

But...

Buying his items isn't just a decision on the morals and ethics of him profiting on someone else's work (Capcom, NEC, whoever) - it's the fact that when you purchase something from this specific man, you're not only supporting what he does, you're elevating/promoting what he represents. Fraud, deception, robbing from the very community that gave it something special. You need to own that too.

When it comes down to it, this is the real issue here, and you're right. I am putting my selfishness ahead of the community's interests, and that's not fair to you guys.

You've changed my mind, Bonknuts. I will not buy any more of Tobias' bootlegs. I'll burn Taiyo-Yuden CD-Rs instead. I need to own up to what I'm doing and not make excuses.

While I understand why Tobias is hated around here, and I know he has done some pretty selfish things, there is an issue that I would like to bring up here.

I live on a fairly modest monthly budget, and that makes it extremely difficult to justify buying Turbo games right now, because eBay sellers are charging obscene amounts for even common games. When I first entered the Turbo scene, a copy of Neutopia II was selling for about $100. Now that's what a copy of the first game is being listed at.

With that being the situation, there is no way I could buy a legit copy of games like Beyond Shadowgate, Dynastic Hero, or Dungeon Explorer II, and still feel comfortable about it. I could burn a CD-R, but we know that those are not great for the lasers in our systems, and frankly, look butt-ugly when the game's on the shelf between plays.

Tobias' repros are not cheap, but I can still get four games for less than the price of one (legit copy), and it's professionally pressed, printed, and looks like an actual product that I can feel happy to have on my shelf and in my CD drive. For the first time, I have a chance to actually feel like I "own" these games. That would never happen if I were left to the nonexistent mercies of eBay sellers.

Should Tobias try to make his repros look legit? No. Should he profit off of the homebrew community without permission? Of course not. However, I'd much rather deal with him than the eBay sellers. In fact, I'd argue that it's because of them that we have this situation in the first place. Tobias provides a service to people who want these games but cannot afford them, and I am happy to support that...up to a point. I won't be purchasing his unauthorized copies of fan translations or homebrews out of respect for those who make them.

Does that make me a selfish person? Yeah, probably, but if it means I can own and experience "rare games" like Dynastic Hero without breaking the bank or funding swindling resellers, I can live with that. Games are meant to be played, not bought and sold like stocks.

I listened to the two Ys remixes you linked, and they are quite impressive! They sound very much like Ryo Yonemitsu's arrange versions. Very well done! Would love to hear more in the future!

Cool! I don't own a Turbo Express/PCE GT, so I'll have to keep an eye on this one!

How goes preparation for the dub, Sam? Are we getting close to auditions?

My daughter (12) likes TG-16, probably because I told her she couldn't get Pokemon _______ until she completed all the missions in Falcon, Gunboat and Yo, Bro (she still hasn't completed Yo, Bro). This has saved me a few dollars over the past 6-8 years.

You're a monster!

LOAD"*",8,1

Amen.

Blessings upon thee, Gentlegamer, for typing the holy command!

BTW, here's my setup:

Commodore computers were badass. I have both a C64 and C128 that haven't received NEARLY enough love from me lately. Don't have an Amiga, though. They're kinda expensive.

In a way, you could argue that the C64 was in many ways one of the precursors of the "gaming PC," with its great graphics and sound for the time. Although, unlike gaming PCs today, it was reasonably priced.

Hmm...this thread makes me want to boot mine up!

Better start planning that documentary, guys! We've passed the second stretch goal!

No worries; I understood what you were saying. It was a nitpick, and fixing the issue would likely be more trouble than it's worth.

DAMN IT! Come faster, Payday!

So here's the plan...we get the Magical Chase...and hold it ransom for...

LMFAO! I think Otaking won the running joke! I can't see anyone beating that one! (Pun not intended...at first....)

Outstanding work, Elmer! Those character portraits look great! The one thing that bothers me is that on the title card, the part that says "The Legend of" doesn't quite match the part that says "Xanadu II." There's a bit of an art style clash. I think it's because of one having a black outline and the other not having one. That's just a minor nitpick, though.

Lookin' sexy as hell!

His armor looks different.  Is it even better than the mighty earth armor? 

Pfft, Water Armor for life!

After sitting and waiting for five years, am I going to have to re-audition for Nuse? I hope not...

Bumping because a new episode came out while I was gone!

Yeah, I know that I'm slow as a snail in getting these out, but I'm quite proud of how this one turned out. Hope you enjoy!

If I think I'm right, and have an educated opinion from knowledge and experience, I'll stick to my guns and defend my position; if I'm ignorant, I typically stay out of it unless I develop enough interest in a subject to learn more in the future.

That's where I made my mistake. I didn't have an educated opinion, I didn't bother to learn more about the situation, and I shot my mouth off anyway. In fact, I'm pretty sure you told me your side of the story multiple times, and for some stupid reason, I never appreciated it. Instead, I selfishly looked for a reason to doubt it, and lashed out, much to my eventual embarrassment. My apologies.

By the way, Nightwolve, did I miss something? Are you a forum Administrator now? I noticed that you now have the title of King Drool! The only other person with that title that I'm aware of is Aaron.

Umm...you might have noticed that I haven't been around much lately. After how badly I embarrassed myself the last time I was here in any real capacity, I decided to take a voluntary leave to get my head together.

Looking back on what happened, I really was quite an asshole. Regardless of how I feel about Nightwolve, I had absolutely no excuse to behave the way I did, flipping my shit and betraying his trust like that. On top of that, I then tried to garner sympathy by blaming personal issues and offering a half-hearted apology only to flip-flop right back the moment that didn't work. My behavior was childish and disgusting, and all over something that isn't any of my business anyway. My most sincere apologies.

With that said, I am hoping to possibly return in some capacity, that is, if I'm still welcome. I will try to keep a more level head and not nuke any more bridges, and perhaps even be a little more proactive in contributing to the community, and not just be that guy who sits in the corner leeching off of everyone.

I hope you all can forgive me, but I also understand if you aren't ready, if ever. Regardless, I want to do my best to make it up to all of you. I hope I will be able to...

Very nice! Looks very professional!

If I may be a Grammar Nazi for a moment, though, the Bommerman code section has a typo. Shouldn't it say "following" instead of "follow"?

Wait, what do you mean I have no right to comment on such things? I'm a great speller!

Holy shit, Sam! I can see the finish line from here! I'm going to need to buy a copy of LoX1 soon! Keep it up!

Wow Sam, you and Elmer have been busy! It always makes me happy to see the rapid progress you guys have been making on this project. I cannot wait to see the final result; I know it will be spectacular!

Sam, did you get the email I sent you with part of my new VA audio? I never received a response, so I wasn't sure if I sent them to the right address.

I'll try to get the rest of my lines redone soon.

Awesome! I'll have to give this a try when I get the chance.

Anyone who has an interest in the process of crafting and telling a good story should try watching Adaptation. It's a surreal comedy about a depressed, self-conscious movie scriptwriter who is convinced that real life is boring, uninteresting, and not entertaining in the slightest, only to get caught up in a series of events that may prove him completely wrong.

To say much more would spoil it. It's not for everyone, it's a bit artsy, but it's very clever, intelligent, and entertaining in a very unusual way.

Here's a trailer:

Holy shit! I thought I would never see this project make any more progress!

Also, that title graphic is awesome. Kudos to Black Tiger and Elmer!

Keep up the great work guys! I am cheering for you!

Also, if you guys do decide to go ahead and translate the first game, I would be happy to reprise my role as Nuse. God...that seems so long ago, now...me, recording my dialog on a shitty mic I bought from Wal-Mart...I've gotten a much better mic since then, and I also now know how to use the noise cancellation feature in my recording program! I think I even asked SamIAm once if he wanted me to re-record my dialog with the better setup; I don't think I ever got an answer. I hope it sounds OK.

As a perverted amateur game voice actor with no shame, I would be proud to audition for a role in a potential translation of this game!

The Treasure Chest theme from the early Ys games may have been ripped off from Metroid. Seriously, listen to the 'Got Item' jingle from that series. It's almost identical!

I could make some scans of the back inserts of my games. I'll try to do some work on that soon.

I really enjoyed your Turbo Duo box set, as I do not wish to have to take out a bank loan to own and enjoy even just ONE of these four games, and seeing how the only alternative was to burn some CD-Rs and hope for the best, I was very willing to buy your product.

To paraphrase that argument ...

Dear Tobias, I'm more than happy to buy the TV that you stole from the guy 2 streets over, it was such a good price and I don't know him. But damn you to hell for stealing my neighbor's TV, I would never, ever buy that from you, you dirty thief!

 

 

I cannot argue with the logic of your accusation, because you are absolutely 100% correct to call me out on this...

*Sigh*

I suppose this is the part where I'm supposed to make excuses and/or try to tear you down by pointing out your own failings in order to draw attention away from myself and how you made me look like a complete hypocritical jackass...

Uh...Um...

I plead Temporary Insanity! The eBay resellers! They MADE me do it!

In all seriousness, though, you are absolutely right to call me out on the carpet here. Stealing from NEC/Hudson Soft should be no different from stealing from someone like Nightwolve or SamIAm. For some illogical reason, it just felt different. More personal.

I humbly apologize for my folly.

Dammit! My search for Neutopia continues!

Sent ya a PM.

I really love this idea, but I have questions. I own a Duo, which doesn't have that expansion port, so would this include a cable that would allow me to use this?

Also, will this box cause any input delay while playing? I had a bad experience where I tried a SCART-to-HDMI box that caused input delay depending on the system.

And by the way, the Genesis 2 and 32X have a different video connector from the Genesis 1 and Master System. Have you considered that?


If this box will work without any issues on my Duo-RX, Sega Master System, Sega Genesis (with Sega CD and 32X), and SNES, without lag, I would most likely buy one.

I don't know what good it will do (probably none), but I have just sent the following e-mail to Tobias:

Tobias,

I am writing this email as a result of a controversy that has arisen regarding your latest releases through PCEWorks. There has been a lot of bad blood going around about your recent releases of fan translations of Xak III and Startling Odyssey II because, from what I've heard from the translators and hackers themselves, you had no permission from or previous discussion with them before you created a product based on their work.

I really enjoyed your Turbo Duo box set, as I do not wish to have to take out a bank loan to own and enjoy even just ONE of these four games, and seeing how the only alternative was to burn some CD-Rs and hope for the best, I was very willing to buy your product.

However, the fact that you apparently made no attempt to contact the people responsible for these translation patches before attempting to profit from their work (Let's be honest here; the fact that your individual releases have different prices, seemingly based on the desirability of the game, is a pretty clear indicator that you hope to profit from this. I'm pretty sure that CDs don't cost more to create depending on the data put on them.) is something that I find disgustingly dishonest.

I know that this is not the first time something like this has occurred with you. I understand that you also attempted in the past to sell a port of the original Mega Man to PCE-CD that was made by a friend of mine without permission as well. Before that, I heard that you initially tried to pass off your first reproduction, Sapphire, as legit unsold stock.

These actions have caused you to have a very bad reputation with parts of the PCE community, especially those whose work you have attempted to profit from, including friends of mine whom I have great respect for. I was willing to look the other way for your Turbo Duo repro set, but after this, I wish to inform you that I will NOT be purchasing your reproductions of the Xak III and SO2 fan translations, and unless you make a serious attempt to make amends and change your strategies for dealing with the PCE fan and hobbyist programming communities, and attempt to work with them, and not just profit from them, I will not be purchasing ANY of your future products.

You make great repros, Tobias, but I cannot purchase them in good conscience, and I won't, until you stop hurting my friends and the PCE community at large, whether intentionally or not.

Sincerely,

Collin

This is one of the greatest ideas I've heard in recent memory. I will definitely try my best to make a kickass Turbo commercial! Or two...maybe more. They won't be remakes of the old ones though; I'm too classy to do that. These will be totally original, with my own spin on how the system should've been marketed.

By the way, this contest...will there be prizes?

Ok you busted me, Well i tried to copy everything from the manual word for word but..



As you can see i added two words "up to" grrr, well if you really need it fixed i'll upload a new one.

Ah, that's why the text seemed familiar! I didn't realize it came from the manual. That would explain why the text is so messed up. I remember reading that manual for the first time, and by the time they called the town of Minea "Esteria", which is supposed to be the name of the island nation after Ys vanished, (another thing to fix in the insert text, by the way ), I was like, "What the fuck is this shit!?"

This bitch...

Don't blame just me, Brutha. Blame those drugged-out crackas at NEC, as well!

[for]

Just found these. I like, but there are a few problems with the "Custom" insert that really drive my inner Grammar Nazi up a wall.

"For a short time, the peace and prosperity that had existed for 800 years before was returned to the land."

Remove the two words I've made bold. The "for" implies that Ys had been peaceful for the 800 years leading up to the present day, which is definitely not the case. The "was" creates some really awkward phrasing.

"But it is up to you, great adventurer, that must guide him!"

It seems like you changed this sentence halfway through writing it. I would suggest either this:

"But it is up to you, great adventurer, to guide him!"

Or this:

"But it is you, great adventurer, that must guide him!"

Also, while I'm at it, might I suggest changing the word "great" to "brave"? It seems a better fit, not just because it works better with the adventurer idiom, but also because it seems a bit presumptuous to call the player "great" when he hasn't proven himself by beating the game yet.

The original poem by Kobayashi Issa from the 18th century, translated straight and without forcing the 5-7-5 structure, is like this:

やせがえる 負けるな一茶 これにあり
Weak frogs
You must not give up. Issa
is here for you

So it's kind of subtle, and that's something I'd like to be reflected in the translation. A lot of Japanese people have no idea what the original poem is really talking about until they research it. I might put the original in as-is and credit the actual poet, and leave it to the curious to google it.


Alternatively, this is something I came up with:

Despair not, weak frogs
for courage is rewarded
with springtime peaches

I like this because peaches are a very common metaphor in Japanese poetry for...well, I'm sure you can guess. Also, it doubles as a kind of encouragement for Ziria, which I think is ultimately the point of the dialogue.

I really like your localization of the haiku, Sam. It gets the point across while still being a bit subtle and also maintaining a Japanese flavor with the peach metaphor. I think keeping the general feeling of the original script is important, so I wouldn't want it to be too on-the-nose and crass, or to have the whole mood changed for the sake of a cheap joke.

I do like the limerick idea. Granted, they're so long that it would have to be literally one line per text box. Anyway, there are several poems, so I might keep that idea in mind for another one.

While suddenly throwing in a limerick would be funny, I think it would alter the mood too much.  I assume most people nowadays know what a haiku is, so that's not exactly a localization issue, but more importantly, it would disturb the Japanese flavor of the story and setting, which from what I understand, is a key element of the series' identity. I don't know...Unless you can think of some clever way to do it that fits in with the original script, I'm against the limerick idea. It just feels a little too...Working Designs to me.

Been here about seven and a half years. My God, has it been that long...?

I would love to be an NPC in an RPG! Just make sure I get something really clever to say.

NightWolve, I've sent you an email.

I would love for this to happen AS LONG AS no one steps on anyone's toes. If BL doesn't want his dub put into bootleg form, then we should respect his wishes. I am intrigued by the idea of doing a new dub for the purpose, though.

I would also love to see other games get a community pressing/translation. Random thought: Why not try Double Dragon 2? IIRC, most of, if not all of the in-game text is already in English, so mostly, we would just have to create and insert an English dub. (Correct me if my memory is wrong.)

Qapla! Thread has been derailed!

I'm very excited about this project as well. I plan on pledging $40 to order two right off the bat; one for my own NES, and one to fix one of my old broken ones to give to my little sister.