10/31/2023: Localization News - Dead of the Brain 1!

No, NOT a trick, a Halloween treat! Presenting the Dead of the Brain 1 English patch by David Shadoff for the DEAD last official PC Engine CD game published by NEC before exiting the console biz in 1999! I helped edit/betatest and it's also a game I actually finished in 2023, yaaay! Shubibiman also did a French localization. github.com/dshadoff/DeadoftheBrain
twitter.com/NightWolve/PCENews
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Messages - termis

#1
Yeah, I started off with the "original" mode for about 10 minutes and found that, well, the balance of the monster difficulty to be a bit off and would need grinding for a bit.  So, then I went and tried the "balanced" mode and found that to be a lot more, well... balanced, and stuck with that mode.

As noted, I haven't completed all the "trophies" and all that, so there's still more hours remaining yet.  I'm just not a completist anymore...

The minigame bit does pique my interest though.  Does that have anything to do with the blue female character in one of the cave paths stating "Move on, human" and not letting me go beyond her?
#2
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Hah, it's been a couple years since I've really been active around here -- RL stuff - family, job, etc, etc., but I've always been lurking around from time to time, and finally managed to squeeze in some to play a new PCE game - Mysterious Song!  I'm sure most of you on this board are familiar with the title, and there are no shortage of reviews/comments on it.  So I thought I'd add in my 2 cents.

I must say I was quite impressed - you can really tell a lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into creating this, so before anything else... great job guys.

I won't bore folks with the minor details, but will jump straight into it. 

The gameplay is of the classic JRPRG variety.  3-player party wandering the overworld, going between villages, caves, dungeons, etc.  Gameplay is simple in nature -- players can equip all things, there are the basic attack/heal spells, and everything just flows without dragging on.  There's nothing that hasn't been done before, but it doesn't do anything wrong.  It's a short & sweet RPG that one can finish in a single session (~3 hours), but that's not such a horrible thing for many of us who are time-poor now. 

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Graphics are decent and I thought they were definitely comparable to other "commercial" releases back in the day.  The battle backgrounds in particular were really well done, with great detail & shading in some of the landscapes.

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Music is excellent, and probably the standout feature of this title.  Battle music is really well done, for both the peon & boss battles.  I also like the cave BGM, which really makes it feel like your in a cave setting, with that echo-y reverb atmosphere.

The few cutscenes are also well done.  The art style isn't necessarily my cup of tea, but I can appreciate it being different from the standard anime fare, and again, I can tell a lot of work went into all this.

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Other than the length of the game, I would say this game can certainly satiate the needs of classic RPG players. 

Compilation of my other reviews:
Aurora Quest: Otaku no Seiza in Another World
Ane-san
Babel
Bakushō Yoshimoto Shinkigeki
Blood Gear
Burai
Burai II
Cosmic Fantasy 1
Cosmic Fantasy 3
Dragon Knight III
Dragon Slayer: Legend of Heroes
Dragon Slayer: Legend of Heroes II
Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari
KO Seiki: Beast Sanjūshi
Kūsōkagaku Sekai: Gulliver Boy
Nekketsu Legend Baseballer
Tengai Makyō: Itōryōdan
Tengai Makyō: Ziria
Valis I~IV
Xak I & II
Xak III
#3
Sorry for the crap pic, but you get the point...
IMG

Had a quick 3-day stop in Kansai, and had a peek inside some retro shops in Denden Town & Namba and grabbed a few I've been meaning to get over the years.  I guess super potato moved near Namba station?  I noticed that there were shutters down in their denden town location, but by complete fluke, I ran across a super potato shop by Namba station.

I got TWO copies of LoX I because... the super potato in Namba forgot to put the CD in the game!  This is actually the case with Cosmic Fantasy 4-1 as well.  I later looked at the receipt and noticed they didn't charge me for those games either...  Unfortunately I didn't have time to go back to Namba and getting the discs before I had to leave - and I could only find a replacement copy for LoX1 at another shop before leaving. 

Anyway, the inventory of PCE goods in retro shops definitely doesn't seem to be as extensive as it used to be back when I was living there (2004-2005) - too bad.
#4
I was in the same boat (I played the genesis, or to be more accurate, MD version first).  I actually got "suckered" into the cinema visuals of this game from one the first Japanese import mags that I bought, and subsequently paid an exorbitant amount ($80 or $90, can't recall...) to buy the import Mega Drive version of the game.

Years later, I played the PCE version, and PCE is for sure has the definitive version(s) of this game - if only because the cutscenes being one of the key selling points about this game, and by default the PCE/TG versions had the best cutscenes because of voices.

But anyway, the difficult water level NOT being in the Genesis weakens that version a bit more IMO.  That's *definitely* the hardest single level in all of Valis series, and beating that level definitely ranks amongst the upper echelons of my classic gaming achievements.
#5
Definitely one of the must-own titles on the system.  It blows away all other ninja games fo' sure - and that's a category chock-full of excellent games in its own...
#6
I *immediately* thought you're going to have fun with the water level.  But hey, folks here already gave you good tips -- You can only use one of the characters to realistically get past it - can't recall which one off top of my head...  Still, I must've spent hours & hours on that one part.
#7
I am on record saying that GoT is like "TF3 Lite" - I think my stance has softened a bit since then (TF3 Lite was a bit rude  :D), but nevertheless, I don't rate GoT is amongst the likes of, say... Spriggan, LoT, or TF4...

It's a bit too easy, the weapons aren't that inspiring, and the atmosphere is a bit ho-hum IMO - there's non of that blitzing speed-rush I get when I play some the shooters above, nor do I marvel at the enemy designs like I do in LoT.

I think it's a good game, no doubt, but it just doesn't do it for me like it seems to for a lot of folks.
#8
That's very nice!  Would love to see a new SGX release some day!
#9
Off-Topic / Re: Sini passed away
12/04/2013, 07:06 AM
Sad news indeed.  Condolences to his family, and everyone close to him. 

He is definitely a piece of PCEFX history.
#10
Got it - thanks :)
#11
Still no news Rover....  I've sent you a pm about a month ago (or maybe even more)?  but no news.
#12
Got back yesterday, and *sigh*, nothing yet.  Am I the only one who's not received their copy?
#13
I can't recall which events you're referring to in the game as it's been many moons since I've beaten game, but... yes, some of the special items are had through completing dungeons, and some through going through some battles (i.e. kuku's weapon's is through fighting at the town of Gomez). 

Also, I just read real quickly on the faq that you can sell off your items at the towns of Ganma and pointer - shops have a hand shape symbol - these are places where you can sell your excess items (and I recall some weapons you pick up from some battles, you can get a LOT of gold for it.)

Also, another hint - there are hidden shops in Ganma and Pointer which sell some strong weapon and/or armor.  You can only access if all your characters have enough curiosity (may be written as 好奇心 in the game, though I'm not sure on that one...) developed.  If you don't these shops will have no door on them - and you will need to develop this 'skill' before you have access to these shops.
#14
You'll have to wait just a bit as I'm on a roadtrip in NZ for one more week, followed by a month straight of business trips!  I'll see if I can make some time in the hotel during my business trips, but no promises...

Basically, chapter 2 consists of you having to find the 8 'special' weapons/armors for each individuals.   There's no set order you need to find these items, and you can do them in any order, so if you're really stuck on one, move on to the next one and try to come back to it later. 

The items listed below are the strongest weapon/armor/shield combination for each character, and the bolded ones are the 'special' weapon you need for each individual (note the Chinese characters/kanji listed below might look slightly different as Koreans and Japanese use slightly different versions of Chinese characters...).

- Hayate 靑爆劍, スピンクス, ポセイドンシルド
- Lilian ビムソド, 紅麗鎧, 圓月万阻盾
- Lomar 綠刺劍, スピンクス, ポセイドンシルド
- Sakyo ビムソド, 白氷鎧, 圓月万阻盾
- Gonza 藍烈釜, スピンクス, ポセイドンシルド
- Alec 紫雷杖, ユニコン, クロスシルド
- Maimai ウイルチエン, 赤宝鎧, オロラシルド
- Kuku 黃念棒, ユニコン, オロラシルド

And on the question of books - no they're not the same - different books will have different effects for characters.  Some will read a particular book and get nothing out of it, while as another read the same book and they'll get a nice spell or something.
#15
Selling things - there's a sell command IIRC, I can't remember without looking at the screenshots, though...  

The last scene with all the 8 heroes probably comprises the last 1/2 to 1/3 of the game IIRC.  That is, you have a plenty of gaming left.

And you should indeed start equipping the best armor and weapon for each characters - finding out which weapon/armor is best for each character is a real bitch without that faq guide as you get ZERO clues before committing to the purchase, and you just end up going around in circles with each item.
#16
It'll take some time, as it's a solid 15 pager (single-spaced), and unfortunately, time's not a commodity I have these days...

That said, if you're stuck and really gave it a good go already, and there's a certain chunk of block of the FAQ you think it'll really help you, put it up, and I'll be happy translate...
#17
Quote from: gbapalyer on 05/23/2013, 01:10 AMso far it was not to hard...i believe leveling is only for stats and weapons?
does the game get any tougher or more complicated in later chapters?
It's been a couple years, but from what I recall, developing your stats and all that is important, but you also have to read the right books, which gives you new spells (and sometimes nothing, and sometimes certain stats?? Can't remember very well now).  Some of these spells really will make your life a lot easier - especially the multi-attack ones.

The details of which books to read are in the faq I sent you earlier.  Just a link here for other users if they ever want to tackle this game (in original Korean - machine translation should be better than nothing)
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3134813/burai.docx
#18
Good to hear folks are receiving their copies.  I'm traveling in NZ now, and won't be back home for a couple weeks, but hopefully good news awaits me when I get back in a couple weeks.
#19
Ah, you're right it initally worked, anyway... 

I sent you the document via email, but for posterity, here it is for any others.  Again, still in Korean, so unless you read the language, you'll have to run it through a translator...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3134813/burai.docx
#20
Cybernator is fricken awesome, and definitely the best game of its kind.

Target Earth is okay too - I recall people complaining straight away how difficult it was, but I did beat the thing, so I must've been one bad mofo back in the dayz (never played it again).

AS Valken 2 is good stuff too, but yeah, it just isn't as slick as Cybernator/Leynos, and I agree that it hasn't aged as well.

Blood Gear is also awesome, definitely one the gems of PCE, but not quite Cybernator good.

Ranger X... I never understood.  I really did try liking this game (considering I I liked ALL the games mentioned above) but I just never saw the appeal.  After about 2 levels, I just get bored & turn it off.
#21
Okay, found the original extensive Korean FAQ for Burai 1 archived away on the following blog page.

Direct download link here:
http://cafeattach.naver.net/71e46ddec59d95496085ead3ec017702aeff07e581/20120310_290_cafefile/19756449_1331363159090_qKtCn0_hwp/burai.hwp?type=attachment

It's a hwp file, which is Korean word processor document.  You can download an HWP to DOCX converter from Microsoft, then send the converted document through a translator within MS Word (I tried it with 2010, and it works - can't vouch for the quality of the machine translation, though...  :?

Not straightforward by any means, but probably better than what most had before :)

I did mean to translate this faq at some point, but it's not a short one by any means...  If anyone really gets stuck, I can quickly translate little bits here and there for you if necessary.
#22
I finished part 2 in about 22 hours, and IIRC, part 1 was slightly longer - perhaps high 20-something hours to finish?

Part 1 has a steep learning curve, so be prepared - it took me a couple days to really get into the groove of things.

Part 2 is definitely more polished and easier to get into, but there's just something redeeming about part 1 once you get over the initial hurdle and get into it.  Part 1 really is more of an RPG gamer's game (and you definitely seem to be an RPG gamer), whereas I part 2 is a bit more standard-fare in the end (though still not a cookie cutter JRPG IMO). 

If the two games were completely unrelated, I'd definitely say try out part 2 first, but part 2 is really *completely* related to part 1 (it's a direct continuation), so in terms of cannon, you'll definitely enjoy the series more if you play them in order. 

A recap of part 2 from yours truly:
https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=12076.0
#23
For Burai I, only one I've seen that's still up is for the Sega CD version, which is similar enough, but it's not really a faq - it does have some maps which can help once you figure the game out.  There was another Korean faq for the MSX version which was quite comprehensive, but I can't find it more

http://sesesega.blog90.fc2.com/blog-entry-6.html
http://sesesega.blog90.fc2.com/blog-entry-52.html

I did a small review of the game which might shed some light on what you can expect from the game:
https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=9189.msg162002#msg162002

If you make it through, part I, I did write up a mini faq for part 2 (which is a much slicker, though not necessarily more or less enjoyable in the end), which is hosted up on gamefaqs...
#24
Ahhhh, I'm not a grammar Nazi, but seriously... Punctuation marks.  Use them.

Anyway, only played I-IV on Turbo/PCE, and couple others (I on SMS, III on Genesis).  Part I/II to this day stands out as the one being most memorable.  III was an okay game it its own right, but it's definitely the black sheep of the series.  Part IV has some really high production values, but it really wasn't as groundbreaking as the original Turbo I/II.

Recent stuff looks pretty good, but just not enough time/interest to get into the new stuff these days...
#25
same here, it'd be really, really nice to just put this order to bed already - it's been 3 1/2 years, and a good 6 months or more since the discs have been available.  Can you also please confirm if you have my latest shipping address, as I moved 3-4 times since the order!
#26
Yeah, but - still haven't received mine either - I don't know when you sent it, it can be a simply delay crossing the pond, but either way, let me know... (also double check if you've sent it to the right address as I can easily see something like that getting mixed up over the years & different people taking care of shipping addresses, etc.)
#27
No, I'm definitely not the one who wrote that.  And sorry, can't remember as I haven't touched the game since finishing it nearly 6 years ago...
#28
Took me 17 hours indicated playing time to finish this one, so it wasn't too long... 

http://www.geocities.co.jp/HeartLand-Suzuran/9038/Beast/pce_kouryaku25.
#29
Off-Topic / Re: I would say I did OK here
02/03/2013, 09:15 AM
Nice job - sorry to see it being split up, though.  It's an awesome game and I had a good time with this one as a kid...
#30
It's good.  You beat the shit out of punks for 15 minutes, and you're done.  Short & sweet. 

I guess I just really liked the gameplay of these style of games - I was a huge fan of Kung-Fu Master, which is the spiritual prequel to this game.
#31
It's not a terribly long one -- About 15 hours or so, give or take a few depending on how much you get lost, grind, etc.
#32
Game Dude was the biggest one in LA area (North Hollywood). 

They used to have a really good selection & decent prices (I bought a Duo for ~$59, Sega CD for $49 plus tons of "X" condition CD's which they sold off dirt cheap BITD, but that's all old news I'm sure)...  I haven't been there in like 10 years though, so I dunno what the current prices are like.
#33
I'd totally be in for if I still lived in LA, but I live just a little too far away now (9500 miles away :)).  My teenage & early adulthood years were spent all over LA (Los Feliz, Glendale, Mid City, Koreatown, Westchester, Pacoima, Torrance, Arcadia, Echo Park, USC, Norwalk.. I'm sure missing a neighborhood or two more...)

Still a good chance that I'll be back in So Cal at some point in my life, so if meetups like this happened in the future, I'd totally be there.
#34
I can't remember my order number...  #13 seems to ring a bell in my head - or maybe that was Insanity, but anyway...  I'm assuming that would've shipped by now then?
#35
Quote from: dshadoff on 10/21/2012, 12:12 PMOK, and the second thought I had was about the Nanami tool.
I really like it, but I had a few ideas for its improvement - though I likely don't have enough time to implement them myself:

1) Instead of requiring the user to painstakingly transcribe a long data stream, a 2D barcode could be displayed, and scanned by cellphone.  Not sure if this could make a file directly, but it could certainly go to a website (including QUERY data) to convert/generate such files for download.

2) Individual games' data should be separable and recombinable.  This is not so difficult, since the storage format is pretty well-understood.  There are two reasons for doing this: a) so that indivdual game saves could be archived, traded, studied, etc. (like the unlock of Force Gear in Tokimeki Memorial stated above), and b) to reduce the size of data displayed by the barcode, to make it less problematic.
#1 - that's a clever idea.  me likes.
#2 - I might be misunderstanding you, but the tool does save individual files one at a time (rather than the whole bank like ten-no-koe).  In fact, you have to save the files individually.

I'd add #3 in creating an all-necessary-files-included, easy-to-use GUI interface.  I would guesstimate that currently, 80%-90% of potential users would probably fail to get this nanami bank working at the current state, or wouldn't even bother trying in the first place.  There's not only the cryptic command prompt interface, but you also have to download few additional tools, put them in your working directory, or set the right path in your settings, etc - And all this is all before any binary code recording/typing (though #1 would take care of that issue)...
#36
Some basic kana knowledge will always help (in picking out certain types of weapons/items, etc), but even without it, people seem to have gotten through it without too many issues.
#37
Quote from: kazekirifx on 11/07/2012, 04:15 AMOh. Don't forget PSIV! It has an unfair advantage by being way newer than PSII, but I'm going to have to say PSIV is the best RPG on the system. Damn that was an enjoyable game... especially after playing it right after finishing PSIII... the speed the character walks in PSIV was enough to get me excited after PSIII. (Not that PSIII was that bad either.)
PS4 certainly is a more polished game, and it's definitely aged better than any of the other PS series.  Absolutely a great game.  That said, I think I beat the whole thing over a weekend without much challenge.  Doing that with PS2 (*especially without the hintbook*) would take some doing.  Perhaps because PS4 was much shorter, it didn't leave as a big as impression on me as PS2.

PS3 was good, but it just didn't have the "PS feel" and the mood while playing the game just feels out of place compared to others in the series.

PS1, what can I say, that game was at way, way ahead of its time.  In 88-89 -- seeing those dungeons, big enemies, colorful background, animated fight scenes, vehicle riding, that sci-fi overworld, etc, it blew my mind back then.
#38
Nice.  Just soldering on wires to audio pins and RCA jacks - seems pretty staightforward.

Again, can't see why this wasn't done staight out of factory, but anyway...
#39
Quote from: Duo_R on 11/08/2012, 09:31 AMNever tried you referenced. I have had good experience with Atlona RGB to YUV converters on eBay. Do some searches here been discussed a bit. I had some older posts in regards to it. I modded my converter to output audio so no pass through cable needed.

Also the CRTs that I have tried work great. I even have a new LCD set by Samsung that looks great with the converter.
Yeah,  I didn't understand why none of those converters didn't have an audio pass through.  It would seem obvious to put one in.

Any instructions for a mod job like that floating around anywhere?
#40
Anyone ever use such a setup?  I figure that'll be easiest way RGB out onto a non-RGB TV for a number of 16-bit/32-bit era consoles.

Basically, I see the chain as:
Console -> Scart Cable -> Pass through to get out RCA audio -> Scart to Component video converter -> component cable -> TV

Now, I intend to hook up systems such as the Saturn, Playstation, Dreamcast, i.e. through this setup to a standard-def CRT.   Would something cheap like suffice?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hama-Scart-to-RGB-Component-Adaptor-IN-OUT-Converter-/200827344423?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Video_Cables_Adapters&hash=item2ec23e1627

Or, do I need something like this (with a scaler) even if I don't intend to hook these systems up to an HDTV?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-SCART-RGB-to-YUV-Component-Video-Converter-Scaler-/220698772855?pt=US_Audio_Cables_Adapters&hash=item3362ac0577
#41
Thanks again for the raffle & congrats to the wieners!
#42
Pretty short list now:
- PCE Duo
- Genesis + SMS Power Base Converter
- Saturn
- PS1
- Dreamcast
#43
Such awesome memories with this game.  To me, it's the #1 on my list of most memorable RPG games growing up.  Awesome characters, massive dungeons, cool weapons/magic/techniques, interesting storyline with plenty of gutpunching moments & twists, and definitely one of the most brutally difficult old-school RPG.  One to surely remember beating...

I'm sure I *could've* beaten without the guide, but boy, it would've taken a LOT longer!
#44
I can't recall it being difficult at all.  And whatever bug it was that gba encountered, I guess I didn't get through.

Xak I/II reminds me a lot of Ys.  The story/characters aren't as likeable/memorable as the Ys crew, but overall it's not a bad one at all.  Xak III is quite a bit different than I/II though.
#45
Quote from: esteban on 10/29/2012, 02:49 PMIMG
Hah, I actually remember that ad as a kid.  It was in some random manhwa magazine :) (the were some child actors in Korea IIRC)

Thanks for the nostalgia trip.  :)
#46
Quote from: esteban on 10/27/2012, 03:06 PM
Quote from: guest on 10/26/2012, 10:05 AMThe ol' DSS receiver, eh?  Follow this link sausage for a bunch of good info. on it (including advert scans) from good guy Termis.  :wink:
Hey, how is Termis?
Ah, still lurkin around.  Haven't had too much chance for TG16/PCE'ing lately, but I'm sure I'll go through another run sooner or later.  :P
#47
Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Raffle: Cadash!
10/24/2012, 09:02 AM
Yeah, this one's a good one - I'll throw my hat in. 

extra TurboKarma to you!
#48
Off-Topic / Re: Aren't Canadians lovely?
10/21/2012, 08:37 AM
Canadians are so annoying.  I know - cause I married one.  :P

Quote from: FiftyQuid on 10/16/2012, 02:04 PMI still don't understand why America doesn't use the metric system or switch over to Celsius.  Do you know how confusing it is in Canada when I want to weigh something?
Except your average Canadian will have no clue what how tall they are or how much they weigh in cm/kg, how many joules of daily intake are needed for an average Joe, how much kW their car engine makes, how much a kg of Bananas cost at the grocery store, etc. etc...   :wink:
#49
Quote from: Bardoly on 10/09/2012, 12:41 AMSounds 'exciting'...  So, is there a library of these iso's of certain saves which people like to save?  I would like to create my own, but I'm curious.
Not a library of isos, but I have a library of bunch of binary save files (that's identical to the save file that's used in the PCE/TG16).  I just create a iso of with a number of these save files on one CD whenever I need them (I've since then found out that you can only link about a few dozen on one CDR at a time, so another weak link in the system there - however, you can still keep virtually unlimited amount of save files on your local hard drive, of course).

All this said, I've started going emulation lately, and it's much easier there because you can simply just cut out the binary code of just the save game portions from the system BRAM file and save that using a hex editor (you can verify the beginning and ending points using nanami bank).

Definitely not a quick black-box solution, but this is the only permanent solution I've seen so far...

And zeta also has a point... When't the next time I'm going to pull out the save file for some obscure RPG game like Aurora Quest and load it up my Duo?  Chances are pretty good that it'll be never.
#50
Forger the no eyebrow girl (okay, she's alright too...) but I thought the dancer on the left at 2:54 was the sexiest chick I've seen in a long time.