Topics

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Hi all, it's been awhile]

Just wanted to poke my nose in and say hi. Due to life getting rather crazy for the past few years I kind of fell off the map.

But, after a move, new job, etc and finally getting the game room reconstructed, I am finally playing my consoles again, and the TG16 is still as great as I remember it being.

So I am back. How have you guys been? Whatcha playing?

[General Gaming / The best (and cheapest) portable emulation machine you've never heard of]

I recently discovered a strange, REALLY under the radar chinese handheld called the Dingoo A320. Here's the Wiki article on it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dingoo

Why should you care? Well, how does a handheld with a gloriously bright, clear screen that gets upwards of 12 hours battery charge, comes built in with emulators for the NES, GBA, Genesis (which is spotty), SNES, Neo Geo(!) and (drum roll please) both Capcom CPS1 and CPS2 arcade games out of the box. It's got a built in 4 gigs of flash memory, an SD card slot that supports 16 gigs, plays most movie formats, doubles as an mp3 player, and has the build quality of a Nintendo DS (in fact, many of the buttons and pads *are* DS). Pretty neat, no? It's about the size of a GBA micro too. It has several (free) games included, including a couple of 3d games that look better (for real) than most DS 3d games, including a kick ass silent hill type game (also free).

If all of that doesn't interest you, then this will:

It retails for $70.

That's right peeps, you get all that for the price of a 360 game. I've fallen in love with mine. It's a wonderful piece of hardware, and it's so cheap anyone should be able to get one. There are currently emulators being developed (by the fan community) for the Gameboy, Wonderswan, Tg-16/PCE (happy dance!), Mame, SMS, Game Gear, and a few others. It's an amazing system that's rapidly developing a support base. I cannot gush enough about this little gem of a system. Nothing beats running around town with a sexy little black handheld on which I have several hundren NES games, and most of the library of Neo Geo and Capcom games. Dungeon's and Dragons Tower of Doom makes for one AWESOME handheld experience. So does Metal Slug and KoF.

Now, the down side. Currently, the Genesis emulator is very poor, and the SNES is somewhat picky on certain games. Both of these are being fixed/replaced by the community. The Neo Geo emulation is quite good, but it requires the ROMs to be in .MVS format (not a zipped collection of BIN files). This works fine, and there is a free converter, but the converter needs the newer romsets, so it may take a couple different downloads (or you could just ask me  O:) ).

So, if you are even remotely interested in portable classic gaming, this Dingoo thing is the greatest thing since the Turbo express. Get it at Deal Extreme:

http://www.dealextreme.com/products.dx/category.609

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Neo Nectaris]

I've loved Military Madness since I was a kid, so I finally decided to take the plunge and pick up Neo Nectaris for the PCE. Got it complete for $20, so I was pretty happy. I'm hoping it'll get here by the weekend.

Can anyone tell me the difference between this title and the original? From what I've heard, there are several new units that have less than obvious purposes, and that the game is the only true evolution of the series, as opposed to re-hashed clones that mimic, but do not advance, the premise (like the PS1 version). That's about all I know. The big fansite for the game is half down.

Anyone here play it much? I don't read Japanese, alas, so I just wondered if there was anything I should be aware of, gameplay-wise, before I dive in?

Anyone else a fan of this game, I haven't heard much about it.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Deep Blue: A review]

Yesterday, right before I got off work, I was talking on the shoutbox when a certain, hammer-wielding moderator (who shall remain nameless  ) threatened me with impending bodily harm if I continued to bag on his favorite shooter, Deep Blue.

Long story short, he convinced me to give it another whirl, and so I did. The first time I played it, I popped it in between several A-list titles, thought it sucked, and went my merry way. So, last night, I made myself sit down and play a game or two to see if my first impressions were wrong. Here's the result:

At first, my impressions were the same. The first level is bland, the powerups are awful, and your fish/sub thing moves slower than a fat lady with an oxygen tank at wally world. I died pretty quick. Now, the advice i was given was 'don't judge before you get to the second level', so I was determined to do just that before I gave up. So I played a few more games.

As I played it, I discovered that it plays kind of different from your regular shooter. First off, the powerups have this kind of rock/paper/scissors relationship with the different schools of fish you shoot. A power up will suck against one kind of foe, and obliterate another. unlike most shooters, the strategy seems to be to switch weapons frequently in response to whatevr enemy you happen to be facing. Once I figured that out, I began to like them. Also, I noticed that the game is less about flying around and dodging madly, and more about positioning and fine adjustments of your sub. Once you get that down, the difficulty (which was murderous) tones down to something more manageable.

Next thing I knew, I was flying through the first level like a pro. The boss was pretty simple, but neat looking. The second stage was much better. Lots of totally new enemies, prettier graphics, and a much better flow. In fact, about halfway through that, I noticed something: I was having fun. It's not the best shooter on the system, not by a long shot, but it's fun, and it's different, and it's FAR better than my first impression indicated. It really does put it's worst foot forward in the first level, and it suffers because you will get killed if you try and play it like, say, one of the Star Soldier games.

Much to my surprise, I got home today and the first thing that popped in my head was "I want to go play some Deep Blue". Who would have guessed? It's actually pretty fun, you just have to change your approach, and be willing to grind through the first level and learn how the game plays. Sure, it's no Lord of Thunder or Sapphire, but it is exactly what it tries to be: a unique, rather fun little shooter, with an odd take on powerups.

Like the man said, don't give up on it until you've seen a few levels.

[Fighting Street / Xevious: More Awesome than You]

Yes, now it is truly time to get some fightin' going on here in Fighting Street. There only be one topic that divides us, one subject that turns brother against brother. Only one game whose very name conjures up images of broken bodies, screams in the night, and throats slit with sharpened hucards.... Behold, the awesome might of:

XEVIOUS 

Xevious is the most awesome game in the universe. Spinning space quarters, sheet-metal pyramids, ground boobies, and flying drywall. What game has more? You are not good enough to play Xevious. Xevious is better than you. Xevious is your overlord. Xevious is both Father and Mother. It is the only game that ever beat Chuck Norris.

Respect teh Xevious!

Let the hate consume you. You are not strong enough. The battle for the greatest game in the history of the universe begins here.

Round One: FIGHT!!!

 

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / The awesomeness of the XE-1 Pro Joystick]

Out of the blue, my friend John decided to gift me with his PC-E XE-1 Pro HP joystick for Christmas. 

I must admit, this thing is about the last word in retro joysticks. Adjustable turbo, an adjustable 4 or 8 way microswitch joystick, a rotating button panel to adjust for comfort, independant multistage turbo toggles, and a neat 'cylon' row of red LEDs to show how fast your turbo is set. This sucker is about the best classic joystic I've ever used, and it's motivated me to knuckle down with a couple of good shooters.

Yesterday, I spent about two hours with Salamander and Image Fight, finally making it to level 5 on the latter. Damn, that's a tough game!

Anyone else have one of these sticks for the PC-E? If you don't, you should. Nothing else even comes close. They are the Caddies of the Pc Engine controller line.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Some thoughts on a few new PCE game I picked up]

I've picked up a nice pile of PCE titles over the last couple of days, and I thought I'd post a few thoughts on them. I'm sure most of you have played the better share of these, but I always like reading the review threads, so there ya go 

Gradius: I'd never played the PCE version of this, but now that I have, I found it to be vastly superior to the NES version. The sounds and graphics are spot on, and it plays just like the original I mastered all those years ago. And that is kind of the problem. While visually quite nice, Gradius is rather slow and easy. I played through 3/4 of the game on my first try, and I was tired and being attacked by kittens to boot. It's still a good game, but it's far easier that I remember. Maybe it's just that I'm better than I used to be.

Tower of Druaga: This game surprised me. I loathed the original arcade, but this one is more fun than I thought. I got it cheap, and it was well worth the money. It's not a fast game, but the graphics are good, the gameplay is fun, and there are a ton of levels. You can level up your knight with several stats, and this adds some light RPG elements to the experience. I need to give this some more play, but so far, it's pretty fun in an easy-going, play-before-bed, relaxing sort of way.

Image Fight: I love this game. Seriously, this is one of the best shooters I've played on the PCE. It's no graphical powerhouse, by any means, but the gameplay is sharp a s a knife, and it demands your respect. It's hard, but fair, and the bosses are quite challenging and fun. This game deserves all the praise it gets. I'm trying to ramp up my skills to compete with rag-time 

Altered Beast (hucard): Mixed feelings on this one. It's not terrible, by any means, and the gameplay is decent, if not easy. I miss the 'Wise Fwom Your Gwave!' and other voice overs. The controls feel a bit stiff too. On the other hand, this one is no mere pushover like the genesis version. Not the best PCE game by any means, though.

Cyber Knight: This looks to be a very fun RPG game with Phantasty Star/MEcha elements. Great intro too, and the battle system seems nice. When I have the time, I'll be checking this title out in depth. I know zilch about the japanese language, but this one was not that hard to puzzle out.

Spiral Wave: Space Harrier with a map, basically. It's not bad at all, though it's pretty challenging. I keep getting crushed 

Salamander: This game is amazing. I had completely forgotten how awesome the thumping, intense soundtrack to this game was, and it sounds beautiful (and far better than the NES). The graphics are pure candy, and the powerup system is not the usual gradius one (which I like), and the more standard setup works fine here. Great gameplay, and the challenge is far stiffer than Gradius. It's a lot faster too. This title is very much in the 'A league' of the PCE games I've played. OUtstanding stuff.

So, any of you folks have input on these titles?

[General Gaming / Legend of Kage 2 DS]

Just thought I'd give a shout out for theis excellent, and completely under-the-radar title. It's by Square, and for all intents and purposes, you might as well call it 'Ninja Spirit DS'. It's very similar to the TG16 title, even down to the dual 'shadow ninjas' that follow you. Add in a decent plot, numerous levels, an inspired magic system, two characters, and you have one very fun, old school game. It's highly addicting, and well worth your time!

Check it out, it's only twenty bucks 

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Question on a PCE Joystick]

My friend John once found this joystick at a thrift. It was either a Duo or PCE stick, and it was the very last word in PCE luxury. It was black, had about a million buttons for turbo, slow mo etc, and the actual A and B buttons were mounted on a rotating disk to allow you to position them for optimal comfort. In styling, it was like a more 'racy' black NES advantage.

I want one 

Anyone know what this stick is called? John can't remember. Barring that, anyone have a recomendation for a good Duo arcade stick?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / PCE Shooters are the best]

You know, I used to be a huge shooter fan back in the eighties and nineties. Over the years, I lost interest until I almost forgot about the genre entirely. I picked up a few of the good shooters for the ps2 when they came out (R-type, Gradius V etc), and while they were fun, they were more of a curiosity, not something I was really in to. Since I've started collecting TG-16 stuff, and more recently, PCE titles, I've come to a conclusion:

I don't like modern shooters.

I think that's why I got out of the genre. Modern shooters are way to technical. Ikaruga is a good example of what I'm talking about. It's almost like a fighting game, in the sense that it's all about doing all these clever scoring tricks. Most of the new shooters feature ridiculously short levels, followed by your typical 'bullet hell' boss who spews ridiculous amounts of fire in a set pattern. Each game has some kind of 'gimmick' that directly relates to score. Ikaruga has the two color thing, Castle Shikigami is about proximity. The games is far more focused on manipulating these tricks for score, than actually being a shooter.

The shooters on the PCE, especially all the never-been-played-by-me ones I've been ordering from Japan, are a different animal entirely. These games are different. They're about the levels. Long, glorious levels filled with creative enemies that are (usually) not in a set pattern. The games are long too. No two minute levels here, thank you, and your score is based not on any trick, but sheer survivability and reflex. I find them to be more challenging too, often because there are random elements to the enemies or their attacks. Patterns are to be had, of course, but sheer skill plays more of a role.

Anyway, I find that playing all of these great shooters on the PCE has reminded me of why I used to love these kinds of games. The good news is that there are so many of them on the system, I will not be running out of good shooters to play for years.

So thank you, PC Engine, for reminding me how awesome a good shooter is! You can keep your modern pattern based bullet hell shooters, thank you. I'll take a good old blast-a-thon anyday.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / My Duo-R is dead]

I need a hand here guys. I bought a Duo R not three months ago, which worked perfectly.

Until now 

When I went to play it today, it found that, upon flipping the power switch, it did precicely nothing.
It's plugged in, I've tried two different power adaptors. I've tried it with Hucards and CDs and both, and neither.

Nothing. No LED lit, no flicker on the TV, nothing. Jiggling cables does nothing too. I'm really frustrated here, because it looks like I spent $200 on a paperweight. I can't afford another one.

Please tell me there is something I can do here...

[General Gaming / The Sega Master System]

So, continuing this summer's crazy luck, I just scored a lot of about 70 SMS games, including a bunch of rare stuff like Power Strike, Montezuma's revenge and the like. I'd never played this system much until last week, and surprisingly, I actually like it. My prior experince led me to believe it was pretty generic and crappy, but a lot of the games I have now are quite fun. It's no TG or Neo, but it's still pretty good. CHoplifter is awesome, and Power Strike nearly sent me into a a fit, as it's the re-named Japanese sequel to Zanac (my favorite NES game ever), which until I flipped on the power switch, I did not know even existed.

So, anyone else have or like this console?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / It Came From the Desert]

Hey all. Been on vacation up north in Seattle, and I managed to score myself a nice Duo-R in perfect working order. What an awesome system! At last, I could play my pile of CD games. So, when I got home, I decided to play through my stack. The Thunder games are awesome, Ys is fantastic, DE II is fantastic, and then, I pop in It Came from The Desert.

 

So, it starts off with the pedophile ex santa guy talking about a camera on his roof and a truck full of nuclear waste. Then, somehow, I find myself in this grainy low-res town for no reason. I go to a building, which for some reason is full of boxes and junk and, of course, some guy in a wheelchair playing the (!?) saxaphone and asking me if I want the girl. I say, 'uhh sure'.

The girl is, for some reason, floating on a couch in a pool of lava. She mumbles a bunch of stuff, and then her head jumps out at me in a collage of trippy lights.

Then I';m attacked by zombies and giant ants in a side scrolling game with no warning.

Uh, WHAT THE HELL is up with this game?

[General Gaming / Need some advice on Neo Geo]

My crazy luck continues. An old friend I had not seen in some time stopped by and traded me a Neo Geo AES system over the weekend. Add that to a lucky score on ebay, and I find myself the proud owner of a very nice AES console and about twelve games for $200 (wiping out the last of the stimulus check, but who cares?)

So, I've got a bunch of the common stuff (Magician Lord, Cyberball 2020, Nam 75, Riding Hero, Super Spy, Alpha Mission 2, Ninja Combat, Ghost Pilots, Blue's Journey, Super Sidekicks 2, and something else I can't remember). So I'm REALLY happy right? Never thought I'd own one of these things.

Then, the NEXT DAY after getting the console, my cousin Kevin calls and says (I shit you not): "Hey, I just found this Metal Slug 3 Neo Geo cart in the trash. You want it?"

 

Yeah. METAL SLUG 3 in the damned TRASH in 2008! How about that? It's this website. It's gotta be. I registered here, and games started falling out of the sky on my head. 

So, anyways, I know there are a few Neo Geo collectors over here. What are your recommendations on what to pick up next. I'm thinking Samurai Showdown II and Crossed Swords. What do you all like on the system?

[General Gaming / An unbiased R-Type Command review]

I just picked this up yesterday, and given the ridiculously low scores it's getting from the online gaming 'press' (*chuckle snort*), I figured that I'd write a review from the standpoint of someone who actually plays games and has an ounce of taste.

Game Description:

R-Type Command (RTC from now on) is a turn based strategy game played on a hex grid. It takes most of the units and ships from the R-Type series and turns them into units you command on the hex grid. Like the shooter series, you command the forces of earth against the 'Bydo Empire', a bio-organic version of the Borg, in essence. Unlike the series, you control far more than a single fighter. You control squadrons of them, with support ships, transports, carriers, and giant dreadnoughts. Like the shooter, most of your fighters can be equipped with 'forces', a sort of hybrid earth/bydo technology that powers up the weapons on your ships. Gameplay takes place on large hex maps, and you are usually tasked with destroying the enemie's flag ship, or recovering data. The terrain is often colorful and varied, often mimicing actual R-Type stages, so you'll play through a strategy map that looks like a side-view shooter stage.

Unlike other turn based games of this sort, there are VASTLY more strategic options at your disposal, and all of them have multiple modes of attack. Each fighter comes equipped with different short/medium/long range weapons, and like the shooter, many of them have charge shots that take a few turns to power up. This is often a major consideration, as one of these charged shots can wipe out several enemy squadrons at once, but one hit on your fighter knocks the gauge back to zero. Couple this with all of the other lasers, missiles, nukes and about eighty different units, and you have a TON of options at your disposal. When you add forces into the mix, the number of options becomes staggering.

Another area where RTC differs from your usual fare is between missions. You have to collect resources (3 kinds) during missions, and you spend them on building and researching new ships and weapons. Your forces are 100% personally customisable, and your fleet remains between rounds, to the point where you assign individual captains, pilots, and AI computers to your different ships, all of whom level up over time. You can chose to alter, re-equip, re-build or research your armada between rounds, and deploy it as you see fit. New mission unlock new technologies as well, so you will never run out of interesting ships to build.

And ad-hoc multiplayer mode is also available, for those who want to duke it out with a friend. Two disks are required, and there is a mode that allows you to wager resources that can be used in the campaign.


Review:

After spending last evening playing this game, I have come to the conclusion that online reviews of strategy titles are pure donkey poo. All of the ones I read whine about the game being 'too slow'. Yeah, it's slow. It's TURN BASED and a STRATEGY title. Idiots.

But I digress. The short version is that, if you like games like Advance Wars, Fire Emblem, or Military Madness, you will love RTC. The level of strategic depth in this game is mind boggling. For example, your basic R-9 fighter (the first plane you get) Has a vulcan cannon, long range missiles, as well as a charge shot, the latter being a potentially game-winning attack. Vulcans are weak, but useful up close. The missiles can fire over range (think artillery in Military Madness or Advance wars), and the charge shot fires a straight beam about five hexes long, hitting ALL units (including yours) in the way. The charge shot can easily wipe out several whole squadrons, but the charge meter gets reset every time the unit is attacked, so proper maneuvering is a must. Pair this ship up with a force, and you get multiple kinds of lasers, as well as a defensive bonus from the front (or the back if you attach from behind). Your missiles can double as defensive weapons as well, and you can target incoming ordinance with them.

That's just ONE ship. All of the rest are totally different. For example, the first bomber you get has multiple missile attacks of differing ranges, including a one shot nuke which should be your central punch through the first few levels. In addition, it has a defensive forcefield shot that can wipe out enemy ordinance, but it lacks the charge beam. That's two ships out of eighty. As you can imagine, the level of depth is astoudingly deep. Add in the capital ships, repair droids, supply units, scout ships, radar ships and all the rest, and you have a very deep ocean to swim in.

That being said, it's not hard to play. While the 'tutorial' missions do a very poor job of explaining anything (and the manual is not the best), it doesn't take a degree in nuclear physics to figure everything out. After one false start, I was up and going without problems. The maps are varied, and I love the fact that many of them are presented just like a side-view shooter level, complete with end bosses that fill the screen. The two forces (Earth and Bydo) are very different too, the former being lesser in number but stronger, while the latter is more numerous and regenerates.

Each fighter on the map represents a squadron of five ships, and as they take damage, this number decreases, just like Military Madness or Advance Wars. Docking a damaged squad with your carrier will replentish the damage, making keeping the big ships close a must (though this can be veeeery dangerous, as they are often the target of enemy fire). Every other attack or so, you will be treated to a full screen (or windowed if you prefer) full-3d shot of the combat taking place, just like Military Madness or Advance wars, only with a lot ore eye candy. This is easily the game's coolest, yet worst feature. The graphics are gorgeous, and it's awesome to watch your squadron fling energy death into the middle of an enemy unit. The problem is the load times. It takes 5-8 seconds to load these scenes, which can definately get to be a drag after awhile. Fortunately, these can be turned off if you desire, or set to a random timer.

The graphics are beautiful for the fight scenes, and the hex map is very nice as well. All of the units are easily identifiable at a glance, and the levels are varied and full of interesting things like asteroids, mines, research facilities, and a gazillion other interesting tid-bits for you to shoot, capture, or fiddle with. Terrain often adds a lot to the strategic depth of the game.

The A.I. is pretty good too. I'd rank it as comparable to Military Madness, though I haven't played through the entire campaign yet. I've won every mission thus far, but then again, I've played Military Madness and Advance Wars multiple times, so strategy games are old hat to me. Unlike the online reviews, it's certainly not a cake walk. That said, it's not the hardest game I've ever played either. Use your own judgment. Each level gets more difficult, but the game doesn't ever seem to be unfair. If you lose, it's because you did something foolish, not because the A.I. cheats. The A.I. does show some remarkable clever maneuvering at times (sending weak units in to plink your charge shot fighters and reset their gauges, for example).

The sound is another weak point. The music is very generic, and completely forgetable. It's not actively bad, mind you, but it you rarely even notice it's there. It's not a game breaker, by any means, but you won't be whistling a tune after your done playing. The sound effects are nice though, and sound exactly like comperable weapons and enemies from R-Type Final on the PS2.

Another nice touch is the story. Between each level you are treated to the 'Ship's Logs' of your captain, who tells the story of his hopeless fight against the Bydo empire. It's not academy award winning stuff, but it's far more detailed than most games of this genre, and it's a damn site better than all those annoying anime characters in Advance Wars jawing about 'war'. You can save the game at any time, making it very portable.

In conclusion, this game is not to be missed if you like strategy titles, and don't mind the leisurely pace of a turn based title. Why reviewers whine about pacing in these kinds of games, then wax eloquent over the latest turn-based RPG is beyond me. This is a great game, and by FAR the deepest hand-held strategy experience I've seen outside Disgaea. It's gorgeous, deep, very fun, and provides a fair challenge. The A.I. is better than Advance wars or Field Commander, and if anything, it reminds me VERY strongly of Military Madness, only updated for the new milenium.

If you like strategy games, this is a must buy. Besides, who doesn't like a good handheld strategy game with armadas of customisable ships, that comes with a free plastic model of an R-Type fighter?

Pros:

Very deep strategy
Customizable fleets
Researchable units
Tons of options for you ships
Lots of eye candy
80+ ships and 60+ missions
Play as Bydo or Earth force
Free plastic R-Type fighter!

Cons:

Slow load times for battle scenes
Bland music
Poor tutorial
Manual is pretty, but light on content
Turn based - shmups fans may not approve

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Why has the world forgotten Military Madness/Nectaris?]

I've been playing MM on my turbo, and it's even more fun than I remember it being. It's far deeper than the more modern clones like Advance Wars in so many ways. The myriad different units, the excellent hex based system that takes into account support and surrounding. All of this stuff is way ahead of it's time, and it's FAR more challenging than any it's 'modern' decendants.

In short, this game is by far the best console stragtegy game I've played. It's challenging, easy to pick up, really hard to master, and the presentation is excellent.

Why did the world forget this game?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / What game is this?]

I got this loose Hucard in a lot. I've no idea what it is, as the name is in Japanese. The game itself seems to be some kind of strategy title, with an overhead map of a bunch of cities. Each city has a 2x3 grid of little gray boxes in which you place a bunch of little guys, who apparently duke it out if you can read Japanese and actually play the game.

The cover art is a picture of a guy's head in a silver/blue helmet with yellow eyes.

Any idea what game this is, and if so, how you actually play it? Thanks!

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / My haul has arrived!]

I've mentioned in chat a couple of times that I'm getting what amounts to an 'insta-collection'. Basically, a collector friend of mine stumbled across a guy who had a very large TG-16 collection from childhood. My friend obtained the entire thing, kept about ten games that he needed, and sold the rest to me.

I got the games yesterday and I'm ... staggered. Not only have I gone from a beat up deck and a couple of crappy games to a full-on collection, but I'm really surprised at how playable most of the games are. I actually got more than i thought i was getting. Here's a list of what I got:

HUCARD:
Aero Blasters
Alien Crush
Balistix
BattleRoyale
Bonk's Adventure
Bonk's Revenge
Blazing Lazers
Bloody Wolf
Cyber Core
Cratermaze
China Warrior
Cadash
Dungeon Explorer
Deep Blue
Dragon Spirit
Double Dungeons
Dragon Curse
Falcon
Final Lap Twin
Gunboat
Hit the Ice
Galaga 90
Ghost Manor
Impossamole
JJ and Jeff
Klax
King of Casino
Keith Courage
Legendary Axe
Legendary Axe II
Moto Roader
Military Madness
Ninja Spirit
New Adventure Island
Neutopia
Neutopia II
Night Creatures
Ordyne
Order of the Griffon
R-Type
Raiden
Sidearms
Silent Debuggers
Sinistron
Soldier Blade
Sonic Spike
Space harrier
Super Vollyball
Super Star Soldier
Splatterhouse
Tiger Road
Time Cruise
Tricky Kick
Turrican
TV Sports Hockey
TV Sports Football
Takin' it to the Hoop
Vigilante
Victory Run
World Class Baseball
World Court Tennis
Yo Bro

CD/SCD:
Dungeon Explorer II
Dungeon Master
Ys I & II
Vasteel
Lords of Thunder
Gate of Thunder w/Bonk I & II
It Came from the Desert
JB Harold Murder Club
Valis II
Madden
Sherlock Holmes I
Adams Family
Riot Zone
Shape Shifter
Shadow of the Beast
Buster Bros
Fighting Street
Exile
Last Alert


Whew! How's that for a score? I'm in shock. Never had anything like this happen before. And so many of the games are FUN! All of them have the manuals, sleeves etc. Spent all afternoon playing Ninja Spirit and Blazing Lazers. Gods, there is just so much good stuff here. There are only a couple of stinkers. I just need to track down a duo / duo r as soon as possible, so I can play the CDs.

Any suggestions on where to go from here?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / So, what kind of TG collector are you?]

I guess this could go in the PCE forum as well, but due to cosmic infuences beyond my control, it is getting posted here. The voices said that would be best 

I'm kind of a weird hybrid as far as a game collector goes. Most collectors I know get all gooey and freak out when they find a brand new, never been opened game. They pet it and hug it, and put it on the shelf to drool over. Now if that were me, I'd probably tear off the wrapping, whip out the cart, and slap it in the nearest working console and play it. I'm more of a player than a collector, or at least, I like to SAY that. Makes me sound like I'm not one of those crazy obsessive types with a bedroom full of nothing but games.

Except that, well, I kind of have a bedroom full of nothing but games. Heh. Oops. My bad. 

I have determined that what I am is what is generally termed a 'lazy-ass hobo collector'. What that means is that I don't give a sack of boiled monkey sphincters if the game I'me getting is all pristine and in the box. It doesn't even have to HAVE a box (though I'd prefer it if it's the same price), so long as it works when I plug it in. Got a game with a torn label? I'll take it. Sharpie marker'd copy of Pitfall owned by some douchebag named 'Billy'? Dibs! I don't care, as long as it works. I'll take it, spend half an hour restoring it to pristine beauty, and play the hell out of it. I'm the master of taking a destroyed game and making it look new. Best record was the time I found an old tabletop arcade game (you know, like the old coleco ones) that was all smashed up. The CIRCUIT BOARD came in a little baggie in about thirty pieces like a jigsaw puzzle. It was completely smashed. I superglued it all back together, had a friend jump solder over the broken traces, repaired the case and ... it works beautifully, and is the envy of ... umm ... one other guy I know who actually cares. But still! 

So, I usually don't care about cases, though I usually end up dinding a bunch in the end. Unless, of course, it's a Genesis or Intellivision game. Won't touch either without a box. Asymetrical carts drive me nuts.

So, that's the kind of nutcase I am, how about you guys? Do you sort your carts every night? Alphabetize your hucards? Only wrap controller cords widdershins? 

Fess up! 

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / So ... why the turbografx, anyway?]

I've been thinking over the last few days about exactly why I've become so taken with this system. It's not really nostalgia. I have an entire room full of games, so it's not like I'm deprived or needing to 'reclaim my childhood' or anything. I never grew up to begin with 

At first, I couldn't figure it out. I have a pretty nice stack of Genesis games, including a CDX and some pretty fun/rare stuff. Ditto SNES. Yet neither of them really draw my attention much. Sure, I'll drag out a game or two occasionally, but I don't really play them all the time. Not so this here Turbografx. It's crowding out my 360 currently for play time, and winning.

Now the short answer, of course, is that it's fun. Sure. But so are a lot of other systems. What makes this system so addictive? I mean, this is the ONLY commercialy unsuccessful console that has it's own forum with tens of thousands of posts for just that system. Why is that? Here's what I've come up with for me, personally:

1. The Color. Sounds like a weird thing to say, but the intensity of the color of TG games really gets me. It did as a kid, too. Compare Legendary Axe to Castlevania on the other two systems, and it's like the difference between a peacock and a crow. Most TG games are bright, colorful, and just plain pretty to look at, and the visuals hold up quite well nowadays. Sega just looks like mud after playing the TG.

2. The Style of Games. Here's my main reason for liking this system. It's still fresh. The entire library of TG-16/PCE games seems to be made of stuff that, for the most part, was not duplicated on the other systems, or if it was, was a second rate effort (most of the shooters, for example). The games are original, and fun. It's amazing how many of them I've never heard of that play as great as more recognized franchises like Mario and Metroid. Bonk, Legendary Axe, Dungeon Explorer, and Military Madness (to name a few) all play remarkably like first tier nintendo titles. There is so many original franchises too, most of which died with the system. I find the library has a distinct 'flavor', rather like Nintendo does, only with less shrooms and plumbers, and a lot more explosions and general kick-ass. I find the games a very refreshing break from the usual Nintendo/Sega games of the era.

3. Shmups! Duh, right? This system is packed to the gills with shooter goodness, almost all of which are the 'best' home ports of the era. Play control is amazing, in most of them, and the graphics, speed and all the rest are great. Sure, many of them are 'old style' shooters, but who cares? Fun is fun. I had forgotten what an awesome genre this was!

4. Aesthetics. Ok, so I'm a snob. I admit it. I like the sexy little credit card sized games. The controllers are awesome, and they have built in turbo. The Duo has got to be the best looking game system of all time, ever, and the cover art on the american games is just ... ummm ... *cough* well, let's skip the cover art, shall we? I love the fact that I can throw ten games and my express in a DVD player bag and go. I need a suitcade to do that with my Sega Nomad. The other consoles of the era are ... fugly. The SNES looks like the bastard child of pastel vinyl siding and a toaster. The sega contollers look like a wal-mart brand bat-a-rang.

Oh, and it's more fun. Faster than the slow snes, and way prettier than the genesis, and it caters more to the hardcore gamer than the other, more mainstream systems did. 

So, those are my reasons. What are yours?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Saying hello to an old friend]

Let me tell you a story:

Long, long ago when dinosaurs walked the earth, and people still dressed in polyester, I had a Turbografx 16. It took my town forever to even sell the darn things, but I'd always wanted one ever since the egm review of Legendary Axe. My folks were kind of poor, and not very into the video game thing, but my brother picked one up at Toys R Us right before the Turby got the royal boot from the marketplace. A system and ten games for about $70. The dummy hated it. Lucky for me, he loved the SNES, which I loathed, and so we traded systems. Ha!

I fell in love with the thing right off. Games like Legendary Axe II, Silent Debuggers, and Military madness became beloved classics I returned to time and time again. There were never very many games in the small town where I lived, but I grabbed all of them I could. I played the system for about a decade, before real life drew me on to other interests.

With the dawn of the new millenium, I sold off a bunch of my old game stuff. Must have been the post Y2K hysteria. I was an idiot. The Turby was the last to go, to a guy I met at a game store who five years later, became one of my best friends. I always regretted selling the system. I never tried to get another one because I figured I'd never be able to track down all the cool stuff I'd lost. I kept my old Atari stuff, and started collecting that.

Until a week ago, that is. The same friend I'd sold my deck hooked me up with a HUGE pile of hucards (I'll post details later). I also recently managed to find a system, a Turbo Express, and about ten games on my own. Basically, I'm going from zero to  a full on collection in one fell swoop! Awesome. I also scored a Coregrafx II off of evilbay to play all of the cheap PC-Engine cards.

I'm a long-time collector of the older 8-bit systems, but I never really much liked the 16-bit stuff. Neither the Genesis or the SNES ever really captured my attention, though I played them back in the day. I'd forgotten all about the TG-16 until recently, and I find myself playing it constantly now. There are so many unique and different games on it, and it's shooter heaven (which is a genre I'd almost forgotten about). I'm loving it. I guess I finally found a '16'-bit system that I really like.

Anyways, nice to meet all of you. I'll post my swesome score in a couple of weeks when I get the details worked out.