Messages

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Dungeon Explorer or Dungeon Explorer 2?]

It's all about farming for stat upgrades. Find out which enemies have a chance to drop which stat boosters and farm the crap out of them early on.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Will there ever be a TG16 price crash?]

Yes, yes, I appreciate the lessons on what a crash is, but the TG16 is a much smaller portion of a much larger market. I don't foresee that a TG16 crash would look anything like our housing crash, or like the comic book market crash, or even like the Atari-induced video game crash of the early 80s. Aside from digital releases, new items are not being manufactured to market. As hardware and HuCards age, more and more items are removed from the market's available pool of salable items. Even as collectors cash-out, stuff breaks and fails. So interest may fall or rise, but available inventory will only fall. And digital re-releases seem to have a mixed relationship to physical prices.

So what I'm really getting at is... would we expect the TG16 market to follow the general classic gaming market, or, being a niche product, would we expect it to be divorced somewhat from that larger market? I don't think a crash in this market would look anything like the 2600 market right now, but it's easier to rule out possibilities than to rule them in. Does anyone have any prognostication about what the TG16 market particularly would look like post-crash?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Will there ever be a TG16 price crash?]

What would a TG16 price crash look like, anyway? It's not like there's millions of these things sitting around unwanted, waiting for someplace to go.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: What's that thingy on the SuperGrafx power switch for?]

Pawaaaaaaaa Kansoooooooooooooooooru!
I still want that thing to magically become a reality.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Barbarian on PCE]

Seriously, original, new run n gun or GTFO. Contra on NES already exists and plays just fine.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Hypothetical PCE port :: Flame Zapper Kotsujin]

Well, then, good luck, sir! Your art for Xymati looked pretty good, and I like the tracks you've been creating in Deflemask. There are 3 sound engines available to use, so there's some work already done as well. Chris Covell has some good information stuff for getting started with HuC and the PCE. I look forward to following your progress.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Barbarian on PCE]

Contra in general is a gaping hole in the PCE's library. PCE needs run n' guns.

[Off-Topic / Re: Donald Trump Thread aka End of Days]

Donald Trump reminds us just how tenuous our democratic republic really is, and just how easily our "patriotic nobility" can be sullied. He's certainly not the first, but he is the most flamboyant and obvious.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Hypothetical PCE port :: Flame Zapper Kotsujin]

I can understand how your own experiences have lead you to feel that way. But I'm glad SamIam and Elmer don't share that attitude, because their partnership is very close to giving us translated Xanadu I and II. They have found a great working relationship, which is awesome. Sounds like Rover and Sarumaru have found that as well. I hope you get your Xymati, because it looks like it might be awesome. But you're basically throwing shade on the entire community, despite evidence that the community isn't fundamentally broken. You've had some bad experiences, but others have not.

(And yes, you absolutely CAN help how people construe your words. What you meant to say is that you don't CARE how people misconstrue your words.)

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Dungeon Explorer or Dungeon Explorer 2?]

In DE1 the crystals change color, and the color it is when you grab it affects which stat gets boosted. But I also know which enemies to farm for key stat boosts.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Hypothetical PCE port :: Flame Zapper Kotsujin]

Fragmare, if you have the passion to do this, then you may be able to see it through. I think this is really about semantics. I think your argument that determination is enough is being read by others here as, "if someone would just work harder this would get done," and they naturally see this as a flawed assertion. You clearly have a passion for your project, and passion is a motivator far more powerful than simple determination ("Just work harder, dude!").

You can't rely on someone else to have the same passion about your project that you do. That doesn't mean you can't rely on others to help you make it happen, but in hobbyist scenes like this where everyone has a home life and their own projects, you can't rely on someone else to carry the torch for your project. When you're talking about programming an entire game, no, you can't rely on someone else to program your game for you, not unless you can make them care about your game more than their own or anyone else's.

And given the size of the hobbyist scene for this underdog console, I think there are quite a few projects that have gone to completion. The PCE homebrew scene is actually relatively productive.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Cadash ports]

Well, at least he kind of admitted it was their screw-up. They requested a bum change and hadn't planned ahead. The explanation I read didn't make it sound like him blaming anyone else. That's why I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Yeah, Vic definitely has a reputation, but this one doesn't sound like a deflection, which is what his excuses often sound like.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Cadash ports]

We know exactly what happened with Wicked Phenomenon (allegedly). Vic has spoken about it several times. Working Designs didn't do any reprogramming. Their translation license and contract included x number of programming updates to insert text and change the game with the original publisher/developer. With Wicked Phenomenon, they wanted to make it a little more challenging since they thought it was too easy. They asked for a minor adjustment, but because they didn't totally understand the calculations behind the scenes (and didn't ask for an explanation, I guess), that one minor change cause unforeseen consequences, and by then they had used up all their contracted updates. So because they delayed the difficulty adjustment until their final programming update instead of implementing it earlier, they were stuck with a game with a broken difficulty curve.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Dungeon Explorer or Dungeon Explorer 2?]

I like the original better than the sequel. In the original, even when your stats are low you still control really well, whether you move quickly or slowly on-screen. In the sequel, if your agility is low you feel very sluggish and unresponsive, not just slower on-screen movement. I found it very hard to get into the game because of this. It takes a while for the character control to get up to the level immediately available in the original HuCard title. That alone made the original a much better play experience for me.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Happy 25th birthday, Super Raiden!]

Some people won't think that, though. They'll just think, "I didn't own this game at all, and I paid Tobias for the trouble of providing me the game and the upgrades." But so long as you give them a little reminder on the title screen, I think it's good enough. Not something rude, but something that tells them Tobias might just be profiting off of work others are doing for free.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Happy 25th birthday, Super Raiden!]

You need to embed some text or graphic data in the title screen that's not disruptive but is obvious indicating that it is a fan project not meant for sale. It also needs to be coded in such a way that is very hard to remove, so when Tobias inevitably sells this his buyers know that this was intended to be available for free to legit game owners.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Virtual Boy audio very closely resembles PC Engine audio]

What little documentation I found suggests that channel 6 is dedicated to noise, and 1-5 cannot do noise.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Barbarian on PCE]

Pining for Contra on PCE is a habit for far too many of us. But since this is about Barbarian on PCE, maybe this thread isn't the best place for that.

These fantastic Barbarian ports are a joy to watch.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Virtual Boy audio very closely resembles PC Engine audio]

So the VB is actually very similar to the PC-FX in terms of CPU and audio capabilities. Interesting...

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Virtual Boy audio very closely resembles PC Engine audio]

I swear I remember seeing an early SNES tech demo cartridge with a freely rotateable Mode 7 plane with the NEC logo texture hidden behind it... but I can't find it anymore

Come on. Top result on my first search. http://www.nintendoplayer.com/unreleased/dsp-1/

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Virtual Boy audio very closely resembles PC Engine audio]

So, someone posted, back in 2006, that they thought their VB sounded a lot like the PCE. Well, I was randomly reading about the Virtual Boy today and stumbled across the audio specs. Turns out it uses 6-bit wavetable sound across 5 channels, with a 6th channel for noise. The capabilities are very close to those of the PC Engine. Here's more info:

http://www.planetvb.com/modules/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=audio_overview

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: The Legend of Xanadu Dub Project - Auditions Wanted]

I will ask on Racketboy. We have a couple lady-members there.

[Off-Topic / Re: Japs & Fat Gay Niggers]

This is like the horrible infant man-child version of suicide by cop. You don't have the balls to just pick up and go so you have to make everyone else miserable, too, in a temper tantrum flameout.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs]

You in Japan? Why didn't you take me with you, bitch! I can speak-a the moon language!

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Japanese Vasteel vs. US Vasteel?]

Because there was so much spoken audio, it was mostly low-quality streamed ADPCM, and largely sounded awful.

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

Kevtris may actually want to know this before losing his shirt in a HuCARD-only system that isn't going to sell anywhere near as well as something that can play CDROM2 stuff.

I don't think he's doing a discrete system. I think he's doing a new core for the AnalogNT Mini. The idea is that you can just reprogram the FPGA at the heart of the system and transform it into a different machine. There's already several cores available. And I do think the HuCard library for the PCE is compelling enough to make that core worthwhile. Then if someone else wants to take that core and expand on it, they can talk to Kevtris and maybe a new project can emerge from that. But for now, he's just doing these for existing hardware.

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

If I had any concern about alienating our resident home brew developers, I would probably hold my tongue. But I know these guys are creating what they want to create and don't mind non-inflammatory contrary opinions.

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

I think Kevtris has every right to make whatever he wants and we don't really get a say. I, too, want a CD-ROM substituted, but I can't do what he does, and I don't get a vote.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Cadash ports]

While the TG-16 music for Cadash isn't great, neither was the arcade soundtrack. I have the feeling this was not one of their major priority titles.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: HUVideo Why didn't this get used WAY more often?]

Don't forget the jug and washboard (abs).

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Streets of Rage - Fighting In The Street (TurboGrafx-16 Chiptune Cover)]

Me likey. You make good covers, dood.

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

Mike/Prof was decidedly an ass. Sometimes he was an asset to the community, but not enough to make it worth tolerating his BS within it. The ends do not justify the means.

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

I think this forum can, at times, be one of the less agreeable communities in classic gaming. We're no saints. We have no shortage of drama and assholes. Hell, there have been occasions I've wondered if the mods actually mod anything around here.

I myself have even gotten a little "meh" about the PCE scene, mainly due to what Facebook has done to it, and the attitudes of people.   It really isn't the same. 

I'd say Kevtris was here getting upset around the same time that shit started to it's descent into fucksville.

I pretty much avoid Facebook for anything that's not keeping up with a few friends and family, so I can't speak to your experiences there, but do you have any thoughts on what the community needs to make it more welcoming or more interesting?

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Megaman PCE thread]

I guess I'm going to be the jerk of the thread and say that while I think these tracks are all interesting exercises in musical exploration, I'm not a huge fan of your intended purpose, which is to put these tracks in behind the game. Your covers of these tracks are often way too busy and over-complicated. There are too many instruments being used and some of the instruments are used in odd ways. This isn't helped by the incorporation of themes from other games. Medley tracks make for good listening but poor BGM. The Mega Man tracks shine in part because they do a lot with a little. So while these tracks aren't bad, I definitely think they're a bad match for the actual game itself. I think this music playing in the background would be more distraction than enhancement. By all means, keep developing your music skills. Maybe read up a bit more on music theory (the tracks are a little rough around the edges, but I think that's not hard to overlook). I think you'll continue to make some good listening material. I'd much rather see much simpler and more straight-forward remixes included with the actual game, though.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Streets of Rage 2 - Go Straight Beatmix (TurboGrafx-16/PC-Engine Cover)]

Streets of Earl! Toejam Rage! These are great games in my head.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Changing music files in a game]

Do the track times in the Cue file match the actual music track lengths.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Catastrophy: In Development]

*facepalm* Really? That's where you go with that?

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Question: Wave-phasing on the PC engine, how feasible is that?]

I don't think Mednafen is going to pop the way real hardware will.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Shovel Knight for the PCE possible?]

I think it we could source YM2151 or similar cheaply enough we should totally put them on new HuCard games.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Simon Belmont OBEYS! (Super Castlevania IV Chiptune Cover)]

That is the best, yet. Great work!

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Simon Belmont OBEYS! (Super Castlevania IV Chiptune Cover)]

That lower, bassier waveform has GOT to change. It's so rough it hurts. You gotta sacrifice some of the sameness for smoothness there. Everything else is teh awesomes.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs]

You know, the shooting in Eswat is actually quite similar to Elevator Action and Shinobi (shuriken) and Rolling Thunder. And as long as a slower, thoughtful jump n' shoot is done well, it can be pretty great.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Simon Belmont OBEYS! (Super Castlevania IV Chiptune Cover)]

That bassy note is so rough. Despite that, some of your other instruments are spot on. Very impressed. There are some tiny timing issues, however, with one particular note sequence.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Xanadu I and II - General Translation Project(s) Thread]

You goof, when this is done they're going to Disney World! That's still a thing, right?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Exile & Exile:Wicked Phenomenon ... Un-Worked Designs]

I wonder how hard it would be to patch in all the stuff in Cosmic Fantasy 2 that the original developers clearly never finished. It would be quite a list!

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs]

I am not a fan of the more classic score based games Arkhan has favored so far, but if this does happen and is nearly as much fun as I find Rolling Thunder, I will be in.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: POLL: Third soundtrack for Super Raiden 25th Anniversary Project?]

I don't even really like the 25th anniversary mixes much. Would love to see HuCard with new percussion and the Raiden Project OST

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: (work in progress) Barbarian on PCE]

Welcome back, Spenoza!

Oh, I'm here all the time. I just lurk a lot. That's why my post count is so low. I mostly just soak it in.

So, I've never actually played Barbarian at all. Anyone familiar enough with this to explain to me the basic gameplay?

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Re: Megaman PCE thread]

Just tap your foot along with the beat and see if different parts come in at the same foot position (up or down).

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Re: Reproduction DUO card doors now avalible!]

That may indeed be a good guess. It would be awesome to know for sure.