Messages

[General Gaming / Re: Do you have any consoles you own for just ONE game?]

Jaguar for T2K over here...

Same.

Also an N64 just for Sin & Punishment, and an OG Xbox for Panzer Dragoon Orta. (it's always the rail shooters, for whatever reason)

[General Gaming / Re: How long do you play a new game?]

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[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: (11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015) Game of the Week: Genpei Toumaden]

Not a fan of the PCE port, but that's mainly due to the butchered soundtrack. Absolutely love Genpei Toumaden on the PS1 and X68000, though.

I first played the PS1 version of it a few years back, after reading an interview where George Kamitani mentioned it being an influence on Muramasa. Though I came away not liking it (being sent all the way back to Kyoto for the 274th time does that to a person,) there was a certain something about the game that made it stand out to me. A surreal, kind of 'disorienting' quality to it that few games possess. Probably a combination of the things that Sam mentioned, plus the constant genre-hopping and seemingly illogical design choices (Kagekiyo has to move along with platforms manually? Getting out of Yomi alive depends on a game of chance? What is this sorcery?!)

I revisited the game a while back after looking up a guide, and since then it's become quite possibly my favorite Namco game of all time (although Legend of Valkyrie does give it a run for its money)

In regards to its console-exclusive sequel Samurai Ghost, I understand why many prefer it over its predecessor, but I couldn't disagree with the sentiment more. Yes, Genpei Toumaden is extremely cryptic, controls awkwardly, and can be very punishing if you walk into the game blind. Yes, Samurai Ghost is less confusing, more visually appealing, and infinitely more welcoming to newcomers. I'll still take Genpei (idiosyncrasies and all) over the more accessible Samurai Ghost any day of the week. Genpei has an actual spark to it that made me want to learn to play by its rules, and overcome the awkwardness of the system. SG's polished up controls (especially the 'parry' maneuver) trivialized the game's difficulty, the removal of Small Mode and Overhead Mode made it more monotonous, and the replay value (not to mention initial playtime) is greatly diminished in comparison to Genpei. Not a bad game by any means... just can't hold a candle to the original, is all.

Sorry about the rant, I tend to get defensive when SG is touted as the superior game. Carry on! 

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Your 5 favorite PC Engine games?]

HuCard

Son Son II
Ninja Spirit
Tower of Druaga
Genji Tsushin Agedama
R-Type

Hon. Mention: Parasol Stars, Blazing Lazers, Magical Chase, Marchen Maze, Samurai Ghost, Bomberman '94

CD

Rondo of Blood
Valis
Dungeon Explorer II
Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams
Faussete Amour (yes, seriously)

Hon. Mention: Valis III, Gradius II, Lords of Thunder, Sapphire

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Race is on B1tches! - How many have you cleared?]

What about those 3 things that you have to get? Are they easy to find?

I like Samurai Ghost a lot but I never cared much for Genpei Toumaden.

The Sword is easy enough to find, it's guarded by the three-headed dragon near the end of the game. The other two are a bit trickier. Both of them can be found either in The Land Of Bad Puns, or alternatively, you can find the Mirror in the southeast corner of that one level with no torii (with the hidden exit between four graves), and... I recall the Magatama was in plain sight in a section with moving green platforms?

Most people do tend to prefer the sequel. It's more accessible, more linear, and much more forgiving than the original, so it's easy to see why. I'll admit that Samurai Ghost is one of the better PCE sidescrollers, but for me, I just find that it's missing too much of what made the first Genpei so special.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Race is on B1tches! - How many have you cleared?]

I have the arcade version of Genpei Toumaden on the Namco Museum on PS1.

I can't decide whether or not I like that one or the X68000 port the best. X68K has all those hidden levels that were dummied out of the arcade release... but the PS1 is in english, and has that hilarious glitch that lets you kill the biwa player. I'd say it's a toss-up.

Some helpful tips:

Continues are useless.

Milk the enemy generators for all they're worth. You'll need the Zeni to purchase sword power-ups and health restoratives.

Don't mash against the earlier bosses, you lose too much of your sword gauge that way. You can't afford to be careless with your sword strikes until later in the game.

Mash the jump button to get a slight boost at the peak of your jump (only applies to PS1? I forget)

Certain fights against Yoshitsune (laughing dagger-throwing guy) can be skipped. When he first appears, turn around and crouch down. If he performs a rolling slash, let him pass over you, stay facing him, hold the attack button, and proceed to moonwalk all the way to the torii.

If you have 80 Zeni, you can buy your way out of hell. Just hop into the pool of blood near the beginning of the stage. Sure beats trying your luck with the treasure chests at the end. 

Did I mention continues are useless?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Race is on B1tches! - How many have you cleared?]

Clear #70975: Son Son II



Finally got the clear on this beast (using hourglass on the later bosses worked wonders!) An absolute masterwork of precision platforming. Has more in common with NES/FC sidescrollers than it's 16-bit brethren, which is definitely a good thing. I have no reservations about proclaiming this one a Rondo-killer.

And certainly better than [...] Genpei Toumaden.

Give this one a second chance, trust me. I hated it at first, now it's one of my favorite platformers of all time. It's simply a matter of learning to play by its rules...

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Best Shoot Em Ups on Turbografx & PC Engine]

Have you played the X68000 version?  It is not a simple arcade port, it is actually a remix version which contains an amazing amount of new content, including completely new boss fights.  Almost everything was changed up in some way, even the cloud enemies have new sprites.   An amazing version that rarely gets the recognition it deserves.  And if you want a real challenge, put the the difficulty on ''You Do!!'' mode and see if you can actually clear the first stage lol.

Yeah I've played it, it's my favorite version of Cotton 1. I have a clear of normal mode uploaded on my channel even. Come to think of it, I think it was you that told me about the X68K port on some other forum a while back lol.

And yeah, "You Do!" mode is completely insane. Spamming barrier magic helps a bit, but even then the furthest I ever got on one credit was stage 3. I wouldn't be surprised if it was un-1ccable, sorta like Mania mode on Flame Zapper Kotsujin.

I wish I didn't sell my Cotton 2 on the saturn

Why would anyone do this (other than to put the funds towards Cotton Boomerang, of course?  )

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Best Shoot Em Ups on Turbografx & PC Engine]

Cotton is cheap enough that I think all should try it, many claim it's way too difficult but I think it's just about right personally.

I'm still puzzled as to why Cotton has such a reputation for being difficult. Sure, the hitbox is larger than most, but there's not a lot of bullets to dodge anyway. Not to mention the PCE version gives you invincibility during magic attacks and has safespots against the tougher bosses. (Then again, most players don't even know about the fairy magic, so there is that to consider...)

Nonetheless, it's one of the all-time greats. The music alone makes the PCE version a must play.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Favorite Valis game?]

Some final thoughts on the computer versions of Valis II.

MSX2

Couldn't bring myself to finish it, only got halfway. Runs noticeably slower than the others, and the scrolling is even more janky than the PC-98. The weakest of the lot by far.

PC-98

Controls the best out of the three, but unfortunately it's all for naught. The PC-98 was ill-equipped to handle demanding action games such as this, so while the earlier levels are easier than the X68K due to the improved controls, the extreme choppiness makes the later levels unbearable. Good luck dodging anything on those last couple stages; your best bet is to keep using the freeze spell before enemies have a chance to come on-screen.

That said, it does have the best soundtrack of any Valis game, bar none. So it's not completely without its merits.

X68000

I take back what I said about Valis I PCE being the closest this series ever came to achieving greatness. Valis II X68000 is the closest it ever came.

They royally goofed the floof with the jump physics and handling, so most people won't even bother getting past Stage 2. If you are able to suffer through that initial hurdle, you'll find a most enjoyable game waiting for you on the other side. There's no real platforming challenges after Stage 1, and by Stage 3 your HP meter will be adequately leveled up, so the sub-par controls are of little consequence. You can almost see the difficulty curve as being inverted from the PC-98; smooth sailing from the second half onward.

The later sections benefit greatly from the X68000's superior scrolling and added autofire. Goes without saying that it's the nicest looking of any version of Valis II, (perhaps of any Valis game period?) though the music is a slight step down from the PC-98. The changes they made to enemy placement and level design are all for the better. Basically, Valis II X68K gets everything right... except for the gameplay. Still, I'll have to concur that it's a standout game in the series, if not mainly for its ambitious nature.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Favorite Valis game?]

Thank you, glad to be of service! 

(2) Would superdeadite (or anyone) know about a hacked/modified version of X68000 Valis II that offers a different control scheme?

If superdeadite links me to an X68K Valis II hack that controls half as good as the PC-98, I will bear his children.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Favorite Valis game?]

On a side note, I've been revisiting the various computer versions of Valis II over the past couple days. Man, what wasted potential. I may have been a bit too harsh by labeling them "unplayable", but those controls are absolutely insufferable, especially in the X68000 port.

Shame too, as there's some great gameplay ideas there, and I must concur with Supes that the style and atmosphere of the PC Valis II's are unrivaled. If they'd combined the best parts of each port, like say... the graphical style of the MSX2, the soundtrack and comparative smoothness of the PC-98, and the cutscenes & balanced difficulty of the X68K, I'd put it above those snoozefests Valis IV and Valis II PCE easily. As it is, it's just a missed opportunity... 

I think "missed opportunity" sums up the computer Valis II game very well, though I think it still ranks towards the top for me. It has the most interesting ideas and level designs (having finally played all the main PC-Engine titles), the best soundtrack, and as you said the best story. Unfortunately, the awful jumping and weird janky enemy movement and glitches hamper what could have been an action game to remember (for all the right reasons).

I wouldn't even call the Sharp port unplayable, just it took a hell of a lot of time to get used to, after many, many deaths on the first stage before I understood how its jumping worked. Thank goodness for emulators and savestates.

Haha, true that! There's no way I'd even get past stage 2 in the X68000 version without savestating like hell. Shame they dropped the ball so bad there... finally a system that could actually handle the auto-scrolling sections well, and yet the handling and jump physics are infinitely better on the PC-98. Go figure.

I really should get around to finishing X68000 Valis II. Though I prefer the music of the PC-88/98, and the 8-bit style is a bit more fitting over the technically superior X68k graphics, they did get rid of some BS moments (like the earthquake during the Stage 1 boss' intro), and apparently they truncated the length of the more boring levels, so I could see it becoming my favorite version overall if I manage to get used to its controls.

This thread inspired me to play Valis III on both PCE and Mega Drive to see some differences. During the 1st level the controls sent me into a pit nearly 6-7 times in the Mega Drive version. The PCE version sent me into a pit about 3 times. I think the game obviously feels better on PCE.

Trust me, you just need to play the MD version more. It's noticeably more responsive.

Try spamming power slide in the PCE. Now spam it on the MD. Tell me which has less recovery.

Try using the high jump to grab those power-ups at the very top of the screen in the forest level of the PCE. Now try grabbing them in the MD. Tell me which one you have better luck with.

Try spamming sword slash on the crystal when you rescue Valna in the PCE. Now on the MD. Tell me which sword slash comes out faster, etc...

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Favorite Valis game?]

how do you guys judge parallax quality by looking at a still-shot?

You'll have to ask that other guy. I've actually played Valis III...

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Favorite Valis game?]

Parallax: 1<2

You figured that out all by yourself?

Redbook = uninspired chip tunes

Sorry for taking things on a case-by-case basis, as opposed to assuming that CD quality audio is inherently superior to chiptune in all circumstances. I bet you think the soundtrack to Hellfire S is superior to the Genesis port, too. 

I take it that Blast Processing is a term you vaguely remember from the article on reddit where you first learned of the Sega Genesis a year or two ago? It's not the ability to scroll two tile layers independently

Cute, but I've been a Genesis fan for 20 years, thank you. And I'm quite aware that Valis III doesn't utilize blast processing, I was making a joke. Not that I should expect humorless people to pick up on that. 

You're doing a great job of avoiding the issue of the Genesis version having tighter controls, btw. Then again, aesthetics are clearly more important than how a game actually plays, right?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Favorite Valis game?]

PCE > NEO GEO

This is true.

5>1

What's that? Couldn't quite hear you over all the BLAST PROCESSING 

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Favorite Valis game?]

1>0

2>1 

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Favorite Valis game?]

Also, as CrackTiger pointed out, there are ares on PCE that have more scrolling than genesis

Yeah... you might want to examine that image BT posted a bit more carefully...

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Favorite Valis game?]

Hey Spooky, just so you know CrackTiger is also a big Genesis fan.  So, he is not being biased at all.  It's all opinion anyways.  I do agree with a lot of your comments regarding the Genesis version, especially with the controls.  I like a lot of the backgrounds more on the Genesis version as well.   With that said I still enjoy the PC-Engine version more.  It feels like a more complete game to me with all the levels.

Hey, if some people prefer the PC Engine version due to the extra content or the increased difficulty, I can totally appreciate that. I only took issue with BT downplaying the clear cut graphical superiority of the Genesis port by arguing that "more assets = better assets", that was all. At the end of the day, both are fine ways to play Valis III, and everyone should experience both. That we can all agree on.

It makes me want to play the two side-by-side

You should, dude! I've been playing both of them back-to-back lately, to see if I can clear both of them in one sitting. Have yet to pull it off , though.

On a side note, I've been revisiting the various computer versions of Valis II over the past couple days. Man, what wasted potential. I may have been a bit too harsh by labeling them "unplayable", but those controls are absolutely insufferable, especially in the X68000 port.

Shame too, as there's some great gameplay ideas there, and I must concur with Supes that the style and atmosphere of the PC Valis II's are unrivaled. If they'd combined the best parts of each port, like say... the graphical style of the MSX2, the soundtrack and comparative smoothness of the PC-98, and the cutscenes & balanced difficulty of the X68K, I'd put it above those snoozefests Valis IV and Valis II PCE easily. As it is, it's just a missed opportunity... 

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Favorite Valis game?]

CrackTiger, I know we're on a PC Engine forum and everything... but c'mon. A little intellectual honesty, here?
 

https://www.tg-16.com/screenshot_comparisons_action.htm#Valis_3

As illustrated in those shots, the Genesis has the better detailed backgrounds, more layers of scrolling, and a less dim color palette. The issue of cut content does not factor into this equation. Advantage goes to Genesis.

Music is a toss-up. Some tracks are better on the Genny, some the PCE. If I was forced to choose, I'd probably give the edge to the Genesis, just because it has this.

Regarding the cut content... normally this would be a problem, but since the aqueduct section was part of what got trimmed, I'd argue this is a positive. 

Curiously, you didn't bring up the controls in any of your rebuttals, and it's easy to see why. The PCE version is clunky and less responsive in comparison, there's no denying this. Genesis has a dedicated button for sliding, less delay on projectiles, magic comes out quicker, certain magic attacks are more effective, smoother jumping, you can turn around while in crouched position without standing up (later levels in the PCE version can be quite frustrating due to the lack of this ability)... as important as aesthetics are, gameplay is king, and even if the PCE did have the superior aesthetics, I'd still pick the Genny over it for that reason alone.

Again, I'm not knocking the PCE game, it's one of the more enjoyable Valis titles, to be sure. Just that it's outclassed by its Genesis counterpart, is all.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Favorite Valis game?]

Genesis version of Valis III has fewer bullshit moments in it than the ob3y, IMO (I absolutely loathe those water stages in the TG-16...) That combined with the superior aesthetics and controls cinch it for me.

The main thing that cements Valis 1's place is that it's the least flawed of any Valis. It's just an all-around solidly designed game. Might be more of a 'respect' thing than anything else, though... admittedly, I do play Valis III a lot more often. 

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: Favorite Valis game?]

Out of the ones I've played, I'd rank them as follows.

Valis 1 PCE (closest the series ever got to achieving greatness)
Valis 3 GEN (plays better and looks better than the PCE version. Some of the music sounds better, as well)
Valis 3 PCE
Valis 4 PCE (painfully average)
Valis 4 SNES
Valis 2 PCE (level design is as dull as it gets, and the bosses are a complete pushover)
Valis 2 MSX/X68K/PC-88 (unplayable. That PC-88 soundtrack is one for the ages, though)

[General Gaming / Re: Any Super Nintendo games that either don't suck or don't have cheap difficulty?]

I know this thread's supposed to be a pisstake of the Master System thread, but I'll answer it seriously anyway.

Yes, the SNES was easily the weakest of the 16-bit machines... but to say it flat out sucks is overstating it. Granted, a lot of the big name titles (and even some of the so-called "hidden gems" like Doremi Fantasy and Actraiser) are overrated tripe, but there's enough gold on the system to make it worthwhile. Even if you don't particularly care for RPGs and adventure games.

Hagane
Wild Guns
Pocky & Rocky
Sutte Hakkun
Umihara Kawase
Magical Pop'n
Ganbare Goemon 2, 3 & 4
The Violinist of Hamelin
Super Gussun Oyoyo 2
Macross: Scrambled Valkyrie
Bio Metal
Super Aleste
Chaos Seed

Notice that only one of those was an RPG. 

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Re: my pcengine top 15 platformers]

Son Son II

Ever wondered what Monster World would be like if it was arcade-length, balls difficult, and the platforming was masterful as opposed to merely passable? Then play this. Quite possibly the best PCE sidescroller period.

Maerchen Maze

Charming as hell Alice In Wonderland-inspired platformer. As enjoyable as it is, it's admittedly lacking in replay value since the difficulty doesn't really kick in until the last couple levels, and many levels end before they can reach their full potential. Nonetheless, fun while it lasts, and definitely a marked improvement over the arcade original.

Fushigi no Yume no Alice

Boring as hell Alice In Wonderland-inspired platformer. Avoid.


Also, since it wasn't on your list, I'd like to point out that Genji Tsuushin Agedama is an underrated hucard platformer that everyone should look into. Pretty tame during the earlier levels, though you'll be forced to master that evasive roll if you hope to stand a chance late in game. Interesting weapon system where you release the fire button at precise intervals to get different attacks (though once you're at max power, you're advised to just spam the lightning shower with impunity.) Highly recommended.