Ordyne vs. Sidearms, let's end this argument

[majors]

Last week at MGC TurboFan and I got into it over the merits of Sidearms as new TG-16 owner was looking some US Hu's at Mad-Gear's table. He had Blazing and Bonk, but I suggested (and gave him money!) to buy Sidearms. T'Fan took offense to my suggestion, saying that Sidearms is no good. I will agree that SA is less of a game than any Soldier, but it's no stinker. It was compaired to Ordyne, which I feel is weak sauce...not worthy to stay in my collection.

My thoughts:
Sidearms was in a local arcade in my youth, and I played it every time I visited. Was able to make it to stage 5 on a token and that made me feel good. It's a Capcom game that has robots, multi weapons, upgrades...and you transform(merge). It moves hori and vert, cool looking backgounds and I enjoy the sound effects

Ordyne has flat graphics, I never played it in the arcade...all I have played is the Hu so maybe the PCB is better. I'd rather play Fantasy Zone, or better yet Parodius for a cute shooter. Power ups/shop items were forgetable...enemy patterns did not do it for me. Ship is too big, also.

So, what is the consensus from the PCEFX folks?

[SuperDeadite]

Skip both and buy Sidearms Special

[Tatsujin]

Sidearms pce [----------------lx--------------] Sidearms arcade

Ordine pce [----------------l--------------x] ordine arcade

[TurboXray]

Side Arms, easily. Ordine's OK as a game, but it is kind of a weak shmup (pce port). The arcade versions has a lot of nice visual appeal that was completely lost on the PCE port.

[BlueBMW]

We didnt directly say that ordyne was better... we mostly said that final lap twin would have been a better choice!

So the thread should be titled... which is better sidearms or final lap twin if you were stuck on a desert island with just a tv and turbo

[PunkCryborg]

Skip both and get barunba

[Arkhan Asylum]

skip them all and buy China Warrior.

[Tatsujin]

skip even that and buy energy or deep blue

[Arkhan Asylum]

Buy all 3 for < side arms or ordyne price!

[majors]

So the thread should be titled... which is better sidearms or final lap twin

We did have a short talk on FLT while in the dealers room, but it evolved into the Sidearms/Ordyne disscussion.

I personally did not feel Final Lap twin would be a good shoice for the new TG-16 owner. There was a Legendary Axe on the block, and in hindsight it would have been the better choice(I might have been pretty well lit). But I maintain, Sidearms is better than Ordyne and FLT. I own(ed) all of them and play them

Random TG-16 dude got CIB US Side Arms for $5...he can flip later if he feels it's trash.

[CrackTiger]

Especially for a new Turbo player, Side Arms is the way to go. It's a nice tech demo for the TG-16 that is only bottlenecked by the arcade original. It's high res with beautiful shading and color, great designs and a nice stereo soundtrack.

[nectarsis]

Especially for a new Turbo player, Side Arms is the way to go. It's a nice tech demo for the TG-16 that is only bottlenecked by the arcade original. It's high res with beautiful shading and color, great designs and a nice stereo soundtrack.

Pretty much this (or the above mentioned FLT/Legendary Axe).   (Sorry Josh) but I have never been an Ordyne fan...hell I find Legion (a little), and of course Deep Blue (much) more enjoyable.

[jlued686]

No disrespect, but I can't believe this was an argument. Side Arms all the way.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Ordyne is like the autistic child of Lords of Thunder and Fantasy Zone.

or something.

[JoshTurboTrollX]

SideArms!

Who is turbofan?

[SignOfZeta]

Ordyne is read great, IMO. Since the game is almost non-existent in US arcades and it lacks a serious "macho" theme people dismiss it, but I quite like it and always have. My brother got it free as the "mystery game" with his heavily discounted TG-16, and although we didn't even know what it was we had a lot of fun with it.

[jlued686]

Yeah, I like Ordyne. But, IMO, Side Arms is way better.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

I'd definitely rather play Sidearms, but take S.D.'s advice and get Sidearms Special for B.C. mode .  Ordyne is okay (get both!), but it's comparatively slow and kinda clunky.

[Arkhan Asylum]

My problem with Ordyne is it's slow, and boring mostly.

If the whole game moved like 50% faster, I'd like it more I bet.

[VestCunt]

I've never fallen in love with either game, but I prefer Ordyne, especially with its two-player option.

[T2KFreeker]

Gotta go with Sidearms. Nice game for the Turbo. Sadly, it is missing the two player mode from the arcade game. Still, very cool shooter. I do however, like Ordyne. Both games are cool.

Pick Energy though. 

[JoshTurboTrollX]

there should be a little bit of clarity here.  Here is the backstory to the issue:

Guy walks into MGC and has NEVER played a turbografx before.  He decides after playing some turbo at TURBOFEST that he must own a TG16.  He goes to the vendor area and buys the turbo.  He then walks over to madgear's section and looks at buying a couple TurboChips to take home and fully experience turbo for the first time.

Majors walks over and says 'Oh, I'm the king hippo of turbografx games, I'll help you pick out some games!!'  Elated at the news that a turbo veteran would help him pick out some of the best games ever, Guy says 'Cool, thank you.  What should I purchase?'

Majors starts going through some of the less expensive games to start with.  He tells Guy to buy Side Arms instead of Legendary Axe or Final Lap Twin.  (Guy was thinking of buying one or two games)  When I overheard Tony suggest Side Arms over LA or FLT, I jumped to the rescue.

I argued that Side Arms, while an ok shootie, wasn't the 'turbo' experience that a kid that was playing the turbo at home for the first time.  Besides there was another vendor 15 feet away that had Bonk's Adventure for $10.  I suggested that the guy pick up Legendary Axe and Bonk.  Majors said that Side Arms was the perfect choice.  I thought, and still do, that Side Arms is just an ok game, and in no way should be considered an A-List title that you would introduce to a nooby turbo fan.  So he wound up listening to Majors and went home with Side Arms.  Didn't pick up Legendary Axe or FLT or even Bonk's Adventure.  Luckily for him Carlton also said he had a loosey Blazing Lazers that he sold him cheap, so Guy wasn't unlucky enough to go home with JUST Side Arms.

I may have suggested that the guy will pop in Side Arms, then 10 minutes later slap that package on eBay that same night, and he would be better off with Ordyne.

Fucking Side Arms.....

Majors, you're lucky we're not SegaNerds cause this type of argument could ruin a friendship 

[Arkhan Asylum]

I would have suggested China Warrior and Keith Courage

you guys suck at suggestions.

[jlued686]

Side Arms over Bonk? To me, THAT'S fucking madness!

[Arkhan Asylum]

OFIJOISFjosijfsdfj

i misread jlued

[BigusSchmuck]

If this was a PCE argument, I would pick Atomic Robokid Special. Seeing how its not, both are good in my eyes.

[OldRover]

Sidearms looks better, plays better, sounds better... is better. By leaps and bounds.

[A_Locomotive]

I'd personally pick ordyne, I like its pace and its looks. Sidearms difficulty spikes in difficulty take a lot of the fun out of it for me.

[majors]

Who is turbofan?

there should be a little bit of clarity here.  Here is the backstory to the issue:

my bad, I ment TurboStar...

Yes, Bonk over SideArms but the dealer we were at did not have Bonk. To tell the truth, I though T'Star took care of that when he took the new TG owner to the other dealer with Bonk for sale. This thread is for specificly SideArms vs Ordyne. The merits and flaws, a discussion. I doubt anyone will change my mind, I kind just wanted to see if I was crazy since 'Star and Blue thought I was. At least I'm gonna get his PCB of SideArms once I find a single slot Neo MVS for him  

As for Legendary Axe, I though it might be to decisive...some hate it or love it (I love it, but we have a thread for that already).

I may have suggested that the guy will pop in Side Arms, then 10 minutes later slap that package on eBay that same night, and he would be better off with Ordyne.

I'm fine with that, at least he tried it. I put my money where my mouth was, I stand by it. Of course we plugged PCEFX, let's see if he joins and has a handle of "SideArmSucks" or "HyperDyneLuv"

And, yes we are not NES/Sega fanboys so we can have a conversation instead of all boarding the hate train. "King Hippo"?...more like King Natas! I love talking with TG owners looking for games, everyone likes to express their opinions especially if people actually listen!

[_Paul]

Sidearms has a great arcade-like feel to it, but is far more annoying that Ordyne which has a slower pace that I find more fun.

[Keranu]

Personally I'd take Ordyne over Sidearms any day of the week. Never really got into Sidearms.

[SignOfZeta]

I would have suggested China Warrior and Keith Courage

you guys suck at suggestions.

I might actually agree with you half way here. While China Warrior is total shit and no fun at all, it would be a good tech demo to a noob. It would show him a bit of what the system can do.

Fuck Kieth Courage though. If you are going to play something from the Automatic Hudson Platform Game Generator  (I swear there must have been such a thing) there are better choices.

I would agree that Side Arms isn't the best choice. Its rather middle tier, IMHO, and doesn't have much personality.  Bonk, Ninja Spirit, Final Lap Twin, there are better choices.

[jperryss]

My opinion: Ordyne is easy pick-up-and-play fun, with mediocre presentation. Side Arms looks and plays great, but the game beats the snot out of me every time and I can't enjoy it because I'm terrible at it.

[T2KFreeker]

My opinion: Ordyne is easy pick-up-and-play fun, with mediocre presentation. Side Arms looks and plays great, but the game beats the snot out of me every time and I can't enjoy it because I'm terrible at it.

Play it and get better at it.  Just saying.

[CrackTiger]

I would have suggested China Warrior and Keith Courage

you guys suck at suggestions.

I might actually agree with you half way here. While China Warrior is total shit and no fun at all, it would be a good tech demo to a noob. It would show him a bit of what the system can do.

Fuck Kieth Courage though. If you are going to play something from the Automatic Hudson Platform Game Generator  (I swear there must have been such a thing) there are better choices.

I would agree that Side Arms isn't the best choice. Its rather middle tier, IMHO, and doesn't have much personality.  Bonk, Ninja Spirit, Final Lap Twin, there are better choices.

Keith Courage is still a better and in general good tech demo for arcade quality shading and color as well as Turbochip sound. It also isn't really a game that ever needs to be chosen over anything since it's so cheap and common. As a Turbo player I was never impressed by China Warrior, but earlier as a Genesis player Keith Courage really wowed me and has remained impressive to this day. Worth buying and playing for the gun head enemy alone.

[SignOfZeta]

Hmm...I was never impressed with Kieth Courage in any way shape or form. Ever. I like guy with a gun for a head, sure, but that isn't enough. The bland gameplay, the sucky ass sound effects (sword swinging sound...wtf?).

[BlueBMW]

It should be noted that thr mystery turbo noob also got a copy of blazing lazers so no need to fear of turbo disappointment on his behalf... sidearms or not.

[Lilgrafx]

As long as he plays Blazing Lazers first I'm sure he'll be okay. BL was the first game I bought and I love popping it in every once in a while.

[ccovell]

Sidearms is one of the fastest-paced games ever for the Turbo, up there with Override on the PCE.  I'm convinced that the game, like SonSon 2, was secretly (in part or wholly) programmed by Capcom and handed to NEC AV for release.  Music rocks more than the shitty arcade tunes and even more than the CD ver.

A great introduction to simple shooters, if not totally representative of the "Turbo" experience like Bonk and others are.

[OldRover]

...why NEC AV? It's credited as Radiance Software... am I missing something?

[nat]

Yeah, I didn't think NEC Ave had anything to do with Sidearms.

That said, I'm totally in majors' court on this. If I was new to the console and played Ordyne as one of my first two games, I'd throw the whole fucking operation straight up on eBay.

[CrackTiger]

Radiance Software is the publisher of the American version, who graced us with the ring wearing cosmic astronaut.

Nec Ave made/published the PCE versions.

[Tatsujin]

My problem with ordyne is the BIG downgrade from its arcade pendant. so I much more enjoy it playing on my namco museum than on the pce.

Whilst sidearms was a great port at that time and came very close to the arcade feeling.

[nat]

I mostly agree with this, Ordyne on the Turbo is a really poor port.

[motdelbourt]

Obviously SideArms. What the hell is an Ordyne.

[CrackTiger]

Hmm...I was never impressed with Kieth Courage in any way shape or form. Ever. I like guy with a gun for a head, sure, but that isn't enough. The bland gameplay, the sucky ass sound effects (sword swinging sound...wtf?).

The Alpha Zones sword swing sound effect is one of my favorite video game sound effects of all time.

[Joe Redifer]

I agree.  I love the sound effects in Keith Courage.  They're not realistic but they sound awesome.  As a game it's mediocre at best, but there are definitely elements I love about it.

Side Arms on the Turbo is better than Ordyne on the Turbo, but I don't consider either a "must have".  I did an arrangement of the first level theme of Ordyne several years ago because I liked the music, but not because I particularly liked Oryne (though the arcade isn't awful).  I never released it anywhere.

[DesmondThe3rd]

I always thought Ordyne was kinda underrated. First off it's one of the few two player shooters on system and there was a decent amount of enemies, power ups, and bonuses. Side Arms is cool too but the difficulty feels a bit unbalanced at times.

[thesteve]

sapphire is 2 player as well

[T2KFreeker]

sapphire is 2 player as well

Hell yeah! Sadly though, I doubt you are going to find Sapphire at the same price as Ordyne or Sidearms. Not to mention the necessity of the Arcade card to boot! Still a bad ass game though and is indeed two player!