Scans of unreleased games

[GUTS]

Most games I've played with NEC AV on the packaging have bad graphics that suffer from lack of parallax and flickering.  Especially the lack of parallax, I don't think NEC AV even knew how to program parallax.  I felt this way a long time before I got my hands on Strider, so even though Strider probably contributed to the stigma I think it was already well supported by all their other shoddy work.

[CrackTiger]

Most games I've played with NEC AV on the packaging have bad graphics that suffer from lack of parallax and flickering.  Especially the lack of parallax, I don't think NEC AV even knew how to program parallax.  I felt this way a long time before I got my hands on Strider, so even though Strider probably contributed to the stigma I think it was already well supported by all their other shoddy work.

Still, there are people who say that NEC Ave wouldn't be able to even do a decent port or make nice graphics, when they're already responsible for some of the best.

My view is probably skewed (in their favor) by the fact that 2 of my first 3 CD games ever were Side Arms Special and Super Darius.

Some other decent games with Nec Ave on the box:

Afterburner II
Ane San
Asuka 120%
Chiki Chiki Boys
Darius Plus
Dragon Knight III
Forgotten Worlds
Hellfire S
Madou Monogatari
Monster Maker
Out Run
Puyo Puyo CD
Rainbow Islands
Son Son II
Super Darius II
Tenchi O Kurau

[Keranu]

Great Falcom info Seldane, thanks!

Afterburner II
Ane San
Asuka 120%
Chiki Chiki Boys
Darius Plus
Dragon Knight III
Forgotten Worlds
Hellfire S
Madou Monogatari
Monster Maker
Out Run
Puyo Puyo CD
Rainbow Islands
Son Son II
Super Darius II
Tenchi O Kurau

Most of those games listed rule.

[CrackTiger]

Great Falcom info Seldane, thanks!

Afterburner II
Ane San
Asuka 120%
Chiki Chiki Boys
Darius Plus
Dragon Knight III
Forgotten Worlds
Hellfire S
Madou Monogatari
Monster Maker
Out Run
Puyo Puyo CD
Rainbow Islands
Son Son II
Super Darius II
Tenchi O Kurau

Most of those games listed rule.

From what I saw list on pcecp, it looks like the good games or games with good graphics out number the bad.

[GUTS]

Well the few off that list that I've played didn't have any parallax which leads me to believe that NEC AVE was completely inept in that area, but I haven't played all of them so that's just the impression I've got over the years.  NEC AVE did make some really good games, but it seems odd that they wouldn't have learned how to harness the hardware after all those years and would still be putting out complete and utter shit like Ane San and Strider.

[Digi.k]

There's also Download I & II I'm pretty sure those are NEC Avenue games and they sure as hell got lots of nice parallax Scrolling in them.

and.... doesn't space harrier have parallax scrolling ?

[herr-g]

There's also Download I & II I'm pretty sure those are NEC Avenue games and they sure as hell got lots of nice parallax Scrolling in them.

and.... doesn't space harrier have parallax scrolling ?

Not to mention Daimakaimura, wich offers a very smooth parallax scrolling.

[Keranu]

Personally if the ingame graphics look good enough as it is, I could care less about parallax.

[CrackTiger]

I haven't played Ane San, but the graphics look very nice.

You should try Super Darius II, it makes the decent Megadrive version look like the SMS version(although the SMS version is also amazing).

Parallax is just an effect, it doesn't make good graphics. When it's used just for the sake of having it, it actually takes away from the visuals. Like Mode 7 effects in SNES games.

I don't think that the arcade game Jungle Hunt looks better than any static PC Engine game.





Take your pick.

But I believe that even the original Super Darius/Darius Plus had a seperate scrolling background.

[TurboXray]

CrackTiger,

 The video(Ys Special Collection -All About Falcom-.avi) is an hour long(730+ megs). There are quite a JDK videos and it does have other footage besides Ys inbetween - Dragon Slayer - Legend of Xanadu - PopFul Mail for MD and SFC - etc.

[Seldane]

The video(Ys Special Collection -All About Falcom-.avi) is an hour long(730+ megs).

Thievery!    That's a rip of the DVD that was included with Ys VI The Ark of Napishtim Limited Edition. 100,000 copies were made.

[TurboXray]

Thievery!

Nah, copyright infringement

[Keranu]

I dig your post, CrackTiger. Also on a side note, Jungle Hunt is a kick ass game .

That All About Falcom video is pretty cool. My friend made me a VHS copy of the laser disc version. When I get a laser disc player someday (maybe soon), I'll try looking for the cool LD version.

[CrackTiger]

Black_Tiger,

 The video(Ys Special Collection -All About Falcom-.avi) is an hour long(730+ megs). There are quite a JDK videos and it does have other footage besides Ys inbetween - Dragon Slayer - Legend of Xanadu - PopFul Mail for MD and SFC - etc.

Thanks a lot. I'll see if there is a legal way to track it down.  

[handygrafx]

as already said, the Galaxy Force II scans are from the arcade version.


some of the same scenes were used in Mega Play magazine to preview the Megadrive/Genesis version.

digital photo (not scan) of Jan-Feb 1991 Mega Play
/megaplayjanfeb91364ng.jpg


there is no way the SuperGrafx could've handled an arcade-exact port of Galaxy Force II, but going by After Burner II on the PCE, a decent conversion could've been done on the SuperGrafx.

even the more powerful X68000 could only handle ports of After Burner II and ThunderBlade that were around half as smooth as the arcade, and Galaxy Force II arcade used even more powerful hardware  (3x 68000).

would've loved to see all of Sega's highend 'super-scaler' arcade games ported to the Ironman/Tetsujin/PC-FX ^__^

[CrackTiger]

as already said, the Galaxy Force II scans are from the arcade version.


some of the same scenes were used in Mega Play magazine to preview the Megadrive/Genesis version.

digital photo (not scan) of Jan-Feb 1991 Mega Play
/megaplayjanfeb91364ng.jpg


there is no way the SuperGrafx could've handled an arcade-exact port of Galaxy Force II, but going by After Burner II on the PCE, a decent conversion could've been done on the SuperGrafx.

even the more powerful X68000 could only handle ports of After Burner II and ThunderBlade that were around half as smooth as the arcade, and Galaxy Force II arcade used even more powerful hardware  (3x 68000).

would've loved to see all of Sega's highend 'super-scaler' arcade games ported to the Ironman/Tetsujin/PC-FX ^__^

I'd love just to see the Ironman.  

[ParanoiaDragon]

To me, it seemed like NEC Avenue, was better at making original games, rather then ports.  That's what always stuck out in my mind.


Oh, as for a list of unreleased games, though I don't have a bunch of concrete sources for this list, this is what I've come up with, from various lists over the years, some were listed in old NEC & TTI flyers, like Arena 3000(or maybe it was 5000) that I can't even find anymore, but, I kept track of the games.  One I've always been obsessed with, is Riftwar Saga, which has like 3 pictures from an old EGM.  Anyways, here's the list I've compiled:

Alien vs. Predator-Action-card/cd?-TTI
Alien 3-Action-card/cd?-TTI
Arcade Card Duo
Arcade Card Pro
Arena 3000-sports?-card?-Icom
Art of Fighting-Fighting-acd-TTI
Astralius-RPG-cd-IGS
A Train 3-Train Mangament-scd-TTI
Baby Jo-Action/Crap-scd-TTI(boy, I can see the people lining up for this one!)
Barunba-Shooter-NEC
Battle Load Runner-Action-TTI
Black Hole Assault-Fighting-scd-TTI
Blood Gear-Action/RPG-scd-TTI
Bonk's Quest aka RPC Genjin-RPG-TTI
Camp California/Yo Bro-Sports Events-card/cd?-TTI(same game as Camp California.....or Yo Bro'?)
Champion's Boxing(Forever?)-Boxing-TTI
Cosmic Fantasy-RPG-cd-Working Designs(was going to be released at a lower price point)
Cosmic Fantasy 3-RPG-scd-Working Designs
Cybertwins-Action-cd-Working Designs(TTI then grabbed the rights to it, & was going to call it Shockman 2, with Working Designs supplying the voice acting)
Dangerous Dimensions(Journey)RPG--scd-TTI(?)(I have pics of it)
Die Hard-Action-TTI-I don't know if it was just the PC Engine game, or a brand new game
Discis Books-Kids-scd-TTI
Double Dragon 2-Fighting-scd-TTI
Download 2-Shooter-cd-TTI
Castlevania X-Adventure-scd-TTI
Dragon's Lair-Strategy-scd-TTI(I have know idea, if this even hit any production)
Dragon Slayer: Legend of Heroes 2-RPG-scd-TTI
Dynasty Wars-Action-scd-TTI
Exile 3-Action/RPG-scd?-Working Designs(only in the talking stage, I doubt it ever got any development)
Fantasy Star Soldier-Shooter-scd-TTI
Fatal Fury 2-Fighting-acd-TTI
Fatal Fury Special-Fighting-acd-TTI
Far East of Eden 2-RPG-scd-TTI
Final Soldier-Shooter-TTI
F-1 Circus-Racing-TTI
Gain Ground SX-Action/Strategy-scd-TTI
Gao-card/cd?-TTI
Gekisya Boy(Photograph Boy maybe?)-card/cd-TTI
Genocide-Action-scd-TTI
Gradius-Shooter-Konami
Gradius 2-Shooter-TTI
Horror Story-Action-scd-TTI
Human Sports Festival-Tennis/Soccer/Golf-scd-TTI
Image Fight 2-Shooter-scd-TTI
Jim Power-Action-scd-TTI(Wooh, another award winner, better then Baby Jo, good music)
Keith Courage 2-Action-NEC(nothing ever came of this game but I do have a Turbo Play where they claim it was in production, might've been refering to Granzort, which is a completely different anime the Wataru)
King of the Monsters 2-Fighting-acd(originally a scd)-Working Designs
Lady Phantom-Strategy-scd-TTI
Macross 2036-Shooter-scd-TTI(finished, but had some glitches in it, but will we ever find a translated version of it, someday I hope)
Macross Eternal Love Song-War Sim-scd-TTI
Mad Stalker-Fighting-acd-TTI(what Genocide should have been!)
Marble Madness-Action/Strategy-Tengen
Millitary Madness 2-Strategy-scd-TTI
Mystic Formula-Action-scd-TTI
Neutopia 3-RPG-cartridge/cd?-TTI
Nexzar-Shooter-scd-TTI
Ninja Warriors-Action-TTI
Parodius-Shooter-Konami
Paradroid-Shooter(?)-TTI/NEC?
Peter Packrat-puzzle-card-Tengen
Photograph Boy-action-TTI
Pit Fighter-Fighting-cd-Tengen
Populous-Sim-cd-NEC
Power Gold 2-Golf-scd-TTI
Power Tennis-Tennis-TTI
Predator-Action-card/cd?-TTI
Psychic Storm-Shooter-scd-TTI
Ranma 1/2-Fighting-scd-TTI
Rastan Saga 2-Action-NEC
Rayxanber 3-Shooter-scd-TTI
RBI Baseball 3-Baseball-Tengen
Record of Lodoss War-RPG-cd-TTI
Riftwar Saga-Action/Adventure/RPG(?)Kid's Creation(or something like that, I have 2 or 3 pics of the game)
R-Type Complete-Shooter-scd-TTI
Salamander-Shooter-Konami
SCI-Action/Racing-NEC
Sherlock Holmes 3-Digital Comic/Strategy-scd-TTI(my friend Bill's dad worked at Icom & he told me about some of the filming being done for this project)
Snatcher-Digital Comic-scd-Konami or TTI(I can't remember)
Spriggan-Shooter-cd-NEC/TTI/Working Designs all attempted to release it
Street Fighter 2(aka Fighting Street 2)-Fighting-TTI
Strider-Action-acd-TTI
Super World War-Strategy-cd-NEC
Super Darius-Shooter-cd-TTI
Super Darius 2-Shooter-scd-TTI
Super Swarzchild-War Sim-scd-TTI
Tecmo World Cup-Soccer-scd-TTI
Tennis Cup(Davis Cup?)-Tennis-TTI
Terminator-Action?-card/cd?-TTI
TV Sports Baseball-Baseball-NEC/TTI
TV Sports Boxing-Boxing-NEC
TV Sports Series-Football/Basketball/Hockey/Baseball-scd-TTI
Twin Bee-Shooter-Konami
Wizardry 1 & 2-RPG-cd-TTI
World Class Baseball 2(Power League 4)-Baseball-TTI
World Heroes-scd-Fighting-Working Designs
World Heroes 2-Fighting-acd-TTI
Xak 1 & 2-RPG-scd-TTI
Ys 4: The Dawn of Ys-scd-TTI

On the games based on movies, I can't remember if it was NEC, or TTI, but I'm inclined to say TTI.  It was in an old EGM of mine, that would take forever to find.

There were also some unanounced Disney games in the works supposedly

Also, there were several fighting games in the works for card, cd, & scd according to an old Turbo Play

I'm sure there's a grip more, that I just couldn't find any info on.  Someday, I will find all the old letters I got from NEC, & TTI(before I met my friend that worked their).

You can ask me about any of these games, & I'll tell you what I know......if anything.  I also have a load of pics up(on the Hudson boards) for some of these from old mag's.

[CrackTiger]

The problem with so-called unreleased U.S. titles that appeared in Japan, is that NEC and TTI just threw out any PC Engine name they could think of, when with most they either had no intention of seriously pursuing them or knew that they could never get them.

It was an excuse to show lots of cool PCE games at trade shows to prove their system could do cool stuff, while they continued to bring over the cheapest/easiest to aquire/localize games.

Like that promo video with footage of dozens of PCE games to prove that they outnumbered the competition worldwide, -and could theoretically flood the U.S. market with tons of games if they chose(but they were only going to bring out the very best titles).  

I don't conside 99% of unreleased TTI titles to be legit, unlike Working Designs' Cosmic 3 or even their Neo Geo ports.

[Odonadon]

It was an excuse to show lots of cool PCE games at trade shows to prove their system could do cool stuff, while they continued to bring over the cheapest/easiest to aquire/localize games.

Of course, they were banking on that when people saw these games they would pick up the system, and increase it's popularity.  Then, they would have the money to bring the bigger games over.

This never happened

OD

[ParanoiaDragon]

Yeah, I've tried asking over at the Hudson boards, to see if anyone has any info, but Dementia hasn't gotten back to me yet, & ofcoarse, he said that alot of those, most, if not all, won't have any info on those.  Still, I know some of those had SOME development.  Since I had a few connections.  I remember, an old friend of mine, had a friend, whose dad was working on some kind of hack n' slash for the Turbo.  And my friend got to play it, but, it was never completed, but he said it was really cool.  I wonder if maybe that was Riftwar Saga.  I should've dug out my mag's, to see if the pics I have looked familliar to him.

[CrackTiger]

Yeah, I've tried asking over at the Hudson boards, to see if anyone has any info, but Dementia hasn't gotten back to me yet, & ofcoarse, he said that alot of those, most, if not all, won't have any info on those.  Still, I know some of those had SOME development.  Since I had a few connections.  I remember, an old friend of mine, had a friend, whose dad was working on some kind of hack n' slash for the Turbo.  And my friend got to play it, but, it was never completed, but he said it was really cool.  I wonder if maybe that was Riftwar Saga.  I should've dug out my mag's, to see if the pics I have looked familliar to him.

I remember people saying a few times over the years, that Konami never let anyone else put out their games, so TTI never could've gotten Snatcher or Gradius II or any other of the Konami games they either directly or indirectly said were coming over here.

As for Hudson deciding what Americans would like, we still got some pretty weird stuff while a bunch of Hudson and other brand games perfectly suited for N.A. never got here.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Well, I don't know how true it is, about Konami not letting others release games over here, but supposedly Konami was contemplating releasing games over here themselves.  Don't know how true that is either.

[ccovell]

Dredging up an old (but always interesting) topic:

I made up a list of unreleased or otherwise modified PCE games by comparing release lists from magazines at different times in 1990/1991.  Please take a look here: https://www.chrismcovell.com/unreleased_pce.html

Corrections / Discussions are welcome.

[Thibaut]

Very nice Chris !!
Thanks for translations about the Strider SGX project.

[herr-g]

Chris, Very good work. You forgot the unreleased Missile Fighter.

@Thibaut: What about your PCE Unreleased Book? I can't wait to see what you guys are preparing for years. 

[Thibaut]

The project Missile Fighter start in 1993.
Our PCE book will arrive soon, just a little patience.
I will post a topic when the book is ready.

[esteban]

Dredging up an old (but always interesting) topic:

I made up a list of unreleased or otherwise modified PCE games by comparing release lists from magazines at different times in 1990/1991.  Please take a look here: https://www.chrismcovell.com/unreleased_pce.html

Corrections / Discussions are welcome.

Chris, that's a wonderful resource. The color-coding was a nice touch as well.