Over rated, under appreciated?

[PCEngineHell]

Yea I wouldn't go to say that Ninja Spirit is easy. Its def beatable,but also its graphics and play hold up really well. There isn't anything wrong with the game. Any hype I tend to read about it holds up true for me in my own personal experiences with the game.

[SignOfZeta]

As for Conan Future Boy, I have had the chance to buy this game and never have because....well I don't want to buy crap and I know nothing about this game, so without changing the subject...can someone who has played this game tell me if it is good or not?

This is what I wrote on PCEdaisakusen:

"Extremely authentic for fans of the TV series or just Miyazaki stuff in general. Merely average though if rated against other platform games. Lots of quality cinemas and music (since most were taken from the anime)."

Its really weird to see a guy say that Kaze Kiri isn't that great, but promotes Conan. I really love the TV show, and I'm glad that a game based on it is at least playable (anime games back then were almost all shit-tastic) but its really not that good. As far as anime based games go, Yamato, Blue Blink, and both the Macross games are much better from a purely "game" perspective.

As for the under/over thing...that depends on who you listen to, but I think that the general perception of Drac X is right on. Its very very good, and better, honestly, than any PCE title except maybe Tengai II, Kabuki, and Y's 1&2.

Overrated:

Sapphire. No question. Its really cool and all, but its barely a top 5 shooter on PCE, IMO, and I'm not even sure that it isn't just outside the top 5.

Cosmic Fantasy 2: A nice story, very enduring, but a really really terrible RPG regardless of it being the US, or JP version.

Any US release. Anyone who pays $100 for the "English" version of a game that has 8 words in it when the JP version, with massivly superior cover art, can be had for $6 is just a fucking tool. I don't know what's wrong with these people. Get thee to a nunnery or some shit. WTF...

Underrated:

Fray CD: Xak Gaiden. Its funny, cute, good graphics, lots of action.

Burning Angles: On one hand its pretty generic considering how many shooters are on PCE, but I personally like it.

Aero Blasters: This thing is so solid! And cheap! Too hard though.

Bazaaru de Gozaaru no Game de Gozaaru: Underrated because nobody ever talks about it. Obviously some people talk about it because its hella expensive.

Hana Taka Daka!?: Cool traditional Japanese mythology based shooter...or is it? Very pretty.

[nat]

I thought Ninja Spirit was easy. The only slightly difficult part was after the final cave finding the right path to fall without getting hit.

Also, there is some nasty flicker on a couple bosses. Although Michael's right, it's a great game.

Now try beating it on ARCADE mode, and that's another story.

[Sinistron]

It's all about the dynamite sticks.  Later boards and bosses you just run through with it.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Me wonders, if the game was made a year or 2 later, if any of that flicker would be there.  Oh, & I deffinitly love everything about Dragon Saber over Dragon Spirit.

[termis]

Ninja Spirit Rules.  Though I do agree that the only *real* hard part was the pit with the Ninjas coming out -- and even that's not too bad once you figure out where you need to be.  I do confess that I haven't beat it on the arcade mode, though.

Anyway, a thread like this is bound to cause division.  But as for myself...

Overrated
- Gates of Thunder: It was good (especially the music tracks), but I never thought this one was great compared to some other shooters on the PCE/TG or the shooters on systems of that era.
- Bonk series: Never played III, but I tried I & II, and could never really get in to it.

Underrated
- Vigilante: Lot of people seem to write this one off, but I really enjoy the simple, beat-the-shit-out-'em action of this one.
- Ys III: Granted, it wasn't as good as I/II, but it was still _good_ IMO, and a lot of people seem to disagree with me on that point.
- Blood Gear: This is a friggin GREAT action RPG game.  I dunno why this isn't as popular as some of the other action RPGs on the PCE.
- Kato-chan & Ken-chan: Seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it game.  As for me, I love that toilet humor.

[Seldane]

Overrated:
(The Ys 1 part of) Ys 1-2 - most people like this almost entirely because of nostalgia, it seems - and they fail to realize that this game is COMPLETELY broken because they haven't played a real Ys 1. The new, not at all thought out level system ruins the gameplay completely. All other versions of Ys 1 are very well planned and fine-tuned games - you're always "supposed" to be at a certain level in order to beat a boss or a part of a dungeon - it will be challenging, but not impossible. But in this game, it's always either too easy or too hard (mostly too easy) since you level up all the time. In fact, you can (and probably will) be completely IMMUNE towards the bosses (and enemies) because of this. In the real Ys 1, you're supposed to be at level 10 on the third boss, and it will be really hard to beat. You cannot level up more to make it easier either. You will stay at level 10 for the remainder of the game, and so the later bosses will be challenging as well. I also think the soundtrack is bad, but that's just an opinion and not a fact, unlike the previous things I said. All I know is that I don't want to hear a GUITAR SOLO every two minutes when I'm walking around for hours in a mysterious, lonely tower.

Since this isn't an RPG, you're not supposed to be able to level up as much as you want - Falcom had a plan with this game. And they made it that way. Alfa System didn't understand this, and destroyed it.

Since everybody will disagree with me (without any arguments), all I can say is - play a real Ys 1 (pick ANY version!) and feel the balance!

Deep Blue - some people consider this playable. They shouldn't. As long as ANYBODY finds REMOTE enjoyment in this game, it's overrated. This game is likely the worst shooter ever made.

[NecroPhile]

Since everybody will disagree with me (without any arguments), all I can say is - play a real Ys 1 (pick ANY version!) and feel the balance!

I heartily disagree, and here's why: unless you spend an inordinate amount of time wondering around and killing enemies, you won't be immune to enemy attacks.  Gaining a single level won't ever change the game from being 'too hard' to being 'too easy'.  It sounds like the only reason that you dislike the PCE version is almost entirely due to nostalgia - nostalgia for one of the other versions.  If something as simple as the change to the leveling system could 'break' the game, then you must not like it much to begin with; how can an easy game equate to a broken and ruined game?

Deep Blue - some people consider this playable. They shouldn't. As long as ANYBODY finds REMOTE enjoyment in this game, it's overrated. This game is likely the worst shooter ever made.

It's completely playable (looks nice too), and it's not the worst ever shmup, but it is the worst one on the Turbo.

[Keranu]

Don't waste your time debating with Seldane, I've tried numerous times . If he wants to play his slow ass versions of Ys, he's more than welcome. ;)

[Seldane]

Nope, I like every version of Ys 1 except the PCE one. I even think the fucking DOS version is better. And no, I do not spend time killing monsters. Normal gameplay = overleveled Adol. And the PCE version is as slow as the others (except from the super speedy Saturn and PC-Windows versions).

[nat]

I have the Apple IIGS version but I've never really played into it so I can't compare. Maybe I ought to do that someday. I don't use my poor IIGS much anymore, though.

Underrated
- Vigilante: Lot of people seem to write this one off, but I really enjoy the simple, beat-the-shit-out-'em action of this one.
- Ys III: Granted, it wasn't as good as I/II, but it was still _good_ IMO, and a lot of people seem to disagree with me on that point.

I agree 101% here.... Vigilante rocks and I personally love Ys III more than the other entries.

[rag-time4]

From the games I own-
I'd say

UNDERRATED:
Image Fight
     Everytime I play this it screams "classic" to me.  Yeah- it's hard.  But I can't beat R-type either.

Image Fight's gameplay is truly classic! I totally love the difficulty level of this game... it feels so perfectly balanced. Usually when I get killed it's because of a minor mistake, so I always feel that I could do better.

The game really keeps you on your toes, and the red pods add such a great feel to the gameplay it's almost indescribable.

If ever there was a shooter that really put the players concentration, reflexes, and memorization/execution skills to the test, without including unneccessary eye/ear candy to distract the player's attention away from the otherwise bland gameplay found in so many other shooters.... Image Fight is it.

It's all about the overall experience.... Image Fight's graphics, music, and sound are to me solid, but unspectacular. I feel the gameplay, however, is spectacular.

[nat]

The graphics are very dated. Definitely on the poorer side of the console's library. Some areas look better than others. I always wrote the game off in the past because of this until I actually picked up a copy recently. The gameplay makes up for any visual shortcomings.

[ParanoiaDragon]

I've beaten the Saturn & Eternal versions of Ys 1, & I still deffinitly prefer the Turbo one.  But, I can understand what you're saying.

[rolins]

@FM-77

I don't get it, why is the Turbo port slow to you?  If you play the MSX port the game is unbelievable slow b/c of the crappy scrolling. It's one of the reasons I can't stand to play Final Fantasy and XAK on the MSX. However, we agree on one thing, the Turbo's music wasn't the best. I really think the PC-8801 soundtrack had the best overall.

[Keranu]

They had Final Fantasy on MSX?

[rolins]

They had Final Fantasy on MSX?

Yeah, it was ported by Microcabin, the same guys known for their XAK series. FF on the msx2 took advantage of the brighter color palette and FM sound, making it look and sound better than its FC/Nes counterpart. It's drawn back were the loading times when you enter town, goto the menu, exit the menu. There was always this 3 sec wait, really dumbed down the flow the game.

[Sinistron]

Underrated
- Vigilante: Lot of people seem to write this one off, but I really enjoy the simple, beat-the-shit-out-'em action of this one.

I've got to agree on this.  Especially when friends are over- there's nothing that gets me cackling harder than seeing them think they're breezing through the game when all of a sudden they start getting cracked in the face with a chain.  Hilarious.  A bit of a classic as well.