Retro Gaming - The Bear and Badger

Moot_Geeza

The Official Saturn mag did a good job of covering Japanese only releases. I suppose they had to find something to fill the pages at the end, but there was genuine fandom on display. I very nearly got the 60hz switch they championed (pretty odd in itself for an official magazine), but I held out for a Dreamcast. Grandia was the one I nearly pushed the boat out for, but I can think of five other import only games I would've been very interested in.

davyK

I have a few import Dreamcast games that didn't get an EU release besides Cosmic Smash.

Typing of the Dead - US version recommended (!!)
Sports Jam - mini game compilation with sporting theme and slick Sega arcade presentation.
Sega Tetris - another Naomi port - sparkly and quirky take on Tetris. Arcade so rock hard. Has a very odd attack system but its entertaining. There's even a 2 vs 2 battle mode if you have the super rare link cable. (I don't)
Tetris 4D - very early bare bones game (not even game save support) but it has a 4 player battle mode. For collectors only.

optimark_prime

I also own Typing of the Dead and Sports Jam.

I’ve got Densha de Go 2, Cool Cool Toon, Seaman, Samba de Amigo 2000, L. O. L. and Segagaga too.

optimark_prime

Oh, and Space Channel 5 part 2.

davyK

Nice.

I've the JP version of PenPen as the PAL version is 50Hz. Also have the US version of Hydro Thunder for the same reason. They didn't play with the VGA hookup either as far as I remember.

The Cosmic Smash packaging is lovely but also annoying as it doesn't fit on the shelf with the other DC games.

Smang

yeah high price might as well be rare for me

in other news just got a copy of Bomberman for the saturn and two of those saturn repro pads, time dig out the multi tap and get angry at some friends!

davyK

ooooooohh Saturn Bomberman.

Still to be surpassed in my mind. That couldn't have been cheap.

Eric

Hey Smang I have a copied version of Cosmic Smash in a repo box that Mark very kindly sent on to me a while back ( thanks again Mark!) In the interim I managed to get myself a proper copy so if you're just after the game I'll send it through for free if you pm me your details. I'm out of the country with work at the moment though so you'll have to wait until next Friday for me to send.

Smang

davyK wrote:

ooooooohh Saturn Bomberman. Still to be surpassed in my mind. That couldn't have been cheap.

about £25. JP version seems to go for a lot less than EU/USA.

just gonna have to have my translation sheet with me haha.

davyK

Ah - the JP version. Fair enough. I think the US version is pricey now too. I'm lucky enough to have the PAL version which I bought at a sensible price before things went nuts. I can play it at 60Hz using my AR cartridge.

You will need a translation sheet - esp. for battle mode - lots of menus and options. I could take some screenshots for you if that will help.

Smang

davyK wrote:

Ah - the JP version. Fair enough. I'm lucky enough to have the PAL version. I can play it at 60Hz using my AR cartridge. You will need a translation sheet - esp. for battle mode - lots of menus and options. I could take some screenshots for you if that will help.

yeah the PAL one is like £100 minimum. I'm also a sucker for JP box art

i would love some screen man, that'd be ace!

Am I right in thinking there's a secret character that only unlocks if you use a special control pad?
i've also got this i need to dig out of storage...

davyK

There's a Hudson controller that matches that (gorgeous) multi-tap. Using it unlocks another character from what I hear.

I'll do a few screenshots later and post them for you. I'm always on the lookout for menu/option translation screens myself even though I try and stay away from JP games with lots of menus and options. Not always possible.

davyK

Bomberman screens FAO @Smang

Main title

davyK

Options

davyK

Battle Mode select screens

davyK

davyK

Smang

haha there's a lot of options!

thanks so very much G, you legend.

davyK

If you see another screen you need a translation of let me know.

(I'm not g.man btw - same age though)

Moot_Geeza

G means Gangsta.

davyK

GNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN....

davyK

US copy of N64 New Tetris arrived today. |One of my favourites from back in the day mainly because of the excellent Voss soundtrack. I have it PAL CIB but I'm starting to upgrade my PAL collection by getting some US games cart only which is cost effective. Looks and plays a fair bit better at 60Hz with RGB-CRT.

davyK

Replayed all my NTSC N64 games on my new big CRT yesterday with my RGB modded console. It has caused me to re-evaluate the N64. Some of the games look ropey in places (for example there's a night time city track on Waverace which is rather ramshackle and hardly hangs together visually) but mostly the games look gorgeous. Even factoring in my love of older graphics the console under the right conditions has actually aged rather gracefully. It is criminal that this console didn't come with RGB SCART support.

It really does take a good CRT though - I can't imagine using an upscaler on a modern TV is going to look as good, never mind better.

The biggest surprise was MK64 which has always been at the uglier end of the spectrum in my eyes. It being an early release with a butchered PAL port I never spent a lot of time with it. But I played a few cups yesterday and setting some lazy track design aside, I was really enjoying myself.

Highlight of yesterday was Sin & Punishment which looks superb and the biggest surprise is how good Yoshi's Story looks. Some of the levels look almost HD quality. A bit blurry on the Yoshi animation but it's such a pity that these games were hampered with the video circuitry.

retroking1981

Love the N64.

Still currently trying to get my mojo back on F-Zero X.

davyK

Shit ghetto recording of me (reflected in the CRT) beating level 1 of Fire Electric Pen on N64

Just because.

Toughest game I have ever played. Tests how dependable your analogue stick is. Level 3 has been my best performance so far. Level 1 is a basic tutorial level and even that took me several hours to beat. The later levels are insane - the amount of moving objects steps up and really narrow gaps are introduced with crippling time limits that push you on. The last two levels have boss sections that have to be seen to be believed. Must post recordings of me attempting them.

Playing normally if you hit the side once it's game over.

There is a practice mode that gives you 3 lives but you can't record times. Beating the game in that mode would be an achievement never mind recording times. It's a licenced game based on a JP-side game show. I am led to believe there was a competition requiring you to post your total time on all 6 levels.

Moot_Geeza

I'd enjoy that. Anything where you guide things around the stages without falling off/touching the sides gets a thumbs up from me.

retroking1981

Yeah, I have a strange urge to play that.

davyK

There's a guy running it on twitch. Glad to see it get some recognition.

Kara_Jane_Adams

Today I am happy.

Moot_Geeza

Doesn't actually look terrible for the time, maybe somewhere between Blam! Machinehead, Amok and Scorcher.

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