Retro Gaming - The Bear and Badger

davyK

The N64 got 2 versions BAM2:Arcade Edition and BAM3Dx.

BAM3 (aka Puzzle Bobble 64 in JP and it has another name in US - BAM '99 - can't remember) is the one with 4 player - however the graphics are tiny and the actual play area is pretty small - it uses a high def (!) mode for it. You would need to be playing on a pretty big display.

40134-Puzzle_Bobble_64_(Japan)-1490357099.jpg

40134-Puzzle_Bobble_64_(Japan)-1490357099.jpg

BAM 3 also has a challenge mode and a level editor.

The branching map was introduced in BAM2. The original game just has a sequence of levels to play through - so that's what you get on SNES etc. as they only got the original game as far as I know.

BAM2 on N64 has a time trial mode which seems to be exclusive...The Saturn version doesn't have it anyhow. The Saturn version has a level editor though which the N64 version doesn't have.

Not sure about the PS1 version of 2 or 3 -never played those.

BAM4 introduced the pulley system - not sure if you want to go that far re ROMs though. It was on PS1 - I returned it back when you could do such a thing as it was a load time ridden mess making it unplayable. It's quite nice on Dreamcast though. If you are emulating PS1 then I assume the loadtimes won't be an issue.

It was originally a NeoGeo game wasn't it? No idea what versions it got.

retroking1981

Thanks @davyK had a feeling you'd be the one to reply :-)

Yeah it was a Neo Geo MVS game originally. That was the one ported to the SNES and has since been re-released/emulated on all current gen systems.

The three I have for PlayStation are:
Bust-A-Move 2 Arcade Edition (Puzzle Bobble 2)
Bust-A-Move 99 (Bust-A-Move 3 DX, Puzzle Bobble 3)
Bust-A-Move 4 (Puzzle Bobble 3)

and N64:
Bust-A-Move 2 Arcade Edition (Puzzle Bobble 2)
Bust-A-Move 99 (Bust-A-Move 3 DX, Puzzle Bobble 64)

Loading is still a thing emulating PS1, but its much reduced.

Your my go to badger when it comes to puzzle games, what one out out of the above would you recommend as the one to keep? 99 on N64 seems to be the one?

davyK

Yeah 3DX/99 on N64 seems to be the one if you want >2 players. Safe to stick with 99 as it's the US version so will play at the right speed.

If you want time trial I think BAM2:Arcade Edition on N64 is your only option though the US Saturn version might have that - not sure. The JP version doesn't but I think I've seen YT footage of the US version that shows it in the menus.

BAM3 has the #2 puzzle mode - there's even a "v2" option to play those levels. So if picking one that's the boy.

BAM2's TT mode is in my best 100 game list - it's a great little mode. I'd check it out with 2 players if you can. There are no garbage attacks - just a pure race - and the levels are specially designed for it and 5 best times for each level are kept for extra salt. Wifey and I played this to death.

davyK

Video Editor comes with Windows 10 and crunches huge AVI files down to mgp4.

So what? It means I can capture MAME replays directly from a MAME playback without dicking about with a camera , convert it and upload to YT.

Here's my first Wardner 1CC. I have a deathless run replay file too that I need to prepare. This first 1CC sees me get to the final boss without losing a life and then burning through a pile of lives trying to find the safe spot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oSPtz6tzzU&t=28

retroking1981

Just had a flick through your Gigawing YouTube vid @davyK

You've got shoot 'em up skills mate, impressive stuff.

I like the genre despite not being very good at them.

The video displayed in 16:9 on my TV, I take it it's 4:3 and YouTube blew it up?

davyK

Aye ..... just looked at it....I think the video converter must have done that as it's a 4:3 game - stretching is a particular bugbear of mine - I'll need to do it again to get it back to 4:3

The Wardner video is 4:3 - I must have clicked on a ratio option...a bit smudgy looking too - I saved it at 720p to keep the file size down..might crank it up to 1080..

Eric

Seriously impressive davy some incredible muscle memory going on in that Gigawing vid. I have it on my Pandora box amongst a load of others that I really should get your opinion on what's good and what's not.

Currently playing lots of Metal Slug X on it at the moment. It's a beautiful looking game and it plays so nicely. Should probably look which in the series is best regarded with that too as I might be missing a trick.

retroking1981

Just spent the last couple of hours playing Road Rash II and Streets of Rage 2 on the Mega Drive mini.

Got to Stage 4 and half way through Level 2 respectively.

SoR2 is a lot easier than I remember, so far I've lost one life which was on the Stage 3 boss.

RRII is quite rough but if you give it time you kinda adjust to the poor frame rate and sprite scaling, I still love it anyway.

Eric

Love both of those games especially SoR 2. Probably one of the finest gaming sequels ever when you look at what they managed to implement over the first game.

Fond memories.

davyK

Never got Road Rash. Jerky, shit graphics, repetitive gameplay. Was I missing something?

cockbeard

Try 3DO version, but yeah all games were blocky and repetitive back then

Eric

There's still the thrill of winning races in Road Rash, the kicking and hitting just added to the fun. I think 2 is probably the best on the MD, 3 pushed the graphics too far from memory and the frame rate struggled badly.

Never played the 3DO version but always wanted to try along side Need For Speed.

nick_md

cockbeard wrote:

Try 3DO version, but yeah all games were blocky and repetitive back then

Especially Klax.

Moot_Geeza

I loved Road Rash 2. OH NO, I'VE HIT NATASHA.

Having a proper two player career mode rather than just offering head to head races was huge.

retroking1981

The 3DO version was/is amazing, I was lucky enough to have a friend who's older brother had a 3DO back in 1994.

The PS (and Saturn) ports are inferior apparently but I never noticed, although by the time I got it on PS it was 1998.

The N64 game looks like shit but is meant to be good fun. It was a case of frame rate > graphics ala F-zero X, and like that there's plenty of bikers on screen at once. I've yet to play in myself but I do have it in the Everdrive 64.

Jailbreak on the GBA looks good to.

davyK

cockbeard wrote:

Try 3DO version, but yeah all games were blocky and repetitive back then

Block and repetition are my stock in trade. Road Rash always looked jerky and a bit shit. It's one trick - hitting people - wasn't enough to prevent me from preferring something like Super Hang On.

Just one of those games that never appealed.

davyK

Just checked some 3DO footage.

Looks like shit. Even the font used in the status display - hideous.It doesn't even have that shit but charming look that something like Cruisin' USA has.

Just one of the game series I never got. That era of graphical endeavour never appealed to me. The game seemed to be all fur coat and no knickers - motion video intros and impressive setup and options screes and then you got to that horrific looking in-game action. I remember it on PC and thinking the same.

That whole Dragon's Lair thing did nothing for me either - as gorgeous as that Bluth animation is it was so obvious to me as a kid it was just jumping from one video sequence to another. That was '83 so I was 16 then I suppose and had started programming and learning about computers - so I knew enough to know it was just a branching slide show - and at 50p a game? Eff that!

davyK

Gigawing footage backup - still looks letterboxed despite selecting the 4:3 option - will have to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uDXDtPKWVw

davyK

Deathless Wardner 1CC for what it's worth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJdsmH9RTg0

Moot_Geeza

Brings back some memories. A Genesis copy of the port came with my second hand MD. Vaguely remember a section I got stuck on for ages where you seemed to require a particular weapon, but the chances are that was just me being thick. Good game. definitely not something that screamed 16-bit at the point when I made the jump from the Master System (Nov 1992), but decent.

Moot_Geeza

Had an odd selection of games with my MD come to think of it, might as well post a list while I'm stuck at work:

Bonanza Bros (PAL)
Wardner (Genesis)
Rastan Saga II (Jpn)
El Viento (Jpn)
Magical Hat Turbo Adventure (Jpn)
Sonic (PAL)

And almost definitely something else I'm forgetting.

davyK

MD Wardner is worth a packet now. Would be on my want list but hard to justify the price.

davyK

I take advantage of an outrageous shortcut the game offers in level 3 which cuts out a painful section. For completeness I should do a run eschewing that shortcut.

davyK

Hmmmmm some ebay searching tells me there are some BINs to be had but in these times of repros one has to be careful. Dont mind repros as long as it is stated. I have a Musha repro.

davyK

Eric wrote:

Seriously impressive davy some incredible muscle memory going on in that Gigawing vid. I have it on my Pandora box amongst a load of others that I really shpould get your opinion on what's good and what's not.

Currently playing lots of Metal Slug X on it at the moment. It's a beautiful looking game and it plays so nicely. Should probably look which in the series is best regarded with that too as I might be missing a trick.

Metal slug splits opinion. Many think the 1st remains the best as the later ones' bosses had coin munching amounts of HP...esp. 3 onwards. Wasn't X basically 2 with some fixes?

3 has its fans too but its between 1,2,X and 3.

Would be interested to hear whats on your Pandora. Have a hankering for one of those.

Eric

Cheers for that davy I'll take a look at 2.
If you have the time this guy goes through all 960 games:

Note they are ordered by game category so vs fighters first, scrolling beat em ups, shmps and puzzlers etc.

If you have less time this guy just flicks through the 96 pages of games so you can pause on the ones that interest you. This is also my actual system although I did upgrade to sanwa sticks:

Overall I'm pretty happy with it. The scan line generator and smoothing filter options are horrible so I turn those off and stick it through my OSSC scan line generator which gives a lovely effect. For less than £100 I'm pretty happy tbh.

davyK

Solid lineup that - at first glance these are worth it -

UN Squadron
In The Hunt
Parodius series
Viewpoint
Prehistoric Isle in 1930
Strikers 1945 games
Samurai Aces
DoDonPachi
Guwange
Battle Garegga
Espgaluda

Eric

Right I will hit those up first thanks davy. There is a tonne of puzzlers too. I've been trying and failing to get my eldest into them as the only game he ever wants to play is Rocket league.

davyK

That list are largely classics of the genre. Battle Garegga is consider by many in the hardcore community as the best ever although I've never spent enough time with it to judge.

1930 is a bit offbeat but it was a NeoGeo one and I found it very playable.

If you like the art style of Metal Slug then you will love In The Hunt which is essentially Metal Slug in a submarine. It looks glorious.

Love a puzzle too. I'm guessing Puzzle Bobble is there - hard to go wrong with that one.

Moot_Geeza

I'm pretty sure I really want one of those Pandora units now, the two player arcade set-up appeals. They seem quite reasonably priced, are the sticks okay? I don't need anything tournament ready, I just don't want them breaking after standard amounts of use.

What's a reliable place to buy from, what's the newest unit (or there another release imminent) and one more question - is there likely to be a customs charge sting? Thanks.

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