@jesse_dylan Good memories being over at friends on their PC early 90s that their father used for buisness trying to complete Indiana Jones Last Crusade Lucasfilm adventure, had some action fighting sections that were a total pain, but not as bad as Operational Stealth ones by Delphine. Forgotten what other games he had must have been VGA or more likely EGA graphics...other games as well probably forgotten like Ultima.
@Sketcz Rupert the Battlesheep sounds like a 16 bit platformer John ala Yoshi's Island. Or maybe Psygnosis style Walker sequel with a giant sheep instead of a robot. 😁
Still have your Japansoft to read over holidays...
In good news Sam Pettus' Service Games The Rise and Fall of SEGA arrived a day early from Luxemburg in mail. Looks like a bit of similar content than from Sega Base websites which was extensive, might just be a full reprint but is enhanced edition so new sections also...
Back when younger and you had limited income then pocket money or extra part time job, choosing games was hyper important either from just print reviews like Amiga Power/Format/CU Amiga or going blind.
So the title and screenshots were occassionally all you had. Took a gamble on CarvUp a Core Design Rainbow Islands style horizontal scroller one day = great.
Not so lucky with the occassional others, but not too many as had strict policy if buying 24.99 big box Amiga games. Generally used a couple of reviews cross referenced, graphical screenshots, software publisher, advertising and boxart to make final decision back in early to mid 90s.
Plus according to Inflation Calculator £24.99 in 92 is equivalent to £52.50 in 24, so reasons to be cautious...
Definitely why Compilations were still a thing back then...
Some of the Japanese Boxarts for this are impressive also..., even the computer variations for Amiga plus PC and Data Disks are great back when EA cared...
Great longform article. Love this game more than Populous, just something different, but similar, seemed a larger world somehow, yet more specific.The era of 16 bit and early PC to end of decade is peak Molyneux IMO. Please do a feature on Millennium 2.2 and Deuteros plus Supremacy and other forgotten computer strategy games like Utopia next...
Anyone touch the Neo Geo X in the end still see new ones about for sale, heard mixed things about it as have I Evercade from reports?
Any owners care to clarify as was tempted by the Lynx style TATE Handheld then I read a long post warning me off them...double edged sword as like idea of collecting cartridges as old school, will find segment of post and bring up issues raised...if I recall problems with lifespan of cartridges and some other points...
Oh that is pretty cool, never been to Siggraph would love to go one year...First Siggraph in Boulder CO, 50 years ago in 1974, wish Capcom would get a compendium design document book together on a selection of important retro games...
UK here mainly in youth, got first EGM the Summer CES one with Batman Returns on cover in Los Angeles then Ziff Davis started distributing them abroad around later of that year.
No Squaresoft European Software arm in those days but got Final Fantasy 2 , 3, and Secret of Mana myself as had US SNES.
UK only got Mana, and likes of Illusion of Gaia and Terranigma plus Mystic Quest, maybe a few select others, as so many languages for continent back in those days to translate hence expensive and time consuming.
Square Newsletter sounds pretty cool, would like to see scans, do not recall too much of Square and Enix plans for SNES CD other than expanded RPGs, I think maybe Mana/Mana 2 was originally developed for CD but could be mixing things up...
Missed out on the Playstation era mostly with Square and Enix but caught up through backward compatability with PS2 on some, as waited for N64, not too many RPGs in the end for that console unfortunately, but at least there was Ocarina!
Going to do some research to see just what titles were announced for SNES CD tonight.
Looks like Nintendo stuck with Cartridges for propriety control as was reported at time, plus speed so no loading times, cost of CD drives shifting, but also and maybe most importantly any impending legal fallout from the failed Playstation CD SNES add on was also a huge factor, this element I have not seen reported a great deal at all through decades...
Oh man Pettus has kickstarted a book on SEGA from 2013 I missed available on Amazon, makes total sense, he was excellent at this, really one of the early pioneers of Detailed Corporate Video Game History.
SERVICE GAMES THE RISE AND FALL OF SEGA ENHANCED EDITION - 500 PAGES
You need to interview him Time Extension like now!
Here it is...
New Edition! More content, images, and corrected text and facts. Monochrome edition.Starting with its humble beginnings in the 1950's and ending with its swan-song, the Dreamcast, in the early 2000’s, this is the complete history of Sega as a console maker. Before home computers and video game consoles, before the internet and social networking, and before motion controls and smartphones, there was Sega. Destined to fade into obscurity over time, Sega would help revolutionize and change video games, computers and how we interact with them, and the internet as we know it. Riding the cutting edge of technology at every step, only to rise too close to the sun and plummet, Sega would eventually change the face of entertainment, but it’s the story of how it got there that’s all the fun. So take a ride, experience history, and enjoy learning about one of the greatest and most influential companies of all time. Complete with system specifications, feature and marketing descriptions, unusual factoids, almost 300 images, and now enhanced Europe specific details, exclusive interviews, and more make this the definitive history of Sega available. Read and learn about the company that holds a special place in every gamer’s heart. Funded on Kickstarter.
The SegaBase Article explains everything regarding this split.
Back in 1988, Nintendo had contracted Sony to develop a "Super Disc" drive for the 16-bit SNES. This device would later be revealed to the world as the SNES PlayStation, or just PlayStation for short. Nintendo's intent had been to ship the system's CD-ROMs inside a custom caddy complete with an SNES-style lockout chip - a convoluted approach that would have ensured it retained control over the process. Sony understandably balked at this idea - it wanted to put the lockout chip in the CD-ROM drive controller, inside the console, and leave the games alone. This move would also open up the production process, and Sony quitely made plans to license production of PlayStation games to anybody they wanted. Sony president Olaf Olaffson first announced the PlayStation at the 1991 Summer Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Chicago, proudly proclaiming that "... Sony intends to broadly license it to the [whole] software industry]." This was anathema to Nintendo CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi, who had no intention of letting Nintendo losing control over any part of the process. He conspired with Sony's rival Philips to publically humiliate Sony the following day at the show. In a public press conference held at 9:00 am sharp, Nintendo's Howard Lincoln announced that it had instead signed a deal with Philips for its new CD-ROM system. The stated reason? Since Philips had invented CD-ROM technology, it could offer superior workmanship. The real reason? Nintendo refused to relinquish control of any part of its proprietary hardware. If Nintendo was going to release a CD-ROM based console on the market, then people would have to come to Nintendo to license it - not some ambitious third-party licensee. "Nintendo believes in a standard - our standard," Yamauchi later said of the affair. Sony saw it differently. "They stabbed us in the back," Olaffson told one of his confidants. The resultant legal and technical hopscotch that Nintendo would be forced to play over the affair pretty much assured that it would not be able to bring a decent CD-ROM system to market in time to ride the crest of the 32-bit wave. Instead, they would have to develop a completely new system from the ground up, launch it after everybody else's systems had already hit the market, and pray that their marketing prowess and company's public reputation would sell the new system for them. Nintendo was unconcerned, though - they thought they had derailed Sony's ambitions for good and went blithely ahead with making money. They were wrong ... quite wrong.
Scroll down to the Playstation CD section it explains everything on this topic in detail, three sides to it as always, two perspectives and the truth. It was a licensing issue as Sony wanted anybody to sell games on it and Hiroshi Yamauchi thought this was against Nintendo's strict content control and ethos. Very detailed info on whole breakdown. Yet interesting ramifications for delay of Nintendo's next console.
Seriouly this guy Sam Pettus should have written an entire book on SEGA and all hardware manufacturers afterwards his stuff was lightyears ahead of anybody back then...
Recall reading all of it nearly in early 00s and it was fascinating and totally comprehensive, as good as a book, and totally detailed for early 21st Century, plus this was fresh just out of the Dreamcast death.
He had sections on Early Sega, Japanese Consoles, Master System, Megadrive, Saturn and Dreamcast, plus loads of Corporate intrigue and stuff on the behind the scenes split between Sega USA, and Japan the Neptune, plus Saturn development and also Game Gear then Nomad plus worldwide iterations in South America, basically everything.
I recall this SONY/SEGA pact was maybe touched on but if anyone has a working link to something more up to date please share. Would not mind reading this over again.
Reminds me of one other great Industry what ifs, Microsoft to buy SEGA, that seemed to be nearly fact at the end of Dreamcast's life circa 2000/2001.
Actually I forgot about the Nintendo DS, specifically the Lite upgrade around 2004-2006 or whenever it appeared and we got rid of version 1.0, as that was genuinely a game changer and also importantly pre 2008 and Smartphone plus had loads of unique titles. 20 years since that launched though just recently. Scary!
A decade on from Playstation is 2004, then 2014 I am lost as its part of my big gap from gaming from around 2008-2020.
I think some of the immediacy and excitement of the industry has certainly decreased due to very long hardware cycles, software and hardware upgrades via download, and incremental tech gains, then the dilution of 1st party manufacturers in terms of consoles and as importantly all in one computers like the Amiga or the last great one the Acorn Archimedes.
You lost Sega, NEC, SNK gained SONY and Microsoft but also fell by the side were Commodore, 3DO, Atari, Bandai, Acorn, Sinclair, Amstrad and others.
Technology also means less frequent oddities or stand alone curiosities like the Barcode Battler appear these days.
Although I was kind of impressed by a Transformers 40th Anniversary AR Card Game recently but all done on Smartphone. Your smartphone/mini computer does so much and has replaced about a dozen individual devices.
Would probably be impressed by SWITCH due to the diversity and library of content so looking forward to getting stuck into that next year at a glacial pace no doubt.
Only recently completed Link between Worlds and Metroid on 3DS...
Thinking back to other major software coups I can recall.
● Final Fantasy 7 N64 to PS1 ● SF2 SCE on Megadrive/PC Engine then SF2 Turbo announced on SNES, oh Capcom cheeky! ● Lemmings goes Multiformat ● Probably a lot of PS1 Driving Games forgetting ● The Tail end Dreamcast Games to XBox, Jet Set Radio Future and others. ● Resident Evil 4 quasi exclusivity on Gamecube ● 360- PS5 not my expertise. I did think software exclusives had been locked down a bit more recently like SFV from Capcom, yet more in house developer centric than anything else these days.
@BulkSlash The anticipation for a new console was really big back then during prints golden era, I liked the artists impressions, plus loads of new hardware, and no net or social media spoiling it all with overindulgence or cynicism.
The rumours and "vaporware", jesus there is a term not heard in a while, may as well apply it to that Sega multi console fraud!
Seeing all the pics or prototypes of new PC Engines, Neo Geos, then the 32 bit machines, the N64 reveal looking like a 1950s radio, NEC 32bit and the Jaguar et.al. Plus even the failures and budget handhelds were interesting plus stuff like Wonderswan and NG Pocket.
Last console felt like this in terms of excitement was Dreamcast/PS2/Gamecube and XBox early 00s era. Final generation felt truly connected to as result of age/time/interest in hobby.
Hardware designs less frequent now and more flat in terms of industrial design...
I genuinely got more excitement buying an original Gameboy Color recently than a 360 or another new Smartphone. Figures.
@KitsuneNight Seems to be the way of the world many big companies of the 20th century failing to adapt to the 21st, or forgetting their origins plus bread and butter, or just poorly managed...
@Azuris I am sure there was a major issue with SONY being a Japanese company as well, plus IP rights as you say, like selling the crown jewels to your competitor all for a CD add on that would be gone in <5 years tops and one generation.
Probably worked out best for everyone and allowed the industry to grow overall as well, with another player, although SEGA fans might not think as much for sure!
@KitsuneNight Agreed Phillips seem to have totally pulled out of home consumer market now, you see no advertising for them anywhere even at a corporate level.
"In 2021, Philips Domestic Appliances was purchased by Hillhouse Capital for $4.4 billion. The company, now known as Versuni, continues to sell small appliances under the Philips brand under license."
Plus apparently made a 1.6 Billion Euro loss in 2022 alone and cut 10,000 jobs reading their corporate recent history and sold another major stake to remain solvent since then!
Must admit Nintendo's PR and marketing department definitely name dropped Phillips as a more experienced player in terms of CD technology back then I am sure, digging the knife further in no doubt...
But even from a 14 year old fanboy point of view during the early 90s, you could sense something was up with the CD development, especially after Mega CD failed to take off, CDTV, 3DO nosedived, only real uptake initially was PC integration with the likes of 7th Guest.
N64 had the DD, Gamecube had the Gameboy Player, and the Famicom had the Disc system plus SNES had the Satellite concept, so only really the Wii (Did have GC backwards compatability built in I guess on early models) and Wii U plus Switch that did not follow this trend of an add for Nintendo's main system just the last two decades.
A sign of technology becoming more standardised/homogenised and less interesting maybe plus cannabilising their own handheld market..
Yes the Switch has done 150 million units of all types but only one console instead of two now for Nintendo, plus looks like SONY and Microsoft have eyes on the handheld market once again after its success and Steamdeck...
Trying to find the most flamboyent early images or concept pics of SNES CD is tricky even with the internet, it seems, some of the EGM/Famitsu/Super Play ones made it look like a unit from the 21st century that would do the cooking for you as well...
When you think back to the early Sony Imagesoft releases on 16 bit and even many of the early PS1 titles development has certainly come a long way in 30 years.
Plus Skyblazer is bl**dy expensive these days to own on the SNES!
Still recall the Nintendo CD artist impressions for like 12-24 months from Famitsu, regularly republished in Super Play and EGM during the early to mid 90s plus their own ideas. Sprite scaling as a feature and the promise of expansive amazing Square and Enix RPGs, Super Mario Kart and Pilotwings Sequels and goodness knows what else! I am sure Streetfighter 3 was even name dropped once in the Quartermann section of EGM.
Nintendo went the way of chips as a hardware upgrade in the end, but it was the licensing issues and another platform/hardware manufacturer having control over a Nintendo console that was the biggest sticking point if I recall.
Plus obviously SONY Corporate wanting to pay back the massive slight made to them in public.
Then Nintendo got into bed with Phillips straight after, a Dutch company who were not perceived as a big threat compared to SONY plus apparently they had greater CD experience.
Not a threat at all especially with the games supplied by Nintendo for CDI!
All kidding aside, never really played any of these but all the talk of the 3DO version makes me much more interested, as it is a system never really experienced. I do not even recall seeing a 3DO console out in the wild on freeplay anywhere back in the mid 90s to test this racer out, not in Comet, Currys, Future Zone or elsewhere, maybe once in John Lewis who knows, very scarce to even buy one over in this island.
Plus the window before Playstation/Saturn arrival was thin, did see many Jaguars strangely enough and multiple CDI's plus CDTV's.
I think I have caught bits of the movie with Paul, looked better than the recent Gran Turismo one with Legolas from LOTR. Burnout now there is a franchise that should have been made into a film!
I enjoyed the film, went to the cinema to see it and felt it was like a throwback to a decade earlier in terms of some aspects of storytelling a little like The Mummy from 1999 which in itself was a homage to classics from a different era, but with obviously better CGI. Good/likeable leads as well in main roles...
Jason Brookes, probably laid a great deal of the groundwork for videogame journalism to become what it was in the UK and beyond with his knowledge and professionalism in all honesty.
Matt Bielby and a few others like Rignall, Mott, plus Campbell, Gillen as well. Get an interview please with Bielby Time Extension, I think he just did one for Amiga Action Magazine recently!
In memory I just bought an old but hard to find edition of Super Play for my collection that I am very pleased about obtaining in nice condition. Still missing issues 41-47 the super expensive ones that seem to go for 60-80 each probably due to lower print run.
Suggested to Future they put all the behind the scenes EDGE articles over the years from 1-400 in a proper book or bookazine as a sort of making of EDGE special, plus add a larger new longform section on Mr Brookes written by Mott or similar as to his importance during formative years of publication, beyond what was printed already as have more space...
Will be happy with just reprints of Super Play/Amiga Power/Format and selected other Future titles of old in collected volumes to be fair in hardback...
Would have been amazing if Jason had written/released a book of his own similar to the Jaz Rignall one incoming in 2025.
Might be scope for that by some individuals that knew him best centering around the 1990s scene. Sort of an EDGE decade eras series 90s, 00s,10s that sort of idea...with some fresh new retrospective articles on time period and transitions. Could be a 4 volume historical series taking us up to end of 20s.
It was more tolerated due to slim offerings, until the AKI games came on the scene with WCW World Tour on N64 in 1997, and before that WCW vs the World on Playstation in 1996 that introduced the concept of the Spirit Metre to wrestling games through AKI.
Still recall playing the AKI N64 WCW games at University with 2 and 4 player games being amazingly deep, with matches moving in ebbs and flows for 20-40mins, and as nuanced as Steeetfighter if you knew your character/wrestler and facing an equal opponent!
WCW v NWO Revenge is the pinnacle game IMO for me for nostalgia as WCW is long gone now, so it is like a time capsule to the company at its very peak, and at the time it was the fastest/best selling third party N64 game ever back in 1998.
WM2000 and No Mercy with the Expansion Pack upgrade improved on elements/graphics and match types, plus the amount of third party modding that goes on today is pretty impressive from the N64 community.
WCW Feel the Bang is really the crown jewel as the unofficial third WCW game with a massive updated roster and stages plus moves...
There was meant to be a third AKI WWE game, WWE Backlash I believe, that modders have either completed or working on and other coders have created a Golden Era 80s roster and stages, plus a mid 90s New Gen, ECW and many others all the way up to the present day...
...just picked up an original Black GBC a couple of months ago, and was given all my brothers old original Gameboy and Gameboy Colour plus GBA.
He threw away all the boxes plus manuals though and included in selection were Bonks Revenge on original GB and Metroid Zero Missions on GBA plus loads of Square RPGs!
I am definitely getting into collecting for all three of the original Gameboy iterations, as it was my brothers console have a bit of a blindspot in this area of Nintendo History and only started collecting for GBA due to Nintendo DS backward compatability...
Picked up a great version of F Zero never knew existed for GBA last 12 months Maximum Velocity, plus a Japanese only Climax with a track editor exists!
Getting back to hardware if this new Chromatic version has a better backlit screen interested in honesty, need to look at Analogue Pocket as well...
Picked up hard to find Legend of Prince Valiant for original Gameboy that I did not know was based on a totally different computer RPG see here... Archon the Light and the Dark one of the first five games ever published by EA...
Great longform article from RetroDodo on all its history here...
@LowDefAl Literally just working away from home for day at a nice hotel restaraunt plus my Laptop, with headphones on smartphone and this track cycles into touch...
I used this track to train for 10k runs in the late 2000s and early 2010s and for my Tennis Performance Psychology investigation, one of the seven...that produced the best results from the Full Album...
That is beyond cool, are you more experienced and a better musician now?
This is totally relevant to some work I am doing right now, can I commission you to do some sample tracks for SFIII and SFIV and SFV? Totally serious.
My suggestion to OC Remix is SFIV a full album if not done so already for 20th anniversary, a total set of new remixes for all characters commissioned, an official album then repeat for SFV...SFIII gets done last...
These could work to help...
I am contacting OC Remix in New Year, Jan to May with design. If I had a sample set of say 3-4 tracks as proof of concept this would help a great deal...
@Deuteros In addition will add this as relevant in relation to exceptional 16 bit music and a real world example as to why these tunes are still so powerful...
Speaking of the greatness of the GOAT the Guile theme the last time I discussed this entire topic I had just found OC Remix in 2008 and was using their remixes for Performance Psychology Training in Running and Tennis serves plus baseline enhancement...
Ideally for greater power and accuracy on serving plus forehand and backhand plus groundstrokes...
(Think Ryu and Ken plus Guile and Akuma tracks on an Apple MP3 player on constant repeat and watch your performance and accuracy level go through the roof on court, the Motzart effect in action)...
I was actually at a National Institute of Sport that videos two tennis performance courts for professional development and coaching to test the increase in metrics for tennis.
Think 50 service drills in 15-20mins with Akuma track "Murder Instinct" on a loop of music serving at a metal liquid skittle to topple...
One of my serves was so 100% accurate and powerful it made the metal liquid skittle reverberate and fall like something out of Virtua Tennis from SEGA with such a decibal volume level as were indoor courts so the soundwave just bounced off the walls internally, the people on the other court, national ranked players stopped playing and looked around wondering what just happened...
That is the power of video game music...
Was way beyond cool to see OC Remix do official Capcom work over many games since then...feature time on company Time Extension.
Here is the killer performance track to gain...
THE EDGE
PRESS PLAY
20 min loop of any Sport or Gym exercise level increases exponentially...depending on your own Psychological Profile...
Play via RGB hooked up to a Phillips 8833 Mk II monitor quality is so good on screen I genuinely do not notice any difference between Chip 1 USA NTSC SNES and Chip 2...admittedly Chip 2 is the back up system though...so maybe there is more to it on a subconcious level and reading info here in comments seem to be diffetent variations of Chip 2 architecture as well producing varying results...
Currently have 3 USA SNES NTSC, 2 Mario World 1 Chip editions from early 90s and a 2 Chip from late 90s with Killer Instinct...not much visible difference have to say...
What is different however are the joypads, first generation SNES have a dark L and R letters on the shoulder buttons, later versions do not and the shoulder buttons are half as good with no satisfying click and very soft when pushed. Can mean the difference between a victory or defeat in Streetfighter or Mortal Kombat plus a loss in Mario Kart due to cornering...no joke!
@JMX Just had a quick look around and the Rez Vinyl is reasonable at only 50 from various sources but there is an I am 8 Bit limited edition at over 200...
Thank you for heads up regarding original soundtrack JMX.
I would watch this for sure hope it gets an English translation and a World Tour eventually after Japanese success...
Could see Video Game Musicals being a large growth area in the West, musical concerts have been hugely popular with videogame music...Zelda, Final Fantasy et.al
RPGs would work well as have more intricate narratives....
These ones would work best...
● Zelda
● Final Fantasy
● Silent Hill
● Metal Gear Solid
As for a new high profile 2D Castlevania game, all in on that as well, the 3D era is kind over with Lord of Shadows, so may as well revert back to a polished 2D iteration, but Konami going to be Konami in 2024 obviously...
I will no doubt get this, have had my eyes on a Rez Vinyl Soundtrack for ages that I need to listen to...
About two decades ago ripped the entire Rez soundtrack to MP3 and used it for gym workouts and 10k runs... it is ideally suited for exercise as well...
Now I just found this amazing article, it might be time to become a full supporter...
Requested in a different topic a month ago, please interview Team 17 over the making of "Miami Chase" published by Codemasters on the Amiga from 1990, the true progenitor to the GTA franchise not late 90s...great intro music as well...could add in their early other Amiga games Full Contact, Project X, Alien Breed, Body Blows, Superfrog, Worms et.al as well...
Well I just sent an email to Mott, this afternoon, as he is head of Future's entire games portfolio now, with a breakdown of doing these as bookazines or hardcover compendiums from their back catalogue. £400 pounds is a bit steep for an entire physical set of Super Play magazines these days! Fingers crossed they pick up on an obvious area to monetize previous content...
There is actually a large scope to do this type of book/series for so many great former magazines...with behind the scenes interviews with creators and special columns.
Obviously a market for it as well given popularity of the EGM kickstarter...if Future are sensible they would find ways to monetize their massive back catalogue into special bookazines or hardback books.
● Super Play
● PC Zone
● Mean Machines
● Games X
● Zero
● Your Sinclair
● Zzap
● CVG
● N64 Magazine
● EDGE
● Games TM
● Amiga Power/Format
Retro Gamer had an extra making of the magazine feature booklet recently for their anniversary issue that went down well...
Comments 168
Re: Powermonger's Developers Hated Its Name, But The Alternatives Weren't Much Better
@jesse_dylan Good memories being over at friends on their PC early 90s that their father used for buisness trying to complete Indiana Jones Last Crusade Lucasfilm adventure, had some action fighting sections that were a total pain, but not as bad as Operational Stealth ones by Delphine. Forgotten what other games he had must have been VGA or more likely EGA graphics...other games as well probably forgotten like Ultima.
Re: Powermonger's Developers Hated Its Name, But The Alternatives Weren't Much Better
@Sketcz Rupert the Battlesheep sounds like a 16 bit platformer John ala Yoshi's Island. Or maybe Psygnosis style Walker sequel with a giant sheep instead of a robot. 😁
Still have your Japansoft to read over holidays...
In good news Sam Pettus' Service Games The Rise and Fall of SEGA arrived a day early from Luxemburg in mail. Looks like a bit of similar content than from Sega Base websites which was extensive, might just be a full reprint but is enhanced edition so new sections also...
Re: The Making Of: Powermonger, Bullfrog's Forgotten RTS Follow-Up To Populous
@Daniel36
Strangely my missing Super Play edition arrived in the mail and just doing that before hitting gym over a coffee.
Would recommend some of the scanned archives out there online for quick fix of hard to find stuff if looking for something specific.
Reading the Buy/Sell section at the back is fun seeing how little people wanted for games that are mega rare now. Plus the wanted items.
Favourite are these two very specific ones
Wanted: Shadowrun on SNES will pay £18 and one issue of Super Play issue 1-27 and a collection of tips booklets.
● Goes for like £100-200 or more now in decent shape!
Desperately Wanted: FF II box and instructions (if possible). Will swap for Wing Commander, Desert Strike, Spike McFadden and Road Runner.
● Interesting mix of swaps for a Square Box!
Magazine prices have crashed I would have to say though, saw a full run of EDGE 1-400 go for under £1 a copy recently.
Super Play, Zero and Mean Machines, plus EGM still holding value and early A.C.E. plus some others.
Re: Powermonger's Developers Hated Its Name, But The Alternatives Weren't Much Better
@jesse_dylan
Agreed regarding Populous and Creation.
Plus artwork was top tier for original games.
Back when younger and you had limited income then pocket money or extra part time job, choosing games was hyper important either from just print reviews like Amiga Power/Format/CU Amiga or going blind.
So the title and screenshots were occassionally all you had. Took a gamble on CarvUp a Core Design Rainbow Islands style horizontal scroller one day = great.
Not so lucky with the occassional others, but not too many as had strict policy if buying 24.99 big box Amiga games. Generally used a couple of reviews cross referenced, graphical screenshots, software publisher, advertising and boxart to make final decision back in early to mid 90s.
Plus according to Inflation Calculator £24.99 in 92 is equivalent to £52.50 in 24, so reasons to be cautious...
Definitely why Compilations were still a thing back then...
Re: The Making Of: Powermonger, Bullfrog's Forgotten RTS Follow-Up To Populous
Some of the Japanese Boxarts for this are impressive also..., even the computer variations for Amiga plus PC and Data Disks are great back when EA cared...
Re: The Making Of: Powermonger, Bullfrog's Forgotten RTS Follow-Up To Populous
@Daniel36 Best played on Amiga.
Re: Powermonger's Developers Hated Its Name, But The Alternatives Weren't Much Better
Powermonger is a great name, instantly defines what type of game it is just like Speedball...
Re: The Making Of: Powermonger, Bullfrog's Forgotten RTS Follow-Up To Populous
Great longform article. Love this game more than Populous, just something different, but similar, seemed a larger world somehow, yet more specific.The era of 16 bit and early PC to end of decade is peak Molyneux IMO. Please do a feature on Millennium 2.2 and Deuteros plus Supremacy and other forgotten computer strategy games like Utopia next...
Re: Evercade And SNK Are Joining Forces To Celebrate "The Artistry And Legacy Of Neo Geo"
Anyone touch the Neo Geo X in the end still see new ones about for sale, heard mixed things about it as have I Evercade from reports?
Any owners care to clarify as was tempted by the Lynx style TATE Handheld then I read a long post warning me off them...double edged sword as like idea of collecting cartridges as old school, will find segment of post and bring up issues raised...if I recall problems with lifespan of cartridges and some other points...
Re: Design Docs For Iconic Capcom, Sega, Taito And Square Games Are On Display At Siggraph Asia 2024
Oh that is pretty cool, never been to Siggraph would love to go one year...First Siggraph in Boulder CO, 50 years ago in 1974, wish Capcom would get a compendium design document book together on a selection of important retro games...
Re: "Nintendo Left Us Standing At The Altar" - Shawn Layden On The Vengeful Birth Of PlayStation
UK here mainly in youth, got first EGM the Summer CES one with Batman Returns on cover in Los Angeles then Ziff Davis started distributing them abroad around later of that year.
No Squaresoft European Software arm in those days but got Final Fantasy 2 , 3, and Secret of Mana myself as had US SNES.
UK only got Mana, and likes of Illusion of Gaia and Terranigma plus Mystic Quest, maybe a few select others, as so many languages for continent back in those days to translate hence expensive and time consuming.
Square Newsletter sounds pretty cool, would like to see scans, do not recall too much of Square and Enix plans for SNES CD other than expanded RPGs, I think maybe Mana/Mana 2 was originally developed for CD but could be mixing things up...
Missed out on the Playstation era mostly with Square and Enix but caught up through backward compatability with PS2 on some, as waited for N64, not too many RPGs in the end for that console unfortunately, but at least there was Ocarina!
Going to do some research to see just what titles were announced for SNES CD tonight.
Re: "Nintendo Left Us Standing At The Altar" - Shawn Layden On The Vengeful Birth Of PlayStation
@Bod2019
Looks like Nintendo stuck with Cartridges for propriety control as was reported at time, plus speed so no loading times, cost of CD drives shifting, but also and maybe most importantly any impending legal fallout from the failed Playstation CD SNES add on was also a huge factor, this element I have not seen reported a great deal at all through decades...
Re: "Nintendo Left Us Standing At The Altar" - Shawn Layden On The Vengeful Birth Of PlayStation
Oh man Pettus has kickstarted a book on SEGA from 2013 I missed available on Amazon, makes total sense, he was excellent at this, really one of the early pioneers of Detailed Corporate Video Game History.
SERVICE GAMES THE RISE AND FALL OF SEGA ENHANCED EDITION - 500 PAGES
You need to interview him Time Extension like now!
Here it is...
New Edition! More content, images, and corrected text and facts. Monochrome edition.Starting with its humble beginnings in the 1950's and ending with its swan-song, the Dreamcast, in the early 2000’s, this is the complete history of Sega as a console maker. Before home computers and video game consoles, before the internet and social networking, and before motion controls and smartphones, there was Sega. Destined to fade into obscurity over time, Sega would help revolutionize and change video games, computers and how we interact with them, and the internet as we know it. Riding the cutting edge of technology at every step, only to rise too close to the sun and plummet, Sega would eventually change the face of entertainment, but it’s the story of how it got there that’s all the fun. So take a ride, experience history, and enjoy learning about one of the greatest and most influential companies of all time. Complete with system specifications, feature and marketing descriptions, unusual factoids, almost 300 images, and now enhanced Europe specific details, exclusive interviews, and more make this the definitive history of Sega available. Read and learn about the company that holds a special place in every gamer’s heart. Funded on Kickstarter.
Just ordered as an early Christmas present.
Re: "Nintendo Left Us Standing At The Altar" - Shawn Layden On The Vengeful Birth Of PlayStation
Here is the section copyright 2000 Sam Pettus...
The SegaBase Article explains everything regarding this split.
Back in 1988, Nintendo had contracted Sony to develop a "Super Disc" drive for the 16-bit SNES. This device would later be revealed to the world as the SNES PlayStation, or just PlayStation for short. Nintendo's intent had been to ship the system's CD-ROMs inside a custom caddy complete with an SNES-style lockout chip - a convoluted approach that would have ensured it retained control over the process. Sony understandably balked at this idea - it wanted to put the lockout chip in the CD-ROM drive controller, inside the console, and leave the games alone. This move would also open up the production process, and Sony quitely made plans to license production of PlayStation games to anybody they wanted. Sony president Olaf Olaffson first announced the PlayStation at the 1991 Summer Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Chicago, proudly proclaiming that "... Sony intends to broadly license it to the [whole] software industry]." This was anathema to Nintendo CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi, who had no intention of letting Nintendo losing control over any part of the process. He conspired with Sony's rival Philips to publically humiliate Sony the following day at the show. In a public press conference held at 9:00 am sharp, Nintendo's Howard Lincoln announced that it had instead signed a deal with Philips for its new CD-ROM system. The stated reason? Since Philips had invented CD-ROM technology, it could offer superior workmanship. The real reason? Nintendo refused to relinquish control of any part of its proprietary hardware. If Nintendo was going to release a CD-ROM based console on the market, then people would have to come to Nintendo to license it - not some ambitious third-party licensee. "Nintendo believes in a standard - our standard," Yamauchi later said of the affair. Sony saw it differently. "They stabbed us in the back," Olaffson told one of his confidants. The resultant legal and technical hopscotch that Nintendo would be forced to play over the affair pretty much assured that it would not be able to bring a decent CD-ROM system to market in time to ride the crest of the 32-bit wave. Instead, they would have to develop a completely new system from the ground up, launch it after everybody else's systems had already hit the market, and pray that their marketing prowess and company's public reputation would sell the new system for them. Nintendo was unconcerned, though - they thought they had derailed Sony's ambitions for good and went blithely ahead with making money. They were wrong ... quite wrong.
Re: "Nintendo Left Us Standing At The Altar" - Shawn Layden On The Vengeful Birth Of PlayStation
@Leynos
There was the awesome Sega corporate archive and history I forget the name Segabase, I think or Sega 16, done by one guy from late 90s.
Somebody has archived it written May 2000 and updated in 2001.
Here is the Saturn link.
https://www.atani-software.net/segabase/SegaBase-Saturn(Part1).html
Scroll down to the Playstation CD section it explains everything on this topic in detail, three sides to it as always, two perspectives and the truth. It was a licensing issue as Sony wanted anybody to sell games on it and Hiroshi Yamauchi thought this was against Nintendo's strict content control and ethos. Very detailed info on whole breakdown. Yet interesting ramifications for delay of Nintendo's next console.
Seriouly this guy Sam Pettus should have written an entire book on SEGA and all hardware manufacturers afterwards his stuff was lightyears ahead of anybody back then...
Recall reading all of it nearly in early 00s and it was fascinating and totally comprehensive, as good as a book, and totally detailed for early 21st Century, plus this was fresh just out of the Dreamcast death.
He had sections on Early Sega, Japanese Consoles, Master System, Megadrive, Saturn and Dreamcast, plus loads of Corporate intrigue and stuff on the behind the scenes split between Sega USA, and Japan the Neptune, plus Saturn development and also Game Gear then Nomad plus worldwide iterations in South America, basically everything.
I recall this SONY/SEGA pact was maybe touched on but if anyone has a working link to something more up to date please share. Would not mind reading this over again.
Reminds me of one other great Industry what ifs, Microsoft to buy SEGA, that seemed to be nearly fact at the end of Dreamcast's life circa 2000/2001.
Re: "Nintendo Left Us Standing At The Altar" - Shawn Layden On The Vengeful Birth Of PlayStation
@KitsuneNight
Actually I forgot about the Nintendo DS, specifically the Lite upgrade around 2004-2006 or whenever it appeared and we got rid of version 1.0, as that was genuinely a game changer and also importantly pre 2008 and Smartphone plus had loads of unique titles. 20 years since that launched though just recently. Scary!
A decade on from Playstation is 2004, then 2014 I am lost as its part of my big gap from gaming from around 2008-2020.
I think some of the immediacy and excitement of the industry has certainly decreased due to very long hardware cycles, software and hardware upgrades via download, and incremental tech gains, then the dilution of 1st party manufacturers in terms of consoles and as importantly all in one computers like the Amiga or the last great one the Acorn Archimedes.
You lost Sega, NEC, SNK gained SONY and Microsoft but also fell by the side were Commodore, 3DO, Atari, Bandai, Acorn, Sinclair, Amstrad and others.
Technology also means less frequent oddities or stand alone curiosities like the Barcode Battler appear these days.
Although I was kind of impressed by a Transformers 40th Anniversary AR Card Game recently but all done on Smartphone. Your smartphone/mini computer does so much and has replaced about a dozen individual devices.
Would probably be impressed by SWITCH due to the diversity and library of content so looking forward to getting stuck into that next year at a glacial pace no doubt.
Only recently completed Link between Worlds and Metroid on 3DS...
So in summation Retro for the win it seems!
Re: "I Wanted It On PlayStation... They Signed To Saturn" - Ex-Sony Boss Reveals Tomb Raider "Jealousy"
Thinking back to other major software coups I can recall.
● Final Fantasy 7 N64 to PS1
● SF2 SCE on Megadrive/PC Engine then SF2 Turbo announced on SNES, oh Capcom cheeky!
● Lemmings goes Multiformat
● Probably a lot of PS1 Driving Games forgetting
● The Tail end Dreamcast Games to XBox, Jet Set Radio Future and others.
● Resident Evil 4 quasi exclusivity on Gamecube
● 360- PS5 not my expertise. I did think software exclusives had been locked down a bit more recently like SFV from Capcom, yet more in house developer centric than anything else these days.
Probably some major ones missing no doubt.
Re: "Nintendo Left Us Standing At The Altar" - Shawn Layden On The Vengeful Birth Of PlayStation
@BulkSlash The anticipation for a new console was really big back then during prints golden era, I liked the artists impressions, plus loads of new hardware, and no net or social media spoiling it all with overindulgence or cynicism.
The rumours and "vaporware", jesus there is a term not heard in a while, may as well apply it to that Sega multi console fraud!
Seeing all the pics or prototypes of new PC Engines, Neo Geos, then the 32 bit machines, the N64 reveal looking like a 1950s radio, NEC 32bit and the Jaguar et.al. Plus even the failures and budget handhelds were interesting plus stuff like Wonderswan and NG Pocket.
Last console felt like this in terms of excitement was Dreamcast/PS2/Gamecube and XBox early 00s era. Final generation felt truly connected to as result of age/time/interest in hobby.
Hardware designs less frequent now and more flat in terms of industrial design...
I genuinely got more excitement buying an original Gameboy Color recently than a 360 or another new Smartphone. Figures.
Re: "Nintendo Left Us Standing At The Altar" - Shawn Layden On The Vengeful Birth Of PlayStation
@Bod2019 Do not own a SWITCH looking to steal a new black and white OLED at half price come Easter!
Re: "Nintendo Left Us Standing At The Altar" - Shawn Layden On The Vengeful Birth Of PlayStation
@KitsuneNight "A zombie brand whose skin is worn by other companies".
Konami been going that way for a decade now compared to glory years...
Re: "Nintendo Left Us Standing At The Altar" - Shawn Layden On The Vengeful Birth Of PlayStation
@KitsuneNight Seems to be the way of the world many big companies of the 20th century failing to adapt to the 21st, or forgetting their origins plus bread and butter, or just poorly managed...
Re: "Nintendo Left Us Standing At The Altar" - Shawn Layden On The Vengeful Birth Of PlayStation
@Azuris I am sure there was a major issue with SONY being a Japanese company as well, plus IP rights as you say, like selling the crown jewels to your competitor all for a CD add on that would be gone in <5 years tops and one generation.
Probably worked out best for everyone and allowed the industry to grow overall as well, with another player, although SEGA fans might not think as much for sure!
Re: "Nintendo Left Us Standing At The Altar" - Shawn Layden On The Vengeful Birth Of PlayStation
@KitsuneNight Agreed Phillips seem to have totally pulled out of home consumer market now, you see no advertising for them anywhere even at a corporate level.
"In 2021, Philips Domestic Appliances was purchased by Hillhouse Capital for $4.4 billion. The company, now known as Versuni, continues to sell small appliances under the Philips brand under license."
Plus apparently made a 1.6 Billion Euro loss in 2022 alone and cut 10,000 jobs reading their corporate recent history and sold another major stake to remain solvent since then!
Re: "Nintendo Left Us Standing At The Altar" - Shawn Layden On The Vengeful Birth Of PlayStation
@KitsuneNight
Must admit Nintendo's PR and marketing department definitely name dropped Phillips as a more experienced player in terms of CD technology back then I am sure, digging the knife further in no doubt...
But even from a 14 year old fanboy point of view during the early 90s, you could sense something was up with the CD development, especially after Mega CD failed to take off, CDTV, 3DO nosedived, only real uptake initially was PC integration with the likes of 7th Guest.
N64 had the DD, Gamecube had the Gameboy Player, and the Famicom had the Disc system plus SNES had the Satellite concept, so only really the Wii (Did have GC backwards compatability built in I guess on early models) and Wii U plus Switch that did not follow this trend of an add for Nintendo's main system just the last two decades.
A sign of technology becoming more standardised/homogenised and less interesting maybe plus cannabilising their own handheld market..
Yes the Switch has done 150 million units of all types but only one console instead of two now for Nintendo, plus looks like SONY and Microsoft have eyes on the handheld market once again after its success and Steamdeck...
Trying to find the most flamboyent early images or concept pics of SNES CD is tricky even with the internet, it seems, some of the EGM/Famitsu/Super Play ones made it look like a unit from the 21st century that would do the cooking for you as well...
When you think back to the early Sony Imagesoft releases on 16 bit and even many of the early PS1 titles development has certainly come a long way in 30 years.
Plus Skyblazer is bl**dy expensive these days to own on the SNES!
Re: "Nintendo Left Us Standing At The Altar" - Shawn Layden On The Vengeful Birth Of PlayStation
Still recall the Nintendo CD artist impressions for like 12-24 months from Famitsu, regularly republished in Super Play and EGM during the early to mid 90s plus their own ideas. Sprite scaling as a feature and the promise of expansive amazing Square and Enix RPGs, Super Mario Kart and Pilotwings Sequels and goodness knows what else! I am sure Streetfighter 3 was even name dropped once in the Quartermann section of EGM.
Nintendo went the way of chips as a hardware upgrade in the end, but it was the licensing issues and another platform/hardware manufacturer having control over a Nintendo console that was the biggest sticking point if I recall.
Plus obviously SONY Corporate wanting to pay back the massive slight made to them in public.
Then Nintendo got into bed with Phillips straight after, a Dutch company who were not perceived as a big threat compared to SONY plus apparently they had greater CD experience.
Not a threat at all especially with the games supplied by Nintendo for CDI!
Re: Anniversary: Need For Speed Turns 30 This Month
Lotus Trilogy on the Amiga still rules!
All kidding aside, never really played any of these but all the talk of the 3DO version makes me much more interested, as it is a system never really experienced. I do not even recall seeing a 3DO console out in the wild on freeplay anywhere back in the mid 90s to test this racer out, not in Comet, Currys, Future Zone or elsewhere, maybe once in John Lewis who knows, very scarce to even buy one over in this island.
Plus the window before Playstation/Saturn arrival was thin, did see many Jaguars strangely enough and multiple CDI's plus CDTV's.
I think I have caught bits of the movie with Paul, looked better than the recent Gran Turismo one with Legolas from LOTR. Burnout now there is a franchise that should have been made into a film!
Re: "I Was Completely Unproven" - Prince Of Persia's Creator Reflects On The Making Of Its Star-Studded Film
I enjoyed the film, went to the cinema to see it and felt it was like a throwback to a decade earlier in terms of some aspects of storytelling a little like The Mummy from 1999 which in itself was a homage to classics from a different era, but with obviously better CGI. Good/likeable leads as well in main roles...
Re: A Tribute To Jason Brookes
Jason Brookes, probably laid a great deal of the groundwork for videogame journalism to become what it was in the UK and beyond with his knowledge and professionalism in all honesty.
Matt Bielby and a few others like Rignall, Mott, plus Campbell, Gillen as well. Get an interview please with Bielby Time Extension, I think he just did one for Amiga Action Magazine recently!
In memory I just bought an old but hard to find edition of Super Play for my collection that I am very pleased about obtaining in nice condition. Still missing issues 41-47 the super expensive ones that seem to go for 60-80 each probably due to lower print run.
Suggested to Future they put all the behind the scenes EDGE articles over the years from 1-400 in a proper book or bookazine as a sort of making of EDGE special, plus add a larger new longform section on Mr Brookes written by Mott or similar as to his importance during formative years of publication, beyond what was printed already as have more space...
Will be happy with just reprints of Super Play/Amiga Power/Format and selected other Future titles of old in collected volumes to be fair in hardback...
Would have been amazing if Jason had written/released a book of his own similar to the Jaz Rignall one incoming in 2025.
Might be scope for that by some individuals that knew him best centering around the 1990s scene. Sort of an EDGE decade eras series 90s, 00s,10s that sort of idea...with some fresh new retrospective articles on time period and transitions. Could be a 4 volume historical series taking us up to end of 20s.
I would definitely buy it.
Re: Review: The Art Of N64 Wrestling Games Grapples With Some Of The Genre's Best Titles
@slider1983
Here is a good 1990s synopsis of the best games!
https://www.thesportster.com/best-wrestling-video-games-1990s-wwe-wcw/
Re: Review: The Art Of N64 Wrestling Games Grapples With Some Of The Genre's Best Titles
Top 5 No Mercy Mods here circa 2020
https://youtu.be/nCBFBBMhJoY?si=MtVL3Cz7trtGVehH
Re: Review: The Art Of N64 Wrestling Games Grapples With Some Of The Genre's Best Titles
@slider1983
It was more tolerated due to slim offerings, until the AKI games came on the scene with WCW World Tour on N64 in 1997, and before that WCW vs the World on Playstation in 1996 that introduced the concept of the Spirit Metre to wrestling games through AKI.
Still recall playing the AKI N64 WCW games at University with 2 and 4 player games being amazingly deep, with matches moving in ebbs and flows for 20-40mins, and as nuanced as Steeetfighter if you knew your character/wrestler and facing an equal opponent!
WCW v NWO Revenge is the pinnacle game IMO for me for nostalgia as WCW is long gone now, so it is like a time capsule to the company at its very peak, and at the time it was the fastest/best selling third party N64 game ever back in 1998.
WM2000 and No Mercy with the Expansion Pack upgrade improved on elements/graphics and match types, plus the amount of third party modding that goes on today is pretty impressive from the N64 community.
WCW Feel the Bang is really the crown jewel as the unofficial third WCW game with a massive updated roster and stages plus moves...
There was meant to be a third AKI WWE game, WWE Backlash I believe, that modders have either completed or working on and other coders have created a Golden Era 80s roster and stages, plus a mid 90s New Gen, ECW and many others all the way up to the present day...
Re: You Can Join The Creators Of WipEout In A Special Event At London's Loading Bar
Surely the event should be taking place in Liverpool for the Psygnosis connection!
Re: Feature: The Story Of The Indiana Jones Adventure We Never Got To Play, And The Comic It Inspired
Nice article. Never knew any of this was in development back in the 90s...
Re: "Maybe One Day We Could Work With Nintendo" - Bitmap Books On Staying Small And Ambitious
Have the Super Famicom Boxart one and the Computer RPG one both are great...
Looking through their current selection and about half a dozen I really want to get...
Re: This GameCube Mini Is Downright Adorable
Serious question. What 25 Gamecube games would you include in an official Mini Console from Nintendo?
Choose your favourite 5!
I will start...
● Waverace Bluestorm
● Baten Kaitos (underrated)
● Super Monkey Ball
● 1080 Avalanche
● Metroid Prime
Re: Review: ModRetro Chromatic Is So Close To The Real Thing You'd Think Nintendo Made It
Wondered why this hit 55 comments...
...just picked up an original Black GBC a couple of months ago, and was given all my brothers old original Gameboy and Gameboy Colour plus GBA.
He threw away all the boxes plus manuals though and included in selection were Bonks Revenge on original GB and Metroid Zero Missions on GBA plus loads of Square RPGs!
I am definitely getting into collecting for all three of the original Gameboy iterations, as it was my brothers console have a bit of a blindspot in this area of Nintendo History and only started collecting for GBA due to Nintendo DS backward compatability...
Picked up a great version of F Zero never knew existed for GBA last 12 months Maximum Velocity, plus a Japanese only Climax with a track editor exists!
Getting back to hardware if this new Chromatic version has a better backlit screen interested in honesty, need to look at Analogue Pocket as well...
Picked up hard to find Legend of Prince Valiant for original Gameboy that I did not know was based on a totally different computer RPG see here... Archon the Light and the Dark one of the first five games ever published by EA...
Great longform article from RetroDodo on all its history here...
https://retrododo.com/the-story-behind-kingdom-crusade-and-the-legend-of-prince-valiant/
Re: The Genesis Just "Broke Another Myth" With This Amazing Rendition Of A Classic Castlevania Tune
@LowDefAl Literally just working away from home for day at a nice hotel restaraunt plus my Laptop, with headphones on smartphone and this track cycles into touch...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2egNvI1vyD0&pp=QAFIAg%3D%3D
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood - Divine Bloodlines (Extended)
10/10
Re: The Genesis Just "Broke Another Myth" With This Amazing Rendition Of A Classic Castlevania Tune
@AJB83 @AJB83 @AJB83 @AJB83
Wait you wrote R U Overdrive Eurobeat?
I used this track to train for 10k runs in the late 2000s and early 2010s and for my Tennis Performance Psychology investigation, one of the seven...that produced the best results from the Full Album...
That is beyond cool, are you more experienced and a better musician now?
This is totally relevant to some work I am doing right now, can I commission you to do some sample tracks for SFIII and SFIV and SFV? Totally serious.
My suggestion to OC Remix is SFIV a full album if not done so already for 20th anniversary, a total set of new remixes for all characters commissioned, an official album then repeat for SFV...SFIII gets done last...
These could work to help...
I am contacting OC Remix in New Year, Jan to May with design. If I had a sample set of say 3-4 tracks as proof of concept this would help a great deal...
110% Serious.
Re: The Genesis Just "Broke Another Myth" With This Amazing Rendition Of A Classic Castlevania Tune
@NinChocolate The opening intro music of Secret of Mana is one of the greatest pieces of videogame music ever written...
Re: The Genesis Just "Broke Another Myth" With This Amazing Rendition Of A Classic Castlevania Tune
@Deuteros In addition will add this as relevant in relation to exceptional 16 bit music and a real world example as to why these tunes are still so powerful...
Speaking of the greatness of the GOAT the Guile theme the last time I discussed this entire topic I had just found OC Remix in 2008 and was using their remixes for Performance Psychology Training in Running and Tennis serves plus baseline enhancement...
Ideally for greater power and accuracy on serving plus forehand and backhand plus groundstrokes...
(Think Ryu and Ken plus Guile and Akuma tracks on an Apple MP3 player on constant repeat and watch your performance and accuracy level go through the roof on court, the Motzart effect in action)...
I was actually at a National Institute of Sport that videos two tennis performance courts for professional development and coaching to test the increase in metrics for tennis.
Think 50 service drills in 15-20mins with Akuma track "Murder Instinct" on a loop of music serving at a metal liquid skittle to topple...
One of my serves was so 100% accurate and powerful it made the metal liquid skittle reverberate and fall like something out of Virtua Tennis from SEGA with such a decibal volume level as were indoor courts so the soundwave just bounced off the walls internally, the people on the other court, national ranked players stopped playing and looked around wondering what just happened...
That is the power of video game music...
Was way beyond cool to see OC Remix do official Capcom work over many games since then...feature time on company Time Extension.
Here is the killer performance track to gain...
THE EDGE
PRESS PLAY
20 min loop of any Sport or Gym exercise level increases exponentially...depending on your own Psychological Profile...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5FZ88scUp78&pp=ygUeT2MgcmVtaXggbXVyZGVyIGluc3RpbmN0IGFrdW1h
Other Performance Enhancers from OC Remix...
RYU
KEN
CAMMY
GUILE
FEI LONG
BALROG
AKUMA
THAT IS THE REAL KILLER 7
PREPARE YOURSELF! 天
Re: The Genesis Just "Broke Another Myth" With This Amazing Rendition Of A Classic Castlevania Tune
@mashk Guile theme on SNES always wins this answer!
Re: "There Are No Bad Options" - The SNES 2CHIP Vs 1CHIP Debate Just Got Put To Bed
@GhaleonUnlimited
Play via RGB hooked up to a Phillips 8833 Mk II monitor quality is so good on screen I genuinely do not notice any difference between Chip 1 USA NTSC SNES and Chip 2...admittedly Chip 2 is the back up system though...so maybe there is more to it on a subconcious level and reading info here in comments seem to be diffetent variations of Chip 2 architecture as well producing varying results...
Re: "There Are No Bad Options" - The SNES 2CHIP Vs 1CHIP Debate Just Got Put To Bed
Currently have 3 USA SNES NTSC, 2 Mario World 1 Chip editions from early 90s and a 2 Chip from late 90s with Killer Instinct...not much visible difference have to say...
What is different however are the joypads, first generation SNES have a dark L and R letters on the shoulder buttons, later versions do not and the shoulder buttons are half as good with no satisfying click and very soft when pushed. Can mean the difference between a victory or defeat in Streetfighter or Mortal Kombat plus a loss in Mario Kart due to cornering...no joke!
Re: Tetris Effect And Rez Studio Enhance Celebrates 10 Years With New Book And Vinyl Project
@JMX Just had a quick look around and the Rez Vinyl is reasonable at only 50 from various sources but there is an I am 8 Bit limited edition at over 200...
Thank you for heads up regarding original soundtrack JMX.
Re: Castlevania Is Getting A Musical
I would watch this for sure hope it gets an English translation and a World Tour eventually after Japanese success...
Could see Video Game Musicals being a large growth area in the West, musical concerts have been hugely popular with videogame music...Zelda, Final Fantasy et.al
RPGs would work well as have more intricate narratives....
These ones would work best...
● Zelda
● Final Fantasy
● Silent Hill
● Metal Gear Solid
As for a new high profile 2D Castlevania game, all in on that as well, the 3D era is kind over with Lord of Shadows, so may as well revert back to a polished 2D iteration, but Konami going to be Konami in 2024 obviously...
Enjoyed Castlevania on 3DS.
Re: Tetris Effect And Rez Studio Enhance Celebrates 10 Years With New Book And Vinyl Project
I will no doubt get this, have had my eyes on a Rez Vinyl Soundtrack for ages that I need to listen to...
About two decades ago ripped the entire Rez soundtrack to MP3 and used it for gym workouts and 10k runs... it is ideally suited for exercise as well...
Now I just found this amazing article, it might be time to become a full supporter...
https://www.timeextension.com/features/the-making-of-rez-tetsuya-mizuguchis-timeless-masterpiece
Re: Grand Theft Auto Dev Pays Tribute To "The Unsung Hero Of The Franchise"
Requested in a different topic a month ago, please interview Team 17 over the making of "Miami Chase" published by Codemasters on the Amiga from 1990, the true progenitor to the GTA franchise not late 90s...great intro music as well...could add in their early other Amiga games Full Contact, Project X, Alien Breed, Body Blows, Superfrog, Worms et.al as well...
See here...
https://www.lemonamiga.com/games/details.php?id=741
Plus have a Stuart Campbell review from Amiga Power just because...
https://www.everygamegoing.com/larticle/miami-chase-000/45259
Re: New EGM Compendium Project Smashes Kickstarter Target In Under 24 Hours
@RetroGames
Well I just sent an email to Mott, this afternoon, as he is head of Future's entire games portfolio now, with a breakdown of doing these as bookazines or hardcover compendiums from their back catalogue. £400 pounds is a bit steep for an entire physical set of Super Play magazines these days! Fingers crossed they pick up on an obvious area to monetize previous content...
Re: New EGM Compendium Project Smashes Kickstarter Target In Under 24 Hours
@RetroGames
There is actually a large scope to do this type of book/series for so many great former magazines...with behind the scenes interviews with creators and special columns.
Obviously a market for it as well given popularity of the EGM kickstarter...if Future are sensible they would find ways to monetize their massive back catalogue into special bookazines or hardback books.
● Super Play
● PC Zone
● Mean Machines
● Games X
● Zero
● Your Sinclair
● Zzap
● CVG
● N64 Magazine
● EDGE
● Games TM
● Amiga Power/Format
Retro Gamer had an extra making of the magazine feature booklet recently for their anniversary issue that went down well...
Re: "You Don’t See Sega Enough" - Sega’s Transmedia Boss Wants To "Elevate" The Brand
Easy bring back Pirate TV, the Cyber Razor Cut and the Sega Scream!