ArcadeRacingCENTRAL

@SuntannedDuck2 Well, Raw Thrills licensed Cruis'n, and did all the work on that game. If not for them, that series would be dead too.

Even SEGA is doing a better job with their IP these days in terms of new releases, and that's saying something.

I always liked the F-Zero vibe, but never got along with the gameplay, although the sense of speed has always been fantastic. I still listen to all the soundtracks to this day too - all are gold.

And don't even get me started on Wave Race. OK, too late. Boy, that series was amazing. I can only want an ultimate edition. Imagine if they reverse-engineered the Wave Race 64 water physics, slapped on a Metroid Prime Remastered-style coat of paint on it and put in the all the tracks from 64 and Blue Storm.

Le sigh.

I noticed this, and was pretty sad to see it go... can confirm that the game is back in my library too!

The game is actually really great, I've been meaning to dive back in, and now that I've got a few days off, I might just do that

I am sure I have this game on XBLA - will have to book up my 360 soon and check. But yeah, I've got a few games on ZOOM so far... There's some seriously deep cuts on that store - love it!

@sdelfin Yeah, I am super excited to use this on PC with SNES emulation. The micro-switch joystick is going to be amazing, and the added shoulder buttons make it literally perfect for a SNES layout. Being able to scale up Mode-7 and go widescreen with SNES games now in emulators means it'll be a pretty special experience, at least for me it will be!

I have many 8bitdo controllers suitable for SNES games, but I really can't go past the micro-switch joystick.

I'm definitely tempted by the limited edition designs. I think I'll be wanting two units. One all-black original, and either the Iori or Kyo edition. Probably Iori, because I do like those purple flames

YES!!! I only ever tried a Neo Geo controller in stores back in the day, but I did have a Neo Geo Pocket Colour, and I adored the stick on my unit.

Yup, Day 1

This is awesome. I have been waiting for a mod like this to come along for a long, long time! Kudos to the dev!!!

@smoreon Oh goddamned it, haha. I should have known that, I watched the trailer for it as soon as it dropped in Steam, haha!

@smoreon It kind of yo-yo's. The AI, depending on the update can go from manageable to super tough, but eh, I tend to just go full time-trail with it most of the time now, so it doesn't affect me all too much. It is better than the original release though, that's for sure.

And Andsor has indeed done a bang-up job on the game. So many free updates and modes... I can't wait to pay him more for the DLC, haha!

I backed this on Kickstarter years ago, and am really happy with how this game turned out. Full disclosure, I'm one of the AI opponents in the game (AJ Belmont). I'm still not fussed on the actual AI, but I love the courses and style. The controls aren't perfect, but they've been much improved over the years. I purchased the Switch version too, it runs pretty great there.

Super eager to buy the expansion pack, it looks stunning, and I'm really digging the colours and the 3D elements that have been worked in.

I can't vote; there's no option for 'they're both amazing'

@Gorejelly I would have loved to see what a raster-style racing game looked like on the system would have looked like.... There were none, haha! Cool Boarders doesn't count

But yeah, it's a great system, love it. Again, I'll never get over the amazing microswitch joystick, it's so good.

@-wc- YEah, it's a fine line. I'd love to see it happen, but equally terrified, haha!

And BallisticNG is coming to Switch eventually, so there's that! Have you played it? It is literally the EXACT spiritual successor to the classic WipEout games that you want

@-wc- They'd be completely different movies in either case, I think! And it depends on what you're after in a movie. F-Zero would work for the masses as an anime, or a typical 3D movie that is all the rage these days.

WipEout would be far more interesting, I think, and possibly less generic. Also, a rather dangerous thing to adapt; if it doesn't hit the mark, and nail the style, then it could be a disaster.

It'd need to be a British production too. It needs that edge, something Hollywood is absolutely dreadful at these days. I'm imagining an Alex Garland/Duncan Jones pairing. One can dream

It seems the WipEout vs F-Zero argument rages on, haha.

I'd take a WipEout movie any day. It has the visual style, music and almost decades of lore to make a great racing flick

I sold my NGPC a while ago, but man, was it a great little system or what? I wish the microswitch joystick would make a comeback; anything and everything was a pleasure to play on that little thing

@killroy10 Absolutely, most DEFINITELY appreciated on this end!!!

@killroy10 And a fine job you did too, it turned the Mega CD version into my favourite port of the game! Thanks for your hard work. People like you are keeping retro gaming alive

@smoreon Yeah. the lack of colour in the latest Zelda games has bugged me. I've never been into the whole de--saturated, washed out thing. BotW and ToTK with Windwaker colours would be amazing. I loved Twilight Princess as a game, but that had that old 360/PS3 gen brown look. Colour makes me want to dive right into a world

Knowing the modding community around Sonic, this will be playable in 3... 2...

@-wc- It's not small, but they could definitely work on the comfort factor. I'm 6 foot 2, and I have large hands too. My main issue is that it's a bit straight when resting in your palms, and doesn't fit as well as an Xbox Style controller would. Still, you totally get used to it, and it's absolutely worth it for the hall sensor sticks and triggers. It is incredibly well built, and should last a long, long time.

Still, I my controller of choice for the Switch is the larger Xbox-style PXN 9670x.It's a super inexpensive controller that is less than half the price, but probably the most comfortable Switch experience I've had. Super solid, awesome colour range and for the price, you really can't argue with it. The build quality is crazy good for the price, and it has one of my favourite d-pads around.. I own better controllers, but I just can't get enough of the soft-touch rubber-feeling plastic of the PXN; I own four of them, haha

https://www.amazon.com.au/PXN-Wireless-Controller-Vibration-Compatible/dp/B09KPJPRZP/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=pxn%2B9607x%2Bwireless%2Bgame%2Bcontroller&sr=8-1&th=1

@Viewtifu1 I got the Bluetooth version. The 2.4ghz mode works on Switch, but it won't wake the console. The Bluetooth mode does. However, I find the Bluetooth mode on Switch to be the least laggy of all of 8bitdo's controllers, so I use the 2.4ghz mode on my PC, and the Bluetooth mode on my Switch.

Such a great controller, almost perfect. They just need to make the next version a TAD more comfy, and it really will be the Ultimate controller for Switch/PC gamers

@KGRAMR Yeah, it's come leaps and bounds in the last couple of years in terms of optimizations; it runs like butter now. Very impressive!

@-wc- Yeah, it's crispy AF. I actually prefer this version too, but all are great. Check out the rest of his tracks... there are many, MANY SNES to Genesis covers there that are absolutely god-tier. The CastleVania ones are among my faves

@-wc- Savaged Regime did a Mega Drive cover of the beach theme... It's pretty amazing. https://youtu.be/XydJ8sF4AJU

Not really my game, but love that this is happening. I might give it a spin just for that AMAZING soundtrack... I need it!

Oh boy, I have been hanging out for this!!! I know what I'll be doing on my next day off. Cheers!

@-wc- You're in for a treat with Xeno Crisis then, if you decide to give it a go! I find super difficult games off-putting, but this is an exception. I always feel like I am making progress... it's a true arcade experience in that sense. It's also an audio/visual treat.

I wish I was able to keep all my consoles, but I've downsized my life, moved to the country and have gone pretty minimalist, and have only recently gotten rid of most of my collection. I still have my OG Xbox with about 180 games, but my large Saturn collection is gone, along with everything else; so it's emulation for me! Luckily, Saturn emulation is pretty great these days, and the Retro-Bit 2.4ghz controllers help a lot with my Saturn withdrawls.

One day I'll get a MiSTER or something, but until then, I've got my trusty PC and a Raspberry Pi/CRT combo for all my older stuff. I wouldn't mind a Retroid Pocket 3+, but I might just wait until a model that plays GC and PS2 flawlessly comes along

@-wc- RetroGames tends to poison any discussion on Mega Drive games... I ignored them a little while ago. Super entitled and not reasonable at all. I empathise with the authors of these articles; getting all excited about new games like this, only to have the one stick in the mud come back time and time again. Quality games like this, no matter what system they are on, should always be celebrated.

Maybe next time, it would be cool to include gameplay footage with the article... well, off to YouTube I go! Cheers for the nice photos

Looks amazing, loving all the colours and visual flourishes. The music isn't quite in the Space Harrier ballpark, but it's far from bad. Wishlisted!!!

The explosions look like something straight out of The Lawnmower Man and Johnny Mnemonic. Pretty stunning, all told!

@KGRAMR Yeah, this definitely gave me Saturn vibes off the bat! The floor looks like VDP2, and the really low poly count and chunky sprites looks era appropriate.

I don't even like sports games, and this looks amazing. Will give it a whirl! Thanks for the heads-up!

This looks pretty excellent, cannot wait to see it in motion! I'm loving the love the Mega Drive is getting - such a great system with a pretty amazing indie community that keeps going from strength to strength!

No Exhumed/Poweslave on the list hurts my heart. It paved the way for the adventurous elements of Metroid Prime. It's still totally playable today too... The Saturn version still plays relatively well, and the Night Dive re-issue cements its status as a classic.

@RetroGames And with that response, I see you are yet another unreasonable person on the internet with first world problems. There is no narrative here but the one you are spinning.

I look forward to not seeing any of your comments on these kinds of articles any more.

@RetroGames Turning Bitmap Bureau into a villain is pretty unfair though. They only way they are doing this is by bringing on more and more people to port the game. They started with the Mega Drive version as a base themselves. Then they brought it to Dreamcast the modern platforms. From what I remember of the Kickstarter, help came in when the Neo Geo version was started, and more hands on deck appeared with the other platforms.

Maybe if the SNES dev community is as you say, there is nobody willing to heed the call, in which case Bitmap Bureau is blameless in your crusade.

I dare say if they could put it on the SNES, then it'd be there already, or on its way at the very least.

@RetroGames You just answered your own question then. SNES development right now is hard and doesn't have the tools that the others do. It's not being ignored, the right person just has to come along and crack the scene open.

@RetroGames That's the thing, the SNES isn't being shafted, and it doesn't need a defence force. New games for old consoles is a relatively new thing, and don't forget, super niche at the moment.

Maybe you should learn to code? You've obviously got a passion for the hardware. Do something maybe a bit more pro-active; be the change you want to see, maybe?

@RetroGames You know, every time something like this comes up, you bring on the SNES and how it's loved the most and how it's superior to the Mega Drive with all the extra things it can do.

I don't mean to be rude, but your posts in this vein really are one of the certainties of life, along with death and taxes. It's the same school-yard argument I've heard ad-nauseum since the 90s.

Literally nobody is out to get the SNES.

I am sure a port of Xeno Crisis for it will come out eventually. I mean, Bitmap Bureau are a small company, and they seem to be getting to each console in due time. I think the limiting factor will be a way to economically get the Mega Drive score onto the SNES. Going on all the other ports, they've been bringing it over to each version wholesale; I very much doubt the music will be redone to fit the SNES sound hardware.

I know you'll bring up that Streets of Rage example again, and yeah, it's very impressive, but has it been tried in-game, with all the other game-y things going on also? We shall see.

Once the development tools are out there, the games will come. I'd love to see them too.

See you in the next article about a homebrew game, or new Mega Drive game, or new Mega Drive port, or a port of a Mega Drive game to something else that isn't the SNES.

Definitely my favourite Dreamcast racer. Loved it back in the day, and I still play it to this day.

I didn't really like PGR1 all that much. The tech was nice at the time, but all the personality was sucked out. I love the OST to MSR, so getting lumped with the licensed tracks of PGR 1 was a bitter pill to swallow. PGR 2 was licensed too, but much, much better.

PGR 3 & 4 are both equally amazing games. MSR, however, will always be my first love. It's utterly unique, and I love it for that

I think Microsoft should pony up some cash for the rights and licenses, and bring us a true HD collection. Imagine MSR & PGR 1-4 in the same place? That would be brilliant.

I mean, the execution is lacking, but the ambition on display here is pretty awesome. I only ever saw screenshots of this one as a kid (maybe in Next Gen Magazine?) , and I remember thinking it looked great. Had I owned a 3DO, this probably would have blown my mind.

This article actually makes me want to hunt down an ISO and give it a crack. I wonder how much you could improve the performance here by overclocking the cpu? 3DO emulators are good for that kind of stuff

And that Tommy Tallarico music is pretty great too - I always loved his stuff. It's a shame he's had such a fall from grace, and now we have to separate the artist from the art.

Nintendo DS for me, but not the 3DS. Such an amazing library of games that are still fresh, fun and brilliant to play to this very day.

It still feels special just to hold a DS Lite or DSi and settle down with it... something I feel the 3DS lacked. Also, the entire 3DS line hurt my man hands for some reason... odd, when the entire DS range never did.

For me, it's gotta be Alpha 2 Gold, for sure. I love the art-style and the music is god-tier.

I miss the days when 3D Fighters felt like 3D Fighters... they all feel like 2D fighters with 3D graphics to me now. I was never good at them at all, but they're still one of my favourite genre of game from the 90s & 2000s - must be the colourful graphics and great soundtracks. I even like some of the 'bad ones'

Never got to play Tobal No.1, but I have played Tobal No.2 a fair bit, and that game is brilliant. Could possibly be the best 3D fighter on the PSX, even over Tekken 3; it's definitely the prettiest, and the soundtrack was killer!

@Herna It's definitely a step back over the PSP editions... it only runs at 30fps, so it really doesn't have the same feel, unfortunately. I found it a disappointment back on release, but I think it's not too shabby these days

I'd push Unbounded waaaay down... it's a Burnout clone, and not even a good one.

Then, I'd bring RR64 up into 6th place, ahead of Ridge Racer 3D, and bring R:Racing Evolution up too. It's odd, for sure, but give it some time and it grows on you.

Yeah, as it has been said, definitely can't argue the Top 3. Except I'd have Ridge Racer 7 in third, Ridge Racer 2 PSP in second and Type 4 for my number 1.

This looks fantastic. Just the kind of game I am in the mood to really sink my teeth into.

I'm loving those animations, and the music is fantastic.

Wishlisted!

Oh my goodness, YES!!! Finally, Sonic 3D will be actually IN 3D

I will play the utter hell out of this. I loved the Saturn port, warts and all, for its vibrant colours and Richard Jacques soundtrack. With the seemingly free-camera done correctly, this looks perfect.

Those textures are amazing, loving the visual style here.

This has definitely shot to the top of my most wanted indie remakes, fantastic stuff!

Yeah, I this looks stunning. The art for the 3D sections is absolutely sublime in this game. I just wish the 2D overhead sections ran at a better frame rate... they look so choppy in comparison.

I will have to give this a try, I got Albion from GOG, and that game is great. Still choppy in the overhead bits, but the 3D bits are beautiful too.

Have been following these dev diaries for a while now, and they are super impressive.

I LOVE stuff like this. It's amazing to see indie dev's harnessing the power of the N64 properly. I hope the indie scene takes off; it would be brilliant to see unique games and hacks for the hardware that really show off what the hardware could do on it's own terms, without the shadow of the Playstation hanging over it.

Moreover, I would absolutely love to see this generation of consoles get the indie attention that the Mega Drive has been getting as of late.

The SEGA Saturn has a few really impressive projects going on for it at the moment too, check out this insane WIP port of Epic's original Unreal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svdF2Vg17MM