@Thad - No, not really. Similar story to US, all the magazines of that time hyped up the PlayStation and to a lesser extent N64. Obviously CD-ROM was a new(ish) technology in terms of a home console, so while the Saturn was also CD based, the titles coming to PlayStation drove consumers that way.
@Thad - I don't know... I have never subscribed to the whole mid-90's '2D is bad' approach. I see you are in the US, where I think it was more of an issue to approach a big title from a 2D perspective, and (allegedly) saw Sony ban much of the great 2D stuff coming over from Japan.
Here in the UK, it never seemed much of an issue. We were happy to have 2D and 3D coexist.
In fact, following on from my post above, look at 32X Knuckles' Chaotix to see how Sega at that time somehow made something as simple as making an incredible 2D platformer (which they had done countless times) so difficult.
The stupid 'rubber band' mechanic is just not fun. Fish-eye lens perspectives are not fun. They needed to give such an important title as 'Saturn Sonic' to a proven team, done away with anything that seemed too 'next gen' or 'innovative gameplay mechanics' and just focused on a great looking fast 2D platformer with more of everything that made the Mega Drive games so popular.
I agree with some posts above - Sonic X-treme looks rubbish, it appears that at least some of the engine was used in Bug/Bug Too! which were also not much fun, and had it been released, although I imagine it would have done well, I don't think it would have been the system saviour some believe it would.
Unfortunately, Sega created a confusing and difficult to code architecture, bungled the launch of the system in the US, although Virtua Fighter was popular in Japan, that was not the case overseas, and there was simply no killer app for it. Add to all of this the Sony juggernaut was thundering forward, with stuff like Ridge Racer, Tekken and WipEout not far off, and it was game over for them.
I still believe, 30 years later, that had there been a Sonic Team or STI 2D follow on from Sonic 3 / Sonic & Knuckles, with gorgeous pixel art, great audio and loads of levels (maybe with an overworld map structure) - maybe a Sonic CD 2, then it could have made a huge difference, but that was not to be.
@N64-ROX - I am certainly no Limited Run apologist, and have not personally ordered from them for a while, but a lot of this boils down to the usual internet ***** of a very vocal group of people on forums, Reddit, comment sections etc. vs. what actually is going on in real life.
There absolutely must still be an awful lot of people ordering from Limited Run (and all the other FOMO physical 'boutique' publishers) otherwise they would simply cease to exist, and this clearly is not the case.
Strictly Limited is just as bad - they actually do have a couple of orders of mine that have not shipped for a couple of years, and if you really want to read about a car crash, check out First Press Games (I think both of these companies are based out of Germany). Seems the business model is exactly the same regardless...
All of these places have the same thing in common, they talk bollocks, the wait for things you order is ages, this then often slips so it's even longer than you expect, if you are crazy enough to pay the extra for various trinkets they are usually poor quality and if you buy legacy system media from them (as in NES or Mega Drive carts, or 3DO discs), then expect some shoddy quality. If you are prepared to wait for the item to be delivered and factor in the likely issues, then you won't be surprised or disappointed!
Bottom line, there is still a niche market for physical media, and these companies are the only way that people will be able to source it. While it would clearly be fantastic if they all had the customer in mind first, they don't and it would appear many people are still happy to pay and then play the waiting game, with a number of those then becoming vocal about the wait or other issues.
I must admit, I was unaware of the drama surrounding this emulator, and someone had already complied this guy's source on the Odin 3 Discord, so I originally got it from there. The 1.1.3 update is doing the rounds now, and I assume that is what this story is referring to.
Sounds like this guy has previous form, with a PlayStation 2 emulator, and he's also behind the Play Store version of Super 3, the Sega Model 3 emulator, which I did buy and runs the games fantastically.
On my Odin 3, performance is not too bad on a number of games I tried - I have seen posts about people tweaking to get stuff like Halo running, but for now if there's a Game Cube or PlayStation 2 port, you would be better off emulating the title on one of those systems.
I am sure when xemu is finally released, everyone will move to that, but as it's not currently available and this guy has stepped into the void, it's hardly surprising people are going after it.
@PopetheRev28 - You know that, do you, for a fact? Or are you making an assumption.
I know for a fact that customs destroyed an item I sent by opening it, trashing it, then putting it in a bag and allowing it to continue to it's destination.
So you are incorrect that 100% of the time a poster destroys their own packages.
I sold a copy of Merlin Racing for the Nuon on eBay last year, it sold for around £200 and was bought by someone in Canada. It was shrinkwrap sealed, with an adhesive strip that had title, format etc. along the top of the case, as was common on disc based media back in the late 90's.
When it arrived with the buyer he sent pictures of the condition it turned up in - helpfully, customs had torn off the wrap, literally run a knife through the top of the case, not only destroying the adhesive strip, but also cutting into the plastic of the case itself! Presumably as it was obviously a cartoon racking game, they weren't worried about any kind of pornography, and must have thought it had drugs inside it, or something.
I have sold sealed games many times, and this was the first time anything like that had happened. I guess in all honesty that the schmuck in customs was just doing their job, and a sealed game like that on a format I guess they didn't recognise maybe flagged it up more than a Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft game. I can't understand why they would not x-ray a sealed item before opening it only if they still had suspicions.
Anyway, I couldn't claim for it as technically customs had done nothing wrong - I was lucky and the buyer was more relaxed about it that I would have been, and didn't even request a refund.
Bottom line - if you are importing something expensive/rare/obscure across boarders, and there is any doubt in your mind that it could be opened for whatever reason, best not to chance it...
@Gs69 100% - pre-control pad, the Konix joysticks were the go-to for me as well, prior to that I think I used an Atari CX-40 for most of the 80's, as I was so used to them from my 2600 and 800XL.
II do oddly remember going through a phase of using Cheetah 125+ sticks before the Navigator, as they were cheap from Argos. Similar to a Quickshot II, I am not sure why I was doing that - maybe I couldn't find replacement CX-40 local to where I lived (or maybe it was the auto-fire?!)
These days, it's usually a Mega Drive or Super NES pad, or a variation of them via bluetooth.
Looking at those receipts... I remember buying SNES and N64 games from them when they used to stick the label with price and other details on the cardboard box! While they weren't too bad to get off, for some reason every time you bought something from them, the person serving you had to scribble their signature (in biro!) on that label, and even after removing you would see the imprint of their signature on the box!!! I'll definitely have some NTSC N64 games in my collection with some random signature pressed into the bottom left of the cover...
I actually applied for a job managing one of their stores around 1998, and got it! This would have been when they were expanding, and I was bored working as a department manager at a large DIY store. I bottled it, and given I ended up working for that DIY store for over 30 years on a decent salary, it was probably for the best. I am sure it would have been a blast, at least for the first few years, though.
Prior to DVD's, then mobiles and tablets, used to be a fantastic place to visit, as the article does a fantastic job of describing.
My first visits were jumping on the train to Tottenham Court Road, itself a tech mecca back in the 80's and 90's, and a quick walk off the side through some office complex into Rathbone Place got you to this utterly amazing shop, with incredible import titles at great prices. Shelf after shelf of NTSC Mega Drive, Super Nintendo, PC Engine and later PlayStation, Saturn, Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast titles. The staff were amazing, knowledgeable and passionate about what they did.
Later in the 90's there was the PC focussed shop on TCR itself, then a Retro shop around 1999 -that didn't last all that long- in the original Goodge Street building. I got my Nomad and a bunch of other bits from there, but also parted with a boxed Jaguar CD! After they closed it down, Retro moved downstairs at Rathbone Place and I always remember walking down the stairs to a cacophony of Neo Geo games and other such delights!
I moved to Harrow and as it expanded, Computer Exchange opened in the town. While not as exciting as going down to Rathbone Place, there was still a treasure trove of import and 16-Bit titles at crazy prices as everyone else turned their attention to PlayStation and Nintendo 64.
Unfortunately, around 2001 Nintendo told them they would not supply the business with PAL Gamecubes, unless they stopped stocking import titles, which killed that side of the business literally overnight. Obviously it made more sense for them to stock PAL consoles and software, but back then it was utterly gutting to see it happen.
From that point, as my interest in what they stocked waned and my personal life changed, I went in less and less. Every time I visited from that point it seemed as though they were getting further away from what I enjoyed about the shops in the first place. These days I might walk in to see how much they are asking for Retro titles, can't actually remember the last time I bought anything from them.
But... For a few years mid-90's to the turn of the century, it was magical! An utterly essential visit in any town that had a branch...
This is going to be an uncharitable comment from me, but does anyone really care? Look at the state of it? I can fully imagine how that game would play - bland, slow, mediocre, mid 90's style PC gaming. Seriously, in this day and age would anyone really want to slog through it?
I really don't understand the Jaguar homebrew scene in general. People getting excited over Atari ST ports of games that take no advantage of the hardware and cost a fair bit! What is that all about? Just get the game on an ST, surely?
I guess in this case, at least it's pushing the hardware a bit, as opposed to another basic ST port.
@SBan83 I've been running the PS3 version through an emulator recently, and it's definitely NOT Model 2 - it's widescreen, for starters.
Having said that, it's very faithful to the original, and the best way you can play the game at home on a console, if you have a PS3 or 360 hanging about.
Can't believe those two systems are 20 years old this year. Absolutely disgusting!
The Extreme Green was definitely a thing in the mid/late 90's at Nintendo - I have an N64 controller in that colour, and an imported Game Boy Pocket as well. Sure the grey one is the same as my 'Smoke' Japanese N64...
Jesus! These are the kind of articles that make me feel old.
I think it's important to state that any perception that Edge was elitist or 'stuck up' was driven by the desire of the launch team to deliver a different type of magazine. The UK magazine market at the time was full of titles which were fairy juvenile, or aimed at a younger market (and to be fair, there is nothing wrong with these, titles like Your Sinclair, Amiga Power etc are hugely popular in their own right). I think for a lot of people entering their college years, who had grown up with C&VG and Mean Machines, they were looking for a more grown up approach to videogame journalism. It really did convey a different style of writing - also remember this was some years before the Internet became popular, so titles like Edge were the only way you'd read about stuff like the FM Towns Marty, or such in-depth coverage of 3DO or Atari Jaguar.
I was there, all the way at the beginning. I waited for the launch issue (it had been hyped in other Future magazines for a couple of months). I was doing a BTEC in Computer Studies at the time, and with a bunch of like minded lads. Those first 50 issues are some of my favourite magazines, the first 20 issues in particular with the coming (and going) of some 32-Bit systems really felt on the cutting edge at the time. The issues building up to the launch of the PlayStation (and to a lesser extent Nintendo 64) conveyed a type of hype I can't really remember since.
I can map out some key points in my lift with those issues of Edge! My time in higher education, the early days of my career, people I knew back then, places I went.
The funny thing is, after all these years I am still a subscriber, although approaching the dreaded 50, don't find much that interests me in 'modern' videogaming, and I am more at home with Retro Gamer these days! For some reason every time I think of cancelling my subscription, I think of those early issues and can't bring myself to do it, even though it's a bit like being in a loveless marriage these days, just going through the motions!
@Martin_H The simple answer to Stu Campbell's question I would say is in the case of the other devices, they lend themselves to a smartphone perfectly.
In my opinion, a gaming device must have physical controls. Try and play one of the Mega Drive releases like Sonic on an iPhone screen - total crap. For 95% of games (notable exceptions like Angry Birds or Doodle Jump) they don't translate well to a flat screen.
As some others have said, while I agree with the sentiment, the 2DS isn't a handheld I have any interest or time for. I bought a 3DS at launch, then I bought a New 3DS when that released. Have to say I wasn't a massive fan of the original 3DS, but like the DS before it, the hardware revision made for a much nicer system overall.
I did end up buying two 2DS, though - for my twins who were around six and a half at the time. They both got the light blue Pokemon system, one got Sun and the other got Moon, so at one point we had four 3DS variants in the house!
Love NewZealand Story - even have the original PCB rotting up in my loft somewhere!
As others have said, the graphic style isn’t all that fantastic, but it’s not horrendous either. We had a remake on the DS years back and that also had a bit of an odd style, plus pointless touch screen sections, so hopefully any puzzles in this don’t stray too far from the original.
I always think people doing these kind of updates or remasters should look to Lizardcube’s Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap to see how to update and at the save time stay faithful to the original.
I remember when Computer & Video Games had news that US Gold had licensed Sonic for the 8 and 16-Bit computers in the UK, but I guess Sega quickly realised the title as mascot material and didn't go through with the deal.
Can you imagine what a US Gold version of Sonic back in 1992 would have played like?!
@Quick_Man See this is where I disagree with you, I think due to the niche nature of the products, people that complain still willingly spend more with them and then continue to complain, or see all these posts around quality or lead times, place orders and are surprised when it takes ages for what they have bought to be sent, or it's not the quality they were expecting.
I personally believe from multiple reports that items they make for vintage hardware are often not the quality you would expect them to be, and I would advise avoiding these. I would have no problem buying a PS5/Switch title from them (outside of wondering how long it would take to arrive), because I don't see the same issues with modern media. I personally would rather buy the title from Japan if possible, leaving the limited print companies as a last resort.
I'm simply stating my opinions. I am not '/going/ for' anything.
I’d follow my comment up with (specifically relating to vintage system versions) and the Rondo of Blood comment further above - just go the way of PCE Works if you are after that.
Yes, it’s just a high quality knockoff, but (these days) it’s got identifying marks to not be confused with the real thing, and due to their unlicensed nature, anything they put out has the correct company branding and system logos on it - no idea how they still get away with it, but they do, so at this point I don’t really see the harm.
All I ever see on comments relating to any of these ‘limited print’ companies is wave after wave of negativity. There’s two things to point out that seem to get lost in that noise;
1) ***** loads of people are still buying from the likes of LRG and SLG, despite all the bad press and long wait times.
2) In most cases, the only way you’ll see physical copies of niche digital titles is through these outfits, hence why point 1 occurs.
I am certainly not defending them, and have had plenty of experience of being mugged off myself (I did amazingly get my copy of Paprium from Watermelon, although First Press is clearly never going to send my Crimzon Clover!) I just don’t understand why all the moaning about business practise in terms of waiting for titles to release. At this stage we all know you are looking at 9-12 months, or longer. Go into it with your eyes open and you’ll feel less pain.
Outside of supply issues, seems that anything most of them do for vintage systems always has issues, so just avoid that (get an Everdrive if you can’t afford the real thing - who the hell wants a Mega Drive or Super Nintendo game without the correct Sega/Nintendo branding on the packaging anyway?!) and the ‘Collectors Editions’ are usually stuffed full of cheap tat, so sticking to the regular editions will save you money and get what’s important anyway - the physical game.
Just my opinion, but the above has seen me right most of the time.
Yeah, what a load of toss - on the other hand, if the AI bubble bursts, the flood of cheap RAM available would benefit everyone. It might also have the benefit of some of these companies not announcing a different handheld variant every other week...
Anyway, specifically in terms of emulation handhelds, I cannot complain, my Odin 3 Ultra was delivered a week ago, and it's fantastic, so that should be all I need for a couple of years.
Awful news, I have bought a few of his DivMMC devices, and he helped me out with an Opus Discovery I got hold of a few years back - a very knowledgeable and helpful chap. Always put a smile on my face when I found the Stroopwafel he included in the box with an order. Looking at his recent Facebook posts it must have been sudden, can't think of anything more awful for his family, especially at this time of year. Rest in Peace Ben Versteeg.
Had the original before selling my GBA collection off, but I did keep Orbital's other release, Racing Gears Advance - now that truly is a 'hidden gem', it's fantastic.
I've not really bothered getting into FPGA yet, I am lucky enough to own most original hardware and I find emulation on PC and handhelds to be a good enough interpretation of what I remember 30-40 years ago for my 50 year old senses to cope with!
I would say that I personally find the constant push (and belief) for a core to be a perfect recreation something of an impossible pursuit. As others have mentioned above, different chipsets on FPGA deliver different results, and with the various subtle revisions of the original hardware, how would it ever be 100% accurate anyway, even a handful of different original consoles would have produced different results, based on different components used in them.
I got a VB bundle off eBay US, with a new in box VB system and new, sealed copies of Mario Clash, Tetris 3D and Warioland. I unsealed those games and probably played them once or twice! Wish I'd kept them sealed these days!
Retrogames.co.uk got some of these rare, expensive Japanese VB games in a few years back (you can still see them if you include sold items, think it was probably around 2019) - he wanted £750 for Virtual Bowling, £1000 for Virtual Lab and £500 SD Gundam. I am pretty sure they were originals, based on the timeframe. I have a complete set of US VB games, and these three are the only ones I need to complete the Japanese set, but post-COVID the prices went mental and you just wouldn't bother these days. As with many things in this hobby, I was lucky to get in early while things were not too expensive.
Sold my new in box one last year, and the 8 games I had dripped out slowly - the console itself had gone gooey, and removing the nasty rubber coating gives it a shiny black finish, which -for a purist- is not how it was intended to me, which annoys my OCD!
Never bothered with it, I think I may have booted it once when I first got it from Comet for a few quid after it all went tits-up!
What a *****-show. I guess it all depends on how the items were disposed of originally, and how they ended up with the individual who sold them on to the anonymous individual who has been implicated.
Around 2010 I happened across a skip load of data, assets and documents relating to a videogame company who had relocated from a site in North London. I literally excavated that skip and took everything that was of interest to me. In my opinion, the company was not that 'exciting', but some of the documents run back to the late 80's and make for very interesting reading as the 8 and 16-Bit eras are those of most interest to me. In addition I got crates of media, lots of backups on tapes and CD-R's etc, Betacam video cassettes, most of which I have never had a chance to do anything with.
I made a decision at the time not to go around publicising this as the company was still trading from their new premises. They went bust a couple of years later, and I still have all this stuff in my loft, although I don't have the time to go through any of it.
My concern back then, while they were still trading, was that even though they had binned everything and it was left sitting in a skip for some time before I realised what it was, could be that publicising it's discovery could have led them to legal issues for me, so I fully empathise with this individual.
Assuming they weren't taken from the old Sega office, and were indeed recovered at the point of disposal, do they really have the right to be so heavy handed?
I have the X68000 version - imported a computer a few years back, then had a chap in Japan bidding on games on Yahoo Auctions in a bit of a haphazard way (I am amazed we ever won anything!)
It is a fantastic game, definitely worth a play. I have managed to get the X68000 emulation in RetroArch going, and found that to be a quick and easy way of running these games, rather than firing up the old beast!
I loved my Odin Pro, and now love my Odin 2 Max! I can't see the need at the minute to upgrade to another Odin, though - there's little need for that power.
Would be better (and less costly) to wait until Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 emulators have made their way across to Android in a more stable manner.
While not technically a home console, I am certain Rave Racer got a PC port to some random 3D video card format in the mid-90's. I am sure it was PowerVR, but could have imagined that. They probably sold all of ten copies! (I actually just Googled it and it was never released!)
Outside of Ridge Racer 2 and Rave Racer, the only other one that would be of real interest to me is Prop Cycle.
I loved that game in the arcades, and even managed to get the massive deluxe sit-down in my rented house back in the early-00's. I got some lads from work to help carry it in through the patio door, and had to leave the marquee box off the top, as it was too tall for the ceiling! I paid about £100 for it, not working (or at least the rear-projection TV wasn't) and I somehow tracked down parts from an Arcade seller I found online and picked them up from Somerset or somewhere. A few evenings were spent trying the get the RGB lenses to converge properly and I got it good enough. My wife should have realised what she was letting herself in for at that point...
I've just ordered the standard Switch physical version from Amazon.jp - it costs as much to ship it to the UK as the game, but I would prefer the Japanese version over the Limited Run release.
The other thing -and this will be the kicker- is there are pirated carts of ZPF on eBay for significantly less than the real deal.
It is obvious that by the end of the week, there will be knock-off Earthion Mega Drive carts on eBay and AliExpress etc. I think that will be an even more painful situation for Koshiro and his team to stomach.
When I went looking the other evening, it did not take me long to find the ZIP file with Earthion and other related files. At the same time, I looked around for recent Mega Drive releases (mainly Homebrew) as it's a while since I put anything on my flashcart - the Ghostbusters hack, Final Fight MD etc.
I knew that ZPF had also been recently released, but the only ROM of that I could see is a demo.
This struck me as odd, given that on the one hand you have a homebrew release that's only on a Mega Drive cart currently (I believe) and no commercial game ROM has been leaked, and on the other you have Earthion, which has released via Steam and now seems to be easily available if you go looking.
So, what is causing the above? Is it that there is more respect for ZPF developer Mega Cat Studios, as it appears people have chosen not to release the ROM. Is it because it is only on a vintage cart currently, so maybe less people who would be inclined to leak it to the internet have the relevant hardware to get the ROM off the cart? Is it because Earthion is on Steam, and easier to extract the ROM file from?
I feel bad for Ancient, and it must be causing them stress knowing it's been pirated, but I still believe that people who were going to buy the game will still do so, even if they have got hold of the ROM beforehand.
I just wish the console releases had happened at the same time as Steam, then I could have bought it as well.
To be fair to Ancient, they held off releasing the Mega Drive cart first as they want to release it in its most ‘perfect’ form when bugs etc. have been ironed out via the Steam and console releases.
I understand and support this. But it doesn’t change the fact that lots of people want a 16-Bit version now!
In fact, I’m surprised the release has gone Steam > Modern Consoles > Original Hardware.
Surely releasing it on Steam and the console digital stores on the same day would have been the right move? Then physical and original hardware a little later due to manufacturing.
I commented on this scenario on the review page last week. Unfortunately it was always going to happen…
I’m surprised they didn’t offer the ROM to purchase, surely would have been simple enough and satisfied the need for people who want to run under emulation on x device, or on original hardware.
I’ll be honest here - I’ve played it via the ROM. I don’t have a Steam account (yes, seriously) but I will buy the physical release on Switch when available (hopefully a JP retail release, but Limited Run if not) and plan to buy the physical cartridge for my Mega Drive as well, although that looks like it’s going to be Limited Run only.
I’m pretty sure the ‘nasty pirate’ comments don’t apply to too many 40/50 something gamers who are always likely to support and even double dip on a game like this - the majority will always want to support the developer.
@Relikk "They ROMs were decrypted yesterday. It works just fine on my MegaSD."
Bit of a shame, really - I find it nuts that they wouldn't have foreseen this outcome, but I am guessing they decided to not release the ROM for purchase as they know people who pirate the game and play it on original hardware will likely buy a physical release regardless.
Comments 102
Re: Yuzo Koshiro Warns The "Current Global Situation" Could Impact Earthion On Genesis
Is the physical 16-Bit cart still a Limited Run only release?
Re: "This Is A Regret In My Life" - Sonic X-treme Designer On The "Fork In The Road" That Killed Saturn's Most Famous Unreleased Game
@Thad - No, not really. Similar story to US, all the magazines of that time hyped up the PlayStation and to a lesser extent N64. Obviously CD-ROM was a new(ish) technology in terms of a home console, so while the Saturn was also CD based, the titles coming to PlayStation drove consumers that way.
Re: "This Is A Regret In My Life" - Sonic X-treme Designer On The "Fork In The Road" That Killed Saturn's Most Famous Unreleased Game
@Thad - I don't know... I have never subscribed to the whole mid-90's '2D is bad' approach. I see you are in the US, where I think it was more of an issue to approach a big title from a 2D perspective, and (allegedly) saw Sony ban much of the great 2D stuff coming over from Japan.
Here in the UK, it never seemed much of an issue. We were happy to have 2D and 3D coexist.
Re: "This Is A Regret In My Life" - Sonic X-treme Designer On The "Fork In The Road" That Killed Saturn's Most Famous Unreleased Game
In fact, following on from my post above, look at 32X Knuckles' Chaotix to see how Sega at that time somehow made something as simple as making an incredible 2D platformer (which they had done countless times) so difficult.
The stupid 'rubber band' mechanic is just not fun. Fish-eye lens perspectives are not fun. They needed to give such an important title as 'Saturn Sonic' to a proven team, done away with anything that seemed too 'next gen' or 'innovative gameplay mechanics' and just focused on a great looking fast 2D platformer with more of everything that made the Mega Drive games so popular.
Re: "This Is A Regret In My Life" - Sonic X-treme Designer On The "Fork In The Road" That Killed Saturn's Most Famous Unreleased Game
I agree with some posts above - Sonic X-treme looks rubbish, it appears that at least some of the engine was used in Bug/Bug Too! which were also not much fun, and had it been released, although I imagine it would have done well, I don't think it would have been the system saviour some believe it would.
Unfortunately, Sega created a confusing and difficult to code architecture, bungled the launch of the system in the US, although Virtua Fighter was popular in Japan, that was not the case overseas, and there was simply no killer app for it. Add to all of this the Sony juggernaut was thundering forward, with stuff like Ridge Racer, Tekken and WipEout not far off, and it was game over for them.
I still believe, 30 years later, that had there been a Sonic Team or STI 2D follow on from Sonic 3 / Sonic & Knuckles, with gorgeous pixel art, great audio and loads of levels (maybe with an overworld map structure) - maybe a Sonic CD 2, then it could have made a huge difference, but that was not to be.
Re: "We Know Trust Is Something You Earn Over Time" - Limited Run Games Reveals "Renewed Fan-First Focus"
@N64-ROX - I am certainly no Limited Run apologist, and have not personally ordered from them for a while, but a lot of this boils down to the usual internet ***** of a very vocal group of people on forums, Reddit, comment sections etc. vs. what actually is going on in real life.
There absolutely must still be an awful lot of people ordering from Limited Run (and all the other FOMO physical 'boutique' publishers) otherwise they would simply cease to exist, and this clearly is not the case.
Strictly Limited is just as bad - they actually do have a couple of orders of mine that have not shipped for a couple of years, and if you really want to read about a car crash, check out First Press Games (I think both of these companies are based out of Germany). Seems the business model is exactly the same regardless...
All of these places have the same thing in common, they talk bollocks, the wait for things you order is ages, this then often slips so it's even longer than you expect, if you are crazy enough to pay the extra for various trinkets they are usually poor quality and if you buy legacy system media from them (as in NES or Mega Drive carts, or 3DO discs), then expect some shoddy quality. If you are prepared to wait for the item to be delivered and factor in the likely issues, then you won't be surprised or disappointed!
Bottom line, there is still a niche market for physical media, and these companies are the only way that people will be able to source it. While it would clearly be fantastic if they all had the customer in mind first, they don't and it would appear many people are still happy to pay and then play the waiting game, with a number of those then becoming vocal about the wait or other issues.
Re: "Grifters Will Grift" - New Android Xbox Emulator Comes Under Fire From Xemu Developer
I must admit, I was unaware of the drama surrounding this emulator, and someone had already complied this guy's source on the Odin 3 Discord, so I originally got it from there. The 1.1.3 update is doing the rounds now, and I assume that is what this story is referring to.
Sounds like this guy has previous form, with a PlayStation 2 emulator, and he's also behind the Play Store version of Super 3, the Sega Model 3 emulator, which I did buy and runs the games fantastically.
On my Odin 3, performance is not too bad on a number of games I tried - I have seen posts about people tweaking to get stuff like Halo running, but for now if there's a Game Cube or PlayStation 2 port, you would be better off emulating the title on one of those systems.
I am sure when xemu is finally released, everyone will move to that, but as it's not currently available and this guy has stepped into the void, it's hardly surprising people are going after it.
Re: "Literally Crying Right Now" - 50 Copies Of This Adult-Only Visual Novel Demo Exist, And One Just Got Destroyed In Transit
@PopetheRev28 - You know that, do you, for a fact? Or are you making an assumption.
I know for a fact that customs destroyed an item I sent by opening it, trashing it, then putting it in a bag and allowing it to continue to it's destination.
So you are incorrect that 100% of the time a poster destroys their own packages.
I ABSOLUTELY DOUBT YOU. Poxy troll!
Re: "Literally Crying Right Now" - 50 Copies Of This Adult-Only Visual Novel Demo Exist, And One Just Got Destroyed In Transit
@PopetheRev28 - You are totally wrong... You don't know what you are talking about as you have had no experience of such a situation.
Re: "Literally Crying Right Now" - 50 Copies Of This Adult-Only Visual Novel Demo Exist, And One Just Got Destroyed In Transit
I sold a copy of Merlin Racing for the Nuon on eBay last year, it sold for around £200 and was bought by someone in Canada. It was shrinkwrap sealed, with an adhesive strip that had title, format etc. along the top of the case, as was common on disc based media back in the late 90's.
When it arrived with the buyer he sent pictures of the condition it turned up in - helpfully, customs had torn off the wrap, literally run a knife through the top of the case, not only destroying the adhesive strip, but also cutting into the plastic of the case itself! Presumably as it was obviously a cartoon racking game, they weren't worried about any kind of pornography, and must have thought it had drugs inside it, or something.
I have sold sealed games many times, and this was the first time anything like that had happened. I guess in all honesty that the schmuck in customs was just doing their job, and a sealed game like that on a format I guess they didn't recognise maybe flagged it up more than a Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft game. I can't understand why they would not x-ray a sealed item before opening it only if they still had suspicions.
Anyway, I couldn't claim for it as technically customs had done nothing wrong - I was lucky and the buyer was more relaxed about it that I would have been, and didn't even request a refund.
Bottom line - if you are importing something expensive/rare/obscure across boarders, and there is any doubt in your mind that it could be opened for whatever reason, best not to chance it...
Re: Review: The QuickShot II - We've Come A Long Way Since This Joystick Ruled The Roost
@Gs69 100% - pre-control pad, the Konix joysticks were the go-to for me as well, prior to that I think I used an Atari CX-40 for most of the 80's, as I was so used to them from my 2600 and 800XL.
II do oddly remember going through a phase of using Cheetah 125+ sticks before the Navigator, as they were cheap from Argos. Similar to a Quickshot II, I am not sure why I was doing that - maybe I couldn't find replacement CX-40 local to where I lived (or maybe it was the auto-fire?!)
These days, it's usually a Mega Drive or Super NES pad, or a variation of them via bluetooth.
Re: They Buried My Beloved CeX
Looking at those receipts... I remember buying SNES and N64 games from them when they used to stick the label with price and other details on the cardboard box! While they weren't too bad to get off, for some reason every time you bought something from them, the person serving you had to scribble their signature (in biro!) on that label, and even after removing you would see the imprint of their signature on the box!!! I'll definitely have some NTSC N64 games in my collection with some random signature pressed into the bottom left of the cover...
I actually applied for a job managing one of their stores around 1998, and got it! This would have been when they were expanding, and I was bored working as a department manager at a large DIY store. I bottled it, and given I ended up working for that DIY store for over 30 years on a decent salary, it was probably for the best. I am sure it would have been a blast, at least for the first few years, though.
Re: They Buried My Beloved CeX
Aah, mid-90's Computer Exchange!
Prior to DVD's, then mobiles and tablets, used to be a fantastic place to visit, as the article does a fantastic job of describing.
My first visits were jumping on the train to Tottenham Court Road, itself a tech mecca back in the 80's and 90's, and a quick walk off the side through some office complex into Rathbone Place got you to this utterly amazing shop, with incredible import titles at great prices. Shelf after shelf of NTSC Mega Drive, Super Nintendo, PC Engine and later PlayStation, Saturn, Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast titles. The staff were amazing, knowledgeable and passionate about what they did.
Later in the 90's there was the PC focussed shop on TCR itself, then a Retro shop around 1999 -that didn't last all that long- in the original Goodge Street building. I got my Nomad and a bunch of other bits from there, but also parted with a boxed Jaguar CD! After they closed it down, Retro moved downstairs at Rathbone Place and I always remember walking down the stairs to a cacophony of Neo Geo games and other such delights!
I moved to Harrow and as it expanded, Computer Exchange opened in the town. While not as exciting as going down to Rathbone Place, there was still a treasure trove of import and 16-Bit titles at crazy prices as everyone else turned their attention to PlayStation and Nintendo 64.
Unfortunately, around 2001 Nintendo told them they would not supply the business with PAL Gamecubes, unless they stopped stocking import titles, which killed that side of the business literally overnight. Obviously it made more sense for them to stock PAL consoles and software, but back then it was utterly gutting to see it happen.
From that point, as my interest in what they stocked waned and my personal life changed, I went in less and less. Every time I visited from that point it seemed as though they were getting further away from what I enjoyed about the shops in the first place. These days I might walk in to see how much they are asking for Retro titles, can't actually remember the last time I bought anything from them.
But... For a few years mid-90's to the turn of the century, it was magical! An utterly essential visit in any town that had a branch...
Re: "Nobody Approached Me To Obtain My Consent" - Revival Of "Abandoned" Jaguar RPG 'The Owl Project' Thrown Into Doubt
This is going to be an uncharitable comment from me, but does anyone really care? Look at the state of it? I can fully imagine how that game would play - bland, slow, mediocre, mid 90's style PC gaming. Seriously, in this day and age would anyone really want to slog through it?
I really don't understand the Jaguar homebrew scene in general. People getting excited over Atari ST ports of games that take no advantage of the hardware and cost a fair bit! What is that all about? Just get the game on an ST, surely?
I guess in this case, at least it's pushing the hardware a bit, as opposed to another basic ST port.
Re: "The Father Of Sega Hardware", Hideki Sato, Has Passed Away
This is the passing of a man who could look back and see he left behind an amazing legacy.
How many of us are familiar with even one piece of hardware he created, and the countless hours of amusement it has provided.
R.I.P Sato-San...
Re: Random: Fan-Made 'Star Fox CD' Adds The Hornet From Daytona USA, Because Why Not
@SBan83 I've been running the PS3 version through an emulator recently, and it's definitely NOT Model 2 - it's widescreen, for starters.
Having said that, it's very faithful to the original, and the best way you can play the game at home on a console, if you have a PS3 or 360 hanging about.
Can't believe those two systems are 20 years old this year. Absolutely disgusting!
Re: Random: Fan-Made 'Star Fox CD' Adds The Hornet From Daytona USA, Because Why Not
@SBan83 The original was ported to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 years ago (if you count those as 'modern platforms'!
Model 2 emulation in Mame has recently really improved as well...
Re: "We're Finishing History, Decades Later" - Analogue 3D's Latest Limited Editions Are Based On Unreleased N64 Prototypes
The Extreme Green was definitely a thing in the mid/late 90's at Nintendo - I have an N64 controller in that colour, and an imported Game Boy Pocket as well. Sure the grey one is the same as my 'Smoke' Japanese N64...
Re: "Yes, It Was Elitist, And No, That Wasn't A Bad Thing" - EDGE Alumni On Why The Mag Is Still Going Strong, Over 30 Years On
Jesus! These are the kind of articles that make me feel old.
I think it's important to state that any perception that Edge was elitist or 'stuck up' was driven by the desire of the launch team to deliver a different type of magazine. The UK magazine market at the time was full of titles which were fairy juvenile, or aimed at a younger market (and to be fair, there is nothing wrong with these, titles like Your Sinclair, Amiga Power etc are hugely popular in their own right). I think for a lot of people entering their college years, who had grown up with C&VG and Mean Machines, they were looking for a more grown up approach to videogame journalism. It really did convey a different style of writing - also remember this was some years before the Internet became popular, so titles like Edge were the only way you'd read about stuff like the FM Towns Marty, or such in-depth coverage of 3DO or Atari Jaguar.
I was there, all the way at the beginning. I waited for the launch issue (it had been hyped in other Future magazines for a couple of months). I was doing a BTEC in Computer Studies at the time, and with a bunch of like minded lads. Those first 50 issues are some of my favourite magazines, the first 20 issues in particular with the coming (and going) of some 32-Bit systems really felt on the cutting edge at the time. The issues building up to the launch of the PlayStation (and to a lesser extent Nintendo 64) conveyed a type of hype I can't really remember since.
I can map out some key points in my lift with those issues of Edge! My time in higher education, the early days of my career, people I knew back then, places I went.
The funny thing is, after all these years I am still a subscriber, although approaching the dreaded 50, don't find much that interests me in 'modern' videogaming, and I am more at home with Retro Gamer these days! For some reason every time I think of cancelling my subscription, I think of those early issues and can't bring myself to do it, even though it's a bit like being in a loveless marriage these days, just going through the motions!
Re: The Best Mistake Nintendo Ever Made? Why 2DS Is The Perfect Embodiment Of Gunpei Yokoi's Core Principles
@Martin_H The simple answer to Stu Campbell's question I would say is in the case of the other devices, they lend themselves to a smartphone perfectly.
In my opinion, a gaming device must have physical controls. Try and play one of the Mega Drive releases like Sonic on an iPhone screen - total crap. For 95% of games (notable exceptions like Angry Birds or Doodle Jump) they don't translate well to a flat screen.
Re: The Best Mistake Nintendo Ever Made? Why 2DS Is The Perfect Embodiment Of Gunpei Yokoi's Core Principles
As some others have said, while I agree with the sentiment, the 2DS isn't a handheld I have any interest or time for. I bought a 3DS at launch, then I bought a New 3DS when that released. Have to say I wasn't a massive fan of the original 3DS, but like the DS before it, the hardware revision made for a much nicer system overall.
I did end up buying two 2DS, though - for my twins who were around six and a half at the time. They both got the light blue Pokemon system, one got Sun and the other got Moon, so at one point we had four 3DS variants in the house!
Re: Commodore's Official Remake Of Taito's The NewZealand Story Launches Next Month
Love NewZealand Story - even have the original PCB rotting up in my loft somewhere!
As others have said, the graphic style isn’t all that fantastic, but it’s not horrendous either. We had a remake on the DS years back and that also had a bit of an odd style, plus pointless touch screen sections, so hopefully any puzzles in this don’t stray too far from the original.
I always think people doing these kind of updates or remasters should look to Lizardcube’s Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap to see how to update and at the save time stay faithful to the original.
Re: Sonic Comes To The Commodore Amiga (In Tech Demo Form, At Least)
What is the purpose of the 16 colour version? Does it run faster, or smoother, or something?
Given the OCS/ECS Amiga is 32 colour as standard, I don't understand why a 16 colour version would be necessary.
Re: Sonic Comes To The Commodore Amiga (In Tech Demo Form, At Least)
I remember when Computer & Video Games had news that US Gold had licensed Sonic for the 8 and 16-Bit computers in the UK, but I guess Sega quickly realised the title as mascot material and didn't go through with the deal.
Can you imagine what a US Gold version of Sonic back in 1992 would have played like?!
Re: "Limited Run Games Has Been My Life For Ten Years" - Josh Fairhurst Announces He's Stepping Away
@Quick_Man See this is where I disagree with you, I think due to the niche nature of the products, people that complain still willingly spend more with them and then continue to complain, or see all these posts around quality or lead times, place orders and are surprised when it takes ages for what they have bought to be sent, or it's not the quality they were expecting.
I personally believe from multiple reports that items they make for vintage hardware are often not the quality you would expect them to be, and I would advise avoiding these. I would have no problem buying a PS5/Switch title from them (outside of wondering how long it would take to arrive), because I don't see the same issues with modern media. I personally would rather buy the title from Japan if possible, leaving the limited print companies as a last resort.
I'm simply stating my opinions. I am not '/going/ for' anything.
Re: "Limited Run Games Has Been My Life For Ten Years" - Josh Fairhurst Announces He's Stepping Away
I’d follow my comment up with (specifically relating to vintage system versions) and the Rondo of Blood comment further above - just go the way of PCE Works if you are after that.
Yes, it’s just a high quality knockoff, but (these days) it’s got identifying marks to not be confused with the real thing, and due to their unlicensed nature, anything they put out has the correct company branding and system logos on it - no idea how they still get away with it, but they do, so at this point I don’t really see the harm.
Re: "Limited Run Games Has Been My Life For Ten Years" - Josh Fairhurst Announces He's Stepping Away
All I ever see on comments relating to any of these ‘limited print’ companies is wave after wave of negativity. There’s two things to point out that seem to get lost in that noise;
1) ***** loads of people are still buying from the likes of LRG and SLG, despite all the bad press and long wait times.
2) In most cases, the only way you’ll see physical copies of niche digital titles is through these outfits, hence why point 1 occurs.
I am certainly not defending them, and have had plenty of experience of being mugged off myself (I did amazingly get my copy of Paprium from Watermelon, although First Press is clearly never going to send my Crimzon Clover!) I just don’t understand why all the moaning about business practise in terms of waiting for titles to release. At this stage we all know you are looking at 9-12 months, or longer. Go into it with your eyes open and you’ll feel less pain.
Outside of supply issues, seems that anything most of them do for vintage systems always has issues, so just avoid that (get an Everdrive if you can’t afford the real thing - who the hell wants a Mega Drive or Super Nintendo game without the correct Sega/Nintendo branding on the packaging anyway?!) and the ‘Collectors Editions’ are usually stuffed full of cheap tat, so sticking to the regular editions will save you money and get what’s important anyway - the physical game.
Just my opinion, but the above has seen me right most of the time.
Re: AI's Insatiable Hunger For RAM Is Going To Play Havoc With The Emulation Handheld Industry In 2026
Yeah, what a load of toss - on the other hand, if the AI bubble bursts, the flood of cheap RAM available would benefit everyone. It might also have the benefit of some of these companies not announcing a different handheld variant every other week...
Anyway, specifically in terms of emulation handhelds, I cannot complain, my Odin 3 Ultra was delivered a week ago, and it's fantastic, so that should be all I need for a couple of years.
Re: "He Will Be Missed By The Spectrum Community" - ByteDelight's Ben Versteeg Has Passed Away
Awful news, I have bought a few of his DivMMC devices, and he helped me out with an Opus Discovery I got hold of a few years back - a very knowledgeable and helpful chap. Always put a smile on my face when I found the Stroopwafel he included in the box with an order. Looking at his recent Facebook posts it must have been sudden, can't think of anything more awful for his family, especially at this time of year. Rest in Peace Ben Versteeg.
Re: GBA Gem 'Scurge: Hive' Infects Modern Platforms Later This Week, With Its Retro, Isometric Take On Metroid
Had the original before selling my GBA collection off, but I did keep Orbital's other release, Racing Gears Advance - now that truly is a 'hidden gem', it's fantastic.
Re: 40 Years After It Launched, This Fan-Made Remake Has Given Us The Ultimate Way To Play Super Mario Bros.
@slider1983 What do you find flawed about it? I think it’s pretty perfect, given the time it was released, and its contemporaries.
Re: Developer Of Saturn FPGA Core Refutes Claim It's 100% Hardware Accurate
I've not really bothered getting into FPGA yet, I am lucky enough to own most original hardware and I find emulation on PC and handhelds to be a good enough interpretation of what I remember 30-40 years ago for my 50 year old senses to cope with!
I would say that I personally find the constant push (and belief) for a core to be a perfect recreation something of an impossible pursuit. As others have mentioned above, different chipsets on FPGA deliver different results, and with the various subtle revisions of the original hardware, how would it ever be 100% accurate anyway, even a handful of different original consoles would have produced different results, based on different components used in them.
Re: One Of The Virtual Boy Games Coming To Switch Is "Worth $10,000"
I got a VB bundle off eBay US, with a new in box VB system and new, sealed copies of Mario Clash, Tetris 3D and Warioland. I unsealed those games and probably played them once or twice! Wish I'd kept them sealed these days!
Re: One Of The Virtual Boy Games Coming To Switch Is "Worth $10,000"
Retrogames.co.uk got some of these rare, expensive Japanese VB games in a few years back (you can still see them if you include sold items, think it was probably around 2019) - he wanted £750 for Virtual Bowling, £1000 for Virtual Lab and £500 SD Gundam. I am pretty sure they were originals, based on the timeframe. I have a complete set of US VB games, and these three are the only ones I need to complete the Japanese set, but post-COVID the prices went mental and you just wouldn't bother these days. As with many things in this hobby, I was lucky to get in early while things were not too expensive.
Re: "The Worst Console Of All Time" Turned 20 This Year – Is Gizmondo Worth A Look In 2025?
Sold my new in box one last year, and the 8 games I had dripped out slowly - the console itself had gone gooey, and removing the nasty rubber coating gives it a shiny black finish, which -for a purist- is not how it was intended to me, which annoys my OCD!
Never bothered with it, I think I may have booted it once when I first got it from Comet for a few quid after it all went tits-up!
Re: Sega Accused Of Using Police To Recover Nintendo Dev Kits It Had "Negligently Disposed Of"
What a *****-show. I guess it all depends on how the items were disposed of originally, and how they ended up with the individual who sold them on to the anonymous individual who has been implicated.
Around 2010 I happened across a skip load of data, assets and documents relating to a videogame company who had relocated from a site in North London. I literally excavated that skip and took everything that was of interest to me. In my opinion, the company was not that 'exciting', but some of the documents run back to the late 80's and make for very interesting reading as the 8 and 16-Bit eras are those of most interest to me. In addition I got crates of media, lots of backups on tapes and CD-R's etc, Betacam video cassettes, most of which I have never had a chance to do anything with.
I made a decision at the time not to go around publicising this as the company was still trading from their new premises. They went bust a couple of years later, and I still have all this stuff in my loft, although I don't have the time to go through any of it.
My concern back then, while they were still trading, was that even though they had binned everything and it was left sitting in a skip for some time before I realised what it was, could be that publicising it's discovery could have led them to legal issues for me, so I fully empathise with this individual.
Assuming they weren't taken from the old Sega office, and were indeed recovered at the point of disposal, do they really have the right to be so heavy handed?
Re: "Lost" Gradius Sequel Nemesis '90 Kai Is Getting A Reissue For The X68000 Z
I have the X68000 version - imported a computer a few years back, then had a chap in Japan bidding on games on Yahoo Auctions in a bit of a haphazard way (I am amazed we ever won anything!)
It is a fantastic game, definitely worth a play. I have managed to get the X68000 emulation in RetroArch going, and found that to be a quick and easy way of running these games, rather than firing up the old beast!
Re: AYN's Successor To The Odin 2 Will Be The First Gaming Handheld Powered By The Snapdragon 8 Elite
I loved my Odin Pro, and now love my Odin 2 Max! I can't see the need at the minute to upgrade to another Odin, though - there's little need for that power.
Would be better (and less costly) to wait until Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 emulators have made their way across to Android in a more stable manner.
Re: OutRun Comes To The Game Boy Color Thanks To This Unofficial Port
The only thing wrong with the modern ports is the removal of the Testarossa.
Both 3DS and Switch versions are great, but the car graphic is off, thanks to licensing issues...
Re: Poll: Which Namco System 22 Game Do You Want To Come To Arcade Archives Next?
@Shaw_Brothers
GTI Club is a Konami game that ran on their Cobra hardware, not System 22…
Agree I’d love to see a port if that arcade version, though…
Re: Poll: Which Namco System 22 Game Do You Want To Come To Arcade Archives Next?
While not technically a home console, I am certain Rave Racer got a PC port to some random 3D video card format in the mid-90's. I am sure it was PowerVR, but could have imagined that. They probably sold all of ten copies! (I actually just Googled it and it was never released!)
Outside of Ridge Racer 2 and Rave Racer, the only other one that would be of real interest to me is Prop Cycle.
I loved that game in the arcades, and even managed to get the massive deluxe sit-down in my rented house back in the early-00's. I got some lads from work to help carry it in through the patio door, and had to leave the marquee box off the top, as it was too tall for the ceiling! I paid about £100 for it, not working (or at least the rear-projection TV wasn't) and I somehow tracked down parts from an Arcade seller I found online and picked them up from Somerset or somewhere. A few evenings were spent trying the get the RGB lenses to converge properly and I got it good enough. My wife should have realised what she was letting herself in for at that point...
Fantastic game!
Re: The Making Of: Earthion - "Working On It Again Reminded Me Just How Incredible The Mega Drive Really Is"
I'll go to my grave with Revenge of Shinobi's music playing in my ears! Can't wait to see what Ancient has planned next.
Re: "Please Support Us" Pleads Yuzo Koshiro As Pirated Earthion ROM Appears Online
I've just ordered the standard Switch physical version from Amazon.jp - it costs as much to ship it to the UK as the game, but I would prefer the Japanese version over the Limited Run release.
Re: "Please Support Us" Pleads Yuzo Koshiro As Pirated Earthion ROM Appears Online
@HammyHavoc
At the end of the day, I am certain that Ancient will make more back on Earthion than Mega Cat will on ZPF.
Re: "Please Support Us" Pleads Yuzo Koshiro As Pirated Earthion ROM Appears Online
The other thing -and this will be the kicker- is there are pirated carts of ZPF on eBay for significantly less than the real deal.
It is obvious that by the end of the week, there will be knock-off Earthion Mega Drive carts on eBay and AliExpress etc. I think that will be an even more painful situation for Koshiro and his team to stomach.
Re: "Please Support Us" Pleads Yuzo Koshiro As Pirated Earthion ROM Appears Online
When I went looking the other evening, it did not take me long to find the ZIP file with Earthion and other related files. At the same time, I looked around for recent Mega Drive releases (mainly Homebrew) as it's a while since I put anything on my flashcart - the Ghostbusters hack, Final Fight MD etc.
I knew that ZPF had also been recently released, but the only ROM of that I could see is a demo.
This struck me as odd, given that on the one hand you have a homebrew release that's only on a Mega Drive cart currently (I believe) and no commercial game ROM has been leaked, and on the other you have Earthion, which has released via Steam and now seems to be easily available if you go looking.
So, what is causing the above? Is it that there is more respect for ZPF developer Mega Cat Studios, as it appears people have chosen not to release the ROM. Is it because it is only on a vintage cart currently, so maybe less people who would be inclined to leak it to the internet have the relevant hardware to get the ROM off the cart? Is it because Earthion is on Steam, and easier to extract the ROM file from?
I feel bad for Ancient, and it must be causing them stress knowing it's been pirated, but I still believe that people who were going to buy the game will still do so, even if they have got hold of the ROM beforehand.
I just wish the console releases had happened at the same time as Steam, then I could have bought it as well.
Re: "Please Support Us" Pleads Yuzo Koshiro As Pirated Earthion ROM Appears Online
To be fair to Ancient, they held off releasing the Mega Drive cart first as they want to release it in its most ‘perfect’ form when bugs etc. have been ironed out via the Steam and console releases.
I understand and support this. But it doesn’t change the fact that lots of people want a 16-Bit version now!
Re: "Please Support Us" Pleads Yuzo Koshiro As Pirated Earthion ROM Appears Online
In fact, I’m surprised the release has gone Steam > Modern Consoles > Original Hardware.
Surely releasing it on Steam and the console digital stores on the same day would have been the right move? Then physical and original hardware a little later due to manufacturing.
Why is it Steam exclusive for now?
Re: "Please Support Us" Pleads Yuzo Koshiro As Pirated Earthion ROM Appears Online
I commented on this scenario on the review page last week. Unfortunately it was always going to happen…
I’m surprised they didn’t offer the ROM to purchase, surely would have been simple enough and satisfied the need for people who want to run under emulation on x device, or on original hardware.
I’ll be honest here - I’ve played it via the ROM. I don’t have a Steam account (yes, seriously) but I will buy the physical release on Switch when available (hopefully a JP retail release, but Limited Run if not) and plan to buy the physical cartridge for my Mega Drive as well, although that looks like it’s going to be Limited Run only.
I’m pretty sure the ‘nasty pirate’ comments don’t apply to too many 40/50 something gamers who are always likely to support and even double dip on a game like this - the majority will always want to support the developer.
Re: Review: Earthion (Steam) - A Genuine Shmup Masterpiece From Yuzo Koshiro And Makoto Wada
@Relikk "They ROMs were decrypted yesterday. It works just fine on my MegaSD."
Bit of a shame, really - I find it nuts that they wouldn't have foreseen this outcome, but I am guessing they decided to not release the ROM for purchase as they know people who pirate the game and play it on original hardware will likely buy a physical release regardless.