This is my first |OT|.
Pier Solar |OT| the BEST 16-bit RPG you've never played. I know what you're thinking how can that be I've never even heard of Pier Solar. But yes it's true, if only because you've never played before because it's BRAND NEW, for the SEGA GENESIS / MEGA DRIVE!
Yes the title of this thread is a bit hyperbolic. I did that on purpose because I wanted fans of 16-bit RPGs to at least check it out if they've never heard of it.
Full disclosure. But, I was fortunate enough to VOLUNTEER and help beta test so I've played through the entire game. I still payed for my copy of the game myself. Right now I'll just give you my very brief impressions of the game. I won't spoil anything. I posted a longer review on post # 2 of this thread.
This game is fantastic, while it did not surpass my favorite 16-bit RPGs it's a very good game. I have no doubt that if this game was released during the 90s it would've been a hit. If you think of a great 16-bit RPG I bet Final Fantasy III, Chrono Trigger, The Lunars, Phanatasy Star IV, Earthbound and some others immediately come to mind. As I said it did not surpass my personal favorites from the 16-bit generation. But IMO Pier Solar can sit proudly next to the any of the great 16-bit RPGs. If your a fan of 16-bit RPGs I urge you to try and get a copy of this game, I think you'd really enjoy it. I was somewhat surprised to find how much I really enjoyed this game. I'm sort of sad that it's audience will be limited by it's retro release.
REVIEWS AND SCORES ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST
So what is Pier Solar? When was it released
It's a brand new RPG for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive
It was firt shipped from China to customers on about December 13th or 14th 2010.
More info at http://www.piersolar.com/
So it's a new Genesis game. Is it really on a cartridge?
Yes it's actually on a cartridge. It can also make use of an OPTIONAL audio CD too.
CD??? So is it a Sega CD / Mega CD game too?
No it's not
No it is strictly a Cartridge game, the CD just has enhanced audio on it.
You'll have to burn the optional CD yourself.
DOWNLOAD HERE
Mirrors are allowed I'll try and have some posted here before the REPRINT ships in-case their servers get bombarded when it's released with everybody trying to download it at the same time.
Be sure to only use a CD-R not a CD-RW as the Sega CD can't read CD-RWs. It also can't read any-sort of DVD disc so don't use those either.
So what's unique about it?
It's a 64Mb cartridge. Larger than any other Genesis cartridge. Phantasy Star IV was 24Mb One of the versions of Street Fighter II was 40Mb
It's the only Genesis game to make use of an enhanced audio CD. If you don't have a Sega CD fine, the cartridge will play just fine with regular music like any normal cartridge. If you do have a Sega CD the cartridge can access the CD and stream some of the highest quality(at least in bit rate) PCM music ever heard on the Sega CD.
This is a feature that has never been done before on any game, not even by SEGA themselves.
A cartridge can access and use data off of the CD!
Can I play the audio CD on a standard CD player?
No.
Lunar the Silver Star uses redbook audio that you can play on a CD player.
Lunar 2 Eternal Blue uses PCM audio, you can't play it on a CD player.
Pier Solar also uses PCM audio. But supposedly at a bit rate so high that only a few FMV games streamed at comparable bit rates and that was video.
SO WHAT DOES THE MUSIC SOUND LIKE?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dudBuSkj_QY
Here is a small comparison of the title screen. First Cartridge Music, next what it sounds like with the CD
Below are just a few of the over 50 tracks in the game. That's what it should sound like if you use the optional CD.
Alina's Theme - Pier Solar Sega CD PCM Sound Track
The Flowing Waters - Pier Solar Sega CD PCM Sound Track
Boss Remix - Pier Solar Sega CD PCM Sound Track
Forest Theme - Pier Solar Sega CD PCM Sound Track
Sea Of Tears - Pier Solar Sega CD PCM Sound Track
Kruller Town - Pier Solar Sega CD PCM Sound Track
What about the 32X
It's supposed to have a small Easter Egg only accessible when played through the 32X system.
No color or graphic enhancements though.
So where did this game come from? How did it happen?
Slightly modified from Sega Wikia
Pier Solar and the Great Architects is the first game made by Water Melon Development, a development team that originated in the homebrew gaming scene of Eidolon's Inn and focused on releasing new games to the Sega Mega Drive.
Pier Solar will be the very first all new game to appear on the Sega Mega Drive and Sega CD in this millennium. It is not a port, not a translation, and has no ripped content whatsoever.
Development of the game started in 2004 as a mini-game starring the members of the homebrew website Eidolon's Inn, such as Kega Fusion-developer Steven Snake. It soon became an effort to create a full role-playing game in the style of Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, and Phantasy Star IV. A fully playable demo of the game was released on September 1, 2008.
The first big announcement of the game was made in 2007 in an interview with the popular Mega Drive fansite Sega-16. On October 29, 2007 a teaser was released. On January 13, 2008 the game was officially named Pier Solar and the Great Architects, and an official website and forums were launched. Since then the game has been reported about on many gaming-related websites.
More info at
Interview: Pier Solar Team
Preview: Pier Solar & the Great Architects
After the demo was released, Later in the fall of 2008 they started taking Pre-Orders. Then an artist left the project, and didn't want any of his artwork used. And the project was delayed
And now finally on December 13th/14th 2010 it shipped out.
SO WHATS THE STORY ABOUT
Taken from Sega Wikia
''In a prospered and peaceful town called Reja, there live three best friends: Hoston, Alina and Edessot.
Young and curious, they want to go on a herb-seeking quest to help cure Hoston's father's illness.
Little do they know ... it will be the beginning their lifetime journey where they will learn
the true meaning of friendship and the thrill of adventure.
This journey will demand their courage and wisdom to solve the long lost mystery while
they face the forces of destruction by the evil man who is trying to change the world for his own good.
Trough his escapade, they will be reborn as great heroes to protect the universe from a mistaken purpose.
CAN I STILL BUY IT? WHAT IS THIS ABOUT IT IT SELLING OUT?
A special Pre-Order edition of the game sold out months ago before the game was even finished.
REPRINT HAS NOW ALSO SOLD OUT IN LESS THAN 2 WEEKS!
IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'LL BE MAKING MORE SO CHECK BACK SOON.
A "RePrint" edition has now been made and is available for purchase from
http://www.piersolar.com
IT LOOKS LIKE THE REPRINT WILL START SHIPPING IN FEBRUARY.
It's $45 US and that includes FREE world wide shipping charges.
It looks like they are only making 1 version or style of the "RePrint". And it seems like the packaging and design is based on the classic black and white grid style of the older Sega boxes.
It will feature:
Cartridge with English, French, and German languages
HARD PLASTIC GAME CASE
Manual
PIER SOLAR STICKERS(use them to enter the contest for the WHITE NOMAD)
REGION FREE WILL WORK WORLD WIDE ON NTSC AND PAL SYSTEMS ORIGINALLY MANUFACTURED BY SEGA
Will probably have compatibility problems with the newer clone systems that are currently being sold. And it also might have some problems on *some* of the Majesco manufactured systems.
You'll have to burn the optional CD yourself.
DOWNLOAD HERE
Mirrors are allowed I'll try and have some posted here before the REPRINT ships in-case their servers get bombarded when it's released with everybody trying to download it at the same time.
Be sure to only use a CD-R not a CD-RW as the Sega CD can't read CD-RWs. It also can't read any-sort of DVD disc so don't use those either.
SO WHAT DID THE SOLD OUT PRE-ORDER EDITION INCLUDE?
It had a few things the REPRINT doesn't
Choice of (3)versions of packaging and some extra language choices
Sturdy cardboard case(no plastic)
a folded up Poster
and probably most notable it included the enhanced audio CD
The 3 pre-order versions of the game were available for pre-orders starting in 2008. These versions are sold out now.
They were all region free and should work on any official hardware originally manufactured by SEGA.
a US version featuring the red Genesis logo, and English, Spanish, and Portuguese languages.
A EUR version featuring the blue Mega Drive logo and English, French, and German languages
a JPN version featuring the blue Mega Drive logo and English, Spanish, French languages and Japanese menus.
WHAT ABOUT A ROM OR DIGITAL DOWNLOAD RELEASE?
No info about anything like that yet.
Even if the cartridge gets dumped, the rom included on the cartridge is *supposedly* coded not to work on any of the current Sega emulators.
I personally wouldn't expect them announce anything like a rom or digital download release while cartridges are still being sold. If ever, I honestly don't know what future plans they have for the game.
But IF something like that happens I'll be sure to update this post about it.
SCREENSHOTS
I tried to resize the 3 below to match the ones above but they came out kind of blurry.
Packaging and BOX ART
These pics below are for the pre-order versions. The reprint version looks to be based on the classic B&W design, no actual pics of that yet. We had to wait until it was actually released to get these pics below
Click to enlarge
![](http://i.imgur.com/IsZK2s.jpg)
![](http://i.imgur.com/SfolGs.jpg)
Here's what the "Reprint" cartridge will probably look like. No large pics of the case yet.
Unboxing video
Someone posted this unboxing of the Japanese PRE-ORDER version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyocQnonHDo
Gameplay Videos
Here's the only one I could find that is from the final version of the game, and wasn't some blurry thing with a camera pointed at a TV screen. Currently most of the other gameplay videos on youtube are of the Demo or Beta, and the game has changed since then.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFwL8id1Ysg
I'll try to post a better gameplay video when I can find one.
REVIEWS AND SCORES
SPANISH
GamesTribune (Spain)
http://issuu.com/gamestribune/docs/...issuu.com/v/light/layout.xml&showFlipBtn=true
(pages 92-95)
SCORE 90 out 100
Someone posted a user review. But, I don't think he finished the entire game yet
http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9068543
RATING B
The development team said they just started or will be sending review copies out to some websites. So more professional reviews should be showing up soon.
I'll add more here as I find them, even negative ones.
Also HERE are impressions from people that beat the game WARNING SPOILERS
Pier Solar |OT| the BEST 16-bit RPG you've never played. I know what you're thinking how can that be I've never even heard of Pier Solar. But yes it's true, if only because you've never played before because it's BRAND NEW, for the SEGA GENESIS / MEGA DRIVE!
Yes the title of this thread is a bit hyperbolic. I did that on purpose because I wanted fans of 16-bit RPGs to at least check it out if they've never heard of it.
Full disclosure. But, I was fortunate enough to VOLUNTEER and help beta test so I've played through the entire game. I still payed for my copy of the game myself. Right now I'll just give you my very brief impressions of the game. I won't spoil anything. I posted a longer review on post # 2 of this thread.
This game is fantastic, while it did not surpass my favorite 16-bit RPGs it's a very good game. I have no doubt that if this game was released during the 90s it would've been a hit. If you think of a great 16-bit RPG I bet Final Fantasy III, Chrono Trigger, The Lunars, Phanatasy Star IV, Earthbound and some others immediately come to mind. As I said it did not surpass my personal favorites from the 16-bit generation. But IMO Pier Solar can sit proudly next to the any of the great 16-bit RPGs. If your a fan of 16-bit RPGs I urge you to try and get a copy of this game, I think you'd really enjoy it. I was somewhat surprised to find how much I really enjoyed this game. I'm sort of sad that it's audience will be limited by it's retro release.
REVIEWS AND SCORES ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST
![fvJXv.jpg](http://imgur.com/fvJXv.jpg)
So what is Pier Solar? When was it released
It's a brand new RPG for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive
It was firt shipped from China to customers on about December 13th or 14th 2010.
More info at http://www.piersolar.com/
So it's a new Genesis game. Is it really on a cartridge?
Yes it's actually on a cartridge. It can also make use of an OPTIONAL audio CD too.
CD??? So is it a Sega CD / Mega CD game too?
No it's not
No it is strictly a Cartridge game, the CD just has enhanced audio on it.
You'll have to burn the optional CD yourself.
DOWNLOAD HERE
Mirrors are allowed I'll try and have some posted here before the REPRINT ships in-case their servers get bombarded when it's released with everybody trying to download it at the same time.
Be sure to only use a CD-R not a CD-RW as the Sega CD can't read CD-RWs. It also can't read any-sort of DVD disc so don't use those either.
So what's unique about it?
It's a 64Mb cartridge. Larger than any other Genesis cartridge. Phantasy Star IV was 24Mb One of the versions of Street Fighter II was 40Mb
It's the only Genesis game to make use of an enhanced audio CD. If you don't have a Sega CD fine, the cartridge will play just fine with regular music like any normal cartridge. If you do have a Sega CD the cartridge can access the CD and stream some of the highest quality(at least in bit rate) PCM music ever heard on the Sega CD.
This is a feature that has never been done before on any game, not even by SEGA themselves.
A cartridge can access and use data off of the CD!
Can I play the audio CD on a standard CD player?
No.
Lunar the Silver Star uses redbook audio that you can play on a CD player.
Lunar 2 Eternal Blue uses PCM audio, you can't play it on a CD player.
Pier Solar also uses PCM audio. But supposedly at a bit rate so high that only a few FMV games streamed at comparable bit rates and that was video.
SO WHAT DOES THE MUSIC SOUND LIKE?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dudBuSkj_QY
Here is a small comparison of the title screen. First Cartridge Music, next what it sounds like with the CD
Below are just a few of the over 50 tracks in the game. That's what it should sound like if you use the optional CD.
Alina's Theme - Pier Solar Sega CD PCM Sound Track
The Flowing Waters - Pier Solar Sega CD PCM Sound Track
Boss Remix - Pier Solar Sega CD PCM Sound Track
Forest Theme - Pier Solar Sega CD PCM Sound Track
Sea Of Tears - Pier Solar Sega CD PCM Sound Track
Kruller Town - Pier Solar Sega CD PCM Sound Track
What about the 32X
It's supposed to have a small Easter Egg only accessible when played through the 32X system.
No color or graphic enhancements though.
So where did this game come from? How did it happen?
Slightly modified from Sega Wikia
Pier Solar and the Great Architects is the first game made by Water Melon Development, a development team that originated in the homebrew gaming scene of Eidolon's Inn and focused on releasing new games to the Sega Mega Drive.
Pier Solar will be the very first all new game to appear on the Sega Mega Drive and Sega CD in this millennium. It is not a port, not a translation, and has no ripped content whatsoever.
Development of the game started in 2004 as a mini-game starring the members of the homebrew website Eidolon's Inn, such as Kega Fusion-developer Steven Snake. It soon became an effort to create a full role-playing game in the style of Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, and Phantasy Star IV. A fully playable demo of the game was released on September 1, 2008.
The first big announcement of the game was made in 2007 in an interview with the popular Mega Drive fansite Sega-16. On October 29, 2007 a teaser was released. On January 13, 2008 the game was officially named Pier Solar and the Great Architects, and an official website and forums were launched. Since then the game has been reported about on many gaming-related websites.
More info at
Interview: Pier Solar Team
Preview: Pier Solar & the Great Architects
After the demo was released, Later in the fall of 2008 they started taking Pre-Orders. Then an artist left the project, and didn't want any of his artwork used. And the project was delayed
And now finally on December 13th/14th 2010 it shipped out.
SO WHATS THE STORY ABOUT
Taken from Sega Wikia
''In a prospered and peaceful town called Reja, there live three best friends: Hoston, Alina and Edessot.
Young and curious, they want to go on a herb-seeking quest to help cure Hoston's father's illness.
Little do they know ... it will be the beginning their lifetime journey where they will learn
the true meaning of friendship and the thrill of adventure.
This journey will demand their courage and wisdom to solve the long lost mystery while
they face the forces of destruction by the evil man who is trying to change the world for his own good.
Trough his escapade, they will be reborn as great heroes to protect the universe from a mistaken purpose.
CAN I STILL BUY IT? WHAT IS THIS ABOUT IT IT SELLING OUT?
A special Pre-Order edition of the game sold out months ago before the game was even finished.
REPRINT HAS NOW ALSO SOLD OUT IN LESS THAN 2 WEEKS!
IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'LL BE MAKING MORE SO CHECK BACK SOON.
http://www.piersolar.com
IT LOOKS LIKE THE REPRINT WILL START SHIPPING IN FEBRUARY.
It's $45 US and that includes FREE world wide shipping charges.
It looks like they are only making 1 version or style of the "RePrint". And it seems like the packaging and design is based on the classic black and white grid style of the older Sega boxes.
It will feature:
Cartridge with English, French, and German languages
HARD PLASTIC GAME CASE
Manual
PIER SOLAR STICKERS(use them to enter the contest for the WHITE NOMAD)
REGION FREE WILL WORK WORLD WIDE ON NTSC AND PAL SYSTEMS ORIGINALLY MANUFACTURED BY SEGA
Will probably have compatibility problems with the newer clone systems that are currently being sold. And it also might have some problems on *some* of the Majesco manufactured systems.
You'll have to burn the optional CD yourself.
DOWNLOAD HERE
Mirrors are allowed I'll try and have some posted here before the REPRINT ships in-case their servers get bombarded when it's released with everybody trying to download it at the same time.
Be sure to only use a CD-R not a CD-RW as the Sega CD can't read CD-RWs. It also can't read any-sort of DVD disc so don't use those either.
SO WHAT DID THE SOLD OUT PRE-ORDER EDITION INCLUDE?
It had a few things the REPRINT doesn't
Choice of (3)versions of packaging and some extra language choices
Sturdy cardboard case(no plastic)
a folded up Poster
and probably most notable it included the enhanced audio CD
The 3 pre-order versions of the game were available for pre-orders starting in 2008. These versions are sold out now.
They were all region free and should work on any official hardware originally manufactured by SEGA.
a US version featuring the red Genesis logo, and English, Spanish, and Portuguese languages.
A EUR version featuring the blue Mega Drive logo and English, French, and German languages
a JPN version featuring the blue Mega Drive logo and English, Spanish, French languages and Japanese menus.
WHAT ABOUT A ROM OR DIGITAL DOWNLOAD RELEASE?
No info about anything like that yet.
Even if the cartridge gets dumped, the rom included on the cartridge is *supposedly* coded not to work on any of the current Sega emulators.
I personally wouldn't expect them announce anything like a rom or digital download release while cartridges are still being sold. If ever, I honestly don't know what future plans they have for the game.
But IF something like that happens I'll be sure to update this post about it.
SCREENSHOTS
![4453e.jpg](http://imgur.com/4453e.jpg)
![zoC98.jpg](http://imgur.com/zoC98.jpg)
![9kkUO.jpg](http://imgur.com/9kkUO.jpg)
![8Rnse.jpg](http://imgur.com/8Rnse.jpg)
![SADEm.jpg](http://imgur.com/SADEm.jpg)
I tried to resize the 3 below to match the ones above but they came out kind of blurry.
![mNlMZ.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/mNlMZ.jpg)
![eozTO.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/eozTO.jpg)
![21h0x.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/21h0x.jpg)
Packaging and BOX ART
These pics below are for the pre-order versions. The reprint version looks to be based on the classic B&W design, no actual pics of that yet. We had to wait until it was actually released to get these pics below
Click to enlarge
![](http://i.imgur.com/r6U6us.jpg)
![](http://i.imgur.com/GXOUbs.jpg)
![](http://i.imgur.com/IsZK2s.jpg)
![](http://i.imgur.com/XWfGTs.jpg)
![](http://i.imgur.com/SNoPrs.jpg)
![](http://i.imgur.com/wHcnIs.jpg)
![](http://i.imgur.com/u2S3Ms.jpg)
![](http://i.imgur.com/SfolGs.jpg)
Here's what the "Reprint" cartridge will probably look like. No large pics of the case yet.
![LG4DW.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/LG4DW.jpg)
Unboxing video
Someone posted this unboxing of the Japanese PRE-ORDER version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyocQnonHDo
Gameplay Videos
Here's the only one I could find that is from the final version of the game, and wasn't some blurry thing with a camera pointed at a TV screen. Currently most of the other gameplay videos on youtube are of the Demo or Beta, and the game has changed since then.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFwL8id1Ysg
I'll try to post a better gameplay video when I can find one.
REVIEWS AND SCORES
SPANISH
GamesTribune (Spain)
http://issuu.com/gamestribune/docs/...issuu.com/v/light/layout.xml&showFlipBtn=true
(pages 92-95)
SCORE 90 out 100
Someone posted a user review. But, I don't think he finished the entire game yet
http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9068543
RATING B
The development team said they just started or will be sending review copies out to some websites. So more professional reviews should be showing up soon.
I'll add more here as I find them, even negative ones.
Also HERE are impressions from people that beat the game WARNING SPOILERS