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[Lumpy Onion]

Why is Shinobi III so good. I don't understand.

Is this rhetorical? IMO...Awesome physics and control. A showcase of what programmers could do on the genesis hardware right up there with greats like Gunstar and Contra. Memorable bosses. Excellent length and difficulty. Might just be a perfect Ninja side scroller if there ever was one.

lol I should really play my 3D classics of it because I haven't even tried it yet.

 

[Yuterald]

Is this rhetorical? IMO...Awesome physics and control. A showcase of what programmers could do on the genesis hardware right up there with greats like Gunstar and Contra. Memorable bosses. Excellent length and difficulty. Might just be a perfect Ninja side scroller if there ever was one.

lol I should really play my 3D classics of it because I haven't even tried it yet.

Yes, lol! Yeah, Shinobi III is one of my fav Gen games of all time and it's easily my fav Shinob-ster game too. It's just so perfect...and with this M2 port on top of it all, my god.

 

[Lumpy Onion]

Yes, lol! Yeah, Shinobi III is one of my fav Gen games of all time and it's easily my fav Shinob-ster game too. It's just so perfect...and with this M2 port on top of it all, my god.

Hell yes! Now I am dreaming that they get non Sega stuff like Ranger X, Gaires, Thunder Force, etc. I would buy em all! Heck, I even bought Altered Beast.

 

[CrackPebbles]

Just completed Shinobi 3! what a game, my first time playing it. Final level was so rad.

 

[Bog]

They picked the right Shinobi. Wrong Streets of Rage, though. :-/

 

[TrAcEr_x90]

Just got a 3ds and need a game for a road trip for holiday traveling. Shinob III it is.

 

[Dacvak]

Sonic the Hedgehog is soooooo good now. I can't believe what a difference the spin dash makes.

So, is the consensus that I should get Shinobi III as well? How are the 3D effects? What other SEGA 3D games are worth getting?

 

[Brandon F]

Sonic the Hedgehog is soooooo good now. I can't believe what a difference the spin dash makes.

So, is the consensus that I should get Shinobi III as well? How are the 3D effects? What other SEGA 3D games are worth getting?

I find Shinobi has better 3D effects than Sonic. It may be due to the game having more scrolling parallax in the background, but it looks fantastic, really crisp and it's also a lot of fun. Highly recommended.

 

[GDGF]

Another game I'd love to see in 3D:

Like Shadow Dancer, MD/Genesis ESWAT was different, with different levels.

Never got a chance to play arcade ESWAT. Always wanted to though. I have some fond memories of the Genesis version.


And that Turbo game someone posted earlier is freaking haunting me. I feel like I've played it (in a Showbiz Pizza way back in the day) but I might be confusing it with Pole Position or something.

Hell yes! Now I am dreaming that they get non Sega stuff like Ranger X, Gaires, Thunder Force, etc. I would buy em all! Heck, I even bought Altered Beast.

Herzog Zwei with an online mode would be killer. And it's SMS but they should port Zillion just for the fuck of it.

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

Turbo came out a year before Pole Position, and most people know the latter game, so it's easy to confuse the two.

 

[MichaelFassbender]

Hot damn, GF2 is awesome. All the extra options are neat, and actually digging out the circle pad pro for once paid off. I'm glad more titles keep coming, hopefully we'll see more arcade ports in the future.

 

[Lumpy Onion]

Another game I'd love to see in 3D:

Like Shadow Dancer, MD/Genesis ESWAT was different, with different levels.

YES! That was my all time favorite arcade game as a kid. I vaguely remember being pissed that you couldn't continue properly at the last boss, even if you had the tokens for it. I gave the genesis version a lot of crap at the time because it wasn't the same as the arcade. But in retrospect it wasn't that bad. Pretty much entirely different games so I was probably wrong in comparing them in the manner that I did.

 

[Khaz]

But, hopefully the word is getting out there. These are the best retro releases I've ever seen from Sega, and I hope Sega's getting the message that this is exactly what old-school fans want.

Hopefully Nintendo is getting it too.

 

[AmyS]

Could you even imagine...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COHzMU0pz_0

 

[IrishNinja]

i am down for both ESWAT & Zaxxon 3D, so hard

 

[Platy]

They picked the right Shinobi. Wrong Streets of Rage, though. :-/

The Streets of Rage interview imply they are thinking about the entire trilogy + Golden Axe now that they mastered the beat em up in 3d thing

 

[sörine]

The Streets of Rage interview imply they are thinking about the entire trilogy + Golden Axe now that they mastered the beat em up in 3d thing

Hopefully the go for arcade Golden Axe and it's never-ported sequel then. I don't need the crappy Genesis trilogy taking up precious release slots.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Hopefully the go for arcade Golden Axe and it's never-ported sequel then. I don't need the crappy Genesis trilogy taking up precious release slots.

Yeah, that was my first thought. The Genesis Golden Axe games are pretty rancid. Especially the second and third entries. Even the original arcade game is kinda crap.

... actually, I'm just realizing that Death Adder, which I've never played, is the only potentially good thing that could come out of bothering with that series. But do we really want to swim through all that sewage?

I don't like the taste of sewage.

 

[ghibli99]

Arcade Golden Axe is nice for the visuals, magic scaling effects, etc. The Genesis one played well enough, but like other Sega arcade ports, lacked that "pop" that the arcade originals had.

After several regular plays and getting to Round 5 or so, I just finished Streets of Rage with 1-hit kill turned on. Even with that, some of the bosses jacked me up, especially running into them later in the game again. It was still fun, and I liked the pace better than playing it normally.

I'll be picking up Shinobi III next, so 5 out of the 8 releases will do it for me (these two plus Space Harrier, Super Hang-On, and Galaxy Force II). As much as I want to support M2 and their efforts, paying another $18 for Sonic 1, Altered Beast, and Ecco 1 is a hard sell for me.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Did anyone buy streets of rage? How is the 3D effect?

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

You can always jump on Miiverse and head to the game's community to see some excellent 3D screens. They better add pages for Space Harrier and Sonic, too.

Hot damn, GF2 is awesome. All the extra options are neat, and actually digging out the circle pad pro for once paid off. I'm glad more titles keep coming, hopefully we'll see more arcade ports in the future.

I haven't been playing too much lately because of movies and my family, but the Circle Pad Pro's an interesting way to play that I'm starting to prefer (much more comfortable for cradling without any absolute decay in performance). Really cool to get an idea of how it originally played.

Yeah, that was my first thought. The Genesis Golden Axe games are pretty rancid. Especially the second and third entries. Even the original arcade game is kinda crap.

... actually, I'm just realizing that Death Adder, which I've never played, is the only potentially good thing that could come out of bothering with that series. But do we really want to swim through all that sewage?

I don't like the taste of sewage.

Nintendo Life recommending Arabian Fight for a conversion is probably a lot worse, but I too don't enjoy Golden Axe that much (the arcade original's good, though, it just lacks the visual potential of more SoR). Death Adder would do me a number, though, so I hope they consider that as a title. Still pining for Outrunners, Power Drift and Dark Edge, though the latter would really need multiplayer capabilities.

Horii mentioned doing Gunstar and Landstalker in the SoR interview, which is really awesome of him. Those plus Thunder Blade would kill.

 

[Naked Snake]

Did anyone buy streets of rage? How is the 3D effect?

This has been asked and answered before.

Yes. And it's the best 3D effect of the Genesis/Mega Drive games IMO.

 

[SegaShack]

The fuck? Hahaha. Well what's a good port to play it? I only have PS3 and Windows PC hooked up right now. I also have Wii and a CRT TV, but haven't turned those on in ages.

And why don't I wait for a 3D port by M2

Play the game on the Wii + CRT, trust me it is your best option and will look great. This is how the game is meant to be played. The reason these ports can look so great is partially because of low resolution 3DS screens.

 

[Outright Villainy]

The reason these ports can look so great is partially because of low resolution 3DS screens.

And even at that, the normal mode will look different because it's a really crisp image; the games look more pixellated, more stylised. It's not better or worse, just different (personally I prefer it looking sharper) If you use the classic option to make the screen a bit rounded and add colour bleed it looks a lot closer how it would have looked originally, and it's quite a difference.

 

[ghibli99]

Yeah, the 3D effect in SoR is quite impressive. The pop-out mode really screws with my eyes though, especially when it's just text on the screen.

And even at that, the normal mode will look different because it's a really crisp image; the games look more pixellated, more stylised. It's not better or worse, just different (personally I prefer it looking sharper) If you use the classic option to make the screen a bit rounded and add colour bleed it looks a lot closer how it would have looked originally, and it's quite a difference.

The classic mode is a bit too oldschool for me. LOL Hard to remember things looking that bad! I do enjoy playing others w/ Blargg's NTSC filters.

 

[bill0527]

Please tell me that the games don't look like the promotional videos.

I was interested in some of these games but then watched the videos...and uh based on the videos...no thanks.

 

[brandonh83]

Please tell me that the games don't look like the promotional videos.

I was interested in some of these games but then watched the videos...and uh based on the videos...no thanks.

Nope.

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

Please tell me that the games don't look like the promotional videos.

I was interested in some of these games but then watched the videos...and uh based on the videos...no thanks.

When we say it's all good, we mean it. 3D photos on Miiverse are putting SEGA's marketing efforts to shame, so check there.

Spoiler

Please, anyone, tell me how to take screens for Galaxy Force II

!

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

When we say it's all good, we mean it. 3D photos on Miiverse are putting SEGA's marketing efforts to shame, so check there.

Spoiler

Please, anyone, tell me how to take screens for Galaxy Force II

!

Does Galaxy Force II have a Miiverse? If it does, then do this:

1. Load up Galaxy Force II
2. When you see something cool, press the Home button.
3. Go to Miiverse
4. It'll take you to the Galaxy Force II page automatically. Hit post, and include the screenshot. Then post it.
5. There is no 5th step.



And yeah, these ports are way better than Sega's videos would indicate. I shit on ports of games all day, but even I'll acknowledge that these are excellent.

 

[Khaz]

Does Galaxy Force II have a Miiverse? If it does, then do this:

1. Load up Galaxy Force II
2. When you see something cool, press the Home button.
3. Go to Miiverse
4. It'll take you to the Galaxy Force II page automatically. Hit post, and include the screenshot. Then post it.
5. There is no 5th step.



And yeah, these ports are way better than Sega's videos would indicate. I shit on ports of games all day, but even I'll acknowledge that these are excellent.

Does it also work if the community exists but in another region? Even though games are released worldwide, some communities are Europe only or Americas only.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Does it also work if the community exists but in another region? Even though games are released worldwide, some communities are Europe only or Americas only.

I don't have firsthand knowledge of that, but I would be shocked if that worked. I'm guessing you're limited to your region.

 

[Rlan]

Thinking about it today... one of the games that would benefit a lot from the 3D efects is actually Sonic 3D Blast:

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Thinking about it today... one of the games that would benefit a lot from the 3D efects is actually Sonic 3D Blast:

Bad game, and the Saturn port was better anyway so why even bother?

I just think that with so much out there, that's really scraping the bottom of the barrel, even if that would benefit significantly from 3d.

 

[Kirlia]

Dannng, these games sound amazing. Definitely picking up Sonic, Ecco and Streets of Rage early next year, and hoping that other games (like Sonic 2, the Shining Force series, the Phantasy Star series

Spoiler

please bring over the first phantasy star M2 i beg you

) make it over in the future.

 

[jacob armitage]

I finally got around to picking a few up. Nabbed sonic, shinobi & of course the shocking surprise of Galaxy Force 2 and will continue the get all of them to support the release of the second series.

Man, i knew it was M2 behind these but i'm still pretty blown away by the quality. Spin dash in sonic 1 (would have loved the sonic cd sprite as i think it matches more than the sonic 2 spin dash sprite though), awesome HUD options to make you totally sick in Galaxy force 2 (just like the arcade version!) are such nice additions. This, the Christian Whitehead & Nes remix are how i want these classic re-releases to be treated. With love, not the bullshit backbone emulation.

 

[Ingueferroque]

I would probably pick up a 3DS XL if Rad Mobile received a 3d treatment.

Huge shame that the Saturn release sucked so much.

 

[Opinionatedfish]

I hope we get Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 eventually.
Same with Streets of Rage 2..... and 3.

In a perfect world, they would just be like: "Hey GUYS. 3D LANDSTALKER. Yeah. Let's make that!"

 

[sörine]

I hope we get Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 eventually.
Same with Streets of Rage 2..... and 3.

In a perfect world, they would just be like: "Hey GUYS. 3D LANDSTALKER. Yeah. Let's make that!"

I fully expect Sonic 2 and SOR2 for volume 2. Later games probably depend on how Vol. 2 performs but I feel like we'll probably get to a 3rd set at least.

M2 giving Landstalker a shout out makes me happy too. There's so many Sega Genesis games I'd rebuy on 3DS. Monster Worlds, Phantasy Stars, Shining stuff, Treasure stuff, Ristar, Beyond Oasis, Comix Zone, Ranger X, Sonic CD and so many more.

 

[Yuterald]

Aw man, I'd kill for Landstalker. I still think that may be my favorite Genesis game of all time. I always wanted that PSP remake that never saw the light of day, but I'd much rather have a perfect M2 port with little extra buddy features at this point.

Quick question...I picked up Galaxy Force II and have given it a few runs here and there since downloading it, but I feel like I'm playing it wrong. I'm always running out of fuel by like the second/third stage, lol! I feel really stupid, but what's the deal with that game? I know there's a throttle/brake button (assigned to the left/right bumpers, correct?) but does going faster consume more fuel, I can't tell. Is the objective to kill as much as possible to gain bonus fuel at the end of the stage? Do you get more for locking on to a group of enemies or what? I've also noticed you get some halfway through stages sometimes, sort of at checkpoint-like areas of the stages. Never played this game back in the day so I'm really confused sometimes as to what's happening in that game, hah!

 

[Naked Snake]

Quick question...I picked up Galaxy Force II and have given it a few runs here and there since downloading it, but I feel like I'm playing it wrong. I'm always running out of fuel by like the second/third stage, lol! I feel really stupid, but what's the deal with that game? I know there's a throttle/brake button (assigned to the left/right bumpers, correct?) but does going faster consume more fuel, I can't tell. Is the objective to kill as much as possible to gain bonus fuel at the end of the stage? Do you get more for locking on to a group of enemies or what? I've also noticed you get some halfway through stages sometimes, sort of at checkpoint-like areas of the stages. Never played this game back in the day so I'm really confused sometimes as to what's happening in that game, hah!

I haven't played it much yet, but from what i gathered from Nintendo Life's review, the game is just unfairly difficult. So you probably want to change all the settings you can to make it as "easy" as the options allow you, because even then it's still a difficult game.

Galaxy Force II is a jaw-dropping feat and shows just how much M2 cares for Sega's past, but ironically its devotion to matching the original experience as closely as possible proves to be its biggest weakness. The arcade version — like so many coin-op titles of the period — was designed to gobble coinage at an alarming rate. As a result, Sega enforced an energy system which gradually depletes as you play. Losing your shield and taking damage reduces your energy further, and to restore this vital commodity you must "combo" as many enemies as possible with your lock-on attack — the larger the number of foes you take out in a single volley, the more "energy bonus" you earn, and this is added to your energy stock upon the successful completion of a stage. Some of the longer levels also grant you an energy restock mid-way through.

Because your energy level carries over to the next level, many new players will find that they run out during the second stage, and there's no option to continue. Skilled players will relish having to memorise enemy patterns and use the craft's booster and brake system to ensure they take out the maximum number of foes before dashing to the end of the level with as much energy in reserve as possible, but it's an incredibly demanding challenge and one that you feel you're never really supposed to master — after all, Sega wanted people off the arcade unit as quickly as possible so that the next player in the queue could have a go.[ M2 has offered a few concessions to the handheld gamer by allowing you to slow down the rate of energy depletion and bolster your shields so they can absorb more punishment before breaking, but even with these aids in play, Galaxy Force II remains a difficult and borderline unfair game.

...

Galaxy Force II's coin-eating parentage actually works against it. The difficulty balance is totally skewed for an arcade environment, which is to be expected given that M2 has sought to produce as authentic a facsimile of the original as possible. Unless you're willing to really knuckle down and master each level to its fullest, chances are you'll never complete the game. In that respect, Galaxy Force II could be seen as the ultimate test for shooter fans — or a title which, in its original form, was shameless in its quest to consume your spare change. Either way, finding out which side of the fence you're on is all part of the fun, and we should be eternally thankful to Sega and M2 for giving us the opportunity to experience this remarkable title in arcade-perfect form at such a reasonable price.

 

[wondermega]

YES! That was my all time favorite arcade game as a kid. I vaguely remember being pissed that you couldn't continue properly at the last boss, even if you had the tokens for it. I gave the genesis version a lot of crap at the time because it wasn't the same as the arcade. But in retrospect it wasn't that bad. Pretty much entirely different games so I was probably wrong in comparing them in the manner that I did.

Console Eswat was definitely one if the better forgotten early releases on the genesis - it's not much talked about, but if you consider it as a more futuristic Shinobi type, and you are a fan of such games, it will be right up your alley. I'd say it's certainly aged much better than its arcade counterpart..
Other games I'd love to see get the 3D treatment are Thunderforce 2, although most would argue in favor of 3/4.. 2 has those parallax-heavy overhead sequences which would look really interesting however. For that matter can you imagine Musha in 3D? Wow...

 

[Canon]

Riddle me this:

3D Sonic... or Sonic 1 on Android?

 

[Yuterald]

I haven't played it much yet, but from what i gathered from Nintendo Life's review, the game is just unfairly difficult. So you probably want to change all the settings you can to make it as "easy" as the options allow you, because even then it's still a difficult game.

Originally Posted by Nintendolife.com

Galaxy Force II is a jaw-dropping feat and shows just how much M2 cares for Sega's past, but ironically its devotion to matching the original experience as closely as possible proves to be its biggest weakness. The arcade version — like so many coin-op titles of the period — was designed to gobble coinage at an alarming rate. As a result, Sega enforced an energy system which gradually depletes as you play. Losing your shield and taking damage reduces your energy further, and to restore this vital commodity you must "combo" as many enemies as possible with your lock-on attack — the larger the number of foes you take out in a single volley, the more "energy bonus" you earn, and this is added to your energy stock upon the successful completion of a stage. Some of the longer levels also grant you an energy restock mid-way through.
Because your energy level carries over to the next level, many new players will find that they run out during the second stage, and there's no option to continue. Skilled players will relish having to memorise enemy patterns and use the craft's booster and brake system to ensure they take out the maximum number of foes before dashing to the end of the level with as much energy in reserve as possible, but it's an incredibly demanding challenge and one that you feel you're never really supposed to master — after all, Sega wanted people off the arcade unit as quickly as possible so that the next player in the queue could have a go.[ M2 has offered a few concessions to the handheld gamer by allowing you to slow down the rate of energy depletion and bolster your shields so they can absorb more punishment before breaking, but even with these aids in play, Galaxy Force II remains a difficult and borderline unfair game.
...

Galaxy Force II's coin-eating parentage actually works against it. The difficulty balance is totally skewed for an arcade environment, which is to be expected given that M2 has sought to produce as authentic a facsimile of the original as possible. Unless you're willing to really knuckle down and master each level to its fullest, chances are you'll never complete the game. In that respect, Galaxy Force II could be seen as the ultimate test for shooter fans — or a title which, in its original form, was shameless in its quest to consume your spare change. Either way, finding out which side of the fence you're on is all part of the fun, and we should be eternally thankful to Sega and M2 for giving us the opportunity to experience this remarkable title in arcade-perfect form at such a reasonable price.

Oh, cool, I guess I was right about some things then. Holy shit is this game tough on default settings. Usually my rule is to try and beat old school games like this on default settings (not adjusting live/continue stocks or the score thresholds required for an additional 1up, etc.) but this is pretty ridiculous. I'll keep trying to play the game as I was and see how I improve.

 

[Opinionatedfish]

I fully expect Sonic 2 and SOR2 for volume 2. Later games probably depend on how Vol. 2 performs but I feel like we'll probably get to a 3rd set at least.

M2 giving Landstalker a shout out makes me happy too. There's so many Sega Genesis games I'd rebuy on 3DS. Monster Worlds, Phantasy Stars, Shining stuff, Treasure stuff, Ristar, Beyond Oasis, Comix Zone, Ranger X, Sonic CD and so many more.

I bought all of Volume 1 and I have already bought all of Volume 2 in the future according to my future self. So, we BETTER get a third wave.

 

[Tizoc]

Why is Shinobi III so good. I don't understand.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADC0G_7CsYw‎

There's one reason for ya~

 

[wondermega]

Re: Galaxy Force being hard.. I think it's great that they presented the game as it was and didn't neuter for the modern audience. Maybe this dings it in some ways (hardly casual friendly) but obviously it's still marketable between the gimmick, presentation, and the price. No one can look at this game and not be intrigued and at least want to give it a try. I'm all for preservation of history and while certainly not a perfect game, GF2 in its original and current incarnations is indeed special and deserving of some limelight - and should be judged accordingly. It represents a time when Sega was an extremely edgy and aggressive arcade developer who dominated that scene while Nintendo ruled at home.

 

[rjc571]

I haven't played it much yet, but from what i gathered from Nintendo Life's review, the game is just unfairly difficult. So you probably want to change all the settings you can to make it as "easy" as the options allow you, because even then it's still a difficult game.

Increasing your starting energy makes the game a complete cakewalk.

 

[CerebralRogue]

They picked the right Shinobi. Wrong Streets of Rage, though. :-/

+1 there.

 

[Psycho Echidna]

First SoR was a pure design and technical choice ... since they were building the gigadrive engine. SoR 2 had scrolling elements that would have taken too long to figure out for 3D.

Now with their experience, they seem confident SoR2 can be done. ( interesting read on the SEGA Blog).

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

Quick question...I picked up Galaxy Force II and have given it a few runs here and there since downloading it, but I feel like I'm playing it wrong. I'm always running out of fuel by like the second/third stage, lol! I feel really stupid, but what's the deal with that game? I know there's a throttle/brake button (assigned to the left/right bumpers, correct?) but does going faster consume more fuel, I can't tell. Is the objective to kill as much as possible to gain bonus fuel at the end of the stage? Do you get more for locking on to a group of enemies or what? I've also noticed you get some halfway through stages sometimes, sort of at checkpoint-like areas of the stages. Never played this game back in the day so I'm really confused sometimes as to what's happening in that game, hah!

Throttling faster does not consume energy, and it's a guaranteed way to beat game on arcade settings. Losing your shield, hitting objects and getting shot at will all decrease your energy; the main two strategies in-game are either to slow down and rack up a massive energy bonus or speed up while comboing relatively less (you should always be moving pretty quick, I think). That Nintendo Life review isn't totally wrong, as the game requires dexterity and an acclimation to arcade-game design quirks (like how you can control where enemies respawn based on the camera, or M2's subtle suggestion that players focus on gaining record scores per level rather than per playthrough). But it's as playable as Landstalker in its default energy settings, and you could do much worse (Altered Beast). Moving to non-default settings should only happen if you're trying to shakedown a single level before putting that muscle memory back into a playthrough.

Does Galaxy Force II have a Miiverse? If it does, then do this:

1. Load up Galaxy Force II
2. When you see something cool, press the Home button.
3. Go to Miiverse
4. It'll take you to the Galaxy Force II page automatically. Hit post, and include the screenshot. Then post it.
5. There is no 5th step.

So simple I could never have figured it out (thank you Crashmo).

Re: Galaxy Force being hard.. I think it's great that they presented the game as it was and didn't neuter for the modern audience. Maybe this dings it in some ways (hardly casual friendly) but obviously it's still marketable between the gimmick, presentation, and the price. No one can look at this game and not be intrigued and at least want to give it a try. I'm all for preservation of history and while certainly not a perfect game, GF2 in its original and current incarnations is indeed special and deserving of some limelight - and should be judged accordingly. It represents a time when Sega was an extremely edgy and aggressive arcade developer who dominated that scene while Nintendo ruled at home.

This is not how you win this argument: badly-designed games are badly designed, and Galaxy Force could have been that game. This version isn't, thankfully. And I don't think Galaxy Force is perfect (there's not enough indicators to help players dodge the big object-extending enemies in stages 3 and 4, which is stupid), but people are banging on it with blanket statements easily refutable.