So I've bought and played Sonic, and I'm itching for another one.
Super Hang-On or Space Harrier? I've never played either before.
Although Space Harrier might be the more recommended and safer choice, I find myself gravitating toward Super Hang-On; I just prefer its "art style" a lot more than Space Harrier. I love the look of the bikes and their colors, and I've always liked racing games... If I could only afford one of the two, would it be unwise to not choose Space Harrier, considering I've never played it?
I'm thinking Galaxy Force II (which I never played either) might cover the "space shooter" slot for me instead.
I've had them all since the japanese releases and got them again here in the US. Super Hang-On is easily my most played and favorite. Space Harrier for the wow factor, though. My favorites of the genesis ports is Shinobi.
I'm definitely buying Ecco and Shinobi (because I love them), but I'm also really tempted to buy Hang-On, Harrier, and Galaxy Force... I just don't have all that money
3D After Burner II Fires Up For Nintendo 3DS eShop In Japan
Sega recently released 3D Space Harrier and 3D Super Hang-On in North America and Europe, as part of their first set of 3D Classics, but it looks like they won’t be cooling their jets anytime soon—3D After Burner II is headed to the Nintendo 3DS eShop in Japan.
After Burner II was originally released in 1987 as a jet cockpit sit-down cabinet arcade title, where you played as a F-14 Tomcat fighter jet, and gunned down enemies while dodging incoming enemy fire.
As a way to emulate the original arcade game and its cabinet that moved according to the motion of the jet, 3D After Burner II features a “Moving Cabinet Mode,” which shows a similar effect that moves according to your maneuvers.
Additionally, Sega will be implementing a “Special Mode,” that features a “lock-on shooting” system, which introduces a different way to test your skills in dogfights against enemies. 3D After Burner II will cost 800 yen on the Nintendo 3DS eShop.
3D After Burner II will be coming out on December 18, for Nintendo 3DS in Japan.
Yeah, how many kids back in the day thought: Oh cute, a game where you play as a dolphin!, and then it grabs you by the ankle and hurls you into a wall, ...a wall covered in sea urchins.
Purchased Space Harrier and Super Hang-On and have been enjoying them quite a bit. Space Harrier has always been one of my favorite arcade games, and M2 did a great job on this. I think some of the sounds aren't accurate, but that could be my memory. Super Hang-On is surprisingly good and challenging. I had the Genesis version, but this arcade port is so much better. Gotta love that scaling.
Not sure what Sega was thinking using the Genesis version of Altered Beast. What a waste... not that the arcade version was *that* much better, but the graphics were much nicer.
Definitely buying Galaxy Force II. Might have to quadruple-dip on Shinobi III, and yeah, more arcade ports are needed! After Burner II will be great if it makes it here. Out Run, Power Drift, etc. They all need to happen!
Well, you need to play games for at least an hour to be able to review them on the eShop, so it's understandable that it might take some people a while to hit that mark with fairly short, quick burst stuff like Super Hang-On and Space Harrier.
Well, you need to play games for at least an hour to be able to review them on the eShop, so it's understandable that it might take some people a while to hit that mark with fairly short, quick burst stuff like Super Hang-On and Space Harrier.
3D Space Harrier is pretty much all I could want from a port. I just wish there was an option to turn the sound effects down, the constant "PSHEWPSHEWPSHEW" from the gun drowns out the amazing music most of the time.
Also, can anyone recommend Galaxy Force II? It's the only game out of this 3D Classics series I've never tried, and I'm wondering if it's a hidden gem or an Altered Beast.
Sonic is beautiful. I must have owned it a good 20 times on various platforms, and played it at least once a year since 91. This is easily my favourite version yet - setting it to pop-out and it looks good enough to touch.
I want to know what the 3D is like in Galaxy Force 2. Is it super-strong or something? The eShop screenshots I get double vision when looking at them (the angles which don't are 2D).
Does anyone remember the review GameFan magazine did on FM-Towns Galaxy Force II in one of their very early issues? It was right next to their review of FM-Towns Tatsujin Oh aka Truxton II.
Seems like arcade Galaxy Force was a rare version like arcade After Burner, which was like a prototype without throttle control, afterburners, somewhat different stage order and slightly different music arrangement.
That's why After Burner II is like 'finished' game.
Not sure what the differences were between Galaxy Force I / II were (never seen a Galaxy Force I machine) but it was probably along the same lines as After Burner / After Burner II.
i'm playing galaxy force 2. it sure looks good. amazing sprite scaling. did starfox 64 steal its fire level from here.
i'm not sure what i'm doing though. how are you supposed to use the touch screen throttle and steer with the pad and shoot? also how do you manage the energy bar?
I want to know what the 3D is like in Galaxy Force 2. Is it super-strong or something? The eShop screenshots I get double vision when looking at them (the angles which don't are 2D).
Yes, the 3D effect is VERY strong. Might be that the 'super scalar' effect is basically taking the same sprite and pasting it over itself over and over again to give the impression of depth that's giving you the double vision effect, but in motion - at 60fps smooth - it's incredible. Maybe one of the best examples of what 3D can do for a game.
Just bought Galaxy Force 2. Looks fucking amazeballs in 3D. I think i might go and buy the original sonic now just to see the 3D effect in that game too!
No idea what I'm doing, but Galaxy Force II looks amazing. Again, lots of stuff to tweak in the options menu.
Ecco is, well, Ecco. Has all the options that the other Genesis games have + Super Dolphin mode. As usual, I tried out the cheat that lets you access the sound test (aka Super Cheat Menu) and, once again, it works perfectly.
As already mentioned, Shinobi III is more like Revenge of Shinobi--In fact it's a direct sequel.
The Revenge of Shinobi on Genesis is called The Super Shinobi on Mega Drive in Japan.
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master on Genesis is The Super Shinobi II on the Japanese Mega Drive.
After the announcement of this 3D series I was really hyped! I wanted 3D Space Harrier so much! That game was awesome in Shenmue 2. So 10 minutes ago I entered the eShop and then I bought it: 3D Sonic the Hedgeog. I don't know why, seriously. But hey, I'm going to play this all night!
3D Space Harrier is pretty much all I could want from a port. I just wish there was an option to turn the sound effects down, the constant "PSHEWPSHEWPSHEW" from the gun drowns out the amazing music most of the time.
Also, can anyone recommend Galaxy Force II? It's the only game out of this 3D Classics series I've never tried, and I'm wondering if it's a hidden gem or an Altered Beast.
DAMN!!!!!....just downloaded 3D Space Harrier!!!!!, i didnt know these were actually the Arcade Versions as it has the MegaDrive/Genesis Logo on the game art in the eShop!?. You can have the hydraulic cab version as well this is awesome!!! Well done M2 but where is my OutRun?.....please dont do another 32X on us
holyshit ...3D Galaxy Force II is visually a-mazing.
It appears to run @ 60fps like the 1988 arcade version, even in 3D, unlike the 1998 Sega AGES Saturn port for Japan which ran @ 30fps and even then still had very noticeable framerate dips and pixelation. I was so disappointed when I got the Saturn import. That's why I went back to playing GFII in emus like Final Burn and MAME for the 60fps.
The 3D effect is awesome, like with 3D Space Harrier and 3D Super Hang-On.
This is even more impressive given the fact that arcade Galaxy Force II ran on SEGA's most potent Super-Scalar Technology that used THREE MC68000 CPUs @ 12.5 MHz each and backed up by Sega's best custom graphics/video chips of the late 1980s. Combined, they handled all of that awesome scaling & rotation.
BTW: it would be a real insult to SEGA
to call it 'MODE 7', --that was a Nintendo 'thing' for SFC / SNES that came (1990-'91) well after SEGA's Super-Scalar boards, the last one being in 1988.
SEGA was doing Super-Scalar Technology probably well before Nintendo even knew what scaling & rotation were. Hey I love Nintendo too, lets just give SEGA their due respect.
Because SEGA's Y Board hardware did things, especially rotation, differently than Saturn / Titan ST-V who's VDP1 / VDP2 was more of an evolution of the 1990 System 32 board rather than like any of Sega's actual Super-Scalar boards from the 80s.
Saturn was actually not well-suited for either Power Drift or Galaxy Force II. The 1998 Saturn ports done by Appaloosa Interactive were half the framerate of the 1988 arcade versions for starters, nevermind the dips below that and the overally pixelated graphics in the GFII port.
So never having played Sega Ages 2500 Vol. 30: Galaxy Force II also by M2 released in 2007 for PlayStation 2 in Japan -- I've only seen YouTube videos, I can say 3D Galaxy Force II on 3DS is a most welcome release and a real treat.
This is the first time western gamers get to play an official, legal home version that is on par with the original 1988 Super-Scalar coin-op game.