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Why you need to buy 3D Classics Galaxy Force II (3DS): It's the PS2 SEGA AGES ver.!
- Thread starter Hero of Legend
- Start date
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
This sounds aweome. Since I found the first two 3D classics amazing already, I'll definitely try this game. By the way, were did all the arcade specialists at Sega go? Their arcade-style games are so amazing, their biggest strength imo (actually, Sonic, from my point of view, is an arcade-way of doing platformers). I'd love new stuff like this for consoles. Arcade racers, space shooters, do it
. Actually, if these people still work at Sega, Nintendo should call them and let them make a new F-Zero and a new Star Fox.
wondermega
Member
Note #1: this game is awesome. Easily worth the measly couple of dollars one must rub together to buy. In spite of it's age, it will completely wow you between how good of a game it is & what M2 has done to 3D-ify it.
Note #1.b = StarFox it is NOT. If you come into this thread expecting "Sega StarFox" and DL it hoping to have such an experience, you will get sorely spanked and you will definitely NOT like Galaxy Force. The two games have absolutely got many things in common, but - especially if you are not a gamer from back in those days - this game will eat you for breakfast and after the 3D novelty wears off, you will not enjoy it. It's fast. It's hard. It's unrelenting. This game is probably the truest feeling you would get to being in an Xwing fighter in an 80s arcade game at the time between gorgeous visuals, intense speed, and confusing "what the hell just happened" and overall beautiful scifi atmosphere - but modern day gamers will die several times before completing a couple of levels. The gameplay is slightly less binary than, say, Space Harrier (though not by much) and you will probably feel bad for getting your ass beat after playing 3 or 4 times.
But if you do pony up - and if you can put your head in the space (pun kinda intended) of what the arcade scene was like when this game released decades ago, and why it is still so pure, fun, and challenging today, then you will have a blast. Hell, even if you hate it after 3 go-rounds, you'll still come away with a feeling of "I dunno what hit me, but that was impressive"
That all being said, M2 needs to step up and lay some Super Monaco GP on me. Arcade and SMD. Buy this game!
Note #1.b = StarFox it is NOT. If you come into this thread expecting "Sega StarFox" and DL it hoping to have such an experience, you will get sorely spanked and you will definitely NOT like Galaxy Force. The two games have absolutely got many things in common, but - especially if you are not a gamer from back in those days - this game will eat you for breakfast and after the 3D novelty wears off, you will not enjoy it. It's fast. It's hard. It's unrelenting. This game is probably the truest feeling you would get to being in an Xwing fighter in an 80s arcade game at the time between gorgeous visuals, intense speed, and confusing "what the hell just happened" and overall beautiful scifi atmosphere - but modern day gamers will die several times before completing a couple of levels. The gameplay is slightly less binary than, say, Space Harrier (though not by much) and you will probably feel bad for getting your ass beat after playing 3 or 4 times.
But if you do pony up - and if you can put your head in the space (pun kinda intended) of what the arcade scene was like when this game released decades ago, and why it is still so pure, fun, and challenging today, then you will have a blast. Hell, even if you hate it after 3 go-rounds, you'll still come away with a feeling of "I dunno what hit me, but that was impressive"
That all being said, M2 needs to step up and lay some Super Monaco GP on me. Arcade and SMD. Buy this game!
manueldelalas
Time Traveler
SEGA DOES WHAT NINTENDON'T!
Yes, released yesterday.
Galaxy Force II (by CRI, 1990) made for the Fujitsu FM-Towns computer / workstation PC first introduced in 1989 in Japan. Had a 16 MHz Intel 386DX CPU, standard built-in CD-ROM (in fuckin'89 dude!) MS DOS compatibility, powerful custom graphics & audio hardware allowing 1024 16x16 sprites (eat that X68000 and NEO-GEO!) video modes with as many as 32,768 colors on-screen simultaneously out of a possible 16,777,216
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ed8_4xLbfI
FM Towns computer / workstation / PC
FM Towns GFII can be played on the (semi?) compatible FM-Towns Marty, the very first 32-Bit game console ever released, anywhere.
The Marty came out in Japan in February 1993, months before Commodore released the Amiga CD³² in the UK, Europe or anywhere and also months before the Panasonic FZ-1 R.E.A.L. 3DO Interactive Multiplayer came out in the U.S., or any other territory for that matter.
The relationship between the FM Towns Marty console and the FM Towns computer was not unlike that of the AGA-based Amiga CD³² and Amiga 1200.
Pretty much the same CPUs, and the same custom chipset.
Interestingly, FM-Towns got a lousy port of another Y-Board Sega arcade game, Strike Fighter, which was a sequel to G-LOC Air Battle, also on Y-Board, which itself was the basis for Sega's R-360
CRI ported Strike Fighter to FM Towns but it was named After Burner III, which as you may know was then brought over to Mega-CD / Sega CD, the CD-ROM add-on /expansion & upgrade for MD/Genesis that added a 2nd faster 68000 CPU and custom ASIC for hardware scaling & rotation, that although was not as good as any of the super-scalar arcade tech, was better than what Super Fami / SNES could do in MODE 7 alone & unaided or even with a DSP in early carts like Pilotwings and F-ZERO.
Edit: I forgot to add, the Y-Board based, G-LOC-like arcade game Strike Fighter from 1991 is not to be confused with the Ace Combat-ish Sega arcade game that was titled Sega Strike Fighter of 2000 on the Dreamcast-based NAOMI Multiboard Hardware. That one never flew home, in any form. Yet all of these games, including Sky Target MODEL 2 arcade and Saturn, were all sequels of sorts, that eventually climaxed with a certain After Burner arcade game during the last console gen, and later, did eventually find its way home.
Ahem...I apologize for straying off-topic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ed8_4xLbfI
FM Towns computer / workstation / PC
FM Towns GFII can be played on the (semi?) compatible FM-Towns Marty, the very first 32-Bit game console ever released, anywhere.
The Marty came out in Japan in February 1993, months before Commodore released the Amiga CD³² in the UK, Europe or anywhere and also months before the Panasonic FZ-1 R.E.A.L. 3DO Interactive Multiplayer came out in the U.S., or any other territory for that matter.
The relationship between the FM Towns Marty console and the FM Towns computer was not unlike that of the AGA-based Amiga CD³² and Amiga 1200.
Pretty much the same CPUs, and the same custom chipset.
Interestingly, FM-Towns got a lousy port of another Y-Board Sega arcade game, Strike Fighter, which was a sequel to G-LOC Air Battle, also on Y-Board, which itself was the basis for Sega's R-360
CRI ported Strike Fighter to FM Towns but it was named After Burner III, which as you may know was then brought over to Mega-CD / Sega CD, the CD-ROM add-on /expansion & upgrade for MD/Genesis that added a 2nd faster 68000 CPU and custom ASIC for hardware scaling & rotation, that although was not as good as any of the super-scalar arcade tech, was better than what Super Fami / SNES could do in MODE 7 alone & unaided or even with a DSP in early carts like Pilotwings and F-ZERO.
Edit: I forgot to add, the Y-Board based, G-LOC-like arcade game Strike Fighter from 1991 is not to be confused with the Ace Combat-ish Sega arcade game that was titled Sega Strike Fighter of 2000 on the Dreamcast-based NAOMI Multiboard Hardware. That one never flew home, in any form. Yet all of these games, including Sky Target MODEL 2 arcade and Saturn, were all sequels of sorts, that eventually climaxed with a certain After Burner arcade game during the last console gen, and later, did eventually find its way home.
Ahem...I apologize for straying off-topic.
Corleth the Fey
Member
Picked this up last night. I wondered why it looked slightly different to what I remember the arcade version being like. It's because it looks better! Well done M2.
I was lucky enough to live in a British seaside town in the 80's and 90's. One with plenty of well stocked arcades. The pleasure of playing the full deluxe sit down versions of this and Space Harrier is unforgettable.
I actually first saw Galaxy Force II at the old ECTS trade show in London. There were massive hour long queues to play it - but queued I did. It was at that time easily and by quite a large margin the most graphically impressive game I had ever seen. Incredible stuff.
I was lucky enough to live in a British seaside town in the 80's and 90's. One with plenty of well stocked arcades. The pleasure of playing the full deluxe sit down versions of this and Space Harrier is unforgettable.
I actually first saw Galaxy Force II at the old ECTS trade show in London. There were massive hour long queues to play it - but queued I did. It was at that time easily and by quite a large margin the most graphically impressive game I had ever seen. Incredible stuff.
Sounds like something I might like, considering I enjoyed stuff like Rez & Star Fox 64. I might grab it when I get my $20 eShop card from Best Buy & grab it along with Chain Blaster & Attack of the Friday Monsters.
Well, as someone who enjoys on-rails shooters, would I still enjoy it?
Ummm...
1988 SEGA Galaxy Force II is not 1993 Nintendo/Argonaut Star Fox, nor 1997 Star Fox 64.
And oh yeah, it wasn't Nintendo that ripped off Galaxy Force, it was TAITO that did, in 1991/'92, with this game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=205TMQ1Nkfw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l6rBA8B_2g
And what a piss-poor ripoff it was, ahh ?
1988 SEGA Galaxy Force II is not 1993 Nintendo/Argonaut Star Fox, nor 1997 Star Fox 64.
Y-BOARD & 3DS DOES what Super FX and N64 don't ?
And oh yeah, it wasn't Nintendo that ripped off Galaxy Force, it was TAITO that did, in 1991/'92, with this game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=205TMQ1Nkfw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l6rBA8B_2g
And what a piss-poor ripoff it was, ahh ?
HyperZone<3
Member
Yeah, dis game be really something.
its so very odd, being floored by the spectacle of a 25 year old game, but this one delivers it in spades. The game is hard as nails and well balanced (and doesn't even allow credit feeding) and requires real skill to beat. And yes, the 3D effects are astonishingly good.
I'm super impressed with it. Hell, far as I'm concerned, this kinda thing should make the 3DS's rep (yeah, Mario's great, but try these 80's arcade ports).
its so very odd, being floored by the spectacle of a 25 year old game, but this one delivers it in spades. The game is hard as nails and well balanced (and doesn't even allow credit feeding) and requires real skill to beat. And yes, the 3D effects are astonishingly good.
I'm super impressed with it. Hell, far as I'm concerned, this kinda thing should make the 3DS's rep (yeah, Mario's great, but try these 80's arcade ports).
compare this to Nintendo titles released in '88 and realize this has always been the case.
Naked Snake
Member
Altered Beast and Streets of Rage for me. Although I played SoR on Mega Drive and have memories playing it with the neighbor kids, they're not exactly fond memories, and I was never a big fan of beat 'em ups. The only reason I'd consider buying it is if I had a friend with a 3DS who also bought it so we can play co-up.
Snkfanatic
Banned
Welp was already planning to get it sometime. Will buy as soon as I have some extra cash.
RoryDropkick
Member
So glad to see Galaxy Force get the love it deserves. Can't get enough of the OST. I was lucky enough to have a Super Deluxe cabinet in my city as well <San Antonio> It was located at Aladdin's Castle in Windsor Park Mall. That thing was a spectacle. I was lucky enough to be over there every other weekend it seemed like, so it got plenty of play from me.
Sega's super-scalar games of the mid-late 1980s were so ridiculously far ahead of what everyone else in the industry was doing with sprites & bit-mapped graphics, they were untouchable.
Even the so called 'state of the art' home computers like Amiga looked shit faced in comparison, in the light of what Sega was doing in arcades.
They were no doubt further ahead of everyone else in the 80s in sprite technology than they were in the mid-late 90s with the MODEL 2 and MODEL 3 polygon boards vs the likes of PlayStation, 3Dfx, N64, Nvidia, etc.
It is no wonder SEGA dominated the arcades so completely with their perfect blend of techology, graphics, memorable music and face-meltingly fast addictive gameplay.
Their nearest rival, Namco, who would go on to mount a more serious challenge in the 90s with polygon games, were leagues behind Sega in the 80s.
They did not need silly marketing ploys like they did in the 90s such as 'Blast Processing' or hyper aggressive marketing with all the screams to get people to realize they were the best. They just were, the games spoke for themselves. SEGA *was* the best and everyone knew it.
Even the so called 'state of the art' home computers like Amiga looked shit faced in comparison, in the light of what Sega was doing in arcades.
They were no doubt further ahead of everyone else in the 80s in sprite technology than they were in the mid-late 90s with the MODEL 2 and MODEL 3 polygon boards vs the likes of PlayStation, 3Dfx, N64, Nvidia, etc.
It is no wonder SEGA dominated the arcades so completely with their perfect blend of techology, graphics, memorable music and face-meltingly fast addictive gameplay.
Their nearest rival, Namco, who would go on to mount a more serious challenge in the 90s with polygon games, were leagues behind Sega in the 80s.
They did not need silly marketing ploys like they did in the 90s such as 'Blast Processing' or hyper aggressive marketing with all the screams to get people to realize they were the best. They just were, the games spoke for themselves. SEGA *was* the best and everyone knew it.
Why would you do that?
Member
Well, Mario 3 did release in '88 (in Japan) so yeah...
GFII is still amazing, though, and it's very hard to believe it's 25 years old. I NEED to buy it asap. As someone who loves classic games, I can't believe I haven't seen GFII or really even heard of it until now.
Sapiens
Member
I wasn't going to buy this, but I am glad I did. The 3D is some of the best I've seen on the system.
I'm going to end up buying everything from this collection save for Altered Beast and Ecco.
Cannot wait for Streets of Rage and especially my all time favourite MD game, Shinobi 3.
Please bring vol 2 to the NA market, M2!
Great post.
I'm going to end up buying everything from this collection save for Altered Beast and Ecco.
Cannot wait for Streets of Rage and especially my all time favourite MD game, Shinobi 3.
Please bring vol 2 to the NA market, M2!
Great post.
Hero of Legend
Member
Really surprised the Saturn version ran in 30fps, hence they couldn't even get a perfect arcade port on Saturn, what he hell?
So what kind of platform would the 3DS version be? It's obviously above 32-bit platforms due to both the Arcade original being beyond Saturn, and now the higher-res assets. So it is like a DC game maybe?
So what kind of platform would the 3DS version be? It's obviously above 32-bit platforms due to both the Arcade original being beyond Saturn, and now the higher-res assets. So it is like a DC game maybe?
Space Runaway
Member
This game is so good.
It used to be one of those $2.00 games in the arcades so I only got to play it on the giant sit-down cab a couple times(Was sweet though). Finally being able to play through all the stages, in 3d no less, is pure awesome.
It used to be one of those $2.00 games in the arcades so I only got to play it on the giant sit-down cab a couple times(Was sweet though). Finally being able to play through all the stages, in 3d no less, is pure awesome.
FlashbladeGAF
Member
Looks like Star Fox meets Afterburner
Glorious!
Glorious!
Hero of Legend
Member
Yeah.
I wasn't aware of GFII until 1990 when I think Game Pro featured it in 'Cutting Edge' or 'Hot At The Arcades'. I was sure aware of After Burner II by '89 though. That and Altered Beast made me seek out any establishment: arcade, miniature golf, restaurant, bar, theme park, Seven Eleven, etc., that might have a coin-op arcade machine, in the hopes of even just seeing the attract modes of those games.
As I said before, first time I played GFII was in '91 at Galaxy Game Center in Palatine, Illinois just outside Chicago.
as technical feats go, it goes without saying that this is much more impressive than Mario 3.
They had a deluxe one at a Billy Bob's Wonderland in Huntington, WV in 89/90. Used to go there all the time as a kid. I played Afterburner II a lot more because it was less frustrating and easier.
can't beat it yet, but my current high score is 1.47mil. i can get to stage 4 somewhat consistently.
Here's an off-screen recording of that run. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6LZpq_FaPU
Here's an off-screen recording of that run. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6LZpq_FaPU
Colonel Mustard
Banned
Wait, they did? I had so many birthdays at the one in Barboursville, yet I never saw it there?
yep, sure did. rotating cabinet and all.
i remember it beside the DJ Boy machine for some reason.
Dragoon En Regalia
Member
He's not wrong: playing on arcade settings makes for a hellish experience. M2's aware of this, so they've put in options to slow down the energy ticker or add more energy for inexperienced players. This works because, if you go through a stage more slowly to focus on blowing everything up, you'll actually get a higher score than in a faster, straightforward game run. It's an either-or situation that works in favor of new players who want to memorize whole levels. Alternatively, you could just go with the regular settings and blaze through full-throttle, which works out differently but is an equally valid approach. GFII automatically enforces 1 Credit Clear, so the feeling of coming home from work on the Tokyo rail and giving the game its daily run still remains.
I think this game's main flaw is that it varies in-stage locations for certain enemy waves in a way that players can't control. Depending on where you've aimed the TRY-Z right before a wave appears, enemies can spawn more to the left or the right than normal, which you can use to your advantage when planning a run. But, like in the first stage after getting rid of the big ship, the blue launchers that give out lotsa bonus energy can move about at random. It's genuinely annoying!
haha, Didn't even know about this.
I was hoping you'd say it's still there, so I could stop by on a trip to Houston!So glad to see Galaxy Force get the love it deserves. Can't get enough of the OST. I was lucky enough to have a Super Deluxe cabinet in my city as well <San Antonio> It was located at Aladdin's Castle in Windsor Park Mall. That thing was a spectacle. I was lucky enough to be over there every other weekend it seemed like, so it got plenty of play from me.
This is me right now. It's so easy to lose my shield on Ashtar, especially at top gear when trying to avoid the lava serpents.
FlashbladeGAF
Member
Hero of Legend
Member
XD
Also, I'm having trouble STAYING ALIVE in the 2nd level, my fuel just won't last, what am I doing wrong or am not doing?
Now about to go way off topic...
Although it was not the first time I played it, the Six Flags Great America theme park in Gurnee, IL (in Lake County) had several After Burner II machines in the summer of 1990.
One ABII machine, the upright unit, was in an arcade that was inside the waiting area / tent or structure for the American Eagle, a two-track racing all-wooden roller coaster.
These pics aren't mine, no idea when they were taken, but some seem to be older than others
For those of you that know the area, that Six Flags park and that ride, I'm certain the Eagle's little arcade was not Games Gallery Arcade:
I'm not sure if it had a name or not.
Ohhh wait, I think American Eagle's arcade was somewhere around in here!
I know there were more than two arcades in that park, probably like four. Some large, some small.
I think there was an arcade somewhere near the Demon steel coaster.
A deluxe full-motion Thunder Blade cab was in one. Also a Super Monaco GP cab,
Lots of SEGA Super-Scalar memories in that particular park. This was during the time when the infamous Z-FORCE was had just been taken down, the Shock Wave was there, Demon had not yet caused too many problems with people getting stuck upside down.
And this badboy had just opened:
Not from that time, or the same Six Flags park, but still cool none the less.
http://www.sponsorship.com/iegsr/20...cting-Sponsors-And-Closing-.aspx#.Uqt1tVypac8
sixteen-bit
Member
lol I'm ending up buying these on principle
Black Door
Banned
That's typically where all my sessions end too. Too much shit to dodge.
Fucking awesome music in that level, though
Dragoon En Regalia
Member
One of S.S.T's earliest, best album arrangements is for this track. The funk in this game is classic Mickey/Funky K.H.
The 3D is really deep on this, looks amazing. Reminds me of some of the early 3DS games like Pilotwings, Excite bike and Xevious. ...back before devs felt the need to cut back on the 3D due to all the sky is falling 3D headache stories.
Such a shame more devs don't push the 3D effect like this..or at least have additional depth settings in the options. It really makes the visuals shine. More sprite based 3D games please.
Such a shame more devs don't push the 3D effect like this..or at least have additional depth settings in the options. It really makes the visuals shine. More sprite based 3D games please.
Man, I recall reading in EGM's all-Sega magazine Galaxy Force was coming to the Mega Drive with 3-D effects the Master System could not handle. Then it would be ready for Genesis here in the U.S. in time to help Sega take on Super Nintendo.
However the tiny text at the bottom said something like 'photos of arcade version shown'
Found it:
Ha! That dream has finally fuckin' become reality. It only took nearly a quarter fucking century, something called parallax barrier technology, plus, a Nintendo platform to do it on.
Oh the irony here.
However the tiny text at the bottom said something like 'photos of arcade version shown'
Found it:
Ha! That dream has finally fuckin' become reality. It only took nearly a quarter fucking century, something called parallax barrier technology, plus, a Nintendo platform to do it on.
Oh the irony here.
Dragoon En Regalia
Member
No, I've put shooting on hold myself, though I prefer manual control for throttling (and it helps me cradle the 3DS better).
Hey, the best Fantasy Zone game came out on the PS2, nothing's sacred.
Naked Snake
Member
It's glorious.