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[sixteen-bit]

I still can't bring myself to buy any of the EA genesis games, and it's mostly because of how the weird carts look. They're unattractive. Shallow reasoning, I know, but I can't get over whatever psychological effect they have on me. They're just...wrong.

I know Road Rash II was re-issued in a regular Genesis cart, and this re-issue came in a cardboard case, so it must have been around 1995.

Were any other EA games re-issued like this?

Good thing I don't have a Genesis 3.

Genesis 3 is a catch-22 for sure. On the plus side, it's region-free without any modding, but you're locked out of using CD or 32X games, and the system is only capable out outputting mono sound. No RGB either.

 

[Diablohead]

Never seen a normal looking megadrive cart of any EA game, what was the reason for the re-issues?

 

[Slermy]

Just got done playing some Championship Pro-Am. That game is a blast to play except for when the yellow car cheats.

Just picked up a copy of this myself. I'll have to keep an eye out for this dastardly yellow car.

I know Road Rash II was re-issued in a regular Genesis cart, and this re-issue came in a cardboard case, so it must have been around 1995.

Were any other EA games re-issued like this?



Genesis 3 is a catch-22 for sure. On the plus side, it's region-free without any modding, but you're locked out of using CD or 32X games, and the system is only capable out outputting mono sound. No RGB either.

Haha, it never really clicked before, but I just checked my cardboard box copies of Desert Strike and Jungle Strike, and sure enough, they're in normal looking genesis cases.

Never seen a normal looking megadrive cart of any EA game, what was the reason for the re-issues?

My guess is that when all genesis games went to cardboard, they didn't want to spend the money on the plastic clamshells anymore. What's interesting, is that the EA cardboard cases still aren't like the other Genesis/32X cardboard boxes (where there's an inner part that slides out) but are closer to the 3rd party GBA boxes where there's a built in lip that holds the cartridge towards the upper section of the box. Probably the same cardboard company.

 

[Genesis Knight]

Never seen a normal looking megadrive cart of any EA game, what was the reason for the re-issues?

Majesco re-issued a lot of games in the later 90s. Some were EA games. All got the standard cart size. Urban Strike is another one I know of.

Same reason there are cardboard versions of some games. Again, Majesco re-releases.

 

[Iceman]

Found my old Genesis in my parent's storage. Got it to work by lodging toothpicks on the rear side of the cart to force it forward - probably not a great long term solution. Played a few innings of Tony LaRussa baseball. Gave up a 3-run homer to Jose Canseco in the first inning. Wasn't even mad. It just reminded me that baseball teams in the nineties had some monsters playing for them. It was like facing lineups full of all-stars compared to teams of today (The Padres had Tony Gwynn followed by Gary Sheffield, Fred McGriff, and Benito Santiago & the Rangers had Ivan Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, Canseco, Ruben Sierra, and Rafael Palmeiro.)

NHL 93 played just like I remember it. Dominik Hasek and Alexander Mogilny are still bastards in that game.

 

[IrishNinja]

i'm on a roll with ebay, maybe the easter holiday's helping? heh

after shadowrun, swung zillion 1 for <$10 boxed, Phantasy Star 1 boxed for $20, El Viento (CIB i think?) for $15, Rolling Thunder 3 loose for $12. hoping for Mega Turrican in a few hours for @ $15, and Lightening Force boxed early in the morning (i work nights, that helps) CIB $10-15. might check on Alisia Dragoon and call it a day for cult stuff!

oh yeah, still debating a few repros - Battle Mania 2/Trouble Shooter 2 as well as Mega Man Wily Wars, what's everyone's take on the latter? i had Sega Channel for a few weeks but never got to play it, kinda always wanted to.

hoping to hear back from gunstarheroes on Punisher & Centy, i swear i'll stop spending after that, haha

 

[Shadow Hog]

IIRC Wily Wars has some slowdown issues not present in the original NES games. Also, Mega Man's sprite looks weird, redone with a big head while similar characters did not have their sprites redone similarly (eg: Proto Man looks like his NES counterpart).

 

[IrishNinja]

ah, okay...so if i can make peace with the sprites & occasional slowdown, i'm good? i think it was shane on retronauts who made it sound far worse, but having a redrawn collectoin like that (rearranged music too!) feels like a nice tradeoff, even if i almost never finish MM games.

 

[Shadow Hog]

I dunno, it's your call. Mega Man is an eyesore, but the games are still about as good as they've ever been.

Also, Shinobi III's double jump suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks. I swear I lost nearly 20 lives because of how goddamn picky the thing is as to whether it works or not. Hit the button too early? Like, well before the timeframe? No double-jump for you. Hit it a smidgen too late? Have a nice fall. It wouldn't be so frustrating if the opening of Stage 6 (with the rocks falling down a chasm) and most of Stage 7 required you be able to superhumanly replicate it on a dime, over endless bottomless pits (which I've determined are a ninja's mortal enemy, instead of pirates).

At least I made it to the final boss. I got my ass kicked and was handed a Game Over, but I made it to him.

Spoiler

And if getting my ass handed to me by jumping segments and bosses wasn't bad enough, all of this was on Easy ;_;

 

[Genesis Knight]

Replace Shinobi III with Revenge of Shinobi and I'd agree with you.

 

[Christina Mackenzie]

It wouldn't be so frustrating if the opening of Stage 6 (with the rocks falling down a chasm) and most of Stage 7 required you be able to superhumanly replicate it on a dime, over endless bottomless pits (which I've determined are a ninja's mortal enemy, instead of pirates).

Stage 6 try running and jumping. Gets you the required distance without having to perform the double jump. I quite like that stage.

Stage 7 I had to get by using the Ikazuchi ninjitsu, but after a while I sort of have the skill and timing needed to get by 80% of the time. I assume you are talking about the areas with the poles and electrified tops.

Replace Shinobi III with Revenge of Shinobi and I'd agree with you.

Same here.

 

[Shadow Hog]

Horizontal distance wasn't the issue in Stage 6, it was pretty squarely a vertical issue; I needed the extra height, most of the time. I love the concept, but the lack of checkpoints in that segment was really getting to me. Did like the foggy pagoda(?), though, even with all the bullshit cheap shots it liked to get in.

My woes with Stage 7 were split across two points: the first segment, with all the pole-hanging and the giant lasers, where the double-jump is required in two spots in order to clear enough horizontal distance; and, well, yeah, a segment involving poles. Not the one with the electrical fence above your head (that just required some good timing with short hops, no double-jumps there), but the one that starts with the platform going in a kind of ^-- pattern, followed by several falling platforms and then several poles; I just couldn't get the height necessary to get atop, like, the second or third pole, unless I mastered the double jump beforehand. I eventually managed to get to the point where I could do it consistently, at least (on my last life, no less), and found a 1Up for my troubles (although not before dying to the dynamite next to it one time), which made working my way through the immediately following segment bearable.

 

[A Black Falcon]

Majesco re-issued a lot of games in the later 90s. Some were EA games. All got the standard cart size. Urban Strike is another one I know of.

Same reason there are cardboard versions of some games. Again, Majesco re-releases.

Not all of the cardboard box games are Majesco, though. The first cardboard box games were published by Tengen. Then Sega used the same design for the cardboard-box-only games, and then finally Majesco used it for their later-'90s re-releases. Everyone knows about the Sega and Majesco cardboard box games, but the Tengen ones are often forgotten...

I still can't bring myself to buy any of the EA genesis games, and it's mostly because of how the weird carts look. They're unattractive. Shallow reasoning, I know, but I can't get over whatever psychological effect they have on me. They're just...wrong.

You should get over that, because games like Blades of Vengeance are fantastic.

 

[Shadow Hog]

I'm also a fan of Rolo to the Rescue (the only EA Genesis game I presently own). I find it kinda odd that the game was never on the Amiga, seeing as developer Vectordean was an Amiga developer originally (at least, I'm pretty sure James Pond started as an Amiga series), and the game sure as hell looks and feels kinda like an Amiga game of sorts, but nope, original Genesis title...

 

[IrishNinja]

i get the complaints for shinobi double-jumping, i think i just played it so many times i had it down pat...it was rare that it'd fail me, but god knows there's stages where it's awful when it does.

speaking of, as an old Alex Kidd fan, always meant to play his Shinobi game, it just came out way too late over here

You should get over that, because games like Blades of Vengeance are fantastic.

never even saw this one before, but it does look fun - i used to dig the sword & sorcery action games like Cadash and Rastan, might have to play this one.

speaking of, i was such a fan of the coin-op of Rastan, still have the SMS one but i was always kinda bummed we didn't get a better port to Genesis, that only saw II/Saga which was nowhere near as good

 

[A Black Falcon]

I mentioned Blades of Vengeance because it's my favorite EA game on the Genesis. I have a good number of Genesis EA games, but that's the best one, I think. It's a great, and gret looking, medieval platform-action game with two player co-op and some actual strategy to the gameplay, because of the block system. It's hard, but good.

Other EA games I like include Technoclash, which is a good top-down action-RPG title with a modern-day mage fighting against people with technology and robots and such (hard but interesting game), General Chaos, a popular 4-player multiplayer battle game (it's a single-screen-per-round title where two little armies face off, and you move the soldiers around and try to take out the other guys), Fatal Rewind, a decent sidescrolling action shooting/maze game with robots, James Pond (I have all three, but I think I actually like the first one most... it's interesting, because it's all underwater, instead of being a more conventional platformer like the second and third games are. Also the second game has a million more recent ports, while the first and third games haven't been seen since the Genesis as far as I know...), Lotus (they're both decent, but the first one's a little easier I think; neither is nearly as good as any of the SNES Top Gear games (which are by the same studio), but they're decent.), and The Haunting Starring Polterguy (interesting, unique, but repetitive ghost-scaring-people sim). Galahad is also a good game. It's another fantasy action-platformer. I know that EA's bad fantasy action sidescroller games, Sword of Sodan and Dark Castle, get lots of attention, but somehow the better ones, Blades of Vengeance, Galahad, and Risky Woods, aren't well remembered. That's too bad, particularly for the great Blades of Vengeance. Oh yeah, and I have a couple of the NHL games too. They're fun, though I almost never play them.

I have some more EA games than that, but I've never really liked the Genesis Road Rash games (even though I have all three), and Battle Squadron really is bad. The Faery Tale Adventure really isn't meant for consoles (plus, crazy-long passwords for saving), I've never loved Desert Strike or its sequels either (too slow, not fun enough, and I hate stuff like the fuel limit...), and Mario Andretti Racing is just boring.

 

[woodypop]

speaking of, i was such a fan of the coin-op of Rastan, still have the SMS one but i was always kinda bummed we didn't get a better port to Genesis, that only saw II/Saga which was nowhere near as good

The music is god tier. So epic. I have the arcade board, but it's also playable on the Taito Legends collection on PS2/Xbox.

 

[Teknoman]

Kinda off base, but since there should be some Outrun fans here, what would you buy? Outrun 2 or Outrun 2006 Coast to Coast? C2C seems like is has more content, but 2 has the original Arcade game as an unlock.

 

[dreamcastmaster]

Kinda off base, but since there should be some Outrun fans here, what would you buy? Outrun 2 or Outrun 2006 Coast to Coast? C2C seems like is has more content, but 2 has the original Arcade game as an unlock.

Coast to Coast.

 

[A Black Falcon]

Kinda off base, but since there should be some Outrun fans here, what would you buy? Outrun 2 or Outrun 2006 Coast to Coast? C2C seems like is has more content, but 2 has the original Arcade game as an unlock.

Get both, they're both worth owning. If I had to choose one I'd say C2C, but the original is definitely worth having too. The mission mode in the first game is entirely different (and not available in C2C; that games' mission/race modes are new), for example, and Outrun 2 for the Xbox has some exclusive unlockable tracks, where you can play in tracks from the Daytona 2 arcade game, but with Outrun 2 cars and physics.

 

[IrishNinja]

funny, i was gonna go to a mall to pick up C2C next week - is 2 even playable on 360? and by playable i dont mean buggy like poor JSRF, either

 

[sixteen-bit]

Outrun 2 is playable on 360, but if I am remembering correctly there are framedrops and audio glitches. I remember it running much better on the original Xbox.

Outrun Online Arcade on XBLA would have been the better choice if you only have a 360, but as far as I know it's been de-listed and you can no longer purchase it.

 

[Dave Long]

I mentioned Blades of Vengeance because it's my favorite EA game on the Genesis. I have a good number of Genesis EA games, but that's the best one, I think. It's a great, and gret looking, medieval platform-action game with two player co-op and some actual strategy to the gameplay, because of the block system. It's hard, but good.

Other EA games I like include Technoclash, which is a good top-down action-RPG title with a modern-day mage fighting against people with technology and robots and such (hard but interesting game), General Chaos, a popular 4-player multiplayer battle game (it's a single-screen-per-round title where two little armies face off, and you move the soldiers around and try to take out the other guys), Fatal Rewind, a decent sidescrolling action shooting/maze game with robots, James Pond (I have all three, but I think I actually like the first one most... it's interesting, because it's all underwater, instead of being a more conventional platformer like the second and third games are. Also the second game has a million more recent ports, while the first and third games haven't been seen since the Genesis as far as I know...), Lotus (they're both decent, but the first one's a little easier I think; neither is nearly as good as any of the SNES Top Gear games (which are by the same studio), but they're decent.), and The Haunting Starring Polterguy (interesting, unique, but repetitive ghost-scaring-people sim). Galahad is also a good game. It's another fantasy action-platformer. I know that EA's bad fantasy action sidescroller games, Sword of Sodan and Dark Castle, get lots of attention, but somehow the better ones, Blades of Vengeance, Galahad, and Risky Woods, aren't well remembered. That's too bad, particularly for the great Blades of Vengeance. Oh yeah, and I have a couple of the NHL games too. They're fun, though I almost never play them.

I have some more EA games than that, but I've never really liked the Genesis Road Rash games (even though I have all three), and Battle Squadron really is bad. The Faery Tale Adventure really isn't meant for consoles (plus, crazy-long passwords for saving), I've never loved Desert Strike or its sequels either (too slow, not fun enough, and I hate stuff like the fuel limit...), and Mario Andretti Racing is just boring.

Don't forget the Mutant League games... which are both awesome!

 

[Host Samurai]

When I was a kid I would curb stomp Shinobi III without dying........now LOL. Oh have my gaming skills went to shit

 

[smbu2000]

I dunno, it's your call. Mega Man is an eyesore, but the games are still about as good as they've ever been.

Also, Shinobi III's double jump suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks. I swear I lost nearly 20 lives because of how goddamn picky the thing is as to whether it works or not. Hit the button too early? Like, well before the timeframe? No double-jump for you. Hit it a smidgen too late? Have a nice fall. It wouldn't be so frustrating if the opening of Stage 6 (with the rocks falling down a chasm) and most of Stage 7 required you be able to superhumanly replicate it on a dime, over endless bottomless pits (which I've determined are a ninja's mortal enemy, instead of pirates).

At least I made it to the final boss. I got my ass kicked and was handed a Game Over, but I made it to him.

Spoiler

And if getting my ass handed to me by jumping segments and bosses wasn't bad enough, all of this was on Easy ;_;

Haha, I was having so much trouble getting the timing down of that double jump when I tried it for the first time a week ago. I think it'll just take some practice to get used to the timing.

 

[biggersmaller]

Started playing Chameleon Kid. Just read the Wiki on it. I now know why I never beat this as a kid...too long...too hard.

 

[smbu2000]

i'm on a roll with ebay, maybe the easter holiday's helping? heh

after shadowrun, swung zillion 1 for <$10 boxed, Phantasy Star 1 boxed for $20, El Viento (CIB i think?) for $15, Rolling Thunder 3 loose for $12. hoping for Mega Turrican in a few hours for @ $15, and Lightening Force boxed early in the morning (i work nights, that helps) CIB $10-15. might check on Alisia Dragoon and call it a day for cult stuff!

oh yeah, still debating a few repros - Battle Mania 2/Trouble Shooter 2 as well as Mega Man Wily Wars, what's everyone's take on the latter? i had Sega Channel for a few weeks but never got to play it, kinda always wanted to.

hoping to hear back from gunstarheroes on Punisher & Centy, i swear i'll stop spending after that, haha

Nice pickups!

I'm also thinking about picking up Battle Mania 2. Not a repro though, as I saw a copy locally but a bit expensive...I also saw a copy of Alien Soldier as well that wasn't too expensive (compared to what I usually see it go for.)

 

[Teknoman]

funny, i was gonna go to a mall to pick up C2C next week - is 2 even playable on 360? and by playable i dont mean buggy like poor JSRF, either

Outrun 2 is playable on 360, but if I am remembering correctly there are framedrops and audio glitches. I remember it running much better on the original Xbox.

Outrun Online Arcade on XBLA would have been the better choice if you only have a 360, but as far as I know it's been de-listed and you can no longer purchase it.

I think im going to end up playing on the original. Got one for chesp awhlie back, but its got that problem where you have to hit the top of the system to get the tray to open.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I think im going to end up playing on the original. Got one for chesp awhlie back, but its got that problem where you have to hit the top of the system to get the tray to open.

I have that problem too. I'm considering just getting a bigger hard drive and running my games off that. I've already softmodded the thing.

 

[A Black Falcon]

Don't forget the Mutant League games... which are both awesome!

I dislike football in any form, but yeah, I might pick up the hockey one sometime.

 

[Teknoman]

I have that problem too. I'm considering just getting a bigger hard drive and running my games off that. I've already softmodded the thing.

I wonder if theres any way to actually fix that...

 

[Noahd42]

I'm really interested in Wily Wars. It looks really cool. I take it the only way to get an NTSC copy is via reproduction? Does that fix any issues or is it a clean port?

 

[Gunstarheroes]

I'm really interested in Wily Wars. It looks really cool. I take it the only way to get an NTSC copy is via reproduction? Does that fix any issues or is it a clean port?

Clean port, and only available by repo. From what i've seen though, its the most readily available of the popular repo games. I've seen loose carts go for around 30-40 bucks. So if you dig Mega Man, its a good pick-up

 

[Shadow Hog]

I'm going to have to give Shinobi III another go - had no idea you could block. That'd probably have saved me a few headaches. Plus those other ninjutsu seem kinda handy (I only ever used the lightning one to prolong the inevitable in a few situations).

Still worried about the whole double-jump thing, but it'd be my third attempt, and you know what they say about third times...

 

[Teknoman]

Wait...you can block? Can you block attacks in Revenge as well?

 

[MightyHedgehog]

Can you block attacks in Revenge as well?

Once you pick up a POWer-up out of a broken crate, you'll hold two shurikens out in front to block incoming projectiles passively.

 

[Shadow Hog]

Wait...you can block?

Hold the attack button down, and he'll hold his sword out in front of him and deflect stuff. Doesn't protect you from physically contacting the enemy, but other than that...

 

[Teknoman]

Once you pick up a POWer-up out of a broken crate, you'll hold two shurikens out in front to block incoming projectiles passively.

I thought that was just for visual effect...going to put a different spin on how I play since I just tried to dodge everything no matter what.

Hold the attack button down, and he'll hold his sword out in front of him and deflect stuff. Doesn't protect you from physically contacting the enemy, but other than that...

Same here, totally different spin on how I play now.

 

[Spectral Glider]

I dislike football in any form, but yeah, I might pick up the hockey one sometime.

I wouldn't. The hockey is a choppy, sloppy, rather unplayable mess. The Football is pretty good, though more so for two players. The 1 player game is kind of ho-hum.

 

[IrishNinja]

Gunstarheroes check your PMs man, you're killing me here smalls

won Mega Turrican, Midnight Resistance ($3! gotta find the cover though), Ristar, Mercs, Alien Storm & Starflight today, woo hoo! SMS lot worked out too, $35 for Wonder Boy in Monster Land, Wondery Boy 3: Dragon's Trap & Alex Kidd in High Tech World (man im like the only kid who liked that one...), all CIB! gotta say it was a good day.

really debating just trading some other shit on estarland, their crap selection at least has Gaiares & Haunting starring Polter Guy, all ill need now is some more cases, heh

 

[Noahd42]

Gunstarheroes check your PMs man, you're killing me here smalls

won Mega Turrican, Midnight Resistance ($3! gotta find the cover though), Ristar, Mercs, Alien Storm & Starflight today, woo hoo! SMS lot worked out too, $35 for Wonder Boy in Monster Land, Wondery Boy 3: Dragon's Trap & Alex Kidd in High Tech World (man im like the only kid who liked that one...), all CIB! gotta say it was a good day.

really debating just trading some other shit on estarland, their crap selection at least has Gaiares & Haunting starring Polter Guy, all ill need now is some more cases, heh

Tell us your secrets!

 

[IrishNinja]

1) trade on craigslist if you can, but be wary; some folks on there just price their shit off of amazon and are therefore worthless (use craigfinder for other cities - it's a lot safer buying out of state now that paypal is such a ripoff for sellers)

2) never ever do Buy It Now unless someone underprices something, or its only a buck or two more and you don't care...typically if you're patient, actual auctions run cheaper (SNES thread shows this constantly)

3) auctions that end late at night/very early in the morning, on average, tend to be less competition

4) that said, you don't have to worry as much about the constant people sniping in the last 10 seconds if you're smart & only bid the max amount you want something for - however, if its something that doesn't come up often, its worth staying up/using your phone etc to see if you can take something for a few dollars more - ive lost some rare stuff by less than a dollar in the past. the good thing is no one knows who won but the seller now, i swear i recall being cussed at from messages in the day haha

that's pretty much it, but i do sometimes misspell shit just to see what i find...i totally got a $150 comic slipcase for like $15 shipped years back cause of that, you never know! that's it basically, but a few points on here totally apply to other games

 

[catmincer]

I never had a Mega Drive myself but this thread makes me want to play a whole heap of games heh.

It also makes me want to do a Master System appreciation thread 'cause I spent my first 10 years alive playing games on it haha.

 

[IrishNinja]

^this is as close as we have right now, though i agree Master System could use an OT (i'd be all over it too)

 

[televator]

I'm all over the retro threads. I got love for Master System too.

 

[catmincer]

^this is as close as we have right now, though i agree Master System could use an OT (i'd be all over it too)

I'm all over the retro threads. I got love for Master System too.

Sweet. Well, I might do one when I get back from holiday later this week then because the SMS rules

 

[djtiesto]

I liked the game. Even though it is considered the weakest of the series, I really enjoyed it. The art style was still great.

I enjoyed it at the time, that could be because I was hungry for anything RPG and in America in 1991 there wasn't a whole lot to choose from. I still have some nostalgia for it, but it's no where near as good as the others.

 

[IrishNinja]

my $15 "asian" copy of M.U.S.H.A. came in today

LOOKS LEGIT

 

[canocha]

I have a PAL Mega Key (the one with 4 dip switches) to sell if anyone wants it

 

[Hayama Akito]

What's everyone's opinion on Vectorman? I recently played up to maybe level 6. Its not bad and quite an original idea for a platformer.

Is pretty good. Vectorman 2 was decent only if you pass the absolutely terrible first forest level.