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I love the look of PC98 games aka the Anime PC game machine

H

hateradio

The Most Dangerous Yes Man
Messofanego said:
Read Only Memories (2015) might be up your alley.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLaAta88gS4

titlescreen.gif
Click to expand...
That looks kinda cute.
 
B

blamite

Member
Man, this is like "Aesthetics I Want to Live In: The Thread". It's shame I've played/heard of practically 0% of this stuff.
 
D

Dio

Banned
hateradio said:
That looks kinda cute.
Click to expand...

There's also the upcoming VA-11 HALL-A which I'm really, really looking forward to.

http://waifubartending.com/

The game's in QA right now and according to the devs is 99.9% complete, but man, this was supposed to be out Winter 2014. Still, looking forward to it.

Takes place in the same universe as Read Only Memories IIRC.

qOLCALA.gif

286KwKu.gif

w5MKEdT.gif

rX6e3Ft.png

bInxbuf.png
Click to expand...

This is probably the most accurate to PC-98 era "style" I've seen, really. It's also got a soundtrack I loop in my car regularly.

https://garoad.bandcamp.com/album/va-11-hall-a-second-round
 
R

RedSwirl

Junior Member
Dark Souls is kind of the modern 3D descendant of the aesthetics in a lot of these posts. It sucks that we don't have the equivalent modern rendition of 90's sci-fi anime.
 
s_mirage

s_mirage

Member
I love PC98 artwork; I can't help but be impressed by how much they managed to get from just 16 colours. I have a few games myself, which are ripped and played through emulation. I'd like an actual machine, but buying one seems like a bit of a minefield, and potentially expensive.
 
S

Sölf

Member
I am now unhappy that I never got to experience any of these. :(

It still looks awesome today and I would kill if we would get more games with a similar aestetic today. Not just 1 or 2 within 5 years, just... more.
 
StereoVsn

StereoVsn

Member
Did any of the better games beside Yu-No, Policenauts and Snatcher receive English translations? Would love to play some of these games but my Japanese is iffy when Kanji comes into play.
 
M

Messofanego

Banned
Dio said:
There's also the upcoming VA-11 HALL-A which I'm really, really looking forward to.

http://waifubartending.com/

qOLCALA.gif

286KwKu.gif

w5MKEdT.gif

rX6e3Ft.png

bInxbuf.png


The game's in QA right now and according to the devs is 99.9% complete, but man, this was supposed to be out Winter 2014. Still, looking forward to it.

Takes place in the same universe as Read Only Memories IIRC.

This is probably the most accurate to PC-98 era "style" I've seen, really. It's also got a soundtrack I loop in my car regularly.

https://garoad.bandcamp.com/album/va-11-hall-a-second-round
Click to expand...

I'm surprised VA-11 HALL-A hasn't come out already, have seen it so many times at conventions.
 
Z

ZoronMaro

Member
I've never played any games like this (unless MSX games count) but I'm really digging all the pixel art here.

Dragoon En Regalia said:
Enough that I get paralysis of choice thinking of which ones I can and should recommend. Go to Project EGG and look through its library for some idea, then sign up to download and legally emulate a ton of great Japanese PC games (on Windows, haven't tried using it in WINE). Keep in mind, though EGG's selection is limited.

Usually I make GIFs of the games I'm able to play a lot of with very limited Japanese language knowledge/experience, so I recommend looking at those to get an idea of the variety of games you can find and play.
Click to expand...

Huh, there are a bunch of free games on there even, I think I'll have to check some out. Are any of the free games you know that stand out?
 
B

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I think I love this thread so much that I want a piece of this era. Seems like the missing link to a lot of what I know and love about Japanese gaming.

Seems like in 2016 that means emulators....... Though I'd love to get into collecting for it.
 
D

Draft

Member
The era when it felt like everything from Japan looked like Shirow and Blade Runner. I love that style. It is my favorite style. Big buildings covered in lights, obvious rip offs of The Terminator, trench coats with collars bigger than a peacock's tail, neon grit, I LOVE it.
 
R

Ramune

Member
Looking at all these makes me feel all warm and tingly....granted I have played none of them...About the only ones I dabbled with in emulation were:

Popful Mail

00284.jpg

00286.jpg


Princess Maker 2

04535.png

04536.png
Click to expand...

Welcome to Pia Carrot

01722.png

01723.png
Click to expand...

Madou Monogatari A.R.S.

05278.jpg

05279.jpg


and Nazo Puyo

06082.jpg

06083.jpg


Awesome thread though...will definitely check out some of the recommendations and what EGG has....this all feels like the missing link in my niche game diet!
 
C

chocoedd

Member
Wow I remember back those days when I played Cobra Mission and Knights of Xentar. Pretty mediocre games but obviously the reward was worth it. So many things spent.
 
Danny Dudekisser

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
StereoVsn said:
Any you would recommend? Read about True Love on hardcoregaming101.
Click to expand...

Didn't True Love come out on Windows, too, way back in the day? Like, I think it had a US release and everything. There's some weird overlap between the platforms with these games.
 
H

HGH

Banned
StereoVsn said:
Did any of the better games beside Yu-No, Policenauts and Snatcher receive English translations? Would love to play some of these games but my Japanese is iffy when Kanji comes into play.
Click to expand...
There's a dude translating zombie VN "Dead of the Brain" on Twitter I think?

I found about PC-98 due to Touhou and then went up from there. Suffice to say that man, those games are not representative of how good you can make the graphics look on this thing.
 
Danny Dudekisser

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
So, where can one even buy PC-98 games at this point? It's so obscure that even the places I go to buy obscure stuff don't seem to have it.
 
S

shiftplusone

Member
didn't Ys start on the PC-88?

I recently played 1 and 2 remastered, I liked the old art better than the new.

I think it counts for this anyway
 
G

Gu4n

Member
Chacranajxy said:
The Falcom stuff is where it's at for me. Not entirely sure I want to get involved, but I do find all their old school stuff to be really interesting, if nothing else.
Click to expand...
I own Brandish PC-98 games and got them all through Akihabara's relatively new BEEP shop. Nex time, I'm planning to bring home Xanadu, Shiroki Majo and Akai Shizuku.

Man, I love PC-98 games.

6uQRXsr.jpg


*subscribes to thread*
 
2

2+2=5

The Amiga Brotherhood
I have never had a pc98 but i have always loved the look of those games, what game is this one?
GGFGx2T.png

Other screens?
 
D

Dragoon En Regalia

Member
shiftplusone said:
didn't Ys start on the PC-88?

I recently played 1 and 2 remastered, I liked the old art better than the new.

I think it counts for this anyway
Click to expand...
Ys I was a PC-88 game from 1987; the version you played, Ys I & II Chronicles, is based on a Win9x remake of the PC-88 games. The "old art" in this case would be Minako Iwasaki's Ys Eternal artwork, which definitely looks/fits better than what Falcom used for Chronicles.

Chacranajxy said:
So, where can one even buy PC-98 games at this point? It's so obscure that even the places I go to buy obscure stuff don't seem to have it.
Click to expand...
Project EGG is the easiest way to buy and emulate these games. They've done emulation wrappers for Falcom!

RedSwirl said:
The ones with the fantasy aesthetic I guess. Dark Souls art has its roots in Miura right? Same era of manga.
Click to expand...
Xanadu Next has more to do with classic Xanadu than any Souls game, and I'd say that even if XN didn't have the Xanadu IP attached.
 
Danny Dudekisser

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
Dragoon En Regalia said:
Project EGG is the easiest way to buy and emulate these games. They've done emulation wrappers for Falcom!
Click to expand...

Oh, that's right - I keep forgetting EGG exists. Not to get too far off topic, but didn't that store have some ridiculous DRM-scheme on all their stuff? If I'm mistaken or it's easy to break, I could see myself dropping a bunch of cash on PC98 stuff.
 
J

Jazz573

Member
Dragoon En Regalia said:
Ys I was a PC-88 game from 1987; the version you played, Ys I & II Chronicles, is based on a Win9x remake of the PC-88 games. The "old art" in this case would be Minako Iwasaki's Ys Eternal artwork, which definitely looks/fits better than what Falcom used for Chronicles.

Project EGG is the easiest way to buy and emulate these games. They've done emulation wrappers for Falcom!

Xanadu Next has more to do with classic Xanadu than any Souls game, and I'd say that even if XN didn't have the Xanadu IP attached.
Click to expand...

All three original Ys games do have PC-98 ports tho.
 
D

Dragoon En Regalia

Member
Chacranajxy said:
Oh, that's right - I keep forgetting EGG exists. Not to get too far off topic, but didn't that store have some ridiculous DRM-scheme on all their stuff? If I'm mistaken or it's easy to break, I could see myself dropping a bunch of cash on PC98 stuff.
Click to expand...
Soft DRM: you need to pay for a monthly subscription to keep buying and downloading games from their store, as well as new versions of their launcher. But you can easily get all the games you want in one pass (no sales or anything, prices have been very static for a while), then cancel the subscription and archive your EGG folder so you can use it later. Compatibility's going to be an issue no doubt, but there's nothing in the launcher that bars you from playing games you've downloaded already. The initial barrier to entry's worth it for all the free games (especially Compile Station Win9x stuff you can't get easily) and it's the only way to play some games (ex. ZONE for PC-98) that don't emulate well.
 
Danny Dudekisser

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
Dragoon En Regalia said:
Soft DRM: you need to pay for a monthly subscription to keep buying and downloading games from their store, as well as new versions of their launcher. But you can easily get all the games you want in one pass (no sales or anything, prices have been very static for a while), then cancel the subscription and archive your EGG folder so you can use it later. Compatibility's going to be an issue no doubt, but there's nothing in the launcher that bars you from playing games you've downloaded already. The initial barrier to entry's worth it for all the free games (especially Compile Station Win9x stuff you can't get easily) and it's the only way to play some games (ex. ZONE for PC-98) that don't emulate well.
Click to expand...

Got it. I can put up with an inconvenience in buying the games so long as I won't run into any issues (compatibility notwitthstanding) after the fact.

This place is a fucking treasure trove, in that case. I didn't even realize they had x68000 stuff, too. There's so much stuff that I don't even know where to start.
 
J

Jazz573

Member
Dragoon En Regalia said:
Soft DRM: you need to pay for a monthly subscription to keep buying and downloading games from their store, as well as new versions of their launcher. But you can easily get all the games you want in one pass (no sales or anything, prices have been very static for a while), then cancel the subscription and archive your EGG folder so you can use it later. Compatibility's going to be an issue no doubt, but there's nothing in the launcher that bars you from playing games you've downloaded already. The initial barrier to entry's worth it for all the free games (especially Compile Station Win9x stuff you can't get easily) and it's the only way to play some games (ex. ZONE for PC-98) that don't emulate well.
Click to expand...

It's not true that there are no sales. They have them at times. At least on the Japanese side.

I really want some of their cool package stuff. Like those Madou Monogatari physical packages.
 
L

LordGorchnik

Member
2+2=5 said:
I have never had a pc98 but i have always loved the look of those games, what game is this one?
GGFGx2T.png

Other screens?
Click to expand...

Oh man Kuro no Ken (Black Blade) was such a fun game. Fun fact: a friend tried translating it a long time ago but gave up only about 2 months in. Still a hell of a fun game though. The 3/4 back view for the battle system really hits home as I am a huge fan of it in the Shining Force and Golden Sun games.

Bless this thread.
 
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