Fenster Mayhew
Member
I Googled "Gamespite Quarterly" and this was the first link that came up:
http://www.blurb.com/user/store/gamespite
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Retronauts Podcast Thread
- Thread starter krae_man
- Start date
I Googled "Gamespite Quarterly" and this was the first link that came up:
http://www.blurb.com/user/store/gamespite
I loved the Wonder Boy episode. As one of those weird Sega kids who had a Master System instead of an NES, I have a lot of nostalgia for all 3 SMS games, especially The Dragon's Trap. I love that Jeremy gave some credit to the Dragon's Trap opening doing Symphony of the Night before SOTN. Whenever I would read/hear someone praise the opening of SOTN, the 7-year-old Sega fan boy in me would yell "Wonder Boy III did it first!"
I also agree with Ray about not really liking the look of the remake. The art style looks nice and all but doesn't seem to fit at all with the original game.
I think it would be great if Sega was to release a collection of all the Wonder Boy games for modern consoles/PC/Steam and retcon the names of all the games so that they finally have an official, logical and consistent naming convention (for the ones Sega made, at least). That way, if they ever wanted to move forward with the series and develop a totally new game (I can dream), they would be able to call it something that would make sense and clearly be the next game in the series.
I also agree with Ray about not really liking the look of the remake. The art style looks nice and all but doesn't seem to fit at all with the original game.
I think it would be great if Sega was to release a collection of all the Wonder Boy games for modern consoles/PC/Steam and retcon the names of all the games so that they finally have an official, logical and consistent naming convention (for the ones Sega made, at least). That way, if they ever wanted to move forward with the series and develop a totally new game (I can dream), they would be able to call it something that would make sense and clearly be the next game in the series.
ToastyFrog
Inexplicable Treasure Hate
Not QUITE what you're asking for, but the Monster World collection does work under Xbox One backward compatibility.
Oh cool! Thanks, Jeremy. I didn't know that one was BC and I do have an Xbox One. I'll have to grab that as I have embarrassingly never played Monster World IV.
Bob, I think you are looking at your early 2000's SNES emulation with rose tinted glasses.
What you were willing to accept for free 15 years ago, you wouldn't pay $8/game for.
Final Fantasy III on the OG 3DS, the sound is muted and the framerate is 1/2ed and it still has issues but it's turn based so who cares! only $8!
Anyway, regarding backwards compatibility before the Genesis. The Atari 5200 was backwards compatible with an adapter and the 7800 was backwards compatible right out of the box(with 2600 games, not 5200 games).
There was even an adapter to play 2600 games on the ColecoVision.
What you were willing to accept for free 15 years ago, you wouldn't pay $8/game for.
Final Fantasy III on the OG 3DS, the sound is muted and the framerate is 1/2ed and it still has issues but it's turn based so who cares! only $8!
Anyway, regarding backwards compatibility before the Genesis. The Atari 5200 was backwards compatible with an adapter and the 7800 was backwards compatible right out of the box(with 2600 games, not 5200 games).
There was even an adapter to play 2600 games on the ColecoVision.
Fenster Mayhew
Member
Our new SNES podcast is now live! http://www.usgamer.net/articles/retronauts-celebrates-a-quarter-century-of-the-super-nintendo
This is a good, fun episode. The discussion about how the technical specs of the SNES affected the genre and style of games was a really interesting point that I hadn't thought too much about before. The point that the SNES library had a somewhat PC-like tilt was a bit dismissed but I think there's something to that line of discussion. Pilotwings and SimCity are prominent examples raised, but I'd also point to Aerobiz Supersonic and other Koei strategy and "executive series" games as other slow paced PCesque games.
It was fun to have a SEGA kid on the podcast for this episode as the console wars were a big fucking deal at the time. Lots of opportunities for good natured teasing. I think Retronauts should try to attempt this sort of style more often and try to find an opposite or outside viewpoint or devils advocate. The Earthbound episode for example disappointed me a bit because the panel was entirely fans that bought the game day one. That episode may have been more interesting with a mix of fans that came to the series later or even gamers that weren't necessarily that impressed with the series. I'm a massive Earthbound fan and I love the series, but I know my best gaming friends who came to the series later had different thoughts about the games' many, many annoyances.
Anything podcast focused on the SNES is automatically good in my book, but this particular Retronauts was especially interesting since it largely avoided hashing out a top 10 list in favor of focusing on tech.
It didn't sound as if any of the panel were EGM readers at the time, but I remember it being a really big deal that the SNES clock speed was 3.5-something (mHz?) while the Genesis was a speedy 7.something and the editors sort of losing their mind over the early titles like Gradius III & Super R-Type that had lots of slowdown. Developers must have gotten around those limitations though - I remember playing a game called Space Megaforce that was very impressive and had little to no slowdown, but that didn't come out until '92 or '93.
It didn't sound as if any of the panel were EGM readers at the time, but I remember it being a really big deal that the SNES clock speed was 3.5-something (mHz?) while the Genesis was a speedy 7.something and the editors sort of losing their mind over the early titles like Gradius III & Super R-Type that had lots of slowdown. Developers must have gotten around those limitations though - I remember playing a game called Space Megaforce that was very impressive and had little to no slowdown, but that didn't come out until '92 or '93.
Fenster Mayhew
Member
I get what you're saying, but it's a bit funny that we get criticism about being too positive AND too negative. Kinda puts me in a place where it seems like we can't always please everyone, I guess.
I really enjoyed the SNES episode. I needed more Raymond in my life, and now I noticed that he just put up a new No More Whoppers a few days ago, too.
Of course not. People are all going to be coming at the show with different personal experiences and different expectations. Listeners don't all share one opinion; you guys just need to do you.
To echo what JayZii said, just make an episode that you'd be proud of and come at it from whatever perspective gives you the most enthusiasm or joy. After listening to a lot of film commentaries, I remember many of the directors and other crew saying they made the films only with what they liked in mind, and a lot of those movies were highly acclaimed. It's good to listen to criticism and try to use it to change what the critics say don't work, but if it causes you to lose interest in what you do, it's probably best to just go with what you feel works best personally.
With that said, this was a terrific episode that I enjoyed quite a lot !
Really liked that Monster World/Adventure Island episode! I was waiting to hear what you guys thought about the bizarre sci-fi twist at the end of basically all the Monster World games, or the awesome Super Metroid-type end scenario in Monster World IV. Ray probably has, but the rest of you guys should finish these games! They're one of my favorite series. :3
Space Megaforce was made by Compile, the company that made Zanac, Aleste and other shooting games, and they made it as a direct rebuttal to those high-profile games that ran like crap. There aren't many shooting or action games on SNES that are as fast with as much stuff on the screen as that game but other companies including Konami did get a lot more proficient with the SNES as time went on.
charlequin
Banned
I've got the Monster World ep currently up on my playlist and getting through it in fits and starts, and every time Jeremy and Bob can't keep track of which word is used for what system in which variant of what game etc. etc. is hashtag #relatable based on trying (poorly) to figure this out myself.
GuyKazama
Member
This Gamesack episode is a good companion to the similarly named Retronauts ep about Wonder Boy. It was the only way I could make sense of things.
https://youtu.be/Fom-TkLgS0I
https://youtu.be/Fom-TkLgS0I
LiveFromKyoto
Member
I'm halfway through the Wonder Boy episode and laughing at how confused you guys keep getting. I totally sympathize. I've read through multiple explanations over the years and I still can't keep all the middle episodes straight.
Xanadu is more straightforward for the most part, it's one spine-series and each sequel spins out into its own series. But it's fascinating in its own right and I'd wager very few gamers really know how expansive it is, so it would be well worth doing an episode on.
Bubble Bobble I didn't even know was complicated...I thought they just made a couple of misguided sequels without dinosaurs, then revived as a puzzle game.
Axelay seems to get most of the attention, but Space Megaforce to me is hands down the greatest SNES shooter. I played the heck out of that game for years. That, Square's games and Super Adventure Island are the best arguments for why the SNES' sound capabilities stomp all over the Genesis.
Xanadu is more straightforward for the most part, it's one spine-series and each sequel spins out into its own series. But it's fascinating in its own right and I'd wager very few gamers really know how expansive it is, so it would be well worth doing an episode on.
Bubble Bobble I didn't even know was complicated...I thought they just made a couple of misguided sequels without dinosaurs, then revived as a puzzle game.
Axelay seems to get most of the attention, but Space Megaforce to me is hands down the greatest SNES shooter. I played the heck out of that game for years. That, Square's games and Super Adventure Island are the best arguments for why the SNES' sound capabilities stomp all over the Genesis.
A local retro gaming place has a copy of Monster World IV for $150(!) I was considering trading some stuff for it, but decided against it and instead traded my Gamecube, PSone and a bunch of games for a Mega Drive model 1 and a Gameboy Advance SP.
Enjoyed the Super Nintendo episode. As someone who never owned one it's interesting to learn about the launch games etc. I was a bit too young to understand RPGs at the time, and I feel that's where the SNES really shines.
Enjoyed the Super Nintendo episode. As someone who never owned one it's interesting to learn about the launch games etc. I was a bit too young to understand RPGs at the time, and I feel that's where the SNES really shines.
Play the Monster World IV translation, either on the Wii, PS3, or 360. I guess there's also the repro Genesis cart or Everdrive as options, but you should give them money for translating such a baller game this past generation the fuck out of nowhere. It's a miracle, really.
There are quite a few dialogue hints about where to go and what to do next, and the Sphinx is hard enough to get through in English, let alone Japanese for anyone who isn't a native speaker.
There are quite a few dialogue hints about where to go and what to do next, and the Sphinx is hard enough to get through in English, let alone Japanese for anyone who isn't a native speaker.
LiveFromKyoto
Member
This podcast convinced me to get New Adventure Island on Wii U VC, one of those games I never would have considered otherwise. I understand why Bob thought of this as a save state game, the checkpoints are really demanding. But not being on any kind of schedule to finish it, I'm kind of enjoying that aspect of the game. It really forces you to learn its courses if you hope to progress; the one hit deaths combined with responsive controls, colour and personality make this a really great, archetypal example of what retrogaming does right.
You chose well. Guhbasp is one of the GOAT handhelds.
You chose well. Guhbasp is one of the GOAT handhelds.
LiveFromKyoto
Member
The intermissions are gold. I like the early 90s rap-dancing one.
The sequels to Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands and Parasol Stars are anything but misguided. Fantastic and utterly original and classic games in their own right. You really need to check them out, I played both hours on end, and are still one of my go-to games whenever I want to play something.
LiveFromKyoto
Member
But they don't have the dinosaurs.
Yes.
EDIT: sorry, read that as only Adventure Island game. He also did Actraiser 1 & 2 (which he's more famous for in Japan than his work on Mega Drive), as well as minor contributions to Robotrek and some other games not worth mentioning.
For a guy that's been around as long as Koshiro, he has some odd gaps in his portfolio: no GB/C games, only one GBA game (Car Battler Joe) and only one PSX game (on obscure JP-only PSX remake of Zork, of all games).
ToastyFrog
Inexplicable Treasure Hate
No. ActRaiser was the big one.
Ah the N64.
Here in Canada, we used to have a video game store chain called Microplay. You could buy new games, buy used games, or rent games there. They had everything. You could rent a Jaguar CD from them if you were insane.
They also imported Japanese systems before they came out here. I went on a waiting list to rent it and Mario 64 blew me away. I was just in awe of the courtyard.
Later I saved up $300 from my summer job to buy one. The system cost me $230 after tax, I bought one of those Adapter/SNES RF hybrid things from a third party and $50 was all I had left to buy a game. Well back then the Canadian exchange rate was worse then it was even now. Players choice games were $50 and new releases were $100. The only game I could afford was the cart only Japanese Mario 64 from my Microplay with the tabs busted off so it would fit.
Then I took it home and waited for my turn to use the one TV in the house. After dinner my mom went upstairs to read and my step dad was watching TV, he looks at me and says "Wait, you haven't played your system yet have you? You worked hard for that, go ahead". So plugged it in and the video was all fucked up. I called Nintendo support and they trouble shooted it down to my third party RF and after scolding me for not buying official Nintendo products, the guy asked "Do you have a VCR?" I say yes and he spends probably 15 minutes with not tech savvy yet me to see if my VCR had composite inputs and how to get that input displaying on my TV. It worked. I was playing my N64.
Man it took me months to get all 120 stars. I didn't even have a hint on any of them. I would go to my local Zellers which had a N64 playing Mario on a 5 minute reset timer and I'd read the hints there but that was all I had to go on.
Later I actually won a N64. My summer job was for a mobile ice cream company in Canada called Dickie Dee. When I started on the bikes was a picture of Garfield giving kids road safety advice. "Look both ways before you cross the street" and whatnot. Well one day the company decided they didn't want to pay for Garfield anymore and made their own mascot and here he is:
Yep, Poochie the dog in penguin form. Complete with baggy clothes and hip hop shades!
They decided to have a contest to name the penguin for customers. The customer who won the contest would win $300, and the ice cream vendor that gave them the contest form would win a N64. Well one of my customers won with the name:
Max(last name may or may not be Power).
This was in 1999 so both those episodes already aired. Yeah, they were totally ripping off The Simpsons.
Here in Canada, we used to have a video game store chain called Microplay. You could buy new games, buy used games, or rent games there. They had everything. You could rent a Jaguar CD from them if you were insane.
They also imported Japanese systems before they came out here. I went on a waiting list to rent it and Mario 64 blew me away. I was just in awe of the courtyard.
Later I saved up $300 from my summer job to buy one. The system cost me $230 after tax, I bought one of those Adapter/SNES RF hybrid things from a third party and $50 was all I had left to buy a game. Well back then the Canadian exchange rate was worse then it was even now. Players choice games were $50 and new releases were $100. The only game I could afford was the cart only Japanese Mario 64 from my Microplay with the tabs busted off so it would fit.
Then I took it home and waited for my turn to use the one TV in the house. After dinner my mom went upstairs to read and my step dad was watching TV, he looks at me and says "Wait, you haven't played your system yet have you? You worked hard for that, go ahead". So plugged it in and the video was all fucked up. I called Nintendo support and they trouble shooted it down to my third party RF and after scolding me for not buying official Nintendo products, the guy asked "Do you have a VCR?" I say yes and he spends probably 15 minutes with not tech savvy yet me to see if my VCR had composite inputs and how to get that input displaying on my TV. It worked. I was playing my N64.
Man it took me months to get all 120 stars. I didn't even have a hint on any of them. I would go to my local Zellers which had a N64 playing Mario on a 5 minute reset timer and I'd read the hints there but that was all I had to go on.
Later I actually won a N64. My summer job was for a mobile ice cream company in Canada called Dickie Dee. When I started on the bikes was a picture of Garfield giving kids road safety advice. "Look both ways before you cross the street" and whatnot. Well one day the company decided they didn't want to pay for Garfield anymore and made their own mascot and here he is:
Yep, Poochie the dog in penguin form. Complete with baggy clothes and hip hop shades!
They decided to have a contest to name the penguin for customers. The customer who won the contest would win $300, and the ice cream vendor that gave them the contest form would win a N64. Well one of my customers won with the name:
Max(last name may or may not be Power).
This was in 1999 so both those episodes already aired. Yeah, they were totally ripping off The Simpsons.
Zero-Crescent
Member
Considering the build quality of the Jaguar CD, renting it was probably the most sane thing one could do with it. Insane would be buying one.
Micro play still exists here in Canada. I visit one anytime I can.
The real Bubble Bobble 2 does.
Fenster Mayhew
Member
Thanks. The second part is even longer and features better games!
I wonder if Miyamoto fed Yamauchi the idea that people who play RPGs are losers since Miyamoto isn't a big fan of RPGs and I doubt Yamauchi had much experience with video games to know for himself.
The quote gets referenced in a lot of Retronauts episodes so I figured I'd post that thought here.
The quote gets referenced in a lot of Retronauts episodes so I figured I'd post that thought here.
NOLA_Gaffer
Banned
I'm rather bummed at the dismissal of Mischief Makers. Really loved that game.
It was also a game that used the D-Pad, which they could't seem to think of.
It was also a game that used the D-Pad, which they could't seem to think of.
They also brushed off the wrestling games, which were huge on the system and still well-loved by many today. In college, we played them just as much if not more than Goldeneye, Mario Kart, etc. and they were a major selling point for the N64 vs the PS1 because the games were for the most part better and the built in 4 player.
Best $150 I ever spent.
My recollection is many games used both the D pad and joystick for movement and L & Z did the same thing.
Then there were games like Duke Nukem 64 that used the d-pad for item management and L & Z did different things too. Ah those first attempts at jamming an entire keyboard into a controller were fun weren't they?
No, that's the Acclaim wrestling games that often got traded for said AKI titles.
The only way to get them to acknowledge their existence is to pay them.
I knew so many people who bought the N64 just for Revenge and Wrestlemania 2000. I heard how one can mod the American 64 to play Japanese games from someone who did it to play Virtual Pro Wrestling 2.
Ignoring the wrestling games is a huge oversight to the Nintendo 64's legacy.
ToastyFrog
Inexplicable Treasure Hate
Yeah. One of the reasons we keep episodes limited to about 90 minutes' length is so we can't possibly cover a topic in exhaustive detail, which allows people to tell us how stupid and inept we are for forgetting their favorite thing. Keeps the conversation going.
You should find the most boring topic and talk for ever about it.
This week in Retronauts, we talk about every Sokoban clone ever made. A 12 hour extravaganza!
Wait is 12 hours enough?
Maybe there are a lot of really mean emails that get sent to the Retronauts. With the way Bob and Jeremy talk on the podcast and react in these threads a lot of the time, one would think it's all shit-talking and name calling as opposed to the 95% praise that I see. Maybe the Usgamer comments have really gone downhill.
I guess the fact that Jeremy semi-secretly hates podcasting and his audience has always been part of the fun.
I guess the fact that Jeremy semi-secretly hates podcasting and his audience has always been part of the fun.
ToastyFrog
Inexplicable Treasure Hate
Hate the audience? Nothing could be further from the truth. Our listeners are great. It's myself I hate, obviously.
I thought that was just Yamauchi insulting Squaresoft.