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SEGA 3D Classics finally set to release in NA/EU beginning November 28

Just got a $35 eShop card from a GAFer; enough to cover the 5 games I want: Super Hang-On, Space Harrier, Ecco, Galaxy Force II, and Shinobi III (already got Sonic).

Downloaded Super Hang-On... yep this is beautiful, I'm in love.

PSA: You guys are aware of the 20% off sale on all eShop cards at best buy?
 

jgkspsx

Member
Bought Sonic, will buy Space Harrier, will possibly buy Super Hang-On and Shinobi III. Is GFII good? Is that the multi-perspective shooter?

Am going to buy the shit out of Ecco 3D. GOTF
 
- On that note, you could say that the peak of the arcade-based ports in the series, both difficulty-wise and in terms of the 3D implementation, is 3D Galaxy Force II, correct? Meaning that the Gigadrive’s returns have been huge.

NH: Not just yet. You won’t be saying that once Thunder Blade is finished.
Muhahahaha.

Okunari's right, though: GFII's an easier port than Power Drift or Thunder Blade simply because of the year-long work they did for the PS2 release. Anything else would be a big investment. Thunder Blade, thankfully, ran on SEGA's X Board, which only has two Motorola CPUs unlike the Y Board. Power Drift's basically a real toughie, and I can see Thunder Blade happening if Galaxy Force sells well (they're both rail shooters—how 'bout some Rail Chase, huh?).
 
Muhahahaha.

Okunari's right, though: GFII's an easier port than Power Drift or Thunder Blade simply because of the year-long work they did for the PS2 release. Anything else would be a big investment. Thunder Blade, thankfully, ran on SEGA's X Board, which only has two Motorola CPUs unlike the Y Board. Power Drift's basically a real toughie, and I can see Thunder Blade happening if Galaxy Force sells well (they're both rail shooters—how 'bout some Rail Chase, huh?).

I watched a Power Drift video and looks very cool. I think they did enough rail shooters for a while to be honest. They should give us a racer already (that isn't Outrun)
 
Agreed. Actually, the most radical and impossible thing to do would be a multiplayer port of Dark Edge, which may or may not be the stuff of legends (introducing 8-way movement into fighting games years half a decade before Soul Calibur).
 

AmyS

Member
Despite growing up with access to a bunch of arcades which had most of the main Sega cabinets, I've never encountered Galaxy Force II before. Either in the arcade or as a port.

It's really good. Incredible what they could do with the sprite scaling tech in 1988. The variety in the stages is really something. The 3D in this version is sweet.

Heh, back in 1991-'92 I'd go to Galaxy Game Center located in suburban Palatine, IL. on Rand Rd. and Dundee.

On Sunday mornings they had a free play thing going on for around 3 or 3 1/2 hours until 12:30pm, for a $4 entry fee. Every arcade game they had was set to free play for that time with the exception of their Super Deluxe moving Galaxy Force (or GFII) machine, complete with the ropes to keep people away from the full-motion hydraulic cabinet. That one was always 75 cents, even when the rest of the games were set for freeplay.

I think that was the only Galaxy Force I / II cab I ever saw & played in the Chicago area, or anywhere else for that matter.

The roped-off Super Deluxe Type Galaxy Force II (or GFI ?) at Galaxy Game Center in Palatine was exactly like the one(s?) pictured below:

ud6AuoN.jpg


q16DL1M.jpg


Also here is an old web page dedicated to Galaxy Force II

If anyone has definitive information about the differences between arcade Galaxy Force and Galaxy Force II, as well as what cabinet types Sega made for both I & II, I'd really like to know.
 

bjork

Member
Wtf am I reading.. Who would even compare Altered Beast to a goddamn masterpiece like Streets of Rage. They don't even belong in the same sentence, honestly.

You don't have to agree, I wasn't asking you to. I'll buy it to round out the set of 8, but I've never though SoR1 was a good game, even when it was new.
 
Any one else having VERY slight audio issues with Sonic? Like sound cutting off only a tiny bit for a little bit when things break or something?
 

Yes Boss!

Member
Wtf am I reading.. Who would even compare Altered Beast to a goddamn masterpiece like Streets of Rage. They don't even belong in the same sentence, honestly.

I guess Bjork!

But, seriously, crazy talk. No doubt that the first SoR was a poor-man Final Fight cash-in at the time but in the interim I'd argue that it has favored far better than the capcom game. I personally like it better than SoR2 now...mainly for the score.
 

AmyS

Member
Sorry, I've been editing the crap out of my posts because it's just not easy to come by solid infomation on Galaxy Force / Galaxy Force II in general. I keep making typos and I am certainly not the best typist in the world.
 

Chopper

Member
Hold down the right button. Press A when you see an obstacle.

That's about it.
That's exactly how I play it. And I can't help but feel as though I am missing out. I'll see a televison(?) on some platform I can't work out how to reach, and just think "fuck it" and do a huge jump whilst pressing right, plough through a load of enemies and reach the end of the level in no time. It's fun, but I feel as though I'm doing it wrong!
 

Camjo-Z

Member
I just think "fuck it" and do a huge jump whilst pressing right, plough through a load of enemies and reach the end of the level in no time. It's fun, but I feel as though I'm doing it wrong!

This is the true essence of Sonic! Although you'd stand no chance attempting such a playstyle on the slower paced levels like Marble and Labyrinth Zone...
 

daydream

Banned
I guess Bjork!

But, seriously, crazy talk. No doubt that the first SoR was a poor-man Final Fight cash-in at the time but in the interim I'd argue that it has favored far better than the capcom game. I personally like it better than SoR2 now...mainly for the score.

Seems like we both have a soft spot for the first game! I rarely bring it up since they're both so fantastic. I mean, there's nothing wrong with Final Fight, but SoR (1+2) is GOTF material for me.

I guess I represent the other extreme.
 

Voliko

Member
Just got Sonic and Space Harrier. Space Harrier is beautiful in 3D, what a match made in heaven. Definitely getting the rest, these are some amazing ports.
 

japtor

Member
Sorry, I've been editing the crap out of my posts because it's just not easy to come by solid infomation on Galaxy Force / Galaxy Force II in general. I keep making typos and I am certainly not the best typist in the world.
I think someone mentioned it on the last page or two, or I saw it in the interview link (also around there). Off the top of my head I think it said II was essentially an update/expansion that came out two months later, so non updated GF I machines are apparently rare.

Edit: interview link: http://www.siliconera.com/2013/12/12/3d-galaxy-force-ii-going-run/

...can't copy paste from the mobile site, but search for "rare" and you'll get to the part about GF I.
 

Squeakychu

Neo Member
Just a heads up guys. "3D Sonic the Hedgehog", "3D Altered Beast", and "3D Space Harrier" are all on the "Best Sellers" list in the eShop (with Sonic being the first item on the list). I don't know if it means anything, but it's very encouraging nevertheless.

Also, as others have attested, Galaxy Force II is absolutely amazing! It has some of the strongest 3D I've ever seen on the system. I highly recommend trying it out.
 

wondermega

Member
kept refreshing the eShop today and finaly saw GF2 on there & grabbed that sucker. it did not disappoint. I remember playing the crazy huge arcade machine back in the day (sighhh.... 20+ years ago, wha?) I never would have thought we would have a conversion thatI could play in my home.. in my HANDS... in 3D! Also I expected Sega to let me down and port the wretched Genesis version instead. For once Sega is being pretty awesome, again..

anyway anyone who has a 3DS should buy this game. Buy ALL the 3D Classics games! Well I don't think I can buy Altered Beast, I never need to see that game again, I don't care how many D's it has. But all the other ones, for sure :)

Also really enjoying Sonic. Another game I played to death back in the day and never felt I needed to lay eyes on it again, even though I've not seen it in well over a decade (at least). The gameplay still holds up (great designs, very fun) and the 3D actually does add a lot to the experience. Absolutely recommended for even the casual player - these are 100% the reasons I own a 3DS. I have low expectations, but if these somehow manage to sell well and inspire Nintendo/other devs to revisit old games with a 3D boost, I'd certainly be gaming a lot more than I do these days, and happily so-
 

AmyS

Member
Galaxy Force II was the ultimate SEGA Super-Scalar arcade game, powered by Sega's Y BOARD, the most powerful Super-Scalar tech.

The later System 32, the first 32-bit arcade board, developed in 1990 and first used for Rad Mobile released in 1991, was not actually a Super-Scalar board. It was different tech, even though it was more than capable of scaling & rotation too.

Ironically, the early official (or unofficial) codename for Sega's in-development 32-Bit console in 1991-92 was, Giga Drive. Strangely enough, that's the name of M2's Mega Drive emulator for 3DS.

The Giga Drive console was thought to be a shrunk down (perhaps weaker?) version of the System 32 board. However, Mars 32X and especially Saturn were evolved further, both used twin Hitachi SH-2 CPUs (clocked faster in Saturn) unlike the System 32 board that used an NEC V60 CPU.

Electronic Gaming Monthly's Letters to the Editor and Quarterman Gaming Gossip columns may have started the whole GigaDrive console = -System 32 arcade thing when Rad Mobile was first being shown in Japan in late 1990..

I don't know, but....

EGM would say something like (I'm paraphrasing here) 'Because Mega Drive (Genesis) used the 16-bit MC 68000 like Sega's Bit-16 arcade technology, which was the starting point for Sega when they wanted to make a 16-bit home console, and 'Giga' is 1,000 times faster than 'Mega', it would not be surprising if System 32 was eventually shrunk down into a 32-bit Giga Drive console'.


Edit: I wasn't far off!


EGM Number 15, October 1990
(Gaming Gossip)

...Genesis Giga-Drive in Japan

...First we get the Mega Drive, then the Game Gear, and now the Giga Drive? The latest rumors from Japan tell of an even more advanced Sega system with scaling functions as well as the ability to manipulate a larger number of more colorful characters! Could it be true? From the one game company that seems to be taking an aggressive stab at just about anything, a Giga-Drive could be a possibility, but I have to see it with my own eyes first. Sure sounds rippin' though....


EGM Number 16, November 1990
(Letters to the Editor)

SEGA 32 BIT SYSTEM!

Recently I've heard that there are rumors concerning a 32 bit converter for the Genesis! Please confirm this rumor, because if this is true, then watch out NES and NEC here comes Genesis!

Tim Chung
Calgary, Alta

You've got the most awesome mag out there! How about an in depth on Strider? And what about the 32 bit Genesis?

(ed. There have been many rumors about a 32 bit system for Genesis, Code name Giga Drive (Giga being 1000 times bigger than Mega, as in the Japanese Mega Drive), is still a long ways from production. It's not just a dream though, as the 'System 32' arcade version is up and running. And, we know that what fits on an arcade mother board can eventually be shrunk down to fit inside a Giga Drive case! For the first look at the forerunner to the home Giga Drive, feast your eyes on this!)

(They showed a black & white photograph of the System 32 board)



EGM Number 19, February 1991
(Letters to the Editor)

GIGA DRIVE?...

I called Sega and asked them about the Giga Drive. They said there is no such thing. And they said that you made it up. And there is no ' System 32' "up and running". They also said that if you look real close at the picture in issue number 16 of the so called Giga Drive, you'd see that it is a drawing. So, I would like to know what you have to say about this?

Jimmy Burleson
Phil Campbell, AL

(ed. Will Jimmy, these are the kind of problems we run into when we either, know more than the company does, know more than the company wants us to know, or know more than the company wants you to know.
With regards to your questions the 'System 32', a code name for Sega's new 32 bit arcade machine, is indeed up and running. In Japan, that is. Last September, at JAMMA, the Japanese arcade show, one game - Rad Mobile was quite playable. The photo we ran in issue 16 was not an illustration. Rather it was an actual B and W photo of the motherboard of that System 32. And, as MegaDrive/Genesis was born from their 16 bit arcade system, it is not difficult to imagine a Giga Drive emerging from this new System 32. But it is probable that 1991 will be the year of the CD-ROM wars. That would make 1992 the earliest the next-generation of Sega machines would appear, That is, unless NEC makes the 32 bit jump first!?...)

So there you have it, and now M2 is using the Giga Drive name for their 3DS Mega Drive emu, LOL.
 
Decided to make an new thread for the Galaxy Force II info, because I just got blown away by the effort into bringing over the PS2 assets. o_O

Good man. I've been thinking about doing an OT for the game all day but was waiting until I buy it and play it first. I think it deserves more exposure... I feel like it's my duty to knock on people's doors and ask them to buy it. So a dedicated thread is the least we can do.

Link to it here so folks here can find it and try to keep it bumped.
 
I have a hard time wrapping my mind around how Galaxy Force II can be as good as you guys are saying! So far, I've only played Sonic of the 3D collection... and I absolutely adored it. I completely understand how the 3D and tech for GF II might be amazing, but is the gameplay really that solid? I hate shmups, but LOVE Star Fox. From the very few brief video clips I've seen of this, I can't tell which category it falls more into. Space Harrier and Super Hang On (and hell, even Altered Beast on a conceptual level) all interest me more than GF II, but some of these comments are swinging me towards the "I should download it right freaking now" camp :p
 
Not sure what you mean by hating STGs, but Galaxy Force II can be considered Space Harrier on steroids. The ability to choose which stage you start is interesting because, no matter what, inexperienced players won't last past a few stages before running out of energy. The later planets get truly ferocious when it comes to throwing every possible natural phenomenon, enemy pattern, and tight corner at players; I think you'll enjoy the game as long as you keep in mind that it earns its level of challenge. For example, I might not get a mid-level energy boost on the opening world, but every one following it gives such a reward to players who've made it far enough. So there's incentive both to start on, say, the fire planet and get that bonus early or go for a perfect run in the opening round. Everything afterwards will need shaking down, as usual. It's easy to claim that Galaxy Force II was only mean to sap coins, but the game's well-designed and, in this portable form, still retains relevance.
 
Not sure what you mean by hating STGs, but Galaxy Force II can be considered Space Harrier on steroids. The ability to choose which stage you start is interesting because, no matter what, inexperienced players won't last past a few stages before running out of energy. The later planets get truly ferocious when it comes to throwing every possible natural phenomenon, enemy pattern, and tight corner at players; I think you'll enjoy the game as long as you keep in mind that it earns its level of challenge. For example, I might not get a mid-level energy boost on the opening world, but every one following it gives such a reward to players who've made it far enough. So there's incentive both to start on, say, the fire planet and get that bonus early or go for a perfect run in the opening round. Everything afterwards will need shaking down, as usual. It's easy to claim that Galaxy Force II was only mean to sap coins, but the game's well-designed and, in this portable form, still retains relevance.
Man, that sounds like some excellent game design. Okay, I'm sold on playing it, but now the question remains...

should I get Space Harrier first? If this is like "Space Harrier on steroids", it makes sense to play this one after SH. Also somebody in this thread mentioned GF II controlling particularly well with the circle pad pro, which I am getting for Christmas.

No matter when I get it though, it seems like a really excellent title from what you've said. I'll probably end up getting all 8 of these suckers because retro gaming is so much fun, especially with ports of this caliber.

Despite having never owned a Sega system, I still want to send M2 some fan mail. They are true archival guardians of our favorite hobby.
 
3D GFII is amazing. It's bloody hard too, but in that arcade shooter way.

I really want them to do more racing games in 3D, like F1 Exhaust Note, F1 Super Lap or even Virtua Racing.
 
Unless you turn on Super Dolphin mode, which makes you an invincible fish who doesn't need air.
Not only that but you can play the Japanese version which had some difficulty tweaks like some levels having checkpoints added and other changes. Not as many as the director would like (the interview says he wanted some bits removed entirely but it was not possible due to event data) but as many as the developers could do.

Many of you are going to need to spend some time in the settings screen to get the controls and screen settings to work to your liking for Galaxy Force II, especially when using the Circle Pad Pro (which is fucking awesome for GFII).
Always nice to see support.

Fun fact: Altered Beast is one of only a few games that has a lower entertainment-to-money-spent ratio than a movie. The game's only about 15 minutes long, if that.
But if you were in an arcade and beast it using 6 quarters...

That's exactly how I play it. And I can't help but feel as though I am missing out. I'll see a televison(?) on some platform I can't work out how to reach, and just think "fuck it" and do a huge jump whilst pressing right, plough through a load of enemies and reach the end of the level in no time. It's fun, but I feel as though I'm doing it wrong!
Most of the levels in Sonic 1 are structured into 3 routes with lots of points to cross over. If you hold right you'll end up either on the bottom or middle route. The top route tends to be the fast through a stage and also the most difficult. The maze like stages (Marble, Labyrinth) tend not to follow this pattern but do contain some shortcuts instead.
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
Power Drift (and Rad Mobile) were those two WOW games for me back in the arcades. These really need to be done. I don't care if they are not considered great racers...M2 needs to do them.

I'm hoping for both of those. I remember being wowed by Powerdrift in my youth, but never played it
 

Empty

Member
I've put vulcan fire on auto and switched missiles to Y, also putting deceleration on B for thumb toggle (this is all in Neo-Classic widescreen, too). The 3D effect is immense in this port, and figuring out the best control scheme is equally satisfying. That first level alone is one of the greatest I've ever played in an arcade game, constantly building on the score-attacking and level navigation in a way that demands one's utmost concentration. Can't wait for the ne.

thanks for the tip. vulcan fire on auto is great.

the game is melting my face off. the speed at which its played, the hectic rush to get as many hits as possible, the surprisingly open levels, the incredible visuals. it's amazing.

the music is pretty good too. when the fire level track kicks in as you descend gets me right in the mood.
 

Tizoc

Member
So best tip to playing Space Harrier is just to move left and right?

Got SH and GF2, both look STUNNING in 3D mode.
 

andymcc

Banned
Galaxy Force II was the ultimate SEGA Super-Scalar arcade game, powered by Sega's Y BOARD, the most powerful Super-Scalar tech.

The later System 32, the first 32-bit arcade board, developed in 1990 and first used for Rad Mobile released in 1991, was not actually a Super-Scalar board. It was different tech, even though it was more than capable of scaling & rotation too.

Ironically, the early official (or unofficial) codename for Sega's in-development 32-Bit console in 1991-92 was, Giga Drive. Strangely enough, that's the name of M2's Mega Drive emulator for 3DS.

The Giga Drive console was thought to be a shrunk down (perhaps weaker?) version of the System 32 board. However, Mars 32X and especially Saturn were evolved further, both used twin Hitachi SH-2 CPUs (clocked faster in Saturn) unlike the System 32 board that used an NEC V60 CPU.

Electronic Gaming Monthly's Letters to the Editor and Quarterman Gaming Gossip columns may have started the whole GigaDrive console = -System 32 arcade thing when Rad Mobile was first being shown in Japan in late 1990..

I don't know, but....

EGM would say something like (I'm paraphrasing here) 'Because Mega Drive (Genesis) used the 16-bit MC 68000 like Sega's Bit-16 arcade technology, which was the starting point for Sega when they wanted to make a 16-bit home console, and 'Giga' is 1,000 times faster than 'Mega', it would not be surprising if System 32 was eventually shrunk down into a 32-bit Giga Drive console'.


Edit: I wasn't far off!


EGM Number 15, October 1990
(Gaming Gossip)




EGM Number 16, November 1990
(Letters to the Editor)







(They showed a black & white photograph of the System 32 board)



EGM Number 19, February 1991
(Letters to the Editor)





So there you have it, and now M2 is using the Giga Drive name for their 3DS Mega Drive emu, LOL.

welcome back camineet
 
D

Deleted member 125677

Unconfirmed Member
I'm getting Altered Beast for nostalgia, that was my Mega Drive launch game :D which other games are must haves

Please don't say: ALL OF EM, one or two extras pls
 
Bought both Space Harrier and GF II at full price because they are good games but also to help send messages to both Sega and Nintendo.

I want Afterburner II in NA as well.
 

bjork

Member
GFII is still pretty cool. Love the soundtrack, too. All I remembered about Ecco is getting lost early on, and that still holds true. I like swimming around, though.
 

AmyS

Member
BTW, regarding Thunder Blade, there exists only *one* respectable home version of the game. that would be the one made for X68000 (X68K) in 1990, perhaps coded by Sharp themselves, or some subsidiary (?)

qP6RLI1.jpg


RAw08Go.jpg

Perhaps Sharp-SPS only published it, I dunno.

Anywho, the first first stage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA31IZTPg14



And I tried to find footage of the real arcade cab, not Mame:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g7E25Ngw9o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBD14_CTVc0

Was X68000 Thunder Blade absolutely on par with the arcade powered by Sega's X-Board? (same as arcade After Burner II) ?
--No, it wasn't. Although it was still incredible and is still to this very day by far and away the best home version.

Keep in mind that, unlike Sega's X-Board board with built-in hardware scaling & rotation, the consumer Sharp X68000 computer had just a single, lower-clocked CPU. It lacked actual hardware scaling (tho lots of RAM and ROM space allowed for plenty of quickly redrawn sprites for reasonably smooth 'software' scaling). That platform could not manage as many sprites on screen: 128 instead of 256, or backgrounds: 2 instead of 4, or colors, and didn't have nearly as much video memory.

With that said, the Sharp computer Thunder Blade conversion was a hell of a lot better than Space Harrier or After Burner II coded by Dempa on the same platformvand just completely pissed from great height all over Sega's own 'Super' Thunder Blade on their own MegaDrive/Genesis, a game coded in '88 for the MD launch in Japan.

MD/Gen Super Thunder Blade was only loosely based on the coin-op, not directly the same game, and really, more of a sequel, like Space Harrier II --another Japanese MD launch game in 1988.
Sega did the very same thing with MD/Gen Shadow Dancer in 1990-91, it wasn't even directly based on the arcade.

Don't even get me started on Amiga's Thunder Blade that was at least a direct translation unlike STB.

So M2 & Sega are you gonna give at least part of the world a 3D Thunder Blade that is based on the coin-op, or will the X68K conversion remain the best home version?

Decisions, decisions....
 
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