• Tag Archives Sega

  • Computer And Video Games (September 1995)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Computer And Video Games – Issue Number 166 – September 1995

    Computer and Video Games was published in the U.K. and was perhaps the longest running video game magazine. By 1995 it had already been around well over a decade and was only about two-thirds of the way through its publishing life. The September 1995 issue includes:

    Regulars

    • Editorial – Saturn vs. PlayStation, the rising price of games, and more.
    • Connected – Nintendo releases Yoshi’s Island for the Super NES, Sony prepares for PlayStation launch in the U.K., Electronic Arts and Origin developing interactive movie called The Darkening, Mindscape starts work on the first sports sim project for the Ultra 64, Virtuality’s Zone Hunter to be ported to Atari’s Jaguar, Atari releases JagLink which allows you to link up two Jaguars for head to head gaming, and more!
    • In the Bag – Letters from readers about multiplayer games, value of the Sega Saturn, Japanese games, and more.
    • Help – Questions answered about the Atari Jaguar, Discworld, Doom versions, the Neptune, and more.
    • Cheatmode – Various cheats for Mortal Kombat 3, Ace Combat, Toh Shin Den, Rise of the Triad, Mario’s Picross, Hoverstrike, Clockwork Knight, Daytona USA, Panzer Dragoon, Virtua Fighter, and more.
    • Challenge – Competitions featuring Need for Speed and International Superstar Soccer.
    • Charts – The top games in various categories. Taking the top spot overall this month is Star Trek TNG: A Final Unity for PC CD-ROM.
    • Next Month – Next month’s issue will include coverage of Destruction Derby, the PlayStation launch (in the U.K.), Killer Instinct, Comix Zone, and more.

    Reviews

    • Ace Combat (PlayStation) – A Persian Gulf themed combat flight sim for the PlayStation.
    • Shin Shinobi Den (Saturn) – A Japanese import that would eventually be released as Shinobi Legions in North America and Shinobi X in Europe.
    • Ultimate Doom (PC CD-ROM) – The original Doom with some extra levels and better networking support. Would have been a better deal if Doom II were included as well.
    • Zhadnost (3DO) – A weird looking game show / puzzle game.
    • Action Soccer (PC CD-ROM) – A decent soccer game for the 3DO.
    • Terminal Velocity (PC) – An early 3D shoot-em-up. It gets a good review here but I barely remember it.
    • Wipeout (PlayStation) – A futuristic racing game for the PlayStation. I wanted to like this more than F-Zero but honestly I thought F-Zero was more fun.
    • Primal Rage (Mega Drive/SNES) – A beat-em-up featuring dinosaurs.
    • Donkey Kong Land (Game Boy) – A platform game from Rare featuring the well known villain.
    • Gloom (Amiga) – A Doom clone for the Amiga. Too little too late really.
    • A surprise – A preview of Batman Forever for the Super NES and Mega Drive…not sure why it is a “surprise”.

    Previews

    • Fade to Black (PC CD-ROM) – A sequel to Flashback.
    • Syndicate Wars (PlayStation) – A cyberpunk themed action RPG.
    • Theme Park (Saturn) – The classic theme park simulator for Sega’s latest console.
    • Magic Carpet 2 (PC CD-ROM) – Fly on a magic carpet while combatting enemies.
    • Actua Golf (PlayStation) – A golf game for the PS1.
    • Loaded (PlayStation) – An over the top 3D shoot-em-up for the PlayStation.
    • Jaguar Round-up – A look at upcoming Atari Jaguar games including Defender 2000, Breakout 2000, Battlemorph, Black Ice/White Noise, and Varuna’s Forces.
    • Daedalus Encounter (3DO) – An FMV sci-fi adventure game starring Tia Carrere.
    • Rayman (PlayStation) – What would be one of the best 2D platform games for the PlayStation.
    • Need For Speed (PC CD-ROM) – Classic racing game that first showed up on the 3DO.
    • Captain Quazar (3DO) – A humorous action game somewhat like Earthworm Jim.
    • Phantom (Mega Drive) – A platform game for the Mega Drive / Genesis based on a cartoon of the same name.
    • Doom (SNES) – Most ports of Doom were so much worse than the original PC version. This one is no exception.

    …and more!


    📂This entry was posted in Computer Arcana Retro Games 📎and tagged

  • Daytona USA (Arcade)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Daytona USA was Released in 1994 by Sega AM2. When it was released, it was basically THE arcade racing game to play. Play mechanics were really pretty simple but well refined and the graphics pushed it to the next level.

    Daytona USA, in terms of hardware, was based on Sega’s Model 2 arcade board. This board featured an Intel i960-KB CPU @ 25 MHz, a Fujitsu TGP BM86234 FPU as a graphics co-processor, a Motorola 68000 for sound control, 2 Zilog Z80s for communications and feedback, and more. Daytona USA was the first arcade machine to use this hardware. They weren’t cheap though at over $15K per machine when introduced.

    One of the weaknesses of this game were the limited number of tracks. There were only three: Three-Seven Speedway, Dinosaur Canyon, and Seaside Street Galaxy. However, they were well designed and each provided a different level of difficulty. Likewise, the car choices were limited as well.

    While the limited number of tracks and cars may have been disappointing to some, Daytona USA had a number of stand-out features that made it a blast to play. The deluxe style sit down cabinet with steering wheel, pedals and gear shift along with excellent responsiveness added a sense of realism beyond what had been seen before. Multiplayer with linked arcade cabinets was an awesome feature as well. What would initially draw people’s attention though were the outstanding graphics. Sega partnered with GE Aerospace when developing the Model 2 board which used tech from military flight sims. This board was capable of 3D graphics with texture filtering and texture mapping. Stuff that would be common in PC video hardware (and game systems) a few years later but was brand new at the time.

    The sound and music were also highly praised. There’s not much to say about the sound except that it added to the realism of the game. The soundtrack was interesting in that included vocals and other music that were sampled onto a Yamaha sound chip. Once again, there wasn’t a lot of variety though with only a few songs. However, these few songs are well remembered by fans of the game.

    The gameplay features many common racing mechanics that have been used both before and since. The most notable is probably the time extension mechanic though this certainly wasn’t new either. It did help to provide a sense of urgency though as you had to pass each checkpoint before time ran out in order to extend your race.

    If you are a racing game fan then you should definitely play this game in an arcade if you can find one. While there have certainly been more advanced racing games since, this one set many new standards at the time it was released. Ironically, you could also argue that this game was in part responsible for the continued decline of arcades. Not because it was a bad game or anything but because when the next generation of home systems came along, like the Saturn and PlayStation, they were capable of near arcade perfect ports of games of this caliber.

    Because of its popularity, there were many ports and sequels. The port that was released for the Saturn was a big deal at the time. There was also a Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition released for the Saturn in 1996, an arcade sequel called Daytona USA 2: Battle on the Edge released in 1998 using Model 3 hardware, Daytona USA 2001 which was a remake of the original game and Championship Circuit Edition for the Dreamcast, an arcade remake called Sega Rally Classic in 2010, and a Daytona Championship USA/Daytona USA 3 released in arcades in 2016.


    📂This entry was posted in Arcade Retro Games 📎and tagged

  • Arcus Odyssey (Sega Genesis)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    https://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/719984398578122752/vgjunk-arcus-odyssey-megadrive-genesis

    Arcus Odyssey was released in 1991 by Taito for the Sega Genesis. This is a fantasy role-playing game played from a top down perspective. It features a blend of exploration, combat, and character progression that makes this a stand-out game on the Genesis, at least if you like RPGs.

    In Arcus Odyssey, you can choose from four distinct characters, each with unique abilities and weapon. These include the warrior, the thief, the mage, and the cleric. This selection offers a layer of strategy, as players can tailor their experience based on their preferred style of play. The warrior is the most balanced, the thief is the most agile, the mage is the most powerful and the cleric is the most versatile.

    As with any good RPG, this game’s structure is nonlinear, allowing players to explore various interconnected levels and complete quests at their own pace. Combat is fairly straightforward and features real-time battles against a variety of enemies, including goblins, skeletons, and bosses (though I prefer turn-based combat myself). Players can attack, dodge, and use magic, with each character having their own unique combat styles.

    One of the key mechanics of the game is the way magical items and power-ups are scattered throughout the levels. Players can collect various spells and equipment which enhance their character’s capabilities. Managing inventory is crucial since you can’t carry unlimited items and you must decide which items to carry into battles and how best to use them.

    The graphics in “Arcus Odyssey” are pretty solid and do a good job of representing the 16-bit capabilities of the Sega Genesis. Sprites and other graphics are well defined and well animated. The character designs are distinctive and do a good job capturing the essence of their particular class. The environments are detailed and varied, ranging from enchanted forests to dungeons and everything in between.

    Both the music and sound effects are also well done. Arcus Odyssey features a varied soundtrack that shouldn’t bore you and helps you to get into the game. Sound effects for attacks, spells, various other things are all well done. Good music and sound effects help build tension when needed and this game does a good job of that too.

    The game is divided into multiple levels. Each level is filled with its own secrets, traps, and mix of enemies that increase in difficulty as you progress. The level design encourages exploration, with many paths leading to hidden items and power-ups. Enemies and bosses get harder to defeat as you go and require having the right strategy (and items) to beat them, especially in later stages.

    While overall, Arcus Odyssey is an excellent RPG, especially on the Genesis, it has it’s flaws as well. For instance, sometimes to complete a quest you have to backtrack through areas of the game you have already been to. This isn’t all bad but it can feel repetitive at times. Still, if you are a console RPG fan then you should pick this one up and give it a try. I’m sure you can also play it via emulations if that is your preference.


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