D3 Publisher's SIMPLE 2000 Series inc PAL EDF2 CONFIRMED!

[JohnMcL7]

I can't compare to the original Japanese version, but unless I'm very forgiving or just blind, the frame rate doesn't stand out to me as being significantly worse than in EDF2017.

Anyway, as someone else pointed out earlier, it's only a tenner. Cheap enough to live with it having a few niggles surely?

I have PAL for both versions and the framerate in GDF is awful - at the start of the level it must be in single digits, it crawls along until you manage to finally kill some enemies. I'm not complaining, I think it's hilarious but I think EDF 2017 is a lot smoother.

I'm liking the larger variety of enemies although those mirror UFOs are a pain in the neck when your co-op teammate is using high powered but inaccurate weaponry

John

[anephric]

EDF 2017 is miles better framerate-wise - it only really suffers in higher difficulty levels or during particularly large explosions. GDF, as said, is nasty from the get-go.

[prinnysquad]

I can't believe there's so much technical discussion here over one of the most pure videogames out there that costs a measly tenner.


Right, I've just done the first level on both versions.

NTSC-J - Terrible framerate. No borders. Japanese text.

PAL - Terrible framerate. 1 inch borders. English text.

The technical differences barely scratch the surface of such a fun game. It's just not important.

[fallenangle]

I'll happily play an otherwise good game even if it has a few technical issues. But I've always particularly hated slowdown - IMO it's one of the worst technical failings a game can have. I still regularly play the Skirmish game on PSOne C&C Retaliation and slowdown builds up and effects virtually every map. It can make the game almost unplayable at times.

Incredibly it still blights some NG console games when there is really no good excuse. Games designers should know the technical limititations of the console they're working with. But they seem obsessed with pushing the envelope to include more detail, better lighting, particle effects or just keeping the screen busy. The frame rate is always having to be sacrificed to allow them to do all this.

I'd much prefer to be playing a cruder looking game if this meant an acceptably high frame could be maintained throughout.

[Ryo Saeba]

Sure there are some flashy effects in EDF2, but that's because all hell breaks loose. You'll never experience something quite like it and sometimes I'd even say it's worth the frame drop. Apart from two or three missions the framerate doesn't drop so low that it really detracts from the game.
I really find it kinda impressive, how playable the game is in Co-Op Multiplayer, when armies of giant ants fill the screens. For example it's way better than Perfect Dark.

Some games just manage get around their framerate problems and are still tons of fun (Starfox, Goldeneye, River City Ransom) and the EDF series is among them.


Anyone capable of playing PAL PS2 games just has to get this game. It's maybe the finest gaming experience the last generation has to offer and stands above such technical nitpicks.

[prinnysquad]

With EDF you just don't think about the framerate. It's a non-issue. It's far too much pure fun.

[JohnMcL7]

While I agree in theory, I don't think it's really the case - I find the framerate drops do detract from the game, pretty much at the start of the level the game is unplayable but you have to stick with it. Other games such as Starfox and Goldeneye had framerate drops nowhere near as bad, it's not just nitpicking.

It does say a lot for the game that it's still so enjoyable, just don't play EDF 2017 before hand.

John

[prinnysquad]

The framerate is indeed horrific in places (none last night though over a dozen levels) but if you keep in mind it's a budget game, not a megabucks game from a mega-developer, it doesn't matter as much. There are a million nitpicks about EDF and some serious problems with other aspects of the game, but none, in my experience, make the game unplayable. It's just a blast. I've had more fun playing this than any number of technically competent titles over the years and if people are blinded to the charms of the game by it's technical frailties and would rather play a soulless 40 quidder with a zippy 60hz framerate, but is a dreary, formulaic turd-monkey to play, then it really is their loss.

[Ryo Saeba]

Other games such as Starfox and Goldeneye had framerate drops nowhere near as bad, it's not just nitpicking.

Come on, have you ever blown something up in Goldeneye?

[prinnysquad]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Games-Global-Defence-Force/dp/B000FI4HB0

HURRY HURRY HURRY people!

A bargain price from the sellers on the marketplace.

Why are you waiting?

[df0notfound]

I have PAL for both versions and the framerate in GDF is awful - at the start of the level it must be in single digits, it crawls along until you manage to finally kill some enemies. I'm not complaining, I think it's hilarious but I think EDF 2017 is a lot smoother.

I'm liking the larger variety of enemies although those mirror UFOs are a pain in the neck when your co-op teammate is using high powered but inaccurate weaponry

John

To be honest the first level has the worst framerate in the entire game

[Ryo Saeba]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Ga.../dp/B000FI4HB0


HURRY HURRY HURRY people!

A bargain price from the sellers on the marketplace.

Why are you waiting?

That's simply well priced!

(fear not, they screw up their prices regularly..)
Anyway, I got GDF Tactics today and I'll give some impressions in the next few days. I really liked the japanese version, despite the language barrier and 16bit graphics.

[Ryo Saeba]

So I played through the first few missions of Global Defence Force Tacitcs, which is a hex-based strategy game set in the GDF universe and what should I say.. I'm really digging it.

It turns out to be quite addictive and if you disable the battle sequences (which take too long to load and are unbelievably boring and dry) and figure out a few things that aren't mentioned in the manual, it's quite intuitive and fast, which is a relief and really refreshing in comparison to nearly everything else in the genre (like the slower paced Final Fantasy Tactics or Disgaea).
The grafics may be a little too old-school for some (imagine a more detailed 16bit Daisenryaku title with alien ants instead of Nazis), but the gameplay does make up for it so far.
There are all the good old GDF units you know and love and they can gain experience and new weapons (about 250), so you have quite a few choices, while things like fuel consumption add depth.
It also seems to be quite long with around 50 missions (which can take up to a few ours, but fear not, you can save anytime) and you can replay missions to get a better rank (your performance is rated after each one).

Much to my surprise there's even a 60Hz option, which really gives me hope regarding other current and upcomming Essential Games releases, though I'm kinda buffled why (as others stated) they didn't include it in the action title Global Defence Force, where it would've been more reasonable.
It's also not perfect, as they forgot to scale the "hex-grid overlay" (which can be turned on and off in the options menu) and which doesn't fit in 60Hz mode, but it's not that big of a deal, as you don't really need it and the 50hz option isn't bad either (minimum borders).

Apart from that, there are also a few spelling mistakes in the manual that are good for some laughs and as said not everything is mentioned.
For example as the game uses a hex-grid, you can move the cursor in 6 directions and you have to hit diagonals to get certain ones. The problem is that your units use up fuel and if you don't hit the diagonals right while determining your units movement path, you can get quite a messed up route which would replenish more fuel. The easy solution is that you can just press the circle button to "smooth" and get the shortest path. Why they didn't calculate the shortest one automatically when you choose your units destination, is beyond me, maybe there are situations later in the game, where it gets important to walk over certain grids, I don't know.

But anyway, although it's too soon to give an objective rundown, I think that anyone who can look past antiquated 2D graphics and enjoys turn-based strategy and/or the Chikyuu Boueigun series should check it out.

[Eiji]

I picked GDF up at my local Morrisons store for £5.99 brand new.

Although I've played the Japanese version to death I wanted the PAL version just so that I can read the mission text and weapon names and add it to my Sandlot collection.

As it is, the PAL conversion is atrocious with its massive borders and removed speech but to make things better I made an image of GDF on my PC, patched it to NTSC with a Y-Fix applied using Jaytee's PAL2NTSC patcher and installed it to HD Loader on my PS2.

Now I can play the PAL version fullscreen

[prinnysquad]

I must say, I've played the PAL version in co-op the last few weeks and there's no extra slowdown I can see. The odd bit of slowdown I have noticed - the mega godzilla level, the opening level - were on the NTSC one too. I'd have liked the original Japanese speech but I'm not missing it tbh. The game is legendary in both formats.

You wouldn't give a toss unless you'd played The Chikyuu Boueigun 2, and even then I enjoy the English translation for weapons and missions descriptions.