Was X-Men Vs Streetfighter...

[hankwangford]

Hey I did talk about EC . I myself was looking forward to the game.

Fair play, didn't see that.

Sonic X was a **** up from start to finish mate. Not even SOA had a clue what it was doing with that. They was hardly a game there, SOJ were right to can it imo.

A number of interviews with former staffers state the game was actually quite far along in PC development and Saturn dev was beginning to catch up when out of NOWHERE Nakayama decided that the system draining code for the boss fights should be the basis for the entire game. Yeah, smart.

Not to mention the fact that Yuji Naka got caught up in the ****ing politics by denying STI the ability to use the NiGHTS engine. You tell me, what kind of an employee puts the potential for a game that would have sold tons and could have slowed Sega's slide somewhat to one side in order to cause considerable damage to a side of the business he hated? Well played Nakayama and Naka.

I have much respect for Tom Kalinske, but he backed a losser and went for the 32X.
If SOA/SOE weren't wasting thier time shipping out tools and trying to make games for that load of rubbish. The Saturn would have had a better lanuch line up, even in may.

Maybe so... but when work on Project Mars began, it was NAKAYAMA who proposed the project and put Hideki Sato and company to work. It was *originally* specced as a 32-bit cartridge system which would be nothing more than a Megadrive with a 32-bit processor in and the ability to display 128 colours on screen. Maybe the idea from SOA to turn it into a Megadrive add-on was more than a little foolish, but tell me - where was the sense in SOJ ploughing MILLIONS into R&D for Project Mars, Project Neptune and Project Saturn? Another case of pure arrogance from the Japanese. This isn't even mentioning Project Jupiter - a case where Sega of Japan decided to work on their own 32-bit cartridge machine under wraps from SOA, all while 32X was in development? SOJ failed to provide any cooperation on a project they had agreed to put forward and had their OWN PEOPLE research and spec.

Found the perfect quote from Segabase on this too:

It was Nakayama's considered opinion that the 32X was in a perfect position to fill the gap between the aging Genesis and the up-and-coming Saturn, and it seemed to him that it could be a saleable product during this crucial phase.

Project ****s, more like.

[Team Andromeda]

A number of interviews with former staffers state the game was actually quite far along in PC development and Saturn dev was beginning to catch up when out of NOWHERE Nakayama decided that the system draining code for the boss fights should be the basis for the entire game. Yeah, smart.

Not to mention the fact that Yuji Naka got caught up in the ****ing politics by denying STI the ability to use the NiGHTS engine. You tell me, what kind of an employee puts the potential for a game that would have sold tons and could have slowed Sega's slide somewhat to one side in order to cause considerable damage to a side of the business he hated? Well played Nakayama and Naka.

And I've read from a few people that played the game and they said nice graphics, but where's the game ??. The project for me was waste of time some 2 years down the line they had nothing to show. Far better if STI made a Comix Zone II or somthing. That way Naka couldn't mess around, becasue he see Sonic as his baby

As for Naka and the NiGHTS engine. Well
That?s nothing new he should have let them use the NiGHTS engine I can't aruge with that.
But there this is nothing new. For SEGA. (sad as it is) Teams like AM#2, AM#3 don?t share tools and engines with each other, never mind with STI.
And really after 2 years STI should have developed a decent engine their self?s. The project was just a massive mess up, much like SEGA Japan its self not making sure they had some sort of Sonic game ready for Saturn (I myself would have gone for a port of Sonic The Arcade game with extra levels

Maybe so... but when work on Project Mars began, it was NAKAYAMA who proposed the project and put Hideki Sato and company to work. It was *originally* specced as a 32-bit cartridge system which would be nothing more than a Megadrive with a 32-bit processor in and the ability to display 128 colours on screen. Maybe the idea from SOA to turn it into a Megadrive add-on was more than a little foolish, but tell me - where was the sense in SOJ ploughing MILLIONS into R&D for Project Mars, Project Neptune and Project Saturn? Another case of pure arrogance from the Japanese. This isn't even mentioning Project Jupiter - a case where Sega of Japan decided to work on their own 32-bit cartridge machine under wraps from SOA, all while 32X was in development? SOJ failed to provide any cooperation on a project they had agreed to put forward and had their OWN PEOPLE research and spec

Depend on what you read though.
I read that Jupiter was Saturn Minus the CD and main Ram (at the very costly) with a Cart slot. Where it could play Cart games and thanks to the lack of CD Drive be sold at a much cheaper price. And in the future those who wanted to could up grade to play Saturn games by getting an option CD Drive . That to me sounded the better way to go.
Also wasn?t the 32bit Mega Drive in fact dubbed the Giga Drive .

At the end of the day it boils down to SEGA America wanting to keep on the Mega Drive users base with the 32X, and SEGA Japan wanting to drop the MD altogether and push ahead with the Saturn.

The 32X was a joke and SOE/SOA should have seen that from the start. Tell me how was the 32X more of a mass market system when it cost ?170 just for the unit, and each game cost ?60. That is no way to save the consumer money in the end

[Fastware]

The Megadriove performed really badly in Japan. You can't blame SOJ for looking out the window and seeing that.

[hankwangford]

I think 32X was more of a misreading of the market than a joke. It has some quality games and it's miles better than certain other consoles that waddled feebly into the market and got blown away just as quickly. Regardless we won't know the WHOLE truth about the Solar System projects unless anyone who worked for Sega at the time comes up and gives us a bonafide story. Truth remains, regardless of whatever the projects truly were, there was an awful waste of money by SOJ in the R&D department.

Agreed TA, but STI were messed around a lot. I don't think it's their fault, and they had a decent engine; it was the boss engine that was causing problems - and it was the boss engine that Nakayama forced the team to use. Even if it was ****, it's was an original Sonic game and as we've noticed recently, its a franchise that carries instant returns regardless of quality (Sonic Heroes)

[E. Randy Dupre]

They certainly said they never reviewed import games as PAL ones though.

Then they lied. Remember XMen: CotA? They took Acclaim's word for it that the PAL game would be full speed, full screen, based their review around an NTSC version as a result, then had to write another review when the borked PAL version finally appeared.

[sj33]

Then they lied. Remember XMen: CotA? They took Acclaim's word for it that the PAL game would be full speed, full screen, based their review around an NTSC version as a result, then had to write another review when the borked PAL version finally appeared.

Well in their defense, wasn't that before Rich Leadbetter took over as Editor? SSM did a few naughty things in the pre-Leadbetter days, such as reviewing an unfinished copy of Olympic Games (which never got released).

I'm not necessarily saying they didn't review imports though. I originally brought it up to speculate over whether PAL review copies of Xmen Vs. SF ever existed (based on the fact that SSM and GamesMaster reviewed it).

[Fastware]

Unoptimised PAL code did exist for XvsSF and that's what the magazines reviewed.

[Team Andromeda]

I think 32X was more of a misreading of the market than a joke. It has some quality games and it's miles better than certain other consoles that waddled feebly into the market and got blown away just as quickly. Regardless we won't know the WHOLE truth about the Solar System projects unless anyone who worked for Sega at the time comes up and gives us a bonafide story. Truth remains, regardless of whatever the projects truly were, there was an awful waste of money by SOJ in the R&D department.

Agreed TA, but STI were messed around a lot. I don't think it's their fault, and they had a decent engine; it was the boss engine that was causing problems - and it was the boss engine that Nakayama forced the team to use. Even if it was ****, it's was an original Sonic game and as we've noticed recently, its a franchise that carries instant returns regardless of quality (Sonic Heroes)

Those 32X games would have been better on the Saturn. Thanks to the extra power, that'a my main point.
VR would have ruled on the Saturn if done by the 32XCS Team. Instead the Saturn version was handed out, which made me mad. Star Wars ect would have been better on the Saturn, and helped it with its launch line up.

Nobody more tham me wanted a Sonic game on the Saturn. That's why I would have gone for Sonic Arcade. It would have been piss easy to port, bag in a few extra's and everybody is happy with a Sonic launch game. It was a major **** up not to have Sonic at the start, or not long after it

I felt sorry for the STI Team, they did such good stuff and were a great bunch of programmers (Their MD stuff looked awesome), but we all know Naka calls the shots with all things Sonic (like it or hate it).

It would have been better if they made somthing like Comic Zone II or somthing. That way they would have complete control over the product.
As for SEGA wasting money, well yeah Nakayama was a prick for not keeping thinks in check. Stiff like the 3D glasses for the MD were just a wast of time and money.

One last think peolle always give credit to Tom Kalinske for the sales (and he did some top stuff_. But lets not forget it really was Sonic that made Mega Drive sales hit the roof. A Naka and SEGA Japan product .

[eastyy]

one thing i had a go of the pal version of marvel super heroes and i had my action replay 4meg cart in and marvel super heroes has a option (i think for the 1 mb ram cart) was the 1 mb ever planned for release for the uk?

[saturn-gamer]

I think it never was. MSH had the option for the import release but capcom probably just left it there for the other versions too (while taking anita out *sob*). None of those SNK titles (intended for the 1MB) were ever planned for Europe afaik except ofcourse for KOF95 with the special ROM cart that is.

By the way the mode in MSH also works with the 4MB so capcom might also have left it in because of the possible EU release of the 4MB Xmen vs SF.

[eastyy]

i did wonder why they took anita out

[Kongster]

The saturn pad is still the best for fighting games

[IcePak]

The saturn pad is still the best for fighting games

Amen to that.

I bought a converter that lets me play DC games with a Saturn pad, just so I could play all the fighting games with a good pad. I can't tell you how much of a difference it made.

[Team Andromeda]

The saturn pad is still the best for fighting games

Trust me its the 2nd best . The SEGA 6 button Mega Drive pad is the best for fighters, that simply features the greatest D-Pad ever made.
It's a joy to pull of SteetFighter II moves with that.

Oh Dear ! Another can of worms opened

[nekroxide]

I had an amazing 3rd party 6 button MD pad. I can't remember what make it was, but it seriously had the best d-pad I've ever used for Street Fighter style moves.

Never actually used an official one, so that means the Saturn pad wins!

And NiGHTS + analogue pad = WIN.