The Sega Mega CD

[Colin]

Another who hated MCD Batman Returns here. Though I have no shortage of affection for the system itself, which is why I just bought another.

[samanosuke]

Another who hated MCD Batman Returns here. Though I have no shortage of affection for the system itself, which is why I just bought another.

I still got your old one, Col

[samanosuke]

Okay, with regards to Snatcher and why I love it...

At face value it's pretty basic: a very linear game in which you simply choose options from a menu until you pick the right ones. Graphics consist mostly of stills with an accompanying sountrack/speech. It's barely more than a visual novel. And then there's the storyline. Okay, there are one or two twists but it's hardly original, is it?

So what is there to love? For me it taps into something that very few games do: a deep level of immersion. The small number of locations there are to explore, the limited nature of the game, this is masked by Kojima creating a realistic, believable world. Logging into the computer and reading up on social and political issues in Neo Kobe brings me closer to the game. The dark, distopian art style and moody soundtrack dragged me in to its locales, so much so that I feel like it is a place I have actually been to, a place where I've eaten Neo Kobe Pizza and buffalo meat.

When I now to listen music tracks from the game it evokes memories, not of my life when I played it, but of Neo Kobe, Gillians quest to regain his memory, the awkwardness between he and his estranged wife and a myriad of other experiences I felt at the time.

Games don't often do that to me, but when they do it is magical. The thing is, you never know they will do that until some time afterwards!

[Nu-Eclipse]

Okay, with regards to Snatcher and why I love it...

At face value it's pretty basic: a very linear game in which you simply choose options from a menu until you pick the right ones. Graphics consist mostly of stills with an accompanying sountrack/speech. It's barely more than a visual novel. And then there's the storyline. Okay, there are one or two twists but it's hardly original, is it?

So what is there to love? For me it taps into something that very few games do: a deep level of immersion. The small number of locations there are to explore, the limited nature of the game, this is masked by Kojima creating a realistic, believable world. Logging into the computer and reading up on social and political issues in Neo Kobe brings me closer to the game. The dark, distopian art style and moody soundtrack dragged me in to its locales, so much so that I feel like it is a place I have actually been to, a place where I've eaten Neo Kobe Pizza and buffalo meat.

When I now to listen music tracks from the game it evokes memories, not of my life when I played it, but of Neo Kobe, Gillians quest to regain his memory, the awkwardness between he and his estranged wife and a myriad of other experiences I felt at the time.

Games don't often do that to me, but when they do it is magical. The thing is, you never know they will do that until some time afterwards!

I'll give you the point you raise about Snatcher's soundtrack. The Mega CD version has the best OST out of all of the ports of the game.

Personally, Jamie's theme gets me every time. Sums up the emotional flux between her and Gillian perfectly.

[Team Andromeda]

The driving sections in Batman Returns are ace, but you have to turn off the awful platform sections.

I have no idea why people bang on about the Platform sections . You don't have to play them and the driving game was bigger than most driving games around at the time and was a full game in it's self . For me its the best 16 bit racer ever made and like OutRun still plays, looks and sounds great even today . I just wish Retro Gamer would do a feature on John O'Brien and his genius code in the likes of Batman Returns on the Mega CD, the Driving levels to Batman on the Amiga and the likes of Chase HQ on the ZX Spectrum and Batman & Robin on the Mega Drive

That be fighting talk on any other day, that said as it's only a quick update of two of the Game Gear games, I can see why people would prefer Shining Force 1 & 2

I just don't think Shinning Force CD is half as good as Shinning Force II on the MD and Shinning Force CD makes no extra use of the Mega CD Hardware .

Have to say I really loved the Core stuff on the Mega CD there were at the top of their game in those days

And to me this is nice little FMV game and the best Cadillacs and Dinosaurs game I played

[Team Andromeda]

So what is there to love? For me it taps into something that very few games do: a deep level of immersion. The small number of locations there are to explore, the limited nature of the game, this is masked by Kojima creating a realistic, believable world. Logging into the computer and reading up on social and political issues in Neo Kobe brings me closer to the game. The dark, distopian art style and moody soundtrack dragged me in to its locales, so much so that I feel like it is a place I have actually been to, a place where I've eaten Neo Kobe Pizza and buffalo meat.

When I now to listen music tracks from the game it evokes memories, not of my life when I played it, but of Neo Kobe, Gillians quest to regain his memory, the awkwardness between he and his estranged wife and a myriad of other experiences I felt at the time

Yep and the voice acting and was really well done . You really began to like the main Characters and all that (Got a bit upset with Harry lol) And the Mega CD audio was brilliant and it fantastic use of the 8 PCM sound chip too . Loved the Roland space on the voice and how they came out of the left or right or both (for centre) depending on where the Characters were on screen.

Couldn't really careless if it was a bit linear or could be finished in a day : That was the case for most games back in those days . AndI loved Snatcher, but still found Rise Of the Dragon to be that little bit better

[Colin]

I'm not intending buying many MCD games, as I'm more interested in just having my few favourites on each system I currently have, so for now my shopping list is -

Thunderhawk (Already picked up)
Final Fight
Keio Flying Squadron

Didn't even know there was a Cadillacs and Dinosaurs game on the system? Can't play the vid at work but I take it we're not talking about the arcade version?

[nakamura]

It's a shoddy looking FMV game, Colin.

[Colin]

Ah, probably why I have no knowledge of it then, can't be bothered with FMV games.

[Team Andromeda]

Thunderhawk (Already picked up)
Final Fight
Keio Flying Squadron

Thunder Hawk isn't that good imo. Final Fight and Keio are nice though .

Can't play the vid at work but I take it we're not talking about the arcade version?

Its better than the Arcade game imo . Nice game that makes clever use of real time sprites and FMV backdrops . Not all FMV games are bad . Some can really good simple fun like Prize Fighter

[S3M]

Its better than the Arcade game imo.

Might want to play the arcade game again it's a hundred times better in terms of games design.

Think you need a better quality SoulStar video TA, was helping record one yesterday:

Out of interest what's the best way to play import Mega CD games if you don't want to mod your PAL current machine and muck around with changing the boot region on CD by burning a new copy to a CDR. Is it just the Pro CDX or has someone come up with a boot disc by now? At some point I will get an NTSC unit but just thinking about what to do in the mean time.

[Team Andromeda]

Might want to play the arcade game again it's a hundred times better in terms of games design

I've played it and its just a generic Capcom scroller dress up in Cadillacs and Dinosaurs licence. I liked Cadillacs and Dinosaurs onthe Mega CD game for what it was and it felt far more close to the comic strip and true to the original sorce.

Think you need a better quality SoulStar video TA, was helping record one yesterday

Well maybe if captured videos in 2015 , I could do better rather than 8 years ago, I guess

Out of interest what's the best way to play import Mega CD games if you don't want to mod your PAL current machine and muck around with changing the boot region on CD by burning a new copy to a CDR.

Get a Mega Cart its brilliant

[Decider-VT]

I still got your old one, Col

Snap.

[Colin]

Well I'd be disappointed by anyone with a whole bunch of retro who didn't have at least one thing previously owned by me.

[speedlolita]

Hmm...