Advantages of SNES hardware vs. Genesis hardware

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Originally Posted by NeoGeo64

I'm still learning about the Genesis, that's why I'm here. Random question... can anyone show me an example of the 32X's full sound capabilities?

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I did a number of example 32X homebrews that involve sound, namely a test of Tremor to play OGG-Vorbis files, a MOD player, and an XM player. The threads are all in this forum, but note that fileden quit, so any fileden links no longer work. I need to upload some of the fileden files to my MediaFire account.

Even these examples are not the FULL capability of the 32X for sound, but far better than the official 32X games, which merely used the 32X to play four more pcm channels. That one SH2 in the 32X can decode and play ogg files with very little optimization shows that the 32X could do much better sound than any game utilized.

If you want to look at better 32X sound in a game, look for my Yeti3D for 32X example. The latest version embedded the MOD player in it, so it had sound effects and music along with the ability to shoot bad guys.

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Originally Posted by Chilly Willy

I did a number of example 32X homebrews that involve sound, namely a test of Tremor to play OGG-Vorbis files, a MOD player, and an XM player. The threads are all in this forum, but note that fileden quit, so any fileden links no longer work. I need to upload some of the fileden files to my MediaFire account.

Even these examples are not the FULL capability of the 32X for sound, but far better than the official 32X games, which merely used the 32X to play four more pcm channels. That one SH2 in the 32X can decode and play ogg files with very little optimization shows that the 32X could do much better sound than any game utilized.

If you want to look at better 32X sound in a game, look for my Yeti3D for 32X example. The latest version embedded the MOD player in it, so it had sound effects and music along with the ability to shoot bad guys.

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Hey, it's Chilly! Thanks for Wolfenstein 3D for the 32X! I'm really enjoying it.

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Originally Posted by FuturePrimitive

Hey, it's Chilly! Thanks for Wolfenstein 3D for the 32X! I'm really enjoying it.

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Thanks. I really to finish the update. If you like the current version, you'll love the update. :)

Chilly is Alive! Awesome!

Koshiro should've made every song on the Genesis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzrpKjnaEL4

superbly epic boss battle music.

I would have loved to see what guys like Ryu Umemoto and Manubu Namiki could have done on the genesis. Both easily on par with early Koshiro (if not better).

Yeah, I don't know man, it just still sounds better to me. Maybe because I grew up with a SNES and didn't own a Genesis. It really does sound good, the two links you posted. Heh, the Genesis has good music too but it sounds more synthy but that doesn't mean the tunes rock! That's the whole thing though, the whole Sega VS Nintendo thing is cool, because without it we wouldn't have the whole 16 bit wars which really defined our childhood, ya know? Both systems kick ass and had alot more inspired games than the junk coming out now, I think.

One more thing, the Genesis' hardware was designed on paper about five years before the SNES. The SNES did have a superior sound chip, but I personally think Sonic 3 sounds AMAZING! How did they do those drum samples on Sonic 3 (they sound alot different from Sonic 1 or 2)?

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Originally Posted by NeoGeo64

One more thing, the Genesis' hardware was designed on paper about five years before the SNES. The SNES did have a superior sound chip, but I personally think Sonic 3 sounds AMAZING! How did they do those drum samples on Sonic 3 (they sound alot different from Sonic 1 or 2)?

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I just think it's weird that you think the Genesis sounds like square waves ;>_> It sounds nothing like square waves. Square waves would be NES and Master System (and to a lesser extend, PCE/TG16). Genesis has that FM sound. It's VERY distinct and I don't how anyone could confuse it with square waves. SNES has that typical small waveform pitch bending sound to it (reminds me of early mods and amiga stuff) - where the pitch drastically changes with the note range (hell, not even an octave range) in an unrealistic way. Of course, you can do other 'non' sampled type stuff on the SNES (like small waveform morphing) - but 99% of devs didn't. The only stuff I really care for on the snes was the strings and the horns. Though they didn't age well IMO. That's not to say there aren't some exceptions to the SNES catalog of music, but it's pretty small IMO. When FM is done bad... its BAD sounding (i.e. terrible). But new stuff done nowadays on the Genesis/Megadrive sounds awesome. But I'm with stef on this; FM alone isn't enough (at least the 2612). A decent sample pack to go along with it makes for some incredible sounding music (and not just drumkits either). Same with the SNES; they should have added a few FM 'like' channels. Or had the option to set a sampled channel to something that's timbre bending-ish. Hell, they were really close to doing 'real' wavetable synth. There must have been a patent on it :/

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Originally Posted by NeoGeo64

but I personally think Sonic 3 sounds AMAZING!

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Eh? It's ok I suppose, but there's many better soundtracks on the genesis. Including Ristar by the same folk.
You'll probably like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b18RLdMMJ9Y

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Originally Posted by Stef

myself when i got a SNES i immediately though it sounded far superior to my MD.

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Yes, I remember that these were also my impressions back in 1992. That is not to say that the Genesis did not have some kick ass soundtracks (e.g. Streets of Rage, Sonic, Road Rash) but on the whole I felt that the SNES sounded a lot more mature and took videogame sound tracks / effects to a new level.

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Originally Posted by MtothaJ

Yes, I remember that these were also my impressions back in 1992. That is not to say that the Genesis did not have some kick ass soundtracks (e.g. Streets of Rage, Sonic, Road Rash) but on the whole I felt that the SNES sounded a lot more mature and took videogame sound tracks / effects to a new level.

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Mega Drive music had a broader range of music and styles I feel (where as lot of Snes games sounded very similar ), but for certain tracks the Snes had much better quality music . Games like Super Castlevania IV, Axelay, Mystical Ninja, Star Fox, Super R-Type and more so Super Metroid just left most Mega Drive music standing .

Yea maybe the Genesis could've used more PCM channels.

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Originally Posted by Team Andromeda

Mega Drive music had a broader range of music and styles I feel (where as lot of Snes games sounded very similar ), but for certain tracks the Snes had much better quality music . Games like Super Castlevania IV, Axelay, Mystical Ninja, Star Fox, Super R-Type and more so Super Metroid just left most Mega Drive music standing .

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I fully agree - SNES music on the whole followed a particular distinctive style probably built arund the characteristics of the hardware - a lot of games sounded broadly similiar. Mega Drive had more varied soundtracks, that said I feel that IMHO a good SNES track sounded a lot better than a good Genesis track.

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Originally Posted by MtothaJ

that said I feel that IMHO a good SNES track sounded a lot better than a good Genesis track.

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Depends on how you define a good genesis track. On average the SNES sounds a lot better, the bad stuff sounds a lot better than bad genesis stuff, the average stuff sounds better too. When you get to the really good stuff the line is blurred a bit. Can you really say Streets of Rage isn't on par with top of the line SNES stuff? Or the two main songs from Vapor Trail? I'd rather listen to most songs in Devilish than anything from Final Fantasy 6.