https://twitter.com/ColumbusCircleC/...52189743554560
Launching on February 25th, 2021.
No price announced yet but I imagine it won't be far off the mark for Columbus Circle.
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https://twitter.com/ColumbusCircleC/...52189743554560
Launching on February 25th, 2021.
No price announced yet but I imagine it won't be far off the mark for Columbus Circle.
Will it just be the same game that's on the Genesis Mini?
According to @hakuukazuo in the linked thread... "This is the EXTRA version, so it's different from the OLD,NEW version of the MDmini model.Quote:
Originally Posted by SEGA-Jorge
However, it's such an upgrade that you have to be a Darius expert to see the difference."
Did he mean "don't have to be a Darius expert"? Otherwise, I'm not sure how that works.Quote:
Originally Posted by Centrale
Probably like the mode where some arcade ports have that tweak how a few things behave. If you aren't somebody who has already memorized the game you aren't likely to notice that stuff.
Extra version is an arcade revision with mostly gameplay balancing: 1m bonus for each ship remaining after clearing, better laser damage, easier fatty gluton, lower hp for bosses, harder final bosses pattern etc. It basically fixes the jank suff from the original version.
https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=64219
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sik
Ah, okay. This all sounds like a pretty cool package. I really like the look of the case as well. I'm really bummed that Columbus Circle isn't doing US versions of these releases. I want to be able to add these to my collection, but I don't have a Japanese Megadrive, or a modded Genesis. Hopefully they will start looking into US ports in the future.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vludi
-SEGA-Jorge
On a separate note. Is Mad Stalker: Full Metal Forth region locked? Can I just play it on a US Genesis with a pass-through cart, or a simple cart insert modification?
I'll check on my Mega SG to be sure, but I don't think it is. It definitely uses the JP cart shape, though. I also have a modified Genesis, but it's currently in storage due to my house being hit by a tree (staying in a hotel currently).Quote:
Originally Posted by SEGA-Jorge
edit: Works in USA mode on Mega SG.
It doesn't appear to be as I can play it on my Genesis in US mode without issue. I use my 32x as the cartridge slot on it is just a tad wider than on my actual Genesis and I'm able to insert Jpn MD games without modification. But it plays just fine on that setup so I would say that NO it isn't region locked at all. And...the game is 100% in English too BTW so it appears it was ready for a Western release and was just a victim of the times on why it wasn't.Quote:
Originally Posted by SEGA-Jorge
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sik
That's great news. I might have to grab this. Are we pretty certain that Columus Circle won't have a change of heart and start publishing US variants? And I mean, I can always just put these guts in a donor cart as well. That's certainly an option.Quote:
Originally Posted by CrossBow
SEGA-Jorge
I really, really doubt they would do it.Quote:
Originally Posted by SEGA-Jorge
The whole "Genesis" packaging makes no sense whatsoever for JP publishers in this day and age.
Also, they seem to only care about communicating in Japanese.
If they had any interest in English-speaking markets, I think they would handle their social media in a different way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sik
This is a really good point. I'm kinda thinking about importing these games. If I can play them with a simple pass through, and just wait on getting an import Megadrive, I'd be interested. Especially if it's a series of games that Columbus Circle is planning on continuing. Can anyone comment on the quality of the carts/boards? Are they using good components? Are the boards using the appropriate 5v roms etc?Quote:
Originally Posted by Barone
Selling for 7480 yen:
https://www.columbuscircle.co.jp/pro...7145&p=2&ca=49
Columbus Circle's site sends you to Amazon but if you're comfortable with middlemen (e.g. Tenso) you can also look around other shops, e.g. this is the BEEP store page:
https://www.beep-shop.com/ec/products/detail/5587
I'd be all over this if Columbus Circle would make a quality product.
Forgot to bring this up, but now they changed the sound driver so it has FM sound effects (as it should, really). It's still XGM, but they modified it to support FM/PSG sound effects at the expense of only having two PCM channels (XGM normally has four, which is kinda overkill).
https://twitter.com/wing_ghost/statu...48192622170113
They did say back then that if they ever got time to work on Darius again that they'd change the sound effects to make them FM, I guess that here's their chance.
Also since we're starting to complain again about manufacturing issues, thought I should write up something… maybe when I talk to manufacturers of boards I can point them here meanwhile until we sort out proper specs to follow:
https://www.plutiedev.com/blog/20201015
This is awesome. Thanks for sharing the info.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sik
Explosions sounded like crap and some other effects sounded muffled in the version released with the Mega Drive Mini.
For the record, from what I recall the only reason why the MD Mini release didn't do that is because they didn't have enough time to modify the sound driver and apparently the FM sound effects had been already done. I guess they weren't sure how to proceed, modifying XGM to drop some PCM channels probably was the easiest route in the end (part of the issue was that there's no Z80 RAM left with all the unrolled loops… but it's also true that we probably don't need four PCM channels, so dropping one or two frees up a lot of memory).
I wonder if Zuntata was involved again this time? I know that they weren't that happy with the final result, but again, what I said earlier about the sound driver and the deadline.
Four is far from excessive. The first is occasionally taken by music, leaves 3. Say one is an extra environmental effect. Leaves two for hero/enemy/shot/etc, which is barely enough.
You're underestimating how much mileage you can get out of FM and PSG channels :P
FM = music drops out, PSG = beeps.
I thought Darius MD was pretty much a triumph on all fronts (especially when played on real hardware)..so this improved version is now my most wanted upcoming MD release. Can't wait tbh.
I just got like how the US players are basically relegated to importing Megadrive stuff, or having to wait for rom dumps. I want to add this stuff to my collection, but I don't really collect Japanese games.
Seems Strictly Limited Games will also release the game:
https://mailchi.mp/strictlylimitedga...4?e=8d7184857b
Considering how Ultracore got handled by them, I'm not sure that's any better :P
What happened with strictly Limiteds Ultracore?
Looks like they were really hard to come by. All there stuff sells out really fast, then immediately gets put on ebay for crazy prices. They still have pre-orders for Mega Turrican, it seems. I'd probably buy Darius if they released it, and it was a good quality product. If anything, I kinda think that a lot of these new releases are pretty overpriced.
SEGA-Jorge
Basically, SLG released Ultracore in two batches of 500 each, and put a countdown before orders started (because no preorders, huzzah!) in order to encourage people to rush all at once Black Friday style. Oh, and they didn't put a purchase limit on orders, so it's easy to just order the entire batch at once (which is precisely what happened, scalpers grabbed nearly all copies easily). And let's not get started on the emphasis on no reprints ever to encourage people to make it an impulse purchase even harder. The whole thing was a disaster.
This sounds freaking terrible. It's like, somehow Limited Run Games was able to make retro gaming, an already freaking unbearably horrible collecting experience, even worse. It's a shame, because that game is now going to be more than likely, impossible to obtain for a vast majority of collectors.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sik
SLG sales model is a disasterQuote:
Originally Posted by Sik
If I want this Darius game I have to either get a version which can harm my system and I'll have to pay around $20 import tax on top of that, or buy from a company whose entire existence is dependent on exploiting customers' "fear of losing out" (FOLO) :(.
Those are your only options for buying the game, not playing it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zebbe
Yeah SLG isn't very good in terms of shipping or ordering, but I've done okay so far. At least it means more copies and not just limited to Columbus Circle.
I'd like to get this, is Colombus Circle the only option?
Strictly Limited Games will be releasing it too:Quote:
Originally Posted by stika
https://store.strictlylimitedgames.c...ections/darius
No release date yet.
I might grab it from SLG, if I can secure a copy before the Retro-Scalpers... Which is a term I can't believe I'm using seriously. What a weird time to be a retro-games enthusiast. It's like, there's so many good options, but it's also such a bad time for people collecting real hardware/software...
I feel grateful to have started collecting as early as I did. I love my Megadrive collection.
Got my copy of Darius Extra secured through SLG. I don't get why they don't go for open preorders though... They did that with Mega Turrican I believe...
I pre-ordered this morning when they went in sale. How did you secure one before they went in sale? Was there another sale?Quote:
Originally Posted by highlandcattle
In not sure why they don't just do open preorders. But If I had to guess, it's because resellers will buy them. Ultracore sold out super quickly and a bunch of copies were instantly on eBay. This just spoils collecting for me.
I pre-ordered this morning when they went in sale. How did you secure one before they went in sale? Was there another sale?Quote:
Originally Posted by highlandcattle
I'm not sure why they don't just do open preorders. But If I had to guess, it's because resellers will buy them. Ultracore sold out super quickly and a bunch of copies were instantly on eBay. This just spoils collecting for me.
This is interesting and refreshing. Darius didn't sell out right away. There is still a bunch left.
https://store.strictlylimitedgames.c...-game-preorder