Side by Side: Forgotten Worlds (Genesis vs. Super CD-ROM2)

[Melf]

Few can deny that Forgotten Worlds is a great two-player shmup. It's been ported to a slew of consoles and computers, but perhaps the two most famous versions are the ones done for the Genesis and Turbo Grafx-16 Super CD-ROM2. How does each stack up against the other? We've put them Side by Side for comparison and have the results for you. Read the article and see which one stands tallest.

[Joe Redifer]

color palate

Palette?

The Genesis version of Forgotten Worlds came out shortly after the console was released in 1989. 4 meg carts were the norm. The TurboGrafx-16 version came out many years after that when the TurboDuo came out, which was around the time of the Sega CD's introduction. The Duo allows 2 megs PER LEVEL. Quite the advantage over the poor Genesis version. Ghouls N' Ghosts was 5 meg, the biggest cart until Phantasy Star 2 at a whopping 6 megs. Much later we would finally get Strider which knocked all of us on our asses with an unbelievable 8 mega power. How could so much raw power fit into a cartridge? That remains a mystery to this day. 8 mega... WOW!

Also, the Genesis 6-button controller works fine with Forgotten Worlds if you hold down the MODE button when you turn on the power switch. This puts the 6 button pad into 3 button mode. You don't need to keep holding it all the way to the Sega logo or title screen or anything, just as you flip the switch. The NEC 6 button pad (which is not compatible with the original TurboGrafx without modification) does not work with Forgotten Worlds at all in 6 button mode. In 2 button mode you must use the RUN button like any other NEC pad. NEC released a 3 button pad (also not compatible with the original unit) in Japan, and this is the only pad truly compatible with that game. NEC was stupid.

I think a lot of what made the Genesis version seem so weak was not only the limited amount of space available (there was no chance of Sega authorizing more than 4 megs at that point in time), but also the relative newness of the system. We had already heard much better sound and music from other games with even less memory, so I think whoever was responsible for the music in this game should be set on fire and fed to his family on crispy, delicious wafers. But I still somewhat enjoy the music in the Genesis version. I was never, ever a fan of that first stage music, though (on ANY version). Both versions have MUCH better sounding music than the arcade. Ug.

You forgot to mention that the Genesis version has multiple screens of scrolling whereas the Duo version does not. The TurboGrafx-16/TurboDuo/Whatever the hell it is supposed to be called can only paint one page of backgrounds, and the programmers at NEC Avenue are fairly incompetant (look at their Space Harrier or Out Run). It takes programmers like Hudson Soft to do kick ass multi-scrolling (all done with sprites) in games like Gate and Lords of Thunder.

I think the reason why there is only one player on the Turbo version is because there would be WAAAAY too much flicker with two. The Turbo loved to flicky flick.

[GeckoYamori]

Looks like they took stills from an explosion anim for the dragon's throat.

[redrum666]

if you import a NEC Avenue pad — which will set you back about $25-30, but think about that for a second: you have to import another controller just to make the game playable. Tsk, tsk, tsk NEC Avenue!

the import Forgotten Worlds came with a 3 button controller with the game all in one box

[redrum666]

Also, the Genesis 6-button controller works fine with Forgotten Worlds if you hold down the MODE button when you turn on the power switch. This puts the 6 button pad into 3 button mode. You don't need to keep holding it all the way to the Sega logo or title screen or anything, just as you flip the switch. The NEC 6 button pad (which is not compatible with the original TurboGrafx without modification) does not work with Forgotten Worlds at all in 6 button mode. In 2 button mode you must use the RUN button like any other NEC pad. NEC released a 3 button pad (also not compatible with the original unit) in Japan, and this is the only pad truly compatible with that game. NEC was stupid.

the 3 button pad and the 6 button pad both work on the US turbo duo with no modification needed

[Melf]

the import Forgotten Worlds came with a 3 button controller with the game all in one box

But the domestic version didn't include a controller. However, I'll make the adjustment and mention the import bundle in the article. Thanks!

[Joe Redifer]

the 3 button pad and the 6 button pad both work on the US turbo duo with no modification needed

Yes, but notice I said original TurboGrafx, not TurboDuo. It seems like nobody even noticed the Turbo existed for years before the TurboDuo, and the TurboDuo was the same exact thing only with a shrunken control port.

[redrum666]

Yes, but notice I said original TurboGrafx, not TurboDuo. It seems like nobody even noticed the Turbo existed for years before the TurboDuo, and the TurboDuo was the same exact thing only with a shrunken control port.

yes i notice i was just pointing out for other peeps on forum thats all

[Joe Redifer]

Cool.

[Balrog12]

The PCE 6 button pad is irrelevant. This game doesn't support it. The AVE three button pad just reroutes the select button to the third button, whereas the six button takes advantage of the PCE peculiar controller polling routine.

That said, I find it actually helps to put the game in AVE pad mode even if not using the 3pad, and also auto fire, and to then use the left thumb to do the other rotation AND the d-pad.

Quote:

"You forgot to mention that the Genesis version has multiple screens of scrolling whereas the Duo version does not. The TurboGrafx-16/TurboDuo/Whatever the hell it is supposed to be called can only paint one page of backgrounds, and the programmers at NEC Avenue are fairly incompetant (look at their Space Harrier or Out Run). It takes programmers like Hudson Soft to do kick ass multi-scrolling (all done with sprites) in games like Gate and Lords of Thunder.

I think the reason why there is only one player on the Turbo version is because there would be WAAAAY too much flicker with two. The Turbo loved to flicky flick."

1. Yes, but the Genesis version still looks much worse.
2. A little harsh there, but it's basically it's true other teams might have done better. The graphics in PCE Space Harrier are really only a huge problem because it becomes difficult to judge distances at times. I still say its better than Space Harrier 2 on Genny.

It's not as if Sega pulled off a great Genny port of SH (unless you count the 32X), and PCE Afterburner 2 is much better than on Genny IMHO.

3. The lack of two play was just a lack of willingness to put forth the effort. I don't think the flicker would have been unbearable (and since when does the Genny have loads of 2P simul shmups) The PCE had no problem handling 2 player in Aeroblasters, and that was a HuCard (being a SCD game the access time of the CD should'nt be an issue, so it only gains from extra capacity IMO).

[David J.]

Oh god, Genesis Afterburner 2 was awful! The PCE version pooped all over it. I don't remember Space Harrier on the PCE that well, but the Genesis version was kind of a different game so it is kind of unfair to compare them.

[Joe Redifer]

Where the PCE version of Space Harrier REALLY failed were it's voices, no checkerboard pattern (only horiozontal stripes), insanely small sprites, etc. The playability was around the same as the arcade. Genesis After Burner 2 was decent, not too much different than the arcade except with MUCH fewer sprites. I don't remember the PCE version at all.

1. Yes, but the Genesis version still looks much worse.

I wasn't trying to make the Genesis version sound better, I was pointing out another difference between the two versions that was not mentioned.

Also the amount of sprites onscreen would be no different from HuCard to SuperCD. Neither changes any spec of the actual graphics hardware.

[Flash1087]

I've actually never played this before the Capcom Classics Collection. Trying to imagine Forgotten Worlds without voice acting or two-player seems so...wrong to me.

[j_factor]

You know there was also a Commodore 64 port.. lol. It was ridiculous. Why they ported it to C64 but not Amiga is just boggling.

Does anybody know how the SMS version worked? It didn't have so much as a Run button.

[Joe Redifer]

I imagine that it auto fired no matter what, with the two buttons rotaing the player. Buy it and find out!