Game Sack

[tomaitheous]

Even the cart version of SOTB2 does it:
http://www.pcedev.net/pics/sotb2_00_savestate.png
http://www.pcedev.net/pics/sotb2_00.png

Sheath: Yeah, you can't do per pixel color change on the line. Even if you could sync the cpu for that and not get 'snow' onscreen for that line, you'd be wasting all the cpu resource on the active display. Enough to make a game crawl. That said, with very careful planning, you can use checker board pattern dither with this effect to get better gradients. Instead of using BG color #0, you use that and one other color. So you modify to colors per scanline. The down side of this is that sprites can no longer appear behind the BG layer that's right above the BG color #0 plane. The other down side is that you need a little more logic to handle it on the backend when prepping the 'display list'. But other than that, it's doable. On the Genesis, it helps give you more color onscreen. On the PCE, it helps give you a pseudo BG layer. On the Amiga, it works in both ways. Jazz Jackrabbit on the PC also used this trick IIRC (not for color, but for 'free' BG layer without the expense of manually blitting one).

I read your blog recently and it's great to see that you're really back.

I'm back in action.



I wouldn't doubt that the Genesis would be up next for a shmup episode. There's just way to many great shmups on the system.

[Curryman123]

Please don't do Sega Saturn shoot em ups yet, I am still collecting shmups for it.

The last thing I need is bunch of desperate game junkies rushing to ebay, and raising the prices for these things.

[SEGA.GENESIS1989]

Hahahaha! I totally agree! Do not attract the vultures just yet! Hahahahaha!

[Joe Redifer]

[sheath]

I love the butt scenes ... er. Great episode.

Just kidding. I really liked the first Act Raiser, and haven't found the second one in the wild for a price I would want to pay. In emulation the second one seemed pretty tough, but this is the first time I have seen it called a bad game. That isn't saying much though, I don't think I have even read a single professional review of the game or seen anybody write about it outside of commenting on its graphics.

The Alex Kidd games are such a hard to label group. I agree that Shinobi World is probably the best in the series, it just plays really well in its own right. Miracle World is a bit slippery with the jumps and run mechanics, but I really think it doesn't hold a candle to Wonder Boy in that department. I also see so many elements in Miracle World that eventually made it into Mario 3 that I just cannot see any way that Miracle World wasn't an influence.

The silly thing about the character design thing is, what the heck is Mario really supposed to be anyway? All of these characters are abstract wacked out pipe dreams.

[Genesis Knight]

The Yakyuken Special...yes, awesome!

[Joe Redifer]

Great episode.

Just kidding.

Ha!

[TmEE]

I really got to try out Shinobi World now, it seems so nice

[sheath]

Originally Posted by sheath

Great episode.

Just kidding.

Ha!

Hmmn, I see what I did there. Must re-read forum posts for all contingencies.

[M4R14NO94]

The Yakyuken Special...yes, awesome!

Seconded. That ending was amazing. You guys should do some special episode (obviously not on YouTube) where you play through some of those games.

You still have the LaserActive, right?

[GohanX]

ActRaiser 2 never gets any love. Personally, I think it's a fantastic game once you get used to the fact that you can't just press right to win, and that the game was designed by masochists to kill you at every step. It's like Demon's Souls 1994.

[eddiespruce]

I used to own Actraiser about 14 years ago. It was indeed a fun game, Although shortly after I beat it, a friend called me on the phone asking if I would trade it. I had to think about it a bit, and I decided to trade Actraiser to him for 3 NES games, and they were "Startropics", "Legacy of the Wizard", and "Mega Man III".

I have no regrets, although I may pick up Actraiser again someday.

[Curryman123]

Actraiser 2 is underrated IMO.

The controls really aren't that bad. You just have to spend 3-4 mins on practice, and you'll do fine.

I like Actraiser 2 alot. The music is poor however.

[SpaceFlea]

The Yakyuken Special...yes, awesome!

Thirded!!!

I've actually beaten this game - defeating every girl. That was one lonely (and late) night...

[M4R14NO94]

I've actually beaten this game - defeating every girl. That was one lonely (and late) night...

I once beat that one too, but with the help of savestates. AI's seriously cheap on that one.

The only strip RPS game I've ever beat legit, however, was Oneesan to Issho! Janken Paradise for the 3DO. That one's quite deeper than Yakyuken, since you can choose what the girl can take off (either top or bottom), there's a rather lengthy FMV for each one when you finally strip them, and there's also the Multi Play mode, which lets you choose from 2 to 5 girls and strip each one of them in whatever order you desire, and as a reward you get some pics of whatever girls you chose.