School me on the Master System!

[Vector]

Dude master of darkness versus castlevania2 what wins?

[Jessie]

Dude master of darkness versus castlevania2 what wins?

Good question. I have not played Master of Darkness all the way through but I think it is a top notch game! Better than Castlevania 2....?

[Vector]

Good question. I have not played Master of Darkness all the way through but I think it is a top notch game! Better than Castlevania 2....?

True dude and I concur too the master system ninjas gaiden is way better overall than nes'

[Kamahl]

Dude master of darkness versus castlevania2 what wins?

Easy win to Master of Darkness.

[tomaitheous]

the master system ninjas gaiden is way better overall than nes'

The first NG one NES or any of them? Even compared to the first NG on NES, the MS version is inferior over all. Care to list your qualifiers?

[Bottino]

Hum...



The MS version offers a better game design and much more fairer challenge, as it doesn't rely on an absurd amount of cheap hits for a challenge, like the NES version.
Music is pretty good on both versions.

[Barone]

I don't know, ABF. I used to enjoy it, but now so much of this console-comparison thing seems irredeemably meta. It's the illusion of content, but doesn't really say anything. And it's such a plague on this site -- and on the Internet in general, which is overrun with clickbait that largely revolves around lists -- that I really think it does more harm than good.

I mean, look 3 posts earlier, and there's an example of a game that isn't 100% understood -- no one seems to have any idea what the deal is with the medals -- and that's one of many on the 32X that we simply don't 100% know how it works or what the in-game goals are. Finding out what's going on with that, or with any of the hundreds of underexplored games on Sega systems alone, would be worthwhile. Write reviews, beat them for the beat-'em-all thread, post a video, make a translation patch -- anything that resembles content creation.

But endlessly discussing whether the SG-1000 or the Atari 5200 or whatever should be Generation Ø or Generation ∞? I don't see it as constructive anymore.

IMO this whole thing occurs so often because most of people aren't really willing to provide any content or contribute to anything bigger, they just want to leave their own "mark" on the subjects.
Why should I care to play the games if I can just argue endlessly about definitions of this or that, making me feel great and self-important?

[Vector]

Hum...



The MS version offers a better game design and much more fairer challenge, as it doesn't rely on an absurd amount of cheap hits for a challenge, like the NES version.
Music is pretty good on both versions.

So true dude....like the master system one has better graphics with responsive smooth gameplay and music in my opinion.

[goldenband]

IMO this whole thing occurs so often because most of people aren't really willing to provide any content or contribute to anything bigger, they just want to leave their own "mark" on the subjects.

Heh:

[tryphon]

So true dude....like the master system one has better graphics with responsive smooth gameplay and music in my opinion.

True indeed, but to be fair :

NES version = 1988
SMS version = 1992

And the last games of the console were quite awesome...

[tomaitheous]

So true dude....like the master system one has better graphics with responsive smooth gameplay and music in my opinion.

Better colors, sure, but not graphics. The MS graphic tiles and overall background pixel art has a very limited look to it, as well as the depth of the graphic design is gone: it's all now simplistic 2D (no depth or angle to the graphics, and a fairly squarish look to it). The pixel art in the MS version is clean, but most of it is pretty bland looking - just with extra colors thrown on.

The MS Ninja Gaiden stage design graphics are a minimal style with average design, regardless of having more colors. The variety and choices for the design is rather bland-to-average as well. The enemy designs are ok, but the bosses don't have that Ninja Gaiden flavor or flare. But yeah, the bosses. In the NES series, the bosses are definitely a large part of the atmosphere both design wise and gameplay mechanics. Which brings me to the controls..

Despite some of the cheap hits on the NES game (birds, edge respawns, etc), the gameplay mechanics (also relative to the stage designs) overall feel fine and are rewarding. The SMS gameplay is pretty good, and fairer enemy design is a welcome plus, but when coupled with the stage designs - the gameplay ends up feeling rather mundane by comparison. Matter of fact, when playing it - I tend to get the feeling of Ryu in generic Shinobi clone world. It has that weird (simplistic?) Master System/Gamegear vibe to it. I dunno. I guess that's no surprise since Sega made this.

The PSG music on the MS one doesn't make my ears bleed, like a lot of MS games, and that's a real plus (not to be understated). But compared to any of the NES ones, or even just the first NES one - the MS version's music is only average at best by comparison. It's not in the same league. There's nothing exciting about it, there's nothing about it that makes me want to listen to it (I had a mix tape of the NES one), and just lacks any atmosphere of the first one. Which is my last point...

The MS game lacks the atmosphere just oozing from the NES one. And I mean every category; story, music, design, etc. Instead, everything about the MS version is simplified. If anything, it should have had everything from the NES series because of the late release. I don't hold that against it per se, but it should at least measure up to the first game in the main 8bit series. But as is, it appears that Sega just licensed the name and made their own game - with some loose fitting aesthetics to keep up appearances.

The MS version is an alright game, but there's nothing special about. And that's the problem with it: it has that Ninja Gaiden title. Despite the few flaws of the NES one (and difficulty, which IMO is just fine; I beat the game multiple times in middle school), the MS lacks all the character and traits that mades the NES series great. Change the name to Shinobi something-or-other, and the main sprite, none would be the wiser. If you think this is a better Ninja Gaiden game, despite its inferior atmosphere and scope by comparison, then you're mostly likely not an 8bit Ninja Gaiden fan. That's fine, but that doesn't make it (MS) a better 'Ninja Gaiden'. The increased colors doesn't negate the other deficiencies in its overall mundane design.

[Kamahl]

Better colors, sure, but not graphics. The MS graphic tiles and overall background pixel art has a very limited look to it, as well as the depth of the graphic design is gone: it's all now simplistic 2D (no depth or angle to the graphics, and a fairly squarish look to it).

Ninja Gaiden 3 did away with the "3D" look though . It's also the best Ninja Gaiden. Having machines and mutants as enemies isn't as cool, but no respawning enemies sure is.

I'm speaking of the Japanese version of course, as the western version took the working designs approach of making everything harder for no reason, which is really bad when the game is already hard to begin with.

[j_factor]

I honestly think Ninja Gaiden SMS is a better game than the NES game, but I never thought Ninja Gaiden was more than "alright" to begin with. The SMS game controls a lot better, and that's really important to me.

[Thief]

Some guy at Shmups.com, named BIL, says NES Ninja Gaiden is his gold standard for action games (which he says this is his second post of this topic; http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=45206).

He even posts a video of him beating the game in the opening post, so you can see his skills. Don't recall him saying anything about this game being unfair, though? He even gives advice to this other guy after seeing his vid too, which was also interesting. So until I finally beat these Ninja Gaiden games myself, I think I'll actually settle for his word. But yeah, overall, his chat on this game at that forum really left an impression on me.

[cabear]

I like both of those ports, but the nes feels more "solid". I find some MS games have floaty jumps or the feel of it doesn't feel as solid or like the character is really standing or hitting anything. Very odd. Maybe it's just me.