Could the Sega CD have pulled off Sega's arcade 'super scaler' games ?

[Team Andromeda]

I still don't think 22 fps would be any easy to achieve, especially if we're talking about solid frame rate

Well seeing as that's Batman Returns, Soul Star, Cliffhanger all run at around that frame rate I see no reason why not .

Simplifying: the Sega CD already struggles with ASIC-enabled XJ220 which is based on Amiga 500's XJ220

Sorry the Amiga version came 'after', XJ220 was made for the Mega CD 1st (it was Thunderhawk that was ported to the Mega CD) and it was Core 1st real use of the Mega CD hardware . The Mega CD version is still far better than the Amiga port (in terms of smoothness) and it also runs at 30 fps. The Amiga version runs at a better fps but the lacks the smoothness.

This is not true. At all

There's hardly any slowdown in single player , sure there's some in 2 player mode but that was the case for some racers at the time.

If you'd get rid of the made-of-stream-of-sprites floor in favor of something like the floored Soul Star stages use

Yeah of course they'll be cut backs like there was in almost all Arcade ports at the time , hell even most PS and Saturn Arcade ports of advanced Arcade games lost out in terms of detail or frame rate cuts . So I really don't know why you give the Mega CD a hard time , when it was to be expected they'l be cutbacks . In 1991/2 the Mega CD had the hardware to handle a really nice port

I'm using other arcade ports as reference while you're telling me that games designed

The trouble with that is there so little games that actually used and pushed the Mega CD hardware . Trying to site Tatio game as a example isn't that great, given how little effort Tatio put into their Mega CD games (The Ninja Warriors port is dire) , it be like holding up In the Hunt or Dracula X on the Saturn as reasons for it not being able to handle sprite based games as well as the PS, when we all know its more a example of poor porting . Looking over that, Soul Star is actually doing and handling far more that Night Striker on the Mega CD; There's more objects, its runs at a better frame rate , there also rotation, texture like mapping effects and also full 360 degree stages in there too and yet the game still looks a hell of a lot better.

[zetastrike]

Sorry, but as amazing as Soul Star is it's nowhere near the level of Galaxy Force II in terms of the amount of shit you have going on the screen at any given moment.
Night Striker here is a better reference IMO. Reduced draw distance would hurt and the pixelation would be a must.

Is Night Striker really using the ASIC or is it brute forcing it? I've been playing that port lately and really enjoying it, fun game. It makes me want to get that XE-1AP controller.

[Team Andromeda]

Is Night Striker really using the ASIC or is it brute forcing it? I've been playing that port lately and really enjoying it, fun game. It makes me want to get that XE-1AP controller.

It's the ASIC chip and if it wasn't for the screen res it would have been pretty good use of the system

[matteus]

Never seen Night Striker! What's going on with the resolution? Are they doubling up the resolution or using low resolution pixel art for the scaling?

[Barone]

Never seen Night Striker! What's going on with the resolution? Are they doubling up the resolution or using low resolution pixel art for the scaling?

I think they're doubling up.
In the past I'd be trashing the devs for doing that but I think they hadn't other choices.

[redsox2013]

I'd like to see someone try to make Out Run, even just the first stage as a tech demo to see how the Sega CD could run it.

Of course, if someone wanted to attempt a full port, that's a Kickstarter I'd certainly back.

[Team Andromeda]

[QUOTE=redsox2013;755467]I'd like to see someone try to make Out Run, even just the first stage as a tech demo to see how the Sega CD could run it.
/QUOTE]

I don't think there's any real need . john O'Brien Batman/Cliffhanger Mega CD Asic game engine already showed what the Mega CD could do and that it could handle brilliant port of OutRun . Batman Mega CD sections are also handling stuff that even the Outrun Arcade board didn't support in Hardware in terms of multi sprite rotation, and the buildings have sides to them as well.

[Team Andromeda]

When anyone see's these examples of ASIC scaling from small teams, its shows that the Mega CD could have pulled off very decent ports of the games if SEGA Japan put it's eilte CS Teams on the case add in Arcade perfect music and Arcade quality sound effects






Watch at 16:23 for ASIC section

[redsox2013]

Judging by Jaguar XJ220, I think Out Run would have been pretty easy for the Sega CD to run. They are extremely similar, although Out Run has slightly more roadside scenery to scale. Still, I don't see any reason the SCD couldn't handle Out Run at 30FPS.

[chameleon]

the best racing game on the MCD its maybe XJ220. And sorry but a close thing could be done on the MD alone (except CD-Audio of course).
Batman always look to me choppy, same for Thunderhawk, where Soul Star seems to be a bit more polished.

An OutRun at a decent framerate with the ASIC was not possible. I think it could be much more feasible just to load tons of sprites and let the MD fake the scaling + common raster at 60fps + fancy simple polygons (as F1 or Kawasaky)

I am one of those guys which prefer a simple and cheaper MCD addon in 1991 (DMA audio, RAM, Saving capabilities, nothing more). Lets say 200$ for the CD plus average 40$ for the games.