Classic Game Room reviews

[retrospiel]

... I've never really liked Super Hang-On, but really it's because of how jarring I find early Genesis attempts at software scaling... I don't like Space Harrier II, Outrun, etc, either.

Super Hang-On got some great music, and back in the day I thought that the arcade mode got boring after a few minutes but I remember having played the original mode for days. It definitely is frustrating though.

Sega (or Bits Co. Ltd., anyway) did finally manage it with Outrun 2019, though, and that game is spectacular, and it's easily my favorite racing game on the system.

I read good things about this game. CRV got an (as of yet not fully translated) interview with one the game's developers, Tsunetomo Sugawara of Hertz, at his site:

http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index....etomo_Sugawara

I love these reviews. I remember Thunderforce III's review being particularly good (two parts).

Here's part one:

He mentions Sega-16 in his review for Sega CD's Android Assault, IIRC.

Yep:



- more SCD reviews: http://www.classicgameroom.net/index...=64&Itemid=173

[kool kitty89]

CGR is great. I do sometimes wish he'd be a bit more critical of things, as he seems to like EVERYTHING and has lots of good things to say about every game he reviews, and doesn't give scores, but it's his style, and overall, it's quite refreshing, for the most part... it is nice that it has none of the angry bashing of games people like. He says his opinion, and mentions at least some good and bad points about the game in question, and lets the viewer decide for themselves.

He's pretty hard on some things like the US 7800 controller, and he didn't care for the N64 controller too much or the GC in general. (though he does like the GC controller, go figure) He seems to like the ColecoVision a lot, even the controller (though he noted the ergonomic problems and short cord). Of course he talked about the problematic 5200 controller recently with his new 5200.

And he's hard on genuinely bad games like Pac Man (2600) and Firefly (2600), he didn't care for Galaxy Force 2, and he referred to Altered Beast as generic.

[retrospiel]

The worst video game on erath:

[Kollision]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooo..................................

[Puffy2k316]

I love this guy. His love for the NES advantage is a little creepy:

[A Black Falcon]

Super Hang-On got some great music, and back in the day I thought that the arcade mode got boring after a few minutes but I remember having played the original mode for days. It definitely is frustrating though.

I just played some in arcade mode, and yeah, it's not bad... definitely a lot less frustrating when you can actually control the bike. The scaling is still poor and somehow disconcerting, but it's definitely more fun in arcade mode than original. Nice speed and music, for sure... I should play it some more.

I read good things about this game. CRV got an (as of yet not fully translated) interview with one the game's developers, Tsunetomo Sugawara of Hertz, at his site:

http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index....etomo_Sugawara

Interesting... but yeah, I do love the game. It's not perfect -- it's fairly easy, has only three difficulties instead of five or so like the original Outrun, and is one player only -- but lots of fun. The stages are varied, even if you must go through some of them (there are branching paths in the four sets of courses you go through, but sometimes you have only one road, other times several choices), scaling nice, music great, and graphics fantastic, with lots of variety and some very interesting elements, such as multi-level roads, split highways, raised causeways, jumps, and more. Turbo speed is really fast and awesome. Really great stuff! It's such a good game... as I said it is kind of easy, so even on Hard I can usually beat it in a few tries, but it's fun enough that I don't really mind.

There is one really weird thing about it, though... somehow they completely messed up the speed displays -- the US version displays the KPH speed number, with "MPH" next to it. The Japanese and European versions display the MPH number, with "KPH" next to it. Weird. But it does mean that the speed number is even higher than it should be, in the US version, so I don't mind.

He's pretty hard on some things like the US 7800 controller, and he didn't care for the N64 controller too much or the GC in general. (though he does like the GC controller, go figure) He seems to like the ColecoVision a lot, even the controller (though he noted the ergonomic problems and short cord). Of course he talked about the problematic 5200 controller recently with his new 5200.

And he's hard on genuinely bad games like Pac Man (2600) and Firefly (2600), he didn't care for Galaxy Force 2, and he referred to Altered Beast as generic.

True, occasionally he is critical about something... but not most of the time. But as I said, overall it works... and it avoids too many things, like, saying you dislike the N64 controller, my favorite controller ever...

Overall though, either he likes most games, or in the show always tries to cover any way someone could like the game, instead of just focusing on just how much he likes it... but that's okay, it's certainly better than relentlessly ripping apart games for the smallest reasons. And as you say, he does cover the negatives of games too, when he thinks they have some. And he's quite right that fun is what matters most... games can be worth playing without always being fun, but fun, interest, reward... if a "bad" or "mediocre" game is fun anyway, then it's probably worth playing, no matter what score it'd get. But he's definitely on the forgiving side, for sure... of course, it's the style of the show. And it's definitely a nice change from a lot of other video reviewers.

But anyway, the show's great and I watch most all the videos.

[kool kitty89]

True, occasionally he is critical about something... but not most of the time. But as I said, overall it works... and it avoids too many things, like, saying you dislike the N64 controller, my favorite controller ever...

Yeah, a pretty good controller, not completly comfortable (a little small for me), but good overall. Some perople knock the 3-hndel layout as disfunctional, but it was designed (mainly) to only use 2 grips at once. (with the D-pad+L as an alternate to analog+Z) But those 2-handel super pad controllers are cool.
I really like the GC controler, comfortable for a viarety of hand sizes, more so than the PS2 or Xbox controllers. (and I have big enough hands to prefer the Duke) The D-pad is a bit poor (too small), but I like the rest, and I like Nintendo's 8-notched rim for the analog stick they stared with the N64.

[Puffy2k316]

Is Hang on like A LOT faster in the arcade or is that just the emulation in Shenmue?

[superlarz]

I like most of his reviews. I by no means follow everything he puts out, but every once in a while I will sit down and watch a bunch. The only thing I dont like is that he has a Model 1 Genesis hanging over the edge on a Model 2 Sega CD. I think I am OCD about that because it drives me nuts every time I see it. Is it that hard to find the extension? I have two of them and never even had to look or pay extra for them.

[jerry coeurl]

From what I understand they can be a bit tricky to find nowadays. I got mine for free, though.

[A Black Falcon]

I like most of his reviews. I by no means follow everything he puts out, but every once in a while I will sit down and watch a bunch. The only thing I dont like is that he has a Model 1 Genesis hanging over the edge on a Model 2 Sega CD. I think I am OCD about that because it drives me nuts every time I see it. Is it that hard to find the extension? I have two of them and never even had to look or pay extra for them.

I have one, with the plate that holds it on, because when I got my Sega CD it was attached to a (broken) Genesis 1... I use a Genesis 2 with the Sega CD though, so the extension block and plate are just in the closet. Are they uncommon, really?

Yeah, a pretty good controller, not completly comfortable (a little small for me), but good overall. Some perople knock the 3-hndel layout as disfunctional, but it was designed (mainly) to only use 2 grips at once. (with the D-pad+L as an alternate to analog+Z) But those 2-handel super pad controllers are cool.
I really like the GC controler, comfortable for a viarety of hand sizes, more so than the PS2 or Xbox controllers. (and I have big enough hands to prefer the Duke) The D-pad is a bit poor (too small), but I like the rest, and I like Nintendo's 8-notched rim for the analog stick they stared with the N64.

The D-pad small, what? It's exactly the same size as the SNES D-pad, and is larger than many! The N64 has a fantastic d-pad, one of the best around, and, like the Saturn's, better than the d-pads on every OTHER console of the past three generations. The only 'problem' with the N64 d-pad is that most games don't use it, because most games on the system are better with analog control.

And yes, it's designed for two grips at once -- either analog and buttons or digital and buttons, generally. I think that the idea of putting the d-pad and analog stick on phyisically different prongs of the controller was a fantastic idea; it avoids the problem of one of the two being a bit less comfortable to use, as you get with every controller with two sticks/pads (or a stick and buttons) on the same side of the controller. Awesome. I also love the 6-button layout (I much prefer 6-face-button layouts to just 4!), the awesome analog stick (yes, they break down way too fast. But I love the feel and design of the thing more than any other analog stick... while they last, they're the best. ), the trigger, rumble, etc...

The Saturn 3D Controller isn't far behind in my list of favorite controllers, now, but the N64's still is my favorite. (I really love the Genesis 6-button controller too... nearly perfect...)

[kool kitty89]

No, I was talking anout the Game Cube controller in the second part of that statement, the D-pad is too small on that one. (and the Wii's isn't a whole lot better) I do like the SNES and N64 D-pads.

The Saturn 3D controller is cool, IMO the Dreamcast controller should have been more like it.

And one of the DC controller prototypes does look strikingly similar:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=126091

[The Sports Guy]

Yeah, a pretty good controller, not completly comfortable (a little small for me), but good overall. Some perople knock the 3-hndel layout as disfunctional, but it was designed (mainly) to only use 2 grips at once. (with the D-pad+L as an alternate to analog+Z) But those 2-handel super pad controllers are cool.
I really like the GC controler, comfortable for a viarety of hand sizes, more so than the PS2 or Xbox controllers. (and I have big enough hands to prefer the Duke) The D-pad is a bit poor (too small), but I like the rest, and I like Nintendo's 8-notched rim for the analog stick they stared with the N64.

I think the N64 controller is one of the worst controllers ever conceived for a mainstream system, unless you find one like I did that doesn't allow for the joystick to go flimsy. Other than that, 90% of the ones I have found have had almost useless joysticks.

[kool kitty89]

We got ours used arround Christmas 1999, still have the original controller, plus 2 other used (official) ones and a couple Super Pads (the beefy ones). They all get a little loose, but still work great for me (they only have a couple mm of looseness), and for some reason the 3rd party ones center better (though they don't seem quite as responsive or comfortable, and both have had homebrew repairs, but for broken buttons not the stick).
They've had plenty of use too, particularly by my younger brother, taken to friends houses, thrown on the rug (or on the bricks of the fireplace), taken to daycare (Kid's Park) many times.

It's not as good as the GC stick, but it's pretty good, and again, I like Nintendo's use of 8-way notches in the rim of better directional control. (particularly when using it in place of the D-Pad, important with the GC's crappy D-Pad when playing retro collections)

[QuickSciFi]

So, maybe someone else already asked this in another thread, AND I DON'T WANT TO SOUND BLASPHEMOUS, but:

Is Mark a member in this site?