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Post by Wyrdwad on Mar 27, 2015 0:30:37 GMT -5
I'm already very interested in that one, as I've watched some gameplay videos on YouTube -- looks awesome!
What I'm most interested in right now, though, are disk-based MSX games -- because if I can't get the Megaflashrom yet, I should still theoretically be able to download roms from disk-based games, write them to a floppy and play them on my MSX that way, right?
There aren't too many disk-based games I know of, though -- all the ones I usually hear about are cartridge-based -- but the Xak games are on disk, aren't they?
-Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Mar 26, 2015 16:55:00 GMT -5
Cool, thanks for the info! You've been a huge help in this whole thing. Now, if only my MSX would just GET HERE... argh, the wait is killing me!! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Mar 25, 2015 23:35:01 GMT -5
So, possibly a dumb question, but is SCC/SCC+ the same as FM synth, or is that something totally different? And if it's different, do you know how common it is, and whether or not the flash rom supports FM synth as well?
-Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Mar 24, 2015 11:37:10 GMT -5
That's the 139 euros one, right? That's the one I planned to get, and yeah, he told me 6 weeks when I asked him about it on Sunday. I appreciate you checking as well, though, and it's good to know it is indeed the right thing! Sounds pretty useful, too. -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Mar 22, 2015 19:59:32 GMT -5
Wow. So... I got it. I decided to try putting in a $250 offer, and just see what would happen... and the seller accepted it outright. So I just got an MSX2+ for $250 with $11 shipping, which I think is a pretty damned good deal! I put in a fairly lowball best offer on a controller auction and a King Kong 2 auction as well, since both were from the same seller, and I guess because they could be grouped together and save him on shipping, he accepted both offers as well. ...So, here's hoping my buyer's remorse is minimal, I guess! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Mar 22, 2015 17:46:36 GMT -5
Er, yeah, I meant step-down. That was a typo. As for the Megaflashrom being out of stock, I heard about this second-hand from someone on HG101 who says he spoke with the guy directly, though I have no idea how old his info is, so it may actually still be in stock (or be back in stock, I suppose). Thanks very much for the info and all the help, though, both of you! I really appreciate it! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Mar 22, 2015 14:39:19 GMT -5
Man, I'm still waffling on this. I'd made up my mind to use the money I would've spent on the MSX2+ to instead purchase a PS4, and was happy with that decision... until I started thinking about it, and realized that I honestly just DON'T WANT a PS4 right now. What I want is an MSX, dammit! I was about to finally pull the trigger, when I found that the Megaflashrom is apparently out of stock, and there won't be any more in for at least a couple of months. So I'd have to rely on cartridges for the time being. A couple games I want to play seem relatively cheap online, though -- Goonies and King Kong II in particular -- so I might still do it, and just buy a Megaflashrom somewhere down the line, enjoying a handful of cartridge games in the meantime. But before I go through with it, I wanted to check in again and see if you guys think I'd have any problems here. I'm not very tech savvy, but I should just be able to plug the cartridges in and play them without any trouble like I would on any other game system, right? And the only extras I'd need to invest in would be a controller and a step-up converter, both of which I've been able to find for decent prices as well. Any assistance you guys can provide would be appreciated! -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Mar 16, 2015 11:06:10 GMT -5
I definitely don't know, but I get the gist from your basic description there. That flash rom sounds like it'll be expensive all on its own, however! But possibly worth it. I have much to consider. I think it's all going to come down to whether or not I can find any takers for my copy of Rule of Rose anytime soon, since that cash might offset the cost of the system pretty well. -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Mar 16, 2015 2:58:13 GMT -5
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Post by Wyrdwad on Mar 9, 2015 5:03:56 GMT -5
I had to look up what EAX even is, as I've never heard of it before. But yeah, if it was present in the Japanese version, it's present in all of our localized versions as well -- we didn't remove any settings for any of them.
-Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Mar 5, 2015 23:33:20 GMT -5
So I'm not sure I'm actually ready to buy an MSX yet, but I've decided that... eventually, I want one. Probably sometime this year.
I've looked into it a bit, and it sounds like my best bet is to find at least a working MSX2+ system, as they're common enough to not run me an arm and a leg, and support the vast majority of MSX games. But if I'm to buy one, I need to know specifics -- what sorts of things should I be looking for in the auction text (other than "tested, works" or its Japanese equivalent)? Any RAM recommendations, extra sound chips, etc. I should be sure to watch out for?
Also, a few nitty-gritty questions:
* The voltage difference between the U.S. and Japan is minimal, but it's enough that I'd worry about it frying older electronics like this. Is there a solution you might suggest, or has anyone else confirmed whether or not there's an issue here?
* What kind of CRT is required?
* What kind of controller would you recommend I look for?
I'm trying not to spend a whole butt-ton of money on this, but am willing to shell out a sizable one-time payment of $200 or so for the system itself, and up to $50 or $60 per component/game for everything else I'd need, so I think I'm within reasonable budget here. But I'm SO clueless about all of this stuff, so I thought it might behoove me to ask around on here and on HG101 to see if anyone had any suggestions for me.
I also noted in the subject line that I have a trade offer -- basically, in an effort to subsidize the frivolous purchasing of an old Japanese computer system, I looked through my game collection for anything I owned that might be valuable, and I found something: Rule of Rose. The American PS2 release, opened but in absolutely pristine condition (I barely played it, and I take really good care of my games, so it's basically mint). Seems to go for up to $200 on eBay in this condition, so I figured I'd offer to trade it to someone for just the base MSX2+ or higher system, provided (1) it's in working order, (2) it has both cartridge and disk slots, and (3) its specs aren't crap.
(And hey, as long as you're selling me your MSX2+, you might as well throw in your games too, right? Hee hee...)
I also own Haunting Ground on PS2 in a similarly pristine condition, but that's worth less than Rule of Rose and I'm much more hesitant to give it up. But if the right offer comes along, I might consider it!
...So, any info or takers? Please drop me a PM if you want to trade, or reply to this topic if you have info -- and thanks, very much, if you do either!
-Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Feb 10, 2015 3:42:30 GMT -5
I'm also very, very interested, as you might imagine! But also very, very weirded out by this. It's PopoloCrois... mixed with Bokujo Monogatari... on a Nintendo system (despite the property being owned by Sony, or so I thought!). It raises so very, very many questions! Seems like Yousuke Tamori is planning to resurrect the franchise altogether, though, as there's also a prequel novel (the first of at least two, in fact) being released in Japan this month called "Popolo Chronicle": www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4036471104/ref=gno_cart_title_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AN1VRQENFRJN5Apparently about a boy named Murka who gets caught up in "the Battle of Ruben," whatever that is. Based on the very brief description. Also worth noting that Tamori's recently written a three-book novel series that's very much in a similar vein to PopoloCrois, called "Kin no Tsuki no Maya" (Maya of the Golden Moon; official English title is "Maya Mensis Aureos" based on the tiny print on the cover, but that's just a really bad Latin translation of "Maya of the Golden Moon," so I'm going to ignore it). I bought these recently, and they're quite beautifully-illustrated. Only read the first couple pages of the first book, but it seems VERY PopoloCrois-esque, so hopefully somebody picks it up for a game or anime sometime! www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%9C%AC/dp/4036470108/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1MPA3RKJ7SK3WTCB6ADW-Tom
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Zwei!!
Jan 15, 2015 2:43:00 GMT -5
Post by Wyrdwad on Jan 15, 2015 2:43:00 GMT -5
The level design gets pretty good, but never anywhere near the level of quality you see in Gurumin, Zwei II or Nayuta no Kiseki (I consider Gurumin part of this series as well due to the many similarities it has with Zwei, especially Zwei II and Nayuta). The one thing the first Zwei has over the others, though, IMHO, is balance. Zwei II, and Nayuta to an extent, still do feature the food-leveling system, but it's at its absolute most balanced in the first Zwei, giving you ample opportunities to challenge dungeon areas at low-level and creating a nice progression that the other games are kind of missing (Zwei II by being generally too easy, and Nayuta by giving out experience like it's Halloween candy). -Tom
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Zwei!!
Jan 10, 2015 14:32:30 GMT -5
Post by Wyrdwad on Jan 10, 2015 14:32:30 GMT -5
And then there's Falcom's own PSP version. It's hard to say if it's more or less definitive than the PC version, as the graphics and sound were both improved significantly (new character portraits added for the graphics, a newly-arranged version of the entire soundtrack, and some limited voice-acting), but virtually all the minigames and desktop apps are just completely omitted -- I think only Zwei!! Shooting survived intact. I have to disagree with you on the graphics. I think the new artwork they added is pretty damn bad in comparison. I especially dislike Pokkle's new design. The style is just no where near as appealing as the originals. But that's a personal opinion. But the overall graphics do look a lot worse than the PC version in comparison. They look fine on the PSP but the the sprites and pre-rendered backgrounds look highly compressed. Well, they are depicted in a much smaller resolution, so that's understandable. They look good for PSP, though, which is more what I was going for. I consider Oath in Felghana PSP and PC to be on par with one another as well, because Oath in Felghana looks just as good on PSP for a PSP game as it does on PC for a PC game. Comparing them directly, obviously the PC version looks nicer, but it's not entirely fair to compare the look of a PC game with adjustable resolution to that of a handheld game with a super-tiny fixed one. And I like the art in the PSP version of Zwei!! -- it's cute! -- but I would say that when push comes to shove, the PC version is my version of choice if only for the added minigames and desktop apps. The only notable improvement in the PSP version is the addition of an arranged soundtrack, which I quite like... but I don't exactly prefer it to the original 2001 (2002?) soundtrack. They both have their strong points, and it largely varies per track which one I like better. -Tom
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Zwei!!
Jan 9, 2015 19:11:26 GMT -5
Gu4n likes this
Post by Wyrdwad on Jan 9, 2015 19:11:26 GMT -5
There have been three versions of Zwei!!, each with their own unique quirks that make it so that there really is no definitive version.
The original PC version has the most minigames, since the majority of them were unlockable desktop apps (a first, and only, for Falcom) as opposed to in-game content. This includes a Tamagotchi-style pet you can care for via desktop app. It's weird, but kind of neat.
Taito ported the game to PS2, which a lot of people seem to forget. And unlike with the Ys games they ported, they kept their PS2 port of Zwei!! really faithful to the original, even porting over some (but not all) of the minigames and finding ways to include them in-game. Sadly, the two notable minigames that are missing are The Typing of Ys and the virtual pet monitor, for obvious reasons on both counts -- but still, they've got Zwei!! Shooting and Mona Mona, and those are the big ones. The PS2 version is otherwise mostly identical to the PC version, though Taito did make one bizarre change: they took four optional super-hard dungeon sections from the PC edition and made them easier, but also mandatory. Kind of weird...
And then there's Falcom's own PSP version. It's hard to say if it's more or less definitive than the PC version, as the graphics and sound were both improved significantly (new character portraits added for the graphics, a newly-arranged version of the entire soundtrack, and some limited voice-acting), but virtually all the minigames and desktop apps are just completely omitted -- I think only Zwei!! Shooting survived intact.
Ultimately, it's up to you which version to go for, but I'd say go for PSP if you're more interested in graphics and sound, or go for PC if you're more interested in side content.
...If you really liked Nayuta, though, the first Zwei!! might not quite scratch that same itch. Zwei II would for sure, as would Gurumin if you haven't already played it, but the first Zwei!! isn't quite as good as either of those or Nayuta.
-Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Jan 9, 2015 15:12:24 GMT -5
Yeah, the Headless fight is pretty intense stuff. And anything involving those damned Unbeholders (the Erase Eyes), too -- those things scared the crap out of me while I was playing, and killed me quite a few times. And the Unbeholder encounter in Dela mode is just super-cruel (but intense and awesome!). And yes, in addition to resting being bad for speedruns, the score card at the end of the game keeps track of how many times you rested, and the title you're given will change if you did it too often. So if you want a good title, you need to be fast and jittery. -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Jan 9, 2015 13:33:53 GMT -5
Honestly, that was just a pure localization decision for the sake of maintaining atmosphere. The game clearly takes place in a medieval Eurasian setting, likely somewhere around Greece, yet the ancient 1,000-year-old ruins buried beneath it have a section in them ruled by a "Ninja Master"? It seemed a bit "on the nose," I felt -- like they were "Japanifying" a setting that shouldn't have had anything to do with Japan. I didn't want to change the name completely, though, as that would be disrespectful to the source material, so after discussing it a bit in-house, we decided upon changing "Ninja Master" to "Warlord" -- a more generic-sounding (and IMHO also more badass-sounding) term that can easily mean roughly the same thing, but comes across as a bit less "HEY LOOK ANCIENT JAPAN IN THIS ANCIENT GREEK CITY." Basically, it was changed for the same reason "Crab Devil" and "Lobster" were changed -- to maintain immersion. There are humorous moments in Brandish, and those have been translated accordingly, but if players laugh at bosses that are meant to be taken seriously, it kind of kills the atmosphere. And while I know ninja become a lot more central to the plot in the subsequent Brandish titles, there's no reason to shoehorn that into the first game so blatantly when Warlord is just as functional a term (and sounds cooler anyway). ...That's likely the most controversial localization decision we've made for this game. Hope you guys don't think we overstepped our bounds or anything. -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Jan 9, 2015 12:34:23 GMT -5
It's funny how different people regard the game -- some have said it's Falcom's hardest game ever, essentially their Dark Souls... while others, like you, have said that it's "insultingly easy." I'm in the middle, myself. A game is only insultingly easy if you can beat it without paying any attention to it at all -- if you can basically play it on autopilot. But you can't do that with Brandish. You have to pay careful attention to your surroundings, strategize for the specific enemies and obstacles that are nearby, and just in general concentrate on what you're doing. If you do, and if you take your time doing so, you'll be fine, as the game is ultimately very fair and forgiving where it counts. But if you try to play on autopilot, or if you rush through the dungeons without any concern for what lies ahead (or "around every corner," as it were!), you absolutely WILL die. And even if you thought the game was super-easy, I'm willing to bet you died a lot. I mean, it probably didn't set you back much when you did... but my point is, "death around every corner" is pretty accurate, regardless of challenge. -Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Jan 8, 2015 15:12:55 GMT -5
Brandish: The Dark Revenant has been announced for a 1/13 release (that's this coming Tuesday) via PSN in North America for $19.99. It is confirmed compatible with Vita and PSTV at launch, and will be available through the Vita store from day one (or so we've been told, anyway!). We've also got the official website up, complete with new screenshots, tons of info and lore, three music tracks, a new launch trailer (also linked below), and two minor typographical mistakes (see if you can find them before we upload our fix! Heheh). Check it out! www.brandishpsp.com-Tom
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Post by Wyrdwad on Dec 18, 2014 2:21:14 GMT -5
Whatever it is, I'M THERE. This sounds amazing, even just hearing the name. -Tom
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