"Lesser" versions of games/franchises that are actually worth your time.
I've been playing trough the 8-bit Game Gear/Master System Sonic games lately, and with the notable exception of Sonic Blast, It's struck me how good most of them are. They put the formula at its most basic, yet often feature elaborate level designs and ideas that could and would work itself into the "main" series, and I like searching for the emeralds instead of having to earn them trough bonus stages.
Also, the music has that 8-bit whistle in the shower quality to it that just adds to the charm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1l74SMzPRk
>>3331046
Chaos is pretty crummy as well imo, but I do love the first two.
I play the Genesis originals every now and then, but I usually just get tired, bored or both at some random point (I'm a bit more tolerant for S3&K). The 8-bit ones are just way more fun to play all the way through somehow
Heiankyo Alien, Lock 'N Chase, and Shamus for Gameboy. I also prefer the GBC version of Azure Dreams to the Playstation version.
It's not a demake of the original like the western marketing campaign wanted you to think, it's actually a separate game in the series called "Ghost Babel" in Japan.
But it successfully marries the gameplay of the previous 2D Metal Gears with innovation made in the Solid series, and is honestly one of the better titles in the series.
Ecco the Dolphin on the Sega Master System had an amazing stand alone soundtrack, but got greatly overshadowed by the 16-bit versions.
>>3331098
>It's not a demake of the original like the western marketing campaign wanted you to think
It's kinda was if you think about it, considering their similarities.
>>3331139
>a whole spatial dimension
that's part of a demake, you can't make that one count
No idea about the other two. MGS:GB is the only MG I playedI love how Ghost Babel abbreviates to GB. That must have been intentional
daikatana
>>3331174
The GBC version is considerably more well known by now
>>3331148
It's other anon is correct, the stories have nothing in common, and Ghost Babel is only vaguely even canon. It is referenced by e-colonel when he's freaking out in MGS2 though.
>>3331046
Doom on the PSX's nifty soundtrack gives it a completely new atmosphere.
I'm also a sucker for trying out FPS games on the GBA from time to time and found out the Doom port wasn't literally unplayable. I would never recommend it, but, worth ten minutes of your time pirating and trying it out though.
Will give more as I come to think of them.
>>3331647
fair enough, and thanks for the confirmation. GB is the only MG(S) I ever played, and I think I want to keep it that way. Its gameplay is beautiful and the format keeps the cutscenes and the supposed MG-insanity somewhat in check.
>>3331046
Sonic 1 MS is the shit. I've been playing it for like a week solid. Almost beat it, been taking a break while my new MS comes in.
The 8-bit series is awesome in itself as long as you don't look at it against its 16-bit counterparts.
Being glitchy as shit makes it extra hilarious
>>3331668
Just tried a run through again and the final boss whooped my ass and killed all my continues again. Fuck.
8-bit Sonic 1 is underrated. I love how it feels like a "nintendo hard" Sonic game. They really should have stuck with the "you drop your rings and they're gone" route with Sonic. Maybe then they wouldn't have had to use pitfalls as such a crutch in later games.
But fuck the game gear version and it's screen crunch, go Master System or don't go at all.
Can't really get into the sequel though.
>no checkpoints
>that fucking hang glider mechanic
>spikes everywhere jesus fucking christ this is a hellscape for Megaman
>tube mazes
>>3332098
yeah but, mine carts
Donkey Kong on the gameboy.
It starts out as just a port of the original arcade version, but when you get to 100m, DK snags pauline and takes off again. Come to find out, the game actually has 100 levels, and is a puzzle platformer, and Mario has new abilities. DK Jr. is there. There's actual boss battles.
It infuriates me to no end that they reduced the Mario vs Donkey Kong series to a lemmings knock off. It was doing some really cool things the other Mario platformers wouldn't dream of.
>Since we have New Super Mario Bros, there's no need for two lines of 2D Mario Platformers.
If you are only familiar with one version of this game I would suggest trying the other (master system and genesis).
It is worth it just to see how the same basic ideas were interpreted for each version.
For anyone that does try this, you hold punch then press jump to bring up the camera/escape/whatever menu on master system.
>>3332146
spider-man genesis was my shit growing up. i loved the web swinging mechanic and crawling on shit.
>>3332115
also Donkey Kong Land. it was awesome to have DKC on the go way back in the day.
>>3332146
If that's the version where Venom occasionally shows up and fucks your shit, I've played it
Don't think I ever got past hobgoblin
>>3332219
Playing it on the GBC works wonders with different things having different colors.
>>3332219
>It's either awesome or not.
a u t i s m
I really like the Atari Lynx version of Shadow of the Beast and its alternate soundtrack. Goes as well or eve better with the atmosphere of the game imo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ultTCD9gZ3s
>>3332151
The fucking jump physics are the worst thing.
>>3331046
Sonic 1 and Sonic Triple Trouble were pretty good. It's a shame about the small screen of the GG though.
Sonic Chaos was too short, and relied on using bottomless pits for difficulty. Sonic 2 is without a doubt the hardest Sonic game you'll play.
>>3333097
Sonic 2 isn't hard
The most difficult stage is Aquatic Zone and it's more tedious than hard.
>almost reached the top in your bubble
>FUCKING LOBSTER
>>3333097
play the gg2sms hack of triple trouble
http://www.smspower.org/Hacks/SonicTripleTrouble-GG-GG2SMS
>>3332364
The C64 version is amazing. It is not as unforgivingly difficult, still looks nice and it hosts one amazing soundtrack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3upIiioeVjM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PyJHwrxP84
I like the old SimCity more than later ones.
>>3333256
can you say why?
>>3333258
I don't like the isometric stuff. It just feels visually cluttered, and this one is clean & simple.
Also, old version even runs on my favorite 8-bit computer. :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mCO4E4b-UQ
>>3331148
Eh, not really. Game plays a lot more like more dynamic version of Metal Gear 2 with smooth scrolling than Metal Gear Solid.
A well known example, but Bionic Commando on the NES is a much better game than its arcade counterpart.
Section Z and Gunsmoke too.
>>3333368
Bionic Commando had an arcade game? I was only aware of the NES and following remakes on newer systems
>>3333446
by law early video games had to be arcade ports. If you wanted to bring new IP to a console, you had to have an arcade game first. So quite a few developers just half-arsed an arcade game to satisfy the requirement, then did the real game on the console. The law was abolished shortly after, because of the reduction of quality in arcade games it caused.
>>3333449
Of course it wasn't this. Arcades were huge back then, and initially yielded more revenue than the console market. That means many games were primarily being made for them, then ported to "inferior" systems for the folks who wanted to take the games home with them.
Most of the time those ports were rush jobs, a way to con money from an already existing userbase, but in the case of a lot of Capcom IPs they actually put some thought into it, adapting the formula to systems that played by other rules the arcades while polishing or even improving upon what the arcade game had to offer, even if they had less horsepower to do so with.
>>3333470
curse you historically accurate anon. Pretty sure I could have fooled a youngling or two
>>3331668
>played it for a weed solid
>still hasn't beat it
What the fuck anon? It's the easiest Sonic game.
>>3333487
Nah man, that final boss is a cheap fuck with that laser wall. Or a combination of the shit acceleration physics + possible LCD latency. It catches me every time trying to jump through and hit Robuttnik.
>>3331647
>>3331653
>>3333317
I really don't know how anyone could play MGS1 and Ghost Babel back-to-back and not notice the similarities. You could argue that they're only similar because they use a lot of tropes and conventions already introduced in the MSX Metal Gears, but GB also borrows a lot from MGS1 as well.
Visually, the HUD and CODEC screen are lifted straight from MGS1 and Snake has the same design he has in MGS1, to the point that a lot of people confuse some of Shinkawa's promotional art for GB as promotional art for MGS1. Then you also have items and abilities from MGS1, particularly the way Snake moves in GB is a lot much closer to MGS1 than he does in the MSX2 games, especially with the added ability to wall hug and move into tight spaces.
Then you have the story having many of the same beats as MGS1. They both even start out the same way, with Snake enjoying his early retirement as a dog musher in Alaska, only to have his home stormed by troops trying to force him out of retirement for one last mission. The enemy forces are former special forces with animal-themed codenames led by an evil counterpart of "Snake" and you even have a geek as the Metal Gear designer.
That's not even mentioning the fact that the 180 VR training missions in GB are lifted from the Integral expanded edition for the PlayStation.
The game pretty much existed because Konami's European division wanted a portable 2D version of MGS1 and they more or less did that since MGS1 itself was already a polygonal version of the MSX Metal Gears.
>>3333740
>Visually, the HUD and CODEC screen are lifted straight from MGS1 and Snake has the same design he has in MGS1
same period, same style, used to communicate how games belong to the same series, I wouldn't consider that a useful indicator for a demake. It's to retain a sense of familiarity when switching the platforms, and contributes to the visual language of a series.
>particularly the way Snake moves in GB is a lot much closer to MGS1 than he does in the MSX2 games
because it's an MGS game, not an MG game. I am quite sure the game was deliberately designed for MGS players to feel "at home" in GB.
>The enemy forces are former special forces with animal-themed codenames led by an evil counterpart of "Snake"
Isn't that a general MGS trope?
>you even have a geek as the Metal Gear designer
who else would design a piece of engineering?
>the 180 VR training missions in GB are lifted from the Integral expanded edition for the PlayStation
can anybody confirm?
I'm >>3331653 so if you think I'm talking out of my rear end, feel free to point and laugh
>>3333758
I don't even know what that guy is going on about. But most of what you said is correct.
Anyway, Ghost Babel is the shit and if it's the only game you've played out of the series then it's a damn fine one. You should definitely check out the MGS series though if you enjoyed GB.
>>3333773
I kind of want to give MG a try, actually, if only to understand the origins a bit better, maybe MGS (1) for the same reason. I'm not a fan of convoluted stories and memes, and I heard MGS as a whole is pretty full of that, so I doubt I'd really enjoy it. My to-play list is ridiculously long, so I'll get there, eventually, maybe
>>3333758
>same period, same style, used to communicate how games belong to the same series, I wouldn't consider that a useful indicator for a demake. It's to retain a sense of familiarity when switching the platforms, and contributes to the visual language of a series.
Except the MSX Metal Gears have a very different visual style, as did all the mainline MGS games since MGS3 at least. MGS2 was very similar to 1 though.
>because it's an MGS game, not an MG game. I am quite sure the game was deliberately designed for MGS players to feel "at home" in GB.
Yeah, but it was called Ghost Babel in Japan without the "Solid", since the Solid was only added to denote the transition from 2D to 3D. The Metal Gear Solid name never made much sense for the GBC version, but they already registered the trademark outside Japan.
>Isn't that a general MGS trope?
Not really. FOXHOUND were good guys in the MSX games and only turned evil in MGS1. You only had Solid Snake and Gray Fox in those games (plus Coward Duck in MG1, but he had nothing to do with FOXHOUND).
>who else would design a piece of engineering?
The Metal Gear engineer in the MSX games was an elderly Einstein-looking dude named Dr. Pettrovich, not a young dude with a handle like Otacon or Jimmy Wizard.
>can anybody confirm?
It has all of the sneaking and weapons training missions except for the sniper rifle and stinger ones, since those made use of the first-person view.
>>3333779
Don't bother with MG. Just play MGS1 and see how you like it. The story really isn't all that confusing beside MGS2. If you want a simple overview of the main series I'll put it in spoilers, as there are spoilers.Solid Snake is the "son" of Big Boss. One of his clones. Big Boss is evil badguy name of Naked Snake after he goes off on his own to setup a paramilitary group of his own (and get nukes). The whole story is basically about getting crazy mech weapons to launch nukes. MGS2 is a simulation to learn more about Raiden/Snake and create smarter soldiers. MGS3 is Big Boss before he goes bad. MGS4 is Snake dying because of a virus made to kill all of his clones. Liquid Snake and Solidus are two of the clones that try their own bullshit. Pretty simple.
So yeah, just get your toes wet with MGS1 and continue from there.
>>3333842
>Don't bother with MG.
Only plebs recommend skipping out Metal Gear 1, especially in a retro gaming board.
>>3333862
I've heard several times though that the NES version is best avoided, the MSX version is where it's at
>>3331046
...isn't that Tails' character song from Adventure?
>>3333907
Pretty much. The NES version has vastly different level designs for its outdoor areas (including a maze segment that forces you to look up the solution outside the game). and doesn't even have the actual Metal Gear at the end. It's really only worth playing nowadays as a curiosity.
>>3333487
I can see that happening. Scrap Brain Zone is disproportionately harder than the rest of the game.
>>3334004
I'm not talking about Sonic 1 Genesis. I'm talking about Sonic 1 Master System and the final boss in Sky Base Zone.
>>3334004
BEAT THAT FAGGOT FINALLY
whoops 4got pic
>that ending theme
I loved both games soundtracks, they are so good. Sonic 1 and 2 are pretty good to this day for me.
Lion King for the Master System was a good a version and pretty fun. And Castle of Illusion, one of my favorite platforming games ever.
>>3332098
I only realized much later that the GG version was a bigger pain in the ass due to the first boss. I died a few times on the MS version the first time playing, but the pattern gets easy to get it right. Overall S2 is actually hard.
>no checkpoints
Acts are really pretty short like about a minute and Sky Hight Act 1 is like 30 seconds if even that.Sonic 1 had longer stages, like Jungle.
>that fucking hang glider mechanic
The manual explained that. But you need to tap and tap like a second or half-second left-dpad or diagonal-left-up. The true pain is getting the emerald in act2 because you need to get the right winds to get to the top of the screen
>spikes everywhere jesus fucking christ this is a hellscape for Megaman
Yeah, seems like a dimps thing. Sky Hight Act2, Green Hills act3 and Scrambled Egg due to the tubes are unbearable.
>tube mazes
Painful shit. Worse thing is getting the bad ending because you missed an emerald.
>>3333105
>lobster and throwing shit at you
Oh boy... You actually can skip that part with the bubble. There is a wall you can through before a short maze and will go to the freaking goal. The only problem is that doing that you will miss maze and that maze is the path to get the emerald...
>>3334004
Sky Base too. Both stages are lighting and cannons out of nowhere trying to kill you. Final Boss can be annoying too and each version(GG or MS) has like a different pattern. Actually both versions are a little different. Jungle ACT2 for examaple you will die in the MS if you fall down, but on the GG you will just fall and you can keep trying until you get to the top.
>>3334207
Jungle's boss is the hardest part to me and the beginning of Act 2 of Sky Base.
![90798-Gals_Fighters-3[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/KIBjsdA.jpg "90798-Gals_Fighters-3[1].jpg")
It's basically KOF Lite with some silly new mechanics but still the best handheld fighting game I've played and as far as I'm aware it's SNK's only game with anearlyall-female cast that isn't about blatant fanservice (doesn't even have Mai boob jiggling, talk about a shocker)
Also SNK's portable crossover games with Capcom all ended up being a lot better than their attempt at a full-fledged SNK vs. Capcom fighter a few years later
What's the /vr opinion on Street Fighter II on GameBoy?
I've always wanted to try it. The GameBoy could often surprise me despite it's limitations.
I know it won't compete with the home console versions but is it at least a decent attempt at a port of the arcade?
Boy, you gotta carry that weight
>>3334256
>Jungle Boss
At least they knew that boss could be annoying since there is a 1-up monitor right before the boss.
Labyrinth could be annoying too, specially in the gg version due to the smaller screen size.
>Sky Base Act2
>no rings
>just skip half the act by getting the emerald
And don't forget "TOTOTO RORO TO TOTO ROROTO TOTO RO TO"
>>3334274
That damn Gimmick emerald. That was the emerald that made me get the bad ending. Fucking invisible walls.
>>3334325
labyrinth isn't bad at all
you just stand slightly toward the entrance/exit doors and the rocket goes that way instead. you can get a hit as robotnik's on his way down + once more every time. should only take 1 rotation to kill the boss.
>>3334269
Miss X best grill. No homo.
>>3331046
sonic pocket adventure for the NGPC is also really good. Reminds me of the game gear sonics for sure. But it's like a love letter to the genesis games with the searching for cards aspect matching the sms emerald hunts.
sms sonic 1 and 2 are the most cozy games though, I love playing them.
>>3333952
Probably took some inspiration from it, but it's not the song itself.
I wouldn't have been surprised considering how many re-used tracks made it into Sonic Adeventure.
>>3334601
It's good, but it's probably the biggest rehash in the series, and that's saying something when Sonic 4 is a thing. Pretty sure the only original thing about the game is the bosses, while the music is 8-bit Sonic 3 remixes, and all the level tropes are ripped from Sonic 2.
>>3334914
I, too, enjoyed that super long Mashup that popped up on Youtube several years ago.
>>3334947
yeah it's like a remix love letter to the original games, I really liked it.
>>3331653
>not wanting the Kojima craziness
>>3333280
Why do you play the NES-version?! Play the Amiga version!
Does the original Kirby's Dreamland count?
It's super short, and most of it was remade in Kirby Super Star with all the copy powers and smoother controls added in.
But I find the stiffer controls and lack of copy powers make the game more of a challenge, especially if you input the code for hard mode. I also like that the exhale attack is actually viable.
>>3332247
wanting people to write a little better and not contradict themselves isn't autism
