Jump to content
IGNORED

Battle of the Ports


Recommended Posts

This video was filmed on August 10th 2019 in Hakata City, Fukuoka prefecture. Hakata City is one of Japan's larger cities but unlike Tokyo people here smile a lot more (^o^). Hidden away around the city are many historical buildings which are well preserved. Let's see if we can find some that are literally a stones throw away from the main train station.

 

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Tempest said:

Was the Apple II version of Popeye an official port?  My understanding is that it was just a knock off that kind looked like Popeye.

I'm not sure.  According to Wikipedia it's an official port.  I know the TRS and Amiga versions are not official but the Apple ][, .......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, Yakumo1975 said:

I'm not sure.  According to Wikipedia it's an official port.  I know the TRS and Amiga versions are not official but the Apple ][, .......

Dubious.  Nice review overall though.

Regarding the very simple title screen on the C64 and others, there simply wasn't the ROM space to devote to an elaborate title screen in those days.  In an interview regarding the Atari 8-bit version, programmer David Johnson stated that the game was originally 8K and they had to fight to get 16K, and the additional space was vital to getting everything in.

Popeye is all white on the ColecoVision due to the limited sprite capabilities of the system hardware.  Multicolor sprites require stacking of sprites on top of one another and you can only display so many of them at once.  The player sprite not only moves around the most, but the programmer(s) also probably felt that the player would be focused on other stuff going on around him and spend the least amount of time looking at Popeye himself.  So that's probably where they decided to make some compromises.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, Psionic said:

Popeye is all white on the ColecoVision due to the limited sprite capabilities of the system hardware.  Multicolor sprites require stacking of sprites on top of one another and you can only display so many of them at once.  The player sprite not only moves around the most, but the programmer(s) also probably felt that the player would be focused on other stuff going on around him and spend the least amount of time looking at Popeye himself.  So that's probably where they decided to make some compromises.

Yep, this happens a lot with systems that use the same graphics chip as the Colecovision (TMS9928A).  Check out some TI-99/4a and MSX games, you'll see the same thing. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While playing the NES port of Popeye for the High Score Club last night, I noticed that the positioning of the ladder in the first stage is different and allows you to climb or descend it.  I've played that version plenty of times in the past but for some reason I had never picked up on this until now.  In pretty much every other version you can only go down, although it looks like they copied the NES layout for the mobile version.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Psionic said:

While playing the NES port of Popeye for the High Score Club last night, I noticed that the positioning of the ladder in the first stage is different and allows you to climb or descend it.  I've played that version plenty of times in the past but for some reason I had never picked up on this until now.  In pretty much every other version you can only go down, although it looks like they copied the NES layout for the mobile version.

Yeah I noticed that too, although it's not as gamebreaking as you'd think. I think I went up the center ladder once.  Still, you've got to wonder why they did that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, Psionic said:

While playing the NES port of Popeye for the High Score Club last night, I noticed that the positioning of the ladder in the first stage is different and allows you to climb or descend it.  I've played that version plenty of times in the past but for some reason I had never picked up on this until now.  In pretty much every other version you can only go down, although it looks like they copied the NES layout for the mobile version.

It may differ if picking game B?  I thought maybe game A was an easier version which is why the ladder is all the way down allowing you to climb back up it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/20/2019 at 9:43 PM, Psionic said:

No, the board layout is the same on both game variations.  So it was a conscious decision on the part of whoever programmed the game to alter it.

Interesting choice.  I guess they thought the original versions was a little tough?

 

Rayman was massive or at least in Europe he was. It was the best selling PlayStation game in the UK outselling the likes of GTA and Tomb Raider 1 and 2. These days everyone knows Rayman but not many people talk about the original game any more. Let's take a look at all the available versions. I say available because as always the digital only versions are long gone. That's the DSi and Smartphone versions. Good old digital only releases. Sure it the way forward to making stuff obsolete. Versions such as the PlayStation classics or virtual console type services don't count because they're not ports, just emulated versions of another port.

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rayman was something of a curiosity on the Playstation.

 

Slammed at review by the likes of Playstation Plus for being the type of game they thought belonged on THE SNES and M.D and i seem to remember C+VG advised Jaguar owners to get Rayman, but Playstation and Saturn owners should try before they but, as much better titles avaiable on both platforms,  it went into be a massive success on the Playstation. 

 

Rather ironic considering Sony were not keen on having it on Playstation as the likes of Rayman and Worms were not in keeping with the polygon pushing, light sourced 3D titles they wanted to represent the hardware.

 

 

It was a gorgeous title and one which would break me if I returned to it now ?

 

Stayed with Rayman with Rayman 2 Dreamcast and Rayman Origins PS3.

 

But never completed a single Rayman title in my life ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/24/2019 at 5:51 AM, Lost Dragon said:

Rayman was something of a curiosity on the Playstation.

 

Slammed at review by the likes of Playstation Plus for being the type of game they thought belonged on THE SNES and M.D and i seem to remember C+VG advised Jaguar owners to get Rayman, but Playstation and Saturn owners should try before they but, as much better titles avaiable on both platforms,  it went into be a massive success on the Playstation. 

 

Rather ironic considering Sony were not keen on having it on Playstation as the likes of Rayman and Worms were not in keeping with the polygon pushing, light sourced 3D titles they wanted to represent the hardware.

 

 

Between Sony of America & magazines like NextGeneration/Edge, they really wanted nothing but 3D based games even if the gameplay was terrible. But there was still life in 2D games for that generation.  I was glad we were still able to get arcade complations at all!

 

Ironically gamers today want nothing but 2D games outside the usual preorded AAA titles....

 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, MrMaddog said:

 

Between Sony of America & magazines like NextGeneration/Edge, they really wanted nothing but 3D based games even if the gameplay was terrible. But there was still life in 2D games for that generation.  I was glad we were still able to get arcade complations at all!

 

Ironically gamers today want nothing but 2D games outside the usual preorded AAA titles....

 

 

 

The UK Press was going through a horrible period at this point, as soon as they cottoned onto the Playstation appeal to previous non-gamers and the whole UK clubbing connection with Sony putting the machines in prominent UK nightclubs. .we saw magazines like Playstation Plus,  Playnation etc attempt to mimic Ladz Magz. .All fur coats and no knickers as it were.

 

 

Anything 2D or Retro compilation based took it's (commercial) life in it's hands when it was sent in for review. 

 

Friend of mine wrote into one such magazine asking why they were so blinkered and attacked what was now the pinnacle of 2D gaming (we were finally getting the arcade perfect conversions we had longed for during the 8 and 16 bit eras) and why the insecurity over the Saturn being the far more powerful 2D machine? .

 

Poor bast#rd got such a mauling in the letters page in terms of a reply. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/26/2019 at 2:35 AM, Lost Dragon said:

The UK Press was going through a horrible period at this point, as soon as they cottoned onto the Playstation appeal to previous non-gamers and the whole UK clubbing connection with Sony putting the machines in prominent UK nightclubs. .we saw magazines like Playstation Plus,  Playnation etc attempt to mimic Ladz Magz. .All fur coats and no knickers as it were.

 

 

Anything 2D or Retro compilation based took it's (commercial) life in it's hands when it was sent in for review. 

 

Friend of mine wrote into one such magazine asking why they were so blinkered and attacked what was now the pinnacle of 2D gaming (we were finally getting the arcade perfect conversions we had longed for during the 8 and 16 bit eras) and why the insecurity over the Saturn being the far more powerful 2D machine? .

 

Poor bast#rd got such a mauling in the letters page in terms of a reply. 

I remember those times.  It really put me off the PlayStation.  The whole "lad" culture was a joke in my opinion.  Nothing more than moron yobo culture IMO. 

 

Two new videos, first up is this week's Battle of the Ports

 

And second are some Super Mario Sport Eggs.

 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The issues you ran into with the IIgs version of Thexder are indeed from emulation issues.  The real version doesn't have any strange slowdown like that.

 

All these years and I never knew how to pronounce the game title.  I always said Thex-Der

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The immaturity present during the Playstation era started a little before

 

 

Not familar with Team 17's Amiga/CD32 title, "Pussies Galore" ?

 

From Team 17:

 

A platform game featuring kittens to rescue. Looked good initially but a combination of Amiga AGA (advanced graphics architecture chipset) only when the market was saying "doom" and nothing hugely to celebrate about it, meant we ended up culling it. We never enjoyed culling anything to be fair and it was around this time, early to mid 90's when dev costs, marketing and things became a lot more serious and "grown up" than they had been when we first began, somewhat niaively."  
 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Aya Teruha Suspension Bridge extends over the laurel forest area in Kyushu-chuo Sanchi Quasi-National Park, this suspension bridge is one of the largest in the world, at 142 meters high and 250 meters long. It WAS the largest in the world until 2006. In front of the Teruha Suspension Bridge is the Shoyo Jurin Bunkakan (Laurel Forest Culture Hall), where you can learn about the creatures living in the laurel forest, and the rest of the forest. On the other side of the suspension bridge is a 2 km nature trail, where you can enjoy a peaceful walk in the woods for around 40 minutes. Keep watching until the end for some nighttime driving.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...