Similar to my previous blog entry I’m continuing the trend of downsizing my Retro Video Game Collection. Nothing too extensive just a few odds and ends are getting trimmed.
Just because I’ve sold the games below does not mean they’re not worth having. I actually like Water Margin but I can’t have it all so I’m being more selective with my money.
I recently sold the above three Piko Interactive games and the four Genesis games below as a lot for $160 CAD (~$120 USD). For a short time I had it in my head that I wanted to include PAL exclusive games in my Sega Genesis Collection. PAL is a common label for European Sega Mega Drive games; which was how the Genesis was branded outside of North America.
In my current retro mood I’m inclined to steer my collection towards a more focused philosophy and part of that means ditching the few PAL games that I had. I had three and they’re now gone.
My current desire to purge has also come from a shift in the retro gaming community; in the form of a sharp rise in the quality of Indie video games created for the Sega Genesis and Sega Mega Drive.
Where once it was exceptionally rare to find a new Sega Genesis game it’s now (almost) common place. And more importantly the quality and calibre of many of these games is exceptional. Both in the game itself and the physical product.
For me personally both Tanglewood and Xeno Crisis are just perfect. Beautiful games that are very fun and engaging. Rock solid software with stunning physical design, production and quality.
Of these five games Tanglewood and Xeno Crisis are my favourites.
Tanglewood is truly an epic adventure and I would not change a thing. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve completed Tanglewood and I keep coming back for more. If you’d like to know more about Tanglewood check out my spoiler free ‘Tanglewood 16-bit Perfection‘ review.
Coming in at a close second is Xeno Crisis; which is still busy beating me to a pulp! Even two player with a buddy I’m finding that we’ll do pretty well in the stages but the bosses usually cut us to shreds. This is not a criticism, it’s simply the heart of an arena style arcade game. Live or Die. And I’m sure it’s the high impact and unforgiving nature of Xeno Crisis which has made it so popular.
FX-Unit Yuki is something special. It falls down a little bit when comparing it’s more amateurish cover art to Tanglewood and Xenos Crisis. The game isn’t quite as professionally polished and on occasion will struggle to run at full speed (*I’ve read that the TG-16 version is a smoother experience). But in my eyes it gets a pass because of what it does right. It’s a really fun game. The story of FX-Unit Yuki sets the stage to pay homage to many classic retro games and it does it so well.
Tanzer (German for Dancer) has such a unique feel. At first glance it looks like a traditional platformer with the speed of Sonic the Hedgehog and the acrobatics of Strider. You’re given a very fast playable character with exceptionally tight controls that combine to deliver a fresh platforming experience. You’re going to have to learn how to control Tanzer well before you’ll get far. I do wish the games graphics were a bit better and the physical package could use a little… more. The cover art and manual look almost unfinished. I actually feel a bit petty making these comments when the game offers solid game mechanic, upgrades and branching paths. Tanzer does a lot right.
Ultracore feels complete, polished and intense! Good, right? However, I’m also finding it a bit repetitive. This is probably an issue with my own attention span and not the game. Both this physical release and the game look great. The game runs well and is generous with health. It feels very much like Mega Turrican and Gunlord. It is my least favourite of this bunch but these are all good games.
Are you buying modern retro video games? What do you need to see in these games to justify the purchase price?
I’ll leave you with my Tanglewood longplay. I’m managed to get 100% of the fireflies… no big deal.
So I did something crazy and it feels great! I purchased the extremely high-end and very expensive Mega Sg by Analogue.
Easy now, stop your gasping. I did get the wife’s permission first.
I’ve been borderline desperate to get my hands on this (dare I say) perfect Sega Genesis / Mega Drive replacement console since it’s release on March 25th, 2019. However, the steep price tag of $190 USD plus $50 USD shipping had held me off. I just could not justify the ~$310 CAD grand total; regardless of all the high praise this modern 16-bit wonder has been receiving.
It’s true, a tremendous amount of skill and a quality has been poured into the Mega Sg and I do understand that this product has a very niche audience. I cannot criticize the price tag. It feels appropriate. But at the same time I could not justify it to myself.
So what happened? I found a used Mega Sg. In fact since it’s release this is the first Mega Sg I’ve seen for sale on the second hand market. I didn’t get away like a bandit but I do feel I did well and scored it for a fair price of $240 CAD (~$184 USD). Saving $70 CAD (~$54 USD) really helped. But buying it used also did more. It spared me the risk of duty. Had I purchased it direct from Analogue and had I been charged duty I would have been hit with another $88 CAD (~$67 USD) according to borderbuddy.com. Leaving me with a grand total of $390 CAD (~$300 USD). Ouch…
As a very nice gesture the seller included this retro-bit 6 button arcade pad for free. Which I can use on my new Mega Sg or my original Sega Genesis. Of course the Sega Dude is all wireless now but this was still a very nice thing.
What really made all this fall into place is a little bit of downsizing I’ve been doing. Just a few days after my Mega Sg purchase I managed to sell some Super Nintendo carts. I’ve decided that I want just some of the AAA titles complete with box and manual. As a result I’ve recently sold the following:
Axelay $65 CAD
Super Mario All-Stars (with BitBox Case) $30 CAD (with manual)
Super Mario RPG (with BitBox Case) $70 CAD (with manual)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV Turtles in Time (with BitBox Case) $60 CAD
The Legend of Mystical Ninja (with BitBox Case) $40 CAD
Parodius Da (Super Famicom with BitBox Case) $15 CAD
Pop’n TwinBee (Super Famicom with BitBox Case) $15 CAD
Super Genjin 2 (Bonk 2) (Nintendo Super Famicom) $20 CAD
Netting me $315 CAD which more than paid for my $240 CAD Mega Sg.
You’ll see a few games that I still have for sale in the images above. My prices have all been in-line with pricecharting.com; adding a bit extra if I had a game manual to go along with the cartridge.
I use to buy BitBox cases because I found it hard to find fordable complete SNES and NES games. But now that I’m reducing and looking for just some core games I’m letting go of some great games in favour of a smaller more complete Nintendo collection.
Below are the top three SNES games I’m hoping to track down complete someday:
I haven’t had it long so I can’t really praise it as 100% perfect yet but at first glance it seems like it could be. I’ve been testing my Mega Sg with Ghouls ‘n Ghosts and Tanglewood. I picked these two games because I’ve spent a lot of time with them very recently on my original Genesis console with my trusty CRT (tube) TV. The hope was that any differences on the Mega Sg connected to my HDTV would be easy for me to spot.
Of course there is a difference. The image quality of these 16-bit games running on the Mega Sg is off the charts. They run crystal clear as if running from emulation on a PC. And I love it! But that’s it. Everything else feels so incredibly authentic to the original hardware.
THQ Nordic Barcelona is asking Gothic fans if they would like a remake of the cult classic video game Gothic.
What is Gothic? It’s the single greatest open world RPG ever. I’m pretty sure Elder Scrolls thinks it’s the champ, but if so, it would be mistaken.
Gothic 1 was released Nov 2001 in North America and along with Gothic II (Nov 2002) and Gothic 3 (Oct 2006) they have stood the test of time and remain my favourite open world video games.
Gothic 2001 Screens Shots
About the THQ Nordic 2019 playable teaser:
“This is not a full game. Its a playable teaser version to a potential approach for a new Gothic game. Nothing is set in stone.
So your feedback is essential to turn Gothic into a modern game. Therefore, and to reward your loyalty, Gothic – Playable Teaser is totally free for all fans who already have any of the titles in the Gothic saga or developed by Piranha Bytes [on the Steam platform]!” -THQ Nordic Barcelona
After hearing this news I immediately downloaded, played and completed the ‘Gothic Playable Teaser‘ and I find myself both excited and nervous.
I will start by thanking THQ Nordic Barcelona for offering the fans the opportunity to comment on the game so early in development giving all of us a chance to express our opinions.
It was an absolutely brilliant idea to release this very early demo. I believe that giving fans time to try it out and constructively criticize could very well save the day.
Gothic Playable Teaser Dec 2019
I’m going to try hard to stick with a few comments about the Gothic Playable Teaser and Gothic that I feel are most important.
1) The introduction to the Gothic Remake Teaser it terrible.
Instantly I felt like THQ Nordic Barcelona is catering to the masses. PLEASE do NOT turn Gothic into an approachable, high adrenaline, pedal to the metal cinematic event.
Please consider restoring the original introduction events. A punch in the face, a quick welcome from Diego and then you’re on your own. No one cares about our Unnamed Hero (who should NOT be nicknamed Rookie).
The incredible story of Gothic works because of it’s mystery and a slow burn to learn and understand what has happened. Don’t spell it out right at the beginning. And don’t treat our Unnamed Hero like he’s something special.
‘I have a scroll that I can chose to deliver and it’s worth something… now go off into the world.’
2) Combat has potential but it’s not good yet. Get rid of ALL the User Interface (UI) for combat. Don’t lock onto an enemy. If I need to change targets I can turn and face the new target. Don’t show arrows and flash things to tell me when to parry. Let the AI animation give me the information I need. Let me see two enemies and be very concerned about the situation.
3) Less is more. Keep all UI out of sight as much as possible. I don’t want to see my life bar or my stamina. I’ll learn my limits as I play. Make the Unnamed Hero pant as he gets close to exhaustion. Have him hobble has he gets close to death. Don’t break the immersion. Or at least keep them very minimal.
Save cinematic scenes for only the most important moments… and keep them few. Don’t break the immersion.
4) The Unnamed Hero in this demo sounds like a modern day Londoner and he talks too much. Less is more. Don’t break the immersion.
5) Keep the old XP and training system. I love getting physically stronger as I level but I also love having to find a trainer to show me how to swing my sword more effectively. It feels real and natural. New armour should remain a huge accomplishment.
6) One difficulty. Gothic.
From what I’ve experienced so far my thoughts on this teaser demo are ‘please do not try to re-imagine Gothic’. But instead just modernize the engine and graphics and maybe (maybe) add a few new quests. Then I will play your Gothic remake and love you for it. And then I’ll be hungry for a Gothic II and Gothic 3 remake.
I know this post is a deviation from the normal 8-bit and 16-bit goodness that I talk about here at Retro Megabit but Gothic is very important to me and I really want this remake to succeed. My excitement and anticipation are through the roof!
Any other Gothic fans out there? I’d love to hear your thoughts even if they differ from my own. Lets have at it! 🙂
–Edit–
Below is an addition comment I left on Steam as the idea of a Gothic remake continues to peculate in my head:
Please do not give the player the option to turn gameplay features on or off.
No combat assist, no ‘perk’ to highlight near by resources, no icons flouting over NPC’s indicating their strength relative to the player.
And above all NO mini map. The unnamed Hero needs to find his own map… a real map that does NOT show his current location on the map. Build a world where the player will learn their way around. A world so well crafted that each road, forest, hill and field are unique enough that the player will learn their surroundings. Instead of staring at a mini map in the top right corner of the screen.
Do NOT say “oh, you can turn these off if you don’t want them”. When I hear that I know right away that the game/world is not good enough on it’s own without these crutches.
The game needs to be hard. Doing small jobs for people in the towns will feel important if going outside of camp is so dangerous.
Gothic needs to be hard. If you insist on making different difficulty settings make them much harder than the default; which will be hard in it’s own right.
If you’re deep into the Retro Video Gaming scene you already know of these big three upcoming Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) games. All of which might see a release date in 2018.
What is particularly exciting about these ‘big three’ games is despite being created by small Indie teams they are all oozing with massive amounts of potential. To the point where (when released) each title might rival the caliber of some of the best games ever put on cartridge for the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Genesis.
In 2018 to even come close to creating software comparable to the quality of games created in the 1990’s for Sega’s 16-bit game console that had the benefit of larger development teams and industry leading corporations at the helm is a tremendous achievement.
Even now, these three games in their unfinished states display seriously impressive talent and expertise of the 16-bit era that has somehow not been lost in time. As a result hardware that is nearing 30 years old is threatening to stay relevant. The mobile telecom world should take note.
To be painfully clear; these video games that I’m talking about will be released on physical cartridges that will plug into your old Sega Mega Drive (and Sega Genesis) home video game console so that you can play them just like you did in the 1990’s.
What are these big three that are currently rocking the very foundation of the Retro Video Gaming Community?
Tanglewood is currently under development by Matt Phillips who is the primary brain behind the project.
“TANGLEWOOD® is a brand new and original game for the SEGA Mega Drive, to be released on physical cartridge in spring 2018.
Set in the realm of Tanglewood, the game follows a young creature, Nymn, separated from the pack after the sun sets. Unable to get back to the safety of the family’s underground home, Nymn must find a way to survive the night terrors and get to morning. TANGLEWOOD’s world is a dangerous one after dark; guiding Nymn you must use your skills of evasion, traps and trickery to defeat predators.TANGLEWOOD is a platforming game with puzzle elements, and can be described as a mix of the Mega Drive titles Another World and The Lion King.” – tanglewoodgame.com
The games creator Matt Phillips was recently interviewed by Chris Foxx from BBC. The video below is an informative piece which offers a unique peek behind the curtain of this very niche project.
Even though Matt has soundly earned the title ‘Lone Wolf’ because of how much of the Tanglewood project rests on his shoulders he is getting some help.
Below is a preliminary (and wonderful) design of the games cover art for Tanglewood. The artwork of Nymn and the beast was created by the very talented artist Luis Martins; also known as XGoldenboyX around the web.
Its details like actual gameplay footage and the connecting and collaboration of great talent that builds a very strong impression that the final product will deliver on what has been promised. Which I believe will culminate in a professionally developed and fun video game suitable for the 1990’s through to 2018 and beyond.
*If you can’t wait for release Tanglewood has a playable demo.
Formed in 2016 Bitmap Bureau is a small development team made up of at least five contributing members to the Xeno Crisis project.
Even though Xeno Crisis will be their first fully realized game for the Sega Mega Drive (and Genesis) they are an experienced team with over 100 completed projects under their collective belts.
“Xeno Crisis is a new game for the Sega Genesis, Dreamcast, Nintendo Switch and Steam. It’s a top-down arena shooter for up to 2 players that is best described as Smash TV meets Aliens! Run and gun your way through thousands of enemies spread over 6 areas as you attempt to discover the cause of the alien menace.” – kickstarter.com
And just like Tanglewood, Xeno Crisis seems to be delivering exactly what we need to keep interest and faith in what’s being advertised. We see talented team members with the right skills showing us tangible gameplay footage of Xeno Crisis. And I tell you this… it looks very good. I really, very badly, want to blast me some Xenomorphs!
That’s so gross… Blast it!
So much of the mystery has been removed making many of us comfortable enough to help fund the development of Xeno Crisis. How many of us? Well to start, the crowd funding for the game drew in 1,289 people raising £72,569 (over $100,000 USD). And with regular progress updates from Bitmap Bureau; I’m very excited.
“All right, people. They ain’t paying us by an hour. Let’s go, head out!”
Below is an informative Interview with Mike Tucker of Bitmap Bureau by st1ka:
“After more than 4 epic years of development, WaterMelon Games is proud to present its new 16-Bit game: PAPRIUM (code-name: “ProjectY”), a postapocalyptic, outrageous, street brawler…
…Year 8A2, somewhere at equidistant point between Shanghai, Tokyo and Pyongyang, a Megapolis rose from ashes of the shortest but most devastating nuclear war in history, its name is PAPRIUM. BRUTAL, MASSIVE. You will fight your way through the city with Tug, Alex and Dice. Redefine the word justice, deal with the BLU drug temptation, and more importantly: STAY ALIVE!” – www.paprium.com
Paprium… where to start? Well, that’s part of the problem. We have to start at the beginning.
Paprium was first known by its code name Project Y when development began in 2012. It’s now 2018 and the game still has not been released. And to add to the typical anxieties derived from waiting a very long time the lead developer Gwenaël Godde (a.k.a. Fonzie) of WaterMelon Games has almost entirely stopped communicating with the Paprium fan base.
To WaterMelon’s credit; when they hit some serious road blocks they did announce them. Once it was reported that their primary development kit was lost by an airline and more recently funds raised for the game had been seized by PayPal. PayPal, we are told, wrongly believed Watermelon had raised too much money for such a small Indie project and fearing some form of fraud froze WaterMelon’s funds. It has also been suggested that too much time has passed between the collection of the money and the completion of the final product that caused the lock-down. But this is all speculation. The end result was a production delay just as manufacturing was about to begin.
Paprium’s previous release date of September 2017 has come and gone; replaced by a new release date of September 2018. The last official update that I’ve found from Watermelon Games is as follows:
In 2010, we released Pier Solar, the world’s best selling retro game which shipped to over 40 countries. On the 28th of March, we announced the release of our new 16-Bit game : PAPRIUM, a post-apocalyptic, outrageous, brawler. (In the same spirit as Double Dragon, Final Fight & Streets of Rage). This brand new AAA Mega Drive / SEGA Genesis game has been developed from the ground up, to be released in September 2017.
BUT THIS WAS THE INITIAL PLAN… Without acknowledging that – as part of the Indi game industry – we were not suppose to earn too much money by our own ! Within minutes, our fans ordered several thousands games and we will never thanks them enough to be so trustful. However, Paypal, while we had over 8 years of successful business with them, decided to lock our funds ! Why ? are you certainly asking. No reasons were given at first and it took months and two meetings to get one. Reason is “illegitimate business”. An independent game company shouldn’t certainly succeed, especially if it’s about an original cartridge game for a 30 years old game system ! It has now been more than five months, that we opened a battle with them in order to prove by any means that everything is legal, clean. Our fans are real addicts to their Mega Drive / SEGA Genesis, but we are not selling drugs. No avail, they make interests on our funds while we struggle.
We decided to continue the production with our own savings… but the amounts required to manufacture such game cartridge, we are talking in millions : the price to pay to get THE perfect cartridge game ! Even if ultimately, we will finally be able to unlock our funds soon but the bad is done ! PAPRIUM will be late and this is all our fans that are extremely disappointed… and we totally understand them.
PAPRIUM will rise for earth that Paypal want it or not !
New release date planned early 2018. A refund-if-pissed policy has been settled and this is a huge lost for WaterMelon Games – money and trust speaking !” – www.paprium.com
This is actually a detailed and meaningful update. But considering that this update is over 5 months old and almost daily from the time of this update Paprium backers and fans have been asking for more news, any sign of life would have gone a long way to help keep the community calm and relaxed during this final stretch.
I personally feel of these big three upcoming releases that Paprium is the most ambitious. And I believe this alone accounts for the very long development time of the game. I’m one of many who have pre-ordered (crowd funded) Paprium very early on in 2012 and I’m still very optimistic and excited for this game. Have a look and you’ll understand why:
Did you notice? What you’ve witnessed is a fully realized commercial and not just gameplay footage. Despite a very slow trickle of communications from WaterMelon Games what we do get is usually very polished and impressive.
Despite many upset and vocal fans of Paprium I for one am still at ease about this very long wait. I do believe WaterMelon Games is honest and hardworking and at some point we will get this game in our hands.
Do you recall the cover art for Tanglewood displayed above? WaterMelon Games is also fortunate enough to have Luis Martins contribute his skill to Paprium as well. Below is the official cover art for Paprium; and it’s brilliant. It’s an example of the all encompassing quality that greatly contributes to the games fit and finish.
If you’re desperately hungry for Paprium information check out the following interview with Luis Martins on St1ka’s Retro Corner.
It’s a long interview that you might not complete in one sitting but it’s full of fine details about Paprium that can’t be found anywhere else.
*St1ka is very active in the Retro Video Gaming realm and his content is very informative and enjoyable. Check him out.
Will any of these games unequivocally hit AAA status on a 16-bit scale? That’s a very subjective thought. What is easier to speculate on is that when these games are complete I personally feel they will be very enjoyable and worthwhile experiences for both gamers and collectors.
Very recently I was fortunate enough to have a nice dialog with Luis Martins about his work with Paprium and Tanglewood.
Q1) How did you get involved with the artwork for Paprium and Tanglewood?
Luis: At the time I was having a blast collecting for the Sega Genesis. When I heard about Pier Solar , I was impressed and excited that some guys were making a new Sega Genesis game. I decided to contact them and expressed my interest in helping out on any of their future project’s in support for the Retro community. After a great chat with Tulio ( WM president at the time ) and Gwenael (Fonzie) I was introduced to a early idea/ concept for a Beat em UP ( Project Y ). The fun thing was that Beat em Up’s are one of my all time favorite genre’s of games. It matched my art style and love for 80’s 90’s anime and cyber punk. So I was given given green light to join the team.
As for Tanglewood, I dint know at the time, but I also contacted Matt to express to him how great of a job he was doing with his Tanglewood game to discover how he also really liked what I was doing with Paprium and my art. So I asked if he was interested in me doing some art for him and he said, sure! ‘What about the games cover art?’ How could I say no to that?
Q2) Where you given any direction or general instructions as to what the covers should look like?
Luis: Not really, for Paprium myself and Fonzie where in charge of the character design’s and game’s visuals, so it was easy for me to suggest what I wanted to do for the game’s cover. Fonzie agreed that we should have all 3 characters on the cover and I then started conceptualizing and ended up proposing the now final piece.
As for Tanglewood, Matt and I worked together in conceptualizing the final version. But it was simple, Matt knew what he wanted to see for his cover.
Q3) Where did your inspiration and ideas come from for each?
Luis: For Parpium I wanted to showcase a close up of our heroes, it was important for me to showcase them. After all they are the focus of our adventure. Tanglewood, I wanted to give the feeling of what the game was like, a bit of mystery and horror. You can tell by the main character hiding away from the monster on the cover and running away from him in the game.
Q4) Personally I feel the work you’ve done is wonderful. But in a perfect world with unlimited time do you feel there is anything you would want to add or maybe have done differently?
Luis: Haha! At the moment no, maybe in a few years I will say how I could have improved this or that. But for now I’m happy with the art.
Q5) Are you still playing retro video games? What’s the retro game that you’ve most recently spent some time playing?
Luis: “Oh my Car!” Ha ha! Yes, I still play tons of Retro gaming. I’m on the PS4 and Switch bandwagon, I also owned almost all of the consoles, but those that I kept and play are the Gameboy, Super Nintendo, Genesis, Dreamcast, PSP, PSX, PS2, PS3, XBOX and Wii U. And tons of arcade games using MAME.
Q6) Are you currently working on any upcoming projects that are looking to become a physical release for a retro home console?
Luis: Yes, I’m working to come up with something in the coming years. In the meantime, Paprium is my focus but helping out other Indy dev’s with art is also something I’m really enjoying right now.
Q7) I know you’ve done some play testing for Paprium. At that time and in the games unfinished state how good of a game do you feel Paprium is going to be?
Luis: As good as the best beat em up’s and especially good the fact that it’s running on a Sega Genesis.
Q8) Do you have any idea of the current state of Paprium? Is the software compete? Are the physical components currently being manufactured? If you just don’t know what’s your best guess?
Luis: From what I was told Fonzie is putting everything together.
Q9) Do you plan on getting yourself a copy of Paprium, Tanglewood and or Xeno Crisis once they release?
Luis: Of course, Paprium I will have more then one copy of the game lol. Tanglewood, I’m hoping Matt will send me a copy of his game, really looking forward to it and Xeno Crisis I supported the Kickstarter so I will get that one as well.
Q10) Does Fonzie of Watermelon Games know that we still love him very much and despite a lot of ranting we are still in his corner? (*Yes, I do realize I have spoken without authority for many people. Please feel free to comment below.)
Luis: Well, I cant comment for other people or on Fonzie. I have spoken openly at times not being happy about the lack of shared information or progress on the game. I always wanted to share more WIP, images, etc, but in the end it’s WaterMelon‘s decision. Obviously Fonzie is in a position where he has experience in putting a game together; software and manufacturing. But that said, people have the right to express what they feel about Fonzie, myself or anything related to WaterMelon especially if you have invested in it. It’s only normal.
Q11) Finally, I’d love to hear what you’re working on right now Luis.
Luis: At the moment I’m helping other Indy developers with art commissions mostly. I’m also helping out @Matteusbeus on Tomb Of Dracula for the Sega Genesis with some art and working on other game ideas, concepts and prototypes. I’m also enjoying doing fan art illustrations on games and anime we like. So more to come this year.
Luis Martins is very heavily active in the Retro Video Gaming Community. Both in working directly on many exciting projects and connecting with gamers online.
Luis, thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions! We’re lucky to have you in the Retro Scene.
Thanks for your patience. It’s been exactly one year since we started taking orders for PAPRIUM (and a couple more years of wait for our hardcore MGF fans), It’s been extremely stressful year for everyone, we bet.
Regarding what’s going on:
We had an issue with the “DATENMEISTER” chip-set manufacturing which resulted in some last minute changes. I’ve worked round-the-clock for the last couple of weeks to find a workaround and been very scarce on updates, my apologies.
In the next (couple) days we have to adjust the game to reflect those changes. Moreover, in the mean time, there will be an additional round of QC and testing.
Rest assured everyone involved has been working hard to solve all the issues and ensure a superior product. Our aim is to deliver the ultimate Mega Drive / SEGA Genesis game, in time for the system 30’th anniversary.
For people who wait has ran out (well understandable) – as usual – we offer a full refund. Please contact the support at bottom of WM’s magical game factory page for details or questions.
Thanks everyone for your comprehension, and my sincere apology for the lack of news.
PS: We are also sending this message through newsletter, it could take several hours for dispatch, thanks for your understanding.
Update 2018/02/22: Luis Martins who on occasion acts as an informal channel of Watermelon Games has given the following update on the current status of Paprium and hints at a release date.
“…I’ve had some news that some work and corrections are being done to the Manual’s english text’s and that allot of interesting things are in it regarding the game. Also full speed ordering all the parts to assemble the games and making sure all is ready is also one of the last news I got from the horses mouth [Gwenaël Godde], including his expressed will to release the game this year.” – Sega-16.com
Before I wrap up, I want to suggest that anyone contemplating purchasing these games (or any pre-development projects) that you should decide if you’re comfortable pre-ordering/crowding funding and waiting an unknown amount of time before you receive anything in return. Or if it’s better for you to wait until the game exists before putting any money on it. It’s a matter of balancing your tolerance vs. your desire for the product.
My stance has always been something like “Wow! I can’t believe people are still making games for the Sega Genesis and Mega Drive!”. I’m all in and I really want to support this trend.
At the moment only Xeno Crisis is available for pre-order. But hopefully Tanglewood and Paprium won’t be far behind. When the time does come here’s where you’ll be able to purchase them:
I’m going to start by confessing that the Sega Dude and eBay have had a falling out. I’m tired of premium prices on both goods and shipping. And I’m actually offended when I see eBay’s ‘customs services’ included via eBay’s Global Shipping Program as if it’s a feature that the buyer will benefit from.
I’ve been using eBay since the early 2000’s (maybe earlier) and on December 2015 I closed my eBay and PayPal account. I believe I’ve suffered from the ‘frog in boiling water‘ syndrome. Maybe someday I’ll go back but so far I’m surviving life without eBay. And my bank account is fatter for it.
What’s the alternative for retro video gaming? For me I’ve found that forums are really good places for buying and trading retro games. If you decide to check out forums do yourself a favor and do not treat them as stores. Treat them as communities and participate in discussions and see what others are up to. You’re going to have to be known to established members before you’ll really be able to benefit from their markets. The markets are for invested community members and not Joe off the street.
I really do enjoy buying games directly from other gamers just like myself and cutting out the middle man. Doing so has really helped reduce the cost of many of the games I’ve been buying. Of course there is no denying that eBay is convenient and the single most likely place to find that special retro game that you’ve been looking for. So maybe it would be rash to run out and cancel your own account but there is no harm in expanding your shopping horizons and peeling back the curtain a little bit more to see what else this Internet of ours has to offer.
If you’re curious here are a few excellent retro gaming related forums to check out:
Occasionally I’ll find good deals at local retro video game stores and buy a few games or do some trading. These are very fun places to visit. But better still are retro video gaming conventions. Thanks to Nintendo Joe I’ve found out about many of these events both close to home and in neighboring cities. We both really enjoy going to these gatherings and we always seem to come home with a few good finds.
Before I even completed this post I have already re-signed up for a new PayPal account. I’ve learned that PayPal is pretty much required for purchasing games from individual gamers on the forums scene. People know how to use PayPal and trust in the protection it offers. So, I managed to go about 2.5 months without PayPal and I now see it as a requirement for the hobby. I still do not have an eBay account and I’ll tell you about the things I miss. eBay was very convenient and affordable for a bunch of miscellaneous things. I’m currently looking for good alternate places to buy clear plastic case protectors for Sega Genesis games,cap kits and game manuals (and other misc items). And for these reasons I may someday return to eBay but it’s my hope that I’ll manage just fine without it. Of course it would be better if value returned to eBay but it has been lost now for many years now and I’m not too optimistic. This is my opinion and I do believe it’s shared among many other people. If you use and enjoy eBay I’m happy to hear it. Maybe you can give me some pointers? 🙂 For me the final price of the things I’ve been buying after all is said and done has consistently just been too high for my liking. I’ve been spoiled for many years buying games for great prices and maybe that’s all there is to this. But I do believe this venting has been very therapeutic, so thank you for listening!
What are your favorite types of places to hunt for Retro Video Games?
Update: Since this post I managed to go about six months before signing up for a new ebay account. Why? The short answer is sometimes you will find good prices on ebay and sometimes the convenience is worth the premium. *For the specifics of my return the see very bottom of this post. Update: As of Dec. 2016 I have closed my ebay account again. I just don’t feel like I’m getting good value there. Let’s see how long it lasts this time 🙂 Update: As of Jan 2019 I am still without an ebay account. It’s been a little over two years and I feel better for it. With massively inflated prices, hidden/bogus fees and misrepresented reproductions/bootlegs it’s hard to find value in ebay. I have no desire to go back.
I love reminders that there are still many people out there who love classic video games. What’s happening over at Cook & Becker right now is an excellent example of this.
“Cook & Becker asked some of the hottest artists working in entertainment and video games today to draw and create a print of their favorite classic SEGA games. The idea was to create a series of beautiful prints under direction of SEGA that would capture the heart of these classic brands, their aesthetic and what they meant for people playing them and growing up with them.” – www.candb.com
The fact that a company like Cook & Becker are selling video game related artwork/prints shows that many of our old favorite games are not forgotten. And that new material is still very desirable by many of us.
Golden Axe by Gerald Parel
Golden Axe by Gerald Parel
Golden Axe and Shinobi are my personal favorites of these first five offering from Cook & Becker. For prints they are very expensive at $115 USD each. However they are quite large (36 x 24 inch) and exceptionally well crafted. I don’t yet know if I would buy them for myself. It’s hard to redirect money that could otherwise become actually retro video games but I am very tempted. And I do want to give credit to Cook & Becker for posting relatively large (1029×1600) versions online that will allow everyone to enjoy them. Thank you Cook & Becker!
Phantasy Star by Kilian Eng
Jet Set Radio by Roman van der Haven
I’m looking forward to summer 2015 when Cook & Becker promises more art from new artist to add to this first excellent wave.
Streets of Rage by Julien Renoult
And if you just can’t wait for the perfect piece to show up for your all time favorite game; don’t you worry! The Internet is a wonderful place. A little while ago I discovered poster called ‘Classic Women of Gaming’ featuring every strong female characters in gaming up until 1995.
Classic Women of Gaming by Ashley Riot
You can read more about the artist and this beautiful piece at kotaku.com. This is how I found Ashley and she has already drawn Alis from Phantasy Star for me. I feel that her drawing brings my little blog to life with Alis being ever vigilant as an amazing backdrop 🙂
Retro Megabit 