The video game ‘Water Margin a Tale of Clouds and Wind’ was originally an unlicensed game for the Sega Mega Drive released in 1996, exclusively in Asian regions.
Piko Interactive has recently translated the game into English and is currently selling Water Margin for $55 USD plus shipping. That’s complete with cartridge, case and manual. You even have the option of cart only for $40 but don’t do that 😛
I have already ordered a copy for myself and hopefully the the quality will rival the caliber of a Super Fighter Team or Water Melon release.
I first discovered Water Margin by it’s original name ‘Shui Hu Feng Yun Zhuan’ about two years ago when I bought a loose cart for $15 USD. At the time I had no idea what to expect from the game and when I started playing I was really surprised by how good it is. The gameplay feels very much like Golden Axe except the theme is set in feudal China. There are even three selectable characters and it’s also a two player game. The combat and magic system are a bit more simplistic than something more polished like Golden Axe (or other licensed Sega Beat’em Ups) but the game is worth playing. And despite feeling a bit repetitive it’s a good length and it will provide a good challenge.
Below is my first time playing through level one.
If you enjoy the Beat’em-Up genre I really do recommend this game. Complete with awesome amateurish artwork that really fits the era of gaming it came from 🙂 I could not ask for more!
Cover Art for the new 2015 release of Water Margin a Tale of Clouds and Wind.
If I had a top 10 list of favorite games for the Sega Master System Phantasy Star would be #1. And despite the English version still being the amazing game that it is I know for a fact that it’s not everything that the Japanese version is.
After discovering a fan translated version of Phantasy Star by SMS Power I knew right away I wanted a dedicated cartridge of this creation for my Sega Master System.
What exactly is the SMS Power Phantasy Star?
It’s still Phantasy Star that you know and love for the Sega Master System. The graphics and engine are identical. But many names/labels have been lengthened now that character limit restrictions have been removed and some names have been changed to their original version or renamed to something that fits better into the Algo Universe. But when it comes right down to it this SMS Power re-imaging of Phantasy Star offers two primary changes that I could not resist.
1) FM (Frequency Modulation) Sound hardware was only installed in Japanese Sega Master System consoles and as a result the English Phantasy Star had it’s FM software code removed from the cartridge. So even if you have a modified Sega Master System console capable of playing FM sound there was still no English version of Phantasy that supported FM. ** The PowerBase Mini FM is also a great way to get FM Sound without modding. **
2) There is nothing wrong with the original English version of Phantasy Star. It is awesome as it is. What SMS Power have done to breath a bit of new life into the game is fill out the story and dialog. With the SMS Power re-imagining of Phantasy Star we get what I personally feel is a fuller richer telling of the story. By expanding on what we already know this SMS Power version makes the characters and NPC’s feel more alive and engaged with each other.
** Before you read any further know that purchasing a Flash Cart for your Sega Master System or Sega Genesis (or using Emulation) will make all the crazy work below entirely unrequired. Search http://www.aliexpress.com for inexpensive Flash Carts or http://www.stoneagegamer.com if you’re willing to spend more. **
The first thing I did was to admit to myself that I had no idea how to replace the original Phantasy Star software on an original Sega Master System cartridge with this SMS Power version. So I went to the experts and asked for some help. Below is a link to a thread I started at smspower.org about this little project:
The people over at the smspower.org forums are excellent. They knew I didn’t have a clue and they kept on helping and in the end I got my little victory 🙂 Thank you!!
SMS Power Phantasy Star
SMS Power Phantasy Star Installed
Above is the finished project. The IC (integrated Circuit) with the silver label with ‘PS’ written on it is an EPROM with the SMS Power Phantasy Star written to it. The IC just to the right is the original Phantasy Star ROM that I had to remove. I will keep it and cherish it always.
Close-Up Front
Close-Up Back
Above is a close-up of my work. It doesn’t look like much but it was a long road getting here. I had to learn a lot of new tricks to get this done. And anyone who solders I’m sure will agree that the job I did is pretty messy. I believe both my Soldering Iron and Solder were too large for the job. Next time I think I can do better.
UV EPROM Eraser
MiniPro IC Programmer
Preparing the EPROM is where I had a lot of trouble. The two tools I needed to purchase were an EPROM Ultra Violet Eraser and an IC programer. I also bought two IC’s (chips) to write the SMS Power Phantasy Star ROM to (I wanted a backup in case I broke one). Both of these ICs could not be read by my MiniPro IC Programmer (and some others I had could be read). I suspect that there is something wrong with my MiniPro IC Programmer but there are so many variables for a novice like myself that I just can’t be sure where I was going wrong:
Are the EPROMs I purcahsed OK?
Did I erase the EPROMs correctly?
Was I using the the programmer correctly?
The solution I came up with was to have someone else write the software (the game) to the ERPOM for me. I found Fox1 over at the neo-geo.com forums who for a very small fee burned the SMS Power Phantasy Star onto an appropriate EPROM for me.
When I received the EPROM I soldered it into the Phantasy Star circuit board and it worked and played perfectly in my Sega Master System.
Even though I took the long way around I am really happy to have the SMS Power Phantasy Star on a dedicated Cartridge. It’s a quality fan project that was entirely worth the effort!
Below is a recording of the first 1 hour 29 minutes of me playing my new Phantasy Star on actual hardware. I loved every minute and I’m still going strong 🙂
You can jump around the video to see some of the new dialog and hear the music and sound effects in FM. The longer I played more I started to prefer the FM music over the default PSG music.
You will hear Phantasy Star in full FM sound because previously I installed the FM Sound Board into my Sega Master System.
I really enjoy writing this blog. Despite being very inconsistent about when I post or what I write about it’s a great extension to playing and collecting these retro video games that I’m so obsessed with.
What I didn’t expect was how much more fun it is finding people who (for reason’s unknown! 😛 ) want to see what I’m up to next. Most of you are very quiet but I know you’re there. And that feels good. Thank you.
Very recently I hit 100 followers…
I actually don’t like the term ‘followers’. To me it implies a distinction or elevation of one over the other; which is not the case here. To me this blog is more akin to meeting a friend of a friend. A social and level playing field. I don’t know a better term other than ‘Retro Comrades’. Which is what I’ve labeled the widget to the right that lists many of you.
In this massive Interweb of ours 100 is not considered very significant. But today it is… at least for me. So, for fun, I’d like to give away a copy of Ashley Riot’s Classic Women of Gaming.
First I’m going to qualify 100. For starters I’m not following my own blog! And yes, I have signed up a few close friends without their consent but it has been many years and they have not removed themselves. So I’m declaring that this tiny milestone is straight up legit!
Even if a few of you drop out I’ll still move forward with this as 100 has in fact happened, even if it doesn’t last.
The rules? Just write a comment on this post about how you would enjoy this print by Ashley or what you might do with it (put it in your game room or give it to a friend). Or write a comment about this blog… or whatever. A lot of effort or just a little will all count the same.
I’ll draw a name from everyone who comments and mail the winner a print of Classic Women of Gaming. It’s approximately two feet long and I personally feel that it really rocks.
Comment before Wednesday May 27th 11:59 pm in order to be entered in the draw.
And if you miss out but still really want a print you can contact the artist directly from where I found her at http://jocelynada.deviantart.com.
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 🙂
Even though this is not a retro video game it’s hard not to get excited by it.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is being called the spiritual successor to Castlevania.
What more needs to be said?
Visit Koji Igarashi’s Bloodstained Kickstarter campaign and have a look. You’ll notice that pledges have blown the roof off the pledge goals. Like 20k+ others I have signed up for this next chapter 🙂
I am very much looking forward to my March 2017 Physical PS4 copy.
For many years I’ve avoided reproductions. The only reason being is that I would really prefer the original. But as time passes some games get hard or impossible to afford. Tetris for the Japanese Mega Drive is a great example of this. It’s rare because Sega had to destroy the copies they produced when they discovered that they didn’t have a valid license to produce Tetris on a home console. It is rumored around the Internet that a few of these copies survived (1o? 20?) and got out into the wild. The only time I have ever seen one for sale was on ebay with a a BIN (Buy it Now) price of $1,000,000.00 USD. That’s beyond ridiculous. So for a long time I thought I’d have to make due with the “original bootleg” copy that was released when the Genesis was current.
But thanks to Serega I’ve gotten my hands on a reproduction that is near perfect.
While browsing to see what else Serega had to offer I quickly realized another giant benefit of reproductions. English translations.
There are many excellent Mega Drive games that never left Japan and where exclusively in Japanese. Now, some of these games have been translated by very talented fans. My thanks to all of you involved!
In addition to Tetris I also purchased Monster World IV. Even thought it feels like the amount of language used in Monster World IV is minimal there’s still enough to get you stuck if you can’t read it. Even in English I got stuck a few times!
Below are my new copies of Monster World IV and Tetris. The quality of these reproductions is outstanding.
Monster World IV in English:
Reproduction of Sega’s short lived Tetris:
They were not cheap with Monster World IV costing $70 USD and Tetris $60 USD. But because they are complete with Game, Case and Manual I decided to go for it. Honestly I believe I have an idea of the work involved in producing these and I cannot imagine someone doing this for much less.
As for the build quality? It’s excellent. I believe everything must have been cut by machine. The cover art sleeve, cartridge label and manual are perfect with straight sharp clean edges. When comparing the materials used for these reproductions to originals it is very hard to find differences. There are some subtleties but nothing worth fussing over.
The Original Monster World IV and the Genesis Reproduction:
Both looking very different in design but both are very well done:
Above is the official Japanese Monster World IV next to the reproduction. The Reproduction is meant to look like how it might have as a Genesis release. Both are very different but I would say equal in quality and professional design.
The original bootleg and the new:
The original is good the repro is awesome:
And above is the original Tetris bootleg next to the reproduction. Sure, technically a reproduction is the same as a bootleg but I have no issue with it. I don’t mind if you’re of a different opinion and I’d be happy to hear your thoughts on the topic.
Have I played them yet? I sure have!
First up is Monster World IV. Wow, what a great game. Of all the Wonder Boy games in the series that this game belongs to Monster World IV is most similar to Wonder Boy in Monster World. The graphics and gameplay are amazing.
Below is a video of my second time playing Monster World IV. The first time I got stuck early on when I could not find some quest item that was required to get me into the very first dungeon. I didn’t want to post a video of me failing what is pretty much the introduction of the game…
So…. This is my first ‘official’ hour with the game. You’ll find no mastery here 🙂 Just me learning where to go and how to fight. Don’t watch the whole thing. That would be cruel. But if you feel like jumping to the very end you’ll see me trying to use a lava geyser as platform to jump to the next area. I don’t know what I was thinking… I’m still not sure how to get to that next platform! I’m guessing a skillful double jump is required.
Next up is Tetris. If you know the game there will be no surprises here. It’s a classic game that will always be fun and the Mega Drive version is a good one. While playing I was happy to notice that I’m still as good now I was 20 years ago! It would appear that age has not yet hindered my video gaming prowess :D. *Please forget the part above about me failing the introduction of Monster World IV.
My final thoughts on these reproduction by Serega is that even though I don’t have a reproduction that I can compare to an identical original I do believe that with careful inspection someone would be able to tell the original apart from the reproduction. That being said I’m also going to say that I think Serega has done a fantastic job and if you want a beautiful copy of a ridiculously expensive original or play a game that was never before in English this is your answer.
Retro Megabit 