For a while I thought it must be too late to get into the Sega CD. I believed most worthwhile games were likely rare and expensive by now. Of course, like all retro consoles every system has some genuinely rare games but over the past few months I’ve learned that Sega CD games are not as uncommon as I thought.
At last months Game X 2.0 Game Swap I managed trade for three somewhat pricier games and I purchased another four with very friendly price tags.
I traded eighteen complete Gameboy Advance games (Click for List) for the first three Sega CD games pictured below, (Flink, Heart of the Alien and BC Racers) plus $50 CAD (~$38 USD).
*This has been my third time working out a trade with Peter from P Market Games.
After this trade my GBA collection is now whittled down my bare essentials and I’ll be keeping what’s left. I’ll post my GBA collection another time.
The remaining four games I found from a guy at the Swap who was down sizing his personal collection and was kind enough to pass along some really nice deals. The total came to $77 CAD (~$60 USD) for all four:
I paid an extra $4 because he let me swap a cracked case for a nicer one; which was generous of him.
Unfortunately it’s very common to find broken Sega CD cases.
It felt awesome coming home with seven Sega CD games to add to the collection. I was excepting just two as I had semi-arranged the GBA trade ahead of time.
I was also selling at this game swap thanks to a friend who shared his table with me. I actually sold more than I bought and I ended up being in the black; which was a crazy twist that I was not expecting.
The highlights of these new additions are Heart of the Alien, Flink and Ecco the Dolphin.
What I didn’t realize until the sellers pointed it out to me was that two of these Sega CD games were factory sealed; Ecco the Dolphin and BC Racers.
I can’t be certain that it’s true and they’re not just re-shrink wrapped but just in case I decided to record the unwrapping. If these were actually factory sealed games it would be cool to capture how they were originally packaged and what they originally came with.
Edit: More recently I picked up a factory sealed Road Rash for the Sega CD. Found it for $50 CAD (~$38 USD) from my local classifieds. I’ve added it to the ‘breaking the seal’ video below.
Did you notice that after unwrapping Ecco the Dolphin that there was no foam brick in the case? To me, that’s a possible indicator that maybe this game might not have been factory sealed. Although, I have heard that not all Sega CD games came with a foam brick.
I posed this question at sega-16.com and I got some mixed replies. It will be very hard to make a determination unless we start seeing more ‘Breaking the Seal’ videos for Sega CD games. The good news is that it doesn’t really matter. It’s just something fun to explore.
You know what else is fun? Having a kick-ass Sega CD collection. Sure, I don’t have the Holly Grail’s like Keio Flying Squadron or Space Adventure but I do have a good bunch of worth while games.
I’ve been able to steer clear of Full Motion Video (FMV) games because they don’t really appeal to me. In fact, the same seller who sold me the bundle of four games had a complete set of Sega CD 32X games for sale at a super friendly price. I was very temped but I passed them up. I don’t want to end up chasing a full set.
Instead I’ve made a list of the games I’d like to find some day. The ones marked with * being the eight I’m most interested in.
01) Dungeon Explorer*
02) Earthworm Jim* 03) Flashback*
04) Hook
05) Keio Flying Squadron* 06) Lords of Thunder* 07) Mickey Mania 08) Mortal Kombat 09) Prince of Persia 10) Road Blaster / Road Avenger* 11) Road Rash 12) Shinning Force CD*
13) Space Adventure* 14) Time Gal*
*As of the end of 2019 the above crossed out games have now been added to my collection.
Yes, I know I said I want to stay away from FMV games and there are some in my wish list. But in my eyes many of the animated FMV games really seem to translate into better games than the ones with live actors. I feel games like Road Avenger and Time Gal belong along side titles like Dragon Slayer and Space Ace and should be sub-classified as either FMV-Animated or FMV-LiveAction.
Did you know that about four years ago I passed up a complete Keio Flying Squadron for $200 CAD (~$152 USD)?
Has Keio gone up in price? I can’t look. You look for me; pricecharting.com.
Argh… I’m sure we all have a story like that.
Any Sega CD gamers out there? What are some of your favorite Sega CD Games?
Just last week on my local classifieds (kijiji.ca) I found a single listing for three complete Sega Genesis games in a lot for $60 CAD (~$46 USD). I was a fun surprise to see that I didn’t have any of these games.
I was most interested in the Lion King as it’s one of the games that influenced Matt Phillips of Big Evil Corporation in his creation of the newly developed Sega Genesis and Sega Mega Drive game Tanglewood.
I’m actually pretty surprised that the Lion King didn’t find it’s way into my collection a lot sooner. It’s one of several very popular Disney games for the Sega Genesis.
I tried it out and got to just level two where I’m learning there is going to be some serious trial and error here to get through the stage. Both the graphics and music are outstanding and this is a great addition to the collection.
I always thought that Pitfall had some pretty nice graphics and it will be fun to try out at some point. Although it is low on the backlog list.
Pac-Man 2 looks surprising interesting but I can’t help but feel this game should have had it’s own IP instead of using the Pac-Man brand name.
None of these three games are in perfect condition but for cardboard box versions they are pretty good and at $20 each it was an easy pick-up.
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:
On June 2017 I purchased a nice boxed Sega Master System on my local classifieds (Kijiji.ca) for $100 CAD (~$80 USD). It was almost complete with just two manuals and the console power adapter missing.
It didn’t take long to find the missing manuals but I was concerned that finding an original Master System power adapter could be much harder. But while searching my local online classifieds again more recently I got lucky.
Not crazy lucky, just normal lucky. I found a post that said something like ‘Misc Sega Cables’. I had a closer look and I saw that this seller was offering 1 Sega Genesis Model 1 power adapter, 1 Sega Master System power adapter, 1 3-button joystick and 1 expansion port cover for a Model 1 Sega Genesis. Asking $45 CAD (~$37 USD) for all.
What struck me as pretty amazing is that I had use for every item included. I have a Master System without a power cable and a Genesis which is missing it’s power cable and the expansion port cover. …OK, I don’t really need the joystick but you can never have too many joysticks on hand.
I clicked on the sellers location with the intention of heading over as soon as I could only to discover the seller was in a neighboring province and not at all close to my home city. Looks like my search was too broad!
But this little misc. bundle felt too well matched to my needs to just let go. So I messaged the seller asking if they would take $50 CAD (~$40 USD) and ship to me. They agreed and below is what I received:
Yeah, they look a little banged up but that is normal. I spent some time removing some thick tape residue and dirt and I was left with some pretty nice looking hardware.
The joystick still has some missing details; like some of the white arrows around the Directional-Pad have been rubbed away and there are scratches that don’t show in the photo. I did test the joystick and it works very well and that’s what matters most. I was pulling of Revenge of Shinobi double jumps like a champ! I am curious to try some plastic polish and see if that might be an easy way to really clean up old joysticks and consoles.
Of course I also tested the power adapters and they both work. It was gratifying putting that power cable into the box and making my 2nd Boxed Master System 100% complete!
OK, technically it’s not totally complete. I had a peek in the manual and Sega did not skimp on video connection accessories. Hidden from site under HangOn & Safari Hunt (Pictured below) I do have the very common Coaxial RF Audio/Video cable but originally Sega also included a Composite Audio / Video cable, and two small adapters to help connect your Master System to your TV’s UHF connectors. Composite is not a great video standard to use but it’s beats the RF and UHF so I should find a Composite cable for the box someday. But as is, this boxed Sega Master System has everything required to connect to to a CRT (Tube) TV and play. So of the $50 CAD spent I’m going to say each power brick is worth $20, the joystick $10 and the expansion port cover nothing. Which means I’ve put $120 CAD (~$97 USD) into this boxed Sega Master System. Check out my first post about this boxed SMS here for more details and pictures.
I totally love that this Sega Master System power cable found it’s way home; once again nestled gently in original Styrofoam packaging.
Next up, I went over to my friends house to buy a few games and to continue to chip away at the few remaining NES and SNES games that I would like to have. This buddy of mine regularly buys large lots of games, takes what he wants and sells the rest. And over the years I’ve picked up quite a few games from him.
First up, is Mega Man 6 for NES. Leaving only Mega Man 1 and 5 on my hit list. I have been told that 1 & 5 are typically the most expensive Mega Man games.
The only other game I scooped this time is TMNT Turtles IV Turtles in Time. I love a good brawler and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are always a good time.
Both Mega Man 6 and Turtles in Time cost me a total of $145 CAD (~$118 USD).
Be sure to check out MyNintendoDimension for Nintendo Joe’s pick-ups. As usual he was with me on today’s adventure.
Does anyone out there have any boxed retro video game consoles? At what price do you feel they’re worth while?
At a very slow but steady drip our beloved Sega Genesis and Mega Drive game library is still growing. And this latest addition looks like it could be something special.
Xeno Crisis by Bitmap Bureau is a current Kickstarter campaign which was fully funded within it’s first 40 hours. But don’t you worry there is still plenty of time to get in on the action yourself.
Head on over to Kickstarter right now for all the details. If you want to stick around I’ll share some of the highlights right here.
The screen shot below speaks for itself. This does not look like any Homebrew game. It looks amazing. Before I knew for certain that Xeno Crisis was being built specifically for the Sega Genesis and Sega Mega Drive I thought the graphics looked too good and this must be destine for PC or modern console as another retro inspired video game.
It certainly is retro inspire but it is also for certain going be on cartridge for play on your Sega Mega Drive and Sega Genesis video game console. And if that is not enough it’s getting a port for the Sega Dreamcast as well.
“Xeno Crisis is a new, original title for the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis which will be released both as a physical cartridge and also as a downloadable ROM. At its core, it’s an arena shooter that takes inspiration from the likes of Smash TV, Contra, Mercs, Granada, Alien Syndrome, Zombies Ate My Neighbours, Chaos Engine, and Shock Troopers.”
In addition to the inevitable running and gunning (with optional two-play co-op) this game is going to throw our way it has a lot more going on. Spending ‘dog tags’ collected from the guts of fallen Xenomorphs will allow you to upgrade your Marine. This includes increasing your Marine’s base stats and extending the carrying capacity of a variety of different items.
“The player has several weapons at their disposal, but ammo is limited so the player must constantly be on the move, grabbing new weapons and extra ammo as they go. When a room has been cleared of all hostiles the player can choose which exit to take, with the aim being to rescue any of the colony’s inhabitants who might still be alive, and then progress to the area’s boss. There are 5 areas in total, each with their own enemies, hazards, secrets and gameplay nuances.”
And what weapons are at your disposal? A grand total of 9 unique guns in addition to grenades. I feel this will add a lot of variety and fun to the game.
I am hoping for a bit more variety in Xenomorphs. Currently there are four different types. But the game is still in it’s early stages and maybe we’ll see more as development continues.
Have you been noticing how fantastic the graphics are in Xeno Crisis? Yeah, I have too. And there’s a good reason for it. Exceptionally great talent is at work here.
Exceptionally great talent continued…
Of course sound is also very important and it is also getting the same treatment.
“The focus of Xeno Crisis’ gameplay is the intense combat which pits you against thousands of alien enemies – the player takes control of a battle-hardened marine who is able to move and shoot in 8 directions, and can also perform an evasive roll to get out of tricky situations. If things get really desperate then the marine can also use a grenade to destroy anything near him, giving him a brief moment of respite.”
If all this hasn’t won you over then I have no idea how you landed on my corner of the Internet and got this deep into my post.
Come on in for the big win! Head over to Xeno Crisis on Kickstarter and pledge for your own copy while there’s still time.
A few weeks before this years Guelph Video Game Swap Nintendo Joe and I went to visit one of our favorite retro video games stores; Retro Game Bros. Nintendo Joe has decided to purge many of his old video games and he brought a lot of stuff to trade. Click here for all his ‘Retro Game Bros.’ and ‘Guelph Video Game Swap’ trade details which include some pretty exciting NES scores.
As for myself I brought in just a few games for trade. Three or four common Sony PS Vita games plus Herzog Zwei and Thunder Force II (both complete) for the Sega Genesis. I traded them all for Galahad for the Sega Genesis and Bloody Wolf for the Turbo Grafx-16.
The price tag on Galahad was about $60 CAD (~$48 USD); which is higher but close to recently sold listings on ebay. Bloody Wolf’s $60 price tag was also similar to it’s recently sold listings on ebay. So the prices I paid weren’t great. But undoubtedly those ebay listing would have come with additional ‘Global Shipping Services’ fees driving the ebay cost higher than what I paid. And with Retro Game Bros I was trading in games and not handing over cash which really does feel better when you’ve got stuff to unload. Also, being a brick and mortal shop Nintendo Joe and I got to chat up some equally potent retro dudes; which is a fun bonus. In fact we kept the Retro Game Bros late; well past the regular closing time for the store. I’m sure they wanted nothing more than to go home but Nintendo Joe and I would have none of it. It was a wonderful evening.
The Guelph Video Game Swap was very small but it didn’t matter because we knew Flavio would be there. Who’s Flavio? He’s a friend who regularly buys large lots of games for his own collection and then sells the doubles at game swaps. It’s common for Nintendo Joe and I to have Flavio put games aside for us that we later collect at these swaps.
Both Ecco the Dolphin and Ace of Aces cost me $25 CAD (~20 USD) each. I’m really happy with these prices especially considering the like new condition.
Daffy Duck in Hollywood is harder to come by and it cost me $60 CAD (~$48 USD) while James Bond 007 the Duel cost $25 CAD (~$20 USD).
Again the condition of these games is really good. Part of the reason for this is that Flavio will always let me swap cases, manuals, cover art and carts for better ones. He’s really a driving force in keeping my Master System collection pristine!
Flavio also sold me Adventure Island II (NES) for $25 CAD (~$20 USD). Both James Bond and Adventure Island II I bought from him well before this swap. I just didn’t get to blogging about them until now.
The next two games from the Guelph Game Swap didn’t come from Flavio. For a long time I’ve seen Jurassic Park Rampage Edition list for a lot of money ($50+) and I never understood why. So for a long time I have been passing it up. Then at this game swap I got a nice complete copy for $20 CAD (~16 USD). And after checking sold listings on ebay it feels like $20 is the new going rate for this game. Personally, $20 for a complete good condition Genesis or Master System game is a real sweet spot for me. It’s hard to pass up a game with such a friendly price.
I know Casino Games is not very exciting but when it comes to Sega Master System games; if I don’t have I want it. For $20 (my sweet spot price point!) and in amazing condition I was happy for this addition. I’m pretty sure the seller was also happy to unload it.
This last game was a surprise find at a local store called Game Center from earlier this fall. It wasn’t cheap at $45 (all-in) (~$36 USD) but cheaper than current ebay sold listings. And this also completes my TMNT trilogy on the NES.
Recently Flavio commented that I must be getting close to a full Sega Master System library. Over all these years of collecting I’ve never paid any attention. Now, after working on a list for Flavio of the remaining games that I don’t have I know that I’m 54 Master System games shy of having every title for the system. Although this is not a pure set. My collection is mixed with US and Euro versions. Canada typically received European releases because Canada requires both English and French on product packaging. And it was easy enough to end up with US releases simply because of Canada’s proximity to the USA. This mix doesn’t bother me. I’m just after the games. A bunch of these will be easy to get and others will not. I’m curious how close I will get and how long it will take.
Here’s what’s left on my Sega Master System Wish List:
Adams Family
Andre Agassi Tennis
Arcade Smash Hits
Assault City (Both Versions)
Astro Warrior/Pit Pot
Asterix Great Rescue
Ayrton Senna GP
Bank Panic (card) *I have the cartridge version
Bart vs. the World
Buggy Run
Championship Hockey
Chase HQ
Cheese Catastrophe
Chuck Rock 2
Cosmic Spacehead
Dr Robotnic Mean Bean Machine
F16 (cart) *I have the card version
Fantastic Dizzy
George Foreman KO Boxing
Great Soccer (card) *I have the cartridge version
Home Alone
Impossible Mission
Incredible Hulk
Krusty’s Fun House
Line of Fire
Master Games
Masters of Combat
Micro Machines
Mortal Kombat 2
Ms Pacman
My Hero (cart) *I have the card version
Olympic Gold
Ottifants
PGA Golf Tour
Power Strike 2
Putt Putter
Robocop 3
Sega Chess
Sega World Tournament Golf
Sensible Soccer
Smurf’s, The
Smurf’s Travel the World, The
Sonic Spinball
Speedball 2
Star Wars
Streets of Rage 2
Summer Games
Super Off Road
Super Tennis (cart) *I have the card version
Superman Man of Steel
T2: Arcade Game
T2: Judgement Day
Tecmo World Soccer 93
Ultimate Soccer
Winter Olympics
World Cup Italia 90 World Games
WWF Steel Cage Challenge
I have my work cut out for me! And I’m guessing it will take me a few years to get there.
Retro Megabit 