And I can’t say for certain if it’s simply because they’re what I grew up with or if this era of games did something so right that they transcend the hardware they were made for.
I’m sure for me personally the answer is a mix of both.
At the same time it’s still easy enough to see that the classic platformer formula still really works. To the point where terms like ‘retro inspired’ and ‘pixel artwork’ have become common hooks in the modern gaming scene.
Old timers, next gen gamers and Indie developers have wholeheartedly embraced this retro gaming trend and it feels like it’s here to stay.
What still continues to surprise (and delight) this retro gamer is the desire of talented and capable developers who put the primary focus of their vision on original 16-bit hardware.
“TANGLEWOOD® is a brand new and original game for the SEGA Mega Drive and Genesis…”
“A true 16-bit, nostalgic platforming experience running on genuine SEGA hardware, that will make fans of SEGA’s golden era feel warm and fuzzy.”
“Set in a fictional world, the game follows a young creature, Nymn, who is separated from the family pack after the sun sets. Unable to get back to the safety of the 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, and Nymn must use skills of evasion, special abilities, traps and trickery to defeat predators.” – TangelwoodGame.com
Before I get into some finer details of the game (without spoilers) I’m going to try and find the words to express how much fun I’m having playing Tanglewood.
You play the game as a ‘fox like’ creature named Nymn who is very endearing. Nymn doesn’t have dialog and the plot is simply help Nymn survive the night and find home. Yet despite this simplicity I found myself getting attached. The more I struggled solving puzzles and after each narrow escape from the jaws of some beast the more Nymn mattered to me.
Nymn is without question the underdog when night falls. And both the mood and story telling of Tanglewood are perfection.
It’s not often that I feel such a strong emotional connection when playing any video game. And I was genuinely amazed at myself when I started to realize how invested I felt in Tanglewood.
For example, I really like Sonic the Hedgehog. There is a lot of fun to be had in the classic Sonic games. But I can slam that Hedgehog into a pit of spikes all day long and not feel the slightest emotional response except a mild annoyance that I’m going to have to do that part again.
But in Tanglewood… my heart would scream ‘Nymn must not be harmed!’.
Of course I managed to bring Nymn to an unfathomable number of savage deaths. But each time death found us I was in fact trying very hard to save poor Nymn. I found that I really, very badly, wanted to safely guide Nymn home.
Tangelwood is always engaging and you’ll always be eager to find out whats next.
Although, I promise, you’ll not be able to anticipate where this adventure is going to take you.
The drive to carry on is fueled by a game that offers both a level password save feature and checkpoints through out each Act. While Tanglewood can be challenging and difficult it is not punishing. Unlike many platformer games from Sega’s 16-bit catalog, when you return to Tanglewood for another session you’ll be picking up where you left off instead of starting right from the beginning. Which is a refreshing change and helps keeps the wonderful story center stage.
The creator, Matt Phillips, found his inspiration for Tanglewood from games like Limbo, Oddworld: Abe’s Oddyssey, Flashback and the Lion King. If you’re familiar with these games then you’ll have some idea of what to expect from Tanglewood.
But make no mistake Tanglewood has it’s own direction and a very strong identity.
An intuitive understanding of the games mechanics will guide the player while Tanglewood’s mysterious lore will slowly unfold as the player progresses.
Despite his appearance Nymn is not actually a fox, but ‘fox like’ and where this adventure takes place is not on Earth but someplace ‘Earth like’. Tanglewood is set on a world with two suns and two moons. Factions are distinguished between the day dwellers and night dwellers. While an extinct race wiped out by it’s own enslaved Djakk beasts have left behind many shacks, tree houses and contraptions that were once powered by small round creatures called Fuzzl’s. Fuzzl’s posses a varied array of powers which can be bestowed onto Nymn. Which in turn help Nymn navigate the games many puzzles and often aid in escaping the creatures of the night.
The core mechanics of Tanglewood will have you running and jumping through each level searching for Fuzzl’s that need a ‘helping paw’ and then figuring out how to return each Fuzzl to its near by nest. Once a Fuzzl is returned you’ll have earned the use of it’s power for a short time. You’ll then have to figure out how to use this power to advance through the next portion of the level.
Combine borrowed powers and the ability to interact with flues, boulders, logs, winches, creatures (both big and small), a labyrinth like forest and even a demon Tanglewood will feel fresh and terrifying every step of the way.
Check out the official Big Evil Corporation Tanglewood Trailer:
Below is my own longplay of Tanglewood recorded direct from my Sega Genesis. I managed to collect all Fireflies to unlock the good ending. And it really is the ending I needed! But don’t spoil the game for yourself. Play Tanglewood and enjoy it firsthand.
No fooling around here people. Unless COD and Battlefield are the only games you care about; Tanglewood is a must own game.
If you enjoy retro video games you owe it to yourself to pickup Tanglewood. It’s an incredibly detailed, polished and fully realized video game. And despite coming from a small Indie Developer Tanglewood is so much bigger than I could have ever dreamed.
I don’t normally put a number on the games I talk about but for Tanglewood I’m compelled to give is a full on 10/10. As far as human kinds reach for perfection can extend Tanglewood has thoroughly earned this perfect score.
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:
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.
Did the title give anything away? I didn’t give up on this Pulseman that I walked away from a few weeks ago when I first found it at a recent Oshawa Game Swap. The seller and I were not able to strike a deal on this $400 CAD (~$315 USD) game. But more recently something did happen. Check out my newest addition to my Japanese Sega Mega Drive collection.
Not only does the cover-art look great but the whole thing is in pristine condition. I’ve had some time to play Pulseman and I was happy to see that the graphics are really very good. The controls are tight and responsive and Pulseman is able to perform a good variety of moves. I’m looking forward to more time with it.
Below is my gameplay footage of the Level 1. Plus the game intro.
Pulseman is one of a bunch of Sega Mega Drive / Genesis games that are region locked to their home region and Pulseman will not natively play in my North American NTSC Sega Genesis. Fortunately I have a very cool product called the Super Key. It acts as a pass-through cartridge and allows you to set any region you need to meet the requirements of whatever game you’re trying to play.
I originally picked-up this Super Key in a bundle with Sailor Moon for the Japanese Sega Mega Drive. And I’m really glad I did as they are not easy to find.
So what does it take to get a game with a price tag of $400? …without actually laying out any cash? It takes some serious trading.
After leaving Pulseman behind at the Game Swap I took a long hard look at my collection. And rounded up some games that I felt I could do without. For years I’ve been on the fence about collecting for the Sega Saturn. Sure I want it all but for me it’s not possible. I sent an email to the same seller from the Oshawa Game Swap and I offered up my entire Sega Saturn collection of four games among a few other titles from different systems.
Fortunately one of my Saturn games was Albert Odyssey which seems to have some value these days. Dark Savior is moderately valuable and Daytona USA and Hang-On GP are $10-$20 games. Some time ago I bought doubles of Beggar Prince and Water Margin with the intention of saving them for trading down the road. And despite not feeling overly successful at trading retro games for other retro games it really did work out this time. It took six games to score my Pulseman.
But that’s not to say Pulseman didn’t cost me anything. In total I spent about $270 CAD (~$212 USD) on these six gamest that I traded away. However, this is money that had long since left me and it feels good to transform these games into something I really want. Sure, maybe I could have sold Albert Odyssey myself and put that money in the bank but that is no where near as fun.
This store that Nintendo Joe and I visited for our big day of trading is called 7 Star Games. Located at 145 Kingston Rd E, Ajax, ON L1S 7J4. It’s bursting with retro games and very much worth the visit. This sellers other location is called P-Market Games at 127 N Front St. Belleville, ON.
Pulseman is a very exciting addition to my collection; especially considering how hard it is to obtain. Below are what I call my Heavy Hitters. These are good Japanese Sega Mega Drive games that regularly come with really expensive price tags. Often listed on ebay from about $500-$1,000 CAD (~$394 -$790 USD) when complete. I haven’t used ebay in close to a year and with prices like these I’m really not interested in going back. I’ll just have continue to wait for moments like this when I can make something manageable happen.
Honestly, I feel really lucky to have these gems.
My remaining ultimate Japanese Sega Mega Drive wish list consists of:
In addition to bringing the games I knew I needed to trade for Pulseman I brought a few extra just in case. And of these extras the store owner was interested in giving me $95 credit for a pink Nintendo DS lite with power cable, a complete Sega Genesis Alien 3 and a loose SNES Knights of the Round. I took the credit and found the following games.
I’ve heard lots of good things about Zombies Ate My Neighbors and even Nintendo Joe has been recommending it to me. So minus $60 from my credit and I took it.
The other game I selected was Instruments of Chaos starring Yong Indiana Jones for $20. Both are in great shape and complete with hanging tabs (which is important to me).
I still had $15 credit left but any additional worth while choice would have left me needing to hand over some cash as well. Since I wasn’t in the mood to spend I gave my remaining credit to Nintendo Joe. Who also scored himself a game priced at $400 CAD (~$315 USD) during this same visit and a whole lot more. For any NES fans out there Nintendo Joe now has a lot of heavy hitters of his own to show off, not to mention what he had to do to get them. Click here for all his details.
It’s time to pull that Genesis out of the closet and dust off your Mega Drive. The largest ever Sega Genesis and Sega Mega Drive video game now has an official launch date.
Meet Paprium; the meanest, baddest and biggest post-apocalyptic two player brawler ever to grace the 16-bit era!
Available for pre-order right now at paprium.com for $99 USD for the Limited Edition version or $69 for the Classic Edition (Worldwide shipping included). Both with a release date of September 16, 2017. The limited Edition comes in three flavors; styled after the Sega Genesis, PAL Mega Drive and Japanese Mega Drive. All editions of Paprium are region free and all contain English, Japanese, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish languages.
Update: Shortly after Paprium was made available for pre-order the price was increased for the Limited Edition from $89 USD to $99 USD. The Classic Edition and the Grand Stick have remained the same.
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And what better companion for the ultimate beat ’em all than an all mighty arcade stick; retailing for $150 USD.
This physical release for the Sega Genesis and Sega Mega Drive is the largest game ever for the system; weighing in at a whopping 80 MEGs.
The game cartridge for PAPRIUM features an integrated DT128M16VA1LT semiconductor. The 16-bit experience has never been so perfect: The features, so rich; The audio, so crisp; The MEG power, so intimidating.
But don’t get lost in the technical mayhem, throw your gaming prowess at multiple game modes, 24 Levels and up to 5 selectable characters! You can play in co-op with one or two simultaneous players.
With some of the finest 16-bit graphics I have ever seen Paprium has built up an immense amount of excitement in the retro video gaming community. I believe we’re looking at an absolute blockbuster. Which will likely become a must own for gamers and collectors.
If somehow you’re not entirely shell-shocked from the above screen shots then you’re ready to dive into the rabbit hole and bear witness to the evolution of 16-bit gaming:
Couldn’t catch the in game tunes in the high intensity trailer? Here’s a better video to sample the outstanding audio:
Planning on purchasing Paprium? Feel free to use any one of the follow digital coupon codes to receive a 10% discount:
Paprium is the official name for WaterMelon’s new video game for play on your Sega Mega Drive and Sega Genesis video game console. Paprium was previously called Project Y.
This game has been in development for about 4-5 years. And finally! At long last!! …it’s still not done.
But it’s close! It’s so very close!! …I don’t really know that, but I think it’s true.
Here’s what is for certain. WaterMelon will be making an announcement about Paprium this March 28th, 2017. WaterMelon has also given Investors limited time coupon codes to discount the purchase price of Paptrium. And some of these codes can be shared with everyone.
*’Investor’ is Watermelon’s term for people who got in early and crowdfunded Paprium.
What do fans following Paprium (myself included) believe will be announced this Tuesday March 28th? We’re guessing that Watermelon will release a video trailer for Paprium, announce an official release date and open pre-orders for the game.
There will also be some surprises like this arcade style joystick build specifically for the Genesis/Mega Drive and for PC:
If you’re planning on purchasing Paprium feel free to use any one of the follow digital coupon codes to receive a 10% discount:
(The above codes can be used an unlimited number of times [starting March 28th] by anyone until they expire on April 24, 2017)
My code was given to me by WaterMelon Co. and every single Paprium Investor got a code as well. If anyone uses one of the above codes Watermelon will give 50 gems to the owner of the code. Gems are currency on the WM web site (MagicalGameFactory) used for paying for their products. 500 gems = $50 USD.
If you have a friend who is an Investor in Paprium you can asked them for their code so that you can help them out while at the same time getting a 10% discount for yourself. I’m guessing that these discount codes will not stack and you’ll only be able to use one. So use the code from the person you’d most like to support.
Any Paprium Investors out there? If you’d like to share your code here please leave it in the comments below and I’ll add it to this post right along side my own.
Need a refresher on what Paprium is going to look like? Here are some very old screen shots of this awesome looking brawler from its development phase.
Early Work In Progress video of Paprium:
On March 28th visit www.paprium.com to (hopefully) pre-order your copy of Paprium for the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Genesis.
Tanglewood Cover Art by Luis Martins.
Retro Megabit 