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[PR]上記の広告は3ヶ月以上新規記事投稿のないブログに表示されています。新しい記事を書く事で広告が消えます。
Ah, the wonders of homebrew gaming. I'm equally amazed each time a hi end title gets developed by a group of fans and this time is no exception. Another homebrew title is heading to MegaDrive / Sega CD and we want it.
A short trailer and a few screenshots is enough to tell this game will be awsome and it's something you should be saving up your cash for.
The developers claim it to be an RPG in the same spirit as Chrono Trigger or Lunar with graphics matching those of late Super Famicom titles. Judging from the screenshots, there isn't a single reason not to believe them.
The title has been in developement since 2004 and as the authors themselves claim, will be one of the most, if not the most advanced title for Sega's 16 bit platform.
It is said that both the graphics and music engines have some impressive specs and are able to generate some neat effects not seen before on MegaDrive. The game will come with an awsome soundtrack utilizing a brand new engine that will push the audio hardware of the platform to its limits.
The cart version will be heavily optimized and feature some nicer graphic details while the Sega CD version will feature CD soundtrack. Being able to choose between these two versions means you can choose an option that will be easier on your wallet. Nice.
Both versions will be region free so wherever you're from, whatever region your hardware is, the game will boot. This is of course to be expected from a homebrew title.
No pricetag yet, but I'm preparing myself for a price equal to other MegaDrive cart releases such as Beggar Prince. Any price that they throw at you, you should pay. Keep in mind that MegaDrive has been without any official support for years and as soon as the game is sold out it will hit eBay and I assure you, it will cost hundreds of dollars in few years time.
MegaDrive recieved a precious few decent RPGs so make sure you have this game in your collection if you're an RPG fan and a MegaDrive owner. When you cough up the money for this title, remember that it took a small group of hobbyists over four years to get the job done.
The game is supposed to ship on October 29th 2008, which will be the date of MegaDrive's 20th birthday. This is at least the date they're aiming for. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.
And last but not least, there's supposed to be a demo arriving in the near future but there is no date that's confirmed. As soon as it's out, I'll be sure to post a message in here, so keep your eyes open.
PR
One hardcore classic and one sequel to a hardcore classic coming right up! I've finally managed to get a hold of the 15th Anniversary edition of Another World, which is by no means a new title, and I got a copy of the new addition to the Simon the Sorcerer series, Simon the Sorcerer 4: Chaos Happens.
It's been a few months since I obtained these items, but I just didn't bother to post anything about them. I guess now the time is as good as ever. First one up, Simon.
Since I'm currently in the process of playing through some other games, including Dragon Quest VIII, I didn't spend much time with this title, except for trying it out. It looks and sounds pretty nice. Pre-rendered 3D backdrops and fully 3D characters compose together quite nicely. It's nothing new and it works.
There's one minor detail that bugs me though. The game is protected using the infamous StarForce. If you're not familiar with it, it's a security measure that's been applied to both the game files and the disc structure to make it impossible to make a working copy, and it works. The only problem is, the protection scheme of StarForce is so invasive, many have labeled it as malware.
StarForce is a protection of great complexity and it employs many debugging, disassembling and unpacking countermeasures. It also checks the disc structure before each game run to make sure the disc you are using is authentic.
To be able to operate, StarForce installs its own device driver. The problem is, it does so without ever informing the user about it, and that's not cool. And the trouble doesn't end there. The mentioned driver can be connected to reducing the stability of your system and degradation in performance of your CD drive. In other words, the protection screws with other software and hardware.
But hey, don't let StarForce get in your way of taking Simon the Sorcerer 4 for a spin. Luckily, the drivers can be removed after you're done with the protected game and you can rest assured that you'll be enjoying the title and your pirate ass friends will not.
Now, onto Another World 15th Anniversary Edition. This one has been out for quite some time, and I don't mean the title, I mean this particular edition. It's avalable from most of the major resellers, so if you want it, search your local Amazon store or just search for it. You should find it in no time.
So, what's so special about this edition? First of all, it comes in a nice box. You get some fine artwork and two discs. One contains the soundtrack, which is thirteen tracks and 22:56 minutes long [this won't be new to those, who own Heart of the Alien for the Mega CD] and the second contains the game itself.
The box also contains a nice postcard with great artwork by Eric Chahi depicting Lester sitting in front of his computer. More bonus features are contained on the game disc. These include a "The making of" feature, which, if you purchase the game in a country other than France, is hard subbed [and that sucks], and two *.pdf files. These two files are Developer Diaries [which features some nice concept artwork, early sketches and illustrations, aswell as the storyboards] and a scan of Chahi's notebook containing his own information on code and scripting.
The game itself features both high and low resolution graphics with either old or updated backgrounds. There is, of course, no censorship so all of the scenes are there, you will see blood, guts and gore, of which there are very little, but still, in some console ports few scenes went under the axe.
The game comes on a regular CD and is protected by SecuROM. This means you won't be able to play it if the CD is not present in the drive. I've actually created a small No-CD patch and if someone wants it, I could release it. All it does is allowing you to run the game you legally bought without the need of having it in the drive.
This little gem is certainly worth getting, especially if you're new to the title. There are many people out there who know it but haven't actually played it thruogh. Get it, play it, love it. This is one milestone of a game you don't want to miss. You get a nice edition, a great game and you gain a great experience. Surely you want to be able to say you've played Another World and mean it?
Hey! Mr.Mailman! What is that you're jamming in my mailbox with such brute force? Is it in fact the package containing Sam & Max Freelance Police, the complete animated series DVD I've been eagerly awaiting? Yes it is! Happy day!
That's right folks, I finally got this little gem and there you have it, some quick snaps of the thing. It coms in two slim cases stuffed in a neat jacket. Three discs containing all of the episodes plus some extras.
Except for the DVDs you even get a Sam & Max sticker, which is supposed to be "limited" in some way, but I find it hard to believe, since when buying the DVDs you can't choose an edition without the sticker so it's apparently jammed into each and every one of the boxes. How limited is that?
The bonus disc contains a few neat features, with strong emphasis on few. This is the part where the producers should have tried harder. You get three Fox Kids shorts, one cool short by Mr.Purcell himself that looks alot like it was done in Flash, interview with Mr.Purcell and that's pretty much it video wise. You get a cool concept gallery in a 100 meg *.pdf file, aswell as Series' Bible, also in *.pdf.
One last bonus is the "Ice Station Santa" demo. For those who don't know, Ice Station Santa is the first episode of the second season of Sam & Max series of games done by Telltale Games. This didn't impress me at all, since I got the season two ages ago. Also, Sam & Max animated series was released for the fans, so I find it hard to believe that people who purchased the DVDs didn't get the game or the demo already, especially since they can be downloaded directly from the website, for free.
All in all, Sam & Max animated series is the five hour long brainwash the fans have been waiting for. Packed with tons of Steve Purcell peculiar brand of humor it will entertain, scare and challange you mentally. If you read the comic and played the game, get the DVDs. The $25 in your wallet says you can afford it.
Oh, I almost forgot. The DVDs are, of course, region free. This means you can go ahead and import this neat set of laughs and horrors no matter where you live. Well, if you're from the far corners of eastern Europe or some god forsaken country in Africa you may not be able to afford it. Other than that, import away.
HD DVD is dead. Long live HD DVD! The format war is finally over and we have a winner. Sony had somehow managed to push their BluRay through, and that's a good thing, even though Europe is no longer in te same region as Japan. HD DVD led a short life but still plenty of movies managed to come out all over the world. It's no point in getting a HD DVD player now, one would think. Wrong!
The perfect time for getting a HD DVD player is now. Just think about it. The format is dead, Toshiba stopped all of their production lines and won't be making any new players, there's no market for either the movies or the players, prices went down drastically and they're still going.
So, in the spirit of those happy news I got myself a HD DVD drive for my Xbox 360. It wasn't planned. I just went shopping one day and there it was. One third of its original price. Without hesitating I got it and it was the best decision this month.
If you're a Xbox 360 or a PC owner you should get one of these today. Especially if you're a console user and haven't got the Microsoft remote for your 360 yet. The HD DVD drive box not only contains the drive itself, but also the remote for the 360, which by itself can be a bit pricey. The combo cost me almost as much as the remote itself would if I bought it separately.
Don't have a 360? No worries. The drive should work fine on your Windows XP or Vista computer, since it connects with an USB cable. All you need is an internet connection [for the XP to download proper drivers, Vista doesn't need them] and a compatible player. I personally use the latest version of PowerDVD.
So I got my drive, but what about the movies? That's the best part. At the they're still plenty and they're unbelievabely cheap. Right away I got myself Blade Runner: The Final Cut, 300 and King Kong [2005]. And each of them cost me one fifth of the BluRay price. That's cheaper than regular DVDs! You save money and get the HD 1080p quality identical with what BluRay offers. It's a win-win situation for both you, and your wallet.
