From: davem@uvmark.uucp (Dave Meeks)
Subject: Re: Genesis v. SNES, Sega-CD; Summary [Horwitz]
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 92 21:11:38 GMT
Organization: VMARK Software, Inc.

In article <BzGrAu.J65@acsu.buffalo.edu> v089l3s3@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (JER HORWITZ) writes:
>I just finished reading David Meeks "Summing up the...
>issues" and wanted to toss my nickel in. (I don't like keeping
>pennies in my pockets.)
>
>It seems that David and I have similar tastes and observations in
>[at least] the games he summarizes/reviews. I wasn't totally in
>agreement about the Super Star Wars thing, but perhaps it's just
>one of those random things where it just felt or didn't feel right
>to us. That aside, I disagree with some of the conclusions he has
>reached about the Genesis versus the SNES and the Sega-CD...
>
>Part I: Sega [Genesis] v. Nintendo [Super NES]
>
>Meanwhile, I've been playing some of the best SNES titles
>around, like Street Fighter, Contra 3, Smash TV, Road 
>Runner, TMNT 4, Prince of Persia, Pro QB, Amazing Tennis,
>X-men, Rampart, On the Ball, Power Athlete, Space Megaforce,
>Star Wars, Volleyball Twin (Japanese), Out of this World,
>NCAA, Mickey Mouse, Firepower 2000 and the Blues Brothers.
>In that same year, I've purchased only Thunder Force IV,
>Sonic 2 and Streets of Rage 2 for the Genesis (not
>including the Mega-CD games, which just came out here,
>like Prince of Persia and Cobra Command).

Well, here is where you and I start to diverge some..  In your list, you
include SFII (great game), Contra 3 (ok, didn't find it exception though),
Smash TV (seems to be a great game.. .just picked it up), Road Runner (great
graphics, annoying game play, loads of humour...  but not better than many 
of the other cartoon games like Taz-Mania, etc...), TMNT 4 (very good, very
short...  just don't play it anymore...  Liked Sega's version just as much
if not more), Prince of Persia (just haven't gotten into it... does it get
better after the first couple of levels??), Pro QB (yuck... both Montana
and Madden were better), Amazing Tennis (like it, but thought Conners was
better overall), X-men (haven't played YET!!!), Rampart (thought the Sega
version was just as good, but really never got into this game that much),
On the Ball (haven't played it YET), Power Athlete (???), Space Megaforce
(good game), Star Wars (looks great, sounds great, just didn't find it all
that fun), Out of this World (still haven't decided on this one... love it
and hate it all in one), NCAA (yes, great game), Mickey Mouse (as good as
Castle of Illusion, but just way too easy... took maybe 2 hours of my time to
finish it...), Firepower 2000 and Blues Brothers (yuck...)
In addition to these, I have also picked up Axelay (ho hum, not great),
Hook (looked good, but again, took about 3 hours to complete...no replay 
value), Jimmy Conners (great game), Mario Paint (very nice), Soul Blazer 
(another great game)...  

As for the Sega, in the last year what I have picked up have been...
Sonic 2, Streets of Rage 2, Madden 93', NHLPA, Bulls vs. Lakers, TMNT,
Batman Returns,  Wonder Boy, Alien 3, CHuck Rock, Kid Chamelion, TazMania
and others..


So, my only comment would be that I think we differ in what is good for the
two systems.   I have also played/returned/rented a bunch of junk for both
systems...
>
>last longer than 2 days on the average, unlike Sega's.
>(TMNT 4 is easy, but excellent.)

This is where I disagree..  Most of the nicer games for the SNES just don't
last...  Hook, Mickey, TMNT, etc... Granted, same could be said for Sega
(Taz, Chuck Rock, etc...)  I just found the length of some of the similar
Sega games to be better and last longer...   But, I think both systems
(and gaming in general) is going to much for the quick fix games.  This is why
I like Smash TV...  Not a great game in many ways, but it is something that
I feel will last a long time.  It has great replay value.  Same with SFII
and Sonic II..   I go back to these all the time..  Too many games these days
go for graphics and sound and forget that we are paying ~$60 a pop nowadays
for a couple hours of entertainment...  
>
>As for this SNES cd v. Sega-CD thing, it's totally
>immaterial. As long as Sega has a CD player with the
>quality of games it has now (relatively average to
>low), it could matter less if their system is
>out or not. They could have made the exact claim, 
>"We have a CD player" one year ago, when I bought it,
>but all the games they released came out afterwards
>in the US as cartridges, they were so short and
>bad. I'd rather wait for a good system like the SNES-CD
>will undoubtably be, than purchase a Sega-CD now on
>the empty promise that it will eventually have good
>games.

This is where I think we disagree the most..  That being you seem to take
it for granted that the SNES-CD will "undoubtably be" better???  Based on
what???  The vaportrail they have left so far??  I would be willing to bet
that by next XMas, when the SNES-CD is "due out", their will be a great deal
of great SegaCD games out by then, and I still stand by my claim that their
is no way Nintendo will put out a 32 bit CD for under $200 by next summer..
I just remember that the SNES sucked when it first came out...  I was one of
the first in line to get one, but when I saw the games coming out and played
them, I didn't bother.  It was finally SFII that convinced me to get it,
and I am glad I did, but the first wave of games was very weak in my mind..
I think you will see the same with the Sega CD.  Though it has been out 
in Japan, it is just now getting started here, and many developers are just
getting ramped up to put out games for it...
-- 
David T. Meeks            || "New shadows tugging at the corner of his eye
VMark Software, Inc.      ||  Jostling for attention as the sunlight flares
uvmark!davem@merk.com     ||  Through a curtains tear, shuffling its beams
davem%uvmark@merk.com     ||  As if in nervous anticipation of another day"
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