From: v089l3s3@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (JER HORWITZ)
Newsgroups: rec.games.video
Subject: Re: WHat are 'essential' carts for Genesis
Date: 16 Dec 92 16:20:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Dec16.145623.7279@exu.ericsson.se>, exuhag@exu.ericsson.se writes...
>JER HORWITZ writes:
>>
>>>Elemental Master MD - another superb shooter by Technosoft, only out in Japan
>>
>>Not essential... and too easy.
> 
>This brings up an interesting point.  With the price of games being
>so high and there not being many games available at substantial
>discounts (the original Super Monaco GP is _still_ $50 in most
>places_), I tend to get a lot pickier about what games I buy.
>With Genesis games I feel very cheated if I pay $60 for a game
>and then finish it (with finality) the same weekend, or if the
>game doesn't have a level select, and so on.  

Totally agreed. I simply don't buy Sega games anymore. Sonic 2
was it. That's really very, very sad... [I did buy the Japanese
Thunder Force IV when I was in Japan, but seeing as how Sega
is delaying it for months and months just to convenience their
marketing needs during the weak February-May months...

>Anyway, a few disagreements with Jer's list:
> 
>Toejam & Earl *is* actually a fairly dumb game, but it is
>definitely not garbage.  In a market full of lookalike shooters
>and platform games it is a refreshing change of pace.  It is
>also one of the few two player cooperative games for the Genesis.

I don't count originality as being a factor in buying a game. If it's
good, it's good. Toejam and Earl is unique, and it has lots of little
gimmicks like funny animations and sounds, but as GAMES go, it's
like that Fatal Labyrinth game with better animation and green
everywhere instead of black and grey. "Walk around looking for
things"... zzzzzz. Not that "walk around punching things" is
much better, but...
> 
>Super Monaco GP isn't quite the same as the coin-op.  The
>digitized graphics and sound are cheezy.  It isn't as good
>as coin-op Pole Position, but it is a solid racing game
>nonetheless with a good feel to it.  I have no idea why Sega
>came out with Monaco II, though, as there are no real
>improvements.

*This* brings up an interesting point... The fact that Sega is
willing to release a game exactly the same as their last
game, except with four megs of Ayrton Senna digitized scans.
Does this indicate anything to anyone except me? Sega really
doesn't care enough about the buyer to make a real sequel,
it is GOOD ENOUGH for them simply to rerelease an old
product. I think that's really sad. As far as "good feel", I
think once you've played F-Zero, no race game can come close.
[Home race games, that is - Rad Mobile / Rad Rally in the
arcade... actually, almost all of Sega's arcade racers..] 
There's nothing like the real feel of making hairpin turns
with three guys all around you - it's so intense. Monaco
doesn't provide any real thrill. It "simulates" it.

When you admit that a 1990-2 game is not as good as a 1984
game released on a 6502 based arcade system, there's something
drastically wrong. Why be satisfied with that? Why smile
when you've bought an inferior product? Because you paid $60
for it, and you somewhat normally lower your standards
and accept what you've got... 

[ -> Jer Horwitz ] [INTERnet Game Consultant]
Newsgroups: rec.games.video