Game Sack

[Joe Redifer]

I noticed that Cotton's second level boss didn't ripple the ground like even the PCE version does. They did add transparency to the clouds in stage 1, though. I never read HG101's article. I didn't even wanna include Cotton except to show the lights anyway.

Will check out DirectX Code Zero and Y2. What are your favorite MIDI tracks?

[SuperDeadite]

You can't play Y2 I'm afraid.  It's one of the few games where the copy protection has never been broken.  You can boot the game, watch the intro and begin the first stage, but it will be unplayable without an original disk in the drive.  I do have a capture up on youtube, as I've never met anyone else with a real copy...

For MIDI:

Neural Gear (CM-64)
Metal Orange EX (SC-55)
Group X (SY22)
SION II
Choujin
Gemini Wing
Angel Dive (SC-55 and MIDI only, there is no internal music)

Choujin and Gemini Wing support the CM-64 PCM expansion cards.  Choujin has 7 different music configurations by itself.  SION II was a free game made by a magazine, it has completely different music for each module made by different people.  (play at 10mhz only or the music will be out of sync) The SY22 is a very unusual keyboard that blends FM and Samples via Vector Synthesis.

I'm assuming you don't have the hardware for a lot of the above, but I have vids up on youtube about most of them.  Also SFII' SSFII, Daimakai are actually pure GM, not GS, and the SC-55's GM support is a bit shit.  Greatly benefit from a better module like Yamaha MU100 and after, or Roland SC-88 and after.

The games Afterburner, Thunder Blade, Super Hangon, Neural Gear are all meant to be controlled via analog joystick, hence the digital controls are a bit shit as they were just tacked on.  You can change speed in AB when using the mouse by pushing the XF keys, they are presets for 25% speed changes iirc.

[SmaMan]

I seem to remember seeing footage of a port of Kunio-Kun/River City Ransom/Street Gangs on X68k. The MIDI soundtrack was... interesting. I think it was just weird to hear a fully done version of songs I'd only heard in 8-bit on the NES at that point.

[SuperDeadite]

River City Ransom is FM only iirc... I don't remember it having MIDI.  The game itself is extended with lots of new areas to explore, a bit maze like though.

Oh and for FM, how could I forget:
Bosconian (Flash!Flash!Flash! is one of the best ever)
Space Soldier II

[Joe Redifer]

I'm having a difficult time telling the homebrew apart from the real stuff as I browse through the file directory. All the homebrew stuff should be in its own folder and the official stuff in the regular folders. I am not a fan of the organization. It's not logical. That Y2 game seemed homebrew to me mainly because it had the phrase "Gradius-style" in the options screen and it wasn't a Konami game. The name Space Soldier sounds pretty homebrew so I haven't launched it yet.

I accidentally included a homebrew game in the Game Sack episode, Azukin Cha Cha Cha. I would not have included it if I had known. I'm not saying it's a bad game, I'm just saying I wanted to stick with official releases. Again I'm not sure why the directories are organized the way they were. Games 4 is ALL CAPS for some weird reason.

EDIT: WOW Bosconian has awesome music.

[Mathius]

I'm having a difficult time telling the homebrew apart from the real stuff as I browse through the file directory. All the homebrew stuff should be in its own folder and the official stuff in the regular folders. I am not a fan of the organization. It's not logical. That Y2 game seemed homebrew to me mainly because it had the phrase "Gradius-style" in the options screen and it wasn't a Konami game. The name Space Soldier sounds pretty homebrew so I haven't launched it yet.

I accidentally included a homebrew game in the Game Sack episode, Azukin Cha Cha Cha. I would not have included it if I had known. I'm not saying it's a bad game, I'm just saying I wanted to stick with official releases. Again I'm not sure why the directories are organized the way they were. Games 4 is ALL CAPS for some weird reason.

EDIT: WOW Bosconian has awesome music.

From what I have heard Azujin Cha Cha also had a Super Famicom release. Not the same game, I believe, more of an RPG I think. It may not have been full on homebrew. I will have to do more research. I am glad you included the game in the video though, Joe. I wouldn't sweat it too much.

[kazekirifx]

Akazukin Cha Cha Cha is from a homebrew group called Sprite. Here's their home page.
http://spritesoft.web.fc2.com/game/x68k.html

The anime title is "Akazukin Cha Cha" (like the licensed game based on the anime for PC-FX). It's usually considered acceptable in Japan for dojin groups to rip off licensed characters as long as they slightly change the title, thus the extra "cha" in the X68k game name. You'll also notice on Sprite's home page that R-Type becomes "X-Type", Cotton becomes "Potton", and Sailor Moon becomes various combinations of the word "Moon" or "Lady". For some reason or another, they did use the Darius title without changing it. (Could be because it was apparently a school project by the author and never sold for money.)

[Tatsujin]

湯のみよけゲー・・・・・・。
『ＰＯＴＴＯＮ』

I LOL'd

[SuperDeadite]

I'm having a difficult time telling the homebrew apart from the real stuff as I browse through the file directory. All the homebrew stuff should be in its own folder and the official stuff in the regular folders. I am not a fan of the organization. It's not logical. That Y2 game seemed homebrew to me mainly because it had the phrase "Gradius-style" in the options screen and it wasn't a Konami game. The name Space Soldier sounds pretty homebrew so I haven't launched it yet.

I accidentally included a homebrew game in the Game Sack episode, Azukin Cha Cha Cha. I would not have included it if I had known. I'm not saying it's a bad game, I'm just saying I wanted to stick with official releases. Again I'm not sure why the directories are organized the way they were. Games 4 is ALL CAPS for some weird reason.

EDIT: WOW Bosconian has awesome music.

The games directories were originally created based on how much RAM is required to run them off Compact Flash.  Meant to be easy to use for low-ram users.  The version you're using was highly customized by me, (for people with the full 12mbs), and I never messed with the original directories, as it's very easy to corrupt things, most games were never meant to be run off HDD, and they use various tricks and exploits to run.

As for official releases and doujin releases, it gets quite complicated.  For example, Star Trader is official, but it was only sold from Takeru vending machines, all you got was a set of disks and text only print out manual.  You even had to write your own disk labels.

However some doujin releases were also sold in these machines right next to the official games, such as C-ON-Z.  However other doujins were sold via mail order and from Comiket and the like, and a few even have full boxes.  In later years doujins were sold on CDs.

[Mathius]

Akazukin Cha Cha Cha is from a homebrew group called Sprite. Here's their home page.
http://spritesoft.web.fc2.com/game/x68k.html

The anime title is "Akazukin Cha Cha" (like the licensed game based on the anime for PC-FX). It's usually considered acceptable in Japan for dojin groups to rip off licensed characters as long as they slightly change the title, thus the extra "cha" in the X68k game name. You'll also notice on Sprite's home page that R-Type becomes "X-Type", Cotton becomes "Potton", and Sailor Moon becomes various combinations of the word "Moon" or "Lady". For some reason or another, they did use the Darius title without changing it. (Could be because it was apparently a school project by the author and never sold for money.)

Thanks for the info.

[SmaMan]

River City Ransom is FM only iirc... I don't remember it having MIDI.  The game itself is extended with lots of new areas to explore, a bit maze like though.

Huh, maybe I was looking at a different console or something then.

If I may ask a potentially long, painful question, where does one begin on finding one of these things to buy?

[PunkicCyborg]

Really cool episode but I think the high price, failure rate and vintage computer skills needed should have been emphasized more.

[Opethian]

Really cool episode but I think the high price, failure rate and vintage computer skills needed should have been emphasized more.

why?

[chany60126]

Really cool episode but I think the high price, failure rate and vintage computer skills needed should have been emphasized more.

why?

I think he did an adequate job mentioning the high price of the system. He also talked about the high failure rate of the PSU's.

[Joe Redifer]

You don't really need any vintage computer skills beyond loading floppy disks. They'll load at power up or if RESET is pressed. You just need to make sure you have the correct disks in the system and this is where it can get tricky as some games have many disks that are labeled as Disk 1, Disk 2, Data 1, Data 2 etc etc and that can be confusing. Basically you'll need Data 1 and Disk 1 to start the game and then you'll eventually need to swap out for Disk 2 but leaving Data 1 in and eventually when you get to a new town or area you'll need to change the data disk. Lagoon was a bitch. It took me a while to learn how to boot up Ys 3 and this is how I found all this out.