Air Zonk Hu-Card Vs. CD

[Nemo]

Sorry if this topic has been done, as I couldn't find one about it.  Are there any differences other than the CD version having Red Book Audio and the Hu-Card having better graphics?

[ccovell]

They are very, very different.  Super Air Zonk is a sequel to Air Zonk, so the mechanics, speed, game engine, are all different.  Watch a YouTube video to see the difference.

[Tatsujin]

and..

air zonk (PC Denjin) [x-----------------l-----------------] Super Air Zonk (CD Denjin)

 

[esteban]

I much prefer the HuCARD, but I need to give the CD another chance. It's funny, IMHO, how Super Air Zonk simply doesn't have the charm of the HuCARD.

[TheClash603]

Super Air Zonk spins while the game plays.

...and it is worse.

[BigusSchmuck]

One costs hundreds of dollars to acquire and the other you can get cheap. I'll let you decide which one is more expensive.

[DragonmasterDan]

They're two totally different games, Super Air Zonk is as stated the sequel.

Here are some key differences.

Air Zonk runs much faster, this might be due to loading time limitations of Super Air Zonk being a Super CD, or lazy programming.

Super Air Zonk is super easy and allows you to pick from four different stages in the order of your choosing at the start (kind of like a Mega Man game).

In Air Zonk you'd transform by picking up a few of the giant smileys and picking a familiar/side character at the start of each level. In Super Air Zonk you transform by saving a familiar that is tied to that particular level at a point in the level. So you can't try different combinations in different levels.

Super Air Zonk has redbook CD audio, unfortunately I think the music is worse than the original Air Zonk.

Overall they're both good games. Super Air Zonk was a bit of a disappointment to me when I first played it, but having spent some time with it, I think it's a quality title. Just not as good as the original.

Also, last I knew both games were downloadable on Virtual Console (that's how I first played Super Air Zonk), so it can be played at a reasonable price if you have a Wii.

[_joshuaTurbo]

They're two totally different games, Super Air Zonk is as stated the sequel.

Here are some key differences.

Air Zonk runs much faster, this might be due to loading time limitations of Super Air Zonk being a Super CD, or lazy programming.

Super Air Zonk is super easy and allows you to pick from four different stages in the order of your choosing at the start (kind of like a Mega Man game).

In Air Zonk you'd transform by picking up a few of the giant smileys and picking a familiar/side character at the start of each level. In Super Air Zonk you transform by saving a familiar that is tied to that particular level at a point in the level. So you can't try different combinations in different levels.

Super Air Zonk has redbook CD audio, unfortunately I think the music is worse than the original Air Zonk.

Overall they're both good games. Super Air Zonk was a bit of a disappointment to me when I first played it, but having spent some time with it, I think it's a quality title. Just not as good as the original.

Also, last I knew both games were downloadable on Virtual Console (that's how I first played Super Air Zonk), so it can be played at a reasonable price if you have a Wii.

Plus Super Air Zonk has a stage select feature with a pretty nifty looking effect with the cannon that shoots Zonk into the different 'zones'.  Air Zonk has TONS of parallax scrolling, Super Air Zonk has none IIRC....

If I had to rate them (And I have), it would look like this-

Air Zonk 8.5 / 10   (Soundtrack and visuals are stunning in this one with great gameplay and tight controls)
Super Air Zonk 5.5/10  (Above average but only slightly, disappointed that it's not more like Air Zonk...)

[DragonmasterDan]

Plus Super Air Zonk has a stage select feature with a pretty nifty looking effect with the cannon that shoots Zonk into the different 'zones'.  Air Zonk has TONS of parallax scrolling, Super Air Zonk has none IIRC....

If I had to rate them (And I have), it would look like this-

Air Zonk 8.5 / 10   (Soundtrack and visuals
Super Air Zonk 5.5/10  (Above average but only slightly, disappointed that it's not more like Air Zonk...)

I mentioned the stage select at the start (but not the cannon).

There's SOME parallax in SAZ but it's only in a few spots, I recall there being some in the last or second to last level where the background would light up.

If I were rating the two of them, I'd give Air Zonk and 9.5 and SAZ a 7.0

[Nemo]

Thanks for the info. I played and owned the PCE version of Super Air Zonk, and wasn't impressed at all,  but figured it would be better by virtue it was a CD as opposed to Hu-Card.  It's good to know the Hu-Card is actually better, because I really wanted to like the game(s). 

[esteban]

Thanks for the info. I played and owned the PCE version of Super Air Zonk, and wasn't impressed at all,  but figured it would be better by virtue it was a CD as opposed to Hu-Card.  It's good to know the Hu-Card is actually better, because I really wanted to like the game(s).

I need to pull SAZ out and give it another chance. I remember playing/ beating it directly after doing the same with the HuCARD and I spent more time comparing it to the HuCARD than appreciating it for its own merits. I know the Huey is superior, but at this point in life (exhausting the 8- 16-bit titles), I'm having fun with average shoot-em-ups.

I know I will never change my mind about the music, though. SAZ tunes are LeD'sappoint.

[Retrocool]

I know I will never change my mind about the music, though. SAZ tunes are LeD'sappoint.
[/quote]

Agreed, after playings LoT and GoT and it being called Rockabilly Paradise, I was hoping for some SKA inspired music or some really hard hitting rocking tunes... IDK, a definite missed opportunity for the system to leave off at.....

[ParanoiaDragon]

For most part, I love the music in Super Air Zonk, but, I would've preferred something closer to the music of the original.  I think the game could be vastly improved, if it used Lords of Thunder's engine, had a selection of weapons in each level, & you could choose which partner to bring along.  Not that that would solve the problems, but I think it would make a difference.

[A Black Falcon]

Why would they not have much parallax in the CD version?  I know that's what they did, but it's hard to understand... if they could do it on HuCard, it's possible on CD too.  I mean, Down Load 2 has about as much parallax as the first game on HuCard does, and that isn't even a Super CD game, it's just a regular CD!

[esteban]

Why would they not have much parallax in the CD version?  I know that's what they did, but it's hard to understand... if they could do it on HuCard, it's possible on CD too.  I mean, Down Load 2 has about as much parallax as the first game on HuCard does, and that isn't even a Super CD game, it's just a regular CD!

Making efficient use of limited memory (RAM) is the biggest problem facing CD-ROM games, and time/budget constraints may have put parallax scrolling in the "nice if we can do it, but not necessary" realm of low priorities.