Popful Mail Appreciation Thread!

[toymachine78]

The one thing I don't like about the PCE port is how the screen is framed with those bright blue status boxes.  Seems like a lot of wasted space. I don't think it would bother me as much if they were filled black.

[geise]

Like a lot of other games on the system, Popful Mail on the PCE-CD is a dressed up older PC game with the core gameplay pretty much left alone.

Yeah I have it on my Lavie.  It's one reason I like it so much.  I love the pc88 version and I like how it's mostly the same game with upgrades.

[xelement5x]

Xelement5x in 3... 2... 1...

See, if people post on the weekend I don't get to them until Monday when I'm back at work normally

Thankfully, this saved me a lot of time since SamIAm basically said pretty much the same thing I did.

I cannot totally comment on the PCE one as I have not finished it but I did play for quite awhile.  Visually it's quite stunning, but the Sega/Mega CD version is still my favorite.  Like Sam said, the localization of it on the SegaCD is wonderful (to me at least) and all the tongue-in-cheek references make the game just so much more than another generic ARPG. 

However, like he said the difficulty bump in the US version makes it so much more grindy to play through, but that is Working Designs for you.  There are beta copies that were sent to press where the difficulty from the MegaCD is retained so it makes me think the difficulty increase was a later decision in the process, possibly to help lengthen the game. 

In general the PCE one seems to play quite well, but the humor and dialog in the SegaCD version still make me love it the most. 

Oh, and like other said yeah don't waste your money on the SFC version. 

[A Black Falcon]

I didn't realize the SNES game was so bad.  What's wrong with it?  I've only really played the SCD game... I know the SCD game is a remake of sorts of the original computer game that the PCECD game is a port of, while the SNES game is entirely different.  I guess being different and the only one of the three console Popful Mail games that was actually made by Falcom didn't help it any. Too bad.

But yes, the SCD game is fantastic, I like it a lot. I haven't played the TCD game, but I'm sure I'd enjoy it as well, though the ingame graphics look quite small compared to the SCD version and I don't like that huge border.

[Bonknuts]

I didn't realize the SNES game was so bad.  What's wrong with it?  I've only really played the SCD game... I know the SCD game is a remake of sorts of the original computer game that the PCECD game is a port of, while the SNES game is entirely different.  I guess being different and the only one of the three console Popful Mail games that was actually made by Falcom didn't help it any. Too bad.

But yes, the SCD game is fantastic, I like it a lot. I haven't played the TD game, but I'm sure I'd enjoy it as well, though the ingame graphics look quite small compared to the SCD version and I don't like that huge border.

 This is a PCE forum. SCD = SuperCD. SegaCD=SegaCD.

[Necromancer]

This is a PCE forum. SCD = SuperCD. SegaCD=SegaCD.

I've consulted several internet authorities, and they all agree that the SuperCD isn't even a PC Engine, so I don't know what you're talking about.  Even if it were, the Sega CD came out first and thus gets priority in acronym nomenclature.

[xelement5x]

This is a PCE forum. SCD = SuperCD. SegaCD=SegaCD.

I've consulted several internet authorities, and they all agree that the SuperCD isn't even a PC Engine, so I don't know what you're talking about.  Even if it were, the Sega CD came out first and thus gets priority in acronym nomenclature.

Heh, actually on many places I used to just do SCD to denote SegaCD but after learning that it could also represent SuperCD I started writing out both of them to avoid confusion.  Normally I just say PCE CD or the like though since at this point almost everyone has a Duo or a System card 3, so I just lump all PCE games into one even though I know they are technically different. 

It also doesn't help that Popful Mail is like a Super CD-ROMROM with Arcade CD support as well.  Confusing enough   

[Necromancer]

Call it BFCD for brown feka cd.

[Bonknuts]

Even in the 90's, I knew PCE CD games as CD, SCD, and ACD - because we needed to know the format (the acronym meant something more than just being an acronym). I didn't start seeing SCD meaning SegaCD until after ~2007 on Sega or multi-console forums.

 Yeah, I usually use PCECD unless I'm specifically making a reference to the format. Like, why are Zero Wing and Macross 2036 not SCD games. Blah..bla..bl..b

[Black Tiger]

Game mags bitd called Super CDs "SCD" and people online continued with SCD and ACD.

I didn't see people bothering to call Sega-CD games "SCD" until 10 - 15 years later.

[nectarsis]

Superb game...good balance...fun...and damn pretty.

[shawnji]

I can actually totally agree on the Working Designs localization.  In fact, that's the one thing that makes the Sega CD version tolerable for me.  The cast is very fitting, and a lot of the dialogue is way more colorful than the Japanese, which actually gets a little too serious for its own good towards the end.  I am generally a pretty big fan of loose adaptations over strict adherence to the Japanese if the source material needs that extra push to make it connect more with the intended audience.  As long as the original intent of the dialogue is there, I think that's the important part.

Somebody hit on it earlier, but it being "de-Falcom-ed" is a good way to sum up why I'm not as big a fan of the Sega version.  I still like the game, but it just doesn't feel...  right.  If I have to be honest, it's mostly that art style more than anything.  It's a complete turn-off and just makes it feel tonally uneven when something wacky happens. 

Also, I'm going to have to admit that the PCE version was the one I played first.  It wasn't until later that I found out the Sega CD version even existed.

Can someone refresh my memory as to whether you could aim your attacks up and down in Sega CD version?  That's another thing I'm fond of having in the PCE version.

[A Black Falcon]

Both animation styles look great.   I love Slayers, it's one of my favorite anime series, and I see what you mean about the TCD version looking more like that, but the SCD games' animation style looks pretty good too.

This is a PCE forum. SCD = SuperCD. SegaCD=SegaCD.

Heh... I guess they do have the same acronym, don't they.  But really, TCD or PCECD are the acronyms for the Turbo CD.  Sure, within the TCD system there are CD, SCD, and ACD formats, but those aren't the name of the platform, like SCD is for the Sega CD.  SCD is the only acronym I've ever seen used for the Sega CD; I'm not European or something, I won't call it the "Mega CD".

[esteban]

Both animation styles look great.   I love Slayers, it's one of my favorite anime series, and I see what you mean about the TCD version looking more like that, but the SCD games' animation style looks pretty good too.

This is a PCE forum. SCD = SuperCD. SegaCD=SegaCD.

Heh... I guess they do have the same acronym, don't they.  But really, TCD or PCECD are the acronyms for the Turbo CD.  Sure, within the TCD system there are CD, SCD, and ACD formats, but those aren't the name of the platform, like SCD is for the Sega CD.  SCD is the only acronym I've ever seen used for the Sega CD; I'm not European or something, I won't call it the "Mega CD".

There is no "turbo"...it was always part of something larger...

TurboCD = TCD = BULLSHITE

I think GameFAQs is responsible for creating this BULLSHITE. It never has, and never will represent reality.

TG-CD = TurboGrafx-CD
TG-16 = TurboGrafx-16

NEC/TTi were pretty consistent with the branding over the years...

Blame GameFAQs for TCD/TurboCD silliness (watch, I'll have to eat my words if some TTi catalog uses "TurboCD")

Damn!

[blueraven]

I used to have Popful Mail for the Sega CD, I spent hours with that one, and beat it several times. It was one of the best titles I had before I sold all of my Sega stuff. I think I sold my CDX and Popful Mail together and started my Turbo Collection for the second time.

I'm waiting for the right time to get a copy of this game... I assume the gameplay is significantly different between the ports, but nonetheless, this game is on my shortlist.