Popful Mail Appreciation Thread!

[A Black Falcon]

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!

I don't know where "TCD" came from, so you could be right about this for all I know that it was a GameFAQs creation, but "Turbo" as a slang term for the system absolutely has always been popular.  It is even used occasionally in official magazines; I have one issue of TurboForce, the Gate of Thunder issue, and there are occasional uses of "Turbo" instead of the full "TurboGrafx".  It's very understandable that people would bring that over into the platform name as well.

Maybe it is worth noting, though, that IGN uses "TG-CD" as the system acronym on the few Turbo CD games they actually have listings for, instead of TCD, so major gaming sites don't all use that.  I like TCD because it's shorter. :p

[shawnji]

Just wanted to say that I popped this in again just a little while ago WITHOUT the Arcade Card and played through the ending.  While I know someone said the card just sped up load times and this is definitely just based on my somewhat fuzzy memory, I think the animation was slightly less stilted when playing with the card.  I think there were a few more frames in there or something.  Just thought it was worth noting.

[blueraven]

...so this thread...

I broke down and bought the game.

We'll see how it goes.

[shawnji]

...so this thread...

I broke down and bought the game.

We'll see how it goes.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and that you won't feel like you've wasted your money.  I know a lot of people will disagree with me, and it's not like there aren't a lot of areas where the game could definitely have been improved; but I just find it extremely charming and fun, which is all that really matters to me at the end of the day.

[blueraven]

Arrived today!

[xelement5x]

Arrived today!

What a purdy lady!

[toktogul]

Yea those threads by shawnji are evil as hell!
I keep buying every single games you make an Appreciation tread about. You should have been a PR dude for the TG16 back in the days, people would have bought the shit out of the system. Can`t find it anywhere under 60$ online, other than the manual less version with a 10$ bid. What does this game usually go for and is the Arcade card that much of an upgrade?

[Digi.k]

Postman just popped this into my letter box and now staring at it after a short break.  Yes it's pretty and I am impressed with the presentation, menus etc.  I really gotten into the simplicity of FALCOM games and this certainly harks after Ys and Kaze no Desnsetsu Xanadu games.


Everything is just bright and cheerful and although I find the cut scenes a little too long they certainly are of quality.  Currently playing this on the super CD card but I am tempted to get the Arcade Pro in the new year.  I just hope the prices on that don't shoot up too much.

I can't help but wonder whether NEC ripped the character designs from here and placed them into Magicoal!

EDIT:

Just spent a few hours on this.  The wind cave level. once you get the sceptre that shoots 3 fire attacks with Tatto you can farm money really quickly!!

[Digi.k]

 

The projectile attacks of Tatto and Gaw make Mail herself somewhat useless, but at the outset of the game, it's so much quicker to elimate enemies in comparison.

Anyway, am I all alone on this, or do some of you guys feel the same?

You can buy wepons for Mail such as a boomerang that shoots out and returns, longer you hold the attack button down the further it travels.

Biggest gripe apart from the first stage the forest which has great layered scrolling.  The rest of the levels after should have also gotten the same treatment to add depth.  Music is fantastic.

[Digi.k]

*  sigh * 

This game keeps glitching on me and won't let me past the final cut scenes before the final boss fight....I keep getting a black blank screen and only voice sampling then nothing..... 

Happens right after this scene every time....

[jtucci31]

Damn that sucks Digi.K! I wonder if it's something with your PCE itself.

I've actually been slowly playing through this in my free time as well. I'm at about the end of the third area I think. I get stuck at weird places but usually it's because I'm not thinking straight (like when some guys are guarding your entrance to the next area and you need to pay them 5 gold bars). It's a great game so far and I've been enjoying it a lot.

After Desh so kindly gifted me a SegaCD, I'll definitely be playing the Sega version sometime soon, if only to compare.

[Digi.k]

was getting these problems and after several resets, switching controllers, changing system cards and cleaning the disc and the lens I was still getting the same problem and a few times it loaded with garbled graphics but I was able to continue into the game.  The final reset of the night and the game went back to normal and I was able to beat it..

http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=19816.msg445379#new

[EmperorIng]

So I've made it to the volcano stage, and I think I'm stuck. I talked to this fat dude in the middle of one of the volcano stages, and it seems like I've hit a roadblock where I'm supposed to probably travel back somewhere and talk to someone. Do you remember any backtracking you needed to do, Digi.K?

The backtracking aspect is probably the most annoying part of playing the game. I mean, I guess it's to be expected, but everything else is so straightforward.

[Black Tiger]

So I've made it to the volcano stage, and I think I'm stuck. I talked to this fat dude in the middle of one of the volcano stages, and it seems like I've hit a roadblock where I'm supposed to probably travel back somewhere and talk to someone. Do you remember any backtracking you needed to do, Digi.K?

The backtracking aspect is probably the most annoying part of playing the game. I mean, I guess it's to be expected, but everything else is so straightforward.

Are you playing the PCE version? If so, are you using this guide?

http://www.gamefaqs.com/turbocd/563722-popful-mail-magical-fantasy-adventure/faqs

[EmperorIng]

Are you playing the PCE version? If so, are you using this guide?

http://www.gamefaqs.com/turbocd/563722-popful-mail-magical-fantasy-adventure/faqs

Ah, sweet, I didn't know there was a FAQ. Thanks; I had been looking at a video-walkthrough on nico, which is tedious.

I imagine on the whole the game is pretty short, as per Falcom standards.