Daimakaimura (Ghouls n Ghosts) Question

[Izod1337]

I was wondering how this version of Daimakaimura fares up to the Genesis/Mega Drive version of this game. Is it the preferred port to anyone or do you believe the Sega version is superior?

Also this is a Super Grafx game, correct? Is it compatible with the Duo R/RX?

[Joe Redifer]

It doesn't play as well as the Genesis version I don't feel. The Genesis trumps the other versions because Arthur doesn't come to a dead stop if you inadvertently press a diagonal direction. This makes the SuperGrafx (and even the arcade) version have much stiffer control than the Genesis version. However you can still turn them off in the Genesis version if you prefer controls that are shittier. There are many details in the background of the SuperGrafx version that aren't in the Genesis version since it was a much later release and also had more memory. Many of the colors seem off, though. They also botched up the scrolling layers of the first part of stage 3. It doesn't effect gameplay, but it's just wrong. The SuperGrafx sound and music are nowhere near as good as the Genesis version.

It won't work with the Duo because the Duo is not a SuperGrafx.

[Izod1337]

Thank you for your thoughts. It sucks that the PCE versions are sub par compared to the Genesis version as I'm love the early GnG entries. But I'd rather not experience a bad version of the game if I can play it on the Genesis.

[Digi.k]

Thank you for your thoughts. It sucks that the PCE versions are sub par compared to the Genesis version as I'm love the early GnG entries. But I'd rather not experience a bad version of the game if I can play it on the Genesis.

I know this is kinda subjective but you are experiencing a bad version of the game since the Genesis is the worst version in terms of looks.  Sonically it's one of the best tho.


and other version comparisons

[elmer]

You might wait for a few more opinions.

The SuperGrafx follows the arcade controls ... Joe obviously doesn't like that, but it's hardly a "wrong" choice for the developers to make ... although playing the game with a joystick would give a better feel.

[Zero_Gamer]

Well be specific... Isn't SFX version the more faithful versio graphically?

I agree the Genesis version is the best as far as playability.

Not sure about music. The SNES version sounds pretty good.

[Izod1337]

Thank you for your thoughts. It sucks that the PCE versions are sub par compared to the Genesis version as I'm love the early GnG entries. But I'd rather not experience a bad version of the game if I can play it on the Genesis.

I know this is kinda subjective but you are experiencing a bad version of the game since the Genesis is the worst version in terms of looks.  Sonically it's one of the best tho.

I get what you mean but as you said it is subjective. The Genesis version appears to be alright and the gameplay is still going for it. The Super Grafx version though looks closest to the arcade version as it gets.

You might wait for a few more opinions.

The SuperGrafx follows the arcade controls ... Joe obviously doesn't like that, but it's hardly a "wrong" choice for the developers to make ... although playing the game with a joystick would give a better feel.

You're right about waiting for a few more opinions on the matter. The Super Grafx version seems like a nice port to me. I'll probably end up getting it in the future and judge it myself. And what do the arcade controls feel like?

Well be specific... Isn't SFX version the more faithful versio graphically?

I agree the Genesis version is the best as far as playability.

Not sure about music. The SNES version sounds pretty good.

To be fair, Cho Makaimura is more of it's own game since it was made specifically for the SNES so it takes advantage of everything it has going for it.

[SignOfZeta]

I almost never say this, I promise, but you should just play it in MAME. It's not like any version is all that great so you might as well have the original. Blowing $200 on this an an SGX is not the best use of one's classic gaming money. You could probably get the PCB for that.

The Capcom Generations version is pretty good too.

[Izod1337]

I almost never say this, I promise, but you should just play it in MAME. It's not like any version is all that great so you might as well have the original. Blowing $200 on this an an SGX is not the best use of one's classic gaming money. You could probably get the PCB for that.

The Capcom Generations version is pretty good too.

I'll take a look at the MAME version, thank you! But damn, $200! Last I checked on eBay it was way less than that. I've just checked out the Saturn version of Capcom Generations and the games look great. Thanks for the recommendation.

[elmer]

I almost never say this, I promise, but you should just play it in MAME.

Or buy an X68000! 

And what do the arcade controls feel like?

I can't remember ... but if Joe's complaint is about the player coming to a stop when a diagonal is pressed (which would never happen in the arcade because of a little plastic mask in the joystick) ... then that should be fixable on the SuperGrafx with a small assembly patch for the Turbo Everdrive.

Black Tiger could probably fix up the color palettes with better choices if they were found, too.

[Black Tiger]

The SuperGrafx version doesn't do color nearly well enough by PCE standards, but it's much more faithful and generally better looking than the Genesis version. The Genesis version's player sprite is colored better, but not much else is. The SGX version has lots of animation that is missing from the Genesis version, more parallax and a lot more detail and variety in the backgrounds.

The sound is great and similar to the arcade. The Genesis version literally hurts my ears in many of the shreaking parts. I'm not a fan of the soundtrack or the game itself so much. I've played the Genesis version to death on my Nomad. It's the least cheap version difficulty-wise, with fewer unavoidable random spawning enemies. The SuperGrafx version plays like the arcade, so it's more difficult and has fewer or different checkpoints or something.

The SuperGrafx version is definitely superior overall and at least more or less equal in every way. But I've never thought much of Ghouls 'n Ghosts and find a lot of the designs ugly. I love Ghosts 'n Goblins though, whuch is what made Ghouls 'n Ghosts so disappointing when it came out for Genesis. I never knew it was an arcade game and to this day have never seen one. So it looked like a bad fan game or misguided unofficial offshoot.



awack's pics from tg-16.com:


SUPERGRAFX <------------------> MEGA DRIVE



























PC Engine Software Bible comparison:









awack's pics from pcengine.co.uk:



The matching Genesis comparison pic is no longer hosted online, but it has 4 frames for Arthur's running animation and none(?) of that bubble explosion and most of the lightning details are missing.


I had a video comparing the soundtracks of the SGX, MD and arcade/Saturn versions, but Sega killed my youtube channel and I can't find a copy on my backup hard drive. :/

[esteban]

Another resource for conspiring screenshots (the usual caveats apply):

http://tg-16.com/screenshot_comparisons_action.htm#Daimakaimura_MD

[Joe Redifer]

I don't like the changed colors of the SuperGrafx version, especially since the SuperGrafx has 4096 colors to choose from (EGM printed this that's my source so it's true I counted each color myself). The artwork itself in the SG is obviously a lot more faithful. I also don't like how the trees blow in the SG version. Seems cheap. Would I like to have the SG version in my collection? Hell yeah I love Ghouls n' Ghosts, I want them all (already have Genesis and arcade PCB).

The Capcom Cassics Collection on XBOX is messed up, though. It's waaaay too dark. Avoid it. The Saturn seems pretty good but Arthur's feet don't go behind a few blades of grass like they do in the arcade, rendering the entire game unplayable.

SNES game is a sequel. Not the same game at all. It's OK but I prefer Ghouls n' Ghosts.

[poponon]

The Saturn seems pretty good but Arthur's feet don't go behind a few blades of grass like they do in the arcade, rendering the entire game unplayable.

lmao

really though, just burn a disc and play the saturn version. I think it's a straight port considering the saturns 28.6 MHz processor probably couldn't emulate the cps1 10 MHz 68000 . In that case though, it's the best port AND you get to play with the objectively best controller for 2d games.

[seieienbu]

This is an easy decision to make.  Get a rom of both.  Play both.  Decide which one you like better.  Then, either purchase the Genesis one for like $20, or spend around $300 to $400 total on a Supergrafx console and the game itself. 

Yeah, the Supergrafx is really cool, but it only has 5 games that are dedicated to the improvements the hardware offers.  You have to consider that price even if you like that version of the game more.