Could the TG handle Mortal Kombat 2 or 1 ?

[nodtveidt]

To make huge sprites like that is pitifully easy. All you do is have several 32x64 sprite blocks arranged in a set pattern, like so:

1  2

3  4

etc. And for each sprite, assign its memory pattern to adjacent areas in video RAM. Then, simply block copy the sprite data to the first pattern location (normally somewhere between 0x4000 and 0x5000 for us indies, but official developers of the time didn't always follow the same rules) and you're done.

[Tatsujin]

houly thats such damn easy, just let's do it!

[Black Tiger]

I am willing to bet that a HuCard Mortal Kombat would have run in the 256-wide resolution.  This would have the effect of reducing flicker and requiring less pixels to make the same sized sprite (as it appears on the TV screen).

Do you mean HuCard as opposed to CD or as in "Turbo/PCE port"?

The player models would only equal 128 pixels of width total, even with some blood flying around, I can't see enough sprites lining up to cause any flicker. The players are always both on-screen at the same time, so the lower resolution wouldn't help. Even if background effects were put in, like those floating monks, most of it could be done with animated tiles.

If anything, it seems like street fighting games should be easier to render visuals for than other genres like horizontal shooters.

[nodtveidt]

Fighting games in general are usually bloody easy (pun unintentional) to handle graphics-wise, it's just a matter of moving around huge chunks of data. What makes fighting games special is the underlying state machines and AI systems.

[Joe Redifer]

The lower resolution would help.  The blood splatters are all their own sprite... each drop.

[Keranu]

I really hope an indie developer takes advantage of the PCE's high-res mode someday. It might be a disaster for games with a lot of sprites, but I'm sure you could still think of a neat little game to make with it. I thought a 5 player puzzle game would be cool and effective.

[Joe Redifer]

Maybe a game where you play a detective with a fat sidekick and maybe even some video scenes to show the Sega CD that it isn't the only game in town any more.  That should use the high-res mode.  It'd sell like hotcakes, I tell you!

[Keranu]

They should've made "Sherlock Holmes 1 and 2: High-Res Edition" and sold it for $100.

[Joe Redifer]

Too bad they already did that.  I hate it when I get awesome ideas 20 or 30 years too late.

[ccovell]

Yeah, Joe was being facetious, but nobody got it.  Anyone wanna list the commercial games that at some point use high-res (512 pixels or more)?  AFAIK, there's:

Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective  (part II too?)
Shadow of the Beast
TV Sports Basketball

[nodtveidt]

I got the joke, I just chose not to respond.

[ceti alpha]

Joe was being facetious?!  NEVER! 

[Keranu]

Sherlock Holmes really had a 512 resolution? I always thought it was 320.

[Joe Redifer]

Yup!  512 for the entire game, not just an intro screen or two like Shadow of the Beast.  It's the "HD" of FMV games.  This is probably what caused the many pauses and lags in the video.  Had it run at half the resolution, it could have video the same size at a better framerate and no pauses.

[SignOfZeta]

I would give a really technical answer, but its not needed. MK is utter shit, and I'm glad it never made it to this system.