I can definitely imagine this being a hot title for the "It's 1993 and my family doesn't own a computer" set. There was quite a niche there to be filled, and while most of the games that attempted to do so fell flat on their faces, the few that managed to transcend their limitations were REALLY worth playing. A small number of them continue to hold up even today. The SNES port of Sim City is to this day my favourite version of that game and SNES Shadowrun*, for all it's gameplay flaws, is a stone cold classic in terms of pre-CD era 16 bit atmosphere and storytelling. This game looks to just barely make the cut for a playable PC port, and that alone is worthy of at least some respect. *(Yes I know SNES Shadowrun is not a port of a PC game. But it's still very much trying to fill the "pc games on console" niche.)
Mario Paint is a big example of that too. It was a genuine attempt at creating utility software instead of just games. Have a cartridge that plays something you're more likely to see on a computer than a games console
Small correction: It wasn't ported to DOS, the DOS version was the first version released along with the Amiga port. It didn't receive a Windows port until 2012. Also, it should be noted that the Amiga version is somewhat cut down from the DOS version. It has less variety in the vehicles and less detail in the graphics. The Amiga version of the American Revolt data disk is missing the ability to call in airstrikes. In any version (well, at least the computer versions), a good tactic in the early missions is to pick up any dropped weapons, especially miniguns, even if they're empty, as they can be sold for a hefty profit. I believe it also makes researching those weapons faster/cheaper if you already have some to study. The time bombs implanted in enemy agents' chests also fetch quite a profit, but picking them up before they explode can be risky. In the later levels, where the enemy agents get more dangerous, the best strategy seems to be to arm your guys with flamethrowers, hide at the back corner of a building, let the enemy come to you, and then roast them as soon as they come around the corner. It may not be the bravest strategy, but it works great. :)
I played a LOT of this back when it came out, because my dad's work PC (my only other gaming device at the time) couldn't run it. It was actually decent if you got through it's opaque design, with lots of cool weapons, upgrades and mission variety. I have fond memories of conquering a couple of regions and then leaving my SNES running through the day while I was at high school, so I could come home to huge amount of tax revenue and buy all the fanciest cybernetics and gauss rifles.
it seems enough like sega Shadowrun that i'm kinda pissed that this is the first i've heard of it. looks like the kind of game one could burn a lot of time on.
This is actually super impressive to me. I'm amazed they even tried to recreate the various cinematic bits. I can only imagine trying to do Atlantic Accelerator using those clunky SNES controls. I played the hell out of this on Mac back in the day and would love to see a remaster with basic QoL fixes, mainly pathfinding and vehicle control...
I played it a lot on both SNES and Genesis (these versions actually have their differences). And it was fun. Yeah you don't understand what's going on at first, but it's interesting to explore the game and discover lots of stuff. Like how you can "persuade" enemy agents and they will join you after the mission, or how you can find hidden weapons in certain buildings, or how you can blow up enemies with rockets while they are outside the screen
Yeah, I hard disagree with SNES Drunk's take: Syndicate was great, even if the console ports had wonky controls. I had a really great time with the SNES and Mega Drive versions back in the '90s.
Aw man, no need to say Acorn Archimedes like that. We had them at our school, they were fantastic computers; way ahead of IBM PCs of the day. RISC OS was really nice to use. They live on today in the ARM chips in yer phones and tablets.
I had an Acorn Archimedes as a kid, it was a fantastic computer and there were some great games available for it. Fun fact, they had 'Acorn RISC Machine' processors in them, ARM, the grandparent of the processor that's in your phone and shiny new Macbook.
Going back to his early videos before he started saying it... It feels really weird when a video ends and he doesn't say it. It's like either the video isn't actually done or maybe he's in a bad mood or something.
@@TheWarmotor The "base building" is gearing up your freak army and selecting where you want to expand geopolitically. Not for everybody I'm sure but I like it.
Syndicate was fucking awesome at the time and me and all my friends loved it even though we primarily knew it through this version. I do remeber primarily being annoyed that the trenchcoats looked brown rather than black lol. I think a lot of regular families at the time couldn't afford PC so this was the closest we could get to it without going to the house of the token rich kid in the friend group. It truly is an awesome game and I think SNES Drunk is being a touch too harsh on it here, although I get what he is saying from an 'is it worth playing now' perspective when there are clearly better versions. Still, at the time this was pretty much the closest thing to an immersive Bladerunner type experience that you were gonna get, especially on SNES. As for it being too hard to understand, I had this game second hand with no box or manual at 11 or 12 years old and worked it out fine with no internet to rely on - the game itself does a really good job of explaining everything if you take the time to read the hints / menu explanations / lore etc.
I think part of the issue is that gamers today expect to led around by the nose. Back in the '80s and '90s, we were much happier to figure stuff out for ourselves in our small friend groups.
0:50 😅 Yep, the ARC was a pretty big deal over here and a strong competitor to the Amiga 1200. A friend of mine had one and raved about its power. But computer tech was moving along at such a rapid pace after a couple of years it was ready for the Ark. Probably one of the last of what you could call a 'hobby computer ' before the PC and Mac became affordable and commonplace
This is one of the best retro gaming channels period.
2 ปีที่แล้ว +4
For as much as I loved Syndicate Wars on PC back in the day, I could never get into the original. I also really enjoyed the FPS reboot, even though it missed the point with its main campaign (the multiplayer missions, on the other hand, were much more interesting). Satellite Reign is also a great spiritual successor, for those who like this sort of game. Great video, Drunk! Always good to see a new video. I hope all is well over there.
Got this on the EA Replay compilation for psp, was so excited to finally play it, started it up and wow, got lost on the menus trying to start a stage then had no idea what I was doing..
Thx for doing my request mr. drunk! Loved the vid. We played it a lot because it had 4 player support. But the cam only followed player 1 so it sometimes was really chaotic :)
4:09 , come on, we all saw it, don't deny it, they slipped in a penis into this game. on another note, grew up with the dos version, the intro cutscene really upset me, the idea that all these agents are normal people abducted from the streets and made into cyborgs, made little me very afraid, especially the part when they take away ur arms and legs for cybernetic version, spooky.
Fond memories of playing this version co-op with a friend. The atmosphere still holds up with that music, the blade runner aesthetic was rad. Getting crucial AI characters stuck in buildings that were meant to follow you to objectives was a horror though, would be the first thing to fix in a romhack.
This is so interesting, I was looking up the PC/Amiga version for comparison and they really "chibified' the character sprites and indeed gave them Toriyama inspired faces in the menu screen (no such thing on the PC). I honestly find the look of this SNES version a bit more endearing and less sterile.
This game was so awesome on the computer. Never checked out the SNES version. I loved mowing down the trees with the mini gun. Pretty amazing game! Thanks for the great recap!
We actually had this game on SNES when I was a kid. Had no idea even that it was a port. We never really figured out what to do (don't think we had the manual), but the artstyle and music really created an atmosphere that was totally different from anything else we had on the SNES. Heavy nostalgia for this, but little urge to play it again.
Game was just too esoteric, even THEN for a lot of gamers. I remember my best friend playing this...it's just way too much for me, but he LOVED IT. That was him though...he was in to Shadowrun and Herzog Zwei and Combat and all these unique games...helped me to expand my own gaming palette because I would've played Tecmo Super Bowl and Street Fighter II Turbo all day long if left to my own devices lmao.
One of the best games I have played on SNES as a kid. I never had a chance to play it on a PC or any other platform, but completed snes version multiple times. Plus it have multiplayer. Just give it a chance, it worth it, so many memories with that missions? it was really a blast to play!
I first heard about this game in Nintendo Power magazine and I thought it looked awesome. I loved how you could customize every detail of your agents and the way development was couched in the lore. Unfortunately it was years before I had an SNES and when I finally DID get the game, I kept running into this problem where about the third mission I would complete the objective but there seemed to be no way to exit the stage and I couldn't advance. It was a real shame, too, because I was enjoying it.
I had completely forgotten about this! Little 12 year old me was so into dark cyberpunk motifs and bought this on PC, but i couldn't figure it out to save my life. Seems really reminiscent of Front Mission's structure in some ways tbh
I never played it, though I remember coming close to renting this several times. Had I been into Bullfrog games at that time I would have totally given it a try, as Gene Wars and Dungeon Keeper were two of my first games on the PC, and I played and enjoyed them extensively.
Yay! A shout out for the Acorn Archimedes! 😄 Great video. Thanks @SNES drunk I think the SNES version was a valiant effort & fairly impressive for the system but yeh, play it on Amiga, PC or if you’re very lucky Archimedes.
I remember hearing about Syndicate from back in the day. It was just off the back of Shadowrun for me. I loved Shadowrun and it was one of my favourite RPGs ever and I remember seeing Syndicate in Nintendo Magazine System and thinking it looked like another Shadowrun type game. I never got round to getting it, but from what you've said here, I'm glad I didn't.
Given what you've said, I think you probably did miss out: Syndicate was a great game and the console ports were pretty impressive for their time. I have a lot of respect for SNES Drunk's opinion, but I think he's very wrong about Syndicate. He's right that you'd probably be better playing the DOS or Amiga versions, though.
I think you've been a little mean perhaps. This game genuinely blew my mind when i played it around 94. It had a lot of elements which generally weren't available in most other 16 bit games, for instance: (1) control of a squad of mercs at the same time, instead of the typical 1 player protagonist. (2) an ability to instantly switch between different squad members at different places within the map. (3 ) the ability to modify your squad members and become emotionally attached to your created cyborgs. (4) it allowed you to decide on your own tactics for level completion, unlike platformers and SCHMUPS. (5) they created an extremely dark dystopia, unlike most other games on the SNES. (6) the game had strange tech, like the persuadatron, and experimented with narcotics infusion. (7) it was also the 1st game i'd played which expected global dominance, with associated map. Watching your review i can clearly see a subtle influence for Dues Ex, Remember me, or possibly the new Cyber Punk 2077. Syndicate wasn't perfect by any means and might not be amazingly playable today, but it does deserve credit for it's achievements on the SNES. Incidentally Syndicate on the PS1 has none of the charm of this SNES version, hence i had to quit very early. Likewise Syndicate on the PS3 was absolutely charmless, i hated everything about it, and also quitted after about 3 or 4 hours. Syndicate Wars on the SNES was like Body Harvest on the N64, a game which made you think about the future of videogames.
Good video! I never even knew about this game, but it is always interesting learning about some of the more obscure titles in the SNES' history. It is surprising Nintendo let this one go as they were usually pretty sensitive about more mature or dark content in games at the time.
I remember some kid I was kind of friends with back in elementary school had this game. I went over to his house this one time, and he was playing it, and I was like "what is this game" and, without taking his eyes off the screen, he replied in the most serious tone "this...is the future ಠ_ಠ".
I like how you mentioned "Shadowrun." My first thought for looking at this game was "It looks like a poor man's 'Shadowrun.'" And "Shadowrun" is one of my favorite SNES games.
I feel like this series never really took off. I remember playing the original on PC when I was young and not really understanding what was going on, but really digging the vibe. There was also that FPS like ten years ago and a spiritual sequel a sometime later.
Loved Syndicate on PC back in the day. My dad got us a 486 with a 400mb hard drive and it came with CD with 4 games on it. Ultima 8, Strike Commander, Wing Commander 2 and Syndicate. Classic games. Loved them all.
A gaming PC was out of reach to this 12 year old so it had to be the SNES version for me. Loved the vibe and style of the game but it took me forever to work out how to mind control someone to get them to follow you so it sat on the shelf for ages. Once I worked that out, it was great fun to play through.
I only knew about the SNES version of this game but my siblings, cousins and I loved it! Didn't understand the game at first but experimentation quickly taught us. This game is a classic for us
I thought I was the only one who remembered Drakkan. It is the dumbest game I've ever played. Completely incomprehensible. I've rented it twice, trying to figure it out and gave up. So bad, I still remember the name 30 years later.
Yeah, Drakkan wasn't the greatest for me, either. Totally agree about the confusion. Plus it was super slow even for the early gen SNES games at the time. I tried it a few times and it was not impressed. Hard pass there.
@@timidalchemist8475 Superior how? I can name some of the changes made in the SNES port that make it a much more linear experience- having a wandering merchant in the secret hut early game, so you can actually acquire cash for later, the end of game strip in the center of the land doesn't instantly kill you, the riddle checklist to end the game isn't necessary, THE ANAK HEALS FOR FREE.... you can't accidentally swing on Drakkhen lords and have to reload your game... I could go on. It's a much easier game to complete.
I had no idea this was on SNES and honestly it doesn't actually look that bad, for the most part it looks like a pretty faithful port. It looks like its a bit slower paced than the PC version which may be better for some people because sometimes you can get swarmed and shredded instantly by the enemy on some missions. Not to mention the view angle and lack of object transparency can make the game difficult to navigate no matter what platform you're on. And don't forget about satellite reign which came out a while ago and was a spiritual successor to syndicate.
Just started the SNES version, before I played way back on DOS. Having been very familiar with the game, the SNES version actually has its ups. I love the weapons no need to refill ammo and control with the dpad actually solid and well mapped. It's easy access now with the SNES playing on the emulator on my phone and feels pretty nostalgic. It's a great port. I also tried the genesis version but it has low sounds and less animations and colours.
I don't remember Syndicate, but it sounds like something I would've loved back then as a kid (even if I'm sure it wouldn't hold up if I tried it as an adult). As far as PC ports to the SNES go, while I never played Sim City 2000, I did LOVE the original SNES version of Sim City and I feel it's a better version of the game than the original PC version (I had both growing up and the SNES version had more features and variety). The only other PC port that came to a console back then and was superior on the console (as far as I know) was Sid Meier's Pirates; the Sega Genesis version is the best version of that game and is like a nicer, more refined version of the PC game.
I remember playing through this one on SNES when it came out, and let me tell you, I kept watching those cutscenes over and over. For SNES, this was awesome. I also loved the Chibi style characters. It was a more than decent port with its own charm for sure. Sure, nowadays the PC port is almost certainly the better option, especially with a mouse. But don't dismiss the SNES port. Give it a try. You might actually like it...
There's a particular age range of people in the UK who went to state school which inevitably had a room with a handful of Acorn Arcemedies computers. I'm one of them! There was an awesome port of Cannon Fodder installed on all the ones at my school.
If you think the controls on the SNES version are complicated, just remember that the Genesis/SCD versions only supported the three-button controller... I still get cramps thinking about it. The Jaguar and 3DO versions are very different in that they're more direct ports from DOS/Amiga, with a more zoomed-out view (which you could adjust on the Jaguar) and none of the anime-style character redesigns. The big problem is that they also brought over the point-and-click interface and expected you to make it work on a D-pad (there was a 3DO mouse, but the game didn't support it). The Jaguar version benefited a bit from the weird keypad controller, but I don't even want to think about playing the Atlantic Accelerator mission using a D-pad for the cursor.
I really liked populous for the SNES. I've never actually played it on anything else. I was just about to buy it on GOG and a few reviews say they should have the Amiga version as it is superior so I'll have to set up an emulator I guess. This game on PC doesn't look that bad though but I'm getting a shadowrun vibe from it and although I had that on the Genesis the setting really isn't something I'm into. But hey, you put Populous on my mind again!
Wow no idea this version exists. Loved the OG on PC. Played it on release and it always sticks out in my head as the first game that gave me high resolution options.
1 Work to get the Brain v4 upgrade ASAP. 2 Send your fully brained up agents into a mission with Persuadertrons. 3 Persuade EVERYONE you can, civilians, then cops, then enemy agents 4 Fill your coffers with money and weapons, research everything to max levels 5 Have a roster of OP agents by mission 10 Everything you pick up that you didn't already own cuts the time for research way down. Enemy agents will not be able to persuade your agents, don't worry about it. Enemy agents you persuaded often come with upgrades or awesome weapons.
Both 16 bit versions of syndicate are very different and pale if compared to the Amiga original, or the DOS and Mac versions because of hardware limitations. But if you compare them to each other the SEGA Genesis version looks a tiny bit sharper because of the slightly wider resolution and that's it. The controls in the menus are confusing while the gameplay controls in the mega drive version are horrible... You have to press 2 buttons all the time or even sometimes 3 buttons at the same time to change weapons or other simple actions. You don't get the objectives mapped during the mission so instead of persuading just a few individuals you have to do it with everyone hoping for the best. A lot of the missions have specific spots where you need to pick up items or various evacuation points and you have no idea where they are so you end up wandering aimlessly until you locate them. The SNES version has all the objectives mapped out so you know where you need to go and what to do, the controls are much more user friendly because every of the 6 buttons performs an action minimising the few button combinations at 2.
I played this one the mega drive all the time, and bought it on GOG to relive some old times and to this day have no idea what's going on. I understood the game better when I was a kid but I love it. And Syndicate Wars on the ps1 was even better. It's funny to see Bullfrog did a better Cyberpunk game in the early 90s than CDPR did over 25 years later.
I still play it "however I can" every so often. Something about the simplicity and world building keeps me hooked until I reach a level that needs skill and fast reflexes, haha.
Apparently the original computer version of this game had an expansion called American Revolt, and also this series had a FPS reboot released in 2011 developed by Starbreeze, and that one had Skrillex did a dubstep remix of this game's theme, though. Also one of the original Syndicate game programmers, Sean Cooper, used this game's mechanics for the Boxhead flash game series, which he also created, that in fact Boxhead is a spiritual sequel to this game. I remember playing this game years ago, but I can't understand it's game play. The PC version is available on GOG, btw.
2012 is not a remake of the game. Its a 1st person shooter. Its okay and stylish but a bit short. Sequel was syndicate wars for dos with 3d engine with sprites. Theres a recompile of it with windows support. Really these are better with a mouse.
I had this game as a kid, but I didn't have the manual. I could never figure out what I was doing and would give up after half an hour or so. For some reason though I would occasionally pop it back into the SNES and try again and I beat one mission entirely by accident. Games like this were rough in the pre internet days when all you knew about a game was the cover art and maybe the occasional magazine review.
I hear Bullfrog games I immediately think of Dungeon Keeper. I really miss the Peter Molyneux style sims of the 90's. Folks have tried to do various sims today, but none have really grabbed me the way those did.
I have a 400 pages manual for Ultima VIII, Wing Comander and Sindicate owned by my father and I have no idea how he got it, we live in Brazil and at that time PCgaming was extreme expensive. Sometimes we and my wife take it to class, we are history teachers, to show to kids how even the smallest of things had the mark of its time and changes over time; and in this case, how the games teachs you how to play.
It's fascinating how type of platform (PC / console / handheld) leads to very different kinds of genres. Real Time Tactics (RTT) games like Syndicate could I've only come due to keyboard/mouse controls.
I got this one a while back, ended up trading it. The lack of saving your research progress really killed it. Pretty clunky but it was kind of fun messing around with it. Also on Genesis and much more affordable if weird janky ports of PC games on 16 bit consoles is your jam.
I was a poor kid who did not have a pc but did have a snes. Had Syndicate for it and it was a very very serviceable port. Played this a lot and at the time it was great. Nowadays it's not worth playing with how many and easy to find alternatives there are, but for it's time, it was actually great.
There are definitely games that had a place back at the time but the environment in gaming now ultimately changes the perspective on it. Back in 1993, most SNES players probably didn't have access to a computer, or even another console.
Something this port has going for it is the direct control instead of pointing and clicking. The 3DO version embarrassed itself by making you point and click but still using a controller. Sure, this version isn't as good as the PC version overall, but I really appreciate that direct control making the whole process a lot more fun. SNES Syndicate is still a solid 8/10 for me considering the target platform.
I rented this one weekend with a friend and a pizza for a sleepover Friday. It did not come with a manual. There was no internet wiki to check back then. After fucking around with the controls and screens and not getting anything out of it, I think we just popped Rock N Racing back in and played that for another half dozen hours.
There's only one reason to play the SNES version over the original and that's multiplayer. It's a very different experience when your agents are controlled by four different players.
I can definitely imagine this being a hot title for the "It's 1993 and my family doesn't own a computer" set. There was quite a niche there to be filled, and while most of the games that attempted to do so fell flat on their faces, the few that managed to transcend their limitations were REALLY worth playing. A small number of them continue to hold up even today. The SNES port of Sim City is to this day my favourite version of that game and SNES Shadowrun*, for all it's gameplay flaws, is a stone cold classic in terms of pre-CD era 16 bit atmosphere and storytelling. This game looks to just barely make the cut for a playable PC port, and that alone is worthy of at least some respect.
*(Yes I know SNES Shadowrun is not a port of a PC game. But it's still very much trying to fill the "pc games on console" niche.)
Shadowrun is a good point, both versions of Shadowrun (SNES and MD) are in style of computer RPGs like Wasteland or Ultima.
Mario Paint is a big example of that too. It was a genuine attempt at creating utility software instead of just games. Have a cartridge that plays something you're more likely to see on a computer than a games console
Man I loved Syndicate on PC. While I didn´t know that it had a SNES port, this game was the reason why I jumped on Shadowrun as soon as I saw it.
Small correction: It wasn't ported to DOS, the DOS version was the first version released along with the Amiga port. It didn't receive a Windows port until 2012.
Also, it should be noted that the Amiga version is somewhat cut down from the DOS version. It has less variety in the vehicles and less detail in the graphics. The Amiga version of the American Revolt data disk is missing the ability to call in airstrikes.
In any version (well, at least the computer versions), a good tactic in the early missions is to pick up any dropped weapons, especially miniguns, even if they're empty, as they can be sold for a hefty profit. I believe it also makes researching those weapons faster/cheaper if you already have some to study. The time bombs implanted in enemy agents' chests also fetch quite a profit, but picking them up before they explode can be risky.
In the later levels, where the enemy agents get more dangerous, the best strategy seems to be to arm your guys with flamethrowers, hide at the back corner of a building, let the enemy come to you, and then roast them as soon as they come around the corner. It may not be the bravest strategy, but it works great. :)
I played a LOT of this back when it came out, because my dad's work PC (my only other gaming device at the time) couldn't run it. It was actually decent if you got through it's opaque design, with lots of cool weapons, upgrades and mission variety. I have fond memories of conquering a couple of regions and then leaving my SNES running through the day while I was at high school, so I could come home to huge amount of tax revenue and buy all the fanciest cybernetics and gauss rifles.
it seems enough like sega Shadowrun that i'm kinda pissed that this is the first i've heard of it. looks like the kind of game one could burn a lot of time on.
This is actually super impressive to me. I'm amazed they even tried to recreate the various cinematic bits. I can only imagine trying to do Atlantic Accelerator using those clunky SNES controls. I played the hell out of this on Mac back in the day and would love to see a remaster with basic QoL fixes, mainly pathfinding and vehicle control...
we really could use a modern syndicate that ISN'T an FPS XD
Total length of video: 340 secs.
Total length of "SNES Drunk": 2.5 secs.
.74% of the video was spent listening to "SNES Drunk".
Totally worth it! 😁
I played it a lot on both SNES and Genesis (these versions actually have their differences). And it was fun. Yeah you don't understand what's going on at first, but it's interesting to explore the game and discover lots of stuff. Like how you can "persuade" enemy agents and they will join you after the mission, or how you can find hidden weapons in certain buildings, or how you can blow up enemies with rockets while they are outside the screen
Yeah, I hard disagree with SNES Drunk's take: Syndicate was great, even if the console ports had wonky controls. I had a really great time with the SNES and Mega Drive versions back in the '90s.
That game does look pretty awesome. Cyberpunk games in the 90s are my weakness.
I loved this game so much back in the '90s.
I have the same problem
Aw man, no need to say Acorn Archimedes like that. We had them at our school, they were fantastic computers; way ahead of IBM PCs of the day. RISC OS was really nice to use. They live on today in the ARM chips in yer phones and tablets.
I had an Acorn Archimedes as a kid, it was a fantastic computer and there were some great games available for it.
Fun fact, they had 'Acorn RISC Machine' processors in them, ARM, the grandparent of the processor that's in your phone and shiny new Macbook.
3:37 "Eat your heart out, Barry Bonds" killed me as a baseball fan
I have started telling people that I hope they have a great rest of their day thanks to this channel.
Going back to his early videos before he started saying it... It feels really weird when a video ends and he doesn't say it. It's like either the video isn't actually done or maybe he's in a bad mood or something.
I'll often pick up on quotes from Pitch Meeting without realising it.
@@joshoshea3194 picking up quotes from a channel in other channels is *TIGHT!*
@@djpegao why.
I do the same thing, have been for years
Syndicate on the computer was one of the best. I can’t believe it didn’t get more imitators
There's a Satellite Reign on PC which is, basically, a remake of a Syndicate. Great game.
I only played a couple levels, it seemed like an RTS game without any of the fun base building. Maybe I didn't give it enough of a chance...
@@TheWarmotor The "base building" is gearing up your freak army and selecting where you want to expand geopolitically. Not for everybody I'm sure but I like it.
I thought this game was terrible on PC back in the day. I hated it so much.
Cannon Fodder was kinda similar, just more action oriented.
Syndicate was fucking awesome at the time and me and all my friends loved it even though we primarily knew it through this version. I do remeber primarily being annoyed that the trenchcoats looked brown rather than black lol. I think a lot of regular families at the time couldn't afford PC so this was the closest we could get to it without going to the house of the token rich kid in the friend group. It truly is an awesome game and I think SNES Drunk is being a touch too harsh on it here, although I get what he is saying from an 'is it worth playing now' perspective when there are clearly better versions. Still, at the time this was pretty much the closest thing to an immersive Bladerunner type experience that you were gonna get, especially on SNES.
As for it being too hard to understand, I had this game second hand with no box or manual at 11 or 12 years old and worked it out fine with no internet to rely on - the game itself does a really good job of explaining everything if you take the time to read the hints / menu explanations / lore etc.
I think part of the issue is that gamers today expect to led around by the nose. Back in the '80s and '90s, we were much happier to figure stuff out for ourselves in our small friend groups.
0:50 😅
Yep, the ARC was a pretty big deal over here and a strong competitor to the Amiga 1200. A friend of mine had one and raved about its power. But computer tech was moving along at such a rapid pace after a couple of years it was ready for the Ark.
Probably one of the last of what you could call a 'hobby computer ' before the PC and Mac became affordable and commonplace
This is one of the best retro gaming channels period.
For as much as I loved Syndicate Wars on PC back in the day, I could never get into the original. I also really enjoyed the FPS reboot, even though it missed the point with its main campaign (the multiplayer missions, on the other hand, were much more interesting). Satellite Reign is also a great spiritual successor, for those who like this sort of game.
Great video, Drunk! Always good to see a new video. I hope all is well over there.
I couldn't quite get into the original as well. I played it, and it more or less fun, but at not point was I amazed by it.
Got this on the EA Replay compilation for psp, was so excited to finally play it, started it up and wow, got lost on the menus trying to start a stage then had no idea what I was doing..
Good to see this covered. One of my best gaming memories was me and 2 friends conquering this game together.great memories.👍🏾💯
Thx for doing my request mr. drunk! Loved the vid. We played it a lot because it had 4 player support. But the cam only followed player 1 so it sometimes was really chaotic :)
Man, I really loved that Game. That Main Menu Theme still runs in my Head regularly.
Don't know if you've heard the 2012 version by Skrillex they did for Xbox 360, but I think it's pretty dope th-cam.com/video/b2vhoxmRPAQ/w-d-xo.html
4:09 , come on, we all saw it, don't deny it, they slipped in a penis into this game.
on another note, grew up with the dos version, the intro cutscene really upset me, the idea that all these agents are normal people abducted from the streets and made into cyborgs, made little me very afraid, especially the part when they take away ur arms and legs for cybernetic version, spooky.
Fond memories of playing this version co-op with a friend.
The atmosphere still holds up with that music, the blade runner aesthetic was rad.
Getting crucial AI characters stuck in buildings that were meant to follow you to objectives was a horror though, would be the first thing to fix in a romhack.
Yeah this game is very fun to play in coop
aw man, I remember getting hype about this game from an old issue of GameFan! (the one with Riptor and B Orchid on the cover)
This is so interesting, I was looking up the PC/Amiga version for comparison and they really "chibified' the character sprites and indeed gave them Toriyama inspired faces in the menu screen (no such thing on the PC). I honestly find the look of this SNES version a bit more endearing and less sterile.
This game was so awesome on the computer. Never checked out the SNES version. I loved mowing down the trees with the mini gun. Pretty amazing game! Thanks for the great recap!
We actually had this game on SNES when I was a kid. Had no idea even that it was a port.
We never really figured out what to do (don't think we had the manual), but the artstyle and music really created an atmosphere that was totally different from anything else we had on the SNES. Heavy nostalgia for this, but little urge to play it again.
Snesdrunk hope you have a good rest of your day!
Game was just too esoteric, even THEN for a lot of gamers. I remember my best friend playing this...it's just way too much for me, but he LOVED IT. That was him though...he was in to Shadowrun and Herzog Zwei and Combat and all these unique games...helped me to expand my own gaming palette because I would've played Tecmo Super Bowl and Street Fighter II Turbo all day long if left to my own devices lmao.
Esoteric is a good way to describe it, though a lot of games were back then (especially PC games).
One of the best games I have played on SNES as a kid. I never had a chance to play it on a PC or any other platform, but completed snes version multiple times. Plus it have multiplayer. Just give it a chance, it worth it, so many memories with that missions? it was really a blast to play!
We had Acorns in our IT room when I was at a British school in Saudi Arabia in the 90's. Used to play a LOTR game on my lunch break.
I first heard about this game in Nintendo Power magazine and I thought it looked awesome. I loved how you could customize every detail of your agents and the way development was couched in the lore. Unfortunately it was years before I had an SNES and when I finally DID get the game, I kept running into this problem where about the third mission I would complete the objective but there seemed to be no way to exit the stage and I couldn't advance. It was a real shame, too, because I was enjoying it.
I had completely forgotten about this! Little 12 year old me was so into dark cyberpunk motifs and bought this on PC, but i couldn't figure it out to save my life. Seems really reminiscent of Front Mission's structure in some ways tbh
I never played it, though I remember coming close to renting this several times. Had I been into Bullfrog games at that time I would have totally given it a try, as Gene Wars and Dungeon Keeper were two of my first games on the PC, and I played and enjoyed them extensively.
Dungeon Keeper is badass
Dungeon Keeper was genuinely fantastic
Yay! A shout out for the Acorn Archimedes! 😄
Great video. Thanks @SNES drunk I think the SNES version was a valiant effort & fairly impressive for the system but yeh, play it on Amiga, PC or if you’re very lucky Archimedes.
I remember hearing about Syndicate from back in the day. It was just off the back of Shadowrun for me. I loved Shadowrun and it was one of my favourite RPGs ever and I remember seeing Syndicate in Nintendo Magazine System and thinking it looked like another Shadowrun type game. I never got round to getting it, but from what you've said here, I'm glad I didn't.
Given what you've said, I think you probably did miss out: Syndicate was a great game and the console ports were pretty impressive for their time. I have a lot of respect for SNES Drunk's opinion, but I think he's very wrong about Syndicate. He's right that you'd probably be better playing the DOS or Amiga versions, though.
I think you've been a little mean perhaps. This game genuinely blew my mind when i played it around 94. It had a lot of elements which generally weren't available in most other 16 bit games, for instance:
(1) control of a squad of mercs at the same time, instead of the typical 1 player protagonist.
(2) an ability to instantly switch between different squad members at different places within the map.
(3 ) the ability to modify your squad members and become emotionally attached to your created cyborgs.
(4) it allowed you to decide on your own tactics for level completion, unlike platformers and SCHMUPS.
(5) they created an extremely dark dystopia, unlike most other games on the SNES.
(6) the game had strange tech, like the persuadatron, and experimented with narcotics infusion.
(7) it was also the 1st game i'd played which expected global dominance, with associated map.
Watching your review i can clearly see a subtle influence for Dues Ex, Remember me, or possibly the new Cyber Punk 2077. Syndicate wasn't perfect by any means and might not be amazingly playable today, but it does deserve credit for it's achievements on the SNES. Incidentally Syndicate on the PS1 has none of the charm of this SNES version, hence i had to quit very early. Likewise Syndicate on the PS3 was absolutely charmless, i hated everything about it, and also quitted after about 3 or 4 hours.
Syndicate Wars on the SNES was like Body Harvest on the N64, a game which made you think about the future of videogames.
i never played but it has that atmosphere that i love so I want to play it one day
Your obscure and somewhat dated references are a balm on my soul. "Stossel" and "Anthony" *chef's kiss*
Commented too early. Bonds!
And they say Dennis Miller is the king of obscure reference comedy…
"John Stosel has really gone to far this time" LOL 🤣😄😄
P.s. I really love John Stosel.
Good video! I never even knew about this game, but it is always interesting learning about some of the more obscure titles in the SNES' history. It is surprising Nintendo let this one go as they were usually pretty sensitive about more mature or dark content in games at the time.
FUN FACT: Syndicate was also released on the Atari Jaguar!
The Acorn Archimedes was an excellent little computer! What a nostalgia rush!
I remember some kid I was kind of friends with back in elementary school had this game. I went over to his house this one time, and he was playing it, and I was like "what is this game" and, without taking his eyes off the screen, he replied in the most serious tone "this...is the future ಠ_ಠ".
"Some kid whose house you went over to one time" could be an entire literary genre. We all know THAT kid.
@@kz1000ps kids these days wouldnt understand, they dont own anything!
@@kz1000ps Yeah, this kid liked to light stuff on fire and do "experiments".
I like how you mentioned "Shadowrun." My first thought for looking at this game was "It looks like a poor man's 'Shadowrun.'" And "Shadowrun" is one of my favorite SNES games.
I feel like this series never really took off. I remember playing the original on PC when I was young and not really understanding what was going on, but really digging the vibe. There was also that FPS like ten years ago and a spiritual sequel a sometime later.
Oh man, I had forgotten about the fps
Syndicate was also on the Atari ST and the Atari Jaguar.
"every mission kinda feels the same" - well you just described each and every molineux's game ever
Loved Syndicate on PC back in the day. My dad got us a 486 with a 400mb hard drive and it came with CD with 4 games on it. Ultima 8, Strike Commander, Wing Commander 2 and Syndicate. Classic games. Loved them all.
A gaming PC was out of reach to this 12 year old so it had to be the SNES version for me. Loved the vibe and style of the game but it took me forever to work out how to mind control someone to get them to follow you so it sat on the shelf for ages. Once I worked that out, it was great fun to play through.
We had Shadowrun on the Mega Drive, back in the day. I remember a friend saying he had that game too, on the SNES. He showed me this...
I only knew about the SNES version of this game but my siblings, cousins and I loved it! Didn't understand the game at first but experimentation quickly taught us. This game is a classic for us
I love all these "shit on John Stossel" jokes. I don't know if you write them explicitly for me, but it feels like you do.
I like that there is a small community of people who appreciate them
I thought I was the only one who remembered Drakkan. It is the dumbest game I've ever played. Completely incomprehensible. I've rented it twice, trying to figure it out and gave up. So bad, I still remember the name 30 years later.
Yeah, Drakkan wasn't the greatest for me, either. Totally agree about the confusion. Plus it was super slow even for the early gen SNES games at the time. I tried it a few times and it was not impressed. Hard pass there.
As someone who has played both versions (SNES and PC) the PC version is superior and isn’t confusing compared to its console port.
@@timidalchemist8475 Superior how? I can name some of the changes made in the SNES port that make it a much more linear experience- having a wandering merchant in the secret hut early game, so you can actually acquire cash for later, the end of game strip in the center of the land doesn't instantly kill you, the riddle checklist to end the game isn't necessary, THE ANAK HEALS FOR FREE.... you can't accidentally swing on Drakkhen lords and have to reload your game... I could go on. It's a much easier game to complete.
Drakkan 2 rules
Drakkan was terrible. Then again it provided some very entertaining speedruns at older GDQs
It’s impossible for me to not see this as the cutesy Theme Park people going around conducting assassinations
I had no idea this was on SNES and honestly it doesn't actually look that bad, for the most part it looks like a pretty faithful port. It looks like its a bit slower paced than the PC version which may be better for some people because sometimes you can get swarmed and shredded instantly by the enemy on some missions. Not to mention the view angle and lack of object transparency can make the game difficult to navigate no matter what platform you're on.
And don't forget about satellite reign which came out a while ago and was a spiritual successor to syndicate.
The console ports were actually pretty good, though the controls were pretty wonky.
Just started the SNES version, before I played way back on DOS. Having been very familiar with the game, the SNES version actually has its ups. I love the weapons no need to refill ammo and control with the dpad actually solid and well mapped. It's easy access now with the SNES playing on the emulator on my phone and feels pretty nostalgic. It's a great port. I also tried the genesis version but it has low sounds and less animations and colours.
I don't remember Syndicate, but it sounds like something I would've loved back then as a kid (even if I'm sure it wouldn't hold up if I tried it as an adult).
As far as PC ports to the SNES go, while I never played Sim City 2000, I did LOVE the original SNES version of Sim City and I feel it's a better version of the game than the original PC version (I had both growing up and the SNES version had more features and variety). The only other PC port that came to a console back then and was superior on the console (as far as I know) was Sid Meier's Pirates; the Sega Genesis version is the best version of that game and is like a nicer, more refined version of the PC game.
The PC version was amazing.
some would argue buck rogers on genesis was the version to get
Hahaha their little legs just shifting around like that is so hilarious
I remember playing through this one on SNES when it came out, and let me tell you, I kept watching those cutscenes over and over. For SNES, this was awesome. I also loved the Chibi style characters. It was a more than decent port with its own charm for sure. Sure, nowadays the PC port is almost certainly the better option, especially with a mouse. But don't dismiss the SNES port. Give it a try. You might actually like it...
There's a particular age range of people in the UK who went to state school which inevitably had a room with a handful of Acorn Arcemedies computers. I'm one of them! There was an awesome port of Cannon Fodder installed on all the ones at my school.
Its time for the SnesHunk to emerge.
thanks for talking about what's subpar on the snes rather than just good, makes life easier for completionists such as myself
Always loved the games Bullfrog made, still have Dungeon Keeper 1 installed. Coolest game ever.
If you think the controls on the SNES version are complicated, just remember that the Genesis/SCD versions only supported the three-button controller... I still get cramps thinking about it.
The Jaguar and 3DO versions are very different in that they're more direct ports from DOS/Amiga, with a more zoomed-out view (which you could adjust on the Jaguar) and none of the anime-style character redesigns. The big problem is that they also brought over the point-and-click interface and expected you to make it work on a D-pad (there was a 3DO mouse, but the game didn't support it). The Jaguar version benefited a bit from the weird keypad controller, but I don't even want to think about playing the Atlantic Accelerator mission using a D-pad for the cursor.
A john stossel joke? You're the best snesdrunk!!!
I really liked populous for the SNES. I've never actually played it on anything else. I was just about to buy it on GOG and a few reviews say they should have the Amiga version as it is superior so I'll have to set up an emulator I guess. This game on PC doesn't look that bad though but I'm getting a shadowrun vibe from it and although I had that on the Genesis the setting really isn't something I'm into. But hey, you put Populous on my mind again!
Same here.
I always wanted to play this. My buddy and I loved playing the PlayStation Syndicate Wars.
Wow no idea this version exists. Loved the OG on PC. Played it on release and it always sticks out in my head as the first game that gave me high resolution options.
Gotta love the occasional Drunk dunk on John Stossel
1 Work to get the Brain v4 upgrade ASAP.
2 Send your fully brained up agents into a mission with Persuadertrons.
3 Persuade EVERYONE you can, civilians, then cops, then enemy agents
4 Fill your coffers with money and weapons, research everything to max levels
5 Have a roster of OP agents by mission 10
Everything you pick up that you didn't already own cuts the time for research way down. Enemy agents will not be able to persuade your agents, don't worry about it. Enemy agents you persuaded often come with upgrades or awesome weapons.
I loved this game so much back then..like a deus ex in diablo style
Both 16 bit versions of syndicate are very different and pale if compared to the Amiga original, or the DOS and Mac versions because of hardware limitations.
But if you compare them to each other the SEGA Genesis version looks a tiny bit sharper because of the slightly wider resolution and that's it.
The controls in the menus are confusing while the gameplay controls in the mega drive version are horrible... You have to press 2 buttons all the time or even sometimes 3 buttons at the same time to change weapons or other simple actions.
You don't get the objectives mapped during the mission so instead of persuading just a few individuals you have to do it with everyone hoping for the best.
A lot of the missions have specific spots where you need to pick up items or various evacuation points and you have no idea where they are so you end up wandering aimlessly until you locate them.
The SNES version has all the objectives mapped out so you know where you need to go and what to do, the controls are much more user friendly because every of the 6 buttons performs an action minimising the few button combinations at 2.
I played this one the mega drive all the time, and bought it on GOG to relive some old times and to this day have no idea what's going on. I understood the game better when I was a kid but I love it. And Syndicate Wars on the ps1 was even better.
It's funny to see Bullfrog did a better Cyberpunk game in the early 90s than CDPR did over 25 years later.
GoG gave this game away, a while back (it may still be free), and I forgot about it.
Thank you, S.Drunk, I'll install it right now.
Populus was addictive. Remember renting it so many times my parents should have just bought it for me.
I still play it "however I can" every so often. Something about the simplicity and world building keeps me hooked until I reach a level that needs skill and fast reflexes, haha.
Apparently the original computer version of this game had an expansion called American Revolt, and also this series had a FPS reboot released in 2011 developed by Starbreeze, and that one had Skrillex did a dubstep remix of this game's theme, though. Also one of the original Syndicate game programmers, Sean Cooper, used this game's mechanics for the Boxhead flash game series, which he also created, that in fact Boxhead is a spiritual sequel to this game.
I remember playing this game years ago, but I can't understand it's game play.
The PC version is available on GOG, btw.
2012 is not a remake of the game. Its a 1st person shooter. Its okay and stylish but a bit short.
Sequel was syndicate wars for dos with 3d engine with sprites. Theres a recompile of it with windows support.
Really these are better with a mouse.
I had this game as a kid, but I didn't have the manual. I could never figure out what I was doing and would give up after half an hour or so. For some reason though I would occasionally pop it back into the SNES and try again and I beat one mission entirely by accident. Games like this were rough in the pre internet days when all you knew about a game was the cover art and maybe the occasional magazine review.
It may be the weed, but I absolutely lost my shit at that Stossel joke. Thank you
2:05 Character 1s name is Molyneux . . Lol
I hear Bullfrog games I immediately think of Dungeon Keeper. I really miss the Peter Molyneux style sims of the 90's. Folks have tried to do various sims today, but none have really grabbed me the way those did.
Played the Genesis version a lot back in the day. Loved it.
The SNES version was good, too. I forget which of the two I preferred.
I have a 400 pages manual for Ultima VIII, Wing Comander and Sindicate owned by my father and I have no idea how he got it, we live in Brazil and at that time PCgaming was extreme expensive. Sometimes we and my wife take it to class, we are history teachers, to show to kids how even the smallest of things had the mark of its time and changes over time; and in this case, how the games teachs you how to play.
It's fascinating how type of platform (PC / console / handheld) leads to very different kinds of genres.
Real Time Tactics (RTT) games like Syndicate could I've only come due to keyboard/mouse controls.
I got this one a while back, ended up trading it. The lack of saving your research progress really killed it. Pretty clunky but it was kind of fun messing around with it. Also on Genesis and much more affordable if weird janky ports of PC games on 16 bit consoles is your jam.
The PC version of this is one of my all time favorite games.
I was a poor kid who did not have a pc but did have a snes. Had Syndicate for it and it was a very very serviceable port. Played this a lot and at the time it was great. Nowadays it's not worth playing with how many and easy to find alternatives there are, but for it's time, it was actually great.
I rented It a couple of times back in the day but never undestood very well how to play It . I like the futuristic setting and music.
John Stossel needs to be paying you since your channel is the only place that's consistently mentioned him in the last 20 years.
There are definitely games that had a place back at the time but the environment in gaming now ultimately changes the perspective on it. Back in 1993, most SNES players probably didn't have access to a computer, or even another console.
Something this port has going for it is the direct control instead of pointing and clicking. The 3DO version embarrassed itself by making you point and click but still using a controller. Sure, this version isn't as good as the PC version overall, but I really appreciate that direct control making the whole process a lot more fun. SNES Syndicate is still a solid 8/10 for me considering the target platform.
Acorn was the computer originally built by ARM.
I can't recall - have you covered Shadowrun the SNES? So good!
I knew this game looked familiar, I only knew of it because of the Blue bald character on the box art. Looks like he's apart of the blue man group.
Only ever played the SNES as a youth, and I played it and Populous constantly. I think they taught me the concept of existential dread
I rented this one weekend with a friend and a pizza for a sleepover Friday. It did not come with a manual. There was no internet wiki to check back then. After fucking around with the controls and screens and not getting anything out of it, I think we just popped Rock N Racing back in and played that for another half dozen hours.
Good morning
Good morning to you too.
Ahh, the Persuadatron. The most OP item in the game.
There's only one reason to play the SNES version over the original and that's multiplayer. It's a very different experience when your agents are controlled by four different players.
I played it on the PC back then and I loved it. I still think you could get into it with the right mindset
Love the John Stossel reference