Never played the original, but I did try a fan translation of the Mega Drive port. Seems like they changed a LOT for the MD, and not just the graphics. The MD version had more open areas, and fights took place within the world, rather than on a separate battlefield.
A system I know little about, but it's always interesting to see games push hardware to the limit and beyond. Really nice art direction helps to sell the basic polygonal world and the music is really pretty darn great. I will go now to watch your video on the other game featured...
I'd love to see a video on Alpha Wave, which I knew as Continuum as a kid. I ran it on our 386. It seemed impossible when I remembered it as an adult, and it took me a while to find any information on it.
Hmm, what's cool is that if you look closely at polygons' edges, they are using some sort of edge antialiasing technique to make them look less jagged. Super impressive for 1989!
Phenomenal FM music in this one from the underrated Toshiya Yamanaka - must have been his personal favorite, as he later released a modern remix album of the music in 2012. I love his melody maximizing "wall-of-sound" composition style, also taking influence from jazz fusion with the often unconventional phrasing and chord progressions. Sadly never really got his name on any major games like so many other retro VGM greats. Check out the OSTs for Spindizzy II (X68000), Knight Arms (X68000), and Sin & Punishment (N64), among others if you like Star Cruiser's.
A few people have mentioned the Mega Drive version. I wasn't aware of Star Cruiser prior to it being included on the Mega Drive Mini 2 though. The game is on the PC-88 also, but looks rather horrible on that. There's also a Star Cruiser 2 on PC-98, from 1992, which does look very nice.
Like, I appreciate that they pulled it off, and I love that it exists, but I'd honestly kinda rather just play a regular 1st-person dungeon crawler with 2D graphics lol
Other interesting games for the X68000: Ghoul's n Ghost (Dai Makaimura): Yeah i know, the names scares every veteran, but its a damn fine port, ill tell yah Cho Ran Shen: Best Shoot em up of all time? Possibly? Maybe? Étoile Princesse: fun and surprisingly, has a considerably amount of content
From what I understand, the X68000 has some big advantages over the Amiga and ST when it comes to colour, sound channels, and shifting lots of 2D backgrounds and sprites around. But it did come a little later and cost a lot more. However, the Amiga had a better ability to handle full screen animation at fast frame rates, even though its tile-based 2D performance was more limited. So the Amiga was a slightly better machine for 3D polygons, which needed a fast draw rate. To my eyes, in 3D games the difference between them isn't huge. Both machines had to use tricks like having a static background with a gradient for the ground and sky for example, while reducing colours elsewhere. For more information on this, look up the video on the Sharp X68000 by kinako-oi3fh, who sadly passed away very recently. It's in Japanese but TH-cam's automatic translation should help.
These kind of 3D games don't seem impossible for the X68000, mainly because you had Polygon 3D games on the Amiga and the AtariST. It doesn't look like the custom chipset that the X68000 is used much in these games and that the 68000 processor is is doing all the work. Look at Frontier on the Amiga. The 68000 probably does Planer graphics like the Amiga which was better suited for 2D games whereas the PC's did Chunky graphics which was better for 3D games like Doom, which is probably why the X68000 struggles more than I would've expected when it comes to FPS in these games.
Never played the original, but I did try a fan translation of the Mega Drive port. Seems like they changed a LOT for the MD, and not just the graphics. The MD version had more open areas, and fights took place within the world, rather than on a separate battlefield.
Def feels almost like a completely diff game
A system I know little about, but it's always interesting to see games push hardware to the limit and beyond. Really nice art direction helps to sell the basic polygonal world and the music is really pretty darn great. I will go now to watch your video on the other game featured...
Seems like so few people know much at all of the X68000 library
I'd love to see a video on Alpha Wave, which I knew as Continuum as a kid.
I ran it on our 386. It seemed impossible when I remembered it as an adult, and it took me a while to find any information on it.
Maybe in the future :)
Very cool to see 3D on platforms that weren't designed for it! But dat frame rate!
I mean it’s just earlier Jaguar lol
Heck yeah, we are so back. Glad you're doing more videos on the x68000
This is the last one fyi
i still haven't tried this one but it is very impressive. thanks again for sharing
Happy to do it
Hmm, what's cool is that if you look closely at polygons' edges, they are using some sort of edge antialiasing technique to make them look less jagged. Super impressive for 1989!
It’s impressive just what they could pull off back then
Phenomenal FM music in this one from the underrated Toshiya Yamanaka - must have been his personal favorite, as he later released a modern remix album of the music in 2012.
I love his melody maximizing "wall-of-sound" composition style, also taking influence from jazz fusion with the often unconventional phrasing and chord progressions.
Sadly never really got his name on any major games like so many other retro VGM greats.
Check out the OSTs for Spindizzy II (X68000), Knight Arms (X68000), and Sin & Punishment (N64), among others if you like Star Cruiser's.
Ooh fun. I’ll have to look for the remix
Reminds me of another game Arsys made for the PC88 called Alpharoid. Very cool stuff for the year it was released.
I’ll have to look that one up
A few people have mentioned the Mega Drive version. I wasn't aware of Star Cruiser prior to it being included on the Mega Drive Mini 2 though. The game is on the PC-88 also, but looks rather horrible on that. There's also a Star Cruiser 2 on PC-98, from 1992, which does look very nice.
Lots of diff versions for which an obscure game
Like, I appreciate that they pulled it off, and I love that it exists, but I'd honestly kinda rather just play a regular 1st-person dungeon crawler with 2D graphics lol
It’s mostly a technical showcase but I love a good showcase
I wonder what the game looks like it if you overclock the system like two times.
Bit better frame rate I’d presume
Other interesting games for the X68000:
Ghoul's n Ghost (Dai Makaimura): Yeah i know, the names scares every veteran, but its a damn fine port, ill tell yah
Cho Ran Shen: Best Shoot em up of all time? Possibly? Maybe?
Étoile Princesse: fun and surprisingly, has a considerably amount of content
Done two of the three and the third will appear eventually :)
Amazing that this version got translated!! Which version's better this one or on the genesis?
This one for sure
Game still looks good after all these ears VGE. Nice video as usual bro. 8^)
The lack of textures def help it age well
Cant figure out how to play this on batocera but i did try the sega
Megadrive version. Pretty cool
Getting X68000 emulation running is a chore and a half
The game and his translation works well on MiSTer FPGA Core? Thanks!
Last I tried it does yes
This reminds me of the flat polygons of Amiga 500 & Atari ST games. Do you think X68000 is more or less capable than those when it comes to 3D?
I know basically nothing of the Amiga and Atari hardware so it’s a 🤷🏻♂️
From what I understand, the X68000 has some big advantages over the Amiga and ST when it comes to colour, sound channels, and shifting lots of 2D backgrounds and sprites around. But it did come a little later and cost a lot more.
However, the Amiga had a better ability to handle full screen animation at fast frame rates, even though its tile-based 2D performance was more limited. So the Amiga was a slightly better machine for 3D polygons, which needed a fast draw rate.
To my eyes, in 3D games the difference between them isn't huge. Both machines had to use tricks like having a static background with a gradient for the ground and sky for example, while reducing colours elsewhere.
For more information on this, look up the video on the Sharp X68000 by kinako-oi3fh, who sadly passed away very recently. It's in Japanese but TH-cam's automatic translation should help.
@Banderpop oh for sure. It’s a 2D powerhouse
@Banderpop
Thanks for your insight!😀
These kind of 3D games don't seem impossible for the X68000, mainly because you had Polygon 3D games on the Amiga and the AtariST. It doesn't look like the custom chipset that the X68000 is used much in these games and that the 68000 processor is is doing all the work. Look at Frontier on the Amiga. The 68000 probably does Planer graphics like the Amiga which was better suited for 2D games whereas the PC's did Chunky graphics which was better for 3D games like Doom, which is probably why the X68000 struggles more than I would've expected when it comes to FPS in these games.
Even if the technical explanation isn’t exciting seeing polygons on a 1989 game always will be to me personally
Sounds like Guardian Legend upgraded to 3d.
Similar vibes
while very cool, i gotta say i think i prefer geograph seal. that could be my inner jumping flash fan speaking though.
Of the two Geograph Seal is my preferred too
There is port this game para Sega MegaDrive !!
Such an interesting game to get a port
Anything that runs at 5 fps can't be enjoyable IMO. The system has much faster 3D titles.
Enjoyable is very subjective imo
There is port this game para Sega MegaDrive !!
th-cam.com/video/5Bc-adLTbsQ/w-d-xo.html