3D Acceleration Comparison Ep11: Mechwarrior 2 - 3DFX / PowerVR / S3 Virge / ATI Rage / Matrox Mys
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- Mechwarrior 2: 31st Century Combat. Comparison of the 3D enhanced OEM versions bundled with early 3D acceleration cards in 1996. This video only focuses on the 3D accelerated OEM versions, not the retail DOS/Windows, Battlepack & Titanium releases. Please check my bonus video (coming soon!) for a comparison of those versions.
The PowerVR version is arguably the best of the bunch as it has the best graphics and best overall framerate. The 3DFX version does have the benefit of a higher resolution (800x600) option, but lacks textures on the mechs, as well as shorter draw distance, no fog and don't have the same stable framerate. Due to what I think is a bug in the game, moving the torso with the mouse in the 3DFX version can cause framerate drops from a steady 35-37 to below 20. If you turn you mech just by moving the legs the framerate stays as normal. This have been tested on two different computers with various Voodoo cards. My bonus video (coming soon!) with Voodoo 1 and 2 framerate benchmarks shows this issue more in depth.
-How to run the 3DFX version on Windows 7 64bit (and other Windows versions)
1. If you don't have the 3DFX version please skip this whole section and see below
2. Download nGlide and install it. bit.ly/ZmbtbR
3. Install MechVM www.mechvm.org/
4. Set Windows 95 compatibility on mechvm.exe
5. Install Mechwarrior 2 through MechVM
6. Copy dplay.dll from your Mechwarrior 2 disc /directx folder to the Mech2 installation folder.
7. Set Windows 95 compatibility on mech2.exe
8. Run the game with mech2.exe and enjoy!
-How to convert Windows retail version to 3DFX and run on Windows 7 64bit:
1. Download nGlide and install it. bit.ly/ZmbtbR
2. Copy all the files from your Mech2 CD to a folder on your harddrive. Call it Mech2Setup.
3. Download toastytech.com/... and extract into Mech2Setup.
4. Set Windows 95 compatibility on setup32.exe, run it and install the game.
5. Copy dplay.dll from Mech2Setup/DirectX to the game installation folder.
6. Download the 3DFX conversion files (those on Vogons don't work for converting!) So please use these: www.mediafire.c... .Extract the files into the game installation folder.
7. Set Windows 95 compatibility on mech2.exe
8. Run the game with mech2.exe and enjoy!
9. If you want the music to play, you need to have the disc in the tray.
-If you have the hardware for the other 3D accelerated versions, conversion files are available here: bit.ly/Q50UJZ
-How to run the game on a Voodoo 2:
1. FastVoodoo drivers does NOT work. Install these from 3DFX (3.03): bit.ly/RM62kJ
2. Copy Glide.dll and ss1init.dll from the driver to the game installation directory.
3. Make a .bat file using notepad with the following: bit.ly/SXxAo1
4. Enjoy!
Captured with Avermedia GameBroadcaster HD on:
Asus P3B-F v1.03 (Intel 440BX chipset)
Intel P3 1050mhz w/ Slot 1 adapter (10.5x100mhz)
1024MB SDRAM CL2
Techworks Aureal Vortex2 SuperQuad
Windows 98SE
With these cards:
Orchid Righteous Voodoo1 4MB PCI (Glide - 640x480)
Diamond Monster II Voodoo2 8MB (Glide - 800x600)
PowerVR PCX2 4MB PCI (PowerSGL)
S3 Virge GX2 4MB AGP (S3D)
ATI 3D Rage II 4MB PCI (ATICIF)
Matrox Mystique 220 4MB PCI (MSI)
I know you might not see this now, but this is a lot of effort put into this video and I’m very pleased you have done this and I’m sure everyone commends your work!
Should have kept my old hardware, damnit. Didn't seem important back then.
Good Old Days ...
I kept my Voodoo 3 3000, Voodoo 5 5000, Ati Radeo 9800 Pro, and my GeForce4 MX440 :)
I wish I kept my Geforce 256. I lived in China when I got it, it was some kind of engineering sample or something. I lived pretty close to Shenzhen so it was probably lifted from the production line!
In hindsight I would say just sticking to the DOS version, there are quite a few annoying bugs in any of the Windows versions, like CD tracks messing up when pausing or jump jets not refilling or even worse in Mechwarrior 2 Mercs having shots pass through opponents; The added textures from the GPU versions aint worth it. :(
I would seriously suggest googling up "MechWarrior 2 Portable", might not feel as authentic as having a beige box beside you but it's certainly the quickest way to play on Windows10 today.
I remember MW2 in software-rendered mode - so many hours spent looking at untextured polygons. Then I upgraded my rig, the new one had a Mystique, and I was blown away by the fact that now textures were a thing :D good times, good times.
This video is simply amazing. I just wanted you to know. I played the crap out of MW2, in many of the different editions, back in the day. I consider its soundtrack to be in the top single digits for best video game soundtrack of all time.
Thanks! I also agree that the soundtrack is simply amazing.
7 years later and I'm still anxiously waiting for those bonus videos... ;)
10 years :)
the Matrox Mistique version was my childhood, seeing those visuals again put a smile on my face, and after seeing all versions i honestly think the Mistique version is superior, not because of nostalgia, but because it is the only version where the cockpit has textures, the sky textures are just better, and it has a darker contrast depth, that and after seeing some of the sky textures again after 25 years, i can say with absolute certainty that the cloudy textures remind me of the Matrix where Morpheus is explaining to Neo what happened to the Earth, and i honestly think such dramatic sky imagery and colors belong in this game, to remove them or replace them with something else takes away that almost 90's-esque dramatic flare
I do have original CD with this Matrox version and freshly bought Mystique P220 ... I need to return to P90Mhz times again :-)
An excellent, professional presentation of an amazing classic series of unique games made in the 90s. I commend you for all your hard work put into each of your videos. I look forward to more comparisons of my favorite classic games.
I had a Matrox M3D (PowerVR based) back in 1998. There were very few games that worked well with it, but the ones that did looked and played better than with any other 3D accelerator of that time. Games like Unreal, Ultimate Race and as this video shows Mechwarrior 2.
Thanks! One change I've been thinking about is if it be more interesting to see the games and cards to run on time correct 1995/1996/1997 systems? Would show the framerate differences better and give a better insight into what gamers could expect back then, but might give other results compared to a Pentium 3 system. For instance with Mechwarrior 2 on a P133 the PowerVR version would probably not run as well compared to 3DFX and Matrox.
If you got a retrosystem and the PowerVR card, go for the PowerVR port. I prefer that. If that is not available go for the 3DFX and Matrox versions. If you are playing on a modern system, then go for 3DFX. With the nGlide wrapper you can play the game at a high resolution if you accept that the colors are a bit off compared to the real hardware.
Wow, PowerVR I would say was the best, now I see why Sega chose that for their new Dreamcast hardware. I thought 3dfx would've won.
3dfx was far superior to any other card... i had and matrox mystique before i bought powrvr, which i exchanged for voodoo1 when i saw how it performs... tho i never played this game i can say for lots of others... voodoo1 ftw
Cauda Miller Don't get me wrong, Voodoo was the most powerful in terms of performance, PowerVR just looks a little better...at leasts in this game.
Dash even tho i got this game with mistique i never put it into drive, i was more into quake and such... but i understand , voodoos always had some sort of dithering but i looked at it trough fingers since gameplay was sooooooo smooth
PowerVR is still around their chips are commonly used in mobile devices now. Power VR actually did have a few advantages over the Voodoo1 when a game was specifically programmed for it. It used tile based rendering and infinite planes and used ray tracing for hidden surface removal instead of a Z-buffer. Unfortunately the first gen PowerVR chips had issues with scanline rendering like Direct3D and Open-GL used. You can read about it here www.beyond3d.com/content/articles/38/1 it's pretty interesting how these chips worked.
SImething else to note is unlike other competitors like the 3Dfx cards, the PowerVR cards were very CPU-reliant, which meant if you didn’t have a great CPU you would have problems. Luckily, from why I’m seeing in this vid, it was totally worth it.
Thank you ! My first MW game, took me an IT-computer guy back in the day to come to my home and make it work, lol, but it was worth the 100 bucks. Thx dad !!!!
Good Old Days ! that Fly really fooled me lol
Reactor.... Online
Sensors.... Online
Weapons.... Online
==============
All Systems: Nominal
omg! this brings me back!!!!!!!! my favorite game! Got it with my Matrox Mystique back in the day, blew me away! and the soundtrack...I think it won an award if I'm not mistaken :D I always loved to compare different 3d cards back then heh. Thanks!!!
I think for me PowerVR is the best compromise between visuals and performance. Of course back in the day I just played the software rendered DOS version and was ignorant of all of the OEM stuff. :P
Had this game along with matrox mystique card - very good memmories. Games like that doesn't exist anymore....
I'm sure you won't see this. I see there's an ati rage specific disc, but what about the other cards? Is a basic version ok for voodoo play?
Mech2 was my first real game and I have very fond memories of playing it on my old P133. A couple of years later I got a P233 that came with a Mystique and, surprise, its own accelerated version. I liked the textures, but wondered why so many levels had such different light. Years later I was misled into buying the Rage version as the one with the best textures, when I should have been looking at the PowerVR version. Thanks for the comparison, it helped make things clear!
I can't believe I'm using videos on youtube to compare what 90's video card to use. The Matrox seemed to fair better than the ATI. Thanks for uploading these comparisons.
I am an avid Mechwarrior Game collector and while I may have all the versions I have been only successful with running 5 versions. I always wanted to see the graphics comparsions and your videos have helped me realize that. You have a well earned subscriber and I hope you get many more views as your videos are professionally made. Matrox Mystique was by far impossible for me to run and yet the environments look the coolest on that card.
the powervr is nice - is it possible to emulate this like how one can with 3dfx now using nglide?
The conversion files are available for download (see description). If you want the original disc itself, yes, it is a bit hard to find.
Wow, the powervr clearly has the advantage here
I just came to this video for the music. I forgot how much I liked it..
Sooooo epic to see modernized Marauders roaming the battlefield, with that epic music. 10/10!!
PowerVR looks to be the best version @0:47
I finally got my hands on an M3D PowerVR. I will say though that based on your video the Mystique actually is the best looking IMO. It's sharper looking than the others without that blur/filtering and the textures on the mech is the best. The PowerVR almost looks as good but the glass on the cockpit/roof doesn't reflect/mirror the sky the way the Mystique texture does!
Best game ever made .I used my Thundermaster Joystick with this game oh man Loved it.
SideWinder Joystick FTW ... those where the Days XD ...
I bought the PVR card and this game came free with it. It's nice to see that it seems to be the best version here graphically speaking. I loved it and live the game for a couple of years. I must have played through it a dozen times and stuck the CD in my steiro to listen the soundtrack all the time.
I would kill for a stright remake of this game. MW3 was good but i hated MW4
I use to play this game a lot, i had the 3dfx version, but i was running a 3dfx voodoo 3 2000 on a pentium 166mhz (later a pentium 200mhz mmx), i havent played that game on that system in quite a while, i cant remember if it displayed the same issues as in this video.
I originally had a S3 Trio based card 1MB edo ram lol...sucked had to run everything on software. Bought a 4mb powerVR pcx2 and voila! Gaming bliss ❤️.
Dude, stop shitting around and show us some difference between a PowerVR video card and a 3Dfx Voodoo video card in Hexen II HD quality :)
Im not sure if I played the original release on my S3 Virge or my older hardware. I do know I bought a Monster 3D 3Dfx card to add to my Virge later because it's 3D was so slow and I got a copy of this game in 3D so replayed it on the 3Dfx hardware. Also loved GLQuake on it.
I love how youtube gives shitty streaming bandwidth to low sub users...
Is that true? Is that documented anywhere?
this was amazing to watch, specially with the music
Thanks for uploading this. I was watching some play throughs of this game and although nostalgic, i could have sworn that the game i played back in the mid-90s (god i'm old!) was graphically much better and had a lot more textures. These videos are much closer to what i played and remember.
Thank you for your work. You are doing a unique and outstanding job! your videos are a bliss to watch!
The Mystique card had me right off the bat. I love the smooth framerate, but most of all, I love the sharp textures. I *hate* the blurry textures and crappy filtering on the other cards, it looks hideous.
+Dead Pool I personally prefer the PowerVR version, but looking at the comments below alot of people like the Mystique version better because of the reasons you mentioned.
RetroCompaqGuy
I dunno, i'm just weird. I'm the guy who always turns anti-aliasing off in games. It might have to do with me wanting my aiming to be pixel perfect, or it may just be something about the sharpness of the image being pleasing to me somehow.
+Chip Tracy Same, I love playing games on a low resolution. but I don't know why people love playing old games on high resolution it just makes it look worse.
yeah i had the 4 mb 2mb 2d/2 mb 3d but i didnt find any games released for it aside the 3 bundled with it including mw 2 which looked amazing for the time with my pentium 166mhz mmx
This lists all the MSI accelerated games I think: voodooalert.de/board/index.php?page=Thread&postID=393160#post393160
Off colors? Maybe this happens because nGlide renders at 32-bit, compared to the Voodoo's 16-bit dithering?
It is a shame that other than outright running these versions in original hardware, there is no way to emulate the proprietary API in modern hardware.
It required a pretty powerful CPU compared to a 3DFX card to use it to full potensial, but the games written for it was often better than the 3DFX versions! Mechwarrior 2 and Tomb Raider are good examples. Also it had an awesome port of Virtual On and it really showed what it could do with Ultimate Race.
Thanks for sharing!
Once again very nice trip to memory lane :D
mechwarrior must be run with glide library no direct 3d
I want to see some more glide action myself! How about some Quake or Unreal gameplay?!....versions 1.0...Lol
Glide all the Way, Baby ...
Well, Matrox has struggled with 3D performance, but their image quality has always been top-notch.
i lay awake at night and wish for this to come to gog, maybe even with some updates done to it. only then can i finally die.
The Matrox is quite decent in Mechwarrior 2, but I do feel it is behind the Voodoo and PowerVR versions. Using the Matrox purely as a 2D card along side the Voodoo (and the PowerVR card if you want that too) will give excellent results. Then you can start up any Mechwarrior 2 version of the three you would like ;)
I had the Mystique+m3D combination. On paper and supported games it looked good. On FIFA 99 and Unreal 1 it looked amazing. But the games that supported it were slim to none. Worse were the things with Mystique working as standalone.
Very informative. Too bad only the glide version can be run on modern hardware... Now if only someone could do a video like this for Tomb Raider.
By the looks of it, only the PowerVR and possibly the Matrox Mystique perform subpixel-corrected rendering, giving better stability and a smoother overall look.
Yes, on PowerVR, vertex coordinates were (in effect) given in floating-point, not clamped to integer coordinates.
Unfortunately I don't know much about PowerVR, but it does show the best graphics in this video game. What I know for sure is that my jaw dropped when I first saw 3Dfx Voodoo in actions.
I always had 3DFX Voodoo cards back in the day. But anything was better than the standard VGA cards for games. Once these 3D cards came out games got really interesting.
one thing that puzzles me a bit is some of the differences in cockpit/hud design between versions. For example, specifically, the Timber Wolf's cockpit in this video with the accelerated versions
(and the ATI version i grew up with) is circular but on the original DOS and Titanium, it looks more "squarish", like the Summoner's.
Is there a way to change/mod/swap that into the DOS version? Because that's what I'm stuck playing nowadays, and I'd like to think it's possible.
I know it's minor, but it is something that bugs me
+sana__6 No idea, but I know it's possible to mod alot of the settings.
Amazing video!! The internet needs more content like this :D
Yep, that`s right; the PowerVR required a very powerful "ninja" CPU to show its potential (no need to wonder why Sega used the PowerVR with the Dreamcast console). About the Tomb Raider, could you upload a video comparison please?
The PowerVR was a gret card and in some cases worked better than a 3dfx but sadly it was poorly sold (at least in my country I`ve never seen one).
I would enjoy those videos if you made them. Day by day these processors are getting older and its really neat to be able to put older processors into perspective.
Had this game on my PowerVR bundle with a few others and it was pretty awesome.
Me too, Played to death, glad to see that my version was the best looks wise. I have such fond memories of this game and probably why i love MWO so much
I do perfer thd gradient skies.
the matrox mystique was before 3dfx to mw 2 that cam with it was amazing of course i cant think of any game except the 3 include that was made for it like all cards before 3dfx
I've been delaying to play this game forever... But this is my 1st impression... These are DAMN GOOD graphics for 1994 holy shit 😮😮
mmm I remember playing this game on my AMD K6-2 266mhz whit 128mb of ram and a Riva TNT 2 32mb a excelent game I wish that pc was still alive for be able to play this game and other excelent 98's games.I still have the titanium collection of this game
I have essentially that same machine sitting in my garage but with the S3 Virge. Bought it a number of years back when you could still find complete systems laying around on Craigslist.
Ironic how PowerVR is still in business and 3Dfx is gone.
I loved the music at the beginning of this video
I played Mechwarrior: Mercenaries when it first had acceleration. The ground texture was so pixelated I felt like I was piloting a microbot. It did nothing for my immersion. Acceleration with textures means nothing if it can't serve the visuals. That was the main reason I didn't own a Nintendo 64.
Odd question, but for anyone running the matrox mystique version, does the zoom key work for you?
Must admit I hadn't noticed the windows missing environment mapping until you mentioned it. What kind of cockpit textures do you mean?
Really enjoying these videos, seeing the comparison of older technology.
I'm waiting for those bonus videos either! And I'd like to know more about that torso moving bug in 3dfx version...I noticed it on several Glide emulators on a modern PC, but I was sure this is the emulator-related issue. So, it turns out that the game produces the same bug on a real hardware
The music in this video is really nice, where is this on the MechWarrior 2 Soundtrack?
Edit: 3:45 "Umber Wall". Found it!
MechWarrior 2 In-Game Soundtrack - 01 - "Umber Wall"
There's one missing: the Macintosh version, that used Apple's own "RAVE" API.
I haven't tested it, but I believe so. You will have to run it on Win 95/98 with the actual hardware installed in your computer though. The S3 Virge is playable with the S3 GX2, but I wouldn't even try to play it the slower cards, like the 325/DX/VX/GX. Some missions have slower framerates,but here some details can be turned down. The video were captured with every graphical setting set to maximum.
Great memories. I actually had MW2 bundled with my ATI All-in-Wonder Rage II. Performance was much better than what's in the video and the graphics weren't half bad. My only issue with it was the clunky controls and propensity for the game to crash all the time. Never finished the game, but always kept it installed on that machine to show off the All-in-Wonder.
I got the Matrox Mystique a couple months after I got my first PC. I had no idea it wouldn't run GLQuake. Being a broke 14 year old it was months before I could get a 3dfx card. I researched the crap out of everything I bought after that BEFORE I bought it lol
Thanks! More videos are coming when I'm done moving. Hopefully you will find some of it interesting :)
I had an ATI Rage Pro back in '01. Awesome.
Almost got the Matrox version working. Silly monitor doesn't know how to display 640x400. Hoping to hunt down some video cards to try the PowerVR and other versions.
my geforce2 card has apparently put itself to rest forever so i need a new one for my old computer...should i get the s3 virge gx2? (how is the framerate in Mech2?)
sorry for my multiple comments ;/
i know i need a crossover cable but where can i make or get one and what kind of 2d card do i need or can i just use another 2d/3d card (like the nvidia geforce2 mx) to pair with the voodoo?
It's funny I swear that fireball explosion effect was first in Command and Conquer and used in a lot of games of the era. An old school asset flip.
Great job as always! :)
I have looked the cockpit textures at the Mystique to PowerVR. Not the PowerVR lack but rather Mystique have only textures in that cockpit (S3d not shown but Ati and 3Dfx also have no textures). All other cockpits I have not see any textures even on Mystique.
Had a 3Dfx card version and it was incredible looking. All those mech pieces going flying when you destroyed an enemy was so fun.
This gives me an existential crisis about what version / setting is the most ideal.
You can use any other 2d/3d card. The Geforce 2MX will work fine. The crossover cable you can buy on Ebay very cheap. If you have a regular VGA cable laying around you can use that and only buy a female to male VGA plug converter.
(Reads the Manual how to get 3DFX Support to work...) With other words, don't play the game with a 3DFX Card...
Great video man, but I doubt that anything can beat Matrox+3dfx set up in most games. I would like to see more videos like this for other PC games. Are you planning on making them?
About the small window when you start the game:
I was about to pull my hair out because It forcibly ran in a 640x480 window without maximise option. After 30 minutes of searching for a solution I just tried to play a game and it went fullscreen automatically. /facepalm. Don't do the same mistake.
I had the Matrox version back in the day. I wish someone would just do a MW:2 Remake instead of a new part. This game had so much soul and one of the best soundtracks and atmospheres of all time.
This video makes me want to get a PowerVR card. If only I had 300 bucks to burn...
ATI 3D looks nice when it’s fixed, but I’m still shocked how they missed the graphical bugs.
It still blows my mind how many versions of this game were made. There’s even one that has Direct3D support. Theoretically this means we can reap the benefits of these 3D card releases without requiring specific graphics cards.
i have a 3dfx card but i cant seem to get it to work if i plug it in its a blank screen...am i doing something wrong?
I guess the comparison between Voodoo cards and Nglide Wrapper (as shown as 'coming soon' at the end of the video) never happened. Good video regardless, thank you.
It got put on hold due to several RL reasons, but I hope to do them at some point :) Most likely I'll do a 1996 performance comparison first to see which card had the highest framerate.
RetroCompaqGuy Dude, by the time you release a new video I'll be 80 years old :)
u mean voodoo 2 :D i used to play it on a monster diamond II voodoo II card was like 32 mb ram im not sure i was like 6 when my dad showed me it lol
titanium versions suck
I don't know if your stil watching comments but I been trying to get the 3dFX version running with my Diamond Monster 3D (Voodoo1). I keep getting the following error. "MW2.EXE - fatal error #50: SYSERR_VFXDRIVER: Error occurred fingind or loading VFX driver (DLL): Error profiling video modes.
" I've tried the last reference driver, the last driver from Diamond, and Iceman's driver. The reference driver has different behavior as when I try to launch a mission it just immediately fails. The Voodoo card does work with Resident Evil 2 3dFX version.
moving sky is cool...I love those oldshool-titles that have that feature.
shame the powervr version lacks the environment mapped windows and some cockpit textures.
I'm about to try this right now with the 3dfx version. Is there any equivalent to get 3dfx working for MW2 Mercenaries? Even crazier, GBL?
Is it possible to mod MechVM Mechwarrior 2 and incorporate these 3d-accelerated graphics into your installation? Also, is there any way to tweak mouse deadzone and force certain keybindings? I'm trying to have W and S acceleration/deceleration and A/D turning, with mouse turret rotation.
1. No, sadly. These graphics are coded for certain versions only.
2. There *should* be, try digging around in files INPUT. MAP, INPUTW.MAP, and GAMEKEY.MAP for configuration settings. Note that this is a manual way of doing it so you'll have to fix key conflictions yourself.
Really great video! So crazy to think how fragmented the market was back then. Nightmare for devs.
what would you say is the best way to play this game ? Matrox Mystique or M3D ? :D
PowerVR version :)
the matrox mystique version of the game has a unique skybox which looks very good❤❤❤❤
I apologize for being a brash young'n, but does anyone know if it's possible or how it could be done to get these graphics using dosbox? That's the only way I have to play this game now: the CD has long been lost to me, sadly.