#megacd

[pokelele]

シャイニング・フォースCD (1994年7月22日)

[systemst91]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CuSK-DTontc/

[32bitsz]

Did We Really Witness the Potential of Sega's Tower of Power?

[amyfarbright]

Sonic 1 Mega CD Port

(download here)

(if you think this is cool, consider helping me find work/money <3)

Welcome to the Next Level!

NOTE: I'm aware of issues regarding audio playback and transitioning between zones, and intend to push an update once the contest judging period is over. In the meantime, you can use level select (Up Down Left Right A + Start at title screen) to explore the game.

At the 1992 Consumer Electronics Show, a teaser for a Mega CD version of Sonic 1 was shown within a sizzle reel. No Mega CD version of Sonic 1 was ever produced, and this footage is almost everything we know about this project, but it's extremely likely that this idea is what morphed into the separate game Sonic CD, the only Sonic game officially released for the console.

In 2006, Stealth released the Sonic for MegaCD tech demo, marking the first time any substantial effort was made to bring another Sonic game to the console. It contained the title screens and first levels of Sonic 1 and 2, with three playable characters. In the following years, he would build on the ideas in that demo further, eventually reaching a point where his setup accommodated a Mega CD version of a rom hack called Sonic Megamix.

For a long time, this rom hack was the only way to experience Sonic 1's levels, and was the closest you could get to playing the original game on your Mega CD...

until now.

This is a port of the original Sonic the Hedgehog (revision 1, mostly) to the Sega Mega CD (running in Mode 2/off a CD). Not a mere one-zone demo, not affected by an original hack's mechanics, this is a full playable Sonic game running on the Mega CD, with the source fully available, and with the intent of enhancing the game with the extra hardware.

I started this project about a month and a half ago to enter into the annual Sonic Hacking Contest. This was done as both a learning experience for myself to learn new hardware (I was already familiar with programming for Mega Drive, but wanted to explore its addons), and as an example others can learn from.

This has been tested with BlastEm, Fusion, Gens, and on real hardware using a Mega Everdrive Pro.

Features:

Expanded Sound.

The Mega CD comes with a chip supporting PCM playback for up to 8 channels, complementing the 10 sound channels already in the Mega Drive. This port leverages that by moving playback of drum samples to a custom PCM sound driver running on the Mega CD CPU.

Because drums no longer need to play on the Mega Drive hardware, an extra sound channel was added in the main sound driver to allow for more sound effects to play without cutting out channels of the music.

Unfortunately, I was not able to get CD audio playback fully implemented in time for the initial release. Most of the pieces are there though, and I intend to add it in a future update.

An open-source Mega CD game. The scene for Mega CD has grown significantly over time, and over the years there has been new homebrew and hacks of other games, but not nearly as much done with the blue guy this contest is about. This port aims to change that; this is a full game running on Mega CD, with source code and development history available for browsing right now. Code for the kernel programs to load and run the game from disk is written in mostly C using the megadev toolchain. Rom hackers and developers more familiar with the Mega Drive standalone can use the code repository as an example of how to bring more full-fledged MD projects over to Mega CD with as few changes as possible.

Other features:

Custom loading screen while files are loaded from CD

Modified title screen, to remind you that this is indeed utilizing Mega CD hardware

Various bugfixes applied (for those familiar with Sonic Retro's Sonic 1 disassembly, FixBugs is turned on)

Much smoother special stage. The movement of objects making up the maze was unlocked, and the walls now display with 128 degrees of rotation (up from 16).

Even though I started this project to have something for the contest, I'm incredibly happy with what's been done so far, and I intend to work on it further after the contest to add more features. I consider this the beginning of a goodbright future for Sonic games and hacks on Mega CD.

Note: Debug mode and sound test have not been fixed to accommodate for the code that has been moved around. Try at your own risk!

Credits

Main developer: Amy Farbright

Playtesting and bug reporting: The Let's Talk About Sonic Discord

Special thanks: @fiffle, @milly, @crepe

Code used/referenced:

drojaazu's megadev toolchain

Devon's partial Sonic CD disassembly

SCHG How-to Guide

tversteeg's Rust implementation of rotsprite

Graphics used:

CD graphic on title screen: Sega Multimedia Studio, converted from sprites ripped by Mister Man

[bancho-zx]

【Mega CD】

Lunar: The Silver Star (JP) | LUNAR ザ・シルバースター ~OP

[ LUNAR ] ~Japanese ver.

// Singer: Mayumi Sudo | 須藤まゆみ // Lyrics: Isao Mizoguchi | 溝口功 // Composition: Noriyuki Iwadare | 岩���徳行 // Arrangement: Takashi Kudou | 工藤崇

// Credits:

// MiSTer FPGA / MegaCD core // Y/C Composite // Sony KV-13TR20 CRT TV

[viciogame]

🎮 Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (Sega CD)

Complete Gameplay: https://youtu.be/bP3RGEwf34E

#Pitfall #SegaCD #MegaCD #SegaGenesis #MegaDrive #Sega #Genesis #Activision #Sega32X #Atari #32X #Atari2600 #Mayan #ピットフォール #メガCD #セガ #メガドライブ #Viciogame #Gameplay #Walkthrough #Playthrough #Longplay #LetsPlay #Game #Videogames #Games

[skaruresonic]

The reason for the review bombs for ports is simple: Sonic no longer was 1st party, and reviewers were mad they no longer had publicized console wars. Even though Ubisoft had similary botched ports

It's why the Advance/Rush series as good as they were never escaped the shadow of "but Classic is better", why later 3D title flaws got magnified immensely with no one acknowledging good things, and why Classic games suddenly got golden protected with no one admitting issues. CD went from an "ok, but not worth the Sega/MegaCD addon game" to "peak Sonic" overnight. The fandom reflected this sentiment heavily, constantly propping "Sega does what Nintendon't" when that tagline was already retired by 1995

It didn't help that contrary to belief, Sega/Sonic Tean was getting more receptive 2003-2009. And then we see what led to SoA propping a mobile intended game to be a canon one with toxic campaign to appeal to reviewers and fans that did not give a shit for anything other than percieved pre 2000s marketing

Well, that sucks. >.> It's both a surprise and a little surreal to see an IGN review evaluate a 3D Sonic game fairly, even positively. Critics used to be able to give the games a fair shake sometimes.

[theretrogamingclub]

Review #785 - Sonic CD - Mega CD

Time to go Super Sonic with Sonic CD, on the Mega CD!

#MegaCD #RetroGames #RetroGaming #SEGA #Sonic #SonicCD #SonicTheHedgehog #SEGAGames

[legiongamerrd]

#Gamefemerides

Hace 31 años fue lanzado Sonic the Hedgehog CD. Es un juego de plataformas para SEGA CD. La historia sigue a Sonic the Hedgehog mientras intenta salvar a un cuerpo extraterrestre, Little Planet, del Doctor Robotnik. Como juego de Sonic plataformas, Sonic corre y salta a través de niveles temáticos mientras consigue anillos y vence robots. Sonic CD se distingue de otros de la serie por la mecánica de viaje en el tiempo, un aspecto clave a la historia y el gameplay. Al viajar por el tiempo, los jugadores pueden acceder a diferentes versiones de los niveles, presentando colocaciones, música y gráficos alternativos.

#LegionGamerRD #ElGamingnosune #Gaming #RetroGaming #RetroGamer #CulturaGaming #CulturaGamer #GamingHistory #GamingPodcast #SonictheHedgehog #SonicCD #AmyRose #MetalSonic #SEGA #SEGACD #MegaCD #PlayStation #PS2 #PS3 #PS4 #Nintendo #GCN #NintendoSwitch #Microsoft #Windows #Xbox #XboxOne #Aventura #Plataformas

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[spacemidi]

Sonic CD - Stardust Speedway Good Futute JP [MIDI]

Youtube: Rmidgames

#soniccd #games #rmidgames #midi #megacd #TekMidis

[im-mender]

neopussy armageddon (megacd)

super neopussy adventure 64

[bluescreening]

Just made it to metal sonic on my first try of sonic cd 💪💪💪 having a bunch of fun so far!! It's my favourite classic sonic game. Hardware emulating the megacd on my dad's mister multisystem, which is 10x more functional than KegaFusion for some reason

[koney-scanlines]

JVC on JVC on JVC TM-H1750CG.

[gleber74]

[azurefishnets]

Thank you for the shout-out on the fic!

I really enjoy thinking about the implications of Relics in the first place - are they relics of the War of the Magi? The fact that some of them have magic effects suggests they're not being made anymore, except perhaps, of course, in Thamasa; does that necessarily imply there's some sort of black market underground Relic dealership to the other cities in the world? How else does Thamasa even survive, cut off from the rest of the world as it is?

And that, of course, leads to even larger considerations about the economies of these cities, the politics, the ecologies. Whole areas of personal worldbuilding and head canons spring from the indirect storytelling the Relics and the magical weapons and armor which are available before the midgame events imply.

I suppose this is the Pratchettian influence on my own thoughts about building a believable imaginary world. I always want to know what makes it tick, how it works from the ground up. As you point out, gaming has unique ways of imparting that kind of lore that are often much more indirect than a book, a play/opera, a movie, or a television show, and that kind of diegetic approach is special. I think FFVI, as one of the first games I ever played, set me up nicely for that broader way of looking beyond the story being told and deep into the story being shown.

There's a certain amount of non-diegetic practicality to this, of course--the limitations of a cartridge or a MegaCD meant that items had to be reused and reskinned, and descriptions had to be kept brief but intriguing--but less is more when it comes to the imagination. I find FFVI's approach very compelling as it really forces the player to interact and engage with the world to find their meaning in it; there are games that have big lore dumps in the description for every weapon and item which aren't nearly so interesting to me because everything is laid out on the table. I'm thinking particularly of Dragon Age here; I enjoyed Origins and I enjoyed the lore in the items and such, but with it all just... out there, I didn't feel the need to flesh it out like I have so enjoyed doing with FFVI's items. I also think a great deal of that diegetic lore was told and retold in the series as a whole. No particular item stands on its own and tells such a discrete story as does the Momento Ring, at least not that I recall.

There is a game I'm thinking of which has amazing environmental storytelling, though, and that's Unpacking. As a game and a story it couldn't be more different than FFVI, but in the sense of using items to show, not tell a story? It's a 10/10... And it's a great story too.

Anyway, I am now rambling in response to your ramble but overall, my point here is that we're on the same page with appreciating environmental lore as an amazing storytelling tool. I'd love to see more games attempt it to good effect.

Indirect Storytelling

@tayasigerson's recent (and amazing!) art of Sabin and Gau with Tiger Masks got me thinking about ways in which games can offer means of indirect storytelling that standard literature cannot.

I'm no expert on linguistics or the English language, so maybe "indirect storytelling" isn't the proper term. Or maybe I'm wrong about my assertion in the first place. But to me, the fact that only Sabin and Gau can equip the Tiger Mask feels like there's a character trait that is implied but never stated.

Why is it that only Sabin and Gau can equip the Tiger Mask? What is the commonality between the two that nobody else shares? What does this imply about their characters?

I have my own theories, of course - thoughts about how they both embody the idea of "wildness", both literally and figuratively; or maybe how they each have a connection to "nature" that is stronger than other party members; or maybe even their connection to each other has something to do with it - but the fact that something as simple as who can equip an item can be used to hint at character or plot elements is pretty wild, isn't it?

The Tiger Mask isn't even the only example of this in FF6. Probably the most famous example is the Memento Ring, which can only be equipped by Shadow and Relm, and to my immediate recollection is the only direct connection they share in-game. Everything else about their relationship is implied through Shadow's flashbacks (which only connect them by showing he was in Thamasa with a dog at some point in the past) and through Interceptor's uncharacteristic affection for Relm.

Because Shadow and Relm are not shown to have any real relation or connection, and in fact speak probably less than a dozen words to each other the entire game, the fact that this seemingly-random pair are the only ones who can equip the Memento Ring is really special (and easily missable). If everyone could equip the Memento Ring, it would lose its specialness, and we'd lose a key aspect of the Shadow/Relm backstory.

The Memento Ring also adds additional context by its description:

Ring blessed by departed mother's love. Prevents petrification, zombie, and instant death.

Most Relics in FF6 don't have as much lore behind them as something imbued with a "departed mother's love", so the fact that only Shadow and Relm can equip this strongly implies they each have a connection to this "departed mother". There are even fanfics (like this amazing one from @azurefishnets - A Nameless Memento) that use the Memento Ring directly as a plot element for the Shadow/Relm/Strago dynamic.

A third implication can be drawn from the fact that the Memento Ring prevents all instant-death techniques. Why is that? How and why does a departed mother's love protect against instant-death? What does that imply about the mother's own death?

In addition to the Memento Ring and the Tiger Mask, there are other items that can only be equipped by specific people. Here are a few choice examples:

Royal Crown (Edgar, Sabin)

Red Jacket (Edgar, Sabin)

Snow Scarf (Gau, Mog, Umaro)

All the "Suit" costumes, like the Moogle Suit (Strago, Relm)

Some of those make some sense - like the Royal Crown - but others are kind of open to interpretation. Maybe it makes sense that Mog and Umaro can equip the Snow Scarf, but why can Gau, and why can't anyone else?

What about the Red Jacket? Does that have some connection to royalty, or is there something else being hinted at? After all, red is not one of the Figaroan colors; it's the opposite of blue, which actually is one of the Figaroan colors. And why does it negate fire damage? Is there some connection with the desert heat?

Anyway, sorry for the rambling post. It just struck me how cool it is that gaming - and particularly FF6 - has this unique method of conveying story that is not possible with any other medium, and that's pretty cool! FF6 is also the only game that I can recall that uses equipment to convey (or imply) untold elements of the story like this.

As if I needed yet another reason to obsessively love the game so much.

[bancho-zx]

【Mega CD】

Ranma ½: Byakuran Aika | らんま ½ 白蘭愛歌 ~OP

[ Mahou no Tsubasa | 魔法の翼 ]

// Singer/Lyrics/Composition: HIRO // Arrangement: Takao Konishi | 小西貴雄

// MiSTer FPGA / MegaCD core // Y/C Composite // Sony KV-13TR20 CRT TV