Sega Ages 2500 official website open. (Update: impressions included)

[680x0]

Looks quite a bit better, still like to see some full res screenies.

[Frogacuda]

Not full res, but clearer.

[Adrian]

I don't remember any website reporting on these so here's some impressions. I will use the UK saturday morning show Live and Kicking rating system; hit, miss or maybe (yeah it's daft but it works).

1. Phantasy Star - The artwork is very good but you can tell that the budget is very low. You know how in Japanese SLG games it mainly comprises of high res stills that sometimes animate (mouths, eyes) or change a little during a scene (facial expressions)? It's like that. The dungeons are 3D with a map in the top right hand corner but go into the hand drawn mode you see in screenshots for battles. Personally i'd rather they stuck to 3D graphics in that perspective instead of the high res, minimal animation look. It's ok overall but I wish they'd gone for the STHA approach instead of adhering to the PS formula.

maybe

2. Monaco GP - I've never played the original but this moves very fast. There's all sorts of stuff on the tracks you can pick up for example a fruity jump ability and mario kart style coin things. Seems ok, we'll see. Modes are time attack, grand prix and single race IIRC. It has a 4 player (!) mode also.

maybe

3. Fantasy Zone - Imagine Fantasy Zone, give it 3D objects (that look like sprites if you get me, they can spin, rotate etc convincingly) instead of sprites, keep the gameplay as is and totally preserve the look, feel and levels. This is really great stuff and makes it better than the original IMO. When you defeat a boss, it goes into 3D mode and he will spew out gold until the time runs out. This is NOT Space Fantasy Zone as some people hoped but I like it a lot.

hit

4. Space Harrier - Rest assured, this moves fast. There is not as much colour as i'd have liked but the look is still cool. There are bonuses and power ups as well but I have no idea what they do. Looks 60fps to me also.

hit

5. Golden Axe - Looks like a PSone game. Really fucking bad graphics, slowdown, 30fps (if that), the magic is not impressive at all (FFVII has it beat there) and the animation is fucking retarded. BIG letdown.

miss

Overall not bad at all for $15 a game, I will probably buy all of them to show support for more of this sort of thing. Weird that nowhere else has impressions.

[Frogacuda]

Woo, Fantasy Zone sounds import-worthy. Thanks for the impressions.

I know exactly what you're saying abot PS, but really that's all I was ever expecting. As long as said still artwork is decent, I'm happy.

[Captain Canuck]

Hmm. Cool! Streets of Rage is part of the lineup (still no Shinobi though).

I think a remake the original arcade shinobi, the one with the ninja star chucking bonus stages, would sell pretty good. I know I would buy it for sure.

I'm buying Space Harrier for sure as well.

Although I loved SOR 1 and Golden Axe before, they would have to supe them up pretty badly because SOR2/3 and Golden Axe RODA stomp them play mechanics wise. Hopefully it's a full remake with SOR 3 gameplay and SOR1 stages/music. Then I would buy it for sure and it might actually be the GOTY.

[Frogacuda]

Hey, sides, how is the difficulty in FZ comoared to the arcade original? One of the things I loved about the game was that it was the most insanely difficult shooter this side of Gradius III.

[Tain]

3. Fantasy Zone - Imagine Fantasy Zone, give it 3D objects (that look like sprites if you get me, they can spin, rotate etc convincingly) instead of sprites, keep the gameplay as is and totally preserve the look, feel and levels. This is really great stuff and makes it better than the original IMO. When you defeat a boss, it goes into 3D mode and he will spew out gold until the time runs out. This is NOT Space Fantasy Zone as some people hoped but I like it a lot.

hit

4. Space Harrier - Rest assured, this moves fast. There is not as much colour as i'd have liked but the look is still cool. There are bonuses and power ups as well but I have no idea what they do. Looks 60fps to me also.

hit

Nice. Sounds good enough for me

[Adrian]

Hey, sides, how is the difficulty in FZ comoared to the arcade original? One of the things I loved about the game was that it was the most insanely difficult shooter this side of Gradius III.

Seems slightly faster (in a good way) yet smoother to me. The wave weapon has been strengthened so that it fills most of the screen. Not played it myself mind (just seen footage at Sega Park Akihabara) but everything seems authentic to me so I don't doubt that the difficulty will be. I just hope that it loops (i've seen people here beat so many loops in FZ that they get bored and walk away from the machine after a while).

[Frogacuda]

(i've seen people here beat so many loops in FZ that they get bored and walk away from the machine after a while).

Jesus, I can barely beat one loop, and that took alot of practice.

[Adrian]

Fantasy Zone is an institution here in Tokyo Most decent arcades will have it, it truly has stood the test of time. My favourite horizontal shooter (well... just behind Darius Gaiden and TFIV actually) although defeating stage 8 eludes me.