C&VG article - 1988

Hygro · 14-02-2011 5:37pm #1

I love the idea of their "super" 16 bit systems!!

http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/upload/media/scans/cvglandconsole.pdf

Retr0gamer · 14-02-2011 5:44pm

Weird that there are so many X68000 screenshots considering it was never going to make it to the west and is a bit of a holy grail machine for japanese collectors.

Hygro · 14-02-2011 5:53pm

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Weird that there are so many X68000 screenshots considering it was never going to make it to the west and is a bit of a holy grail machine for japanese collectors.

I actually thought that was some sort of typo in the article, or at least an old name for a console I'd heard of :pac:

checking it out it looks like 2 wii's stuck together!

Retr0gamer · 14-02-2011 6:00pm

Yeah it's a stupidly powerful machine for it's time made by sharp. Most companies used it to develope their arcade games which is why there's so many arcade perfect ports on it. Some really good original games on it as well like Castlevania but you'll be paying though your teeth and trawling yahoo auctions japan looking for everything.

CiDeRmAn · 14-02-2011 6:21pm

I remember reading Megatech back in 91 and oogling the MD and the MegaCD, wishing I had one and boring to tears the nurse on nights with me!
At that stage I was surviving on my Gameboy and loving it.

nyarlothothep · 14-02-2011 6:27pm

Does anyone remember the letters pages in CVG? There was one in which a mother wrote in about how video games were destroying the minds of children with violence etc. Then the follow up was """ is a pratt for about a month with letters coming in from irate readers. There was also one other unforgettable letter, "spam babies, spam babies, crawling up the walls, eating my food, spam babies!"

Hygro · 15-02-2011 12:07pm

I don't suppose anyone here is unfortunate enough to have played this game?

http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/pdf/darkcastlemd.pdf

I would like to get my hands on this baby though, once I get myself a Megadrive...there's a few copies going on ebay.

http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/pdf/starflightmd.pdf

Dr Bob · 15-02-2011 12:56pm

Hygro wrote: »

I would like to get my hands on this baby though, once I get myself a Megadrive...there's a few copies going on ebay.

http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/pdf/starflightmd.pdf

Starflight is one of my favourite games ever , there was 2 pc games , and the meg one is a sort of combination of the 2 , with better graphics.
I had a mates copy when i was a kid , and stalled giving it back to him as long as I could.I'd gotten to the end of the game , and couldnt work out what to do .I was literally one screen away from finishing but didnt know it.
In the end I had to give it back (apparently he finished the saved game I had and never touched it again!).
I've a copy of it now , plan on finishing it this year at some point.
One thing though , you may have to replace the battery back up if you get one on ebay , they're a CR2032 , and a peice of piss to do

.

Retr0gamer · 15-02-2011 12:59pm

Julian Rignall who reviewed Dark Castle on the MD there regards it as the worst game ever. I have to agree.

LoGiE · 15-02-2011 1:50pm

I played Dark Castle on the c64 and [puts on rose tinted spec's] thought it was pretty damn good! I had no idea that the MD version was such complete toilet.

I knew the X68000 was used to develop CPS1 games but take a look at it running SF2... If only I had a spare 3500 back in the day

Retr0gamer · 15-02-2011 2:41pm

Dark Castle is a bit of a classic on the 8-bits, in particular Apple fans really love it. I've seen youtube videos of the apple version and it looks really good. The megadrive version is a total botch job and utter garbage.

It's a pity most collectors only look at the X68000 for the arcade perfect conversions because it has some really great exclusives. I really must get some japanese home computer emulators and track down some games for them. Read a really great article on HG101, it was featured in retrogamer but the HG101 article is greatly expanded.

Elbow · 15-02-2011 3:44pm

Speaking of the X68000

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Sharp-X68000-Expert-2M-RAM-alimentation-neuve-Amiga-jap-/220735162254?pt=FR_GH_Informatique_Ordinateurs_Ordinateurs_de_Collection&hash=item3364d7478e#ht_1777wt_1055

o1s1n · 15-02-2011 4:24pm

Wow! Must resist urge to bid and make myself bankrupt

Such a cool looking computer.

DinoRex · 15-02-2011 5:22pm

Hygro wrote: »

I don't suppose anyone here is unfortunate enough to have played this game?

http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/pdf/darkcastlemd.pdf

Haha... I love how the reviews highlight how many lives you get in a game.

an_turtar · 16-02-2011 9:44am

The Expert's not a bad X68000, at least it has 2MB of RAM. Runs almost all games, but not Super Street Fighter II. Also, connecting the machine to a VGA monitor is not as easy as the Ebay description makes out, as games run in 15, 24, or 31kHz, and it's not always easy - or even possible - to change frequency. I got one of my X68000 monitors back from repair yesterday, the guy didn't even charge me for it - he can't see why I would want these monitors at all. Anyway, if I ever did move back to Ireland, I'd definitely bring my X68000 with me.

Ronan|Raven · 16-02-2011 9:48am

an_turtar wrote: »

The Expert's not a bad X68000, at least it has 2MB of RAM. Runs almost all games, but not Super Street Fighter II. Also, connecting the machine to a VGA monitor is not as easy as the Ebay description makes out, as games run in 15, 24, or 31kHz, and it's not always easy - or even possible - to change frequency. I got one of my X68000 monitors back from repair yesterday, the guy didn't even charge me for it - he can't see why I would want these monitors at all. Anyway, if I ever did move back to Ireland, I'd definitely bring my X68000 with me and give it to Ronan|Raven.

how kind!

o1s1n · 16-02-2011 9:56am

an_turtar wrote: »

as games run in 15, 24, or 31kHz, and it's not always easy - or even possible - to change frequency. I got one of my X68000 monitors back from repair yesterday, the guy didn't even charge me for it - he can't see why I would want these monitors at all. Anyway, if I ever did move back to Ireland, I'd definitely bring my X68000 with me.

Sounds similar to the issue I'm currently facing trying to look for an Amiga monitor. Do scandoublers work with the X68000?

an_turtar · 16-02-2011 10:27am

o1s1n wrote: »

Sounds similar to the issue I'm currently facing trying to look for an Amiga monitor. Do scandoublers work with the X68000?

The X68000s use a pretty standard RGB cable (standard in Japan), I use the same monitors for my arcade games and all other consoles, even my Spectrum. In terms of scandoublers etc., I think most people use something like the XRGB-2, though you'd have to search around and ask some people. I know a guy who damaged his LCD monitor by connecting it to an X68000 though, best to stick with CRTs.

My current "project" as it were, is to connect my Atari STe to the monitor, I think it is possible, but I'm going to have to fiddle a bit. I know a guy here who was able to get his working using a standard VGA monitor and XRGB-2, though I'm hoping to connect directly to the Sharp monitor.

If you want a list of games and the video modes they start in, and can be changed to, check my list here:
http://www4.ocn.ne.jp/~debiddo/mygames.htm

yrwhu8jxtni06a · 16-02-2011 4:45pm

Wouldn't call the x68000 holy grail,there was some on ebay during xmas,some missing keyboards of course,it is also notorious for dodgy psu,guide here shows how to adapt an pc psu to it,now hit that thanks button-

http://nfggames.com/nfg/x68repair/

o1s1n · 16-02-2011 4:48pm

Kyrie Fat Self-help wrote: »

Wouldn't call the x68000 holy grail,there was some on ebay during xmas,some missing keyboards of course,it is also notorious for dodgy psu,guide here shows how to adapt an pc psu to it,now hit that thanks button-

http://nfggames.com/nfg/x68repair/

There is no one holy grail...just many cool things to own which are hard to get

I must check out those ones that you were on about and see how much they sold for. I just love the look of it!

looks like a little server or something.

yrwhu8jxtni06a · 16-02-2011 4:51pm

o1s1n wrote: »

There is no one holy grail...just many cool things to own which are hard to get

I must check out those ones that you were on about and see how much they sold for. I just love the look of it! looks like a little server or something.

Went for average for 200 squid+shipping,problem alot where "powered up" with no monitor and that was just it,so no idea if actually worked.

Retr0gamer · 16-02-2011 5:39pm

All of those japanese home computers seem to be the last unknown frontier for western retro collectors. Most of the games are unknown and there's no real full list of games for them.

There was an east/west collaboration between some japanese and western retro enthusiasts to collect a definitive collection of all the roms for all the japanese home computers. In japan because of weird ISP rules they had to be distributed hidden in other files like .jpg file or over irc. However someone on the western side ****ed it up for everyone when he tried to make money off it behind everyones back.

Read more on it here:

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers.htm

I wouldn't buy one myself but would like emulators for the big ones with a selection of the best games.

C&VG article - 1988

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