Game Comparison video: Ghouls n' Ghosts on Genesis and SuperGrafx

[YoshiM]

I take care of the Turbgrafx-16 section of the J2Games forums and for the longest time I couldn't think of a thing to post. I got the idea of doing a comparison after playing a round of Ghouls n' Ghosts on the Genesis. Unfortunately the game never came out on the TG-16 or the PC-Engine (at least I'm aware of). I found it on the SuperGrafx, which I got to play at MGC months ago which inspired me to make a video that took forever for me to get to.

As I'm not sure if it's okay to post direct YouTube videos in a post here, I'll just direct you to the video itself.

This is the first time I mixed video with my own voice, so I hope y'all enjoy.

[itobandito]

Good job with that YoshiM, very interesting stuff. I have heard about the supergrafx version but have never seen it in action so this was a treat.

[Trebuken]

Good stuff, and a great game. I have to try this myself. I recall the SGX version as being richer in color, but I haven't done a comparison. You should mention what sort of monitor/TV and what type of connection you used for each system...or did you use emulation?

[YoshiM]

Good stuff, and a great game. I have to try this myself. I recall the SGX version as being richer in color, but I haven't done a comparison. You should mention what sort of monitor/TV and what type of connection you used for each system...or did you use emulation?

Mentioned it at the end-emulation. Emulation for sure on the SuperGrafx and for clarity's sake I used emulation for the Genesis for clarity (and because my capture card was having a hissy for some reason and I wanted to get the video done). I tried with my console and the capture wasn't that great. My Genesis had just been modded and is on its way back home so I can try to "keep it real" when I can. I played GnG for the SGX at Midwest Classic a few months ago and the emulation and real version look pretty dang close. I compared my video to someone's who used the real thing and again they look pretty dang close.

You give some great suggestions though for monitor, equipment, etc. That info I should also mention at the beginning of the video. Thanks for the input!

[parallaxscroll]

Another comparison

Arcade CPS1 - 1988
ROM size: 32 megabits


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MegaDrive / Genesis - 1989
ROM size: 5 megabits


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SuperGrafx - 1990
ROM size: 8 megabits


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Sharp X68000 - 1994
ROM size: 32 megabits




SuperGrafx version has more graphic detail than MD/Genesis version, but not as much detail or color as Arcade and X68000 versions.

[c0ldb33r]

Good job - subscribed.

You might want to set up a revver account too, you'll get a few cents every time someone watches one of your vids.

[CosmicMonkey]

But are the feet behind the grass?

[Flack]

YoshiM, I thought you did a great job. Here are my two suggestions.

One, I would have liked a logo overlay or something telling me which version was which, like "Genesis" and "SuperGrafx" in the bottom corner.

Two, I don't know how hard this is to do, but it would have been cool to have seen some side by side comparisons at the same time.

I thought the editing and reviews were terrific! Can't wait to see #2!

[mnbren05]

Good job, very interesting to watch. I like the fore mentioned graphic overlay on the screens and side by side comparison idea. Also maybe some more indepth analysis of the differences/background history. I love that type of thing. Other than those very minor points, keep them coming.

[YoshiM]

YoshiM, I thought you did a great job. Here are my two suggestions.

One, I would have liked a logo overlay or something telling me which version was which, like "Genesis" and "SuperGrafx" in the bottom corner.

Two, I don't know how hard this is to do, but it would have been cool to have seen some side by side comparisons at the same time.

I thought the editing and reviews were terrific! Can't wait to see #2!

Thanks! I just really started messing with Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum but it can do multiple video tracks, I just have to figure out how to do it. Corner logos-can do, just didn't think of it at the time.

Also maybe some more indepth analysis of the differences/background history. I love that type of thing.

Good idea and if I can I'll try to implement that. I want to keep the videos within the 10 minute mark as that does seem to be a good length. Not too long (and possibly boring) yet not too brief as to really miss anything important.

Again, thanks everyone for the kind words and suggestions!

[Blitzwing256]

one thing that would have made the video more interesting is if you showed more then just the first level, but other then that it is a great idea, I'd love to see comparisons of the wonderboy seires on the differnt platforms it was released on (lots of name changes between platforms but the core games are the same on each)

[YoshiM]

one thing that would have made the video more interesting is if you showed more then just the first level, but other then that it is a great idea, I'd love to see comparisons of the wonderboy seires on the differnt platforms it was released on (lots of name changes between platforms but the core games are the same on each)

I would have loved to show more than just the first level but time and degraded 2D gaming skills were against me. I did have a video on the SG version that went on the halfway through the second level (I was so happy) but when I went to make the comparison, the video I made had no sound. This was one of those "if I don't get this done now, it'll never get done" situations, hence the first level.

[Gentlegamer]

I know emulation is the easiest way to make game footage, but did you play these games on the real hardware, as well?

[parallaxscroll]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7YV_hPTT8PQ

A play-through of all five levels of SuperGrafx Ghouls 'N Ghosts,
plus level 1 with the Holy Psycho Cannon.

[YoshiM]

I know emulation is the easiest way to make game footage, but did you play these games on the real hardware, as well?

Yes for both versions. As I mentioned above I used emulation for the Genesis for visual clarity reasons (I own GnG on it and my capture card was being a complete pain) but have owned and played it on the Genesis when the game was new. I played GnG on the SuperGrafx at Midwest Classic Gaming back in March and what I played there and what I played on Magic Engine felt the same.

I wish I could have used a real SuperGrafx (which is expensive as is the game itself and my wife would kill me if I went ahead and got them) and my Genesis but I had to work with what I had. I felt the emulation GnG for the SG was close enough to what I played on the "real deal" to go ahead with this.

[parallaxscroll]

The difference between playing on real hardware, and playing via emulation on a PC is not much at all. I owned a real SuperGrafx w/ Ghouls 'n Ghosts (payed $275 total at a Chicago-area import shop) from 1997 to 2000. Started using MagicEngine in 2000-2001. It was basicly the exact same experience gameplay/visual/audio wise. There was no real perceivable advantage to having real hardware & real game, if the emulation is done well, in which ME does just fine. As far as other games on different hardware, such as late 80s arcades, there are advantages to playing on real hardware/PCB vs playing via MAME, because MAME doesn't reproduce the same look & feel of the real thing.
It's weird, some emulation is fine, seems as good as having the real stuff, but some games don't seem right being emulated.

[YoshiM]

It's weird, some emulation is fine, seems as good as having the real stuff, but some games don't seem right being emulated.

Great example was Donkey Kong for the 7800. The emulator (the name I forget) had the colors all wrong. Not sure if it's the same today or not.


BTW, next episode is going to be a comparison of Cool Spot on Genesis and SNES. I just got my Genesis back from being A/V modded by ooXxXoo and I finally found some decent analog capture software.

[parallaxscroll]

in this case, the screenshot labeled PC-Engine is PC-Engine SuperGrafx.