These things really are garbage, especially compared to the handhelds and plug&plays that you can import from china.
For the same price, you can get something that plays ROMs from a dozen different systems as well as movies and music.
I am curious about the SMS/GG plug&play that looks like a deformed Sonic head, though.
From my experience with the Coleco PlayPal, Sega 8bit clones seem a lot less dodgy than their 16bit counterparts.
What I find impressive here is that you played Valis III for a long time.Originally Posted by Akito01
Seriously though that game.... I don't think I've ever wanted to smash a cartridge so much for having terrible gameplay mechanics as I did with that game. The jumping is just so broken. You must have the patience of a saint.
Ready to print game covers and cart labels: http://www.mediafire.com/?5gm45wyxr3xvv
I think I have an affinity for that series that doesn't entirely depend on the mechanics of the gameplay, I have to confess. After Robotech, the opportunities to experience Japanese anime was pretty difficult in the late 80s early 90s, at least prior to the explosion that took place when Sailor Moon and Dragonball Z landed. The great thing about the Valis series, as well as other Reno titles like El Viento, was how infused it was with anime art and sensibility, while also being one of the few series that provided a female protagonist.
My motivation for plugging it in now has to do with my next XNA project for Xbox Indie games. My most recently completed title is in peer review, and I've been casting about for ideas for my next project to start on. I have it in mind to do my own take on the Valis formula -an action platformer with a female lead wielding a sword. My first platform game on XNA was a bit of a failure, but I've learned a few new tricks since then to want to try again, but I don't want to re-visit the MegaMan formula that I did with that title. So, for this game, I want to take cues in terms of what Valis did right and wrong, and think about what gameplay elements I need to incorporate.
I did some digging on this last night due to a post just on this thing over at NA too.
Long story short, still has the same poor audio, perhaps barely better. Visuals problems on select games still exist such as the nasty background foulup that makes Contra useless. The most damning thing across both, the ignorant fools still wont allow games to save if it supports it. Specifically damning the most, the home system which takes Genesis games, well IT CAN'T SAVE ON REAL GAMES EITHER! Huge what the fuck moment there entirely.
I'd think if I got one, and it's a larger IF too as I had the last years model, I'd get the portable just because Wily Wars and the 2 SF2 titles are built into it and that's really about it. They don't seem to care about fixing up their firecore emulator really, and disgustingly have no interest allowing games to save, even legit carts.
I had not idea about that regarding the home console version. I guess I'd never tried a battery save game on my own AT clone. That is baffling and certainly worthy of derision. They really should have gotten that detail right, if nothing else. That's a real shame, as these AT clones are about the only ones that make it onto mass market shelves (at least as far as I can tell).
I have this and... it's not too shabby. Unit is really small & the d-pad is much better than I expected. The games all play fine and sound much more accurate than any of the Genesis stuff they have put out.
I won't go as far as to say the sound is perfect, but for the little time I tried it out nothing jumped out and smacked me in the face as being out of whack like all their other clones.
The game list, while all over the place, is still cool. Granted everyone has their opinions of what should or should not have been included, but for $15 USD what more can you ask? Plus you get to legally play GG games on the big screen, which I'm pretty sure is a first (outside of a hardware mod).
I always found Valis to be games that are so good they overcome the problematic programming. I played Valis III just a couple of days ago, kept going until I beat it, and while the mechanics bothered me at times (at least until I learned you could slide over pits), it was just so fun.
The anime nature appeals to me too, but what I really like about Valis is their aesthetic--they take place in dark, threatening worlds full of weird things, but they're not Frank Miller grit and angst. They're fun. They're fundark. It's something you rarely see anymore, now that everything has to be DEEP and SERIOUS.
Valis III could have don without the "BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP...BUP-BUP...BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP...BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP...BUP...BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP-BUP" everytime someone speaks. I really liked the game though, ice level and all.
The PlayPal had an AV output and several GG games as well. I'm assuming the one you bought is the same as the one available on Dealextreme, so I might order that one of these days.
I found this today.
source
"There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge." --Bertrand Russel (attributed)
Yeah I've seen these at Walgreens. Glad I didn't end up getting one now
I'm gonna have to get one of the home consoles so I can rip it a new one. Seriously, these AtGames consoles never worked right since they were first released in 2008 and belong in a landfill.
AT THE VERY LEAST, AtGames could fix the sound pitch of the emulated YM2612/YM3438 and SN76489, but no, they can't even be arsed to do that so the sound out of their software-emulated turds wouldn't induce a massive headache to those who are familiar with the sound of the YM2612/YM3438 (depending on which Genesis model you used) and SN76489.
Total f***ing garbage. Even worse is that it seems the clones with SD card slots are MORE COMPATIBLE than those with cartridge slots. I was able to get Super Street Fighter II working on a Genesis Arcade Motion Dual, but I always see the original cartridge boot to a red screen on AtGames clones with cartridge slots (they probably don't support the bankswitching hardware in the cartridge).
And I was actually about to ask about saves on the new consoles, then found this:
ARE YOU F***ING KIDDING ME?! Sega seriously needs a new licensee to produce licensed Geniclones. Not even the worst GOAC-based clones come close to the plethora of software-emulated filth AtGames has released over the past 4 years. Does the home console at least READ saves? If it can't do that, either... well, no words I can think of would be able to express my utter disgust.
I'm glad I noticed this thread. I had strongly considered getting one of these because of the ability to play carts on it as well as the built in roms. I figured it wouldn't be too bad being officially licensed by Sega but I have to wonder if Sega put their name on it because they'll take any cash they can get their hands on at this point.
"Ai Oboete Imasu Ka?"
Yes ATGames piece of shit genesis on a chip that reads real game carts can read a saved game and load it, but it will never write a saved game back to the cart. Basically let's say if you were playing like Phantasy Star 2, and you got 90% of the way through it and your system broke and your only choice was to get this piece of crap to finish it. Well better leave it on permanently until you're done or do a huge long suicide run as there won't be any saving until the end, and hope to hell you don't get your party killed either.
I could deal with a few off key games as cheap as it is but killing the ability to save in general but really on an actual game crosses the line.
Seen those mini Genesis consoles with 80 games built in for $40? Yeah, don't bother, they suck.
What about the Sega Genesis Ultimate Portable Game Player Hand Held Sega Game 80 Games that also uses SD cards for games? Are those any good? Anyone have one, if so what are your thoughts? Thanks.
Last edited by thegamezmaster; 12-31-2012 at 12:27 PM.
They're all the same.
All of the modern licensed Sega stuff uses the "firecore" system and the all have the same limitations in terms of audio/video output and compatibility.
Some people are aware of and are completely fine with the shortcomings and others absolutely despise them and strongly discourage purchase.
If you want something that plays a large number of Genesis roms with the typical sub-par audio that genesis clones produce and no ability to save in any game, then they're worth considering as an imperfect novelty to add to your collection.
If those things are deal-breakers then stay away.
"And the book says: 'We may be through with the past, but the past ain't through with us.'"
The handheld has a tweaked or slightly better core as Street Fighter II and Mega Man Wily Wars work while on the console version hey don't. That said, it depends what you want out of either of them.
If you're ok with some off key notes in some games where it's really noticeable, and you do not care if NO games will allow saving, then yes it's a really nice handheld for the price as it has a heap of variety. I had the last revision of it in black and orange and I could do quite a bit on it, and the only one that pissed me off that wouldn't work oddly was Contra outside of the no-save titles.
If you're HUGE into Sega and you just can't stand music that isn't 100%, I'd avoid it as it will be like nails on a chalkboard to you perhaps. In all reality it really isn't that bad, the pisser is the saving problem and the only reason I don't own one now though it's very tempting with the Mega Man and SF2 titles on the newest portable. The home system is a waste of cash, might as well just get the crappy Majesco Genesis 3 system, at least it will save games and sound right, Contra will work too.
Why do you think it's so crappy? Besides being incompatible with add-on systems/peripherals it always seemed like a decent enough unit the years that I had to use it. I always liked the fact that the Genesis 3 was so compact and portable. Sturdy too, I once dropped the leg of my bed down on the thing by accident, didn't even crack the plastic.
Seen those mini Genesis consoles with 80 games built in for $40? Yeah, don't bother, they suck.
Thanks to all who replied about the portable! I appreciate it.
Sega's new people don't seem to have "cloned" the respect for 2D gaming they used to have - I'd call this a quick cash grab and outsourced to the lowest bidder.
Man, it feels like old times in here. The Genesis 3 has some nice new features (I just found out that it uses a newer Sony RGB encoder than other systems - of course, cheapass Majesco didn't make good use of it; if you want RGB output you have to mod it) but is different in ways that break some games:
Not the worst design, but if "minimal modification" lets you use some of the extra parts, it's clearly not being all the console it can be.[SegaRetro:] A bug in the console's I/O controller that prevented the "TAS" instruction from working correctly was fixed in the Genesis 3. However, some games that incorrectly used this instruction, such as Gargoyles, will no longer run correctly, since they expected the instruction to do nothing.
All told you can probably do much better hacking a newer Sony RGB encoder into a classic Genesis.
Last edited by Ed Oscuro; 12-31-2012 at 06:03 PM.
Daria, preference really. It felt cheap and thin, it didn't have all the chips on board the older Sega made systems did, nor did it have the output quality, and finally it pissed me off not running Virtua Racing due to the corner cutting.
But, in this case, given how ratty this cart taking piece of junk that won't save and won't run Contra either, it's an easy suggestion on the Genesis 3 if you want a mini system that'll get the job done on all but one game.
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