[Operation Game Collection] Retrogames Collection Update 2018: Pre and Post Crash Computers n Smaller Systems Stuff?

Yes!  Smaller Systems!  These are machines that didn't make a big splash, I don't have much of, or only have the games because they are in one of my "Theme Collections" like Batman, Alien v Predator franchise, ect.  Or just titles I found super cheap.  See unlike many people I am totally cool with emulation but vastly prefer to own legitimate copies of my games.

Click for big if it gets your bytes megaed.

 Starting with the TI 99 computer here.  Not a whole lot honestly.  Its a system I might get some day if I can get it cheap enough.

The 3-5 Hunt:

Demon Attack (One of the best looking versions of this venerable classic.)

Car Wars (Because of the name even though it isn't the tabletop title.  Though Steve Jackson Games did some deal with TI to use the name.)

Microsurgeon (The definitive version of this classic probably.)

 A 2600 game I forgot about, and some Atari ST, Lynx, and Jaguar.  Given that the ST shares many games with both the Amiga, DOS PCs, Atari 800, and Commodore 64 I won't bother putting it in the Hunt.  And honestly the Jaguar is almost the same but its mostly just PC or Amiga titles since outside of Atari Karts nearly every other game worth a damn was a port anyhow outside of the Iron Soldier series and some of the modern homebrew stuff that require the infamous CDROM drive or are absurdly priced cartridges.  And even the Lynx is mostly ports of arcade games and a handful of exclusives.  So yeah.  No real hunt for most of Atari's Tramiel era machines.  

 The Commodore 64, aka THE MACHINE OF MY YOUTH.  A great platform.

The 3-5 Hunt:

Deathlord (A balls hard Ultima clone that goes for way too much nowadays.)

Transformers Battle to Save the Earth  (A not too good US released Transformers game because my dumb ass collects Transformers games.)

Wrath of Denethenor  (Another overpriced Ultima clone.)

 A system I have a fair collection for but still don't have the machine yet, the Tandy Color Computer family!

The 3-5 Hunt:

Downland  (A nifty Coco 1-2 only game in the old school platform explorer style.)

Gates of Delirium (An Ultima 3 clone.)

Poltergeist (Its based on that old horror classic.  Seriously.  I never knew such madness existed!)

My meager Amiga collection and my one and only MSX title.  Many Amiga drives and disks are varying levels of dead or dying.  And the MSX is an absurdly expensive system to collect for to the point NOBODY SHOULD BOTHER.

The 3-5 Hunt (Amiga)

Apidya (Its a pretty great SHMUP where you are a bug.)

Black Crypt (A US made Dungeon Master styled RPG.)

Agony (Its a SHMUP.  You are an owl.)

Shadow of the Beast III (The final game in the series and exclusive to the Amiga.)

MSX Hunt if Money Falls from the Sky

The Goonies (A really fun exploration platformer.)
Thexder II Firehawk  (The best version of this game.)

Aliens (A unique to this platform Alien game.  Its also kind of suck.)

  All these poor systems I don't have systems or a fully working system in the Amiga's case yet plenty of games I can TOTALLY PLAY IN AN EMULATOR ITS OK RIGHT?

  Otherwise I would have to delete the emulator image file within 24 hours!  :v

Retrocomputing Why Bother?: Part 6 and a Half: Dosbox as Shown by Thexder 2

Another retrogame update?  Yes.

This time showing Thexder's less abusive little brother, Firehawk: Thexder the Second Conflict

Its a more modern game than Thexder 1 so has things like save games and continues.

Even support for more audio and graphics!

(Protip: Click the pictures for larger.  You REALLY need to do this to see the EGA graphics mode at its' worst.  To see what I saw playing it.)

Let's see if EGA/VGA mode got any nicer:

 Its certainly a PRETTIER game than Thexder but it still has those annoying dithering lines and low color malarkey of its parent.

 Back to Tandy then.  No dithering garbage and whatnot, but.. it still doesn't look that hot, in fact its a wash which version looks nicer.  Lower resolution but no dithering liney-winey gobbledy goo.

And MCGA, IBM's PS/2 PC line of 256 color proto-VGA like graphics.  With.. virtually NO difference.  But its nice that non Tandy 1000 owners can still enjoy some Thexder 2.

But thanks to the miracles of emulation and fan translations, there is another way.  See.. the MSX computers ALSO had Thexder 1 and 2.  As I have mentioned, the original MSX model was effectively a Colecovision and most MSX emulators cover that machine too.

In fact, let's take a look at MSX Thexder.  Given how it has save states maybe I can use it to complete this classic and abusive game:

Well.. its.. something.  The graphics & sound are sort of better AND worse than the Tandy 1K version with a couple tweaks to levels that remove bits.  But the Energy gained and lost seems a bit more lenient to make up for it.

There is also the Apple IIGS with its amazing sound.  And that version's manual gives it a pair of Continue commands, nothing the other versions seem to have too!  (H for highest level completed, L for last level)

Well.. the music and sound are really good but... back to dither-o-rama.  And the Apple IIGS is a capable machine.  Sadly the emulator is a pain in the backside and the keyboard controls are mapped to the numeric keypad.  ARGH.  JoytoKey will get a workout to do this one justice!  Though the level command thing works like a charm.  

Ok.. Let me dirty myself by trying the Famicom.  Maybe Jeremy Parish will like me if I play a game on his beloved Nintendo, a company he writes about in a manner as if he would go A2M for them if they asked him to.  (Don't look it up.  You do NOT want to know.)

Oh sweet Mary Mother of God.. WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOU, Darlin?

WHAT

HAVE

THEY

DONE?

Level layouts are changed, enemies changed, damage is a tiny number in the corner, shields just form a little bar on the opposite, no score listed...  they just destroyed this game.  No wonder Square of the mid 80s was about to go under if not for Final Fantasy.  THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DESTROY SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL.  Just like the Bronies Square, just like the Bronies.

Like so many amazing 8 bit era computer games, when translated to the NES they become nearly unrecognizable, mangled piles of suck.

Computer to Nintendo Entertainment System(Famicom in Japan) conversions are like using Meth.  It destroys and leaves an ugly, ruined, soulless husk that is willing to do anything just to ease the pain.

Weep for so many beloved 80s classics that Nintendo's world conquering (provided you weren't in Europe or Brazil anyhow..) pile of silicon damaged.

I know I am not gonna like it, but let's see what the MSX version of the sequel looks like, just for laughs:

Wow.  Sounds good, looks good.  With the help of a translation patch and FRS' Enhanced HDD Version which comes with a number of game fixes and will autopatch the game for you Thexder 2 really looks great for its' age and has the cinemas Sierra chopped out of their port.

Sometimes you gotta buy a version of a game, then play a different one to get the best and most fun edition.  Its a bleeding shame we have to go through hoops though.