SuperGrafx mentioned in SEGA interview on making 3D Sonic the Hedgehog for 3DS

handygrafx · 12/05/2013, 01:03 AM

http://blogs.sega.com/2013/12/03/sega-3d-classics-–-3d-sonic-the-hedgehog-interview-with-developer-m2/?6866309=1

Naoki Horii, president of developer M2 who has been making the SEGA 3D Classic games for the 3DS, talks at length about what they had to do to get Sonic the Hedgehog to run in 3D at the right framerate.

They made a MegaDrive emulator for 3DS called 'GigaDrive' (note: it's not mentioned but that was unofficially the early codename in 1991-92 for what eventually evolved into Project Mars (Genesis 32X) and the Saturn.

Here is the relevant part where he mentions the SuperGrafx:

QuoteWith regards to the GigaDrive's architecture, what level of hardware are we talking about?

NH: We've expanded the flexibility of the MegaDrive, to a larger extent than for instance how the PC Engine Super Grafx multiplied the number of sprites and backgrounds that the PC Engine had, and added memory to it. With the GigaDrive, Video Processor functions were added for the expanded game functionality, there are more sprite tables, you can use six background layers, the backgrounds have depth, all objects have depth, etc. Once you've got all this working, you can build Sonic The Hedgehog in 3D.

The whole interview is great but I won't mention any more since that would be going completely off topic. I just think it's kewl that Naoki Horii mentioned the PC Engine SuperGrafx and it's featured on Sega's blog

Tatsujin · 12/05/2013, 01:12 AM

yeah, read through that whole stuff..was a good read. still like the sega's super scaler 3D remakes much better than just le simple sonic.

they also canceled Thunder Blade in the favor of Sonic

why couldnd't they have canceled something like f.e. altered breast instead???

Nando · 12/05/2013, 03:53 PM

This kinda makes me want a 3DS

Tatsujin · 12/05/2013, 06:12 PM

this sure was my buying reason last summer

Arkhan Asylum · 12/06/2013, 02:20 PM

Everyone is going to be like OMFG NEED SUPRFGRAFXARSDFF NOW.

Joe Redifer · 12/06/2013, 02:58 PM

Just got off the phone with Best Buy. They confirmed that the SuperGrafx has been selling a lot more and it's been hard to keep in stock since this interview came out.

esteban · 12/06/2013, 04:51 PM

My daughter has a 3DS but I haven't really explored the library. Too bad she wants Pokemon for XMAS instead of old skool FEKA, reimagined.

Oh well.

Tatsujin · 12/06/2013, 10:38 PM

Lol Esty just secretly DL them onto her 3DS. I'm sure she wouldn't mind some extra icons on the main screen. ^^

esteban · 12/07/2013, 12:44 AM

Quote from: Tatsujin on 12/06/2013, 10:38 PMLol Esty just secretly DL them onto her 3DS. I'm sure she wouldn't mind some extra icons on the main screen. ^^

Hahhahahaahaha. You speak the trüth.

.

handygrafx · 12/07/2013, 01:31 AM

Quote from: Joe Redifer on 12/06/2013, 02:58 PMJust got off the phone with Best Buy. They confirmed that the SuperGrafx has been selling a lot more and it's been hard to keep in stock since this interview came out.

LOL

I heard NEC decided to manufacture more SuperGrafx consoles after the initial production run of about 50,000 units.

Now they're making something like 500,000 a month.

Joe Redifer · 12/07/2013, 07:23 PM

Pff I wish. So much potential in that system and it PAINS me to see it barely ever even touched.

Tatsujin · 12/11/2013, 07:39 PM

houly farkin' nolan!! they are continuing!! they must have heard my prayers (rem..rants)!!

http://www.4gamer.net/games/242/G024220/20131211011/

joe redifer get your 3DS ready!!!

Joe Redifer · 12/11/2013, 10:01 PM

Ha! On a side note, does anyone actually play with those screen tilting/rotating features enabled? My first time playing Super Hang-On prompted a quick reset in order to try to figure out how to turn that off.

Tatsujin · 12/12/2013, 12:14 AM

lol beware. I only once switched in that mode for checking it out. the 3DSLL screen is small enough already.

One cool thing about the 3DS screen is its relatively low resolution which is very close to the one of our old 16-bit and 80s arcade games, allowing it to reproduce all the graphics in almost full screen and native resolution. therefore I also dont use the zoom and stretch feature. I rather have a little smaller (only few pixs anyway) picture but in native res.

Joe Redifer · 12/12/2013, 12:40 AM

I don't think the zoom feature stretches it, just adds more on the sides making the game actually wider.

Tatsujin · 12/12/2013, 01:59 AM

there are about four or so different resolution/modes to choose from. and each of the three games is differently done as well. anyhow, I just use native resolution for the most near arcade experience possible.

Joe Redifer · 12/13/2013, 12:35 AM

How do you know the resolution is native? It doesn't say native anywhere.

I just wish I could play these on a TV or monitor instead of a handheld.

Tatsujin · 12/13/2013, 12:59 AM

I know it by seeing it. when it uses the exact amount of pixels as it was designed for. you easily see that if the picture is washed out/blured/interlaced etc. -> not native. or if each pixel is crisp and clear perfectly displayed as it should be.

the 3DS has a 400x240 WQVGA x2 screen. so it displays any 320x240 or 320x224 designed games (which most of the sega 80s games were) pixel perfect either in full height or with a bit of a filler on top and bottom and cut of 40 pix on each side.
All three so far released super scaler using 320x224 native resolution. I think, but i have to check this again, they have even expanded the horizontal resolution to meet the max vertical resolution of 240 by adding more of the graphics oin each side. in this case this would be something like 342x240 uneven.

Joe Redifer · 12/13/2013, 02:26 AM

Yeah that's what I was saying, the gameplay is screen is now actually wider (which is easy to do in Super Scaler games, I imagine). I play so that none of the "arcade cabinet" is showing on the top or the bottom. But it still doesn't seem native to me. Space Harrier seems to be missing a teensy tiny bit of detail. I can tell in the stages that have a ceiling because if I recall the gap between floor and ceiling is two pixels tall natively.

Mathius · 12/15/2013, 07:46 PM

Cancelled Thunder Blade? For the millionth reissue of Sonic 1??? And Altered Beast isn't even the arcade version. It's the MD version! Which is also available commercially. I just don't understand.

Tatsujin · 12/15/2013, 07:58 PM

Quote from: Mathius on 12/15/2013, 07:46 PMCancelled Thunder Blade? For the millionth reissue of Sonic 1??? And Altered Beast isn't even the arcade version. It's the MD version! Which is also available commercially. I just don't understand.

yeah me too..but hey, they're just continuing releasing them (after burner II on this wednesday in j-land), so chances are high that thunder blade will make it too some day

@joe, yeah seems we're taking about the same. what I only wanted to say is that in the "native mode" it doesn't deform/distort the pixels, which you can clearly see in the other available modes..so me very like much

Mathius · 12/15/2013, 08:00 PM

Quote from: Tatsujin on 12/15/2013, 07:58 PM
Quote from: Mathius on 12/15/2013, 07:46 PMCancelled Thunder Blade? For the millionth reissue of Sonic 1??? And Altered Beast isn't even the arcade version. It's the MD version! Which is also available commercially. I just don't understand.
yeah me too..but hey, they're just continuing releasing them (after burner II on this wednesday in j-land), so chances are high that thunder blade will make it too some day

I hope so, Tats.

Tatsujin · 12/15/2013, 08:07 PM

Quote from: Mathius on 12/15/2013, 08:00 PM
Quote from: Tatsujin on 12/15/2013, 07:58 PM
Quote from: Mathius on 12/15/2013, 07:46 PMCancelled Thunder Blade? For the millionth reissue of Sonic 1??? And Altered Beast isn't even the arcade version. It's the MD version! Which is also available commercially. I just don't understand.
yeah me too..but hey, they're just continuing releasing them (after burner II on this wednesday in j-land), so chances are high that thunder blade will make it too some day
I hope so, Tats.

it MUST, or I'll continuing bombing their japanese FB site, until they DID!

Mathius · 12/15/2013, 09:10 PM

Quote from: Tatsujin on 12/15/2013, 08:07 PM
Quote from: Mathius on 12/15/2013, 08:00 PM
Quote from: Tatsujin on 12/15/2013, 07:58 PM
Quote from: Mathius on 12/15/2013, 07:46 PMCancelled Thunder Blade? For the millionth reissue of Sonic 1??? And Altered Beast isn't even the arcade version. It's the MD version! Which is also available commercially. I just don't understand.
yeah me too..but hey, they're just continuing releasing them (after burner II on this wednesday in j-land), so chances are high that thunder blade will make it too some day
I hope so, Tats.
it MUST, or I'll continuing bombing their japanese FB site, until they DID!

Much laughter!