(2/14/2016 - 2/20/2016) Game of the Week: Dragon's Curse

[SamIAm]

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February 14 - February 20: Dragon's Curse
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(chosen by seieienbu)

Released in 1991 for our beloved Turbo Grafx, Hudson's Dragon's Curse is the fourth game in the Adventure Island/Wonderboy series; it is a free roaming platformer that starts you off as powerful as you would be in the end of an ordinary game.  After a brief level exploring a castle you face the boss of the castle; after the defeat of your adversary, Mecha Dragon, you are weakened and placed in a cursed form and the game truly begins.

A very forward thinking game, the scope of Dragon's Curse is in a class of its own among US HuCard titles.  As you progress through the world you gain new abilities allowing for further exploration and requiring a bit of backtracking rather than simply traversing from one level to the next.  The different forms you control all play very different and enable you to solve problems in new and interesting ways.  The gameplay mostly feels like another Adventure Island with exploration elements similar to Metroid games while there are hints of an action RPG with regards to becoming more powerful via collecting more hit points and finding and spending money.

The art is cartoony, bright, and colorful making good use of the turbo's color palette.  The music is jaunty, cheerful, and well suited for the game.  The play control is as expected from an Adventure Island title:  a tad slippery making the platforming aspects challenging but still allowing for good control over your character.  Overall, this is an excellent title that every Turbografx owner should have in his or her library.

Wonderboy Thread: pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=9249.0

Hardcore Gaming Series discussion: http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/wonderboy/wonderboy.htm

Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_Boy_III:_The_Dragon's_Trap

Soundtrack:

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GOTW Schedule:
1. (1/3/2016 - 1/9/2016) Liquid Kids (lukester)
3. (1/17/2016 - 1/23/2016) Super Dimension Fortress Macross 2036 (Gentlegamer)
4. (1/24/2016 - 1/30/2016) Fushigi no Yume no Alice (EmperorIng)
5. (1/31/2016 - 2/6/2016) Valkyrie no Densetsu (Gredler)
6. (2/7/2016 - 2/13/2016) Bikkuriman World (jtucci31)
7. (2/14/2016 - 2/20/2016) Dragon's Curse (seieienbu)
8. (2/21/2016 - 2/27/2016) Yo, Bro! (grolt)
9. (2/28/2016 - 3/5/2016) Formation Armed F (nopepper)
10. (3/6/2016 - 3/12/2016) Silent Debuggers (MNKyDeth)
More submissions welcome!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PunkCryborg]

Oh hell yeah I just got this game and have been really wanting to get into another Wonder Boy title since I just finished Dynastic Hero. It was from a facebook trade and the manual is all ripped up, was pretty annoyed when I got it but what can you do?? The game plays fine still. Anyways, looking forward to getting into this one

[johnnykonami]

I had this in my original teenage TG-16 library, it was my 5th or 6th game and one of my favorites.  Unfortunately I don't have it anymore and prices have unexpectedly shot up.  Always happens with good games, doesn't it?  Maybe one day I'll get it again but I definitely put my time in with it already so others can take a crack at it now.

[grolt]

This was probably my most played game on the Master System and overall is my favorite Wonder Boy...the level design is just brilliant, making the entire game available to you right from the start in each direction, with each new form revealing a different path. Starting you off full power is a nice tease and a good way to maintain continuity with the previous game (even if it wasn't release for the TG-16). Great pick and a game everyone should play - I'm going to try to give this a go soon since I've only really played he first few parts of the TG-16 version. All hail Westone!

[seieienbu]

I missed this game as a kid.  When I got back into turbo stuff a few years ago, this was the first new huey that I picked up.  I absolutely love everything about this game and wish I'd gotten a copy a decade earlier; it is easily my favorite platformer on the system. 

I've been looking forward to a run through it for a while since finishing Dynastic Hero about a month ago.

[BigusSchmuck]

Oh noes, that water song is stuck in my head! Must spread the love!

[crazydean]

Thanks for suggesting this. Gonna play it this weekend. Any idea what kind of completion time to expect?

[Gentlegamer]

I think I'm going to have to fire up Ootake for this week's game.

[geise]

Dammit. I am going to have to give this one some play. I had always dismissed it as a turd because the intro part with the repeating dungeon loop design turned me off and I thought the whole game was like that.  Combined with the so so graphics I just didn't give it a chance. A friend informed me that only the intro is "loopy" and convinced me to give it a try... I actually enjoyed it but stopped playing after getting mouseman powers.

GOTW: Perfect incentive to get back to it.

Yeah, I was the same way at first.  Once I got into it I really enjoyed it.  It's been ages since I've played through it.  Now is as good a time as ever to do it again.

[BigusSchmuck]

Thanks for suggesting this. Gonna play it this weekend. Any idea what kind of completion time to expect?

It took me a couple of hours the first time I played through it though I got about 80% of the game on two hearts completely by accident. lol.

[PukeSter]

Thanks for suggesting this. Gonna play it this weekend. Any idea what kind of completion time to expect?

http://howlongtobeat.com/game.php?id=11259

Seems to be 7 hours. I think that's how long it took me. I had to look up one or two things though

I kinda wish Hudson did more to improve the game, but the higher frame rate and save function is great, and the game was already so good anyway.

People should check out Blood Gear! I haven't played it but it's apparently a AAA, late gen pce game just like rondo, lords, Xanadu ii, soldier blade, etc. Another Westone game that is even closer to Zelda II. There's a guide somewhere too.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Dammit. I am going to have to give this one some play. I had always dismissed it as a turd because the intro part with the repeating dungeon loop design turned me off and I thought the whole game was like that.  Combined with the so so graphics I just didn't give it a chance. A friend informed me that only the intro is "loopy" and convinced me to give it a try... I actually enjoyed it but stopped playing after getting mouseman powers.

GOTW: Perfect incentive to get back to it.

Good grief Nulltard, get on the ball & play this game NOW!!@!@!@#!@%$!@ 

What's odd, is that the first time I owned it(traded it for a different game from a friend), I just didn't get into it.  However, I decided to buy it off my friend that I traded it to, & fell in love with it.  1 thing that irks me however is when I start bouncing around from being hit, that still annoys me.  I do feel like the gfx could've been better for the time.  Not that there could been crazy parallax everywhere, I just feel that they could've pushed the Turbob more.  The music is great, & it's one of those games, I'd love to make my own rendition of the soundtrack for just for fun if I ever actually had the time.

[IvanBeavkov]

I just beat this game last week, first time I have played it since the early 90s. This game is just so well put together and fun to play. My son just finished it also, he is 6. He just blasted through it over a couple days. He wouldn't stop playing it till he beat it.

[gheebee]

I should really finish this one, got to the end and never beat the final boss. In spite of that it was a pretty good game that kept me playing for quite some time up until that point.

[schweaty]

i havent played this in a while.  i seem to remember having no problems at all when i played it on my TGCD unit, but when i try it on just my standard deck i am not getting the extra heart container on the other side of the pyramid (the chest is empty) and its not even showing me the continue code when i die.  what am i missing here?  does it have something to do with playing it without a built in save feature?

[CrackTiger]

You have to get the passwords from the church before you die.

Some chests you can only grab once at all or once per save/password load.

[LostFlunky]

i havent played this in a while.  i seem to remember having no problems at all when i played it on my TGCD unit, but when i try it on just my standard deck i am not getting the extra heart container on the other side of the pyramid (the chest is empty) and its not even showing me the continue code when i die.  what am i missing here?  does it have something to do with playing it without a built in save feature?

Don't forget to break the walls in that room on the other side of the pyramid.

Played this through a few weeks ago for the "beat all games in 2016" thread.
Loads of fun and pretty smooth difficulty curve.  I did find myself having to do a lot of treasure hunting to buy armour.   

I think I died 7 or 8 times on the last boss though.  I kept getting to it with very little life.

I have had this game since the early 90's and this was only the second time I beat it.  I often play it though, just from the beginning for an hour or so.  I love the music!

[EmperorIng]

The last boss is probably the hardest part of the game, and its most frustrating part, because of how long it stun-locks you if you happen to get hit by it.

Unless there is a secret cheese strategy I am not aware of. E.G., magic, which I never bothered too much with in the latter half of the game (seemed overall ineffective).

[spawnshop]

I've been meaning to pick this up and play it before this week.   Haven't gotten a copy yet.
May end up getting the PCE version and try to play through that.
Looks great though.

[schweaty]

i havent played this in a while.  i seem to remember having no problems at all when i played it on my TGCD unit, but when i try it on just my standard deck i am not getting the extra heart container on the other side of the pyramid (the chest is empty) and its not even showing me the continue code when i die.  what am i missing here?  does it have something to do with playing it without a built in save feature?

Figured it out:  in my haste, i neglected to grab the second heart container in town.  if you dont get that heart first, the chest on the other side of the pyramid will be empty.  the more you know...

[o.pwuaioc]

I have this on a FEKA system instead of the PC Engine. Can anyone point to a good run down of the differences between the two? Any reason beyond "because FEKA" for why I might have the wrong version?

[o.pwuaioc]

I have this on a FEKA system instead of the PC Engine. Can anyone point to a good run down of the differences between the two? Any reason beyond "because FEKA" for why I might have the wrong version?

https://youtu.be/x5pNSTWP-NY

There's no way I'm listening to that annoying text noise for 30 seconds let alone seven minutes.

This is why I'm pissed at the move to Youtube reviews. If it's not written, it's not worth paying attention to it.

[CrackTiger]

I have this on a FEKA system instead of the PC Engine. Can anyone point to a good run down of the differences between the two? Any reason beyond "because FEKA" for why I might have the wrong version?

WBIII runs at 30fps and has a bunch of hidden exclusive end-game bonus content/replay value.

AI/Dragon's Curse runs at 60fps like normal 2D games, supports back up saves and still has the passwords.

So if gameplay makes a difference, then FEKA isn't the best version.

[esteban]

I have this on a FEKA system instead of the PC Engine. Can anyone point to a good run down of the differences between the two? Any reason beyond "because FEKA" for why I might have the wrong version?

I love the FEKA version.  It was the first one I played.

When this was released, I wasn't sure if it was much of an upgrade... but the TG-16 version is really sweet, and just slightly more charming (that's right, the bastard is more charming than the original—I include character designs here...I know FEKA fans hate hearing this, but the character designs for PCE are quite nice).

...but, I have gone back to both, equally, to replay over the years.

BOTH ARE WORTHY OF YOUR LOVE.

[grolt]

I have this on a FEKA system instead of the PC Engine. Can anyone point to a good run down of the differences between the two? Any reason beyond "because FEKA" for why I might have the wrong version?

I love the FEKA version.  It was the first one I played.

When this was released, I wasn't sure if it was much of an upgrade... but the TG-16 version is really sweet, and just slightly more charming (that's right, the bastard is more charming than the original—I include character designs here...I know FEKA fans hate hearing this, but the character designs for PCE are quite nice).

...but, I have gone back to both, equally, to replay over the years.

BOTH ARE WORTHY OF YOUR LOVE.

I realize this is entirely subjective, but I prefer the FEKA soundtrack to the TG-16 version.  I find the melodies in the TG-16 version are muffled and overpowered by the percussion.  The FEKA version is one of my favorite chiptune soundtracks, so that's why the SMS version usually wins out for me.  The graphical differences are pretty negligible (same goes for the other Wonder Boy ports between the two systems) all told.

[PukeSter]

I have this on a FEKA system instead of the PC Engine. Can anyone point to a good run down of the differences between the two? Any reason beyond "because FEKA" for why I might have the wrong version?

I love the FEKA version.  It was the first one I played.

When this was released, I wasn't sure if it was much of an upgrade... but the TG-16 version is really sweet, and just slightly more charming (that's right, the bastard is more charming than the original—I include character designs here...I know FEKA fans hate hearing this, but the character designs for PCE are quite nice).

...but, I have gone back to both, equally, to replay over the years.

BOTH ARE WORTHY OF YOUR LOVE.

I realize this is entirely subjective, but I prefer the FEKA soundtrack to the TG-16 version.  I find the melodies in the TG-16 version are muffled and overpowered by the percussion.  The FEKA version is one of my favorite chiptune soundtracks, so that's why the SMS version usually wins out for me.  The graphical differences are pretty negligible (same goes for the other Wonder Boy ports between the two systems) all told.

idk man, PCE version has a much better frame rate. It's very noticeable and smooth.

Not having to write down long passwords is great too. What does "muffled percussion" mean?

[esteban]

I have this on a FEKA system instead of the PC Engine. Can anyone point to a good run down of the differences between the two? Any reason beyond "because FEKA" for why I might have the wrong version?

I love the FEKA version.  It was the first one I played.

When this was released, I wasn't sure if it was much of an upgrade... but the TG-16 version is really sweet, and just slightly more charming (that's right, the bastard is more charming than the original—I include character designs here...I know FEKA fans hate hearing this, but the character designs for PCE are quite nice).

...but, I have gone back to both, equally, to replay over the years.

BOTH ARE WORTHY OF YOUR LOVE.

I realize this is entirely subjective, but I prefer the FEKA soundtrack to the TG-16 version.  I find the melodies in the TG-16 version are muffled and overpowered by the percussion.  The FEKA version is one of my favorite chiptune soundtracks, so that's why the SMS version usually wins out for me.  The graphical differences are pretty negligible (same goes for the other Wonder Boy ports between the two systems) all told.

idk man, PCE version has a much better frame rate. It's very noticeable and smooth.

Not having to write down long passwords is great too. What does "muffled percussion" mean?

The melodies are not as prominent in TG16 version. Especially when playing the game, with sound effects, the melodies can get lost...GROLT also feels that, if he were the engineer mastering the final mix...he would lower the volume of the percussion (drums) for the same reason (to put more emphasis on the melody).

Personally, I like both PCE and SMS versions of the songs.

I maintain that there are two ways to judge a soundtrack:

(1) In the game itself.

(2) In isolation.

A lot of games that perform well for #1 (Gradius, Metroid for example), are not nearly as captivating for #2. #1 is far more challenging to successfully execute, in my opinion, because the music becomes part of the overall soundscape and *atmosphere* of the game. It is easy to make mistakes here (it is similar to adding background music to a scene in a film...there are many ways to mess it up).

So, GROLT is persuasively arguing that SMS provides the better *gaming experience* (the proper mix of song vs. SFX whilst running around).

Personally, I think that the PCE tunes can certainly hold their own in the game itself, but I think that GROLT and I might agree that the nuances and subtleties in the PCE tunes could better be appreciated as #2 (isolation). This is assuming that GROLT can deal with the overbearing drums.

So, to be fair to GROLT, since he emphasized actually playing the damn game, we could not simply listen to both soundtracks "side-by-side".

No, a better approach would be to *play* the games side-by-side and see if it makes a difference.

[grolt]

I have this on a FEKA system instead of the PC Engine. Can anyone point to a good run down of the differences between the two? Any reason beyond "because FEKA" for why I might have the wrong version?

I love the FEKA version.  It was the first one I played.

When this was released, I wasn't sure if it was much of an upgrade... but the TG-16 version is really sweet, and just slightly more charming (that's right, the bastard is more charming than the original—I include character designs here...I know FEKA fans hate hearing this, but the character designs for PCE are quite nice).

...but, I have gone back to both, equally, to replay over the years.

BOTH ARE WORTHY OF YOUR LOVE.

I realize this is entirely subjective, but I prefer the FEKA soundtrack to the TG-16 version.  I find the melodies in the TG-16 version are muffled and overpowered by the percussion.  The FEKA version is one of my favorite chiptune soundtracks, so that's why the SMS version usually wins out for me.  The graphical differences are pretty negligible (same goes for the other Wonder Boy ports between the two systems) all told.

idk man, PCE version has a much better frame rate. It's very noticeable and smooth.

Not having to write down long passwords is great too. What does "muffled percussion" mean?

The melodies are not as prominent in TG16 version. Especially when playing the game, with sound effects, the melodies can get lost...GROLT also feels that, if he were the engineer mastering the final mix...he would lower the volume of the percussion (drums) for the same reason (to put more emphasis on the melody).

Personally, I like both PCE and SMS versions of the songs.

I maintain that there are two ways to judge a soundtrack:

(1) In the game itself.

(2) In isolation.

A lot of games that perform well for #1 (Gradius, Metroid for example), are not nearly as captivating for #2. #1 is far more challenging to successfully execute, in my opinion, because the music becomes part of the overall soundscape and *atmosphere* of the game. It is easy to make mistakes here (it is similar to adding background music to a scene in a film...there are many ways to mess it up).

So, GROLT is persuasively arguing that SMS provides the better *gaming experience* (the proper mix of song vs. SFX whilst running around).

Personally, I think that the PCE tunes can certainly hold their own in the game itself, but I think that GROLT and I might agree that the nuances and subtleties in the PCE tunes could better be appreciated as #2 (isolation). This is assuming that GROLT can deal with the overbearing drums.

So, to be fair to GROLT, since he emphasized actually playing the damn game, we could not simply listen to both soundtracks "side-by-side".

No, a better approach would be to *play* the games side-by-side and see if it makes a difference.

He gets me

[CrackTiger]

I think that the difference in sound is more a result of the stereo/speakers being used when you play the games. A few sound channels using simple sounds with limited range, all in mono, aren't affected much by lower quality speakers.

Nostalgia is likely a major factor as well, because if you play both games on real hardware with decent speakers, you'll hear that the sound effects in the PSG version of WBIII regularly drown out the music altogether and single sound effects either replace an instrument track or simply overpower them. The sound is balanced in the Turbo/PCE version, so that when sound effects happen, even more than one, you still hear the music and it doesn't sound or feel like the bgm is constantly being interupted.

[esteban]

I think that the difference in sound is more a result of the stereo/speakers being used when you play the games. A few sound channels using simple sounds with limited range, all in mono, aren't affected much by lower quality speakers.

Nostalgia is likely a major factor as well, because if you play both games on real hardware with decent speakers, you'll hear that the sound effects in the PSG version of WBIII regularly drown out the music altogether and single sound effects either replace an instrument track or simply overpower them. The sound is balanced in the Turbo/PCE version, so that when sound effects happen, even more than one, you still hear the music and it doesn't sound or feel like the bgm is constantly being interupted.

Well, admittedly, I haven't played the SMS version or PCE version recently.

If the SFX for SMS WBIII cut out a channel of sound (which many games for NES/SMS did)... then I concede to your point for judging the soundtrack * in game* (scenario #1).

As an aside: IIRC, Dragon Spirit for PCE does the same thing (cutting out a channel of song to allow simultaneous SFX for fun and bomb)...and because I love so many of the songs in Dragon Spirit, I always wished I could turn off the bomb and/or gun SFX.

Too many games prioritized weapon SFX (and made the volume too loud), to the detriment of the soundtrack.

[PukeSter]

Too many games prioritized weapon SFX (and made the volume too loud), to the detriment of the soundtrack.

Still happens even today. A lot of modern games have really good soundtracks that by default have the sound effects drown out the music.

For example, I had no idea songs like this were in Far Cry 4 because my AK-47 drowned out everything.