Do you like the 32X?

[EvilEvoIX]

Kolibri and Machine Head are about all I care about.

and Blackthorne.

Metal Head?  You mean you actually like it?  :3

I like it, it showed a glimpse of a 3D world with textured grafx.  Ohhhh what might have been.

[xcrement5x]

Kolibri and Machine Head are about all I care about.

and Blackthorne.

Metal Head?  You mean you actually like it?  :3

Metal Head is awesome when you do the cheat code to make all the people animus:

/2dccyf5.jpg

[TDIRunner]

If you can find one for cheap, it's definitely worth owning.  It doesn't take up much space (unless height is an issue).  I've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of Kolibri, Knuckles and Space Harrier.  And honestly, I thought the Doom port wasn't too bad.  I would bet that I have more time spent playing Doom on the 32x over any other console (in other words, not counting PC obviously).

[Bloufo]

It doesn't take up much space (unless height is an issue).

The footprint is tiny when used with a CDX.

[o.pwuaioc]

It doesn't take up much space (unless height is an issue).

The footprint is tiny when used with a CDX.

But boy oh boy does that look so ugly.

[TDIRunner]

It doesn't take up much space (unless height is an issue).

The footprint is tiny when used with a CDX.

Good point.  I often forget about some of the other Genesis models.

[Bloufo]

That's right. If it ain't aesthetically pleasing, kill it with fire.

[crazydean]

That's right. If it ain't aesthetically pleasing, kill it with fire.
/20k9hsj.jpg

Is that what happened here?

[GaijinD]

And honestly, I thought the Doom port wasn't too bad.  I would bet that I have more time spent playing Doom on the 32x over any other console (in other words, not counting PC obviously).

I'll agree it's an acceptable port. Doom is pretty ubiquitous nowadays, though, so I'd have a hard time recommending it when there are so many other options.

Good point.  I often forget about some of the other Genesis models. 

This is actually part of my dislike of the add-on. I use an X'Eye, on which it blocks the CD door, so using it is extra inconvenient.

[Enternal]

It doesn't take up much space (unless height is an issue).

The footprint is tiny when used with a CDX.

[grolt]

I've always thought it was an underrated system and one that holds up quite well today. The software library on the system is a nice mixture of unique games and solid ports. Most of the ports on the system are the best home versions of the games (Virtua Racing, Blackthorne, Star Wars Arcade, Virtua Fighter, etc.) and most of the others are right up there with the best also (Mortal Kombat II, Doom, After Burner and Space Harrier, which I think controls better on the 32X than on the Saturn SEGA Ages release). Then there are unique games like Tempo, Knuckles Chaotix, Kolibri, Shadow Squadron, Cosmic Carnage and Zaxxon's Motherbase that all have quirky charms that you don't really see on other consoles. It's almost as if because the 32X was such a niche system the developers were able to play around a little more with the concepts rather than just making simple flagship games. All told, the other good thing about the 32X is that the library is small and there are very few actual stinkers. BC Racers and Spider-Man: Web of Fire are really the only dogshit games on the system. Not bad for a system that everyone hates on.

[SamIAm]

Oh, I think there are a few more bad games than that. Motocross Championship, for one, makes me ill.

I think the most interesting bad game on the system is Cosmic Carnage. It stinks, don't get me wrong. The damn thing has almost constant slowdown, and it's just not fun to play at all. However, it has good music, interesting stage and character designs, and some nice gameplay ideas that only look like they're being choked by weak hardware and a rushed release.

When imagining a world without the 32X, I like to think that this one would have been a pretty cool early Saturn game.

You know what really would have been a fantastic Saturn game? Kolibri. That game is just begging to have better sound and a wider color palette.

[o.pwuaioc]

You know what really would have been a fantastic Saturn game? Kolibri. That game is just begging to have better sound and a wider color palette.

Kolibri on the Saturn would be a must-buy for me. It's not the best shooter by a long shot, but it's just quirky enough without being annoying that it would be a joy to play.

Kolibri is literally the reason I bought a 32X in the first place, and was the sole reason I kept it for so long. Sadly, one good game and not even a half dozen mediocre ones hardly a good system make.

[johnnykonami]

I think my favorite exclusive on the 32X is Shadow Squadron.  Love the music!  I thought I would like Tempo more than I did, because I played the sequel on Saturn long before I ever tried the 32X one and I loved it.  I just didn't get into the original all that much though despite being of good pedigree (Red Entertainment!).  I think Virtua Racing is really great looking, too.  But I had skipped over it onto Daytona back in the day, so I can only look back at it in retrospect.  I also enjoyed Blackthorne although I played it on DOS.  I would pick one up for the hell of it one day, I don't own one.  Definitely not a priority though.

[Bloufo]

This is actually part of my dislike of the add-on. I use an X'Eye, on which it blocks the CD door, so using it is extra inconvenient

Unless of course one was fortunate enough to get your hands on one of these:

/ivbwpl.jpg

It was a JVC inside mod job done to X'Eye/Wondermega owners per request.

Victor Japan called it a '32 bit remodeling kit' and it was of course for the the 32x to be used with the console. You could bring in your system, and for ¥5000 (excl. tax) they installed this new lid. This service was available until 2013.

[xcrement5x]

I love how crazy that thing looks, I wish I'd realized it earlier myself so I could have gotten the mod done. 

[TDIRunner]

That's actually a pretty sexy mod.  But I'm also one of those guys who thinks the Genesis/CD/32x combo actually looks good (as long as you can keep the wires looking clean).

[grolt]

Has anyone ever gotten one of those 3 in 1 power adapters to power the Genny/CD/32X all at once?

http://en.retrogamesupply.com/products/power-supply-all-in-one-for-sega-megadrive-genesis-mega-cd-32x

It sure would be nice to not need a massive power strip just to get the system going...

[TDIRunner]

Has anyone ever gotten one of those 3 in 1 power adapters to power the Genny/CD/32X all at once?

http://en.retrogamesupply.com/products/power-supply-all-in-one-for-sega-megadrive-genesis-mega-cd-32x

It sure would be nice to not need a massive power strip just to get the system going...

I've heard good things about these types of adapters, but I'm not familiar with this specific model.  I would like to get one eventually as well, but at the moment, I don't really need it as I've made enough room for all three of my Genesis bricks.

[o.pwuaioc]

Has anyone ever gotten one of those 3 in 1 power adapters to power the Genny/CD/32X all at once?

http://en.retrogamesupply.com/products/power-supply-all-in-one-for-sega-megadrive-genesis-mega-cd-32x

It sure would be nice to not need a massive power strip just to get the system going...

I still have mine, actually. I should probably sell it.

[GaijinD]

Victor Japan called it a '32 bit remodeling kit' and it was of course for the the 32x to be used with the console. You could bring in your system, and for ¥5000 (excl. tax) they installed this new lid. This service was available until 2013.

Yeah, I ran across some info on this not too long ago while looking up something else. Apparently it was available in the US in the '90s. I'd probably be more likely to use the 32X if I had something like this and could just leave it hooked up.

[synbiosfan]

This is actually part of my dislike of the add-on. I use an X'Eye, on which it blocks the CD door, so using it is extra inconvenient

Unless of course one was fortunate enough to get your hands on one of these:

/ivbwpl.jpg

It was a JVC inside mod job done to X'Eye/Wondermega owners per request.

Victor Japan called it a '32 bit remodeling kit' and it was of course for the the 32x to be used with the console. You could bring in your system, and for ¥5000 (excl. tax) they installed this new lid. This service was available until 2013.

I hadn't seen that before,  thanks for the pics.

[CrackTiger]

The 32X isn't ugly, but the X'Eye sure is. Only the original Wondermega looks good.

[xcrement5x]

The 32X isn't ugly, but the X'Eye sure is. Only the original Wondermega looks good.

So true, I just wish prices on it weren't astronomical now.  I regularly kick myself for not buying one maybe 5 years ago when they were much cheaper. 

[Psycho Punch]

It was a JVC inside mod job done to X'Eye/Wondermega owners per request.

Victor Japan called it a '32 bit remodeling kit' and it was of course for the the 32x to be used with the console. You could bring in your system, and for ¥5000 (excl. tax) they installed this new lid. This service was available until 2013.

2013? Boy Japan takes consumer disenfranchising seriously.

[esadajr]

Hell no (and I consider myself a Sega fan). It has to be one of the dumbest ideas for an add on. Sure it has some good exclusives but no "system sellers".

[CrackTiger]

Hell no (and I consider myself a Sega fan). It has to be one of the dumbest ideas for an add on. Sure it has some good exclusives but no "system sellers".

Do you like the Arcade Card?

[Psycho Punch]

I mean the 32X is nice and all but it is kind of pointless, since the goal was to actually give genesis owners a cheap way to enter the "32 bit era" instead of getting a saturn. It had kind of poor support so the goal was not really attained.

The Arcade card was just "PLAY AKEDO GEMU ON YOUR 1987 HARDWARE!!!", it didn't promise much beyond that.

Or maybe I'm relying too much on semantics and both are pointless.

[o.pwuaioc]

I mean the 32X is nice and all but it is kind of pointless, since the goal was to actually give genesis owners a cheap way to enter the "32 bit era" instead of getting a saturn. It had kind of poor support so the goal was not really attained.

The Arcade card was just "PLAY AKEDO GEMU ON YOUR 1987 HARDWARE!!!", it didn't promise much beyond that.

Or maybe I'm relying too much on semantics and both are pointless.

If the Arcade card was as large as the 32X and needed its own plug, I would also not own one.

Edit: On the other hand, Sapphire...

[CrackTiger]

The thread isn't asking "how good of a business decision was the 32X for Sega?" Most people are dismissing it while still complimenting its games. This isn't 1994, the 32X isn't $160 and we have quality flashcarts now. Never mind how cheap a Genesis system is.

The 32X has like 40+ games, including some near arcade perfect ports of a couple timeless classics.

The arcade card has like a dozen games total, including impressive ports of a few impressive games.

[esteban]

TRUTH: If you like one game on 32X, then you like the 32X.

[o.pwuaioc]

TRUTH: If you like one game on 32X, then you like the 32X.

TRUTH: If you like one thing Donald Trump has said, you like Donald Trump.

Let's dispel with this fiction that the 32X is good. 

[NecroPhile]

The same tired, narrow, bullshit argument: system x must have y number of great games to be considered good, and they must be exclusives because ports don't count no matter how fun they are. 

[CrackTiger]

TRUTH: If you like one game on 32X, then you like the 32X.

TRUTH: If you like one thing Donald Trump has said, you like Donald Trump.

Let's dispel with this fiction that the 32X is good. 

Why does a console have to be "good" independent of its games?

[SignOfZeta]

I see Tigers point. Sega is dead now, this thing probably killed it, but if you can actually stand to be in the same room with the dumb piece of crap that murdered your favorite game company just to play a half dozen games...do so, I guess, but I don't have one. I'd rather have a picture of Bernie Stolar on the wall because at least then I can throw darts at it.

The comparison to the AC is way off though. While they both didn't make a lot of sense (and the 32X certainly has more good games than the AC) the AC wasn't half again another game system moronically shoved into a PCE. It was just another System Card in a pretty long line of them. It didn't change the PCE into a completely different machine.

I would argue SGX is a better comparison. It was a rouge product and an evolutionary dead end. Also, huge and stupid. But really there is no analog I can think of in the history of gaming for the idiotic fuckup that it's the 32X and it's hard to think of anything less interesting aside from modern stuff.

[CrackTiger]

I see Tigers point. Sega is dead now, this thing probably killed it, but if you can actually stand to be in the same room with the dumb piece of crap that murdered your favorite game company just to play a half dozen games...do so, I guess, but I don't have one. I'd rather have a picture of Bernie Stolar on the wall because at least then I can throw darts at it.

The comparison to the AC is way off though. While they both didn't make a lot of sense (and the 32X certainly has more good games than the AC) the AC wasn't half again another game system moronically shoved into a PCE. It was just another System Card in a pretty long line of them. It didn't change the PCE into a completely different machine.

I would argue SGX is a better comparison. It was a rouge product and an evolutionary dead end. Also, huge and stupid. But really there is no analog I can think of in the history of gaming for the idiotic fuckup that it's the 32X and it's hard to think of anything less interesting aside from modern stuff.

This is exactly what I"m talking about. The notion the software is the least important part about games.

The Arcade Card and 32X libraries both often get dismissed as having some nice ports that are available elsewhere and a couple nice exclusives. That's not way off, that's how people who can actually look at the games, but claim to only be interested in exclusives, sum them up.

If politics and hardware technicalities are more important than actual games, then games are a minor hobby for you by comparison.

[TDIRunner]

The 32x alone did not kill Sega.  It may have had a hand in it, but even if the 32x had not existed, Sega would have still killed themselves with all of the other terrible decisions they made during that time.

[Bloufo]

No add-ons. Screw the add-ons. Sega CD included. Don't hemorrhage money and fracture your user base with "interim" shit.

Go from the Genesis to the Saturn, but realize that the ol' Genesis still has decent staying power. Keep it going for a few more years. Have enough inventory to meet demand for it.

Know what your way forward is, what the market wants for your next system. Focus on 3D. Shoehorning it into whatever it is you had already designed, and 11th hour compensation affected by what your opposition is doing, ain't gonna cut it.

Get your NA and Japanese divisions to work for the benefit of both and Sega as a whole, not the opposite.

[TDIRunner]

Focus on 3D. Shoehorning it into whatever it is you had already designed, and 11th hour compensation affected by what your opposition is doing, ain't gonna cut it.

Unfortunately, that's what they did with the Saturn too.  It was a 2D powerhouse with 3D added at the last second.  And because Sega didn't think that Americans wanted 2D games, they left most of the good ones over in Japan.  To me, those issues were more damaging than anything caused by the 32x.

[o.pwuaioc]

The same tired, narrow, bullshit argument: system x must have y number of great games to be considered good, and they must be exclusives because ports don't count no matter how fun they are. 

If only were were all so lucky to have a place large enough to own 10 different versions of mediocre games.

You may prefer a bloated collection, but I know I'm not alone in rejecting that.

[NecroPhile]

If only were were all so lucky to have a place large enough to own 10 different versions of mediocre games.

You may prefer a bloated collection, but I know I'm not alone in rejecting that.

The majority of people here have game collections spanning a dozen or more systems and hundreds of games, so you may not be alone but you're definitely not speaking for the masses.

In any case, a flashcart doesn't take up any more space with 32X roms on it than without.

[o.pwuaioc]

In any case, a flashcart doesn't take up any more space with 32X roms on it than without.

At that point, you might as well just emulate.

Also, having dozens of consoles with hundreds of games doesn't mean you also have dozens of multiples on otherwise worthless systems. I too have hundreds of games a dozen systems, but I can count on one hand games that I have multiples of.

I don't need Outrun on the Saturn, PC Engine, Genesis, and Master System. One suffices.

[esteban]

I love comparing the "same" game on different platforms. It is something I will always find fascinating and deeply satisfying.

I understand why folks feel otherwise, but I think they are crazy. ESPECIALLY when it comes to their favorite games. How could you not want to play different versions of your favorite games?

[NecroPhile]

At that point, you might as well just emulate.

Sure buddy.  It's the exact same thing. 

Also, having dozens of consoles with hundreds of games doesn't mean you also have dozens of multiples on otherwise worthless systems. I too have hundreds of games a dozen systems, but I can count on one hand games that I have multiples of.

The subject to which I was responding was about people not having the room for large collections, not whether or not people are inclined to have several different ports of a single game.

I don't need Outrun on the Saturn, PC Engine, Genesis, and Master System. One suffices.

But why would you have any one of those?  Anything less than an original sit down cabinet is a waste of time.

[esteban]

...do you like movies about gladiators?

[o.pwuaioc]

But why would you have any one of those?  Anything less than an original sit down cabinet is a waste of time.

Touché. Luckily there's a cab down the street from here. NY has its perks.

[SignOfZeta]

I've heard that before, the idea that flash cards are the same as emulation. It's a really stupid thing to say so I'm wondering if a lot of people actually believe that or if I'm just remembering every time you said it.

Emulation removes every single aspect of the original experience. Flash carts remove the sticker on the cart but otherwise the experience is identical. The only way I can explain your mentality is if spending money to own something limited in quantity somehow equals the majority of the experience; collectard, in other words.

[o.pwuaioc]

I've heard that before, the idea that flash cards are the same as emulation. It's a really stupid thing to say so I'm wondering if a lot of people actually believe that or if I'm just remembering every time you said it.

Emulation removes every single aspect of the original experience. Flash carts remove the sticker on the cart but otherwise the experience is identical. The only way I can explain your mentality is if spending money to own something limited in quantity somehow equals the majority of the experience; collectard, in other words.

My childhood experience wasn't going through lists of ROMs devoid of any manuals.

[CGQuarterly]

So does that mean that the only difference between a loose cartridge and emulation is a sticker?

[crazydean]

I don't have room for hundreds of games. That's why I have everdrives. You should be thanking me for being uninterested in the real carts. It means more availability for those who actually care.