Granted, if I were to drop my hard-earned dough on one of maker Fujitsu's FM Towns machines, which were released in Japan between 1989 and 1997, it probably would make more sense for me to pick up an FM Towns Marty console rather than the PC variant seen below, but the latter won me over with its "original Macintosh" looks.
Anyway, this entire conversation is moot due to the fact that I only discovered this auction after it had wrapped up--and even if I'd come across it earlier, I wouldn't have had $960 to blow on it.
As for which games I would've bought alongside this FM Towns II (in the hypothetical situation that would've allowed me to do such a thing): the system's arcade-perfect Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands ports, for starters. I'd also love its supposedly spot-on Splatterhouse conversion, although I've heard copies tend to be pricey.
(Via retro-treasures.blogspot.com)
I love stuff like that but the impracticality of acquiring, owning, and actually using it would be too much for me. I've always wanted an Apple Pippin just for the bizarre controller and Bungie's first console game. Especially now that Bungie has made a misstep with Destiny.
ReplyDeleteThe closest thing I have to something like this is the Amiga CD32, a would-be game system built from Amiga computer hardware. I've been a Commodore fan since, like, forever, and thought it would be a fun conversation piece, but everything for it is stupid expensive and tough to find. On top of that, it doesn't do anything a similarly equipped Amiga computer can't already do.
ReplyDeleteOh, I remember reading about--and slobbering over photos of--the CD32 back in the day. It was mentioned quite a bit in one of the UK gaming mags I used to buy, although I can't remember its name at the moment. Anyway, it sounds like you don't have too many games for it at the moment?
ReplyDeleteMan, I don't have ANYTHING for my CD32. If it tells you anything, I used a hacked power supply from a home computer because an official AC adapter for the system is nearly impossible to find. I used a Genesis controller instead of the official CD32 pad, and that /technically/ works, although it's missing a lot of buttons.
ReplyDeleteLike most CD-based systems from the early 1990s, you can burn discs on your computer and play them right on the CD32 without modding it. Unfortunately, the CD32 is rather picky about what discs it accepts. It wouldn't play one ISO I found unless it was burned to a 650MB disc, which almost nobody makes these days. (Predictably, official discs are ridiculously hard to find.)
Oh, wow! So, you literally only have the system and nothing else? Nothing else official, I mean? That's too bad, if so :( At least you can (sometimes) use burned discs on it!
ReplyDeleteA quick eBay search reminds me why I never got into collecting for this system.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Amiga-Competition-Pro-CD32-JoyPad-Controller-/271630227471?pt=US_Video_Game_Controllers&hash=item3f3e6c580f
A hundred dollars for one friggin' controller? Uh, pass. There's also a copy of Rise of the Robots for the same kingly sum, and if you remember anything at all about Rise you'll know that it ain't worth a plug nickel.
Yowza! I had no idea. I'm guessing this is because the system and its peripherals and games just weren't made/released/sold in large numbers? Otherwise, I don't much understand the horrible prices.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I definitely know a bit about Rise of the Robots. Or at least I remember reading about it back in the day. It was one of those games that had mag writers slobbering over early screenshots of it, but after they finally had a chance to play it, they hated it. I guess some things never change, eh?
Sounds like Destiny, no? :-p
ReplyDeleteSounds like a whole of games, Chief, both new *and* old! :)
ReplyDeleteSadly the case.
ReplyDeleteYes and no. I mean, I think it's sometimes nice for both gamers and developers to remember (learn?) that looks aren't everything.
ReplyDeleteYou're not missing much with Splatterhouse (I actually prefer the Turbo port -- mostly for the music), but Rainbow Islands is spot-on. That's actually the version that ignited my love for Rainbow Islands... and then I bought... the DS game...
ReplyDelete(Not every story ends happily!)
Zigfried! Nice to see you back here again :)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thanks for the warning about the FM Towns version of Splatterhouse. Not that I'm actually going to buy, say, a Marty and any games for it anytime soon, of course, but still...
Speaking of the FMT port of Rainbow Islands, BTW, how do you think it compares to the PCE CD port? I've always considered the latter to be basically arcade-perfect, although I can't say that with utmost certainty.
Also, have you played the FMT Bubble Bobble port? From what I've seen of it (video footage), it also looks to be spot-on.
Sigh :|
PCE CD port of Rainbow has quite a few more stages (that weren't in the arcade), so it's probably the better one. I've played both, but it was years apart and I never owned both at the same time... so couldn't do a side-by-side compare.
ReplyDeleteDidn't ever own Bubble Bobble for the FMT, but that's what PS2 Taito Legends is for =D
Oh, right, I forgot about the extra stages in the PCE port. I guess I can be happy I at least own that version, then.
ReplyDeleteAs for Bubble Bobble, I have the PS2 Taito Legends, but even then I can't help but want a copy of the FMT Bubble Bobble port due to its awesome box art.
The same is true for the Rainbow Islands FMT port, actually. I love its unique box art.
Of course, I'm not sure any of that is reason enough to pick up these games at some point, especially given the prices they tend to go for on eBay, etc.