Anyone Remember the game "Vasteel" ?

[Dax415]

Was curious if this game could be used to make a macross game even though it was a turbo duo game (for those that don't remember it was supposed to be the next step up from the turbo grafx even though it was just a compact turbo grafx with built in cd player/reader for games).

What I liked about it was it had elements of Military Madness and when the mechs fought you manuever the robots individually in a one on one battle.

[JB0]

Was curious if this game could be used to make a macross game even though it was a turbo duo game (for those that don't remember it was supposed to be the next step up from the turbo grafx even though it was just a compact turbo grafx with built in cd player/reader for games).

Actually.... NEC had no clue what they were doing, hardware-wise.

And on the US side, they had no idea what they were doing, period. Not marketing, distribution, or software licensing(though 2 and 3 were hurt by the Nintendo America chokehold of the era)

There's about 3792 variants of the PCEngine/TurboGrafX hardware. Almost all of them are J-only.

The Duo is are just another variants. With the (rather large) plus of an integrated Super CD-ROM expansion.

Meaning it could play any CD game except for the Arcade Card titles(and the Rondo of Blood "mini-game"), and save HuCard and CD games with no additional hardware(a base PCEngine/TG16 couldn't save cartridge games without a peripheral, though the US and both Japanese CD-ROM expansions integrated said peripheral). It was the cleanest way to play (essentially) the entire TG16/PCEngine library.

The original CD-ROM adapter required a "System Card" to boot.

The initial System Card 1.0 was, to put it bluntly, a disaster. It was buggy and unusable, and nothing really supported it.

Hence, System Card 2. Which also added more RAM, if I recall.

This was followed by the "Super System Card 3.0" which added more RAM than 2.0. This was also integrated into the redesigned CD expansion and Duo, so you no longer needed a boot card if you had one of those.

And then there was the Arcade Card. With, you guessed it, more RAM.

There's also a redesigned Duo called the Duo-R. And a rebadged Duo-R called a Duo-RX. Because NEC MUST repackage everything to further market confusion!

The only two real "steps up" were the SuperGrafX(J-only(despite the name) marginal upgrade and flop) and PC-FX(J-only completely new platform and flop).

Anyways, now that I've nerded out....

I'm sure Vasteel could be modded. Depends how elaborate you want to go, though.

A simple sprite swap would be easy, but not very impressive. Creating a genuinely new game would be far harder, and better served by writing a new game from scratch.

[David Hingtgen]

Vasteel? Any connection to Thunder Force?

[the white drew carey]

I remember Vasteel very well. It was an awesome game. My friend imported it from Japan so we had no idea what the hell the storyline was, just how to control the mechs and kick some ass.

I really likes the strategy control for the big picture, but then balls out fighting for the mech battles.

Awesomeness. I so spent many hours playing this game.

There were soooo many mecha to choose from and build.

[Dax415]

I remember Vasteel very well. It was an awesome game. My friend imported it from Japan so we had no idea what the hell the storyline was, just how to control the mechs and kick some ass.

I really likes the strategy control for the big picture, but then balls out fighting for the mech battles.

Awesomeness. I so spent many hours playing this game.

There were soooo many mecha to choose from and build.

Cool!! Glad I wasn't the only one to enjoy this game, one of my favorites.

[the white drew carey]

Cool!! Glad I wasn't the only one to enjoy this game, one of my favorites.

Yeah. It rocks.

I don't know how "mod-able" it is, though. Has anyone modded a Turbo-Duo game before?

[Dax415]

JBO

How hard would it be to try and do up a game from scratch on this concept? The graphics are not elaborate and i'd only tweak a few of the game mechanics and combat characteristics of the mechs, but keep it essentially the same. What would I have to learn?

[JB0]

JBO

How hard would it be to try and do up a game from scratch on this concept? The graphics are not elaborate and i'd only tweak a few of the game mechanics and combat characteristics of the mechs, but keep it essentially the same. What would I have to learn?

If you don't know what you need to learn, then it will probably be very hard.

You need to know a programming language, for starters. That actually covers a lot of ground, since you learn logic and math computer-style while learning to program.

Most likely you'll learn C or C++, for the same reason everyone had an NES. It's number one.

You'd need a sound/graphics API too, like Allegro or DirectX.

Hypothetically, those 2 elements should cover it. They are, sadly, a lot more complex than they sound.

Programming is not something you can just pick up and do.

As far as tweaking the game mechanics and characteristics.... do you even know what those are, specifically? Or are you just planning on approximating it based on look and feel? Not that a best guess is a bad thing, since you aren't trying to make a straight Vasteel port.

[the white drew carey]

If you don't know what you need to learn, then it will probably be very hard.

You need to know a programming language, for starters. That actually covers a lot of ground, since you learn logic and math computer-style while learning to program.

Most likely you'll learn C or C++, for the same reason everyone had an NES. It's number one.

You'd need a sound/graphics API too, like Allegro or DirectX.

Hypothetically, those 2 elements should cover it. They are, sadly, a lot more complex than they sound.

Programming is not something you can just pick up and do.

As far as tweaking the game mechanics and characteristics.... do you even know what those are, specifically? Or are you just planning on approximating it based on look and feel? Not that a best guess is a bad thing, since you aren't trying to make a straight Vasteel port.

Yeah, plus things like this can be time-consuming. Anyone remember this lost cause: Macross ELS flash game

Edited December 12, 2007 by the white drew carey

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

I barely remember this game. I tried it out at my cousin's pad all those years ago, and at the time I thought it was the bee's knees. Sadly, that was all I got to play of it.

Seeing this game in action reminds me a lot of Vasteel:

[the white drew carey]

Wow, except for the REALLY bad techno music, that's totally like the son (or grandson) of the Vasteel fights. Awesome looking game!

[Wes]

I remember Vasteel very well. It was an awesome game. My friend imported it from Japan so we had no idea what the hell the storyline was, just how to control the mechs and kick some ass.

I really likes the strategy control for the big picture, but then balls out fighting for the mech battles.

Awesomeness. I so spent many hours playing this game.

There were soooo many mecha to choose from and build.

Wow someone should show that guy how not to suck and make the same errors repeatedly.

Hacking a game isn't nearly as easy as it sounds. About every system has it's own processes of working with whatever hardware it uses. Those people who've worked on emulation of the system knows that best. I doubt there's many people who have bothered with it. Something like the NES is alot easier because it's been around forever and so many people have played it there's far more an interest in hacking and emulation. You can find a ton of edits of those games.

Even very popular recent stuff take alot longer. I've heard of SNES games taking a year to hack and translate. I think it's taken at least that long for Mother 3 so far for the Gameboy Advance and there's been alot of demand for that. These projects have multiple people

What I'm saying is that you'd better really love this game because a hack will take at least a year, two if you're not experienced. It's not something you can do on weekends for a month or two.

[Dax415]

thanks, guys....

fortunately for me i have a friend who's finishing up his degree in video game design, so if i took some classes and started to do this from scratch or hack it, i'd have some help!! not at all worried about it taking a year or two, what i'd like to do is keep intact the hex movement and being able to pilot the robot in the one on one battle scenes and make it macross of course!

was just curious if anyone out there did a command and conquer style macross game? i've seen the homeworld mod (which is why i bought a copy awhile back) but haven't spent much time with it.