Pier Solar may be released soon?!?

[Duo_R]

Well is anyone playing this one yet?

[Arkhan]

Bradon Cobb, president of SFT, will have you believe that he is the retro-gaming Jesus.  He does think very highly of himself, touting his "natural abilities" in interviews and the such.

yeah, I think its all pompous BS, to be honest.

There are MSX cartridge publishers overseas that have published alot of games.   I've purchased them, and can attest to the professional quality of the games.
http://www.msxcartridgeshop.com/
http://www.matranet.net/

And then theres the NES stuff...Battlekid is legit, as are all the other carts
http://www.retrousb.com/index.php?cPath=30

And FFS, even self published C64 releases like Knight n' Grail, which was probably the most extremely well put together homebrew, ever.  Thats alot coming from me considering I can't stand the C64.

also, some jackass self published this shitty game called Insanity last year.

I get a kick out of BC's bi-annual visits to retrogaming forums to promote his latest publication.... and then he vanishes into the night, missing out on all the retrogaming talking goodness.

Yeah, SFT has put out some good games, but flailing about acting like you're the only one who can do it when you clearly aren't, is well,... dumb.

Also, I think the clamshell cases they use for the Genesis games blow dick, but whatever.     I swapped out some crappy Genesis games I got for 1$.  Yay for real quality cases that don't shatter if you close them wrong.

Publishing games is retard-simple.  Especially since the target audience in retrogameland is PRETTY MINIMAL, and especially if we're talking CD games.  Shit, for CD games, you fill out an order form on a site, mail them a master disc and some artwork and wait for a truck to drop a box of jewel cases off on your front porch.   Then you shove them in envelopes and mail them to people.

Publishing cart games is almost as simple.  You buy bulk boards, and carts, and manually assemble them all.  It's grunt work, but it's still not like its some cryptic riddle.  If you're the programmer of the game, I would sure hope you can handle burning and installing roms on boards.  If not, lets be honest, theres someone who will gladly help. 

It's no different than when you've got retro computer clubs assembling NIC's, or other cartridges and mailing them out to people... only instead of being a communication device, or storage cart, its got a game rom in it!  I think the hardest part is putting the frigging sticker on the cartridge neatly.

[Mathius]

Well is anyone playing this one yet?

Not yet I don't think. The games are being shipped from China, so I will probably be one of the last to get it.

Bradon Cobb, president of SFT, will have you believe that he is the retro-gaming Jesus.  He does think very highly of himself, touting his "natural abilities" in interviews and the such.

yeah, I think its all pompous BS, to be honest.

There are MSX cartridge publishers overseas that have published alot of games.   I've purchased them, and can attest to the professional quality of the games.
http://www.msxcartridgeshop.com/
http://www.matranet.net/

And then theres the NES stuff...Battlekid is legit, as are all the other carts
http://www.retrousb.com/index.php?cPath=30

And FFS, even self published C64 releases like Knight n' Grail, which was probably the most extremely well put together homebrew, ever.  Thats alot coming from me considering I can't stand the C64.

also, some jackass self published this shitty game called Insanity last year.

I get a kick out of BC's bi-annual visits to retrogaming forums to promote his latest publication.... and then he vanishes into the night, missing out on all the retrogaming talking goodness.

Yeah, SFT has put out some good games, but flailing about acting like you're the only one who can do it when you clearly aren't, is well,... dumb.

Also, I think the clamshell cases they use for the Genesis games blow dick, but whatever.     I swapped out some crappy Genesis games I got for 1$.  Yay for real quality cases that don't shatter if you close them wrong.

Publishing games is retard-simple.  Especially since the target audience in retrogameland is PRETTY MINIMAL, and especially if we're talking CD games.  Shit, for CD games, you fill out an order form on a site, mail them a master disc and some artwork and wait for a truck to drop a box of jewel cases off on your front porch.   Then you shove them in envelopes and mail them to people.

Publishing cart games is almost as simple.  You buy bulk boards, and carts, and manually assemble them all.  It's grunt work, but it's still not like its some cryptic riddle.  If you're the programmer of the game, I would sure hope you can handle burning and installing roms on boards.  If not, lets be honest, theres someone who will gladly help. 

It's no different than when you've got retro computer clubs assembling NIC's, or other cartridges and mailing them out to people... only instead of being a communication device, or storage cart, its got a game rom in it!  I think the hardest part is putting the frigging sticker on the cartridge neatly.

WaterMelon is using a high quality cardboard shell case for Pier Solar. Based on the pics I've seen it looks pretty sweet.

[Arkhan]

Yeah I saw. 

Wukong's case cracked when I opened it, and shattered when I closed it.


Goodjob.

[Joe Redifer]

Wukong was OK at best.  I agree about the quality of the clamshells (there are actually 1 or 2 people over at Sega-16 who seem to think they are better than the original Genesis clamshells... OK whatever).  Wukong (and Beggar Prince) had awful character dialog and the main characters came off as very immature and I hated them both.  Wukong started out crazy hard and got really easy at the end.  The final bost was the easiest boss fight in the game.  The first boss was the toughest.  Beggar Prince had bugs that wouldn't let it work properly with a Sega CD and/or a 32X attached.  They patched the game to resolve that issue, but left existing owners like myself high and dry.  They didn't even offer to reburn the ROM with the new version if I paid to send it back.  It had other bugs that were game breaking, such as boots needed to cross a certain part of the desert, you can only get the boots in a castle and once you exit the castle, you cannot re-enter if you did not get the boots.  Game over.  You have no choice to restart.  You simply can't be releasing games with bugs like that and charging people.

[Arkhan]

Wukong was OK at best.  I agree about the quality of the clamshells (there are actually 1 or 2 people over at Sega-16 who seem to think they are better than the original Genesis clamshells... OK whatever).  Wukong (and Beggar Prince) had awful character dialog and the main characters came off as very immature and I hated them both.  Wukong started out crazy hard and got really easy at the end.  The final bost was the easiest boss fight in the game.  The first boss was the toughest.  Beggar Prince had bugs that wouldn't let it work properly with a Sega CD and/or a 32X attached.  They patched the game to resolve that issue, but left existing owners like myself high and dry.  They didn't even offer to reburn the ROM with the new version if I paid to send it back.  It had other bugs that were game breaking, such as boots needed to cross a certain part of the desert, you can only get the boots in a castle and once you exit the castle, you cannot re-enter if you did not get the boots.  Game over.  You have no choice to restart.  You simply can't be releasing games with bugs like that and charging people.

Yeah. I had me some Beggar Prince bugs and never touched the game again.  Its sitting on a shelf.  Waste of cash.

I liked Wukong because it was obnoxious, wonky, and cheesy.   Cheesy being the big selling point.

But overall, the buggy Beggar Prince, and brittle clamshell made me kind of meh about SFT...

Along with the pompous attitude.

Insanity may not be a visual masterpiece, or the most intense, elaborate game ever, but at least its bug free, fun to play, and the quality of the thing overall is nice.  I replace broken jewel cases if they show up broken for people.  For a first time project, I think I exceeded my own expectations of what I was going to accomplish.

SFT has been doing this for awhile.  There's no excuse.

[Duo_R]

Can't wait to try insanity out!

[nodtveidt]

I think it's great that Pier Solar was finally completed. Score +1 for homebrew.

But jumping in bed with SFT is a recipe for disaster. Every PCE developer knows it. It's just too bad that the Genesis scene doesn't know it, and are buying into Cobb's hype. I smelled the bullshit a mile away, so did Garner and so did Shadoff.

But hey, I don't tend to be concerned with build quality of this. If it's coming from China, you already know it's gonna suck. From a consumer point of view, I care more about the quality of the game itself. Pier Solar better not be another buggy POS, because SFT already has two Genesis failures to their credit. So for me, it's either going to be third time's a charm or three strikes you're out.

[Arkhan]

I think it's great that Pier Solar was finally completed. Score +1 for homebrew.

But jumping in bed with SFT is a recipe for disaster. Every PCE developer knows it. It's just too bad that the Genesis scene doesn't know it, and are buying into Cobb's hype. I smelled the bullshit a mile away, so did Garner and so did Shadoff.

But hey, I don't tend to be concerned with build quality of this. If it's coming from China, you already know it's gonna suck. From a consumer point of view, I care more about the quality of the game itself. Pier Solar better not be another buggy POS, because SFT already has two Genesis failures to their credit. So for me, it's either going to be third time's a charm or three strikes you're out.

true dat, but I really despise getting homebrew that costs a pretty penny, and having it come in shitty packaging.

An MSX game cart cost me 18$ or something (Caos Begins), and it came in a nice little high gloss cardboard box w/ a nice manual.  Sure its cardboard, but its damn fine cardboard.
The goonies one cost more (40$?) but it has an SCC in it, and it is an MSX2 game.  It came in similar quality packaging. 

Cobb is way too hype-like.   Full of himself even.  I'm glad he doesn't specialize in CD publications and never approached me about Insanity, probably because the whole thing was done and out before anyone expected it.  If he would have fed me the BS I've seen him feed to other people, I would have probably made fun of him.


I really hope for Pier Solar's designer's sakes, the game isn't a buggy disaster.  The games been put off/etc. for so long, if it finally comes out and doesn't deliver, its going to disappoint/anger alot of people.

[Duo_R]

I will repro a nice game case once I get my hands in one of these.

[Arkhan]

Yeah I used old sport game boxes.

[Mathius]

They spent about 3-4 months testing for bugs, so here's hoping. I haven't heard any connections between SFT and WaterMelon.

[Duo_R]

So what is the history of SFT, I am out of the loop on the homebrew news.

[Mathius]

So what is the history of SFT, I am out of the loop on the homebrew news.

I am not too sure myself, but here is a link that may shed some light for you:

http://www.legendofwukong.com/

[Arkhan]

So what is the history of SFT, I am out of the loop on the homebrew news.

Basically, Brandon Cobb and SFT publishes other peoples work for them.

Cool.  Good service for people who want to get their games out there....

Except he does it in the most pretentious way possible.  Its alot of "we do it the best" and "noone else can do what we do", which lets be honest, we know thats not true at all.  look at the NES releases, or the C64 releases.  OR ALL THE MSX ONES.    It was done before SFT and will be done after SFT.  With, to be honest, better quality overall.  I've bought homebrew for tons of systems.  The SFT genesis releases are a disappointment.  Knight n' Grail for C64 is a better overall release, and again, I hates me some C64.     

Then you got this kind of shit:

Beggar Prince is proudly presented through the partnership of Super Fighter Team and C&E, Inc. Developed by C&E, the game was then localized, debugged, partially reprogrammed and otherwise prepared for official worldwide release by Super Fighter Team.

Except, its buggy.  So maybe it was partially reprogrammed in the sense that they didnt finish fixing bugs?  ... and this means it wasn't properly prepared for a release.

Beggar Prince ships complete with 32-megabit game cartridge, 27 page full color instruction manual and plastic clamshell case with color insert. All parts are brand new, custom produced by our factory for the highest possible quality.

Except, the case shattered like glass and looks all goony to begin with.  Actual sega cases are alot nicer.   They might as well just go buy a bunch of

And "our" factory?  Really?  I doubt its THEIR factory.  Its probably, given the quality, some chinese BS.

So I hope Pier Solar is great and knocks SFT off their defective high horse.   A nice Sega release needs to come out.