Isometric & Oblique Projection Games

64bitRuss · August 01, 2013, 23:32:50 PM

Quote from: "The Laird"This game really needs to be in this thread too:

Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters 1989 Atari Mame Retro Arcade Games

This game has to be one of my biggest regrets as far as great games that never got a home console port. I played this quite a bit at the arcade when it was brand new. And of all the systems out there, I always thought this was made to order for the LYNX. It's the same era of the other arcade games on the system, and probably the same hardware too. And, it's never shown up on any of the classic compilation discs. Just a damn shame.

TL · August 01, 2013, 23:38:14 PM

Quote from: "64bitRuss"
Quote from: "The Laird"This game really needs to be in this thread too:

Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters 1989 Atari Mame Retro Arcade Games
This game has to be one of my biggest regrets as far as great games that never got a home console port. I played this quite a bit at the arcade when it was brand new. And of all the systems out there, I always thought this was made to order for the LYNX. It's the same era of the other arcade games on the system, and probably the same hardware too. And, it's never shown up on any of the classic compilation discs. Just a damn shame.

Worst thing is that a Lynx version was planned but never released :20:

It did come out for all the home computers over here though, here is the Atari ST version:

Escape from the planet of the robot Monsters.

64bitRuss · August 02, 2013, 02:02:52 AM

Ah the nostalgia!Â :113:

TL · August 02, 2013, 19:41:00 PM

Another absolute classic that hasn't been mentioned yet . . . . . .

Pacmania arcade gameplay

TrekMD · August 02, 2013, 20:25:42 PM

Here's one that I'm sure not many have seen.Â This is Space: 1999 for the Oric.Â It can be downloaded here:Â Space 1999.

[align=center:2bnwgg44]Space:1999 Oric game intro

Space:1999 Oric game demo[/align:2bnwgg44]

Rogue Trooper · August 02, 2013, 20:39:09 PM

Quote from: "TrekMD"Here's one that I'm sure not many have seen.Â This is Space: 1999 for the Oric.Â It can be downloaded here:Â Space 1999.

[align=center:2uc5xz6v]Space:1999 Oric game intro

Space:1999 Oric game demo[/align:2uc5xz6v]

Speaking as a huge Space 1999 fan at that time:

That intro is bloody amazing!!!!!.

Best thing i've seen for ages.

TrekMD · August 02, 2013, 20:40:06 PM

Quote from: "Rogue Trooper"
Quote from: "TrekMD"Here's one that I'm sure not many have seen.Â This is Space: 1999 for the Oric.Â It can be downloaded here:Â Space 1999.

[align=center:2nh2gznz]Space:1999 Oric game intro

Space:1999 Oric game demo[/align:2nh2gznz]

Speaking as a huge Space 1999 fan at that time:

That intro is bloody amazing!!!!!.

Best thing i've seen for ages.

It certainly is!

TL · August 04, 2013, 11:23:41 AM

Here are two absolute classics for all the Atari 8-bit computer fans:

Atari 800 XL - Panther - Longplay to Survivor Unload

Atari 800 : Blue Max - complete

sloan · August 07, 2013, 02:58:08 AM

Sammy's Viewpoint is Zaxxon, only ten times better. It saw ports to Neo Geo, Genesis/MD, and PSX. The soundtrack rocks and the game gets crazy difficult in spots, but it will rock your world. Highly recommended!

NEO-GEO Viewpoint Stage-1

Viewpoint (Sega Genesis)

Viewpoint Game Sample - Playstation

TrekMD · August 07, 2013, 03:03:46 AM

That looks very nice!Â It does look like Zaxxon on steroids!

sloan · August 07, 2013, 03:37:56 AM

I first played it on a Neo Geo emulator, and had to have it. Unfortunately, I don't own NG, but the Genesis version is quite good in its own right. I do have to say though, that the Genesis version's soundtrack isn't quite up to the standard of the NG version.

DreamcastRIP · August 07, 2013, 04:01:02 AM

Viewpoint is a cracking Neo Geo MVS game that subsequently saw an understandably pared down Mega Drive conversion.

I'd never seen footage of the PlayStation version until now. My first impression was of marvelling at how impressive it looks for what was after all a console that struggled to produce sprite based arcade coin-op conversions without needing to cut back drastically on the amount of animation frames. The rendered visuals do look rather nice, imho.

I see from Wikipedia that,

* a Sharp X68000 conversion was also released that was better than the Mega Drive version
* the truest arcade/Neo Geo MVS conversion is deemed to be the Fujitsu FM Towns version
* a Sega Saturn version and a Nintendo 64 version were also planned but were both cancelled

The PlayStation conversion thankfully manages to retain the gameplay (same attack patterns, level layouts, etc) of the MVS original while having nicely updated rendered visuals and a new CD-based soundtrack. Whereas the FM Towns conversion is the most arcade accurate version.

However, some reviews criticised the PlayStation version for,

* having at-times hideous slowdown (seeminly more noticeable than the slowdown present in the arcade original)
* a level password system
* largely pointless FMV scenes
* its new soundtrack not being a great match for the game. One review states "...abysmal techno/surf tunes soundtrack is an embarrassment to the classic tracks of the Geo cart. There is little reason or logic as to why the original music simply wasn't remixed for the CD format, but it's obvious the designers didn't do their homework."
* having supposedly sluggish and imprecise controls (a consequence of the dreadful slowdown, it seems)
* having an even more insane difficulty level than the already tough arcade original (partly due to the above point)

Source: http://www.mobygames.com/game/playstation/viewpoint/mobyrank

Sooooo... it seems the PlayStation conversion was ultimately another sprite-based arcade coin-op conversion plagued by the console's known deficiencies.

It's a shame the Saturn conversion never made it as that could well have improved on the PlayStation version at least in terms of not having as much slowdown - especially so if it had have utilised one of the console's RAM expansion cartridges as used by the many other Saturn sprite-based arcade coin-op conversions. Maybe the N64 version could have been decent but I'm guessing it'd have been another ghastly smear-o-vision production so that's not an easy call to make.

Rogue Trooper · August 07, 2013, 10:50:36 AM

I've a copy of Edge previewing Viewpoint 2064 on N64.Looked pretty damn good, very Starfox 64-ish.sadly development issues meant it was canned some 12 months in.

Do own Viewpoint on PS1, it's insanely tough and whilst the texture-mapping, transparancies etc are nice from a cosmetic point of view, the music does feel out of place and game is a real dog to play.

Shadowrunner · August 07, 2013, 15:04:21 PM

Great example of an isometric game, I have Viewpoint for the NeoGeo CD and for the PS1.
They look great but for me it's just too difficult!

sloan · August 07, 2013, 22:54:46 PM

I never saw Viewpoint in arcades and believed it was a Sammy game developed for NG. I have to say that if I get a NG some day, it will be because of this game. That version's soundtrack alone blows me away.

I did not know of the FM Towns Marty or N64 ports either. Hmmm, I do have a N64 or two lying around...