BATTLE of the SHMUPS - AIR BUSTER - Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) vs TurboGrafx

Ready for another Battle of the Shmups? It's AIR BUSTER aka Aero Blasters in a Port Battle to the Death. Both will kick your ass, but is the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) or TurboGrafx 16 version the best? I analyze the graphics, sound, gameplay and even the cover art to determine which port comes out on top? Console Wars back again in this Shooter Shootout - Battle of the Shmups - Air Buster - Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) Vs TurboGrafx
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Chapters
0:00 - Intro
1:27 - Graphics Comparison Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) vs TurboGrafx 16
04:38 - Sound and Music Comparison Sega Genesis vs TurboGrafx 16
08:25 - Gameplay In-Depth Sega Genesis vs TurboGrafx16
10:04 - Gameplay In-Depth Stage 2 Tips TurboGrafx
11:42 - Gameplay In-Depth Stage 3 Sky Snake Tips
12:10 - Gameplay In-Depth Stage 4 Zero Gravity Tips
13:21 - Gameplay In-Depth Stage 5 Rat Bastard Tips TurboGrafx
14:01 - Gameplay In-Depth Stage 6 Death Circus Tips TurboGrafx
16:00 - Gameplay In-Depth Final Boss Run Sega Genesis vs TurboGrafx Tips
18:04 - And the WINNER IS ???
18:26 - Covert Art Sega Mega Drive vs Turbografx
19:00 - Check Out My Other Comparison Videos : Truxton / Tatsujin and Lords of Thunder TurboDuo vs SegaCD
Looking for more Shooter action? Check out my other video series "Brutal Shmups" especially on the Mega Drive and PC Engine for lots more STG / Shoot Em Up gameplay and perspectives. And never forget that Shmups are Shooters!
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[@danmakuman]

Kaneko themselves ported their arcade game to the MD. It is actually an 8meg game but compressed to fit in 4. I think it is one of the closest arcade ports for the console, the only real thing it lacks is 1 extra layer of parallax scrolling present in the arcade and of course the sound, it could sound better (I like how it sounds tho) but maybe they had to cut some edges to fit the whole game. The PCE version is really a technical marvel, lots of sprites and bullets on-screen and if we count that part of the backgrounds are made with some sprites to simulate more parallax scrolling layers is even more impresive. Still some sacrifices were made and I understand it, both versions are good but yeah, the MD has the edge being developed by the Kaneko guys themselves, for its compression technique and being on a console that can do some visual effects easier (Like the parallax scrolling)

[@ShmupJunkie]

It's surprising how well the frame rate holds up on the Turbo, although they do dip a bit at times, when things get really hectic with bullets on screen. For an early port it's especially good. I learned about the compression on the MD port when researching it this week, as I had never connected the load screens with them uncompressing the data, so it makes sense. TBH I expect graphics to be improved on MD ports, but it was the music that impressed me most, as most often the pc engine runs away with good BGM. So hearing some of the later stages sound even better to me on the MD was a revelation. Or not really better, but different and really rockin' without being grating like many others.

[@ajsingh4545]

Pc-Engine version was ported in house by Hudson like with lot of the ports on their console. They worked hard in the porting department throughout the Engine's lifespan.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Do you agree with my pick? I'll bet many of you won't! Let me have it in the comments 😂 Chapters 0:00 - Intro 1:27 - Graphics Comparison Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) vs TurboGrafx 16 04:38 - Sound and Music Comparison Sega Genesis vs TurboGrafx 16 08:25 - Gameplay In-Depth Sega Genesis vs TurboGrafx16 10:04 - Gameplay In-Depth Stage 2 Tips TurboGrafx 11:42 - Gameplay In-Depth Stage 3 Sky Snake Tips 12:10 - Gameplay In-Depth Stage 4 Zero Gravity Tips 13:21 - Gameplay In-Depth Stage 5 Rat Bastard Tips TurboGrafx 14:01 - Gameplay In-Depth Stage 6 Death Circus Tips TurboGrafx 16:00 - Gameplay In-Depth Final Boss Run Sega Genesis vs TurboGrafx Tips 18:04 - And the WINNER IS ??? 18:26 - Covert Art Sega Mega Drive vs Turbografx 19:00 - Check Out My Other Comparison Videos : Truxton / Tatsujin and Lords of Thunder TurboDuo vs SegaCD

[@TexasHollowEarth]

I used to regularly finish this one on TG-16 when I was 14 or 15 yo. I like the darker color palette of the TG-16 version over MD + that PC-Engine music (love the zero g stage). Never knew the TG-16 version's stage 2 song was a unique feature 👍. Your dodging skills are really impressive. Why not just use the 'charge burst' to clear the screen, sometimes? MD version definitely had the nicer backgrounds & parallax. Great comparison. Just found your channel & really liking what I see.

[@ShmupJunkie]

@@TexasHollowEarth tbh I am constantly forgetting about the burst feature and don’t use it enough 🤣. Especially on the last stage with the missiles. It’s a bad habit of mine I’m the same with bombs. I get into a zone and don’t use them. Yeah that stage 2 music is so good. I always very much preferred it. But I was very surprised by how much I liked stage 4 and 5 on the MD tunes when playing it again. They rocked.

[@TexasHollowEarth]

@@ShmupJunkie - Wow.... fast reply! Very personable👍. My cousin had the Master System/Genesis, I had TG-16, then the SNES. He had lots of great games, but had few shooters & virtually none for his Genesis 😔.

[@ShmupJunkie]

@@TexasHollowEarth part of the reason I’m enjoying this is interacting with everyone and trying to make this a community so I dig it. I was the kid with the tg16 too and my friend had the genesis. Luckily he did have some good shooters and I would also rent some and bring them over. Hope you enjoy my other stuff I’ve got plenty of vids like this one.

[@TexasHollowEarth]

@@ShmupJunkie - Checking out your backlog & loving the content + your impressive & well displayed game collection 👍. I ditched all of my old gaming hardware, prior to Sega Saturn over 20 years ago. I depend on emulation for my OG gaming needs. I now play alot of my retro games on portables like a modded Vita & Switch. I still gotta' get me a flipgrip for vertical raster shooters on the Switch. The 2 Psykyo shooter collections are fantastic. Hope we get more Compile collections & they get localized.

[@opaljk4835]

gotta say, the parallax effect on the turbo is pretty damn impressive for a system that was supposed to not be able to pull that off as well

[@ShmupJunkie]

For an early release especially. Once they had the CD games with more RAM available they started to go nuts with parallax that even put many 16bit games to shame, but even then it was always trickery to simulate it. The hardware never could do it natively.

[@JMDAmigaMusic]

Air Buster together with Hellfire were the inspiration for the Amiga shooter Powder, where however we did mix stuff around so is not exacty a clone!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Powder! hmmm interesting. I never had an Amiga so I don't know all the good shooters on there. I just added to my list to check out, as I will be soon on the Mister I picked up.

[@Xodyak]

The Turbo was easily beating the MD in music until stage 4...then the MD straight crushes the Turbo in your examples. Stage 2 on the Turbo is wild though. I played and had the Turbo version when I was a lot younger. I don't have it any more for either system, and while I would probably prefer the MD version more, which one I would get would come down to affordability. Fun game either way, can't go wrong.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Xodyak So I’m not the only one that thought the same thing then. I really loved 4 and 5 on the MD. Otherwise I would’ve given it to the Turbo bar none for stage 2 alone, but in the end called it a tie. And I always loved those two stages on the Turbo also they sound great, but the MD tunes for those won me over. Honestly unless you’re incredibly good at these games the turbo port is downright brutal. So I can see most people getting more mileage out of the Sega port which had me give the nod to it on gameplay too.

[@JahElOfYHWH]

I still bump that stage 2 song all the time. Thank you 🙏 KZbin!

[@GBGamesBOOM]

Loved to play Aero blaster on my Turbo. I put alot of time on this game.

[@ShmupJunkie]

GB Games If you can play it well on turbo the MD port should be no sweat. I miss playing it two player on the turbo it’s fun that way. Although rare to find anyone that lasted past stage 2 😂

[@hueyh5637]

“easily could have called it ball buster and no one would have blinked” 🤣🤣🤣

[@overkill1473]

This was my second ever Mega Drive game. And yes it decompresses the assets before each level, hence the loading time. Its also one of the very few 2 Player shooters on the MD. The jamma board has better graphics and better sound effects.

[@ShmupJunkie]

It's even more impressive given it was also a pretty early port. I rarely ever saw this in the arcade so the Turbo was the majority of my exposure to it. And yeah I never mentioned the 2 player mode since both games pretty much have it, but it was a great way to play with friends. Or more accurately, die together with friends somewhere on stage 2 or 3 lol.

[@tom11zz884]

The SEGA GENESIS/MD version for the win. No surprise since the Genesis/MD is running on much more powerful hardware. That said, the Turbografx 16 held it's own.

[@ShmupJunkie]

tom11zz884 It’s always impressive when the Turbo pulls off superior Shmup ports given its 8bit architecture but it was a well designed system all around. They often had to be very creative with the hardware to pull off things like parallex. I call it the little engine that could. It had a very fast processor so it excelled in these types of games. But in this case the MD port really is special it’s a great port. I was happy to play and enjoy it this week.

[@ajsingh4545]

In graphics it was more power since it can do two layers of backgrounds vs only 1 on the PC-Engine, but in terms of raw processor power to push things on screen, I believe it was very much equal to the Megadrive, maybe slightly faster from what I hear.

[@kanoamisawa9901]

This was one of my favorite shooters ever played it for the genesis but not for the tg16 at the time I couldn’t believe how good it was and was impressed by how next gen it felt.

[@NightWolve75]

Oh, so this had a Sega port at the same time called Air Buster, interesting... I rented the TG-16 HuCard and loved one of the tracks at least.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Usually it’s stage 2 people remember as it’s such a great track. That and most never make it to stage 4 to hear the next great one lol.

[@TexasHollowEarth]

@@ShmupJunkie - Love the zero g stage. The awesome track helped me to power through it.

[@JahElOfYHWH]

Man much love for making this! I am a big turbo and 16 bit fan and I bought this game and grounded and finished it! This game introduced me to shmups and I still play these games! Just something about chip tunes and stuff

[@ShmupJunkie]

If you finished it on the turbo that’s mighty impressive. It’s super damn hard and I don’t recall how many times I played it before I finally did. To this day it’s a toss up if I can get a good run or not without getting snagged from stage 4 onward. But it’s never stopped being fun, janky space physics and all 🤣

[@MOXIEchannel]

I agree with your judgement. But the tg sound is really amazing, as always. Thanks for the video 👍✔️

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks man. Yes I will always have a soft spot for the TG sound it is pretty amazing.

[@Rwithoutbrakes]

Superb video as ALWAYS. THERE'S SO MUCH love out together on your videos, that's for sure. So much appreciated as I just started to play this game for summer holidays. Thanks junkie!

[@ShmupJunkie]

You're welcome! This was one of my earlier comparison videos but I'm really pleased with how it came out. I had a lot of fun making it as it's such a cool and nostalgic game for me.

[@Johnnygrafx]

Man, this game is so freaking hard. I own both versions but haven't gotten far enough in them to know the differences. Great video as always my dude 👍

[@ShmupJunkie]

One of the hardest it kicked my butt as a kid for a while. But it kept me coming back so I eventually improved. I need to grab that MD version now that cover art is killer.

[@Fattydeposit]

Great analysis as usual. You're right about nostalgia having a lot of sway here. I played the original MD one as a kid and loved it despite never making it to the end, and also sunk a lot of cash into the coin-op. When I discovered the PC Engine port years later (through emulation) I enjoyed it too despite it feeling more stripped back overall. However - whereas you view the change in Stage 2 music in the PCE version as getting an exclusive track - I saw it as the inexplicable, bizarre removal of the most atmospheric, fully-fleshed out, lengthiest tune in the whole game. The sonic apex. Years later, it was memories of the 'Mechanized Cave' track (AKA Stage 2) that got me interested in playing this game again, the way it soundtracked the ebb and flow of level design itself perfectly, matching its intensity like an impeccably scored movie soundtrack. The arcade version is a VGM masterpiece in my eyes, and the Mega Drive version at least retained a little of its magic..so you can imagine my disappointment to find - what was to me - a comparatively non-descript, ill-fitting almost random sounding track in its place on the PCE, and the key reason why I've always considered the PCE version a weaker arcade port (even though to be fair I've never played it on an optimum setup).

[@ShmupJunkie]

😱 I'm actually blown away because it's the first time I'd ever heard anyone say they liked the MD Stage 2 music and the Turbo port didn't blow it away. I've always thought it's such an amazing original tune. So you're right as well that nostalgia is such a huge factor. And the MD version is also closer to the Arcade and not a unique track. That's why I ultimately gave it a tie. I think most people actually prefer the Turbo music that I've come across, but in my eyes the MD port was outstanding and I couldn't pick one over the other. Like you said, when both are so well done it's mostly preference. But aside from the music, in all other areas I agreed that the MD was better and had to go with it. The main reason I like playing the Turbo is I played it so much and am good at it, so the challenge brings me back. Once you've cut your teeth on that hard ass game the other ports seem easy, but even I could tell the Turbo difficulty is almost out of control in some spots. Any time I play that last stage it's a toss up if I'll make it through or not on some parts.

[@Fattydeposit]

@@ShmupJunkie Yeah, I totally get not being overly fussed about the MD version's rendition of the Stage 2 tune - especially if the PCE version is the one from childhood. I just strongly associate this game with the original Arcade version's stage 2 tune, almost to the point where it defines it. And it's just not there on the PCE. To me it's like a finding an otherwise faithful port of, say, Super Hang On but instead of Winning Run being one of the tracks, the devs just replaced it with an entirely non-related, thematically incongruous tune from another time and place. Definitely not an issue for most people though, let alone something that sounds 'wrong'..

[@RHZZ]

Really enjoy your battle of the shmups videos!! I find very interesting knowing about the differences between the same game on different consoles or regions and which one is better. Now, I should try the Mega Drive version of this game!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks glad you do. Sometimes they are both good, just different, and worth trying out. Maybe you'll find you like the other better. The MD version is definitely excellent in this case though.

[@Dojonpachi]

Awesome stuff as always. Would love to see Darius someday now that we have the Megadrive version on the mini console.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Very true, that would make for a cool comparison. I've yet to play the new MD port and heard lots of great things about it. I never loved the very early Darius games like some did, they felt a bit sparse and basic aside from the cool music and bosses. It won me over further down the line with Gaiden and G. So I didn't play the originals a ton. I would kind of be seeing them from a pretty unbiased perspective.

[@chrissawyer1484]

I remember playing this in the arcade and getting my tail handed to me. Thanks for the comparison video. I was always curious on this one.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Chris Sawyer what’s crazy is the arcade was actually easier than both of these ports! The MD version is very tough and the Turbo forget it 😂. I very rarely saw the arcade cab as a kid 😞

[@ultor7654]

Again an amazing documentary, your channel is a pure gem and I do specially love these "battle of port" series. Gorgeous scan-lines on the MD footage but not on the PC engine it's pity the NEC wonder deserved more love. All in all you are marvelous Sir! From the bottom of my heart thank you so much. N.B. Don't be so rude with Timmy he need to grow up you know...

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you. I actually stopped using scanlines on any of my footage now, as it looks beautiful sometimes, but often KZbin kills it with compression. So anyone without great signal or internet, it looks very bad. So for everyone to get a best experience I started turning them off on my OSSC. It's been a while since I did a Battle of the Ports video, I am due for another one. I have a couple good ones in mind. Timmy will never grow up, I think he is the child in all of us 😁

[@gpturismo]

I love the sound of the YM2612 but designers had to really score music to take advantage of it. So the only area the PC-Engine kicks but is the sound. Also I feel the MD is a bit more saturated.

[@ShmupJunkie]

The pce had the most melodic tunes I always loved the music in their games, but it felt like more of an extension of the nes. The MD definitely was unique and an extension of the SMS. When it came to arcade ports the MD had the edge for sure since so many of the games then used a similar FM chip. They could always emulate that Toaplan arcade sound well.

[@unlimitedretrogaming]

Glad to see this cool video and that the medal went for the MD/SG version in this time LOL!!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

The MD was due! I've got some more in the pipe where it's clear the MD will take it also. I am trying to keep it to games where it's not too one sided so it's interesting.

[@ChairmanMeow1]

TurboGrafx is just so colorful, thats part of the reason I got into it -- I hadnt seen video games look like that before. The graphical style is really unique, and it also seems to suffer less slowdown than other consoles... although the MD suffered from this less than say the snes. Crazy they got the MD version down to 4MB... hard to believe.

[@KingLizzardsGameLounge]

Great video mate and can't beleive I missed this game after all these years. It does look familiar but I'm certain I have not played it having watched the cool footage. Im working on an Everdrive at the moment with a good friend we both share so hopefully in the not too distant future I'll get to play more TG16, including this one. Overall I agree with your comparison but it was pretty tight all round except for the graphics section, which the MD definitely trumped, but then you'd expect that being the more powerful of the 2. Excellent non biased comparison dude. Looking forward to the next one!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks buddy I'm glad you enjoyed it as usual. It was certainly close both games are classic ports. Next up is some Top 5 SNES brutality many have been waiting for.

[@lock7852]

Awesome video man,i gave the music a draw too,that stage 2 tg16 music is the best track overall though,tough game but a good one for sure😎

[@ShmupJunkie]

Extra tough on the turbo it’s straight up one of the hardest on the system. It was so close to making my top 5 brutal pc engine video, but there are just so many shooters on the system the competition was fierce! Lol

[@KollisionBR]

nice video as usual! just a tip on the PC Engine version: in stage 4 as you approach the platform, just take the 6-way shot and park the ship to the left a little below the line of ships coming from behind; it makes this part a lot easier; in stage 6, prior to the boss just circle the ship around on the right - top to bottom and again and again - while using the charge attack to melt bullets, very easy to pull off

[@ShmupJunkie]

Cool, thx for the tips. I will definitely try these next go round. No matter how often you play them, there are always more tricks and cheats to find.

[@wrathchild8920]

That intro was hilarious 😂

[@ShmupJunkie]

Dang it he had it coming! 🤣

[@ezeepeezy]

Incredible comparison, man! I really loved that exclusive track on the Turbo, but I agree that the Mega Drive version looks to be the supreme edition. Great job!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

EZ Peezy hey thx dude. I’m glad you had some time to check it out. I thought the video came out good too. But you’ll be excited about next video cause it’s Snes week!

[@Chris-Courage]

I've always just used the charge shot for stage 2 on the turbo.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I realize that I didn’t even mention the charge in the video. For some reason I never used it enough and got used to playing without it. But it’s useful in spots like stage 2 and the missiles on 6.

[@tubbiele2]

@@ShmupJunkie stage 2 with the charge is easy.

[@ShmupJunkie]

@@tubbiele2 Yeah the hardest part about the charge is it’s only really useful in a few key spots so I am constantly forgetting to use it! 🤦‍♂️🤣

[@WXSTANG]

I remember beating the TG16 version way back. It took me forever to do it and was torture, and when I did I was elated but there was a limited ending, which kind of soured it a bit. I can only imagine playing the Saturn and getting the big nothing at the end. Ouf, that is rough.

[@gallowaygaming75]

Great comparing video i had this on megadrive years ago. Vwry hard on later levels 👍

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks. Yeah it's definitely no easy game. Only because I played the crazy hard Turbo version first I thought the MD version was just right on the difficulty. Very well done

[@user-ow3hz8wx2k]

This is another PC Engine game with a hidden options menu. You can choose Easy, Normal, or Hard difficulty, increase your credits, access a sound test, and--most importantly--do a level select. Something to try (codes are on Gamefaqs). On the Mega Drive, some of these same options are immediately accessible--but I don't think the Mega Drive version has a level select?

[@ShmupJunkie]

Good to know. I remember the PC Engine had a lot of games like this to make adjustments. I have not tried it with this game though. As if the game needs to be any harder than it already is haha. An easy mode may have been nice actually for a lot of players.

[@user-ow3hz8wx2k]

@@ShmupJunkie Yeah, let me know if you try the Tatsujin codes! I'm really curious how much easier and harder you can make that game. 😅 And yeah, I'm actually playing this recently (on easy), so I appreciated your tips!

[@tubbiele2]

I recorded music from there to a cassette

[@user-ow3hz8wx2k]

@@tubbiele2 That's old-school and I respect that.

[@tubbiele2]

@@user-ow3hz8wx2k thank you. Weren't much more options available back then. The menu was available using the Magic Engine emulator. I am very ignorant about consoles, sorry

[@vgsquirrel]

Air Buster on the Genesis is my childhood shooter/schmup. I always love to see this game get some coverage. Awesome stuff man! Subscribed!

[@ShmupJunkie]

VGSquirrel Thanks! Just subbed as well for your ninja gaiden intro alone 😂. That game is life to me. I did a really good vid on it last year that’s still one of my favs. AB was that for me only on the turbo. So you can imagine it took quite a bit for me to take notice of how excellent the genesis port is. I was seriously impressed.

[@vgsquirrel]

Shmup Junkie aw man, thank you! That means the world to me! I’ll have to check out the Ninja Gaiden vid! I’ve always loved the game but I still haven’t beaten it. Stuck on phase 2 of the last boss but I’ve gotta get that pattern down! Aw dang! It’s a great shooter to grow up with. That must have been hard to go against your childhood version. I’ve been meaning to pick up the TurboGrafx version. Hopefully sooner rather than later!

[@vgsquirrel]

And I’ll be sure to check out the Ninja Gaiden video!

[@ShmupJunkie]

VGSquirrel phase 2 is rough. The easiest way honestly is to get back to the boss in phase 2 with the spin slash. And just kill him in a single hit with it. It’s just learning where to get it on 6-3 and keeping it vs accidentally grabbing something else after. It’s how I beat it the first time.

[@vgsquirrel]

@@ShmupJunkie Yeah I need to get better about not losing that spin slash. Thanks! I'll give it a shot at some point!

[@bl85gamer]

No ending...and it won?! Long live the Turbo 😆 It honestly looks great on the MD though. Another great comparison man 👏🏼 Keep them coming 😊

[@ShmupJunkie]

Bruno L I’m surprised the turbo ending wasn’t a swift kick in the nuts 😂. I’m guessing the arcade version maybe didn’t have one either but I’ve ever yet to play they on mame 🤷‍♂️. Plenty more in the works. But first some Snestember!

[@bl85gamer]

@@ShmupJunkie truly cannot wait for the next video. The SNES gets a lot of BS about its shooters but a lot of them are great despite its shortcomings.

[@stuartchapman7934]

This Video Scores a Perfect 10 in Every Criteria! 🎯👊💯💯

[@chadmolitor6691]

Man I wish you'd start doing tips and walkthroughs for the more challenging shooters. This info is AWESOME!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Chad Molitor Yeah that’s why I did it here for this game. I kind of do in most of my videos but just for certain sections I’m showing. Besides my Shooter 101 video which was all about practicing with blazing lazers. But I agree I got really good feedback from that one so I plan to dedicate time to hard sections in games when I show them. I could do full walk throughs and tips for complete games too. All I need is to clone myself a few times 🤣. But I’m definitely going to try!

[@chadmolitor6691]

@@ShmupJunkie it's absolutely appreciated. On most shooters there's very limited information and if anyone even talks about one it's obvious they don't even understand the genre hahaha. I wish I could find the review on R-Type I watched a while back. "It's like a space game, and I don't know what the purpose is of this unit thing that attached to the front, and like this game sucks becuase I can only get to the second level". And it pretty much sums up the quality of most reviews out there.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Chad Molitor let me guess that review likely had over 10K views 😂

[@chadmolitor6691]

@@ShmupJunkie I'm rambling here, but I found that review when trying to find a walkthrough for R-Type. Only really found a no death playthrough from Jaimers or whatever he's called. I did finally get a few good tips because I was stuck on level 6 for like....... the past 5 years haha.

[@chadmolitor6691]

@@ShmupJunkie oh good lord no, it was maybe 50 views HAHAHA. It was pretty awful. But MOST reviewers now seem to haaaattteeeee the genre honestly. "Just a dumb space game" I actually blocked an acquaintance on facebook because they said "sidearms is dumb becuase you just move right".

[@benjaminzuniga5750]

Great video just like the other comparisons that you already show us. You only compare SHMUPS? what about Devil Crush MD/PCE?

[@ShmupJunkie]

Benjamín Zúñiga Thank you. I can compare any games I have just focused on shmups for now since I think it’s what most of my subs want to see. I’m also not an expert or very good at pinball or puzzle games haha. But I do love devils crush it’s amazing. That’s a good idea for one to do someday also.

[@crazyoldschool6342]

Great comparison video. I myself like the pc engine version better for memory reasons because my friend had the turbo grafx 16 and we use to play the hell of that game to the end. When I played the genesis afterwards I wasn’t impressed with the music and difficulty that I was originally was accustomed to with the turbo.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Crazy Old Skool I grew up playing the Turbo version too. It’s so hard that coming from that the MD version definitely feels much easier. And I prefer some of the turbo music stages also. I play it for nostalgia. But once I took a critical look at them and tried to be objective, it was pretty clear which one was a better port overall when seeing them side by side. But like in your case, the nostalgia flavored underwear is strong for me too 😁. So I’ll prefer playing the turbo version nine times out of ten. I had to admit the music on stage 4 and 5 on the mega drive was pretty sick too I started to dig those two after playing it.

[@mintyretro]

Finally a win for Sega ✊💙 appreciate the honest comparison and the little tips on those painful sections of the game, learned a few things here that’s for sure!

[@ShmupJunkie]

It was only a matter of time. I am coming into some ports now where Sega has the edge from my first impressions. I try to choose the order in a way where it goes back and forth between which console ports have the edge so it doesn't become predictable.

[@prehistogeek7090]

Excellent video as always! 👍👏 The sound match is so cruel for the MD 🤣 (and you know how much I am a fan of the YM2612 and yet I am writing this 😅)

[@ShmupJunkie]

Except for Stage 4 and 5! Did you hear them? It sounds amazing on the Mega Drive I loved both those stages. Especially 5 just crushes it. Makes me want to headbang haha

[@prehistogeek7090]

Shmup Junkie 🤘😋Indeed but overall I find the soundtrack of the Turbo more worked

[@greensun1334]

Altrough it's a quite different artstyle, the gameplay, the layout of the levels, the barriers and the enemy placement and patterns, even the behavior of the bosses, reminds me on Phalanx, SNES. Both are great games.

[@kirgeez-gaming]

I love your honest reviews. You compare the actual games and don't repeat stupid talking points like the graphics look better on the turbo because the genesis has a bad composite connection... Smh Good stuff once again. To be fair I've noticed hit detection issues on both games and the Sega version mirrors the arcade with no ending where as the turbo version has been modified.

[@alexrain1188]

I love your videos. I love shooters and love it when they are remastered on PS4 and stuff. Where is MUSHA and GAIARES on modern systems?

[@ShmupJunkie]

Nowhere to be found yet, but Gaiares is coming as part of the Telenet shooting collection! So one down there. Check it out. The Aleste series license is now owned by M2 so hopefully they'll do something good for the 16bit games when the time comes. They did a kick butt job on their 8bit Aleste collection.

[@avenuePad]

Awesome review and comparison! I actually prefer the last end stage with the bright blue background better on the TurboGrafx. Multiple layers of parallax and the way the screen moves up and down. Plus the brighter colours. It's all subjective.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I’m glad you enjoyed it thanks. It’s been a long time since I did some of these comparison videos and they were a lot of fun. This was always an old fav of mine on the Turbo and still is.

[@avenuePad]

@@ShmupJunkie I've just been discovering your videos as of late. I'm really enjoying them! Aero Blasters is an all time favourite of mine, as well. I remember back in the day trying to beat it. That last stage took no prisoners. lol

[@thegreathadoken6808]

You are very talented shmup player, I must admit. Or maybe I just suck at them. Anyway, I subbed. I came here by way of a Facebook promo you did, btw. Just in case you were wondering whether it was paying off. This video sure does look like the TBGFX version drops to half framerate sometimes, though I don't ever recall having seen it happen when I've played it. Probably just the way the video came out (although it might explain the big dumb borders on the last level since they would have been worried about all those sprites causing issues, finding the clumsiest most silly way to fix it that was possible). Yeah, I HAVE to give it to the MD version. This could have been an awesome TBGFXCD title, though.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks for the heads up! Yeah my channel is new so trying to get the word out a little with FB ads. Good to see at least one person found me from there. 😀 The turbo version actually plays really well too and slowdown is pretty rare, but it does happen a bit when the bullets get very dense like that. But overall I love the way the turbo port plays. Very smooth and controls well which is common for shmups on that system. It's just extremely difficult but otherwise a good time. I enjoyed it as a kid, but it's clear the MD port is superior in most cases here without a doubt. Hope you enjoy some of my other comparison vids and other stuff. You might like my Shooter 101 video that is fun and has some good tips. Most people that think they suck at shmups really don't, they just aren't practicing more efficiently. These games are meant to kick your butt and take practice and repetition to get good at them.

[@thegreathadoken6808]

@@ShmupJunkie It's okay, I'm old enough to have played many shoot emups in my time. You're right it's a question of practice. I'm out of practice. I wasn't all that bad at stuff like UN Squadron and Carrier Airwing back in the day. There was even an arcade cab of Aeroblasters in a local videogame store when I was a kid, I learned to get to stage 4 on the one credit if memory serves. I got into Streetfighter 2 alonig with every other gamer I knew and that was it. That was where 98% of my gaming effort went for years after that. By the time SF was out of my system, shmups weren't really a thing anymore. You're still a very good player though, way better than I ever was, I'd say.

[@ShmupJunkie]

The Great Hadoken I did stay on shmups for a long time even once the fad was gone. Conversely I was never anything more than decent at fighting games. And we played a ton of SF back then as well. I’m actually playing UN Squadron now for the Snes shooters video next. That one always gives me a hard time with all the collecting it kind of drags. But at the same time it’s such a cool game. I have a love hate relationship with it haha.

[@basilrush77]

Ball buster indeed 😂 This game was savage!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Haha, that it was. Especially the turbo port that game kicked my ass on the regular whenever I played it back then.

[@temmaxtemma9570]

in other shmups, when my ship got hit and exploded and i'd say "f@#k". but in this game i'd say "fuuuuuuuuuu..." instead.

[@DrJ3RK8]

Air Buster is one of my favorite all time shooters. Love the Air Buster influenced levels in Turrican 2 also. Love the arcade version, but I also had it on the Turbo.

[@ShmupJunkie]

It's a very underrated game imo. Some people don't get into it, it's kind of experimental. The weapons are lackluster overall and the physics starting on stage 4 are tough to grapple with. But that's part of what makes it cool and the music is so good. It was always one of my favorites on the turbo too. I didn't play the arcade much but I read about the exploit where you can do the highest DPS with the base weapon.

[@DrJ3RK8]

@@ShmupJunkie Yeah, the zero gravity portions are a bit nuts. :D (and the circus / maze levels) I'm not sure why it made such a huge impact on me as a kid. It stuck in my mind like R-Type though.

[@tatsujincorp]

One thing that might should have been mentioned in the Graphic department, the PCE has more animations in enemies, and especially in the explosions. But I agree, that the MD overall looks closer to the arcade than the PCE, minus of course the usual lack of colors.

[@ShmupJunkie]

That's a good point on the animations. They must have been so close that I honestly didn't really even notice the difference. I'll bet if I go back to the footage and pay attention to it I'll notice.

[@kupamon]

Cool video, a Raiden comparison between sega, snes and tg16, would be awesome too, the tg16 version nails, would be interesting to watch why is so much better

[@ShmupJunkie]

kupamon Good one. Raiden has been ported so many times and to just about everything, but in the 16bit days the TG16 version was dope. I never actually played it on snes at all and briefly on the genesis here, so I wouldn’t mind comparing them either. May even look at super Raiden on the PCE CD as it’s still the original just amped. One more to work on. 😁

[@spagbowlsparmacheese629]

Great video and don’t mind if you’re Turbo bias.. it was a great system and I miss the rivalry.

[@ShmupJunkie]

It's all for fun these days, it was fun those days too. Now it's all angry sony and microsoft boys and toxic. It was all good fun back then with friends. I may be biased, but I am always fair, or at least do my best haha

[@Sinn0100]

"Is it like Call of Duty?!" Smack...settle down. My sentiments exactly. Now I have to go to work...boo Wendy Testaburger boo.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Fellow South Park fan 🙌🏻 I feel like I’ve been left out in the cold after getting a COVID special

[@lars9777]

Just bought the Genesis version today. This isn't one I ever had a chance to spend time on. Looks like it should be a good time!

[@ShmupJunkie]

It is! It’s a fun game and a great port. And it’s not quite as brutal as the turbo version although it’s still pretty hard.

[@lars9777]

@@ShmupJunkie Thought you might appreciate knowing I watched this about a month or so ago, and did so again this morning. Afterwards I decided to pull the trigger on it. Keep up the good work.

[@dr_ubo]

I was not expecting these results to be honest. The colors seem a lot better on MD although the scrolling feels a bit smoother on TG. More details and seemingly a whole new layer for parallax scrolling on the MD. The level design might be a bit harder/arcade-ish on the TG, but it seems to be more balanced in MD. I really liked this comparison, to be honest, this is not a game I've ever played and I really like what I'm seeing. I usually don't like the FM synth that MD uses but this game seems to make good use of it. Solid win for the MD overall, gonna give this game a shot sometime.

[@ShmupJunkie]

UBO Thanks for that. While it’s an early release and not up to par with some of the more amazing MD shmups it is a fun game and has some unique mechanics. I’m in the same camp as you the MD FM is hit and miss for me. It can be amazing like Revenge of Shinobi or grating like so many others. This game does a really fine job of it and is one of my fav sets of tracks far as MD is concerned. Can’t go wrong with either version. The turbo version plays phenomenal as do many shmups on the platform but be prepared if you go that route. The zero gravity stages take a good bit of getting used to.

[@dr_ubo]

@@ShmupJunkie The zero gravity stages sound like hell, and not te good shmupy kind lol. Keep up the good content coming!

[@Sakf504]

I think the Turbografx version still looks nice considering it doesn't use decompression techniques. With the audio though, I may be in the minority here, because I'm not a fan of how the music sounds on the Turbografx version (except for the new stage 2 music), way too tiny and weak for me.

[@ShmupJunkie]

It definitely looks nice it's a good looking game for an early hucard release. I grew up playing that version as well, but I'll admit the Genesis port did win me over in many ways. I do like the melodic tunes and sound on the Turbo and stage 2 is awesome yeah, but I agree the Mega Drive music here is excellent.

[@DrJ3RK8]

Just a note 3 years later... I now have three Air Buster arcade PCBs. :D (two working, and one that I'm restoring) Also going to donate one to Jotego for future FPGA-ization.

[@nimaiiikun]

on a random note..i wish Area 88/Un Squadron was also ported to the Sega and PC-Engine

[@ShmupJunkie]

That was an excellent game yeah it would’ve done well on those systems. More than anything to get rid of more slowdown during busy moments. I did a section on the game in my top 5 hardest snes shmups video a while back.

[@damageinc.5458]

I'm surprised that the Mega Drive has better graphics than the Turbo! Missing that cool looking intro & having no ending is a bummer man! I could understand an 8-bit game not having an ending, but no excuses for a 16-bit game. Not that it really matters too much, but it's something I'd expect for beating the hardest game... Good video on this game I never beat man! 👌

[@ShmupJunkie]

DAMAGE INC. I think they used up every bit of space just to make it look so good. Maybe they ran out on the 4meg cart 🤷‍♂️. I’d seen videos of them before and wasn’t surprised to see the more detail on the MD port, but how well the music was done is actually what surprised me most. Stage 4 and 5 esp sound bitchin 🤘

[@damageinc.5458]

@@ShmupJunkie Yeah, the music wasn't too shabby on the MD for this game. I've played a lot of games that were on Sega & other systems I own & usually the Sega comes up short to me in the music/sound department... You got the skills to beat these tough one's! 👍

[@ShmupJunkie]

DAMAGE INC. This game is nuts. It kicked my ass for a long time as a kid. I’ve just been playing it forever now and that last level is still a toss up every time.

[@gtbeakerman]

Maybe they never expected anyone to beat the game and left out the ending 🤣

[@ShmupJunkie]

gtbeakerman possibly. But then they definitely shouldn’t have expected anyone to beat the Turbo version for sure! The music for that ending is actually pretty cool too.

[@acelsg]

Gawd I miss this game. I could clear the entire game with one life on the Megadrive and it felt so good then...

[@ShmupJunkie]

I don't think I ever cleared it no death, especially not the turbografx versionh haha. But yeah it's an awesome game that I still play from time to time. And I really enjoyed the mega drive port doing this comparison as I grew up playing the turbo version originally.

[@jaykwrlck162]

Great comparison, both games are very good ports for the hardware limitations of course, i own both games and if u play it on SG or TGFX is an amazing and funny to play game, excelent comparisson, for me SGversion is better, but maybe because is the version i played last.

[@PyronsLair]

Fair review and nice episode. Also other thing thats i missed in your others comparisons. How these ports follows the original. Mega Drive version in this cases is very closer in sound / music / graphics, also it gives some extra points. And for the others comparisons i agree with you, truxton and lords of thunder is better on PCE, no doubts

[@ShmupJunkie]

Yeah I didn't get a chance on this one to show the arcade too, but the MD port is definitely much closer since it was also ported by the developer. I think with Tatsujin it made sense to show the arcade too, since the aspect ratio is so different, it's a big change vs the ports. So I wanted to show the compromise vs the arcade. For Air Buster it is incredibly close to the MD. It's about as close as arcade ports came back then. Impressive for an early game especially.

[@PyronsLair]

@@ShmupJunkie if you accept an suggestion Zero wing and hellfire gives you a excellent episode

[@ShmupJunkie]

Hellfire for sure I have it ready to work on. I already recorded my gameplay for both. Zero Wing is a good one too. I suspect MD is the better port for both of these. But I always look at it anew when I edit them.

[@Kain5th]

i like these battle of the port episodes.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I like making them too. I'm about due for another one and have a couple in mind I've been deciding between. Expect another one pretty soon if it works out.

[@user-pv9pv4xf9c]

It's kinda weird listening to the music for these games without hearing your ship explode every 5 seconds.

[@RetroTuna]

Great video mate both versions are good the pc engine version dificulty is more that the arcade game, think the megadrive has the better soundtrack but both are great.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I used to always prefer the PCE soundtrack I love that stage 2 music. But after I played the MD again I really liked it’s stage 4-5 music even more than the PCE. So it was a tie for me. I was very surprised how much I started to like the MD chip tunes on this as usually I prefer the PCE. I can totally see some liking the MD music more.

[@ms.ilovecotton9778]

Lmao the first 15 seconds. so true

[@ShmupJunkie]

PCEGirl89 I couldn’t help myself lol. I think that clip needs to become a regular just randomly throw into videos when I occasionally use that term. 😂

[@randycruel]

I noticed in your footage you dont seem to use the charge up attack. Do you recommend not using that attack too much?

[@ShmupJunkie]

It’s not that I don’t recommend it it’s just not something I personally use too often. It’s good though on certain sections like stage 2 with the turrets or later on the final with all those missiles. It’s one of those things I forget about sometimes even when it would come in handy.

[@randycruel]

@@ShmupJunkie Thanks. I’m currently playing both versions save-state style on my Ouya. Love your videos; especially the lag videos that silence those “original hardware only” youtube people who think we all have thousands of dollars for old systems. Lol Take care

[@enocmora9012]

El mejor genero de los Videojuegos,lastima que cada dia son mas caros. 0_o

[@ShmupJunkie]

sí, muy doloroso. La emulación es cada vez más importante 😢

[@ronaldkuijten6638]

love it mate!!! keep up the good work! Call of duty!! 👋

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thx I'm glad you had fun with it. It was fun to make. Gotta have some fun with the shooter crowd. Maybe next time I'll use Fortnite instead 😅

[@BmanHall1]

I find the sound for the SEGA Genesis (Mega Drive) to be an acquired taste. There are some games where the audio is just unbeatable as if the tracks were designed specifically with that SEGA sound in mind. For this game in particular, I think the SEGA version does sound slightly better for most of the tracks. However, that Stage 2 theme just slaps way too hard not to give it to the TurboGrafx.

[@ShmupJunkie]

No doubt the turbo version of stage 2 is awesome, far and away a better track vs the mega drive. In general the entire soundtrack on both is one of the best on the consoles. I think I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the mega drive tunes. More gritty and less polite than the turbo. But it was honestly so close it could go either way. Ask me any day of the week and I may have chosen differently!

[@Vriess123]

I always liked how the turbografx handles everything it does, I'm not technically savvy enough to know why but everything from the music to the way the graphics are presented feels very right to me on the TG16. The Genesis is definitely faster but the the TG16 has a very beautiful way it handles things.

[@ShmupJunkie]

If I had to put it technically, the TG16 may have been an 8bit processor, but it was very efficient and about the speed of the Mega Drive. And it had a 16bit graphics GPU with a color palette similar to the SNES. Almost like a hybrid 8bit machine, with the speed of the Sega and the Colors of the SNES. So yes, it made for some very nice games. The hucard format was size and ram limited, but once the SuperCD came out and added the ram and storage, it really showed what the Turbo/PCE could do. Some of those games were even beyond what the other consoles could pull off. The PC Engine was a pretty brilliant piece of hardware by Hudson, especially considering when it was released. It impresses me to this day.

[@Vriess123]

@@ShmupJunkie the graphics generally seem more colorful and saturated on the Tg16, and the sound chip might be my favorite of any retro console.

[@KarLKoX]

Don't forget your glove :3

[@ShmupJunkie]

no glove no love

[@RampageSV]

I wonder why de Genesis/Megadrive capture has scanlines and the t-16 don't? I mean is no a bad thing but I notice that

[@ShmupJunkie]

It's just because of how I captured it this time, I am not using scanlines at all anymore. I like the scanlines, but the youtube compression sometimes makes them look bad. So it's better I leave them off unless I am showing a specific example.

[@user-yk1cw8im4h]

Man I’m young but don’t have a reflex like yours

[@ShmupJunkie]

I honestly wish I had the reflexes I had when I was younger. It seems a lot harder for me now than it was back then haha

[@BlueflagAlpha]

I dont have nostalgia factor but i still choose the mega drive version, the TG seems to be way harder

[@ShmupJunkie]

It is without a doubt harder, one of the hardest on the system.

[@wiegraf9009]

I understand using save states for your playthrough but when you are talking about Mega Drive music for a review it's super important to use original hardware or a MiSTer to capture content as nearly all emulators seriously mangle the MD music. This is one reason why MD music has a bad reputation.

[@ShmupJunkie]

That’s a good point and I agree with you. Whenever the option is there I try to use the sound test and record it off my Genesis. I don’t use gameplay since I’m trying to get music only. The hard part is when the game doesn’t have one. Then I have to rely on finding a good OST recording on KZbin or vgm etc to use that either says or sounds like the real deal. I can’t recall anymore what I ended up having to use for this video but I do know it sounds really good. Why I ended up preferring a lot of the mega drive tracks on here despite really liking the turbografx music, and my nostalgia to go along with it.

[@MyRobotHand2000]

When it comes to the music I prefer the pce s ting more than the mega drive twang.

[@lailanitaganap2402]

Very close battle Genesis wins better graphics and better balance of difficulty. Both are excellent games can't go wrong with either one.

[@WWammyy]

First time hearing these games and to my ear the Megadrive sounds preferable because it sounds like an Arcade game but the PC Engine although great too sounds like a port of an Arcade game

[@ShmupJunkie]

The mega drive is always the winner when it comes to sounding like any arcade game that used the Yamaha FM chips, since it had one too and could replicate that sound. Just can't duplicate it unless it's recorded to CD. All the Toaplan games too sounded like the arcade most for that reason.

[@WWammyy]

@@ShmupJunkie Yeah I'm in the UK so I grew up with Arcades, Mega Drive and SNES. I didn't actually know about what the PC Engine was until much later

[@johnwardjr-ru2bx]

Genesis rules audioally

[@elusiveinsert]

Genesis clearly better. My friends had this and we loved it!

[@dangunheadachron1603]

TG-16 wins period in every aspect. Even though the graphics are darker it has better sound imho. Sega version has those weird "loading times" before each stage. Never quite understood that.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Galvatron 86 The loading times was to uncompress the graphics supposedly so they could fit more into the small 4meg cart from what I read up on it. It’s honestly a fair trade off as it looks really good. I grew up playing the Turbo version so I love it for nostalgia and the difficulty, but while editing my footage for the video I was really surprised by how much more detail and parallex the MD port has. Seeing them next to each other like that it was hard to not call the graphics to the MD. So it seems they went with load times to make it look good as possible. Seems like a fair trade off. I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed the MD port when I played it this week as I grew up playing the Turbo version a ton.

[@nolancampbell4451]

This game would be so good without the weird ass space inertia

[@txray3409]

Probably no relevant to this video, but two players on the Turbo version isn't plagued with slowdown. Point there.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Very good point on that actually it's a part of the gameplay. Sadly I'm a lone wolf on this journey so far so I couldn't properly compare the multiplayer. If playing this with a friend was a critical component for someone, that could easily sway someone toward the Turbo port. They'd die sooner but at least have a smoother experience playing lol. I know playing games like Life Force with friends as a kid was a big part of the game for me. I'm curious now how the 2 player is on this after your comment and will see if I can find some video.

[@tomtodd6143]

Sadism on a stick! Haha

[@ShmupJunkie]

Tom Todd Kind of like a Habanero on a stick. 🌶 It burns going down and on the way out 😂

[@hikaruk.981]

Insisting on using the Japanese name for one system and the US one for the other is triggering something OCD-ish in me...

[@ShmupJunkie]

Hikaru K. It’s weird why I do that. I think it depends on where I played the game. I always use Turbo for this one as that’s how I grew up playing. But then I say pc engine if it’s tatsujin or another import only I played that way. Same with mega drive. I use that mostly but if it’s a game like thunder force or gaiares I start saying Genesis as I played them domestic as a kid. It’s whatever triggers in my head for a game I guess. I know it’s all over the place sorry 😅

[@augustussaunders8211]

For myself, personally, this is another case like Cadash where the genesis has clearly better graphics but the TG version is better overall. Admittedly I grew up with the TG version and it’s one of my favorite games, but you skipped over probably the single most important thing: the genesis version doesn’t have turbo fire. I’m not talking about the turbo sliders on the TG controller; it’s built into the game. The genesis version does continue to shoot the occasional bullet if you charge by holding down the shoot button rather than charging with the charge button, but it’s pretty useless. Next the genesis version is slow, or at least your ship is. The controls feel really sluggish on the genesis. Combine that with the far more punishing hit detection on the genesis and more difficult enemies even on normal difficulty and you get a brutal game. The TG port has a wonderful pick up and play quality. To add insult to injury the genesis version has loading screens, on a cartridge! I played the genesis version of Cadash all the through; it’s got redeeming qualities. I play Aero Blasters with my wife, siblings and nephews and everyone enjoys it. They wouldn’t give Air Busters the time of day. They don’t care about the graphics when the game is no fun, they would play NES games before Air Busters. Anyway a couple fun things to know for people with real hardware: the TurboDuo, in addition to having the SuperCard RAM extension built in, also has a higher clock rate on the CPU. Most games you won’t notice but Aero Blasters is noticeably faster on the Duo compared to the TG base unit. Also a fun little “hack”: since the TG/Duo only have one controller port, if you skip the TurboTap and just have one controller plugged in and select two player mode, you can control both players with one controller. Use the edges of the screen to get both ships to overlap and you increase your firepower and can play just like single player.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I think you're the first person I've heard that said the Genesis version is more brutal than on TG16. After finishing them both multiple times it was pretty clear the Turbo is harder. Not good or bad, it's just really hard by comparison starting with stage 4 and gets worse from there. The goofy space physics are more pronounced for all of stage 4 and 5, and the death circus with the screen scrolling up and down has screwed me up quite a bit. I wouldn't argue the point, but playing the MD port felt instantly easier. I don't mind the loading either as they used it to compress better quality graphics on a smaller cart. Given the choice I'll take waiting several or ten seconds to start a level if the graphics will be better, or at least at the time. This was actually my first time playing the MD version seriously, I grew up playing the TG16 version. And I agree the Turbo gameplay feels snappy, as most pc engine games do, which is why I loved them so much. But I didn't really take much issue with how the MD port felt to play. It was ported by the devs themselves as well. Thanks for the info though on the Duo, as I don't think I tried playing it direct that way before and didn't know AeroBlasters did that. As if I needed that game to play any faster than it already does 😂

[@andersonmarlen77]

Pc Engine Cd vs Sega cd E Pc Engine vs Sega genesis!!

[@calvomedia8427]

Use screen attack

[@ajsingh4545]

I never understood the appeal of this game since i first played it back then. The wonky and annoying hit détection mixed with bullsht game design with lot gotcha moments was very offputting for me. The presentation on both PCE and MD was solid though given their hardware and it had some cool tracks and level concepts. Thé weapons were also pretty meh.

[@ShmupJunkie]

It hits the right buttons of being unique, having cool graphics for the time and really good music imo. It's also a lot of fun to play control wise, at least for me. Plus the notstalgia bug growing up playing it on the Turbografx. I agree the weapons are mostly meh and the way you pick them up is super annoying haha, but it's one of those games I still like going back and playing.

[@tubbiele2]

@@ShmupJunkie never understood the rotating yellow weapon, but the other weapons are competent. IMHO Aero is a game that wants to be sleek and original, and it is. Boss from stage 4 and 5 kill the mood, though. That big head enemy in stage 5. Overall one of the best shmups I have ever played

[@MarquisDeSang]

The PC-Engine always wins the color palette. I don't know how, but it also always wins against the SNES.

[@felixfranzen7318]

The PC Engine had more on-screen colors. 412 I believe. The SNES only had 256 but a larger palette to draw from.

[@MarquisDeSang]

@@felixfranzen7318 PC-Engine is King!

[@KEN_CHILLER]

Audio on TG by a mile.

[@Exlee-dq9uo]

No one does not have rose colored glasses or nostalgia to say the turbo is very close in the graphic department. You failed to mention on the final stage, the turbo has an extra layer of scrolling not found on the genesis. The genesis did not win by a mile. Sorry your hyperbole is inaccurate. The turbo definitely wins in the music department. The second stage track definitely wins this battle. But again we both have our opinions. I was never so proud when I beat this insano game back in the day.

[@ShmupJunkie]

It’s funny how opinions are misconstrued as facts. I love the turbo version as I grew up playing it, but the mega drive graphics are clearly better and the gameplay is more balanced vs some incredibly unfair moments in the later stages of the turbo. Aside from the music which was a draw for me depending on the stage, the MD port was clearly better to me. And that’s coming from someone that’s a turbo nut. But I respect your opinion as these are all subjective judgements. After seeing them side by side for the 40+ hrs it took to make the video that was my impression.

[@abcmaya]

I hate how the world uses the word Shooter for FPS games.

[@user-ud4zp4fy6r]

AC版の移植として判定するならMD版の圧勝。 不満点を挙げるならば、バスターフラッシュのクールタイム増加とステージ間の待ち時間。 PCE版は、自機の判定縮小と高速連射・敵機の耐久値や弾速の低下・2人同時プレイ時のギミック追加等々、家庭用として低年齢層でも楽しめる変更を加えている。 それが良い事か悪い事かはプレイヤーの受け取り方で印象は変わる。 だが、2面のBGM変更だけは駄目だと思う。 これは曲単体の評価ではなく、ゲーム全体の統一感や雰囲気といった部分でAC版(MD版)より劣るという意味合い。 それと、6面の前半戦とボス戦はAC版より難易度が上がっている。 ハードスペックによる制限なのは理解できるが、子供向けとしては理不尽な内容となっている。