The 8-bit GAME COMPARISON Thread

[The Last Ginja]

Should be one from me soon! Just played on an Amstrad emu - bloody pain to get the game running!
Speccy Emu will not play the bloody game - so off to DL another one.... what is the best speccy emu?
C64 is a piece of hiss to run!
Atari 8bit is the next to try!


But what is the game????????????

Ballblazer, or ROF, or Koronis Rift or possibly The Eidolon?

[Antiriad2097]

cybernoid

zx spectrum version: good mix of colour, typical good graphic for the speccy

cpc version is colurful but a bit blocky, still very good graphics

the c64 version has the better graphics, looking organic and metallic in places

We are retro gamers. We know there's more to a game than its graphics. Can I suggest you deviate from such Museism and tell us about the comparative qualities of the sound, music and gameplay?

[P-Head]

Should be one from me soon! Just played on an Amstrad emu - bloody pain to get the game running!
Speccy Emu will not play the bloody game - so off to DL another one.... what is the best speccy emu?
C64 is a piece of hiss to run!
Atari 8bit is the next to try!


But what is the game????????????

Ballblazer

Seconded- great game!

[markopoloman]

Nope - not Ballbalzer!

Thanks for the pointer to EmuZwin - will give it a whirl.........

Just the speccy version to play - the Atari one was actually quite good........

[batman877]

RAMBO III

Please note, I have reviewed the 64k versions.



Spectrum
The overall look of the Spectrum is not that great. As usual the sprites are well drawn but the overall look and choice of colour are poor when the game is in motion. Title tune is ok, whilst the in game sound is non-exsistent.



Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad version is similar in design to the Spectrum version. Although it is very orange, the colour does make things clearer and gives the sprites more life. The title music is excellent, whilst the in game SFX are serviceable.



Commodore 64
The C64's graphics are good. Despite the small playing area (smaller than the other versions), the detail and use of colour make this the best version to look at. The title music is fairly good, whilst the in game SFX are ok. The C64 version does have optional in-game music (which you can turn off) but the tune is uninspired.

Overall
Rambo III on the whole is a very average game. The first level is fun if you enjoy learning to follow a set route and where to use items (although the instant death booby traps do annoy). The 2nd level has a 3D section which is forgettable (and I've been unable to get past it!). The C64 is the best to look at but has a small playing area, however all three versions are playable and it is largely down to personal preferance.

My preference:
1. C64
2. Amstrad
3. Spectrum

[markopoloman]

Righty Ho!!!

One Man and His Droid a game that lots of peeps just dont understand - but a game that I have loved since I first played it back in 1985/6

I've used my Phone camera for the screenshots - its easier! 2mp so not too bad! Also, as I was a wee lad when I first played this, I decided to get my 12 yr old son to help - so there was input from him!!!!



First up...........................

AMSTRAD:





Emu - Caprice. This is the first time I have really played on an Amstrad - and 1st impressions were pretty good! The game runs slower than the other 3 versions (maybe down to EMU?) and plays what is to start with, a fairly nice little tune - but after 15 mins listening to the bloody thing I was a) told to turn that horid noise down b) felt like turning it down and c) pressed random buttons to try and find sound FX!!! Graphics are never going to differ that much between the games, although these are crisp and colourful. Gameplay is effected by the speed of things - its only a tad slower but makes a difference.

Next - Spectrum:



Emu - Klive. I've used the speccy a fair few times and have got used to the lack of sound and plenty of beeps - and it came as no suprise to find no music whatsoever!! So from a silent title page we go to the MOST annoying sound in a game EVER - FACT! The wife was moaning within about 20 seconds!! Bip bip bip bip bip bip bip bip bip bip for EVERY BLOODY SECOND ON THE CLOCK - thats 9999 every level
Graphicly though - very bright and chearful. No colour clash and things flow smoothly. Gameplay is top notch and I cant fault this - a dream to play with the speakers thrown out of the window!

Next - Atari 8bit



Just so you can see the pacman style chunkyness..........!!

Emu - Atari800WinPLus: Well, I thought the graphics would stay pretty much identical with all versions - but I was wrong! The atari has a bright colourful and typically Atari style to it - looking like they pilfered some of the ghosts from pacman!!!! Its just a little chunky. The sound is unfortunatly identicle to the Amstrad - and after rescuing my speakers from the garden, they end up back out there! Gameplay is good though - keeping me playing longer than the Speccy and Amstrad - and I don't know why!?

Next - C64



Well, I am sorry - but I don't have the correct colour settings that some of you desire - and they do look a little washed out compared to the real C64! But there they are anyway. Graphics are pretty much identicle to the Speccy and Amstrad and the gameplay is as expected - upto a point........
I am sure some of you will say 'the sound doesn't make a game' - but I'm sorry - YES it does (in this case). Gone is the speccy Bip bip bip, Gone is the drivle from the Amstrad and Atari - here is Rob Hubbard and one of his best tunes - ever - fact! Its bopping away in the background and lasts for AGES, the clap of the drums go in time to the main character's err undercariage! It just makes you want to play - and paly I did1 Look at the screen shot - note thats level one complete and all droids in the correct order! Super stuff.

In conclusion - and not because I am a C64 fanboy, here are my scores....

Amstrad = Graphics 6/10, Sound 2/10, Gameplay 7/10, Overall 6/10

Speccy = Graphics 8/10, Sound 0/10, Gameplay 7/10, Overall 6/10

Atari = Graphics 7/10, Sound 2/10, Gameplay 8/10, Overall 7/10

C64 = Graphics 8/10, Sound 9/10, Gameplay 9/10, Overall 8/10

So thats

1st C64
2nd Atari
3rd Speccy & Amstrad

[Scooby1970]

Well, I am sorry - but I don't have the correct colour settings that some of you desire - and they do look a little washed out compared to the real C64!

No, they're the right colour settings. Just a few people have selective memory, or are a bit hefty on the old colour/contrast buttons on their TV. The drabness of colour is what gave alot of games thier charm. You could always tell it was a C64 back in the day thank's to it's not-over-the-top colour!!!

Mark

[batman877]

Amstrad = Graphics 6/10, Sound 2/10, Gameplay 7/10, Overall 6/10

Speccy = Graphics 8/10, Sound 0/10, Gameplay 7/10, Overall 6/10

Atari = Graphics 7/10, Sound 2/10, Gameplay 8/10, Overall 7/10

C64 = Graphics 8/10, Sound 9/10, Gameplay 9/10, Overall 8/10

1st C64
2nd Atari
3rd Speccy & Amstrad

I think it's fantastic the way you've used your camera phone for the pictures. However, I do think you've done the Amstrad version an injustice. A lack of experience with the machine always seems to create negativity. Just like some people love the charm of the c64's drab colours, I love the blocky, bright colours of the CPC!!! However in this instance quite how you can say the Spectrum version has better visuals than the CPC I'll never know.

[markopoloman]

Although I may censored the Amstrad & Speccy off, I am only joking! I actually enjoyed playing on the 4 formats during my reviews! The Amstrad was pretty good actually, but I'll stick with my scores - unless there are settings in the caprice emu to speed things up to a normal amstrad speed??????

I am assuming that the emu running at 100% would be a good idication to the real speed of a system - therefor, not just the overall look of the graphics has been taken into account - the way they move and speed has also.

I just found the amstrad version ran slower and a little more jerky. Mayeb I am wrong - give them a go...........

I did enjoy doing that - will do another one soon

[SirClive]

unless there are settings in the caprice emu to speed things up to a normal amstrad speed??????

That will be the correct speed. Many games run slower on the Amstrad and that is one of the main reasons why the Speccy is king for me.

[felgekarp]

unless there are settings in the caprice emu to speed things up to a normal amstrad speed??????

That will be the correct speed. Many games run slower on the Amstrad and that is one of the main reasons why the Speccy is king for me.

Oooh controversial.

[Dudley]

Although I may censored the Amstrad & Speccy off, I am only joking! I actually enjoyed playing on the 4 formats during my reviews! The Amstrad was pretty good actually, but I'll stick with my scores - unless there are settings in the caprice emu to speed things up to a normal amstrad speed??????

I am assuming that the emu running at 100% would be a good idication to the real speed of a system - therefor, not just the overall look of the graphics has been taken into account - the way they move and speed has also.

I just found the amstrad version ran slower and a little more jerky. Mayeb I am wrong - give them a go...........

I did enjoy doing that - will do another one soon

Theoretically, an emulator running at 100% wil be an EXACT replica of a real system running it. That's kinda the point.

That said, don't assume any emu is perfect, although the 8-bit ones will come damned close.

For instance we've had good Megadrive emulators for a decade but the Haze project is still finding games that nothing runs.

[batman877]

Although I may censored the Amstrad & Speccy off, I am only joking! I actually enjoyed playing on the 4 formats during my reviews! The Amstrad was pretty good actually, but I'll stick with my scores - unless there are settings in the caprice emu to speed things up to a normal amstrad speed??????

I am assuming that the emu running at 100% would be a good idication to the real speed of a system - therefor, not just the overall look of the graphics has been taken into account - the way they move and speed has also.

I just found the amstrad version ran slower and a little more jerky. Mayeb I am wrong - give them a go...........

I did enjoy doing that - will do another one soon

I find the best Amstrad Emulator to use is WinApe. Make sure you go full screen for the best experience

I'm glad you enjoyed writing a comparison, I enjoyed reading it (even if I didn't agree 100%). Life would be boring if we all agreed anyway!

[Dudley]

I disagree with that.

[markopoloman]

disagree with what?