Friday 5 April 2013

Goodbye 1987, Hello 1988

Hello CD-ROM² - This peripheral for NEC's diminutive PC Engine came out in April 1988.  It was the first time optical media was used to hold video game data for a console - something we now take for granted.

Hello Sega Mega Drive - Released in Japan in October, Sega was first out of the blocks with a 16-bit console.  It was based around the same Motorola 68000 / Zilog Z80 processor combination as the Sega System 16 arcade board, potentially making it easier to port arcade games.



As I predicted, 1987 was a long year, no small thanks to Ultima IV.  1988 looks to be no different.  Amongst the myriad arcade conversions on my shortlist are sequels to some games I played this year - Ultima V and Final Fantasy II.  Staying on the the RPG front are the well regarded Phantasy Star and Ys: The Vanished Omens for the Sega Master System.  A game I am personally looking forward to is The Sentinel* by Geoff Crammond.  I remember The Sentinel getting rave reviews for every platform it was released on but it looked too daunting to me so I've never played it.  Now I'm forced to give it a go.


*Later edit - I appreciate the Sentinel may have been good in 1988 but in 2013 I just couldn't get on with it.  I found it far too slow and, as a consequence, too hard to keep track where you were in relation to the Sentinel and where to move next.  I'm glad I tried it though.

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