Show some love for the 32X?

[VideoGameCritic]

It's long been a scapegoat for the industry for some time, but there's something about the 32X that's appealing.  Its games have the typical fuzzy Genesis graphics, but there are usually a lot of colors and sporatic special effects to spice up the action.

Last night I was playing Knuckles Chaotix, and the game has a certain "so bad it's good" quality.   The general "rubberband" gameplay is ill-advised, and the bonus stage is a trainwreck, but there are some appealing animations and music, and I like the randomized stages.  I especially enjoy the Marina Madness stage with the big yachts floating in the water.  I may have to upgrade this one to a D!  Stay tuned.

I know a lot of you guys out there have 32X systems.  What are your experiences with it?

[JustLikeHeaven1]

Yea I don't know where all the hate comes from...the 32x turns your genesis into a 32-bit powerhourse!

 

Ok maybe not, but it still has quality games that are entertaining.  When I first got the add on I thought Star Wars Arcade was the sh**...and it was.  That game rocked and then I got Doom.  Well not so great, but still a decent effort.

 

My favorite games on the system are Virtua Racing (still a good game even today), Mortal Kombat II (best home version), NBA Jam T.E, Afterburner and Blackthorne.  Those few games are enough to keep me coming back to the ill-fated attachment.  I yearn for Spiderman, but I aint shelling out $100 for Web O Fire. 

 

Personally I felt if the system was given a fair shot it could have produced some great titles...as it stands it just adds a few more great games to your Genny library.  Nothing wrong with that in my book.

[Edward M]

[QUOTE=The Video Game Critic]

  I may have to upgrade this one to a D! 

[/QUOTE]

 

That line probably says everything you need to know about the 32x.  This is a 2d Sonic (ok knuckles) game, it shouldn't be below average.  It should be awesome, and make you want to buy the system.  This game isn't even in the same league as Sonic CD.  I look at your reviews, and you seem to trash almost every 32x game.  Ok Star Wars arcade and Blackthorne look kinda of cool.  But other than that, there are a lotta arcade games that are availble on other systems like Virtua Fighter (arcade perfect extra in the Virtua Fighter 4 Evo) Mortal Kombat 2( in Midway arcade Treasures) and  NBA Jam (SNES) and a whole lotta duds.   Are these games better on the 32x?   It would be hard to imagine on a system which uses the horrible genesis controller, or does it have support for the even more horrible 6 button genesis controller?  With a game selection like that, I don't know how you can find the 32x appealing

 

Anyways my only experience with the 32x is playing in an emulator Knuckles Chaotix and Kolibri.   Both were horrible even though Kolibri looks awesome.   Are there some awesome 32x games the critic hasn't rated or underrated?   Am I missing the 32x experience?

[McTom]

I haven't played THAT many 32X games. I once owned Knuckles Chaotix, but I sold it to acquire another game. I regret that now, but I guess I didn't like the game so much. Virtua Racing Deluxe is excellent, just as Virtua Fighter. I think does both game couldn't have been done on the Genesis. The only other game I played, is Star Wars Arcade, which stinks in my opinion. It only sounds good, but looks pretty crap and is way too hard to enjoy. Also, it's probably the most ugly console. So, no, I don't like my 32X much, not even in a "so-bad-it's-good" way.

[a1]

[QUOTE=Edward M]

  Are these games better on the 32x?   It would be hard to imagine on a system which uses the horrible genesis controller, or does it have support for the even more horrible 6 button genesis controller? 

[/QUOTE]

I'm assuming you meant "or does it have support for the best controller ever: the 6 button Genesis controller".

[Alienblue]

Looking for good things about the 32X is like looking for UFOS. EVENTUALLY, if you look hard enough, you'll see SOMEthing you can't identify. Like, the 32X doesn't cause leprosy! Thats good!

Sorry, I find the 32X- as more than one person has said - to be nothing more than a "SNES upgrade" for the Genesis...in that it simply adds colors and capabilities the SNES had that Genny did not. But the 32X cost $150 and had NO GAME with it; for less than that you could have BOUGHT an SNES with game at the time! There are NO games on 32X I would call 32-bit quality. Virtua fighter is ok, but it doesn't compare to V.F. on Saturn. The 32X was just a stop gap to keep people from selling their Genesis and moving up to a 32 or 64 bit machine before Saturn came out. In my opinion, they should have made better Genny games-maybe with special chips- near the end rather then come out with THIS mushroom paperweight!

[BanjoPickles1]

This is what I don't understand. In every screenshot I've seen of MK2(32X) it seems to pale in comparison to the snes version which, to me, is all but indistinguishable to the arcade version. You see, I've never played the 32x version so what puts it ahead of the snes version to you guys?

[chrisbid1]

if you think the SNES looks 'just like the arcade', then you arent very observant. right off the bat, the character names are not inside their life meters. there are other subtleties as well, but nintendo has always been an anti arcade company, while sega has promoted the idea of brining the arcade home with their systems.

and in general, the six button genesis controller is better suited for the 2D fighting games of that era, it has a true 8-way d-pad and proper arcade button placement. the controls are also more responsive on the genesis controllers than on snes games in general.



but back on topic, the 32X wouldve been better had it been given some time. virtua fighter turned out great, and there is little doubt games like virtua cop and daytona couldve been excellent as well. the biggest problem with the 32x was that sega pushed the saturn before it was ready.

[Steve1]

I have a 32X and am one of the people who paid full price. I always liked the system (I guess I am just easy to please). The games I have are T-Mek, Metalhead, Shadow Squadron, Virtua Racing, Mortal Combat, Primal Rage, Kolibri, Golf, Star Wars, Tempo, Doom, Afterburner & Brutal. I guess it says something that my favorites are the worst rated on this site (T-mek and Metalhead) . I used to play those with my roommate and we had a blast. My only sore memories are of how fast I saw the unit for $29

[BanjoPickles1]

I don't really agree with the claim that Nintendo was an anti-arcade company. Both Sega and Nintendo had an astounding amount of arcade-worthy ports.

 

SNES:

 

A). Street Fighter 2, Turbo, Super, Alpha

B). MK2, MK3, Ultimate

C). Magic Sword

D). the only decent non-Neo Geo port of Art of Fighting, World Heroes, Fatal Fury 2, Special

E). Final Fight(butchered, butchered, butchered...still looked great for it's time, though).

 

I agree that Nintendo is sort of anti-certain genres now but, apart from the MK1 controversy, the snes had some of the best arcade-to-home ports around. I see pics for mk2 for the 32x and the pics seem like the middle ground between the horrid looking genesis version and the extremely clean looking snes version. Yeah, I know the names are outside the box but they were outside the box in the original genesis version as well(I always wondered why they did that anyway!).