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Post by MIK on Feb 13, 2014 10:32:35 GMT
But MIK is that correct that Exhumed in UK didnt give you the Death Tank game once you collected them all? seems like an odd omission because the Japanese version called 1999 became a huge cult hit on the Saturn because of that game alone. And of course the US version had it. At least the UK versions of Duke and Quake were able to include it easily. Sorry I didn't realize you were asking as I thought the vid might of said and you were saying. Indeed, Death Tank never came with Exhumed (PAL), but instead it was added to Duke Nukem 3D (PAL) and you had to either shoot all the toilets in the game to unlock it or simply grab Quake (PAL). As soon as you put Quake (PAL) on a virgin Saturn that had yet to play it, it saves to the internal memory automatically... Duke Nukem 3D is trained to look for a Quake save. Both games were released on the very same day. It wasn't something we missed out on in PAL Land as I recall the first we might of heard of it in the UK was in some office chit chat at Lobotomy Software via the official Sega UK magazine, or... it was coming to Duke Nukem 3D after the official Saturn UK mag requested it to be added. Something like that any way. BTW Death Tank is not unique and wasn't at the time. Long before it showed up we were playing a game called Scorched Tanks on the Amiga as a PD game. So yeah in a way Death Tank has been with us forever in PAL land and almost as long as you guys as Duke & Quake came much quicker than the wait for a good FPS in the first place on Saturn like Exhumed if you know what I mean. If you can find the Official Sega Saturn Magazines (UK) online to download then they are highly recommended. Loads and loads of Saturn stuff, and is one of the best gaming related mags ever created. Some good Lobotomy interviews and loads of detailed previews of Duke & Quake ect,,, over the many months leading up to it. and yeah the Exhumed dolls listing is in full colour detail. Sweet as you like. (thumbs up).
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martiniii
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Post by martiniii on Feb 14, 2014 1:22:46 GMT
Ezra is still saying in the interview that the Saturn version was always running better. I wasnt aware he didnt code it, which to me makes sense as to why the Saturn version is alot better. At least to me. The PSX version is highly playable but its different in alot of ways. Lacking in others. You wouldnt have gone wrong playing that version. But like Duke Nukem IMO at least, the Saturn version of Powerslave is the definitive version. Certainly this is a Saturn forum so we have some bias. As a multiplatform gamer I can be honest. But I like giving Saturn its credit where due. That sorta funnels back to Lobotomy and why I think some of us really like them. We all know Sega could pump out some masterful first party games. But there werent many 3rd parties that could push the system. These guys did that and it was incredible to see. They thought it was a pain developing for the Saturn but they were a company that had enough passion and care to follow through with results. Even if the passion was for their own engine as opposed to the system itself. And thats the most glaring thing I got from the interview - that Ezra cared. No way a company could have programmed Quake , a polygon based FPS to run that well on the system unless they had someone that cared enough to figure out the work arounds. Indeed, caring enough to make the best of a game can be a powerful thing. It's not all that common, either, and it's not hard to see why. Publishers have to push deadlines if they hope to turn a profit or even break even, and it's difficult to give attention to detail when you're under the wire. Sometimes a programmer can be charged with porting a game he doesn't care for. And of course, it's easy to get frustrated by problems with the hardware or the development software. Of course, the payoff for all that hard work is, games like Saturn Powerslave are recognized as strong versions for all perpetuity. It's always good when you have something you can look back on with pride (so long as you don't spend too much time looking back!). Id say Working Designs is the best example. Although mostly a publisher. I dont know their story as well but they treated the Sega systems very good. They are the one company that made the Sega CD and Saturn libraries very collectible and filled with enough RPGs to satisfy even despite the platforms being less profitable. Although you can almost blame Stolar for both sides here. On one hand he pushed RPGs away from the Saturn in the US, but on the other hand he pushed Working Designs away from the PSX in the US which allowed for the Saturn to at least have a handful of their games. Woulda been great if that guy stayed with SCEA. I'm surprised that you didn't mention the Turbo CD, since that's a platform which didn't do well at all in the USA, and Working Designs did as much for that platform as any other. Martinii, I'm glad you finally got this game! It's certainly something you would appreciate as it clearly shows and awesome thread, Exhumed/PowerSlave is a beautiful muse, you could sing praises endlessly! I played it for the first time in 2013 and it was refreshing to experience a FPS with a true level design after such a long time. It's definitely up there with Doom and Quake as one of the true gems from that era. Yeah, I especially enjoy the exploratory aspect of it. It actually reminds me more of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword than any first person shooter of the era that I've played. Normally I prefer a more intense first person shooting experience, but the beautiful environments and low-key soundtrack in Powerslave make it more enjoyable to take your time and investigate. The underwater segments are also great in creating an exploratory feel, as they give you the unusual experience of being able to roam freely in all three dimensions. Well, I spent the past three days working on Cavern of Peril. One of those times where I wish I'd kept count of how many times I died, but I am confident it was at least twice as much as I did in all the previous levels combined. And nine times out of ten, it was either because the jump button didn't work when I pressed it or I slipped off a ledge I was standing on. I wonder what the level's designer was thinking when he decided to create a level which is basically a showcase for the inadequacies of the game's platform jumping. Oh well, the long nightmare is over, and one terrible level cannot ruin a game of this caliber. Just... someone, please tell me there are no more levels like this. Nile Gorge looks cool so far. Very creative level design, and I love having water to break my falls. Those clumps of enemies make delightful feed for Amun bombs.
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Post by xDerekRx on Feb 14, 2014 3:21:51 GMT
Glad to see you enjoying Powerslave. It can be tough playing an FPS for the first time many years later. Sometimes they dont age well without a hint of nostalgia. However PS/Exh is one of those titles that holds up so well with all its elements. I can still never believe a game like that came out so early in the systems life cycle, ran that well, was designed that well with that type of lighting.
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NeoGeoNinja
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Post by NeoGeoNinja on Feb 14, 2014 12:13:09 GMT
Glad to see you enjoying Powerslave. It can be tough playing an FPS for the first time many years later. Sometimes they dont age well without a hint of nostalgia. However PS/Exh is one of those titles that holds up so well with all its elements. I can still never believe a game like that came out so early in the systems life cycle, ran that well, was designed that well with that type of lighting. I hear ya. The first time I ever encountered an Anubis and he flung a Blue Fireball down "the hallway" in my direction... chances were... I took it square in the face in sheer awe of the wall illumination en route to said face! Ironically, the next time I was exposed to lighting as cool as that was in the rather wonderful Metroid Prime
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Harold
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Post by Harold on Feb 14, 2014 13:58:25 GMT
So if I want Death Tank I should go with Duke Nukem 3D? Alright, looks like I have found my next Saturn game. Might pick up Exhumed as well, sounds like a very interesting game
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Post by xDerekRx on Feb 15, 2014 0:24:18 GMT
Harold assuming you are going with a PAL version then go with Duke.
If you are buying a US version then either Powerslave or Duke will have it.
However in Duke its super easy to unlock as all you need is a Quake file. But I say go torture yourself and try to find all 23 team dolls in Powerslave to unlock it!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2014 9:06:52 GMT
In PAL, Death Tank Zwei is unlocked if a save file is found. I can't remember which way round it is though I'm pretty sure it's in Duke Nukem and is unlocked if an Exhumed save is detected. It could be the other way round though...
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Post by MIK on Feb 15, 2014 10:00:03 GMT
In PAL, Death Tank Zwei is unlocked if a save file is found. I can't remember which way round it is though I'm pretty sure it's in Duke Nukem and is unlocked if an Exhumed save is detected. It could be the other way round though... I said 6 posts ago the correct way... recap: The PAL version of Death Tank is unlocked the quick way if you own Duke Nukem and it detects a Quake save file. Having only a PAL Exhumed save file and PAL Duke Nukem will not unlock Death Tank the quick way, your be left having to shoot all the toilets in Duke as the only way to unlock it, unless you have a PAL Quake save file.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2014 15:32:56 GMT
Nope....I don't have Quake, and I haven't found all the dolls in Duke Nukem (no way I have!!!) - but I have unlocked Death Tank Zwei.... must check out how I did it!!!
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Post by xDerekRx on Feb 16, 2014 5:33:34 GMT
I may have mentioned it before but back in 1997 when the game first came out and the internet not being as easy to search, I didnt know how to get Death Tank other than shooting all the toilets.
I got Duke for my bday in August and Quake in Dec for Xmas. I just remember one day I randomly fired up Duke to give a play and Death Tank was randomly there. I had no way to connect the dots. I was just so pumped and played the heck out of it with my friends.
It wasnt til a couple years later I heard about the Quake save file. Figured it had to be something. No way I had shot all of those toilets.
Although Ive always had this urge to try it myself... the toilet thing. The problem is you miss just ONE and your screwed.
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Post by MIK on Feb 16, 2014 6:36:35 GMT
Haha yeah, that's a challenge and a half to shoot all toilets I'm sure and in the same respect I think getting all the dolls with no help what so ever would of been much the same. while I'm here... Nope....I don't have Quake, and I haven't found all the dolls in Duke Nukem (no way I have!!!) - but I have unlocked Death Tank Zwei.... must check out how I did it!!! Just maybe there is some mix up with the PAL and U.S versions that because all toilets need to be shot on the U.S version - it was just assumed the PAL version would be the same and because it was printed like that in the Official UK Saturn magazine it's been that way ever since? It could then be something completely different like beat the game or play it for so many hours. I always use Quake tho if my memory cart needs formatting and I'm putting everything back on, slowly but surely lol. click to view:
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Post by xDerekRx on Feb 16, 2014 8:20:07 GMT
Mik I think finding the dolls without a guide is borderline impossible. I just remember some being in the most hidden places you could imagine. Im not sure how many I found on my own. I remember wanting to find at least 1, and thats probably about how many I got without help.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2014 10:32:48 GMT
Nope....I don't have Quake, and I haven't found all the dolls in Duke Nukem (no way I have!!!) - but I have unlocked Death Tank Zwei.... must check out how I did it!!! Just maybe there is some mix up with the PAL and U.S versions that because all toilets need to be shot on the U.S version - it was just assumed the PAL version would be the same and because it was printed like that in the Official UK Saturn magazine it's been that way ever since? It could then be something completely different like beat the game or play it for so many hours. I always use Quake tho if my memory cart needs formatting and I'm putting everything back on, slowly but surely lol. click to view: Odd that. To be honest, I haven't clocked up much time on either game. Played them a bit - but it was years ago - so maybe the couple of hours I spent on each was enough? Hard to say. I'll get my spare memory cart out and experiment a bit with both games from scratch and see what happens.
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martiniii
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Post by martiniii on Feb 23, 2014 17:22:14 GMT
I've been playing the game obsessively the past week, so a lot to catch up on here. Nile Gorge stumped me for a while, but in a good way. The biggest hurdle was figuring out what the point of lowering that first pillar was. Had a lot of fun puzzling over that level. The Thoth Treasure Reliquary was refreshingly, even startlingly easy. The drop in difficulty so stunned me that I assumed that I had to dive between the two laser beams to get the key - it couldn't possibly be as easy as backtracking to hit another switch, I said! Funnily enough, on one attempt I somehow did manage to land on the ledge without getting killed, and then fall to the floor below without getting the key. I got killed by a mummy a couple seconds later, though. Wish I could have recorded the incident. Heket Marsh was more challenging, though still very reasonable. The Cobra Staff is one very cool weapon, though like the Flamethrower it sounds too much like an enemy. It was quite a while before I stopped jumping in fright every time I switched to one of those. But I like the use of ancient Egyptian artifacts as weapons in addition to the standard FPS guns. Besides just being one more thing to set Exhumed/PowerSlave apart, there's something godly about using mystic objects to send arcane death shooting at your foes. The Sunken Palace got to be a real pain. Mind you, as a general rule I love the underwater segments in PowerSlave. The full freedom of movement in all three dimensions feels wonderful, and I can't think of any other Saturn game where the translucency of water is done so beautifully. But I didn't realize you're meant to go through each section of the level in one go, and that made it more tedious for me than it should have been. And then they pull that cheap trick with doors sealing you in to the room with the last key. I guess that could've been exciting, except that the natural conclusion to draw is that you're supposed to open a new passage with the Amun Bomb. Had fun in the Deserted Slave Camp, and am proud to say that I found the hidden transmitter piece even before I got the All-Seeing Eye for the level. A shame that there's no way to get the piece until later. The fun puzzle-solving made it all the more disappointing when I hit the Selkis Path for... arrrgh... more instant-death platform jumping. Managing ammo was tough, too. Selkis Burrow was nasty, in that you have to rely on the concussive impact of Selkis's blasts in order to reach the ammunition! I was disappointed in Selkis, too, in that the level environment leads you to believe that he's as big as a whale, if not bigger. Plus, it's pretty cheap that once you reach the ammunition, you can just sit there in total safety while you rain Amun Bombs and bullets down on Selkis. On the plus side, the way his body bursts open to reveal a swarm of giant spiders is delightfully gross, and that's coming from someone who actually got killed by one of those spiders the first time he beat Selkis. Also, I like how this time Ramses gives you a good hint on where to go next. "Climb the highest mountain? Hmmm... How about that mountain shrine?" Still more instant-death platform jumping in the Magma Fields. Getting the Ring of Ra does nothing to help, since they inexplicably hand it to you in a section where the ring is totally useless. Actually, I found that I did enjoy the Magma Fields, but I didn't realize it until after I beat the level. Horus Peak was fun too, if somewhat frustrating, and startlingly short. And I can't tell you how glad I am to have that feather, leaving me with no more platform jumping worries. (blissful sigh) Canyon of Chaos... now this was one seriously fun level. I think it just might be my favorite level of the entire game. They really put the abilities of the Horus Feather to good use right off the bat, and figuring out where to go in this level was a delightful exercise of the old noggin. The journey into the lava-lined path was an absolutely epic escape sequence. This is ingenious 3D level design beyond anything seen in Doom, taking you outside your comfort zone without resorting to cheap monster spawnings. The Manacle and transmitter piece were both very easy to get (though the Manacle is the only weapon in the game which isn't laid out so that you can't miss it), but the rest of the level provided more than enough challenge to make completing it utterly gratifying. After that, I revisited a few levels to get the ankhs and transmitter pieces I couldn't get before. It's strange how the majority of the transmitter pieces can be obtained the first time you visit the level they're on. It almost makes you wonder why they bothered with the transmitter at all. And now I'm stuck on the stupid room full of laser beams in Kilmaat Colony. Why did they have to put those beams so unbelievably close together? Even if you jump to the correct spot, the swaying motion your character makes while levitating can move him into a beam! And did they really have to stick something like this so close to the end of the level? On top of everything else, what I hate about all these instant death hazards is that they make the rest of the game seem trivial by comparison. Kilmaat Sentries are the hardest non-boss enemies in the game, yet their debut in this level feels barely noticeable. Ah well, I'll get through those beams eventually. This is one game which inspires (and rewards) persistence.
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Post by xDerekRx on Feb 24, 2014 3:18:48 GMT
Yes the beams will test your patience. May even seem like you will never get it but very rewarding once you do.
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