Review of Retro Gamer's 32X "Retroinspection"

[sheath]

That looks like a translation of Gamepro.

[Barone]

SuperGamePower had kinda partnership with GamePro. I think they were the biggest ones here and sometimes very Nintendo biased. If TecToy let them without ads for like 2 consecutive numbers they would trash the Sega consoles' games in the next one...

Only "Ação Games" would compete, but their layout was a mess until ~1995. Ação Games was Sega biased IMO.

[sheath]

Interesting, I take it the 32X saw release in Brazil then? Was it as poorly received as it was in the UK? What was the launch price?

[bpguimaraes23]

SuperGamePower had kinda partnership with GamePro. I think they were the biggest ones here and sometimes very Nintendo biased. If TecToy let them without ads for like 2 consecutive numbers they would trash the Sega consoles' games in the next one...

Only "Ação Games" would compete, but their layout was a mess until ~1995. Ação Games was Sega biased IMO.

Supergame covered Sega and Gamepower covered Nintendo. Later they merged into SuperGamePower.

[bpguimaraes23]

Interesting, I take it the 32X saw release in Brazil then? Was it as poorly received as it was in the UK? What was the launch price?

Yes, I am the only person I know that bought it.

[Barone]

Of course, it was officially released here. AFAIK it was released here in the same date that in US.
I have a scan here stating the same for the Saturn release in Brazil.

TecToy gave everything they had in those years... They were constantly in contact with US to know about the marketing strategy, but they had a direct contract with SoJ.
Once in a while they released some Mega Drive games a week earlier here than in US due to our own holidays, despite how much SOA always complained about that.

I will look for scans telling about the 32X's release in Brazil but I'm pretty sure that it was in the same date that in the US. I will look for the official prices, but I remember like if were today that some retailers were asking BRL 400.00 for the 32X in time of its release and in those days 1BRL ~ 1USD, so you can imagine how damn expensive it was for us (considering that you always had more money than us).

Like my Brazilian friend said, I don't know and never knew any kid that bought a 32X in those times. The magazines were kinda positive toward it (Super Game Power trashed the 32X's MK II though) but it was so damn expensive that even TecToy couldn't push it here, no matter how many ads they used.

I also remember that Sega CD was ultra-mega-super expensive when it was released here. It was so expensive, so expensive that TecToy created kinda loan/funding program that would allow you to acquire one and pay it within a year or something... It was THAT expensive.
But I still knew 2 kids that bought the Sega CD.

[bpguimaraes23]

Of course, it was officially released here. AFAIK it was released here in the same date that in US.
I have a scan here stating the same for the Saturn release in Brazil.

TecToy gave everything they had in those years... They were constantly in contact with US to know about the marketing strategy, but they had a direct contract with SoJ.
Once in a while they released some Mega Drive games a week earlier here than in US due to our own holidays, despite how much SOA always complained about that.

I will look for scans telling about the 32X's release in Brazil but I'm pretty sure that it was in the same date that in the US. I will look for the official prices, but I remember like if were today that some retailers were asking BRL 400.00 for the 32X in time of its release and in those days 1BRL ~ 1USD, so you can imagine how damn expensive it was for us (considering that you always had more money than us).

Yes. Very bad investment. Sold it in six months and bought a Saturn.

[sheath]

Exchange rates caused the 32X launch in the UK to be closer to $280, which is the primary source of all of the 32X haters over there. One thing is for certain, the 32X as it stands could never justify such a high price. $16 per ten games I could justify, $28 or dear goodness $40 for the same ten games no way in hell.

[bpguimaraes23]

Attachment 4304

[Barone]

Exchange rates caused the 32X launch in the UK to be closer to $280, which is the primary source of all of the 32X haters over there. One thing is for certain, the 32X as it stands could never justify such a high price. $16 per ten games I could justify, $28 or dear goodness $40 for the same ten games no way in hell.

I updated my previous post, just read about the Sega CD, it's "funny" too.

I can remember the same retailers asking BRL100.00 (USD100.00) for each 32X game.
In the same times you could illegally (and very easily) acquire a brand new SNES for something like BRL200.00-250.00 from Paraguay.

[sheath]

Yeah, those circumstances would be a deal breaker for any sentient air sucker.

[bpguimaraes23]

I updated my previous post, just read about the Sega CD, it's "funny" too.

I can remember the same retailers asking BRL100.00 (USD100.00) for each 32X game.

True. The only 32X game a had was Star Wars Arcade. Everthing alse I rented.

[Team Andromeda]

The game was obviously rushed to make the date before the PS1. This game was so bad that they released a repaired version called VF Remix, come on man the 32X version albeit missing the Polygon Count but much faster, smoother, and extremely playable.

For starters VF on the 32X does not run faster or smoother where you get that idea from I just do not know at all. VF on the Saturn is more closer to the Arcade than the 32X in terms of graphics and sound , that isn't even up for debate . The detail on the charters just isn't there , it doesn't real shadows the detail on the floors is totally missing and the detail like the pony tails just isn't as well done , and the sound effects on the 32X version are a complete joke , In fact sound is 1 area the Saturn version is better than the Model 1 game, with far more impressive high quality sound effects
Now about this repaired version you totally miss understand the point of VR Remix . For starters it began as a ST-V project and a way SEGA hoped to get even more VF machines in to Arcades (ones that couldn't afford the Model 1 board) and also a way to help push ST-V boards in the Arcades , and was also seen by AM#2 as an bit of a test for VF II Saturn. The original plan wasn't even really to sell it to Saturn users as it was originally given away only with special Saturn consoles celebrating the 1 million sold Saturn in Japan in May 1995

I just checked that VF 32X video and it seems off to me, this one is still emulation but much close to real hardware quality

There really isn't a video on youtube that is running on real hardware , but if you have played the 32X version . Then you know it doesn't move that fast at all , that is not to say it moves any slower than the Saturn version , they all move at the same speed as the Arcade.

What you are overlooking is that is the early adopter price. By the time the 32X was in full steam it was less than $100, which means that a Genesis 32X combined was $180 or less. Similarly, picking up a Sega CD at the time that the 3DO was $400 and Jaguar $250 would have been below $180 on its own.

Metal Gear Solid GBA/32X style:

You are not playing the game at all. The real reason the 32X dropped in price so soon , was because it was not selling well at retail and most of the press and development community were seeing it as another Mega CD style failure and has for that MGS GBA demo play the game son. No-one was getting that sort of detail out of the GBA at the time and you add in player control , AI and watch most tech demo's crumble. I'm sure if the Team and Konami were to go back now on the PS and make a MGS demo on the PS they would blow away that demo , but that's not the point . In fact if most developers went back to past consoles with the tools they have now and the knowing what they do, they'll all make tech demo's which would make their original past efforts look basic

Just look at what NAMCO was able to do with free disc in RR 4 . RR running at double the frame rate and with better graphics and that's just after a couple of years of know how about the PS

[Team Andromeda]

Exchange rates caused the 32X launch in the UK to be closer to $280, which is the primary source of all of the 32X haters over there. One thing is for certain, the 32X as it stands could never justify such a high price. $16 per ten games I could justify, $28 or dear goodness $40 for the same ten games no way in hell.

SEGA prmosied the machine would come in at £150 and it came in at £170 with no game and the new games costing £60 thanks to being on Cart . That was its trouble it really wasn't the cheap gateway to 32bit games and being on Cart was a complete screw up when the world was going CD-Rom . And lets face it the 32X was launched at a high price in the states and the launch games cost quite a lot of money , same for Japan. Yes the PS and Saturn cost a bit , but you'll save money on the games being cheaper thanks to being on CD Rom . Even now Disc based games are cheaper than what it cost to buy SNES game Mega Drive games .

Going Cart with the 32X made no sense what so ever

[sheath]

The 32X cost me less than a month of ~15hrs a week minimum wage income and the games were not expensive compared to SNES or Genesis games. I can't speak for other regions, but I found it a killer deal. In fact, I gave up the Sega Channel so I could play more 32X games, which I rented a ton until I decided to buy.

Outside of Virtua Racing Deluxe at launch, I have no recollection of needing to pay full retail for a 32X game. And before one of you spouts off about that being because of the rapid price decline, I do the same freaking thing with current gen games.