Darxide

[3DOMan]

Actually you have to start rescuing people as soon as level 2

There's really no way to save your game progress...after completing the daunting task of defeating the first level, you don't get a game save or even a password...quite frustrating.

[sheath]

I'm used to paying more attention to the radar in space sims, I just wasn't sure if I had to chase down all the smaller rocks every time, they seemed like they might be a time waster. Man, that first level is tough if I have to blow everything up in the time allotted. I can't imagine the next levels being even harder.

[TVC 15]

So yeah, I played for almost thirty minutes and lost each time. I do have to say that the recent Sega-16 interview that claimed the software texture mapping was superior to Saturn hardware textures wasn't far from the truth. I'll need to hook this up over RGB at some point to see how it looks, but the texture mapping and lighting is top notch. I wonder if they might have been able to optimize the take off sequence to be better than 1 frame per second if given the opportunity to farm the engine out.

You wouldn't have a link to that interview would you Sheath? Can't seem to find it anywhere. Or has it not been put up yet on the site?

[sheath]

Oh rats, I can't find anything on this site. Let me look for it.

-edit-

Here it is:

http://www.sega-16.com/2004/08/unfin...ess-32x-games/

It isn't an interview, but the writer cites Frontier. It's Sam Pettus, so take that with a grain of salt I guess.

[Chilly Willy]

Actually, I don't doubt the 32X texture mapper was better than the Saturn hardware rendering - the Saturn uses warped sprites as has been discussed a number of times. While more flexible, they also tend to create more distortion when approximating 3D polys. That doesn't even cover issues like overdraw and lighting/transparency issues. On the other hand, the 32X uses software rendering, so the quality is as high as the software provides. Note that I don't say anything about speed - the Saturn kicks the s**t out of the 32X for rendering speed, but the 32X can do BETTER LOOKING polys. As long as the number of polys doesn't get so high as to make the frame rate objectionable, the 32X CAN WIN in the looks department.

[sheath]

I couldn't possibly question it technically, and Darxide does look very good for what little it has on screen at a time (aside from the chuggy landing/takeoff sequences). I would just assume that the massive RAM advantage the Saturn has even with just the VDP1 plus Main RAM would pretty much negate anything the 32X might pull off in software texture wise. This makes me wonder what the Saturn might have been capable of in the long run really, if documentation and tools were allowed to be perfected couldn't the VDPs and SH2s alone use software rendering to even greater effect?

All the same, take what Darxide is doing and amp it up to Saturn polygon counts and I could see Wing Commander Prophesy running easily and with better looking ships.

[Silanda]

It isn't an interview, but the writer cites Frontier. It's Sam Pettus, so take that with a grain of salt I guess.

No need to take anything with a grain of salt, it's what Frontier claim on their own website: http://frontier.co.uk/games/older/darxide_32x/

[3DOMan]

In the second level, you do have to rescue the miners...they are attached to the asteroids and break free when you destroy the asteroids...but it seems like there is less enemies so it balances out. It's still hard as hell. The fact you literally have to destroy every single asteroid piece is the most time consuming. It seems the best plan of attack to to destroy all the pieces before they get too out of sight. If you attack the asteroid from the side instead of head-on, the pieces all fall right into your line of fire when they split apart. But yeah, the idea is to shoot them all in one sweep if possible. Trying to find one last asteroid quarter in the playfield when you've got precious seconds left is quite nervewracking.

[sheath]

No need to take anything with a grain of salt, it's what Frontier claim on their own website: http://frontier.co.uk/games/older/darxide_32x/

Ah, citations are a wonderful thing. Thank you.

[Chilly Willy]

I couldn't possibly question it technically, and Darxide does look very good for what little it has on screen at a time (aside from the chuggy landing/takeoff sequences). I would just assume that the massive RAM advantage the Saturn has even with just the VDP1 plus Main RAM would pretty much negate anything the 32X might pull off in software texture wise. This makes me wonder what the Saturn might have been capable of in the long run really, if documentation and tools were allowed to be perfected couldn't the VDPs and SH2s alone use software rendering to even greater effect?

Yep! You could even use the exact same SH2 code for rendering as on the 32X. The Saturn would look the same if you did that, and run faster due to the faster clock and wider bus. It's all a matter of balancing speed vs quality - the Saturn gives you more options, while you are pretty much stuck for what you can do on the 32X.

All the same, take what Darxide is doing and amp it up to Saturn polygon counts and I could see Wing Commander Prophesy running easily and with better looking ships.

Yeah, there are a number of those space games from that period that could be done pretty well on the Saturn.

[Melf]

Oh rats, I can't find anything on this site. Let me look for it.

-edit-

Here it is:

http://www.sega-16.com/2004/08/unfin...ess-32x-games/

It isn't an interview, but the writer cites Frontier. It's Sam Pettus, so take that with a grain of salt I guess.

That entry wasn't written by Pettus but Tom Keller of GameFan/GameGo! fame.

[sheath]

That entry wasn't written by Pettus but Tom Keller of GameFan/GameGo! fame.

Thanks Melf, you consistently know who said what in the industry. Do we know who wrote the comment, on the Frontier website, about Darxide's texture mapping that Keller quotes without quotes? It would be interesting to at least know who actually made the claim that Darxide's texture mapping beat Saturn hardware texture mapping, not to mention why they said that.

[Melf]

I don't know, but I speak with Keller regularly and could ask him about it.

[3DOMan]

Not that anybody cares but I finally got Darxide EMP edition working on Nokia NGage...it simply requires downloading a few files onto an old MMC card and installing it onto the phone.

The EMP edition is much much easier, though I prefer the 32X version cause it has music ^.^

[3DOMan]

After months of trying, I finally beat the game...

Playthrough videos and faq coming soon!