Super Bonk (SNES)

[j_factor]

Not that many people even bought a Playstation when Toshinden and Ridge Racer were current. More people were still buying SNES. PSX didn't pick up until late '96, with games like Crash Bandicoot driving sales. And while that game's okay, I certainly don't think it was head and shoulders above everything on the Saturn visually. And by that point, the graphics whores would have bought N64's, although I don't think N64 sold many systems for that particular reason either.

[old man]

I love the N64, but I'll be the first to admit that after Mario64 the graphics didn't progress very much. It wasn't until late in the systems life that we started really seeing what the system could do with Rare and Factor 5's games.

[Kamahl]

Mario 64 is one of the worst looking N64 games . Turok 2 is the real deal, it looks freaking incredible, almost 6th gen.

[sheath]

I'm convinced that these 3D games advanced based on the advancements of the computers used to create them first and foremost. Those advancements were typically made in conjunction with newer hardware. So late life PS1 and N64 games look like downgraded Dreamcast games, or were the source material for extremely low end Dreamcast games.

[Kamahl]

I'm convinced that these 3D games advanced based on the advancements of the computers used to create them first and foremost. Those advancements were typically made in conjunction with newer hardware. So late life PS1 and N64 games look like downgraded Dreamcast games, or were the source material for extremely low end Dreamcast games.

2D games probably did too, though to a less extent.

[magicalsoundshower]

Does anyone else find Super Bonk so sluggish it's nigh unbearable? Too bad about the nicely drawn pastel-colored backgrounds but the Bonk-is-moving-though-molasses-at-all-times feel combined with the unfocused and meandering level design and the annoying bonus stages (I'd always avoid them) easily makes this one of the worst Bonk games in my opinion.

Plus, I'm pretty sure the title screen theme pops up in a couple games by Konami and I'm having a hell of a hard time figuring out why the hell that is.

[JFLY]

I too find Super Bonk annoyingly sluggish. They fixed that problem in the Super Famicom only sequel, but Hudson Soft shrunk the sprite sizes down. For me, the best Bonk game is the first one since they kind of messed up the feel of his mid-air spin in the other games.

[A Black Falcon]

I love the N64, but I'll be the first to admit that after Mario64 the graphics didn't progress very much. It wasn't until late in the systems life that we started really seeing what the system could do with Rare and Factor 5's games.

You'll be the first to admit something which isn't true at all? Alright then... but anyway, by late 1997 the N64 had begun surpassing Mario 64 certainly, and by '98 it was definitely outdated. Sure, many N64 games do look worse than Mario 64, but that's because the developers weren't as good at getting the most out of the system, and also because few other N64 games use as many flat-shaded polys, like with Mario 64's Mario -- people wanted all-textured games, and the N64, like most systems of that generation, actually was better at doing those rarely-seen flat-shaded polys than fully-textured games. Mario 64 makes great use of flat-shaded polygons.

Not that many people even bought a Playstation when Toshinden and Ridge Racer were current. More people were still buying SNES. PSX didn't pick up until late '96, with games like Crash Bandicoot driving sales.

This is true, but the PS1 got off to a better start than the Saturn, and of course outsold the Saturn in the US in 1995. And that happened because of the reasons I was talking about. The PS1 continued to build on that early success, and really took off after Crash and FF7, but even if 1995-1996 PS1 sales weren't amazing, they WERE better than Sega's by far. Those early bad impressions of the Saturn were the only ones most people ever had of the system, I think. I remember hearing about how bad the Saturn was early on, for instance, and thought very little about it after that. I didn't know anyone who owned one either, of course. I'm sure my case is quite typical. And I'd definitely liked the Genesis, and had played it more then SNES (didn't have any consoles before the N64 of course, but of times I could play consoles, I had played Genesis more.) too.

And while that game's okay, I certainly don't think it was head and shoulders above everything on the Saturn visually. And by that point, the graphics whores would have bought N64's, although I don't think N64 sold many systems for that particular reason either.

It sold some, I think. But yeah, it is true that some graphics-focused people waited for the N64. But as I said earlier in this post, that bad first impression of the Saturn was the only lasting impression the system had, for a lot of gamers in the US... the Saturn did have a slight increase in sales in late '96, though it was still far behind in third, but it wasn't nearly enough to make the system relevant, and of course Bernie Stolar finished off THAT blip at E3 '97.

[NeoZeedeater]

Even if graphics made a system sell more than another (they don't, judging by pretty much every gen), many of the Saturn's big games like Panzer Dragoon, Virtua Fighter 2, Sega Rally, etc. looked as good as first gen PS1 games anyway.

Those early bad impressions of the Saturn were the only ones most people ever had of the system

From who? There were complaints about the surprise launch and high price tag, but the early games were well received critically. Daytona got some flak for all the pop up but that's about the only big game or graphics-related complaint I recall.

The Saturn wasn't marketed anywhere near as well as the Playstation. I don't think graphics were the issue at all.

[j_factor]

This is true, but the PS1 got off to a better start than the Saturn, and of course outsold the Saturn in the US in 1995. And that happened because of the reasons I was talking about. The PS1 continued to build on that early success, and really took off after Crash and FF7, but even if 1995-1996 PS1 sales weren't amazing, they WERE better than Sega's by far.

It was selling better than Saturn, yes. But that's owing more to the Saturn's failure to sell units than the Playstation's "success". Saturn sold badly in 1995. Playstation didn't sell well, it just sold not as badly.

Those early bad impressions of the Saturn were the only ones most people ever had of the system, I think. I remember hearing about how bad the Saturn was early on, for instance, and thought very little about it after that. I didn't know anyone who owned one either, of course. I'm sure my case is quite typical.

I don't think people had much impression one way or the other. Hardcore gamers did, sure. But the average Genesis or SNES gamer wasn't paying attention. It didn't have enough of a presence to make a strong impression. It made more of an impression in 1996.

In fact, I think it's pretty rare for the general gaming public to have a firm, formulated negative impression of a new system. Lack of a positive impression, sure. Or more of a positive impression for the competition. Even, say, 3DO, I don't really think that suffered from bad impressions. It suffered from a lot of other things.

[brainerdrainer]

I have bonks adventure for GB but I'd like to get the nes and snes versions.