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Dumpshock Forums _ Shadowrun _ 18 Things I learned from the Genesis game
Posted by: hyzmarca Jan 8 2007, 12:20 AM
Three weeks without internet access have led me to revisit many old video games, including the Shadowrun Genesis game. I have learned the following pieces of wisdom.
1. There are no streetcorner prostitutes or drug dealers in the barrens. These, I presume, rely on bulky 80s cell phones and matrix advertisements. In their place are grenade dealers who wander around pestering random people like a stereotypical drug dealer from an 80s After School Special.
For this reason, it is pretty easy to find grenades.
2. If a bunch of thugs are raping a woman in an alley, they're probably police officers.
3. The customary tip for emergency medical assistance by laypersons is 100 
. Often, vampires will take advantage of this fact by pretending to be injured and attacking the greedy Samaritans who try to help them. If the wound isn't bleeding then shoot the guy.
4. All cabbies are orks but not all orks are cabbies.
5. Sixth World mental hospitals have very poor security.
6. "Take this package next door" and "walk this guy across the street" are perfectly valid shadowruns if you are in the Redmond barrens due to the extreme danger of attack by packs of roving thugs. A smart street level runner can rack up hundreds of karma and thousands of nuyen a day on such runs. This is how street level runners become Prime Runners.
7. Ghoul hunting in abandoned warehouses sounds a lot easier than it actually is.
8. The standard bribe for a weapons violation is 500 no matter what the weapon is. Lone Star refers to this an an "on the spot fine".
9. If you have the right contact, 10,000 will make a thousand dead cops go away.
10. Do deal with dragons.
11. Free Spirits with uncapped Force Drain can become very powerful.
12. Despite being the most powerful metahuman magician on Earth, Harlequin is kind of useless.
13. Native Americans in the NAN are kind of racist against white people.
14. If you can't pronounce your Johnson's name you should probably just kill him.
15. Elves are snooty.
16. Docwagon can and will break into high security extraterritorial facilities and fight off heavily armed security teams to fulfill their contracts.
17. Run alone. By the time you have 6 in every stat 12 in every skill other runners are liabilities that just slow you down.
18. Feral Hellhounds roam the streets of downtown Seattle. Watch out for them.
Posted by: Wounded Ronin Jan 8 2007, 12:36 AM
Considering the hell hounds only start appearing once you've progressed significantly through the game I always saw it more as someone following you around in Seattle and sicing them on you at an opportune moment.
Posted by: Ancient History Jan 8 2007, 12:59 AM
19. Bugs taste good when properly prepared.
20. Feathered serpents must molt or something.
Posted by: Thane36425 Jan 8 2007, 01:12 AM
21. Random maged backed up by thugs will waylay you without warning in the streets.
22. The Halloweeners were weak, but some of the other gangs were dangerous.
That was a fun game. I wouldn't mind finding a version I could play on the PC since my Genesis long since gave up the ghost.
Posted by: emo samurai Jan 8 2007, 01:16 AM
Dude, http://www.romnation.net
Posted by: d'Ark Jan 8 2007, 01:24 AM
Also, the rest of the world called it a Mega Drive...god knows why. It's taken me about 3 minutes to figure out which Shadowrun game you were on about.
Happily, I'm not actually old enough to remember it the first time round, but I've played the early stages a few times on an emulator...is it actually worth playing through all of it?
Posted by: Wounded Ronin Jan 8 2007, 01:28 AM
| QUOTE (d'Ark) |
| Also, the rest of the world called it a Mega Drive...god knows why. It's taken me about 3 minutes to figure out which Shadowrun game you were on about. Happily, I'm not actually old enough to remember it the first time round, but I've played the early stages a few times on an emulator...is it actually worth playing through all of it? |
It's a lot of fun. It really helped to define my understanding of the Shadowrun world. I stronly recommend playing through it.
It's actually a bit easier than the real 2nd edition RPG. Trauma patches = instant health, and the Ruger Warhawk allows for some 1 hit pwnage if you pump your firearms skill up to 12.
Posted by: Sahandrian Jan 8 2007, 01:33 AM
You could always try the Super Nintendo SR game, and be a shamadeckurai.
Posted by: emo samurai Jan 8 2007, 01:34 AM
That game took WAY too long for leveling up. I fully recommend using GameShark to make your character unstoppable.
Posted by: Thane36425 Jan 8 2007, 01:37 AM
I did a search and found a few sites to choose from to download it. I'll probably stick with the Genesis version though.
Maxing out pistol skills was s good way to kill things fast. Shotguns worked too, but they you were always paying bribes to police to let you go.
The only real problem I ever had was that if you had wired reflexes, you were easy meat in hand to hand combat. That was really strange.
Posted by: ShadowDragon8685 Jan 8 2007, 07:50 AM
Ahhhh, I remember that game.
The RPG could stand to be a bit more like that CRPG, at least in terms of some of the cliches, such as cops so corrupt they'll let you walk down the street with an Ingram for 500
Oh, don't forget,
23. The right contact and 8,000 , or the wrong contact and 10,000 will buy you a Prestidental Carry Permit. One permit, any number of weapons, any number of companions with any number of weapons. No matter how illeagal.
Posted by: Ancient History Jan 8 2007, 12:30 PM
| QUOTE (Thane36425) |
| Shotguns worked too, but they you were always paying bribes to police to let you go. |
That's why you buy a permit from Max. Or protection from Don Faradouchi.
Posted by: will_rj Jan 8 2007, 01:46 PM
24 - One can make a nice profit by hacking the same datastore again and again.
25 - There are phones hanging from trees out there.
Posted by: Blade Jan 8 2007, 01:50 PM
26. The best way to run the Renraku Arcology is to enter via the front door, punch the receptionist in the solar plexus and shoot everyone in your way...
27. ... But you'd rather hack the same datastore again and again, it's more profitable.
Posted by: ElFenrir Jan 8 2007, 02:56 PM
| QUOTE |
| You could always try the Super Nintendo SR game, and be a shamadeckurai. |
I was going to mention that one. I think it involved waking up on a slab, and running around a city talking to 'busy men' in suits, 5 minutes later killing your first ganger for a Beretta light pistol, meeting Dog himself(yes, as in the totem Dog), and running around a bar with a bunch of stereotypes? 
And if i recall, magic and cyberware were perfectly compatible. That had to deflate a few balloons from people moving from the game to the tabletop.
Posted by: Warmaster Lah Jan 8 2007, 04:15 PM
7. Ghoul hunting in abandoned warehouses sounds a lot easier than it actually is.
I used to make tons of cash on those missions. 20 ghouls at 75Y a pop. 1500Y total.
Also for the Genesis. At the Game start screen. Enter the code ABBACAB and then press start. At th
Load your game, then check under the Save/Load menu, there will be a hidden menu under it with all kinds of checks, +250,000Y, +10 karma, etc. And you can use it multiple times.
I memorized that cheat for some reason. (I liked to earn my money, but the +10 karma was good for boosting up your buddies. it adds +10 to every one in your party.)
Posted by: lorechaser Jan 8 2007, 05:30 PM
| QUOTE (emo samurai) |
| That game took WAY too long for leveling up. I fully recommend using GameShark to make your character unstoppable. |
Why does that quote not surprise me?
I'm wanting to play this again now too. I played the SNES version a couple years back, but it's been a while for the Genesis version.
Posted by: Demonseed Elite Jan 8 2007, 06:34 PM
I want both of the versions (SNES and Genesis) to go up on the Wii Virtual Console ASAP. 
Posted by: Kagetenshi Jan 8 2007, 06:42 PM
Ain't gonna happen. One might depending on whether or not it would need FASA Studios to give permission, the other I'd be willing to put money behind never seeing the light of day, at least not until its copyright expires.
~J
Posted by: FlakJacket Jan 8 2007, 06:45 PM
Heh, was thinking pretty much the same thing lorechaser. 
If you ever got desperate to earn some extra nuyen I always found the cellar of the Dark Blade Club to be most handy. Go down to the room where Vladimir was, climb up the stairs part way so the ghouls can't reach you and then kill the four of them for three or four karma points IIRC. Leave the room, come straight back in and then kill them again for another three or four karma and repeat ad nauseam. That racked up karma pretty damn fast from what I recall.
But then I'm the guy who earned enough karma in the Tenth Street area to raise all the available attributes and skills to their maximum before going to meet Glutman and being taken to the caryards. Certainly made fighting in the arena much easier.
Posted by: ShadowDragon8685 Jan 8 2007, 07:57 PM
The SNES game... I remember that. It was kinda fun, being a Shamadeckeruai. And your Ally Spirit carries a loaded Ares Ingram to back you up with. Oh yeah, and she's a foxgirl, too.
Fun times.
Posted by: RunnerPaul Jan 8 2007, 08:08 PM
| QUOTE (ShadowDragon8685 @ Jan 8 2007, 02:57 PM) |
| The SNES game... I remember that. It was kinda fun, being a Shamadeckeruai. And your Ally Spirit carries a loaded Ares Ingram to back you up with. Oh yeah, and she's a foxgirl, too. Fun times. |
Kitsune was not a Ally Spirit, she was a fox shapshifter. And the persistant foxtail in human form was one of the details the SNES game actually got right.
Posted by: Casazil Jan 8 2007, 08:30 PM
| QUOTE (Warmaster Lah) |
| 7. Ghoul hunting in abandoned warehouses sounds a lot easier than it actually is. I used to make tons of cash on those missions. 20 ghouls at 75Y a pop. 1500Y total. Also for the Genesis. At the Game start screen. Enter the code ABBACAB and then press start. At th Load your game, then check under the Save/Load menu, there will be a hidden menu under it with all kinds of checks, +250,000Y, +10 karma, etc. And you can use it multiple times. I memorized that cheat for some reason. (I liked to earn my money, but the +10 karma was good for boosting up your buddies. it adds +10 to every one in your party.) |
As a point of reference using the code to get +10 karma is ok but don't get to greedy go over 250 karma and the game resets it to 0 the max I ever pulled off was 252 as I had 2 karma before I used the code.
also if anyone is interested I made a list of all the contacts in the game and what can be obtained from them.
Posted by: mfb Jan 8 2007, 08:50 PM
probably maxes at 255.
the code only works once before you have to save your game and reset. here's how to cheat quickly on an emulator: start the emulator, enter the code, save your state (not your game, your state--it's like an external savegame). load up your saved game, use the cheat menu to get whatever. save your game, reload your state, reload your saved game. use the cheat menu again, save your game, reload your state, wash, rinse, repeat.
Posted by: ShadowDragon8685 Jan 8 2007, 09:12 PM
| QUOTE (RunnerPaul) | ||
Kitsune was not a Ally Spirit, she was a fox shapshifter. And the persistant foxtail in human form was one of the details the SNES game actually got right. |
I never said I remembered it accurately!
Posted by: RunnerPaul Jan 8 2007, 09:19 PM
| QUOTE (ShadowDragon8685) |
| I never said I remembered it accurately! |
That's ok. I'm just a little rabid about Kitsune, as she's one of my fondest memories of that game.
Posted by: ShadowDragon8685 Jan 8 2007, 09:24 PM
| QUOTE (RunnerPaul) | ||
That's ok. I'm just a little rabid about Kitsune, as she's one of my fondest memories of that game. |
Mine too. She was cute and hawt at the same time.
Posted by: Jrayjoker Jan 9 2007, 02:28 PM
| QUOTE (ShadowDragon8685) | ||||
Mine too. She was cute and hawt at the same time. |
Gah! Furries!
Posted by: Trax Jan 9 2007, 05:22 PM
Considering how different Shadowrun is in both the Genesis and SNES games, if the Shadowrun currently being made for the 360 came out back then, would people still be saying how bad it was, or remembering it with nostalgia as just another Shadowrun game with not-quite canon stuff in it?
The Genesis and SNES weren't exactly shining examples of the game if you've played either of them before playing the PnP game.
Posted by: X-Kalibur Jan 9 2007, 06:38 PM
| QUOTE (Trax) |
| Considering how different Shadowrun is in both the Genesis and SNES games, if the Shadowrun currently being made for the 360 came out back then, would people still be saying how bad it was, or remembering it with nostalgia as just another Shadowrun game with not-quite canon stuff in it? The Genesis and SNES weren't exactly shining examples of the game if you've played either of them before playing the PnP game. |
I personally have very fond memories of playing the Genesis version. I played it years before I played PnP and in alot of ways it helped me understand the game better. It might not have been perfect, but it was far and away closer to the fluff than the new 360 SR (which I will still buy and play).
Posted by: Kagetenshi Jan 9 2007, 06:53 PM
| QUOTE (mfb) |
| the code only works once before you have to save your game and reset. here's how to cheat quickly on an emulator: start the emulator, enter the code, save your state (not your game, your state--it's like an external savegame). load up your saved game, use the cheat menu to get whatever. save your game, reload your state, reload your saved game. use the cheat menu again, save your game, reload your state, wash, rinse, repeat. |
This won't work on all emulators. It depends on whether the emulator includes the battery RAM in the state information. If it does, when you load the state you'll find your pre-cheat saved game waiting for you.
~J
Posted by: Thane36425 Jan 9 2007, 06:59 PM
| QUOTE (X-Kalibur) | ||
I personally have very fond memories of playing the Genesis version. I played it years before I played PnP and in alot of ways it helped me understand the game better. It might not have been perfect, but it was far and away closer to the fluff than the new 360 SR (which I will still buy and play). |
I played both at the same time. PnP was better played with other people and Genesis was fine when alone. It would be nice if they came out with a new version like the old one, that is an RPG type game.
Posted by: ShadowDragon8685 Jan 9 2007, 08:09 PM
| QUOTE (Kagetenshi) | ||
This won't work on all emulators. It depends on whether the emulator includes the battery RAM in the state information. If it does, when you load the state you'll find your pre-cheat saved game waiting for you. ~J |
It works just fine on the the Kega Lazarus emulator.
And the Genesis game is a hell of a lot closer to Shadowrun than that... Abomination they're cooking up at microsoft.
It actually had Shadowruns and the Matrix and something resembling magic, for one, whereas the one for the 360 is really Counter-Strike with magic and batman-wing backpacks and depicts open warfare in a manner that no Shadowrunners would ever dare to bring to a corp's doorstep.
Posted by: Warmaster Lah Jan 9 2007, 09:33 PM
Currently playing both versions...
SNES - Getting my but handed to me in the arena but I made out ok.
Genesis -
"Why sure Mr. Johson. We'd love to extract your package for you. Just me and my two buds are going to Bust right into the highest security Renraku Facility in the land and take it!"
Had to do a lot of slipping past guards and fast talk before I managed to buy those corp badges. Whew. Get that charisma up ASAP.
Man running the Matrix is so fun. I always get a red alert just trying to snag one more RED file, then I have to bust up the main CPU and turn the alert down again. Crazy.
And that secret Data Fence in Downtown gives out insane money for decent files. 1,000Y to 12,000Y.
Posted by: ShadowDragon8685 Jan 9 2007, 10:44 PM
I love Roscoe. He's so funny.
"These Bank Account Numbers.... Are USELESS! I'll delete 'em off your deck, and I won't even charge you!"
"These Equipment Permits... Might be useful to the right people. I'd say they're worth, oohhh, 12,000. Waddya say?"
"Looks like we reached the big 'ol end-o'-file markah! Come back when you have somethin' for me!"
Posted by: Wounded Ronin Jan 10 2007, 12:57 AM
| QUOTE (Warmaster Lah) |
| Currently playing both versions... SNES - Getting my but handed to me in the arena but I made out ok. |
Well, I have to spend a lot of time levelling up to be able to kill everyone in the arena who is killable with the berretta. IIRC I have to pump body up to 10+ and firearms to around 6. Once you do that, without ever needing to leave the caryards, you can kill everyone up to the multiplying magician, who is impossible to damage with the beretta.
Just come back after you get the Defiance shotgun and you can kill everyone else in the arena and make out like a bandit.
Posted by: ShadowDragon8685 Jan 10 2007, 03:15 AM
28. Megacorporations keep all their important and sensitive files on datastores accessable through the Matrix, with the CPU convienantly next door and as a choke point, so deckers who get to the DS can walk straight back to the CPU and cancel any alerts their noodling around trip.
29. No matter what you do in the system, you will never, ever, ever meet counter-deckers. They'll shut off the system before they send a decker into the Trix to get you.
30. You can access the 'Trix from convienantly-placed public terminals all over seattle, even on the front of abandoned buildings in the Barrens. These terminals are always in working order.
Posted by: ShadowDragon8685 Jan 10 2007, 03:49 AM
31. Nobody ever changes their security proceedures. No matter how many times they get broken into
32. Despite how effective it would be to simply wallpaper your Matrix with Tar Pit IC and have a squence of SAN and a sequence of five nodes which have no purpose other than to give intruding deckers more chances to screw up and lose their programs to Tar Pit IC, nobody ever does.
33. There is no such thing as spoofing a SuperAdmin account. Never. Not even a regular admin or even an authorized user.
34. People actually label files "Shadowrun information" and "Blackmail material" and "Prototype Blueprint".
Posted by: ShadowDragon8685 Jan 10 2007, 04:08 AM
35. Company Men are allowed to delete all copies of sensitive material and store them on their personal systems.
36. A Company Man's personal computer is as heavily-defended as the corp's system, featuring Black IC with underlaying Tar Pits running on Red-7 and up nodes.
37. Company meetings routinely go down at midrange downtown bars.
38. There's no such thing as offline storage. You lose a program to Tar Pit, and it's gone for good.
Posted by: Bodak Jan 10 2007, 06:57 AM
| QUOTE (RunnerPaul) | ||
That's ok. I'm just a little rabid about Kitsune, as she's one of my fondest memories of that game. |
She used to shapeshift in and out of foxyform in the bar... I wish she kept doing it when she followed you around, but she always stayed in humanoid form
Or did I miss something?And lorechaser, I thought the same
Posted by: Wounded Ronin Jan 10 2007, 09:31 AM
Ahh, good old Kitsune. She was a mite fragile and it was more trouble than it was really worth to tell her to cast her Summon Spirit spell in the middle of a gunfight.
But you know why the SNES game had the correct atmospehere? Because Kitsune was not the most powerful recruitable magician in the game but instead a woman wearing a formal kimono was. She was better by virtue of wearing asian clothing. And that demonstrates how the game designers realized it was really all about the 80s.
Posted by: Sir_Psycho Jan 10 2007, 12:39 PM
Those games were good fun, but challenging for me when I was a little kid. Also, I never knew about the pnp game at that time. So when my buddy showed up with the SR3 BBB I was like "woah! They made a book about those old games?"
Posted by: Warmaster Lah Jan 10 2007, 03:02 PM
Oh wow, I remember this one incident from the Genesis.
Ok once I was in an abandoned building for a long time, just meleeing with Ghouls and Gargolyes. But I was in there for a long time. But then this Gargolye appeared that was gold colored with sparkles around it. It took out my friends like in two hits so I ran. I cast my high level magical barrier spell. Which usually works.
This thing starts nudging it and slowly moves through the freaking barrier. I died in like two hits. And we were fairly high stated.(I beat they game once by punching the freespirit.) Still don’t know what that was.
Freaky!
Favorite Teammates (Genesis):
1.) Mars (Troll)
2.)Lady you bust out of Jail
3.) Elf Decker (Rhiana??) – If I was running a mage.
4.) Female Mage
5.)Your Native American friend
6.) Orc Shaman
Posted by: Trax Jan 10 2007, 06:28 PM
I saw the SNES version once long ago on a game show where kids would play a game and the winner would get a copy of it and other prizes. I didn't even know it was Shadowrun, I only remembered that it was about some guy that wakes up in a morgue.
Posted by: hyzmarca Jan 10 2007, 09:01 PM
I never bothered with teammates; I found that if you hang around Redmond doing courier and babysitting runs for Gunderson until you max out every important stat they're more trouble than they are worth.
Posted by: ShadowDragon8685 Jan 10 2007, 09:06 PM
| QUOTE (hyzmarca @ Jan 10 2007, 05:01 PM) |
| I never bothered with teammates, I found that if you hang around Redmonding doing courier and babysitting runs for Gunderson you max out every important stat they're more trouble than they are worth. |
While this is true..
There is something satisfying about hanging out with two identical, color-pallete-swapped elf chicks with Ares Predators and full sec armor.
Jousha's Angels, I call 'em. Rhianna Heartbane and Freya.
[edit]Now if only I could convince Freya that her 12 in Pistols and Ares Predator does more damage than Manabolt...
Posted by: mfb Jan 10 2007, 09:53 PM
| QUOTE (Kagetenshi @ Jan 9 2007, 01:53 PM) | ||
This won't work on all emulators. It depends on whether the emulator includes the battery RAM in the state information. If it does, when you load the state you'll find your pre-cheat saved game waiting for you. ~J |
that takes away all the fun of state-saving! it worked in Genecyst a decade ago (jesus fuck, i'm old), so you can always use that. or maybe it was KGen.
Posted by: Wounded Ronin Jan 10 2007, 11:58 PM
| QUOTE (Warmaster Lah) |
| Oh wow, I remember this one incident from the Genesis. Ok once I was in an abandoned building for a long time, just meleeing with Ghouls and Gargolyes. But I was in there for a long time. But then this Gargolye appeared that was gold colored with sparkles around it. It took out my friends like in two hits so I ran. I cast my high level magical barrier spell. Which usually works. This thing starts nudging it and slowly moves through the freaking barrier. I died in like two hits. And we were fairly high stated.(I beat they game once by punching the freespirit.) Still don’t know what that was. |
That's pretty wild. I wonder if it was a bug?
Posted by: Ophis Jan 11 2007, 12:00 AM
No you fool a bug would have had Chitin not sparkles!!!!
Posted by: MYST1C Jan 11 2007, 06:31 PM
| QUOTE (Trax) |
| The Genesis and SNES weren't exactly shining examples of the game if you've played either of them before playing the PnP game. |
I had actually discovered SR via the novels first, then bought the SNES game when it came out and only then found out that some of my classmates were playing the PnP games the (German) novels had ads for in the back.
From all I've heard the Genesis game is truer to rules and background world but the SNES game has more atmosphere (I still love the music) and a more coherent story.
Posted by: Kyrn Jan 11 2007, 06:45 PM
I've dealt with a few of the super shineys, but I think it was in the caves around NAN after I spent far too much time there just killing stuff.
And I actually prefer the SNES game despite all the inconsistencies between the systems. It had a SR flavor and a storyline that was hella cool. Even if it hadn't been SR it would have been good.
But the Genesis version does have more replay value. It also shows how easy running for a living can be, as most runs go down fairly smoothly, thus allowing for punks with overblown egos to run across hard pros and die profusely...and I'm babbling again.
Posted by: Moirdryd Jan 12 2007, 02:04 AM
You know, never played the MegaDrive SR game... never owned a Megadrive now I think on it......
But I want to after reading all this...
Posted by: Hocus Pocus Jan 12 2007, 05:50 AM
classic
i actually rented the genesis way back win just to play this game.
Posted by: ShadowDragon8685 Jan 12 2007, 09:27 AM
| QUOTE (Moirdryd) |
| You know, never played the MegaDrive SR game... never owned a Megadrive now I think on it...... But I want to after reading all this... |
Google for "Kega Lazarus" and "Shadow run ROM"
Posted by: Moirdryd Jan 12 2007, 10:02 PM
I`ve found a couple of sources for Shadowrun Roms and indeed genesis emulators...but sadly not a clue on how to get them working
Posted by: Herald of Verjigorm Jan 12 2007, 10:19 PM
In general: run the emulator, pick "open rom" or equvalent, and point that to the bin, smd, or possibly even zipfile that has the rom.
Anything beyond that is configuration and you should be able to get help from the makers of the emulator or a general emulation support site.
Posted by: Moirdryd Jan 12 2007, 10:27 PM
Cheers i`ll have a play with that later
Posted by: Fortune Jan 13 2007, 02:38 AM
So, which emulators do you suggest I use for each [SNES and Genesis] of these games? And where's the best place to get them?
Posted by: hyzmarca Jan 13 2007, 02:42 AM
http://www.zophar.net is the best place for emulators.
For the SNES, I recommend ZSNES although some people like SNES9x.
For the Genesis, I recommend Gens due to their robust Sega CD support but some people like Kega.
Posted by: emo samurai Jan 13 2007, 02:42 AM
http://www.zsnes.com and http://www.romnation.net/srv/emulators/4/genesis/gens-v2-11.html. You can find the roms at http://www.romnation.net.
Posted by: Fortune Jan 13 2007, 03:12 AM
Magic! Thanks.
Posted by: WhiskeyMac Jan 14 2007, 01:19 AM
I've only played the SNES version. What's the difference between the 2? Different items and quests I'm sure but what else?
Posted by: Fortune Jan 14 2007, 01:32 AM
Totally different games ... in pretty much every way.
Posted by: hyzmarca Jan 14 2007, 01:37 AM
They're completely different. It would be faster to list the things that they have in common.
Both have a 3/4 overhead view and both are called Shadowrun. Other than that, nothing.
The Mega Drive game was made by people who actually read the BBB and it shows. Combat, magic, condition moniters, and the matrix pretty much follow the Shadowrun rules to the letter, with a few exceptions.
The main character's brother is killed for some reason and he comes to Seatle to find out why. The game revolves around doing actual Shadowruns to earn the money and karma required to survive moving the plot along. Plot advancement is done on your own time and at your own pace.
Posted by: Herald of Verjigorm Jan 14 2007, 02:40 PM
Similarities:
guns exist
spirits exist
magic exists
you meet elves
you meet orcs
you meet trolls
you meet dwarves
you must play a male human
you meet a few named NPCs of importance
you will be attacked by many random encounters
you can get cyberware
you can use sorcery
if you try to play the game faster than 100% speed without furthur cheating, you will die horribly and quickly
you fight a free spirit
etc.
See, there's more than just the view and name.
Posted by: d'Ark Jan 14 2007, 03:32 PM
What was the SNES game actually called, anyway?
I've tried the MegaDrive version a few times before, though I always used to die horribly and gave up...might go back to it now, though.
But, I want to try the SNES game as well now...damn you all
Posted by: Fortune Jan 14 2007, 03:45 PM
| QUOTE (d'Ark) |
| What was the SNES game actually called, anyway? |
Shadowrun.
Posted by: emo samurai Jan 14 2007, 06:30 PM
Just use Invisibility and walk in front of cameras and guards. That way you win the game.
Posted by: ShadowDragon8685 Jan 14 2007, 06:41 PM
| QUOTE (d'Ark) |
| What was the SNES game actually called, anyway? I've tried the MegaDrive version a few times before, though I always used to die horribly and gave up...might go back to it now, though. But, I want to try the SNES game as well now...damn you all |
The trick is that in the Sega game, you start out as a Street runner, given a Prime Runner's job. The trick is to grind Gunderson's Courier and Escort 'runs' for hours and hours, until you have nearly 255 Karma, then go to Stokker's Coffin Hotel and spend it all in Firearms until you have Firearms 12, then take that last step to Pistols 13. Spend whatever remains on your personal attributes, go get a Smartgunlink at Little Chiba, an Ares Predator with silencer and Smartgun System modifications, any Wired Reflexes you can afford, then go buy your brother's stuff back from Stokker. Then go around Seattle, wandering into bars, talking to Shadowrunners and Johnsons, asking for info.
Then go back to Redmond and repeat the process until you have another near 255 Karma.
Posted by: Kagetenshi Jan 14 2007, 07:08 PM
Why? I mean, seriously. Every time you increase Firearms it makes the grinding a little easier, so why waste so much time and effort getting all the way to 255 before you hit the coffin hotel?
~J
Posted by: emo samurai Jan 14 2007, 07:33 PM
See, level grinding is not fun. Especially not slow level grinding. That's why I cheat.
Posted by: nezumi Jan 14 2007, 08:14 PM
Hm... I don't think I cheated (I might have at one point out of curiosity), but once I got out of the barrens, just trying the different runs was interesting enough that I enjoyed leveling. It was only those first levels, then later getting cash, that were painful.
Posted by: ShadowDragon8685 Jan 14 2007, 10:10 PM
Heh. That's only if you're really feeling like doing it the hard way.
I just cheat my Karma up to 250 three times. Once with just Joshua, once when I have Josh and Rhianna, and once with all three.
I also cheat my butt out to empower my cyberdeck.
Posted by: Moirdryd Jan 15 2007, 12:09 AM
Have it all working so soon i`ll be able to appreciate what everyone raves about, so far so good
Posted by: ShadowDragon8685 Jan 15 2007, 12:17 AM
| QUOTE (Moirdryd) |
| Have it all working so soon i`ll be able to appreciate what everyone raves about, so far so good |
Remmember,
A B B A C A B. "Abbacab."
Posted by: Squinky Jan 15 2007, 12:48 AM
Because of the SNES game, I have a hard time picturing dwarves without them being bat shit crazy and saying Yo ho he har harr all the time.
Posted by: Angelone Jan 15 2007, 01:30 AM
If you're using Gens it's " ZXXZCZX". Been playing the genesis version since it came out unfortunately my genesis died awhile back and then I got the emulator.
Posted by: Drraagh Jan 15 2007, 01:51 AM
| QUOTE (ShadowDragon8685) | ||
Remmember, A B B A C A B. "Abbacab." |
Abbacab.. Is that what 1970's bands take when their tour vehicle breaks down?
Seriously though, I hear all these people talking about level grinding or using the cheat codes, and I remember playing the original game when it came out not knowing about the code and doing enough runs to get the money to get my brother's stuff from the coffin hotel and then from there doing runs with NPC help and so forth to get my skills up and getting my ass kicked more than a few times.
I had fun, anyway, though after beating the game once I don't know about how I'd do it this time. I mean, my gun fights, even in the first area were run away, shoot, run away, shoot, run away.. Like I think I circled the coffin motel to keep them from being able to fire back.
Posted by: Angelone Jan 15 2007, 01:53 AM
After the first few playthru's it gets kinda old. Have to play through the game atleast once with all the archtype's then you can cheat.
Posted by: Drraagh Jan 15 2007, 02:03 AM
Well, I'd say one playthrough as a decker or sammy and then one playthrough as a shaman. Reason for that is the decker and sammy are more or less interchangable once you produce a high enough combat skill. Really, the only advantage one has over the other is the choice of cyberware they start with and skills, iirc.
With a mage, you have a whole seperate ballgame with magic and fetishes and such.
Posted by: Angelone Jan 15 2007, 02:05 AM
Abbacab IIRC is a song or album by the band Genesis.
Posted by: hyzmarca Jan 15 2007, 02:09 AM
Max out your Quickness first and then your Intellegence, Willpower, and Body. Quickness give you running speed and combat pool. Int and Willpower also give you combat pool and are cheaper than Firearms. Body gives you more soak dice.
Then raise firearms and Charisma (helps with random encounters).
The decker, ironically, can have better maximum stats than the samurai due to his lack of spurs. If you don't rely on unamed then he is the way to go.
Posted by: Herald of Verjigorm Jan 15 2007, 02:45 AM
If you really want to cheat and do it all, freeze the essense variable in the emulator at 12 and play a shaman. Yes, over-cybered shaman with superhuman essense after the wired 3, cybereyes, muscle toner and smartlink.
Almost like playing the SNES one, but with more fun in the Matrix.
Posted by: Moirdryd Jan 15 2007, 01:12 PM
Well, have it all running, played for a while and found out... its a little addictive. Ahh the age of the Megadrive.....
Posted by: Fortune Jan 15 2007, 01:46 PM
| QUOTE (Angelone) |
| Abbacab IIRC is a song or album by the band Genesis. |
Abacab
The song was named for the chord progression it contains ... A B A C A B.
Posted by: lorechaser Jan 15 2007, 03:47 PM
| QUOTE (ShadowDragon8685) |
| Heh. That's only if you're really feeling like doing it the hard way. I just cheat my Karma up to 250 three times. Once with just Joshua, once when I have Josh and Rhianna, and once with all three. I also cheat my butt out to empower my cyberdeck. |
Kids today....
In my day, we had 3 men, and one button, and you ran around squinting at blocks that might have been buildings or might have been naked ladies or might have been armored ninja frogs, and you couldn't tell what they were but you killed them anyway, because that was your job, and WE LIKED IT!
Posted by: Moirdryd Jan 16 2007, 12:12 AM
Having some difficulty saving the damn thing.. any suggestions.
It all works fine while i`m running the emulator. When I turn it off though all saved data and states seem to vanish...
Posted by: Wounded Ronin Jan 16 2007, 12:36 AM
I've played the game many times but I never did a level grind with the first Johnson. That's just boring. Instead, I'd level grind with the tougher Johnsons. It was more mentally interesting for me that way.
Posted by: Herald of Verjigorm Jan 16 2007, 01:01 AM
| QUOTE (Moirdryd) |
| It all works fine while i`m running the emulator. When I turn it off though all saved data and states seem to vanish... |
Make sure the emulator supports battery saves, I think there's still a few that don't. Any emulator should recognize it's own saved states, so if those are disappearing you need to ask on the emulator's help forum/email/whatever.
In many emulators, saved states overrule battery saves, so if you restore a state that was before you saved with the game's save control, the game save may be lost.
Posted by: Fortune Jan 16 2007, 01:31 AM
Ok ... I'm lost! What's the difference between a saved game and a saved state?
Might seem like a stupid question, but I haven't really been exposed to emulators and the like before, and asking is usually the best way to learn.
Posted by: Moirdryd Jan 16 2007, 01:32 AM
TY Herald. I`ll try a few things later and check out the Emulator manual bit.
Posted by: Kagetenshi Jan 16 2007, 01:37 AM
| QUOTE (Fortune) |
| Ok ... I'm lost! What's the difference between a saved game and a saved state? |
Saved game: a bit of data originally saved in RAM with a little battery to keep it active that indicated some information about your current game (stats, position, so on and soforth).
Saved state: quite literally the full state of the game. The value of every variable. This allows you to do things like "save" games that don't allow saving, and do it at arbitrary positions rather than save points. Note that things not usually considered "part" of the game, like the aforementioned RAM that holds saved games, may be included in the state—hence, each saved state may have its own set of saved games available.
| QUOTE |
| never did a level grind with the first Johnson. |
You fail CRPGs. It's all about the early-game grind. Not because it's fun, but because it's what you do.
~J
Posted by: Fortune Jan 16 2007, 01:46 AM
So, if I don't play with the variables, I don't really have to concern myself with the 'state' at all?
Oh, and thanks.
Posted by: Herald of Verjigorm Jan 16 2007, 01:49 AM
| QUOTE (Fortune) |
| So, if I don't play with the variables, I don't really have to concern myself with the 'state' at all? |
Even if you don't try to change anything, saved states can be useful because they let you save right before that impossible fight rather than having to replay the 35 minutes of boring dialogue every time. (hypothetical, but I think close to a few actual cases)
When you do play with values in the saved state, you can get things like the essense 12 cyber-shaman I mentioned earlier.
Posted by: Fortune Jan 16 2007, 01:54 AM
| QUOTE (Herald of Verjigorm) |
| When you do play with values in the saved state, you can get things like the essense 12 cyber-shaman I mentioned earlier. |
I see ... but that would be cheating!
Posted by: Kagetenshi Jan 16 2007, 01:56 AM
| QUOTE (Fortune) |
| So, if I don't play with the variables, I don't really have to concern myself with the 'state' at all? |
Not quite true. As Herald says, using saved states can still be useful as, basically, arbitrary-location saved games. You can forget that they're saved states rather than saved games unless you want to use an in-game saved game as well, though.
~J
Posted by: ShadowDragon8685 Jan 16 2007, 03:41 PM
| QUOTE (Herald of Verjigorm) |
| If you really want to cheat and do it all, freeze the essense variable in the emulator at 12 and play a shaman. Yes, over-cybered shaman with superhuman essense after the wired 3, cybereyes, muscle toner and smartlink. Almost like playing the SNES one, but with more fun in the Matrix. |
Can you teach me how to achieve the quintessial power of the Deckashamaurai, oh Herald of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?
Preferably with the Kega Lazarus emulator?
Posted by: Kagetenshi Jan 16 2007, 03:43 PM
Easy way: use an emulator that allows you to edit the game variables.
Harder way: use a debugger on the emulator.
~J
Posted by: Herald of Verjigorm Jan 16 2007, 06:13 PM
I am using the Fusion 3.2 emulator, the icon is a large ornate K, so that may mean it's a Kega one, I don't remember anymore.
If you have a Game Genie/PAR option on the File menu, then it's close enough and these should work:
| CODE |
| Code: Description FF019C:0a00 stun track, no damage FF014C:000a health track, no damage FF017E:0909 9 magic rating and essense FFFBBE:1111 really twinked cyberdeck FFFBC0:1388 lots of RAM FFFBC2:1388 lots of storage FFFBCC:0a0a rating 10 combat progs part 1 FFFBCE:0a0a rating 10 combat progs part 2 |
Unfortunately, my nice tabbing doesn't translate to Dumpshock, so you get this hacked spacing job.
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