Together Retro: DoDonPachi

[mjmjr25]

I've never seen slow-down or speedup in SAT version. I haven't played PSX in awhile, but don't recall any there either. I'd love to see a video of either of those things happening.

I'd think there'd be more issues of slowdown or speedup with someone's specific computers processor not being specifically designed for a game. Which is not the case w/a PCB or a port.

[o.pwuaioc]

iirc both the Saturn and PS1 port have speed problems (slowdown non existent or in the wrong parts, too fast in many portions, scoring off, etc.). I agree that few MAME ports are 100% perfect, but DDP - from what I remember reading - is pretty close and one of the better emulated shmups of the past 15 years or so. There's no doubt it is the best non-PCB way to play the game if you are shooting for "closet to arcade" experience.

Did you play it via emulator or did you burn the iso to disc and play it on a Saturn?

[dsheinem]

Did you play it via emulator or did you burn the iso to disc and play it on a Saturn?

burned to disc

[dsheinem]

from the guide linked in the front page article:

If you ever hang out on some STG themed forums, you probably ran
multiple times into the same topics of someone asking the world which version of game X is best. DoDonPachi is probably one of the most debated because it's
so popular and because it comes into at least 4 different versions : you can play it on MAME (arcade emulator), you can play it on Playstation, on Sega Saturn, and you can play it on a PCB.

There is one important point to consider before choosing which version
you want to play : the PCB version is what the Japanese players have been
competing on for all this time, so if you want to know how your score compares to theirs, you need a version that is really close to the PCB version. Lucky for you, DoDonPachi plays exactly the same on MAME as it plays on the PCB, provided you use the right version and setting of MAME (more about that later). Oh, maybe some people will manage to point out some extremely minor difference in display or sound, but nothing that deserves serious consideration : the game plays the same, it is just as hard and whatever score you make with a correct MAME version and a correct configuration is a score you achieved and can compare to any PCB score.

and:

I haven't been talking about the console ports. Well, there is not much of a reason for you to use the console ports of DoDonPachi instead of MAME : they look and sound a little worse in general, they might play a little differently from the PCB (and MAME), they do have level select (I think) but no saved states (not quite as convenient but MUCH better than nothing), and they're still a pain in the ass to record a replay from. So if you can afford at least some old computer, don't bother.

[noiseredux]

@Dave: A collecting question... you own the PS1 version. It goes for around $100 nowadays. No idea what you paid for it, but I assume it was at least $50+. I'm just curious why hang on to what is basically a $100 bill if you'd rather just emulate it?

[mjmjr25]

All I see there is:

"...they might look or sound a bit worse"... (they don't).

And they don't have "save states". (good).

So, if you're using composite cables, your graphics won't be as good. This would be true if your pc had a cheap graphics card. Moot point.

Save states? Record replays?

I'm not seeing anything there that MAME actually PLAYS better. Just that you can practice certain areas through save states and record your replays. Neither of those things exist on PCB. Thus, the ports are more authentic in that regard.

[dsheinem]

@Dave: A collecting question... you own the PS1 version. It goes for around $100 nowadays. No idea what you paid for it, but I assume it was at least $50+. I'm just curious why hang on to what is basically a $100 bill if you'd rather just emulate it?

i still like it, just not for multiplat competition. if someone else was playing it I would be to in order to have a reason to play it.

[jepjepjep]

I'm not seeing anything there that MAME actually PLAYS better. Just that you can practice certain areas through save states and record your replays. Neither of those things exist on PCB. Thus, the ports are more authentic in that regard.

Agreed. If you read more of Prometheus' guide, it basically all boils down to Mame is best because you can savestate anywhere and everywhere to practice parts over and over more efficiently.

For DDP at least, the emulation is very good. You get a little extra input lag, but it's not bad enough to be a deal breaker.

Sadly I think I'm done for the month. My pcb seems to have developed a problem.

[shmupguy97]

I started to suck but I wouldn't show my score cause i think it won't interest you all even tough I just did it with 2 lives

[dunpeal2064]

On the ports thing, the ps1 port is flawed, as I stated fairly recently, because you can't CHAIN! Its not graphics, sound, ro any of that nonsense, you can't play the damned game! Try to hold a chain up to and through the midboss. Its nearly impossible, compared to being a complete cakewalk in any other version of the game.

The Saturn port doesn't have slowdown issues, its issue is running the game at an incorrect speed. If you run the port and pcb next to each other (save loading times), the Saturn port goes faster. Its not much, and doesn't ruin the game for me, which is why I would suggest that port if you MUST play on a console.

However, I personally think MAME is at least 99% accurate to the PCB. Sure, its not perfect, but its as perfect as you are going to get.

And, in my opinion, even if the game was prooved without a doubt to be 100% perfect, people would still pay $600 for it, because people like to own things. I don't think its price has anything to do with emulation, as Promethius practiced/played the game to the point of being the best Western player, entirely on MAME.

... and then repeated the performance, on a cab with no issue. When he played the ports, he did terrible, because they are inaccurate. 500m in MAME, 500m on the cab, 30m on the Saturn port, something like 10m on the ps1 port. And controls had nothing to do with it, as he plays on a keyboard, yet still scored huge with a stick.


So, MAME does play better than the ps1 port, in my opinion, hands down.