Welcome to Cover Art! A section of the site where we look at a retro video game’s box cover art and briefly discuss it’s gameplay and legacy.
Shadowrun is a cyberpunk themed RPG developed by BlueSky Software, based on the tabletop RPG by FASA. It was released for the Sega Genesis in 1994. It’s worth noting that although it is based in the Shadowrun world, it is a different game than the SNES Shadowrun.
Shadowrun is a cool game. It’s an open world RPG and while the graphics aren’t great, they’re not bad. Gameplay is simple enough with a functional lock on system for it’s real time combat. There’s also the awesome looking Matrix mode which offered some mini games. Definitely a great game for the Genesis.
Rumors have surfaced regarding Xbox 720 (Durango/Xbox Next) and Playstation 4 (PS4/Playstation Omni) hardware upgradeability. Unconfirmed sources have found details that the next generation of consoles could be upgradeable thusly extending their generational life. Fixed hardware limitations have long been something that kept PC games more graphically advanced.
There have been some console makers who have attempted hardware upgrades over the years. A fairly successful example of this is Nintendo’s N64 Expansion Pak which upgraded the console’s RAM from 4MB to 8MB. In doing this it increased the N64‘s overall abilities enabling some games to run with enhanced textures, higher resolution, improved frame rates, and other such things. Most games didn’t need the Expansion Pak so consumers were not forced to buy it, but in classic Nintendo style, the first part offerings for it were nothing short of 3 killer apps that did require it. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Donkey Kong 64, and Perfect Dark.
A less successful example is Sega’s Genesis 32X add-on which was actually a really great add-on not only improving RAM but also adding on 2 new CPU’s along with an improved sound chip. All of these changes made the console come very close to arcade hardware, which back then (1994) was a lot like being a high end gaming PC. Unfortunately, due to poor marketing and too many products to compete with, Sega was not able to garner enough support from developers which caused the demise of the promising add-on. Despite a few decent games such as Virtua Fighter, Knuckles Chaotix, and Doom, the system didn’t have enough games to compete with its counterpart the Sega Saturn, nor the Playstation, N64 and Jaguar. Similarly, Sega also released the Sega CD, which upgraded the beloved Sega Genesis with a CD-Rom drive allowing for bigger stages, CD quality music, videos and more. Once again, developer support fell short due to the units poor sales. There were also some failed and limited attempts for disk drives made by Nintendo for both NES and N64, neither of which made it stateside.
Playstation 4 and Xbox 720 upgrades could work if released at the right time for the right price (probably 100 dollars or less) and most importantly, as history has taught us, with several killer apps. The above information shows us that the cheapest add-on which had hit games made for it was the only successful add-on. If you wanted to play the new Zelda, you needed that Expansion Pak. If you wanted to play Perfect Dark, the spiritual sequel to Goldeneye, then you needed to pony up up the cash. It also helped that all you needed to do was plug it right into your console; a clean and simple installation.
Similar things can be done this next generation of consoles. Imagine, next year you get your brand new Xbox Next… 3 years elapse and the games are great made even greater by their graphics. Then the Xbox Next Expansion Pak comes out… for $99 dollars it adds a second GPU along with another 1gb of video RAM allowing for bigger textures, bigger levels and bigger fun. What better games to sell the add-on than Halo 6, the latest in the hit FPS franchise along with Gears of War 6, next big Epic game.. I may be just an unpaid writer, but that would be a pretty nifty way to stretch a system’s lifespan without needing to redevelop an expensive new console. The main points for success here are price point, plug and play upgradeability, and strong game support.
We’ll keep you updated on more rumors as they come and eventually, the official announcements for the next generation of Xbox and Playstation.
I was playing something called SONIC THEF*CKINGHEDGEHOG on my Genesis and I noticed something…. there was no autistic little flying f*cking doll telling me stupid sh!t. Somehow, I managed to play the game with out literally stepping on my d!ck and falling down a flight of stairs. Isn’t that amazing? I mean, just imagine some flying high pitched moron wasn’t telling me the forward button made me go forward…. I’m lucking I didn’t choke on my own tongue and cut my ear off with a rusty spoon by accident thinking that that was how I’d move forward. Weird right? I mean because the way video games have become, you’d simply assume we should be required to wear a god damned helmet at dinner, and if it was soup, f*cking water wings and a snorkel. I mean, like Arkham Asylum, WTF is that sh!t telling me how to walk with the left stick, and restricting my movements like I’m gonna get confused trying to learn how to push a f*cking button. I mean seriously people, do you really think your client base is that retarded? And if you’re making these games simple because of little kids, then you might wanna tone down the sawing people in half with the Gears of War series and its retarded overly drawn out tutorial levels. Well what about old people???? I’m pretty sure my grandmother isn’t clamoring to do some drive bys in the latest GTA. So seriously guys, if someone is such a n00b that they can’t even figure out basic controls, then by all means slap a helmet on the retards and add a tutorial option to the main menu, but stop making it f*cking mandatory! I’m sick and tired of waiting through retardation to get into the actual game. I mean sh!t, why doesn’t GT6 have us learn how to use our cars, by restricting our movements until we push the gas button while some squeeky voiced floating creature keeps saying “HEY! LISTEN!” until I get out of the car and cut its god damn tongue out to feed to my dog like a biscuit then tear off its wings to give to my cat as a toy, or even stopping the f*cking game every other second to tell me “that the bend in the road is called a turn, that turn is going left. It is called a left turn. By moving your left analog stick to the left. This will cause your car to change direction in an almost circular motion, this technique is called turning. By moving the stick left you complete a left turn, this action can also be repeated by pressing right to make a right turn. Turn to the left in order to turn your car left. This may also be called steering.” then I can get a f*cking award or achievement for it. Cut that sh!t out, I know how to play, and people are able to figure it out, or select the tutorial themselves, or read the damn controller map in the booklet. We don’t need you holding our d!cks when we piss to keep us from drinking it. Get the damn point?
Check out the European art for Sega’sGolden Axe II on the Mega Drive. This cover is different than the Japanese release…
Golden Axe II originally came out in December of 1991. The US/EU cover art was created by Boris Vallejo. You can get this game on your Genesis/Mega Drive of course, and also on Xbox360, PS3 and iOS.
