This is probably a shot in the dark, but I seem to remember seeing a G1M2 developer around these parts before. I wanted to ask how feasible it would be to patch in an option to play on the "2P" side of certain games. Especially games such as Gang Wars (so I can play as the "Jackie" Chan character ^_^) and Psycho Soldier. I know you can't add multiplayer because of minis restriction, but it seems that it shouldn't be too unreasonable to have a toggle in the options menu that lets you insert a coin into the 2P side instead of the 1P side. You would still be playing single player, just as a different character.
ATTN: G1M2... Developer of SNK minis =)
(15 posts) (6 voices)-
Posted 9 months ago #
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Definitely! Chopper I is artificially harder now because of the screen space. If I zoom in I can't see the top and bottom of the screen. Those areas are very important in a shmup!
Posted 8 months ago # -
I think these would be my top two update requests, too, screen rotation being #1. As for a third, there's that old issue where the twisty-stick games might be more playable if aiming were able to be mapped to the face buttons instead of having only rotation direction control on two buttons (I don't mean replace the current control method, just have the face button method as an alternate). This is only #3 for me because I don't actually own or intend to own those particular games.
Posted 8 months ago # -
Yes, I was also thinking there must be a good reason why the screen options are so lackluster. Did old SNK titles have an odd aspect ratio or something? Also, I think for games like Chopper I and other "tall" games, holding the PSP vertically may be the only viable option to play them. I got used to this playing games like Sonic Wings Special and NeoGeo Heroes on it.
And where is this Scott Hawkins! I must get in contact with him! lol!
Posted 8 months ago # -
Well, it is sort of vaguely obscene, if you think about it.
I've thought about it, but I still don't see it. People hold cell phones vertically oriented, too. The PSP is not cylindrical. . . .
Did old SNK titles have an odd aspect ratio or something?
Not that I know of, though if Chopper I has the same issue as Bermuda Triangle (I don't have the former yet, so I don't know for sure), then the game looks abnormally tall on the PSP due to the emulator not rescaling the aspect ratio to account for pixel shape differences between the arcade monitor and the PSP. The PSP has square pixels.
And where is this Scott Hawkins!
At G1M2's office, presumably, since he's the company founder.
if they enable that function, Gang wars would likely see a decent sales boost, for obvious reasons...
Probably wouldn't be that big a boost. The game description doesn't actually say that you don't play as Jackie, after all, so there likely aren't too many people not buying the game specifically because they know you don't get to play as Jackie.
Posted 8 months ago # -
This is definitely a very interesting discussion. Here is feedback on the points that were raised:
1) Additional button support for the PSP Minis titles: We would have loved to support additional buttons and a second controller on the PS3. We even reached out to Sony to ask if we could get special support to buttons from a second controller in the Minis games. The benefit of being a Minis title is that it automatically works on PSP, PS3, and Vita. The downside is that you can only map to buttons on the PSP - so you are unable to support extra controls on buttons that do not exist on the PSP.
2) Sideways screen support: We were able to support rotating the screen on SNK Arcade Classics Volume Zero for PSP. It worked really well for the games that were more vertically oriented instead of horizontal screens. The problem with the PSP Minis format versus a PSP only release is that the game also runs on PS3 - and it would be strange to have a rotate sideways option on the PS3. We discussed including this option for specific PSP Minis titles, but ultimately we were told not to include it on the PSP Minis.
3) Updating the controls for the rotary joystick games: This was good feedback and we would have wanted to support it, but we were unable to get it in there before the games had to be completed.
We appreciate all of the support from this site and the people that picked up the PSP Minis games we developed.
Hopefully, this additional information is helpful!
Posted 8 months ago # -
Atariboy
MemberThat's too bad you couldn't keep the ability to rotate the screen intact. Particularly with some of these shooters, the option to rotate the screen 90 degrees is something some diehard shooter fans would find appealing on the PS3 so I don't think it would be pointless since many a niche shooter has had just that option over the years. Oh well, I can't say I'm one of those people that would ever take advantage of it on the PSP (Holding a handheld sideways isn't my idea of comfort) or PS3 anyways so I can't complain.
One question you didn't address was how come the aspect ratio is so screwed up for some of the vertical games? Several of them aren't anywhere close to 3:4 like they should be. I'm pretty sure Onmode nailed the reason for why that's the case, but if you had some insight to offer on that issue, I think several of us that have been curious about that would like to hear it.
Ever any water cooler talk around the G1M2 office about a console compilation of this material in the future, digital or better yet a retail one? I think many of us would love to see this material compiled together on a console with some of the issues people have with these Minis addressed. Proper aspect ratio in every game, right analog stick support for the rotary stick games, two player support, etc.
Posted 8 months ago # -
JeremyR
MemberI figured it must be something like that, to be honest, but it's funny because Sony themselves have released a large number of Minis that were designed to be played while holding the PSP sideways.
Then again, those were made in Japan, and in North America, they don't work on the PS3, but in Europe, they do.
Posted 8 months ago # -
I interpreted G1M2's statement to mean that it was SNK who said not to do the rotation ability in the Minis renditions, rather than Sony. However, I'm not sure which one he meant now.
I, for one, would have been perfectly happy with having the rotated mode on the PS3. As Atariboy noted, plenty of earlier console ports of vertically oriented arcade games have had such a mode available. It even makes sense more now than ever, what with HDTVs being much lighter than CRTs.
G1M2, about point #1, I think the desire isn't so much for the ability to use a second controller as it is to be able to remap the emulator so that the controls/coin are for 2P instead of 1P. E.g., you go into the emulator menu and toggle a switch, sort of like what you currently do to change the screen scaling modes. Toggling the switch makes it so that all the buttons now apply to the 2P side of the arcade cabinet instead of the 1P side.
One question you didn't address was how come the aspect ratio is so screwed up for some of the vertical games? Several of them aren't anywhere close to 3:4 like they should be. I'm pretty sure Onmode nailed the reason for why that's the case, but if you had some insight to offer on that issue, I think several of us that have been curious about that would like to hear it.
I agree; an official statement from The Makers explaining this would be helpful. :) Sort of like how I'm pretty sure I'm right about what microcontroller chip was used in the first Jakks Pacific TV Games plug-n-play models, but no one has ever confirmed it for me. Doesn't help that the original developer folded almost a decade ago.
Posted 8 months ago #
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