I've seen several mentions that both games run with improved graphics on a Supergrafx, but I've never seen a video or any specific details about it. I don't have a Supergrafx to test it, but I did try both games on an emulator (Mednafen) in Supergrafx mode to see if I would notice something different which I didn't. So I'm curious if this is actually true, does anyone ever played them on both a PCE and a Supergrafx? Are there any graphical differences at all and if there are how significant are they?
I never really noticed anything on Darius Plus, if I remember well it was supposed to have scrollings on SGX.
So you are saying no improved graphics at all? That's what I'm thinking as well, that this is an urban legend. Aren't those scrollings parallax ones done by software? Which means they are also there if you play them in a PCE.
I'd need to dig out my SGX and Darius Plus, there are a couple of modes you can set the machine to. PC Engine/Coregrafx or Supergrafx mode. I will check when I'll get some time.
Ok found something on Hardcore Gaming 101; "The first real port of Darius came out for the PC Engine in Japan, under the name Darius Plus. While the graphics obviously had to be scaled down a bit to fit on the TV screen, it actually works out pretty well, although the backgrounds don't look particularly pretty that zoomed in. There's no two player mode, but you resurrect right where you die. Darius Plus is also the only card released in Japan that has dual compatibility with the PC Engine and Supergrafx. While the game is laden with flicker and slowdown on the regular system, plugging it into a Supergrafx will eliminate most of this." There you go, no major difference except smoothness, now I need to dig out the Coregrafx and the SGX to check x)
Interesting, so no improved graphics at all just improvement on flicker/slowdown. Curious how much better it will actually play. What about Darius Alpha? I also read it was the same, but even wikipedia tags that info as being dubious.
It is the same for plus and alpha. Since the SGFX had a 2nd independent layer, parallax scrolling could be done easier and proper, instead of using sprites and tiles, as it was done on the sole PCE. Hence the reducing of flickers. That's basically all.
That's pretty cool thanks. I'm a bit disappointed, as I've always seen references to better graphics so I was hoping for some gfx improvements as well, but it's all in the scrolling after all. Good to finally have it figured. Is the difference noticeable in the actual consoles? Like I said I don't have a SGX to test, but on emulators I don't really see any difference.
Funny, so they didn't shift the sprite layer into the SGFXs BG layer, but used other elements like the score panel only. Not much of an improvement, beside the help of the 2nd sprite layer. I wonder if the level bosses are also displayed by the SGFX sprite layer or the PCE.
Thanks Chris, very interesting, I can't believe, I didn't check your site first I still remember that Axelay demo you did on SGX, epic!!!
SuperGrafx was extremely hard to program for since it really only gave it a lot more RAM and 3 extra CPU's although the CPU's worked individually of one another. Therefore it couldn't really provide better graphics, but it could (in theory) do a lot more than the normal PC Engine was capable of, obviously it died quick for being so absurdly hard to code for.
Please don't just type out poorly-remembered 20-year-old urban legends; go and do the research legwork to see what the SGX technically has over the PC-Engine. The weakness of the SGX is that it had the SAME (and ONLY) CPU as the PCE. It had the added RAM, PPU, and priority controller, but it was NOT hard to code for. The plain fact is that the PCE was perfectly adequate in 1989, and the extra little boost given by the SGX was not motivating enough for developers or the consumer. Here's a little bit of proof by way of linky: http://www.chrismcovell.com/secret/sp_sgxreactions.html
