So I just got through playing Space Ace for the Snes which is basically unbeatable without save states on an emulator. What I found is with save states and the ability to continue immediately (like with a current gen game) I found the game to be kinda fun. In fact, with its great graphics and non linear level design (to get to a level you have to go through a maze and find the path to the level) I found it to have some pretty redeeming features. However, without save states the game is completely and totally unforgiving. Even with save states it does get highly difficult but with the ability to continue it becomes far more bearable. The developer, ODG, never worked on another game after this by the way. Are there any games you've played that were practically unplayable but by using save states were able to get through them?
Plenty of games can be improved with save states. The latest I've played was Beavis and Butthead for the Genesis which is virtually unplayable from the start. The game gives 0 direction as to what you're supposed to do and where. With a guide it makes sense but there are a lot of parts where you can easily die forcing you to restart the level completely. With save states you can save as often as you want. Helps to put in a bunch of Game Genie codes. I seem to recall games of the 90s needing a lot of time+patience+skill to complete them, but Beavis and Butthead is beyond ridiculous. I also used save states at the trial near the beginning of Chrono Trigger to see if I could obtain a better trial outcome. The court is rigged from the getgo so you can't but it was still fun playing around with the game to see how it differed.
Interesting thread, I did find that lots of games become more accessible with save states, and also with other perks like online capabilities of some emulators such as zSnes. Thanks to save states I could beat Zombies Ate My Neighbours with my cousin, and it was awesome we could just play it some parts online together and other parts at my place until we beat it. Another game I'm glad I had save states is Metal Warriors for SNES, could never beat it on my console so had to do it via emulator. And as APE did, I also used to try different actions in games to see what happened and used save states to make it easier.
It isn't rigged. The trial outcome is affected by actions before the trial (like if you talk to the girl before grabbing the pendant) as well as the answers you give. You can infact be found innocent and just be sentenced to jail time but the catch is since the Chancellor is a monster he lies to the prison people saying you are to be executed anyway. I think there may be some perks to having the better trial outcome opposed to being convicted. Save States can help but often people deprive themselves of a game's real experience by using them to cheat to an extreme.
Maybe it's just me who's shit but I just couldn't beat Magician Lord on the AES. Even playing it using save states on the Xbox was a chore.
ACTRAISER 2 IMPOSSIBLE normally and extremely hard with savestates too! but i got the change to go around and enjoy many stages i would have never seen, and MAN! what an epic game would it have been if they managed it properly!
Oh yes that is exactly what I found out too and exactly what I meant by "rigged". No matter what you do from the start of the game until the trial you end up in prison. I've been told that same thing, that is doing certain actions influences the game in some way. I've just never taken the time to find out for myself. Addendum: http://strategywiki.org/wiki/Chrono_Trigger/We%27re_Back! A small bonus but hey any bonus is good right?
Sonic 2's bonus levels on that loopy track, I found impossible to complete without save states. I played it on PGen.
