I just got super fantasy zone for the megadrive to complete my genesis collection. My genesis/segacd/32x want list is all checked off now! (not a *complete* collection, just everything I want).
Anyway, just some interesting things. As usually I popped it in first without throwing my region switch just to see what happens (game genie for physical connection), and the game has no problem running. I think I've only actually encountered one or two imports that actually require the switch. But while watching the intro, I realized it was all in english!
So for run, I restarted the game, this time with the japan switch thrown, and sure enough, now all the story text was in japanese.
It seems very clear to me that they did parallel development for world release of super fantasy zone. The game was basically ready to release for US (barring some questionable translations, but nothing like zero wing). So I wonder why they didn't? Especially since fantasy zone had been a fairly successful franchise on both the Master System and NES. I mean they released crap like last battle and shaq-fu and x-perts and time killers and sword of sodan.
Even with the genesis ruling the scene for a time, I just think of how much better it would have fared if some of the more late-era japanese games that pushed the genesis to its limit had been released stateside. The genesis was already known as THE system for shooters. Truxton, thunderforce, lightningforce, hellfire, m.u.s.h.a. I see no reason why gleylancer, eliminate down, super fantasy zone, and panorama cotton (with a standard issue sprite swap to turn it into a sonic-themed game or something just so the US gamers would buy it) never made it. I'd think throwing some of the DBZ fighting games over would have gone over well as well. I mean those DBZ fighting games have been on an endless streak since the playstation. The genesis could have owned that as well.
(FYI, I know super fantasy zone got a european release, so they did get use of the english mode. But still it was ready for US release).
Anyway, just some interesting things. As usually I popped it in first without throwing my region switch just to see what happens (game genie for physical connection), and the game has no problem running. I think I've only actually encountered one or two imports that actually require the switch. But while watching the intro, I realized it was all in english!
So for run, I restarted the game, this time with the japan switch thrown, and sure enough, now all the story text was in japanese.
It seems very clear to me that they did parallel development for world release of super fantasy zone. The game was basically ready to release for US (barring some questionable translations, but nothing like zero wing). So I wonder why they didn't? Especially since fantasy zone had been a fairly successful franchise on both the Master System and NES. I mean they released crap like last battle and shaq-fu and x-perts and time killers and sword of sodan.
Even with the genesis ruling the scene for a time, I just think of how much better it would have fared if some of the more late-era japanese games that pushed the genesis to its limit had been released stateside. The genesis was already known as THE system for shooters. Truxton, thunderforce, lightningforce, hellfire, m.u.s.h.a. I see no reason why gleylancer, eliminate down, super fantasy zone, and panorama cotton (with a standard issue sprite swap to turn it into a sonic-themed game or something just so the US gamers would buy it) never made it. I'd think throwing some of the DBZ fighting games over would have gone over well as well. I mean those DBZ fighting games have been on an endless streak since the playstation. The genesis could have owned that as well.
(FYI, I know super fantasy zone got a european release, so they did get use of the english mode. But still it was ready for US release).
