MiSTer FPGA – Mad Stalker: Full Metal Forth [Scanlines] / Mega Drive (Genesis)

*** Compare with sharp pixels in companion video: https://youtu.be/sUeZTg9Q0hY
I recorded two videos for Mad Stalker today, with the intent to show the game with sharp pixels and minimal interpolation, and also with scanlines that I match closest (at normal viewing distance) to my consumer Trinitron CRT that I play on while recording the gameplay here.

Keep in mind, regarding the video with scanlines, that they are best viewed from a moderate viewing distance. If you look too closely it won’t look the same as a CRT, but at a distance it is close enough that I prefer it to the sharp pixel scaled results. This goes for pretty much all scanline filtered videos on my channel.

In the past I’d always preferred clean pixels or a bit of interpolation. Now when I play games like this side by side with a Trinitron and the calibrated HDMI display I record my videos on, I think MiSTer’s scanlines look very good in most instances I would want to use them in. You can use these two videos to show a direct comparison of the results, and there is a link to the PC Engine CD Arcade Card version below as well for further comparison. X68000 version coming soon!

PC Engine CD Arcade Card version [SCANLINES]: https://youtu.be/byQAVlVdpTU

Mad Stalker for Genesis is pretty awesome. Has some graphical bugs but is playable from start to finish. Impressive work taking the 1994 prototype and getting it to the finish line finally, in 2020. The soundtrack is the high point of this port, for me. Great chiptunes that stand up there with some of the best on MD/Genesis, like Gley Lancer and Thunder Force. These are very impressive renditions of the source material, played back very nicely on the ym2612. I prefer listening to the music with the “minimal” audio filter, or perhaps even unfiltered. The only reason I keep the “model 1” filter on for these videos, is that the sound effects can become quite harsh and annoying when not filtered. Shame because the music sounds great that way. BGM menu to the rescue! ^-^

Hard mode on the Genesis/MD version is the equivalent of the standard mode on PC Engine. It’s tough as nails, and sometimes you just gotta cheese your way through bosses/enemies by getting them in damage loops. Some of them seem to block/counter everything you throw at them. Getting close to a 1cc in this one, but it might take a while because I don’t play it frequently. Very fun game though, with some nice combos you can create with the various moves. I could easily imagine this in an arcade, but honestly its best played with a controller. You have to double-tap *constantly* in this one and it gets really tiresome with a stick.

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Genesis core 11-05-2020 build – Mad Stalker: Full Metal Forth
A.K.A: マッド ストーカー: フル メタル フォース

Filter: Scanlines(Bright)115_80_soft // Gamma: 2.3 // Audio: Model 1 YM2612

Played using an OEM JP Saturn controller via BlisSTer/LLAPI.

Settings: Integer scaled to 1080p // HDMI to Datapath e1s capture card

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|:=-Timestamps-=:|
00:00 – Settings
00:34 – Title/Intro/Demo
03:07 – Gameplay

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Live gameplay streams on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/WalrusFPGA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WalrusFPGA

=—————CONTRIBUTE—————=

None of this would be possible without the constant hard work of Sorgelig. It cannot be overstated how much he has done and continues to do for this project, since its beginning. You can support him either at his Patreon in the link below, or on Paypal, depending on your preference. MiSTer is a paradigm shift in how we can experience these classic games. This is a long-term preservation project that will continue to grow so that gamers today and in the future can experience these excellent systems as accurately and lag-free as possible. Donating what you can will help keep the updates coming. Thank you.

Patreon: https://patreon.com/FPGAMiSTer

PayPal: https://paypal.me/FPGAMiSTer

NOTE: I am not affiliated with Sorgelig and am only sharing these links as a fan of the project who wishes to see it continue to grow rapidly.

=—————–INFORM—————–=

SmokeMonster’s overview video of this core: https://youtu.be/yBn60DrLWSA

Github link for this core: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Genesis_MiSTer

MiSTer Forum/Wiki/Github (source, guides and info): http://MiSTerFPGA.org

Classic Gaming Discord for live chat/help: https://discord.gg/UDu5ztY
(go to the rules-faq-roles channel for info on how to see the MiSTer channels in there, etc)

=——————BUILD——————=

Worldwide list of sellers for MiSTer expansion boards: https://misterfpga.org/viewforum.php?f=34&sid=74e1c5e7dae1b99284789d93194cfa0b

I have personally ordered all my parts from https://www.MiSTerAddons.com and have been 100% satisfied with the quality and service there. (North American seller. If in a different region, check list linked above for best local shipping rates.)

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