Detailed information on Sega Virtua Processor (SVP); The MD/Gen DSP used for V-R

[swaaye]

Yeah I played Hard Drivin' in the arcade whenever I saw it. I've seen the Genesis version too, but I believe it runs even slower. That's just not good!

On a side note, I really wish Model 3 emulation would get perfect so I could replay the impossible-to-find Model 3 games of yonder years. Sega Super GT, etc. I saw a Super GT cabinet in Vegas a year ago. The CRTs are all worn out in those things now tho. Oh the memories of the Sega arcade glory days.

To address the extreme retro nostalgia I'm feeling right now, I will post my "highly controversial" scans of a Sega Super GT article from an ancient Next Generation mag issue. I posted these on here once before so I hope it's still ok. Send me very negative responses if not!

 

[Nesh]

God damn do you know how much I want that game???

4D Sports Driving was really advanced for its time. It supported a complex implementation of replays, for instance.

On the topic of old 3D racers, let's also mention Atari's 1988 Hard Drivin' (Arcade):

This game was mighty impressive back in the days, since not only it was 3D but it had some force feedback.

The problem with this game was that there was virtually no sense of speed at all. So, it wasn't hard drivn' and crashing your car into some obstacle without really noticing you were going too fast

Spoiler

(yes, the pun was intended)

.

Interestingly enough, there were various home versions of this game, including a ZX Spectrum one! But given the topic of the thread, here's a video from the Megadrive/Genesis version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi1qT4jBNAg
(I post it in link only since the video once embedded gives a "Sorry, video is not available anymore" error for some reason)

Another 3D polygonal racer game I remember from the heydays of the non-IBM-PC personal computers era, was the Atari ST version (maybe the Amiga version also, but I'm not sure, since I didn't play it) of the Bervely Hills Cop:

http://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-st/beverly-hills-cop/screenshots

The game was a mix between a Rolling Thunder like action shooter and racing sections. Only the drivng section used any form of polygonal 3D, of course. For information, It was released in 1990 according to Mobygames.

I had one game that looked almost exactly like this one and it was called stunt racer. Is it the same game?

 

[Farid]

That's more gaming talk than anything else, but it would be wise of Sega to port SCUD Race/Super GT, Sega Rally, Le Mans 24, Daytona (unless they still have license issues with these last two IPs), and Virtua Racing to Steam/Gametap/PSN/XBLA. Especially the last two services, given that I want to play these arcade ports on my consoles more than I want to play them on the PC.

Sega should fund the development portable Model (1/2/3 + various different step versions) emulators. That would make "porting" the games a much easier task. They could either recompile the original code while adding modern and system specific features, or hack the original roms and add the said features. It would easier than trying to port the various engines to modern platforms.

I had one game that looked almost exactly like this one and it was called stunt racer. Is it the same game?

The game I posted a Youtube video of is an Arcade game (then ported to home computers and consoles) by Atari. Having played the arcade version more than once, I can say that I liked it much less than Stunts, gameplay wise.

Now, you're probably thinking of either Stunt Race FX or Stunts. Stunt Race FX was on the Super Nintendo and was powered by the Super FX. Stunts, also known as 4D Sports Driving, is a home computer games (there were consoles ports, I think). Swaaye posted a link to a page dedicated to this, quite awesome for its days, game in a previous post.

 

[Nesh]

It should be just Stunts. I had it on my PC
This should be the one
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stunts_(video_game)

I simply loved that game back in the old times

 

[Pozer]

4D Sports Driving was really advanced for its time. It supported a complex implementation of replays, for instance.

On the topic of old 3D racers, let's also mention Atari's 1988 Hard Drivin' (Arcade):

I remember being obsessed with Hard Driving when I was a kid. I played it a few times but I think it was the first $1 arcade game in my area. So getting to play was a rare treat. The steering was gawd awful as I remember, Turning = wrecking. Wasn't there a sequel called Race Drivin? I never saw i my area.

I also remember the the Amiga port of Hard drivin' not being that great. I stayed clear of the genesis port as I didn't have faith in the genny handling those kind of graphics. I also remember reading a scathing review probably in EGM. Wow this game brings back memories of looking at arcade graphics in awe. (the other would be MACH3 in the early 80's)

 

[Crayon]

Oh crap, Scud/Super GT? That game was simply sublime. Too bad I never encountere a four player unit, such that I could kick 3 asses at once. *sigh*

At a Dave n' Busters bar in Milpitas California they maintain an 8-player deluxe cabinet Daytona USA setup. Everything works, it's elevated, and it has a few tv's on top showing the players faces. I like to play it because I CANNOT LOSE.

 

[Nesh]

Well not sure if I am allowed to discuss this but since the arcade version is pretty dead and there is no retail version available for any console, is there a possibility that a ROM and emulator to play Scud Race exist?

 

[swaaye]

I've been watching the MAME scene and its Model 3 support occasionally. It sounds like they haven't gotten it working yet. Interesting stuff though.
http://www.mameworld.net/vlinde/
http://caesar.logiqx.com/php/game_group.php?id=scud

 

[Farid]

From the Scud Race MAME emulation page

Resolution: 496 x 384

Hey, that's interesting. I've always assumed that Model 3 games ran in a 640 x 480 VGA mode, not some mixed mode like 496 x 384.

 

[KyoDash]

Yep, all of Sega's Model 1, 2 and 3 games run in 496x384. Standard 25khz medium resolution.

I guess it's like going from 480p to 720p, instead of 480p to 1080, or 240 to 480. Not sure why they used this however, as Namco and many other manufactuers just used 640x480 interlaced to ensure compatability with older 15khz monitors.

I think that 384p looks more solid than 480i interlaced though.

 

[Nesh]

I need Scud race! If someone finds a -NAUGHTY NAUGHTY Don't ask for that- and emulator please provide!

 

[tuna]

I need Scud race! If someone finds a -NAUGHTY NAUGHTY Don't ask for that- and emulator please provide!

If you really "need" Scud race, buy the arcade game board. Here is an Ebay seller: http://cgi.ebay.com/SCUD-RACE-ARCAD...goryZ187QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Nesh]

Thats expensive and I dont even know how would that work