New NGDEV Neo-Geo Game: Razion

[LegoSlug]

I haven't done a direct comparison but I don't believe there are any difference between NG DEV's plastic shells and the original SNK shells.

The plastic shells NGDev uses are the same ones as the multicarts. At least my Gunlord copy feels exactly.the same as my 120 in 1.

 

[Reclaimer]

Do the boards fit inside an unmodified standard MVS shell?

Thanks!!

Yes, they fit perfectly.

I've thrown em in a Multicart shell, and an old ratty shell from puzzle bobble or something.

 

[aha2940]

Yes, they fit perfectly.

I've thrown em in a Multicart shell, and an old ratty shell from puzzle bobble or something.

Thanks, I put the Gunlord and Razion boards inside some spare shells I have and they work perfectly

Regards.

 

[Jibbajaba]

This is totally OT, but is NGev good about responding to e-mails? My Gunlord label is already peeling up and looks like shit so I wonder if I could get a replacement. Also, it won't play on my CMVS unless I put it in AES mode. Worth e-mailing them, or not really?

 

[MidnightMonkey]

The 2 times I've emailed them, they emailed me back within 48 hours.

 

[aha2940]

This is totally OT, but is NGev good about responding to e-mails? My Gunlord label is already peeling up and looks like shit so I wonder if I could get a replacement. Also, it won't play on my CMVS unless I put it in AES mode. Worth e-mailing them, or not really?

They usually reply in 2 or 3 days. Regarding the lack of MVS mode on the CMVS, I asked them and the reply is that their games only accept coin insertion from the physical mechanism (or pressing a button...you get the idea) not pressing select like other games. That is done because they bypass many UniBIOS features to avoid piracy of their games. Here's the full text of my email to them:

On 01/05/2015 07:24 AM, shop@ngdevteam.com wrote:
> Hey,
>
> thanks for the feedback.
>
> The Unibios is disabled on purpose, as it was used to crack SNK's copy protections.
>
> To add credits with the unibios you need to switch to AES mode. In MVS mode we only accept credits via a hardware signal.
>
> We unfortunately can't update the graphics via software updates.
>
> All our games only accept scores when no continue was used. Not sure if we ever change that.
>
> - Timm
> --
> NGEV.TEAM
> c/o Timm Hellwig (Owner-Manager/Eigentümer)
> Gerberstrasse 16, 30169 Hannover, Germany
> Email: sales@ngdevteam.com / shop@ngdevteam.com
> WWW: http://www.ngdevteam.com or http://www.ngdevdirect.com
> Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/NGDEVTEAM
> Twitter: http://twitter.com/ngdevteam
> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ngdevteam
>
> Am 27.12.2014 um 17:06 schrieb German Andres Pulido F.:
>> Hey Timm
>>
>> I already got my Razion MVS cart too, and let me tell you: congrats on
>> this fine game!! I really like it. Have played it through a couple
>> times only (lack of time) but it's so nice. Now, I have a couple
>> suggestions that I'd like to see (if possible) on the first update:
>>
>> 1. Any way to make it play better with the UniBIOS? I noticed it hides
>> the UniBIOS logo, and the in-game menu does not work
>>
>> 2. Any way to make it receive coins with select button (while using a
>> UniBIOS) like other MVS games do?
>>
>> 3. When you finish the game, the gameover screen still shows your ship
>> crashing. Can that image be replaced by an image of your ship escaping
>> or something? you beat the game after all!
>>
>> 4. Since I cannot insert credits to the game on my CMVS, I had to set it
>> to freeplay, but in freeplay mode there is no limit to the number of
>> credits you can put, no matter if the UniBIOS is in MVS or AES mode.
>> This freeplay option is obeyed by regular games only in MVS mode, in AES
>> mode they have the standard limit of continues. Can this also be made here?
>>
>> 5. Can the ending add a little story text? (LOL) but seriously, killing
>> the last guy and seeing the guys who made the game and then the standard
>> game over screen...is not exactly the ending I hoped for. Even Blazing
>> Star has better ending
>>
>> 6. The image of the girls in the ending does not include the red girl,
>> only green and blue...can this be changed?
>>
>> 7. The game does not ask for your initials if you continue. That does
>> not seem fair, maybe marking the scores made by continuing with an * or
>> something, but not saving them is not cool IMHO.
>>
>> That would be all I guess, hope some of these can be implemented in an
>> update
>>
>> Thanks!!
>>
>> - Germán

 

[Jibbajaba]

Well that kind of sucks. For $700 I should be able to play the fucking game in MVS mode if I want to.

Thanks for posting that though.

 

[Reclaimer]

Well that kind of sucks. For $700 I should be able to play the fucking game in MVS mode if I want to.

Thanks for posting that though.

What's the difference between modes? Just curious.

 

[aha2940]

What's the difference between modes? Just curious.

In most games, the AES mode has a fixed amount of comtinues, and some games have options you can tweak, in MVS mode you get a credit for inserting coins (or pressing a button on the supergun) and the AES-exclusive options are not there. For instance, in AES mode you can change the amount of lives in Metal Slug series, in MVS mode you have to change dip switches for that.

Regards.

 

[Jibbajaba]

I think for me it's just the principle of it. The game is basically intentionally broken so that it won't run in MVS mode on a Unibios system. So every time I want to play Gunlord I have to switch the system into AES mode. I guess I'm glad to hear that they did it on purpose. I thought it was a bug.

 

[aha2940]

I think for me it's just the principle of it. The game is basically intentionally broken so that it won't run in MVS mode on a Unibios system. So every time I want to play Gunlord I have to switch the system into AES mode. I guess I'm glad to hear that they did it on purpose. I thought it was a bug.

it works in MVS mode on my Omega if I turn the hard dip 7 to on (freeplay).

 

[Jibbajaba]

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

 

[LegoSlug]

it works in MVS mode on my Omega if I turn the hard dip 7 to on (freeplay).

I was about to say that. I have unibios on one board, MVS mode is no issue. This might be the solution.

 

[xsq]

or get yourself a stock BIOS... I have a Japanese and US one for testing purposes. But yeah, it really sucks they disabled the UniBios on purpose, there must be some way to still have copy protection... maybe a coop with Raz would be in order.

 

[aha2940]

or get yourself a stock BIOS... I have a Japanese and US one for testing purposes. But yeah, it really sucks they disabled the UniBios on purpose, there must be some way to still have copy protection... maybe a coop with Raz would be in order.

With stock BIOS you still have no way to insert credits except for a hardware switch, since stock BIOS does not support the "insert coin with select" trick, only the UniBIOS does.

Regards.

 

[Reclaimer]

In most games, the AES mode has a fixed amount of comtinues, and some games have options you can tweak, in MVS mode you get a credit for inserting coins (or pressing a button on the supergun) and the AES-exclusive options are not there. For instance, in AES mode you can change the amount of lives in Metal Slug series, in MVS mode you have to change dip switches for that.

Regards.

I'm aware of what AES/MVS setting in UniBios do. However, I though we were talking about the Home/MVS setting in the soft dips on NGDev games. What the heck do those do?

 

[aha2940]

I'm aware of what AES/MVS setting in UniBios do. However, I though we were talking about the Home/MVS setting in the soft dips on NGDev games. What the heck do those do?

LOL sorry about the confusion. No clue, I have switched the setting both ways, have not noticed any difference so far.

 

[xsq]

With stock BIOS you still have no way to insert credits except for a hardware switch, since stock BIOS does not support the "insert coin with select" trick, only the UniBIOS does.

sure, you're right... (I have that wired up on my supergun).

 

[aha2940]

sure, you're right... (I have that wired up on my supergun).

It seems that is one point superguns have over CMVS systems, the ability to insert real credits in games, no depending on the UniBIOS.

 

[SNKorSWM]

You could hardwire a service button in regardless of which BIOS you're using in the cmvs, provided that someone build it with that configuration.

 

[Xian Xi]

I noticed it too, that seems to indicate they changed the manufacturer of the shells and this one makes them...different than the old ones?

You sure they just weren't assembled backwards?

 

[joe8]

Looks nice.

But what happened to the ikari warriors like game?

NGDEVteam should do Shock Troopers 3 as their next game. Or something like it, but with a different name.

 

[Xian Xi]

NGDEVteam should do Shock Troopers 3 as their next game. Or something like it, but with a different name.

They're supposed to be working on the Ikari game which is the same genre you're asking for.

 

[joe8]

They're supposed to be working on the Ikari game which is the same genre you're asking for.

That's why I suggested it. I'm aware Ikari is in the same genre.

 

[aha2940]

You sure they just weren't assembled backwards?

On a closer inspection, it seems you're right Xian Xi. The shells seem to be the same, just with the label backwards, which is odd. I also do not really understand how these wooden shells can be symmetrical (be used one way or the other) if the original MVS shells are not the boards are not centered seeing the cart from the under side, they are more towards the triangle side.

Regards.