zanzard's Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday review

You comparing the PC-to-Gen port and recommending the Gen reminds me of my feelings on AD&D Gold Box game Pool of Radiance and the PC-to-NES port (which isn't a surprise as isn't this game kinda a sci-fi Gold Box clone?).

After beating the NES Pool a couple of times, I tried the PC version and it was kind of jarring how, after every fight against 5 kobalds, I'd have to surf through this huge list of crap they dropped. I'd have a screen like this:

SHORT SWORD
LEATHER ARMOR
SHORT SWORD
LEATHER ARMOR
SHORT SWORD
LEATHER ARMOR
SHORT SWORD
LEATHER ARMOR
SHORT SWORD
LEATHER ARMOR
18 SILVER PIECES
79 COPPER PIECES

......of which, I'd take the coin (at least the silver, copper becomes worthless after 15 minutes of play) and leave everything else to rot. It was a lot more streamlined in the port where you didn't have the option to pick up everything down to soiled undies after killing something.

You'll get a lot of that situation in the PC version too, only instead of SHORT SWORD you'll get tons of LASER PISTOL (221). The number here is the ammo left in the gun.

The thing about the PC Version is that it has stuff like Mono knifes, Halberds, Bolt Guns, Laser Rifles, Rocket Rifles, Gas Grenades, Gas Masks, Jetpacks, the Engineer Class... all of these being pretty much useless. By removing them from the game, the Genesis version kept the good stuff and left out the clutter.

Are you going to review the second one as well?

Interesting review, I never knew it went to the Sega. I played it on the Commodore 64 and eventually on the PC.

Yes I am.

... you played it? If you did, then I'll know I was not the only one! :P

I've always played with the idea of trying the second game.

Heh. I hated that in the AD&D games too. Amusing to see it still happens in the future.

However, I think Wizard's Crown/Eternal Dagger had great formulas for that. Improving your luck might help you find treasure or magic items. It made sifting through the junk a lot more fun, almost like playing the lottery.

This review gives me definite hope that the AD&D formula CAN be tweaked correctly, and it's cool they put it in space. The only game I remember doing that was Centauri Alliance, which was not wholly successful. It had creatures from different galaxies as starting races.

I'm looking forward to a review of the 2nd game too. I may not have time to go in for these games, and they'll probably be more fun than the AD&D I want to write guides/maps for. So it is good to play games (which are already vicarious) vicariously.

Alright lads, the second game's review is underway!

Hope you enjoy it! :)

Zanzard, to answer your question yes I did play both of these games and I liked them very much (at the time) and still remember a bit about them.

I felt both of your reviews were very good and hit right at the heart of the games. Good job.

I posted this here because no one posted anything for your other review.

Thanks! ;)