A1200 or a SEGA Megadrive - which is better...
 

as a gaming machine...?

I'm in a little discussion on Twitter about this and I'm saying that the A1200 with AGA is better. I've not programmed a Megadrive and I'm not about to start so I can only judge from my experience of an A1200 and looking at the capabilities of the MD.

I think with a bit of work an A1200 could match any Megadrive game I've seen with relative ease. Sure, I'm biased but I'm also trying to be objective.

A SNES though would beat an A1200 to death though... that machine was just a beast, I think I cried when I seen my mate playing Pilot Wings and F-Zero.

What does the EAB think - AGA versus Megadrive?

AGA easily. Aladdin is the proof

It depends. For example Wiz n Liz is almost identical on MD and Amiga (non AGA), but Amiga version is superior though - because of music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G4EMgQgUz0
Mmm, not sure. But A1200 anyday for me. :)

Aladdin is a bad example. The MD version runs in fully 60fps. The AGA port in less than 25fps i assume.

The MD hardware is quite nice with tons of hardware sprites and sprite scaling/rotating features.

Computers can do more than consoles

But MegaDrive probably has more colours Dual Playfield.

MegaDrive can probably do more sprites

But A1200 has faster CPU and other stuff.

Amiga could beat it with 3D FPS game

Can't image super stardust running on megadrive. So don't think MD has the monopoly over all genres. Not even mentioning creative software.

Technical MD VDP infos:


https://megacatstudios.com/blogs/pre...v1-2a-03-14-17

Check out ACSYS - Autonomous Cybernetic System So A1200 could do a good Platformer but Platformers MegaDrive probably has the advantage but small 512 colour palette, there basically match but MegaDrive would be easier to create bullet hell 8 way scroller etc.

Developers probably got full details how to archive everything possibly even examples etc.

A Megadrive wouldn't be able to cope with Alien Breed 3D, Breathless or Banshee. Simple as that. :)

Lol, try doing something like Gunstar Heroes or Contra Hard Corps on an 1200. Good luck.

The 1200 probably could do that but the production quality on those games is beyond any Amiga platform game.

Well i swapped my Megadrive for my mates A500 so its an easy answer for me!

But i’m not sure if the OP is saying this in a purely coding aspect or in general?

I switched platforms purely because i liked the range of genres and originality of games on the Amiga better, of course you can’t deny the Megadrive had some classics and games not capable on the Amiga but overall for the range of games the Amiga all day long. Same if you asked me the same thing vs the snes.

I had both system.
First Megadrive (because couldn't afford A500), then A1200.

Even A500, imho, beats Sega (or any other console), simply because there are many games genres that are not suitable for joypad.
Imagine: playing Cannon Fodder on joypad? Or Civilization? I've played Dune 2 on Sega, and it was fun, but nowhere near easy to control like with the mouse.
And this is HUUUGEE for me.
All these games, and many more others.

As for the platformers, shooters, and these types of games, they are of similar quality. Again, I am talking about A500. I've never seen anything on Sega better then Ruff'n'Tumble. Somebody might say Superworm Jim... but heh... even back in the days, I wasn't so impressed with that game... it had great and weird humour of course, that I liked it... but graphically, I think, more or less, any Amiga could handle it.

So, it really depends on personal games taste, I guess.
I'd say it like this:
some game genres... Sega = Amiga
some other games genres... Amiga >>>>> Sega

Hmm, as a platform, I'd say yes - the A1200 is better. But if I only look at 2D capabilities, I'm pretty sure the Mega Drive is much better suited for action games with lots of objects on screen. Not so much in terms of dual layered scrolling, were the two are mostly identical in abilities (though doing it on the MD is clearly easier to program than on the A1200). But certainly in terms of numbers of objects on screen.

The A1200 is a big step up compared to the A500 when used well, but it's not going to equal the 80 sprites @32x32 the Mega Drive can handle.

On the other hand, if you look beyond the 2D action games, or look at games that shine when more colours are used rather than more objects, the A1200 can actually do quite a few things rather well. I'd certainly want one over the MD if I could only have one of the two. But if I could have both, I'd likely end up playing the MD more for action games and use the A1200 more for the slower paced games and all the rest (graphics programs, demos, productivity, progamming, etc).

Edit: thinking about it some more, it's not that I wouldn't use the A1200 for action games at all - just that generally the action genres were done quite well on Sega's hardware so I'd gravitate towards that system. Perhaps some of them can actually be done as well on the A1200, but I agree with Retro1234 that the general production quality of Amiga games leaves something to be desired. The system can clearly do more here (just look at Rygar AGA for instance, which has the gameplay down to a T), but it was rarely done.

Yup, I had an expanded A500, Sega Megadrive (later with the expansion for Vitua Racing), and the SNES.

By far, the SNES was the best IMHO ;)

The SNES was an amazing piece of kit.

The ports were close to Arcade perfect.

...and I don't think an A1200 could do games like the "Donkey Kong Country" series any justice, or "Star Fox" etc.

I don’t disagree it wasn’t a good piece of kit, but the SNES was too ‘kiddy’ for me at the time, and the extortionate prices (£50-£60) of its games were a no no.

Let's put is this way; the Sega Mega Drive is the sexiest console ever designed!

Ironically, if I had to pick a single SNES game that I'd think might be at least partly doable on the A1200, I'd probably pick a game like Donkey Kong Country 1 :p

Sure, it does have some very tricky things to emulate (the dynamic lightning would 'interesting'), but it what it has going for it in terms of portability is that is has fairly few moving objects on screen. It also seems to lack most of the Mode-7 effects I'd worry about for an A1200 port of a SNES game.

Now, for the record - I'm definitely not saying a 100% port is possible. It may even be that an OK port is not even doable. I'm just saying that it seems easier to me than quite a few other SNES games.

Ok, let's see this then... you stepping up to the challenge?

I'll be a very happy camper indeed if you succeed :p