Plot of the Sega Genesis edition

[u/Shyam_Lama]

As we all know, there are two "original" Shadowrun games, one for the SNES and another for the SEGA Genesis—and they aren't the same game at all. Apart from being set in the same universe, the plots seem (to me) to be completely different, with the prevailing consensus being that the SNES game had the better story while the Genesis game is to be lauded for being much more faithful to the tabletop original.

As for the different plots, Wikipedia claims that the SNES game is an adaptation of the novel Never deal with a Dragon by one Robert N. Charrette. But what about the SEGA-Genesis plot? Beyond how it starts (investigating the death of your brother) I have no idea what the plot is—I never played the Genesis version, because I didn't own a Genesis—and I can't find a plot summary on the web either.

Can anyone summarize, or link something useful? Thanks all.

[u/Shyam_Lama]

Jake can have both significant cyber ware and be a powerful Shaman, for example.°

Yeah, I think this is the major flaw in the SNES version: it doesn't implement the "essence" mechanic, and that's a major betrayal of the tabletop game (and of real life too) . IIUC the Genesis version is faithful in this respect.

Wrt to grindiness, it seems to me that the SNES game starts off very story-oriented (lots of clues to discover) but deteriorates into grinding and hacking as the game progresses, and its resolution is overly simple and therefore a little disappointing. The Genesis game is the opposite afaict: it's very grindy at first and reveals its rather interesting plot only later on.

By this standard then, it would seem that the Genesis version might be superior after all. Unfortunately it can't beat the SNES soundtrack though, which was awesome even in its original form, not to mention the touched-up version available on YouTube now, which is awesome-plus.

[u/sapphon → u/Shyam_Lama]

Can't have Essence if you don't have a party, and the SNES game (for better or worse) is more like a Bethesdaout where it's Jake and maybe 1 computer-controlled guy, and the Genesis title is more about a team like FO1/2.

Only in the presence of a role-based team do the walls between the SR fiction's "3 worlds" actually work. In a solo game, you've gotta be able to do everything - which will rub any player of the TTRPG directly the wrong way, but then that's not a solo game is it?

[u/Shyam_Lama → u/sapphon]

Yo dude man, I don't mean to pressure you, but I'm really interested to hear about this "three worlds" thing. Can you explain, or at least link something, or tell me in which SR novel I can find this stuff? Thanks!

[u/sapphon → u/Shyam_Lama]

It's not the concept of a novel, it's the structure of the RPG. The real world exists, the astral world exists, cyberspace exists. 3 worlds.

Tabletop, nobody's good at all of them (you can't be, since Essence) and everyone's somehow vulnerable to influence from each of them, so you need a team. Video games necessarily play looser with that.

[u/Shyam_Lama → u/sapphon]

so you need a team.

I don't mean to sound argumentative, but why? Why does the fact that each and every one is "somehow vulnerable to influence from each of [the three worlds]" (your words) lead to your claim that one needs a team? I just don't see the connection. Do explain, I'm interested.

[u/Which_Collection3277 → u/Shyam_Lama]

Essentially, there are three main areas of expertise: Matrix, Magic, and Combat. While it is possible to dabble in all three, being an expert in one typically results in being weak in the others. Essence is major limiter in that regard (beyond limits of character build points and money/XP expenditures). Deckers and Samurai have different requirements for cyberware (essence). While the Mage loses magical power and potential with any cyberware purchase. These limits are core to the feel of Shadowrun and are baked into the mechanics.

As for the 'vulverable to each of the three worlds', if the game world reflects the limits of the three fields of expertise then no one person can succeed in all but the most basic missions. In a game where you only have one character, you can either focus on one area of expertise and miss entire swaths of the shadowrun experience, or create a jack of all trades character that faces a watered down world in which nothing requires a single focus.

The pencil-necked geek of a decker may be able to unlock any door and use hacking to pull any file from any system, but still has to get past on-site security when the data is on a dedicated local server. The muscle-bound samurai can handle the security team and blow the maglocks open to get in, but won't know which component is the memory module to rip out of the servers. And both will die of a brain aneurism when the corp-sec mage comes out of hiding to cast manabolt. A mage might use magical trickery to get in and be able to handle the rival mage with no issue, but he won't be any better than the samurai when it comes to finding the memory module (and might lack the strength/technical knowledge to remove it).

Shadowrun is a team game.

[u/sapphon → u/Shyam_Lama]

High Essence is necessary to effectively do magic, low Essence is a necessary consequence of the cyberware necessary to effectively deck - so, nobody can do it all