[firenze]

Not sure why we don't have one big all purpose shooter thread (unless I'm blind), since the individual game topics tend to get a few responses and get buried. So, what better time than today with a new XBLA Cave release to start (and lots more to discuss soon with stuff like Daifukkatsu 360, Mamoru-kun PS3, etc.)

*****

Guwange is out. $10 is so worth it, even though this is maybe my least favorite Cave shooter (I'm not a big fan of the shikigami gimmick). I'm disappointed that it only supports TATE/vertical display in one direction, I've gotten spoiled by Cave usually always accounting for those little touches. Had to reverse my monitor from its usual vertical orientation that works fine on all my other shooters because Guwange was upside down.

It's also pretty ugly on an HD set, especially vertical with a larger screen area to show the chunky sprites even larger, so be warned. If you could live with Ketsui and DDP DOJ though, you'll be fine. Either play on a low-res monitor or deal with it. Just understand going into it that it's not as nice as the redone sprites that Cave did for the retail release games like Futari or Deathsmiles so they'd look better on an HD monitor.

What exactly is the deal with the Blue arrange mode? I need to learn a bit more I think...


Other news...

* Qute Corporation is doing a Japanese retail 360 shooter called Eschatos. These are the people who are responsible for Judgment Silversword on the Wonderswan.

* There's a new DDP Daifukkatsu trailer up on Japanese Xbox Live Marketplace.

* Fairly recent announcement that's been discussed here on the news thread, but G.Rev is making their next release, Seisou Kouki Strania, an XBLA game.

[negativedge]

Is there any reason to buy Guwange when MAME exists? Did they add anything significant?

Also I need to know if that Futari Platinum rerelease that comes out in Japan, uhh, today is region free or not! No one knows! I am assuming Daifukkatsu will be locked ( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( ) but Futari was originally region free, so maybe Cave wouldn't have to pay a fee to keep the rerelease free as well?

[Talbain]

I tried to create one based on doujin shmups and it kinda disappeared. So, maybe a general shmup thread will survive. Any new information on Akai Katana?

Still recommending Alltynex Second as a great new shmup. Crimzon Clover 0.30 is still... out there, somewhere, but no one really seems to know what happened to Yotsubane (other than the release schedule is now entirely unknown, as it was expected at one point to be released at C78, which has since passed).
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[Wall of Beef]

In regards to Futari Platinum:

According to the commenter Zachariel Drachenherz on the Play-Asia facebook comments "Oh yes! It IS region free!" Not sure how credible Zachariel Drachenherz is though.
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[Mikey]

[negativedge]

I think we could also use this thread to like, recommend and discuss various MAME games. Or do mini game clubs! Like, between a real game club and the failed-yet-again mame daily high score thread.

Beef, I will be very happy to give Cave my $35 if Mr. Facebook is correct!

[dementia]

Fuck XBLA Guwange

Admittedly, it's my fault for buying it before doing my research, but this shit doesn't support legit 4:3 TATE. Even TATE is 16:9 letterboxed.
You'll have to manually stretch and zoom the image using a combination of in-game and monitor adjustments, but it still won't be perfect.

from the shmups.com forum

[Dracko]

Everything I needed to know about Guwange, I learned in the first stage.
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[firenze]

[Rud31]

[negativedge]

don't fly like that, son. you want altruism, go give the cash to the poor. I generally don't make a habit of paying for something that's already right in front of me.

now, if I had a particular affinity for Guwange and there was stuff to justify it, then sure--but that stuff has to be there.

[Rud31]

That's not altruism is ughhh
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My Hawt Blog Vita Games

THERE ARE DEFINITELY WORSE VIDEO GAME PODCASTS

[Talbain]

[Deets]

[negativedge]

what else would you call it? rudie pulled the "do the right thing and give them money for a game that you can get for free with a mouse click"

it's either altruism or it's idiocy

but really we don't need another one of these threads

[firenze]

On a purely practical level for people who enjoy Cave games... supporting Guwange means better chances of seeing other games that you might NOT be able to play on MAME. If US XBLA sales of Guwange are high, for instance (and don't think for a second they aren't keenly aware of sales by region), we might be more likely to get a North American release of Akai Katana or Daifukkatsu.

Also on the piracy thing in this topic... I usually don't have any guilt issues, but I feel kinda bad about pirating high quality doujin games. Just sayin.

And back on topic of talking about the games... tried the demo of Guwange on my US machine on my non-TATEable TV, and yikes. Horizontal screen options are atrocious, no zoom features or anything. Looks like TATE on a widescreen monitor is the clear way to go.

[kiken]

[negativedge]

[Lasakon]

So this is the new Qute game

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[firenze]

Oh, the ESRB has rated Neo Geo Heroes (PSP) - pretty good evidence that it will be coming to North America. It's a hell of a lot better than plain KOF Sky Stage, and includes Sky Stage as well. I doubt it's gonna be on anybody's greatest of all time list, but it's certainly not as bad as some people say.

That Eschatos trailer looks very Triangle Service. In a good way.

[Shiren the Launderer]

[boojiboy7]

I have enjoyed Guwange so far, but I never got too into it on MAME, simply because I like sitting on a couch. The sprites are a bit weird, but as long as it doesn't fuck with the underlying mechanics, I don't care or notice that much. Gotta figure out how the scoring works and such, but that will be tonight, probably.

What are the differences in modes?

[Judge Ito]

[Deets]

That's gotta be Yousuke Yosui doing the music, and... why the cynicism over arrangements? I'm straight-up baffled by the sentiment you're expressin', Judge.

[Judge Ito]

Because everything I like gets changed.

Also I just listened to the Mamoru...! arrangements and was underwhelmed. Cynicism justified.

[Deets]

Aw

[Isfet]

i was thinking the other day that it would be nice to merge the EspII, Mushi Futari and Deathsmiles threads into one, large, shmup thread, but at this point they're both probably too large to do this sensibly.

so yea, let's do it here!

i picked up Guwange yesterday morning and i've been enjoying it a great deal. i hadn't played much of this one, though i'd heard it was rather difficult and...this seems to be pretty accurate. the chaining system is pretty straightforward and easy enough to utitlize, but it still requires some patience and planning to make sure you don't break the chain, which adds quite a bit.

i'm sort of surprised that the game is lacking in the screen customization parts, considering how every previous Cave release as of late has accounted for all types of screens. it seems like an odd step backwards at this point. i also have yet to ascertain the difference between Blue and White label. that said, i'm playing more of Blue at the moment and made it up to Act 6 with a decent score. i still have a long way to go, though, before i feel comfortable with the game (as it is, i end up dying on Act 3 in some of my runs).

anyway, it's nice that this was released internationally and i hope it bodes well for the future Cave games coming up. Akai Katana is kind of too awesome.

[Schwere Viper]

[Talbain]

This game reminds me a lot of Flower, but on Insane difficulty, has the challenge of a shmup. Something everyone should try (it's got a robust, free demo). The music and movement together are pretty incredible.
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[Dracko]

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[Sniper Honeyviper]

Dunno if anyone cares besides firenze/kiken, but I emailed Qute about Eschatos being region-free and they replied "we're considering it."

And I'm sorry Dracko but Raptor is a shitty irredeemable euroshmup (ignoring that it's actually American) with no level design or balancing whatsoever :(

[Deets]

[Sniper Honeyviper]

Yes, something can be a euroshmup even if it's not Euro.

- Life bars
- No one-shot-kill enemies
- Item shop with oodles of weapons that all do nearly the same thing
- Nonexistent level design, heavily repeated scenery and enemy formations
- Huge player sprite

All of which Raptor fulfills.

But Tyrian, another PC shmup from a year later with very similar graphics, is pretty rad. I believe there's even an iPhone port now! It is still a euroshmup though.

[firenze]

[Sniper Honeyviper]

They also said they're never going to release it internationally though, so if it's region locked then that's that until if and when I get a second 360.

[Sniper Honeyviper]

[Judge Ito]

[negativedge]

to be fair: if the iphone version is anything to go by, Daifukkatsu is pretty damn hard to beat.

(not literally. in quality)

[gooktime]

bug panic impressions (relevant?) - hurts my hands on ipad

read this and you'll feel obligated to buy it, though

[Sniper Honeyviper]

[kiken]