Shump Fan Rejoice

[Mantiskilla]

Well good news for shump fans as Otomedius Excellent (360) comes stateside next week. No confirmation yet though on if it's gonna be region free or not for our European friends so we'll have to wait and see. I'll finally be able to pick up my CE preorder that I've had for months now haha.

http://www.siliconera.com/2011/10/26/otomedius-excellent-lands-in-north-america-next-week/

Also remember Dodonpachi Resurrection (360) comes out later this month as well but US gamers have to import it from Europe if you want to play it on your US console.

On a final note G-Rev the same company that brought us Stratania (XBLA) and Mamoru-kun Has Been Cursed! (360/PS3) are coming out with Under Defeat HD (PSN/XBLA) which a challenging but cool shump from the Dreamcast days. Good for PS3 fans since the shump library is kinda small at the moment although Soldner X and X2 are fantastic.

http://www.siliconera.com/2011/10/25/under-defeat-hd-means-one-more-shooter-for-ps3/

[FOkyasuta]

Oh boy. Now if only my brother could get off the xbox360 for once, when i have some cash. >.>

[Akaimizu]

Man. Shoot em ups and Dungeon Hackers have been on FIRE lately. I can't complain. They're coming out faster than I can play them. 5 years ago. I was saying the opposite. I'm not just rejoicing, I'm practically fat from a Thanksgiving dinner with them. It's like going from Famine to Engorged.

[Mantiskilla]

Man. Shoot em ups and Dungeon Hackers have been on FIRE lately. I can't complain. They're coming out faster than I can play them. 5 years ago. I was saying the opposite. I'm not just rejoicing, I'm practically fat from a Thanksgiving dinner with them. It's like going from Famine to Engorged.

Yeah Dungeon Hackers have been overflowing that's for sure, but that being said I am enjoying Rusty Hearts right now

[Akaimizu]

New Rusty Hearts character today. Yay! Gotta try out the gunner.

[Mantiskilla]

New Rusty Hearts character today. Yay! Gotta try out the gunner.

Yeah I read about her and honestly wasn't too impressed. Might give her a go at some point but for now ill just keep lvl'n up my Tude character

[Shinji Kazuya]

You guys are lucky, Mantiskilla. :<
Tell me when you know if it's region free or not. Keeping my fingers crossed here. > <
I'll order a copy from videogamesplus.ca at the speed of light if yes!

[Mantiskilla]

You guys are lucky, Mantiskilla. :<
Tell me when you know if it's region free or not. Keeping my fingers crossed here. > <
I'll order a copy from videogamesplus.ca at the speed of light if yes!

Will do bro gotta look out for us fellow fans after all

[amtalx]

Also remember Dodonpachi Resurrection (360) comes out later this month as well but US gamers have to import it from Europe if you want to play it on your US console.
Will this work? US consoles are NTSC and EU consoles are PAL. Will a US console convert PAL to NTSC?

[Keilyn]

PAL and NTSC are broadcast formats put into TVs and sometimes hardcoded in games. If a game is hardcoded, unless your console ITSELF can detect the actual format in use by the region, then what will happen is it will still run with the framerate existing in PAL. You won't get the full 60 FPS .

Also there are more problems that emerge when you run Interlaced Resolutions. You want 720P and 1080P, NO 720i or 1080i.

The last which will prevent you from running a European Game would be only if the BIOS itself tells the console to not run it.

Google Search or ask another 360 Gamer if they have been able to Import European Titles and run them on their American 360 Models.

Good Luck. ^_^

[Mantiskilla]

It still depends on the coding of the game. You can have a format in which the game can change broadcast signals prior to the game starting. I have Wipeout Pulse for PS2 (PAL) which only came out in Europe obviously but the game was playable in US consoles b/c it had the option to play on PAL signal or NTSC signal which of course like you said changes resolutions, hz, etc. Here is Rising Star Games saying "Dodonpachi Resurrection" will be region free for NA Consoles only. I already have the Japanese version but it'll be nice that people can play w/o having to import another console.

http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2011/08/dodonpachi_resurrections_european_edition)will_be_ region_free.php

[Shinji Kazuya]

Muahahahahaah! You're not the only lucky folks, Mantiskilla!

I just came across this: http://www.siliconera.com/2011/10/31/akai-katana-shin-landing-in-europe-next-year/

Nnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggg! I can't wait! I would get the game just for the music but the gameplay is also awsome!

[Mantiskilla]

NICE! That game is fantastic so I'll be nice to see other markets get a chance to play the game...well at least the European market for sure haha.

[Shinji Kazuya]

Yeah, it really is awsome. Now if it's region free you can import as well.

[Mantiskilla]

I already have the game but yeah If it's region free I would probably import that version as well. I'm importing dondonpachi even though I have it already also. Be sure to purchase Black Label dlc also (I think it comes out same day as game this week) b/c its awesome

[Shinji Kazuya]

Wow, you're really a fan!

[Akaimizu]

I'll check out if Otomedius Excellent (360) made it into the stores. Forgot that was going to be a Disk game not an XBLA game. I can't tell from the previews on whether it will be good, but if it is a real hit in the arcades (with as many shooters they have), it's worth checking out because it has to be something special. It's definitely got to be the gameplay, too; because good scrolling shooters starring a bunch of girls, drawn the way they are drawn, is incredibly cliche these days. So much that SNK even made a Parody game of the genre.

Funny enough, kind of makes me miss The Chaos Engine games for the Amiga. If only because they used, by far, the most unusual characters ever to star in what is basically a shooter. The list of heroes you can play looked like a hit list of bad guys and assassins from the Steam-punk era, but they were the good guys.

[Akaimizu]

Looks like Gamestop silently delayed their shipments of the game. Though Konami did change their page to reflect that Otomedius Excellent should be out, Gamestops never sent the shipment for yesterday. So anyway, I guess my copy is in a little limbo until Gamestop ships it.

Edit: Though I guess I can also get Deathsmiles IIX from XBLA. I always wanted that one, and I found out about the release way after it actually came out due to being very silently released. The concept, gimmick, and bosses alone look like a must-buy for me. The lead characters kind of dressing up as Angels and fighting demonic forces, all with a sort of Christmas-like backdrop. Definitely kind of seasonal like Christmas Nights, but I'm all for it especially if it keeps what was good about the previous game's combat.

[Mantiskilla]

Deathsmiles IIX is fantastic. If you ever want to play coop through live just send me a message. As for Otomedius Excellent I actually a friend who is a Store Manager at Gamestop (back from when I used to work there as a manager) and they got an email today saying that reserve stores copies should be in stores 11/4 (Fri) and non reserve stores will see the copies arrive on 11/8 (Tues). They currently only have 1 SKU so you'll be buying the $50 version either way. Probably the only difference is non reserve people wont get the Vic Viper skin instead they'll have to wait for DLC later on.

On another note Cave also said that the Deathsmiles IIX GoD download was pretty successful and they may continue to release more of their titles down the road.

http://www.siliconera.com/2011/11/02/digital-deathsmiles-2x-sold-well-cave-considering-more-games-on-demand-releases/

Hopefully the European crowd can get in on this as well but with Red Star Games having a license it might be better for Euros to at least get physical copies of CAVE games

NOTE: Dodonpachi Resurrection comes out tom for all the people who never imported the Japanese version of the game. Works in US 360 consoles and HIGHLY suggest dl the Black Label DLC which is already available on the europe marketplace (must make or have europe account to dl)

[Akaimizu]

Ok. I'll definitely look into picking up Deathsmiles IIX. And I just got the text message from Gamestop saying my copy of Otomedius Excellent comes in tomorrow.

Edit: Ok. Just picked up my copy from Gamestop. Guys at the store had no idea what the game is about, but they certainly have heard of Lifeforce and Gradius.
"It's time to shoot the core."

[Akaimizu]

Just started playing. Looks like there's some great leveling up (RPG style) in this game. And boy do you need it. Compared to my stint through Deathsmiles IIX, Otomedius X kicks your butt to next Sunday. Wow. Talk about adjustment. Forgot how easy Cave bullet hells take it on you. I was feeling like nothing could touch me last night to this game where I feel like everything is touching me. Oh well. Gotta stop sucking. I'm playing a shooter for the big boys now.

[Mantiskilla]

Really? I find it to be not to much different from the Gradius games and others that I play as far as difficulty. I do agree though that it really doesn't easy you into the game like Cave shooters do.

[Akaimizu]

I guess I had to get myself back in stride to the whole survive until you get the force-field power up and just maintain it while powering up your weapon levels, making sure to bank a force-field power up when you lose it. When done that way, the game is much easier to handle. I'm still working out where the actual hit box of my ship is, in this game.

In Cave and Bullet-hell shooters (including Radiant Silvergun), it's pretty small and you can easily weave in and out of bullet patterns. In this one, the hitbox is a magnitude bigger but still not quite the entire character in size. Still have to note when (by Cave shooter means I can still maneuver between bullets of a certain distance apart) I can't get between the bullets even when they have a certain spacing apart. Which means I have to find a way around the whole thing or I have to bomb my way out. Though bombs come very very sparingly. Some bosses you just have to learn the pattern as you have no way of telling they gonna come and hit you until it is too late. Most notably the lava boss. Sure, it tells you from where the ship will come, but no indicator of the area of the screen she'll suddenly be in after she comes in. I have it memorized now, but that was some guaranteed death the first time through. Nothing in Deathsmiles IIX did that. So yeah, it's a huge difficulty spike from the Cave offering. Alas, I think I just got softened up with Cave and bullet hell shooters too much, lately. So I know it's mainly my issue of just coasting on them for too long.

I like to think of Cave and other bullet-hell shooters where the main punishment is that you miss out on some great scoring opportunities. This is back to old-school where the main punishment is death and a harder uphill climb to get back to a setup that helps you live longer. A lot more is out to kill you outright, not simply present a puzzle for which you need to figure out how to truly take advantage and send your scores sky high. The Cave offering automatically makes you empowered enough to take on the challenges at a similar difficulty without a power up. Alas, it's been some years since I last played the Gradius series, in particular.

[Weeaboolits]

Practice mode makes the hitbox visible, you should do it at least once, just to see how big it is. The hitbox is bigger than what I'm used to, and you move so slow and have no firepower by default, if a boss killed me, there was no way I'd get the firepower to be able to kill it back, need to practice more so I can blow hem up instead of having them mock me and walk away.

[Mantiskilla]

Looking to play some of the more recent CAVE shumps if you haven't already? New mame build came out a couple weeks ago that lets you play some pretty recent ones like Deathsmiles, Mushihimesama Futari (1.0/1.5), Mushihimesama, Ibara, Ibara Black Label, Espgaluda II, Muchi Muchi Pork and Pink Sweets (Ibara 2). Of course you can also just own all of those games for 360 (Ibara and Mushihimesama on PS2). Ibara BL which was an arcade release only. Plays rather well actually but you will have to have a decent PC to run them (64bit prefered). In the end ill probably stick to my 360/PS2 copies but for people who don't own them all....well there ya go

[Mantiskilla]

Well if anyone has heard already Rising Star Games announced that they will be porting Akai Katana Shin to Europe. Of course this announcement is still rather early (i think in late oct/early nov.) so not much info has been brought out since. One thing to keep in mind however is US gamers might not be as lucky as they were with Dodonpachi Resurrection. Reason being is b/c Deathsmiles 2X sold rather well on US Games on Demand store so CAVE might suggest RSG to region lock this game so that they can put the Japanese version of Akai Katana Shin on GoD like they did for Deathsmiles 2X. Will have to keep a close eye on this development. In other developments Under Defeat HD should be a nice remake and hopefully it stays on schedule after a slight setback. Otomedius Excellent has a lot of DLC for nice replay value and Steam might start to see lots of doujin shump games become routine in their marketplace later this year.

[Akaimizu]

Yeah. I just grabbed the DLC for Belmont in Otomedius Excellent. Haven't played her yet, though. Am eager to see what she brings to the table. Hopefully something vampire killer whip-related. :)

[Mantiskilla]

Yeah. I just grabbed the DLC for Belmont in Otomedius Excellent. Haven't played her yet, though. Am eager to see what she brings to the table. Hopefully something vampire killer whip-related. :)

Yeah she's fun to use. Haven't bothered dl the music or costumes but the stages and 2 characters dl is good enough for me right now

[BIG OLAF]

Shumps sounds like some sort of debilitating skin disease. I take it's short for something.

[Heskett]

Shumps sounds like some sort of debilitating skin disease. I take it's short for something.

Shoot-em-ups.

Shmups.

[BIG OLAF]

Shoot-em-ups.

Shmups.

Oh. People get lazier and lazier with spelling out whole words, I see. Anyway, I haven't played one of those since that pseudo-indie game "Aegis Wing" came out on the XBLA years ago. Maybe one will come along soon that catches my fancy.

[Heskett]

Oh. People get lazier and lazier with spelling out whole words, I see. Anyway, I haven't played one of those since that pseudo-indie game "Aegis Wing" came out on the XBLA years ago. Maybe one will come along soon that catches my fancy.

Shmups are fun and definitely not hard at all.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQZuidKexBQ&feature=related

Also, this isn't the hardest video game boss ever. Nope.

[Mantiskilla]

Some great news for US consumers as Rising Star Games officially opened a US office in California today. With that announcement they also stated that their first release will be Akai Katana Shin and will be released the same day as the EU version. Having a US office I think will help RSG with EU players getting some of those lost shooters that the US already has like possibly a Deathsmiles IIX that's in english (would be nice). It'll be interesting to see if they will be able to bring some other games over such as Dodonpachi Daioujou and maybe the Dodonpachi Resurrection DLC.

http://www.siliconera.com/2012/01/26/rising-star-open-u-s-office-akai-katana-headed-to-north-america/

[FOkyasuta]

Some great news for US consumers as Rising Star Games officially opened a US office in California today. With that announcement they also stated that their first release will be Akai Katana Shin and will be released the same day as the EU version. Having a US office I think will help RSG with EU players getting some of those lost shooters that the US already has like possibly a Deathsmiles IIX that's in english (would be nice). It'll be interesting to see if they will be able to bring some other games over such as Dodonpachi Daioujou and maybe the Dodonpachi Resurrection DLC.

http://www.siliconera.com/2012/01/26/rising-star-open-u-s-office-akai-katana-headed-to-north-america/


Oh boy. Talk about really good news. Guess i'll be checking those out if they come out.

/lives in cali

[Ash1ey]

Oddly enough, I was just talking to my friend the other day about Akai Katana and the fact that I was going to import it. Now I don't have to :P Awesome news

[Mantiskilla]

I'm just happy about the fact that now I'll be able to know what's going on since the game has a bit more dialogue than most cave shooters save Deathsmiles IIX. It's a fantastic game though. I guess I better hook up my Japanese 360 and do some more practice now

[Mantiskilla]

Well another quick update for you shooter fans out there. eXceed series which were all doujin shoot em ups are all being released next week on Steam and other digital download sites. Price for all 3 is great although really only eXceed 2nd and 3rd are the real good ones. If you can find it on a doujin site to dl it for free then go for it (there's an english patch for the eXceed 3rd). While I actually have them all I'll probably purchase them b/c maybe they'll have achievements or online leaderboards

http://www.siliconera.com/2012/02/15/the-exceed-collection-brings-bullet-hell-to-pc-next-week/

[Mantiskilla]

Well the eXceed series shooters got delayed after they were supposed to come out this week on Steam. At the present time there is no release date however it does state that its not gonna be a long one. In the meantime if you want to see it in action here is a video of a quick stage 1 run I did not to long ago

http://www.siliconera.com/2012/02/21/the-exceed-collection-and-cherry-tree-high-hit-by-delays/

eXceed 3rd Jade Penetrate: Black Package - Stage 1 Normal (auto bomb off)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuxH9fPIrnk

[Xefi]

@Mr.Mantis: does the package include eXceed 3rd Black Package version? i dont think i see
it listed. that's the only version i was hoping that'll come out.

it's funny how i have NEVER made it to this boss at all. i lost all of my lives before
even making it to her. a shame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX0ojQ-Km4s&feature=related

[Mantiskilla]

Yeah to be honest I haven't seen anywhere that states that the Black Package version will be the one that comes out or not. I could easily see it not be the version that gets released, but wouldn't be surprised if it is the one that does either. As for that EX stage? You can only get there by playing on normal or hard, be on the same 1CC, not using a bomb, and its after the stage 4 boss fight. Personally I just tried not to lose a life to be safe. Tough as nails but did it once back when I played the game everyday a year or so ago. Never beat it though

[Shinji Kazuya]

Dodonpachi Resurrection is damn fun!

I suck at shoot-em-up games but been doing some practice in Dodonpachi and it worked a bit. I don't suck tons anymore but still can't squish through those crazy bullet zergs! I always panic and end up bumping into one ._.

A month and a couple of days now till Akai Katana is out. Can't wait to play that one. Looks awsome too!

[Kent]

Dodonpachi Resurrection is damn fun!

I suck at shoot-em-up games but been doing some practice in Dodonpachi and it worked a bit. I don't suck tons anymore but still can't squish through those crazy bullet zergs! I always panic and end up bumping into one ._.

A month and a couple of days now till Akai Katana is out. Can't wait to play that one. Looks awsome too!
I had actually never played a DoDonPachi game before a couple weeks ago, when I picked up DoDonPachi Maximum.

And... It's great. I'm not normally a huge bullet hell person (outside of Ikaruga/Radiant Silvergun - I'm a huge Treasure fan), though I do love me some shooters. I recommend everyone get their hands on Tyrian 2000 (http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/tyrian_2000) since it's been released as freeware now, alongside already being the best shooter ever made (at least amongst those that aren't bullet hell, though it still gets plenty tough). I had also never played a game by Cave before this.

That feeling of beating your high score + that feeling of your margin of improvement being over 50% + that feeling when you still have yet to actually beat the stage itself... It's really satisfying.

It's also notable that it uses touchscreen controls very well, which I was pleasantly surprised by. Normally, when you see a console- or arcade-style game put onto a smartphone, you expect the controls to be absolute trash, but you can really tell that they designed the game from the ground up to be played on a touchscreen, and it really shows. Cave did an amazing job with DoDonPachi Maximum, and they might have a new fan because of it.

[Shinji Kazuya]

I like Treasure games a lot too, especially Radiant Silvergun. I'm not a fan of bullet hell, just a fan of shoot-em-up in general.

One I would recommend is Border Down!

Gonna try Sine Mora demo now. See how it is.

[Kent]

I liked the trial version of Sine Mora. I'm planning on getting the full game after I get my hands on some more points.

The game gives off a very distinct Panzer Dragoon vibe, despite being completely different in almost every aspect except being on-rails and everyone speaking Latin (or a mix of Latin and several other things, as in Panzer Dragoon).

[Mantiskilla]

I recommend everyone get their hands on Tyrian 2000 (http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/tyrian_2000)

Holy crap! I still have the cd-rom of the shareware version of that game from way back in the day on win 98 when it was a dos prompt bootable or windows game. You are right though that game is fantastic and if you had a great sound blaster card then it made it even more awesome.

[Kent]

So, I got Sine Mora, and I played through the story mode on normal (the base difficulty).

While the game is still good and fun, with some interesting mechanics thrown into the mix, with with really high production values, interesting story, pretty graphics, etc.... I have to say, I'm actually kind of disappointed with the boss battles.

Generally-speaking, the bosses themselves come in two varieties: The unique, fun and interesting ones that feel like very new things to the shooter genre, but are incredibly easy, and the ones that are challenging not due to being designed to be tough, but being designed to spew RNG bullshit at you, rather than some sort of discernable pattern of bullets. These bosses also have a tendency to have zero-frame telegraphed attacks that hit everywhere except a very specific part of the screen.

I don't have a problem with bullet hell. In fact, I would say that I came into the game expecting bullet hell out of the bosses. It's not what I got though - I got bosses that shotgun the screen with apparently-random spreads of bullets, instant-game-over attacks (where normally, you just take a time penalty if you're hit), and attacks that quite literally come out of nowhere, meaning you can't actually dodge them at all unless you're already intimately familiar with the boss in the first place.

It seemed like the game had everything going for it, and then decided that half of the bosses should be completely ignore all of the evolution and refinement the genre has had over the past 25 years, just for the sake of being different - not for the sake of new and innovative gameplay. It ends up hurting the game more than it benefits it. I can't honestly recommend the game at the $15 price point unless you've got points to spare and are really itching for a mostly-solid shooter that has some rather outstanding design flaws in some parts.

I kind of wish I could get a refund for it. For a $15 shooter, I'd expect every part of the game to be well-designed and finely-crafted, rather than all but half of the bosses.

[Akaimizu]

Haven't done Sine Mora yet. Was doing a bit of Super Stardust a little while ago, but I'm currently heavily into Kid Icarus (for which it's a shooter in some parts). Plan to go back to Otomedius Excellent, big time, soon. I have a certain Belmont to really put time into, in that game.

[Mantiskilla]

Well I probably should have posted this earlier but eXceed Collection came out last Thursday for $10. Game at the moment is only available for download through Capcom Store, GamersGate, and Gamestop sites. No Steam purchase at this time and no news if or when It will arrive for Steam users (rumor has it that its about having achievement system or not). The collection does come with eXceed 3rd Jade Penetrate Black Package edition so that's a plus. Also eXceed 1 doesn't have english translation unlike the other 2.

eXceed Homepage
http://exceedseries.com/

Purchase Sites
Capcom Store
http://shop.capcom.com/store/capcomus/en_US/pd/productID.248838600/The-eXceed-Collection.html

GamersGate
http://www.gamersgate.com/DDB-EXCEEDC/the-exceed-collection-bundle

GameStop (Impulse)
http://impulsedriven.com/products/ESD-IMP-W2926

[Xefi]

The collection does come with eXceed 3rd Jade Penetrate Black Package edition


Sweet stuff Mr. Mantis. can't wait for the BP edition coming to Steam.
i'm definitely getting this. :cat:

[Mantiskilla]

Well some more news for Shooter fans as Ether Vapor Remaster will be coming out later this month for various download services including Steam. Game will be $7.99 and can be purchased at the official website or you can wait till it drops later on the service sites

http://www.siliconera.com/2012/06/03/try-out-a-demo-for-doujin-shoot-em-up-ether-vapor-remaster/

Official Website

http://ethervapor.com/

Here is a quick run through Stage 1 I did using the imported copy I got last year. Remaster version is basically the same as the original except you can have resolutions higher than 1024x768 which was the max for the original game


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDDAA8XApPA

[Mantiskilla]

Its time for another update shooter fans. Ether Vapor Remaster is now available through the official website or through various PC download sites (see below) but not on Steam yet. Here's to hoping that it will make it on there along with eXceed games which still have yet to surface. A great price for a pretty cool game however. If you like games like Raystorm mixed with some Thunder Force you'll really enjoy this one.

Homepage
http://ethervapor.com/

Impulse
http://www.impulsedriven.com/

Gamersgate
http://www.gamersgate.com/DD-EVR/ether-vapor-remaster

[AweOfShe]

Digging the look and vibe of that one. Still didn't end up grabbing eXceed yet, since I was waiting for the Steam release, but at this rate, I might just grab eXceed and Ether Vapor off Gamersgate instead.

[Mantiskilla]

Well at long last for people who wanted to play eXceed on Steam. It's now available for $10 and you get all 3 games.

[Xefi]

Well at long last for people who wanted to play eXceed on Steam. It's now available for $10 and you get all 3 games.

*bought*

thanks for the updates, Mr. Mantis. :cat:

[Polly]

Well at long last for people who wanted to play eXceed on Steam. It's now available for $10 and you get all 3 games.

Huh, didn't even know that was happening. Have a friend who'll probably want these, so I'll just send them over to him as a nice surprise.

[Akaimizu]

More recently, I went to try some new Cave stuff I haven't tried yet. On iOS, I recently got Bug Princess 2 Black Label Edition. Definitely fun, but boy I didn't remember how easy their typical Normal level is. First time I played, I got right to the ending. So now it's time to kick up the difficulty and get those patterns down for some insane scores. Interesting they really present the story of these two siblings; a bit more involved (or serious a plotline) than what you'd expect in a shooter. Particularly with all the crazy bosses.

[amtalx]

How are the iOS versions of shmups? The purist in me refuses to believe there is enough accuracy in the controls to do more than push through the game like a battering ram.

[Akaimizu]

The accuracy isn't a problem. Cave perfected touch/slide controls a long time ago. You can pretty much move with pixel perfect accurracy. Firing is automatic, but you manually do the bombs/special abilities (depending on the game). There is no issue weaving through bullet patterns on touch screen. Nor is there an on-screen stick you have to deal with. Touch and hold your digit anywhere on the screen, and the ship moves with it, precisely.

Works fine on a phone or touch, but I prefer the iPad, of course, because of the screen real-estate. That alone guarrantees the best visual. Plus the screen size is very satisfying that close to you. Still, you actually can easily forget the control method, and just get into playing as if you're the ship itself. Because, in a way, you are. It moves precisely with your finger movement, and you can do that without thinking. And that's all that really matters for pure shooting goodness. If there was any disconnect from that, I would've actually had trouble with this game, or the other Cave or Taito shooters on the system.

Still, if you go to something like Konami's Otomedius Excellent, or anything with more of an old-school shooter difficulty; going back to Cave is like a walk in the park. Then again, Cave is more about giving you opportunities for fantastic scoring multipliers and the like, and less about difficulty making it to the end. Then again, screen filled madness of slower moving bullets I always felt was way easier than the fast bullets designed to actually aim for you, approach.

[Xefi]

Akai Katana for the Xbox360 is now only $22.99 on amazon. For all you SHUMP fans, dont skip out on this gem.

i just bought mine already. :cat:

http://www.amazon.com/Akai-Katana-Xbox-360/dp/B007UMD1EI/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_4

[Mantiskilla]

Time for another update. In some GREAT news from a week or so ago CAVE is possibly looking at releasing Dodonpachi Saidaioujou (newest one currently in arcades) on 360 for both Japan and western markets at the same time. Lets hope this happens for sure

http://www.siliconera.com/2012/09/24/cave-aims-to-release-dodonpachi-saidaioujou-simultaneously-in-japan-and-the-west/

In other news Ether Vapor Remaster is now available on the Steam store for $7.99. A great price for a pretty darn good shooter, but you can download a demo if you want to try it out first. Highly recommend picking this one. If you haven't seen it in action here is a video I had uploaded awhile back as I own the retail version. Getting Steam version anyway for english text reasons.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDDAA8XApPA&feature=plcp

[Xefi]

Time for another update. In some GREAT news from a week or so ago CAVE is possibly looking at releasing Dodonpachi Saidaioujou (newest one currently in arcades) on 360 for both Japan and western markets at the same time. Lets hope this happens for sure

http://www.siliconera.com/2012/09/24/cave-aims-to-release-dodonpachi-saidaioujou-simultaneously-in-japan-and-the-west/

In other news Ether Vapor Remaster is now available on the Steam store for $7.99. A great price for a pretty darn good shooter, but you can download a demo if you want to try it out first. Highly recommend picking this one. If you haven't seen it in action here is a video I had uploaded awhile back as I own the retail version. Getting Steam version anyway for english text reasons.

Ether Vapor Remaster v2.07 - Stage 1 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDDAA8XApPA&feature=plcp)

nice news, really hope that Cave brings over more SHUMP games to NA/EU. i was
hoping that Akai Katana was not the last game they'll bring over here. ><;

i'll check out on some more videos on that Ether Vapor Remaster you mention. not
sure if i want to buy it yet though.

[kadosho]

I had no idea about this game. Thanks for sharing Xefi, I love the concept behind it.
Curious though how many difficulty levels span across each outfit.

[Mantiskilla]

Time for another update fellow shooter, STG, shump, or whatever you want to call yourself fans!

Well some good news out there for the PC gaming crowd as Sine Mora comes to Steam this week. For people who don't have a 360, never played it on 360, or maybe you just like PC gaming better here's your chance to play a pretty well done shooter.

For the console market PS3 owners will happy to know that Under Defeat HD is coming to the PSN Store pretty soon (sometime this fall). While it IS disappointing that the art book and soundtrack is digital only at least the game is coming over here. 360 owners are outta luck (like with Arcana Heart 3) b/c its gonna be PS3 only for NA

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2012/10/05/under-defeat-hd-shoots-em-up-this-fall-on-ps3/

[Xefi]

^ Under Defeat HD looks pretty nice. i'm looking forward to picking this one up for sure.
i'll probably get the digital version. also, ps3 is fine with me since i played on that system
more than my 360. ;p

still waiting on more news about Dodonpachi Saidaioujou you mention earlier.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9TQfraqrwo

i'm not so sure about Sine Mora though. someone mention on one of the video i was watching
that it looks like Crash Bandicoot ps1...lol. > >;

[Kent]

Save your money on Sine Mora. It's just not worth the price.

On a better note, silly iOS-wielding nerds can also play DoDonPachi Maximum now, apparently. The Windows Phone version was patched to contain all of the new features (which is an easy mode and a new ship). It's just great. I can't recommend it enough.

Crimson Dragon: Side Story is another Windows Phone game that came out a couple months ago. It is fantastic, and a very different kind of shooter from the standard - which makes sense, since it's really much more like a rail shooter (specifically Panzer Dragoon), but adapted into 2D gameplay rather than 3D.

http://www.brokenjoysticks.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Crimson-Dragon-Side-Story-007.png

You can only move up and down along one side of the screen, and you use the rest of the screen to control your attacks. In true Panzer Dragoon style (remember: same creator between these two series, and this is definitely intended as a spiritual successor), you have both lock-on lasers you can use by swiping across enemies and releasing to fire, as well as bullet attacks that fire straight forward from your dragon, charge-up attacks, etc., as well as a special attack you can do at the expense of a resource called Willpower.

Now, you can equip three skills at once - you have a choice of six Main Skills, which you have unlocked from the beginning and level up with your dragon. Sub Skills are an alternate attack that typically drain a small amount of Willpower and need to be purchased with Jewels (the game's currency). It's probably best to pick a Sub Skill that complements your Main Skill in some way (like if you have lock-on lasers as your main skill, try taking a bullet skill for your sub skill). Action Skills are your special attacks that take one full Willpower meter to unleash, but are typically very powerful, ranging from a massive barrage of shots everywhere to a more classic-shooter-style screen-clearing bomb attack. Between Sub and Action skills, there's a bunch of them to unlock - nearly two hundred in total - and even though the game's Story Mode is only five stages, there's actually some pretty good challenge in getting through them. Beating Story Mode unlocks Mission Mode, which puts objectives and new challenges within levels (and in almost all cases, strings of levels and/or bosses all in one go), with 30 or so missions, so overall, there's plenty of things to do.

Jewels can be obtained in four ways: A very rare drop from clearing a full wave of enemies (in all the time I've played, I've found three or so this way), completing a story stage or mission for the first time (or every time, in the case of the final stage), though the shop in exchange for Microsoft Points, or a rather novel process involving the GPS. Basically, every time you start up the game it automatically checks your GPS location (assuming you've given it permission, of course) and checks the distance you've traveled since the last time you checked in, and rewards you with jewels based on your total cumulative travel distance.

So naturally, if you just check in at both ends of your daily commute, you'll rack up plenty of jewels in no time. If you travel any considerable distance (like going on vacation, for example), expect to get a huge load of jewels as a result. Considering how well this works and how you get a good amount of jewels every time you beat the final boss (even after a big patch that fixed a bunch of bugs), it's really a wonder why the Microsoft Points option is even there in the first place... Especially since the game itself isn't free.

But it sure is a steal for $1. I recommend every Windows Phone user at least give the game a try, it's easily one of the best games available for the platform.

[Mantiskilla]

For anyone interested in Under Defeat HD Deluxe Edition for PS3 if you want the retail version of the game rather than a PSN download the game is being sold exclusively on Amazon for $30. It comes with all the extras (soundtrack cd, all dlc content, etc). The PSN download of the game comes out on Dec. 4th and will have all the extras as well, but I'm sure there are those of you who prefer having the box and stuff.

[Mantiskilla]

Just a quick heads up. For anyone who was sitting on the fence about getting eXceed Collection well for the daily deal on Gamersgate the game is on sale for $3.40. Pretty good value for 3 STG games.

http://www.gamersgate.com/DDB-EXCEEDC/the-exceed-collection-bundle

On a side note I've made it into the Top 10 Online leaderboards of Under Defeat HD for New Order mode. Pretty stoked about that but gotta keep at it if I want to stay there.

[Mantiskilla]

Time for some more news fellow STG, Shump, etc. fans. Looks like Mamoru-kun wa Norowarete Shimatta! is coming to the West. My guess is that G.Rev and Rising Star Games had success with Under Defeat HD on PS3 so now we'll see another game come over. For people who haven't played this game its not your typical STG but rather it plays mostly like Pocky & Rocky on SNES. They haven't announced what system its coming out for but I would hope that this time 360 owners don't get jobbed like Under Defeat HD. I have a feeling we'll only see the PS3 version due to its more recent HD widescreen option and extra chars w/o having to do dlc unlike 360 version which was traditional with screen borders and you had to pay for dlcs (the version I have is the imported 360 one). If interested keep your eye out for this one for sure as I recommend it.

http://www.siliconera.com/2013/01/24/mamoru-kun-no-longer-cursed-g-revs-shooter-is-coming-to-the-west/

In other news I really haven't found out much about the new Dodonpachi Saidaioujou coming out, but I hope CAVE sticks to their guns and makes it a worldwide release. In a bit older news...for fans who want to get the CAVE Collection set for 360 (although its missing Ketsui and DDP: Daioujou) Amazon Japan is taking preorders of the collection but It'll cost you $300! Not sure if they are region free or not so might want to wait for more news to come out.

http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00AE12R1K/liveod3-22/ref=nosim/

On a side note. I finally was able to get to this boss in Psyvariar 2: Compete Edition the other night on PS2 (Japan). The DC version was a little easier to do b/c the response time with DC stick was much better than PS2. Here is the final boss of the game if you meet the conditions (not my video as I've never been able to defeat it) Stupid hard boss and Touhou fans if you thought grazing on there was important it has nothing on THIS game.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L2SNX7k4v8

[Weeaboolits]

I imported Mamoru , it's a lot of fun, will definitely be getting the localized version.

[Mantiskilla]

Well looks like CAVE just annouced that Dodonpachi Saidaioujou will be coming out on May 30th. Hopefully this will be a worldwide release.

http://www.siliconera.com/2013/01/31/dodonpachi-saidaioujou-coming-to-xbox-360-on-may-30-with-hd-graphics/

Also on Siliconera a new STG just got announced for 360 (sorry PS3 players) called Caladrius. It's being handled by Moss who did Raiden III and IV. Looks interesting so we shall see.

http://www.siliconera.com/2013/01/31/new-gothic-horror-shooting-game-has-characters-designed-by-devil-survivor-artist/

[Mantiskilla]

Well got some Good news and Bad news (rumor).

First the Bad News.

Been lurking some STG message boards and it appears that Caladrius which is coming to 360 is most likely going to be region locked. Of course I haven't seen anything official so we'll have to wait and see. Moss the company who develops the game however has been pretty good about bring there games to the West i.e. Raiden IV (360) and SNK All Star Shooting (PSP) so there is still hope there.

Official Website for Caladrius
http://caladrius.mossjp.co.jp/


Now for the good news.

Well PS3 players you're finally in luck as a Cave shooter is actually coming to the console. Ketsui is coming later this year to PS3 and unlike 360 it will most likely be region free so for you PS3 owners that have a lack of shooters this is one to import for sure. Its developed by 5pb which could be a reason why its coming to PS3 unlike the other CAVE games which were done directly by them; hence the resaon why Ketsui is not in Cave Collection coming out later this year on 360. Personally I think the game is good, but I think most of the other Cave games are a little better. The scoring system in the game is kinda whack and takes some getting used to and 1CC the game is quite a challenge so that's good for replay value.

http://www.siliconera.com/2013/03/18/cave-shooter-ketsui-is-shooting-its-way-to-playstation-3/

[Mantiskilla]

Well time for some FANTASTIC news! Cave announced that the new Dodonpachi Saidaioujou game which comes out May 30th will indeed be region free. Already have the game preordered but I also own a japanese 360, but for shooter fans who don't this is great news for international fans for sure. Better save some coin though as the standard game is $74 on Play-Asia. If your lucky you might still be able to find a site that has the Limited or Super Limited Edition but those will both set you back between $100-$150

[Mantiskilla]

Time for some more news for fellow shooter, shump, STG fans out there. For starters last week the new Cave shooter Dodonpachi Saidaioujou came out along with the 10th anniversary edition of Shooting Love. XIIZeal & DeltaZeal (both Region Free) for XB360. I was able to get my hands of the Limited Edition of Saidaioujou as I didn't want to drop $200 on the Super Limited Edition in which you really didn't get that much more in stuff. I have some pics of the contents below

Box Art - Front
[SPOILER-BOX]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f125/Mantiskilla78/20130603_100203_zps978ffbf0.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/Mantiskilla78/media/20130603_100203_zps978ffbf0.jpg.html)[/SPOILER-BOX]

Box Art - Back
[SPOILER-BOX]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f125/Mantiskilla78/20130603_100314_zpsd5a97cc7.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/Mantiskilla78/media/20130603_100314_zpsd5a97cc7.jpg.html)[/SPOILER-BOX]

Box Sleeve
[SPOILER-BOX]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f125/Mantiskilla78/20130603_100623_zps59a03e7b.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/Mantiskilla78/media/20130603_100623_zps59a03e7b.jpg.html)[/SPOILER-BOX]

Contents - Art Book is hardcover and Game Box is Steelcased
[SPOILER-BOX]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f125/Mantiskilla78/20130603_100934_zpsfc07d7ee.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/Mantiskilla78/media/20130603_100934_zpsfc07d7ee.jpg.html)[/SPOILER-BOX]

In other news UFO announced that Mamoru-Kun Curse is coming to the West on PS3 on July 20th. This game will be a digital download only which is disappointing b/c the retail box for the game was pretty nice, but the price tag will only be $20 so if you haven't played this game yet I highly suggest it especially if you were ever a big fan of the Pocky & Rocky series back on SNES. Lets hope UFO or Moss decide to bring Caladrius over as that game ended up being region locked

http://www.siliconera.com/2013/05/31/mamorukun-curse-flies-onto-playstation-3-this-july-for-20/

Last but not least is the Escathos/Ginga Force 2-Pack for 360 which should be releasing very soon from Qute. Both of these games are kinda lost in the shuffle but they are both (especially Escathos) are pretty fun games. If you really want to save money this is the way to go as buying the games individually if you buy "before wonder price cover" games they'll set you back right now about $90 apiece. Play-Asia currently has the game for preorder and both games are region free

http://www.play-asia.com/Ginga_Force_Eschatos_Wonder_Pack-paOS-13-71-br-49-en-70-6ktd.html

Whew long update and I know I forgot some stuff (like Reflex doing Kickstarter for there 3 shooter games) but I'll get to that next time around. Until next time Happy Shooting!

[Xefi]

^ nice. that Dodonpachi Saidaioujou game looks very good. kind of sad the game not
coming to NA, I would have bought it and support it. also, the art looks very familiar
to the Ar Tonelico games. I guess it's from the same artist.

I look up a video of the gameplay. damn...it's looking pretty HOT. I just don't like importing
and playing the game in Japanese much. English sub would have been nice...oh well.

Mr. Mantis having so much SHUMP games. wish I live close by your house and drop by and play some SHUMP...lol.
I heard Dodonpachi Saidaioujou is hard as hell. that's bullet hell for ya. :P


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rErySOfCT_0

[Mantiskilla]

@Xefi.

Yeah my library is a good size, but not like from some people I've seen who do videos on YouTube and such. While you may not like importing you would still support Cave by doing so. Language barrier or not its still got enough content to be worth it and its region free so that's great.

Not gonna lie I'm kinda rusty since I've taken a break from shooters for a bit; however, that being said yeah this one feels like it goes back to its roots with difficulty rating being more along the lines of Donpachi and Dodonpachi from the old Arcade/Sega Saturn/PS1 days. It's pretty enjoyable but all ive really done is sample each game mode thus far.

They did add quite a few bells and whistles to the game like a challenge mode, a gallery in which you use coins to buy pictures, wallpapers (for game background), different game options, and even a new character/ship type.

I guess as an excuse to have the Idols have different clothing the difficulty level is based on which outfit you choose for them to wear when selecting your character/ship type. Go figure normal they have on a full outfit, hard they were skimpy skirts and such, and for Ultra they are in swimsuits. Only in Japan I swear, haha. Lots of replay value I for this game though so I'm looking forward to it

[Xefi]

http://www.play-asia.com/paOScore/19-71-br-49-en-15-Dodonpachi+Saidaioujou.html

I just check out the pricing and thinking of getting the game too. the regular edition
goes for $69.90 and the limited edition goes for $133.90. is it even worth getting the
limited? i'm not sure what's in the limited edition. oh yeah, how's the menus in the
game? is it like in English at least? :S

and told ya man. sex/fanservice sells...mostly in them Japanese anime games and stuff...lol.

EDIT: ha ha ha....forgot that this game is also rated "E" for everyone even though you get to get
skimpy outfit and stuffs for the girls. ha ha ha...I just got to laugh hard on that part. "E" for everyone, ok? :P

EDIT2: oops, my bad. it's 12+ for the age. I must be reading something else. doh...

[Mantiskilla]

Well the pictures above are what you get with the Limited Edition of the game. The regular edition is just the game and nothing else. Here's the breakdown

Regular Edition
Game Only (Standard 360 Case and box art is different; kinda plain)

Limited Editon (The one i pictured above)
B5 Size Sleeved Box
Steelbook Game Case
B6 Size Artbook (hardcover)
Arrange Soundtrack

Super Limited Edition
A4 Size Lid Open Box
Steelbook Game Case
A4 Size Artbook (hardcover) - A4 Size is pretty big if you don't know already
Arcade Cabnet Instruction Card
Graphic Stickers (3 sheets A4 size)
Arrange and Original Arcade Soundtrack

[Mantiskilla]

UPDATE TIME FELLOW SHUMP FANS!

Crimzon Clover World Ignition comes out on June 6th to Steam. Probably one of the best PC shumps to come out in the last couple years. Its basically the arcade version which is an an improved version of the retail game after the 1.02 patch that was hard to get a few years ago. Looking forward to playing it that's for sure but my retail version will just have to be put away now. Ah well. If interested here is the link for the Steam store

http://store.steampowered.com/app/285440/

Also for those who were interested in Caldurius for 360 but never got a chance to import it and play (it was region locked) there is some great news. The game finally got a release date for the PS3 version of the game. It comes out this August and the game of course will have some added modes to the game. With the game being region free it might be a good time to import if it was still on your radar. Here is a link for Play-Asia but there are other sites taking preorders for it as well. Was kinda hoping that Moss would do a localization of this game but alas I don't think it will happen anytime soon

Standard Edition - http://www.play-asia.com/caladrius-blaze-paOS-13-49-en-70-7km5.html

Limited Edition - http://www.play-asia.com/caladrius-blaze-limited-edition-paOS-13-49-en-70-7knf.html

[Xefi]

^ nice. both games looking pretty awesome to be honest. i'm definitely wanted to get
that Caldurius for the ps3 for sure if it ever gets localized.

and also picking up Crimzon Clover some time down the line. :D