Shmups

[geldra]

Loving X-multiply. Though i’m still struggling to get past level 2.

 

Edit: just did it!

 

Was having a look at some screenshots of Image Fight, is the player ship the R9 but from a top down view? 

[Klatrymadon]

Nah, it's a different ship called the OF-1. It appeared in R-Type Final as the "OF-1 Daedalus" and had a whole class of ships derived from it. Well done, btw! 

 

Image Fight is brilliant too - another ruthless memoriser, but extremely rewarding I think. It's great that they are both available on Switch now, since the last (and only other) time X-Multiply was ported to a home console it was bundled with Image Fight. 

[Marlew]

Playing DDP Resurrection for a September high score competition over on the Cane and Rinse forum (Mods - I assume it's OK to mention that, I don't work for them or anything.) and finding it so much deeper than when I first picked it up and gave it a few hours playing for survival.

 

The various styles are really really different in terms of hypers and combos and they genuinely change your routes and approach. Finding I also want to launch my stick through the telly at times, though. Having played a lot of DOJ recently, I'm still finding the DFK hit boxes and laser aura and movement speed and everything don't feel quite right. They might be identical for all I know but I don't feel like I have the same, well, feel for the ship yet. I reckon I'll end up with my usual strategy of spending ages on the first couple of stages and then burning myself out. 

 

If anyone wants to join in, it's only just started, by the way. 

[geldra]

I notice Strikers 1999 is up on the Japan Switch eshop as well as a hori shooter that I don’t know the name of but it’s from Intra games. Looks decent. 

 

A 30 second google tells me that it’s called Grand Brix Shooter (and it’s already out in the UK). 

[Revival]

Wow, It's actually going to be released...

 

https://qute.co.jp/【blog】ゲームの報告・ヘルスケアシステム/

 

Quote

First of all, I would like to report on a game for XboxOne. This is not a concrete content, so it will be a blog announcement rather than a formal press release.

The “Natsuki Chronicle” title for XboxOne, which has been postponed for a long time, will be developed and will be released around the end of the year.

Specific release dates and delivery formats are under consideration with related parties, and will be announced as soon as they are determined. The important game content will be shown from late September or around October.

 

Due to repeated deferrals, we have been inconvenienced by the people who have been expecting us

 

 

The game will be revealed late September/October with a tentative release date of the end of the year.

 

Not bad for a title that started in 2014 and has been delayed five times.

 

[Klatrymadon]

Great news, eh! Eschatos and Ginga Force are two of the best shmups of the last decade IMO, and this looked very much cut from the same cloth in the few promo clips that were around...

 

[Camel]

Amazing scenes.

[spatular]

deathsmiles 1/2 are having new ports to unknown formats (switch?/ps4?), good news! (hope the ports are good/shame it's not M2 shottriggers)

[Sane]

Deathsmiles is amazing and #perfectforswitch. Please don't mess it up.

[Marlew]

City Connection are doing the port, same folk who did the Psyvariar Delta ports and that was blinding. Think it's in good hands. Not mad about Deathsmiles to be honest because I find the character designs a bit much but very excited by the prospect of 'collection #1' which bodes very very well. Espgaluda collection. Mushihimesama collection! DODONPACHI COLLECTION! 

 

I actually do live in hope. Seems the giant is stirring. 

[Stoikovich]

I enjoyed Deathsmiles 1, even managed multiple 1CC’s once I got used to scoring etc.  Be great if a DS1+2 pack comes out.

[spatular]

Another thing I saw on the shmups forum...some of the cave iOS games are now working on later versions of iOS, I re-downloaded dodonpachi maximum, dfk, doj, and Deathsmiles.

[Klatrymadon]

Just watching some footage of a full run through Darius MD, the upcoming Mega Drive Mini port. Everything seems to look, sound and feel right. It's a phenomenal achievement, so I really hope the hardware itself is up to snuff. 

 

Nice to see Tough Spring is in there, too. This means at least some of the content from the PC Engine versions has made it over - hopefully most of the Super Darius boss roster.

 

Edit: ah, there are 26 bosses, so it is the full Super Darius team.

[Marlew]

A few things:

 

- Following Gus's incredible Futari Ultra runs at Stunfest 2019, he's been accepted to AGDQ 2020 to run Futari Ultra 1.01. I watched him clear it on stream over the weekend and talking about GDQ. He seems excited and quite nervous. It's a pretty big thing for the shmup community, I reckon. Rare to have such a high profile platform to show off the genre.

 

- STG Builder is coming to the Switch with an English patch by the end of the year, as well as a couple of games made in it, Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo and Graze Counter. Really looking forward to it.

 

- Somewhat inspired by watching Futari Ultra runs, I've been playing a bit of Futari BL God Mode. One of the most amazing and alluring things about Futari, and the reason I bought a 360 and imported it, is the spectacular bullet cancels. As pleased as I was to 1CC Original Mode, I've always felt like I've only scratched the surface of what really drew me to the game. Turns out that BL God Mode is quite a bit easier than 1.01 Ultra but it's an incredibly good fun mode with lots of the truly spectacular scoring tricks and full screen cancels. This is definitely my next main game, I'm having a blast with it. Stage 3 is my limit for now but I'm making steady improvements.

[spatular]

1 hour ago, Stanshall said:

It's a pretty big thing for the shmup community, I reckon. Rare to have such a high profile platform to show off the genre.

 

yeah that's great, it's the sort of thing i definitely think they should include as the skills/dedication shown is similar, but i believe they've been resistant to including shmups in the past becuse score runs usually take longer due to boss milking and stuff so it sort of goes against the name of the whole thing.

 

mecha ritz is ace too. as is futari, manic mode was my favorite, and similarly BL maniac is a bit easier than in 1.5.

 

been playing that new darius on the MD mini, it's pretty fun, managed to finish it..but only with the easy ship on arcade mode.

[Count Buffalos]

On 19/09/2019 at 03:15, spatular said:

Another thing I saw on the shmups forum...some of the cave iOS games are now working on later versions of iOS, I re-downloaded dodonpachi maximum, dfk, doj, and Deathsmiles.

 

Have these games given gamepad support too? I bough Danmaku Unlimited 3 earlier and was disappointed to find out that it’s touch controls only.

[spatular]

No idea sorry.

[Count Buffalos]

Cool. It’s surprisingly difficult to find out.

[Marlew]

I've been hammering Futari Black Label God Mode for the last few days and feel like I'm connecting with it like nothing I've played before in the genre. I absolutely adore it, the music, the colours, the weird playful atmosphere and the overwhelming, addictive intensity of point blanking and bullet cancelling as late as I possibly can. Anyone played much of this mode? I can massively recommend it. 

[Marlew]

Apologies for more Futari posts but I've exhausted my scoring strats on God Mode Stage One after a lazy weekend and a day off ill. What a game this is. This is about as well as I can play with consistency. I try to push the scoring here without relying on flukes and so it's reasonably the best I can do. 

 

 

 

[rafaqat]

I watched that back at 0.25 speed and I still don't know how you found a space in amongst all those bullets at 29 seconds in.

[Marlew]

Hehe, thanks. I never thought to do that! Yeah, that cancel looks pretty much one pixel from doom and the midboss cancel isn't too far off. Can't tell you how many times I died a few pixels too late, mind you...Second half I played a bit safer so probably more points available even with these strats (my HS is 268m with a death and several unrepeatable flukes) but I'll take this run as one I could replicate with some consistency. 

[sid]

Thanks for the x-multiply recommendation, it is excellent!

[spanky debrest]

X-Multiply is so good - but I never did finish it back when I was playing it. I'm a huge fan but find it so tough I'd only consider playing a proper port of it rather than use MAME.

 

Recently though I've been in the mood for Hellfire - specifically the Japanese version of the Mega Drive port, and have had a credit on it now and then over the past week, learning it again. I used to play it back when it was fresh and could get to the very end boss without breaking a sweat (despite not owning my own copy) - but never did regain my skills...

 

..UNTIL TONIGHT - when I finished the first loop for the first time - and without losing a single life.

 

It's taken the best part of thirty years but I finally saw that credit sequence legitimately AND almost did the second loop too on the same credit (making it to the final final boss, dying and then never managing to get past the final stream of battleships with the default peashooter to face him again). Anyway, t'was a hell of a thrill and that second loop is way tougher (many more faster enemies and faster, more numerous bullets). I started loop 2 with near 20-odd lives banked and steadily spent them all getting spanked by surprise bullets. In any case I'm not done with this game and feel pretty confident right now that I should be able 1CC it on Hard Mode seeing as I almost clocked that second loop first try.

 

On another note I've been really loving Darius MD (the dumped ROM from the Mega Drive Mini) - WOW is it something special indeed. It's tough as hell and only records your scores if you play on the insanely hard default difficulty level but there's something really magical about how it hangs together; the atmosphere, the Out Run-esque choice of progression at the end of every stage, the hidden menus (inc. sound test) unlocked by simple UP and DOWN combos on the Options screen, the Boss Rush mode, the simple cruelty of its enemy patterns and casual ease of death. The music quality straight up outclasses the OG arcade version for my ears and I can't wait until someone rips it in VGM form; it might be the aspect I enjoy the most.

 

I think it's utterly magnificent despite being sadistically bastard hard. What a game.

[Lovelyman]

I had hellfire. It was less flashy than some of the other games but it was so good. 

 

Would pay for a decent switch version. 

[Marlew]

Ghost Blade HD came out for the Switch yesterday, 20% off for the first week or so. I'm not a massive fan, I find the hitbox unconvincing/unexpected, but it's a decent Cave lite effort to hold Switch folk over til ESP.Ra.De in December. I already have it on PS4 but happy to support the genre for less than a tenner. 

[PikaStu]

Is anyone playing Sturmwind EX? I was excited as hell to find it was available on Steam (and everything else) as I adored the Dreamcast game.

 

It’s... well... a bit underwhelming really?! I can’t put my finger on it, maybe I just need to spend more time with it. Looks stunning though...

[Marlew]

13 minutes ago, StoooTube said:

Is anyone playing Sturmwind EX? I was excited as hell to find it was available on Steam (and everything else) as I adored the Dreamcast game.

 

It’s... well... a bit underwhelming really?! I can’t put my finger on it, maybe I just need to spend more time with it. Looks stunning though...

 

I was up for it on Switch based on the aesthetics but a couple of reviews and bit of footage and I was a big nehhh. Just waiting for Esp.Ra.De and Mecha Ritz Steel Rondo ports at this point. Both December, I believe. Also, Cave's YT channel seems to be a bit busier of late. I feel like the beast is stirring. Longtime shmup fans are probably way past such optimism but what with the DS collection and more to follow, plus the Switch shmup renaissance...well, dare to dream before live and learn. 

[PikaStu]

Seeing some Cave releases on Switch would be awesome, but I’d also like more Steam ports so I can play them on my arcade cabinet. 

[spanky debrest]

On 19/11/2019 at 20:09, StoooTube said:

Is anyone playing Sturmwind EX? I was excited as hell to find it was available on Steam (and everything else) as I adored the Dreamcast game.

 

It’s... well... a bit underwhelming really?! I can’t put my finger on it, maybe I just need to spend more time with it. Looks stunning though...

 

In my case I just cant find the excitement for this reissue. If I didn't have the original or a Dreamcast I might be into the idea but it just seems a bit..redundant? I never managed to make too much progress on it anyway, finding it really exceptionally difficult only a few levels in.

 

On another note entirely I've continued to push my Mega Drive Hellfire obsession and have now 1CC'd it on Hard and 1CC'd the 3rd loop on Easy - feats completely unimaginable to me only a few weeks ago. Time seems to stand still when I play it and the flow of the level designs just really work for me; the thrill level builds and stays consistent throughout even with numerous deaths and the unpopular mechanic of being sent back to an even earlier checkpoint if death occurs quickly after starting again. I'm convinced this is in here to allow more power-ups to be gained rather than just being needlessly cruel for the sake of it.

 

By comparison I still find the supposedly 'beginner' shooter staple Thunderforce III rock hard to the point of being off-putting - I never managed to get my head around that one for some reason. When Game Over pops up all too quickly it really is game over - I'm just not interested in playing anymore.