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Post by dsparil on Jun 13, 2022 13:23:21 GMT -5
Yeah, they don't have many specifics in common aside from the orientation. The only time they definitively listed it as part of the series was in the intro to Gradius Galaxies which includes a parade of the previous games. The bonus DVD to Gradius V also includes it in a History of Gradius section, but that also has Parodius games in it. It's more of a piece of weird trivia to start arguments đ
Edit: Two side things:
Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium is including Side Arms under the title "Hyper Dyne Side Arms". I believe this is the first unambiguous inclusion of "Hyper Dyne" in the title. Except there's a curveball in that the Japanese title is still Side Arms! Well, in katakana anyway. I don't think Capcom even knows what the game is really called anymore.
On a less silly note, the next game is Spiral Wave which is a very text heavy rail shooter so it might a little bit until the next game. I already had to restart because I didn't try to translate it and I got stuck. It's a bit tough to machine translate because of all the sci-fi trappings, but maybe it'll be more manageable with a dictionary. There's some translation tools on GitHub since it seems like someone did try to create one six years ago, and hopefully I'll be able to work from a dump instead of trying to decipher the font. Worse case scenario is my hiragana and katakana penmanship improves from all the writing into Papago. It's a translation app from the Korean company Naver so it's better for Korean, but it accepts written input which is nice.
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Post by excelsior on Jun 13, 2022 21:03:31 GMT -5
Yeah, they don't have many specifics in common aside from the orientation. The only time they definitively listed it as part of the series was in the intro to Gradius Galaxies which includes a parade of the previous games. The bonus DVD to Gradius V also includes it in a History of Gradius section, but that also has Parodius games in it. It's more of a piece of weird trivia to start arguments đ I think that Gradius being originally planned to be a follow up to Scramble makes it a relevant footnote anyway. There's a Gradius V history DVD? Is the footage available online?
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Post by dsparil on Jun 14, 2022 3:33:58 GMT -5
There's a Gradius V history DVD? Is the footage available online? It's mostly just game footage picked from a DVD menu. The interesting bit is a brief interview with the director of V. The only video on YouTube is fairly blurry, but the subtitles are legible enough. The Japanese version is supposed to have come with a more feature filled DVD, but I can't find much about it.
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Post by dsparil on Jun 17, 2022 14:23:58 GMT -5
Spiral WaveDeveloper Gingham Soft Publisher Media Rings Format HuCard Release (JP) December 13, 1991 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Low to Moderate Looping No Continue System Passwords and saved games Gingham Softâs Spiral Wave has a volume of text that would put some RPGs of the era to shame. The story unfolds over dozens of worlds in multiple star systems, and hardly a stage goes by without extensive dialogue with a wide variety of characters each having a unique portrait. The downside is that the story is impenetrable without significant language knowledge, and the sci-fi vocabulary makes machine translation fraught. The rail shooter gameplay is also simple with very easy to dodge attacks but difficult to hit enemies due the the play fieldâs rather extreme perspective. This makes it difficult to accumulate the energy required to move between locations and purchase new ships. Despite this, the game is still enjoyable but is also in great need of fan translation. Approximate Hitbox
One of the very nice things is that this game supports saves via CD-ROMÂČ in addition to text passwords. That makes it a lot easier to puzzle your way through the travel order without burning through all your energy. This is mostly a straightforward game to finish without understanding almost all of it, but there's a part towards the end that isn't as clear. I'll spoiler the rough path: There's a system where you'll get dialogue with a portrait that's just static. Battles in this system never stop. I went to every planet, and then I think at that point I could warp to a new system. In that one, you talk to some kind of space fairy and have to solve a sort of maze involving the order of planets traveled to. If you go to the right place, your android companion says something really short, but if it's the wrong place the player character talks a bit more and says to start over at the first system. Once the maze is finished, you can't go anywhere and have to move back a system, fight a battle since they don't stop and then move back one more system. You'll get a long dialogue, then have to warp to the infinite battle system, and then back to the maze system. At this point, the maze is gone and you can explore the system normally.
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Post by dsparil on Jun 19, 2022 7:25:11 GMT -5
R-Type Complete CDDeveloper Irem Publisher Irem Format Super CD-ROMÂČ Release (JP) December 20, 1991 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Moderate to High Looping No Continue System Checkpoints, unlimited continues from start of level A little over three and a half years after the release of Hudsonâs R-Type Part-2, Japanese PCE fans finally received a combined release with Iremâs own R-Type Complete CD. Since Hudson faithfully translated the original gameâs graphics and filled in the obvious gameplay gap, the lack of a proper boss in the sixth level, Irem instead transformed the game into more of a multimedia experience with an overt storyline and new music taking inspiration from pop culture rather than simply reproducing the arcade gameâs music like Super Darius. The downside is that while there are many cutscenes, they are lacking aesthetically. Their addition gives Complete CD a leg up over the earlier release, but R-Type Dimensions is still the best way to play the game today. Approximate Hitbox
Between the HuCard and CD versions, this is the version to play unless you really hate the music. I kinda like it, but it's a bit eclectic and doesn't fit the mood of the game. I think the final boss could be a smidge toned down, but I'm not 100% sure. I also slightly updated the original entry to reflect two corrections. Hudson internally developed the HuCard game which I saw on Shmuplations, but Irem seems to have developed and published this one themselves as Hudson doesn't have any copyright notices on the title screen. The HuCard Part-1 also only loops once, and Part-2 doesn't loop at all.
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Post by dsparil on Jun 20, 2022 9:13:57 GMT -5
Dragon Saber â After Story of Dragon SpiritDeveloper Now Production Publisher Namco Format HuCard Release (JP) December 27, 1991 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Low to Moderate Looping No Continue System Checkpoints with upgrades lost, 3 continues The arcade Dragon Saber is an improvement over Dragon Spirit in all areas. The multi-headed dragon form is deemphasized with the addition of several new weapons that do not increase the player size. A new autocharging shot was added with each weapon having its own attack. The graphics are also greatly improved from the use of the newer Namco System 2 board. The PCE port includes the new gameplay elements, and the graphics are also an improvement over the systemâs port of Dragon Spirit. However, there is a dullness to the game which does not exist in the original. The arcade game was built around new effects possible with the new hardware which the PCE had no way of replicating. Without them, there is a general hollowness to the experience. Approximate Hitbox
Basically, this has the same problem as Ordyne which ran on the same arcade board. Graphics aren't everything, but they're still something and they made up for gameplay that's a bit lacking in my opinion. The site's article says that this version is easier than the arcade game so the alternative is that the difficulty was decreased in a way also made it a little boring. I didn't compare the arcade game to this as closely as I would have liked due to some emulation issues so I'll have to take its word on that. It's also not part of the Arcade Archives series unlike the first game which does emphasize the article's point that this is a somewhat ignored game. Edit: A little under a month after I posted this, Dragon Saber was in fact released as an entry in the Arcade Archives series! So play that instead.
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Post by dsparil on Jun 21, 2022 9:46:44 GMT -5
Space Fantasy ZoneDeveloper NEC Avenue Publisher NEC Avenue Format CD-ROMÂČ Release (JP) Unreleased, Likely 1991 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Low Looping No Continue System Single life, no continues NEC Avenueâs Space Fantasy Zone would have been a more than worthy successor to their excellent port of Space Harrier had it been released. It retains the smooth gameplay of the earlier game and mixes in Fantasy Zone derived elements like a between level shop with both permanent and temporary upgrades. The game also requires fairly aggressive play as shop prices are high and enemy wave elimination bonuses along with quick boss defeats are the key to gaining money. Itâs unclear why NEC Avenue ended up canceling the game despite it essentially being completed barring a few minor fixes. Several hypotheses exist, but the most believable is that Sega did not allow the game to be released once their own CD peripheral was close to completion. Approximate Hitbox
The other two potential roadblocks I've seen proposed is that the game wasn't good enough in some way or simply from the nature of the gameplay. My issue with these two reasons is that they contradict Sega's own actions. NEC's Space Harrier is definitely better performing than Sega's Space Harrier II, and Sega was also fine releasing their own port of the first Space Harrier for 32X several years later. That's why I see the Mega-CD / Sega CD as the real reason since I highly doubt Sega would have wanted a new game based on one of their own properties on a competing system in a format they were about to start using. Sega has made so many weird decisions over the years so who knows what really happened. I've also seen some suggestions that the game isn't fully completed, but the version on Hidden Palace definitely is. The only bug I saw was that screen can get weird when you die during a boss battle, but that also doesn't always happen. It's playable from start to finish, has full music for every stage, and there's even a cute ending. Maybe there's an earlier build also floating around, but I never saw one.
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Post by dsparil on Jun 22, 2022 11:26:06 GMT -5
Adventure Baron Don: The Lost Sunheart ćéșç·ç”ăăł The Lost SunheartDeveloper Manjyudo Publisher IâMax Format HuCard Release (JP) January 4, 1992 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Low to Moderate Looping No Continue System Start of level with permanent upgrades kept, 3 continues Adventure Baron Don: The Lost Sunheart is the story heavy epic Rock-On attempted to be. Stages have dialogue scenes between them, and text telling the player to âPush button to next pageâ along with âSunheart Arcâ appearing after starting a new game gives this the feeling of a playable manga. The enemy graphics are heavy on cyclops and eyeballs, but the cartoony style make them come across as a themed villainous army in a shĆnen adventure rather than something unsettling. The gameplay is also solid and features permanently acquired secondary weapons selected from a menu in addition to a traditional main weapon needing powering up. Sadly, Manjyudoâs exit from game development made this the only volume in their potential series. Approximate Hitbox
First, a note on the title, the placement of the text elements on the cover and title screen make it seem that Adventure Baron is a position or title held by the main character Don. Just noting that since I saw an English translation as Adventures of Baron Don which doesn't fit grammatically. The text that translates to Sunheart Arc is also sometimes added into the title, but that isn't correct. Second, a note on the hitbox. There's actually at least four differently shaped player sprites throughout the game, but they all seem to use the same hitbox which lines up with the initial sprite. Anyway, that this would be a series is completely speculation on my part, but it really gives off that impression. Before they stopped game development, Manjyudo was making an Earthbound inspired and Tokyo set game named Blade Land published by the generically titled Japan Soft Sales. JSS was actually a renamed Big Club! BC was the publisher of Manjyudo's first two games, and GDRI notes that the Manjyudo games' producer ran BC/JSS but their source for this doesn't seem to actually say that. They do link to a magazine scan with a preview of Blade Land which notes that it's JSS's second game. I can only find JSS in relation to Blade Land so it's a bit of a mystery what that game was unless it's a slightly incorrect reference to the Big Club games. A different company started to use the name in 1995, so the renamed company was short-lived. For Legend of Jinmu, I also suggested that Big Club was also a magazine due to a fan art contest, but I guess they just really wanted to get some fan mail.
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Post by dsparil on Jun 24, 2022 9:27:16 GMT -5
Gate of ThunderDeveloper Red Company Publisher Hudson Soft, TTI Format Super CD-ROMÂČ Release (JP) February 21, 1992 Release (US) October 10, 1992 (LA only), May 1993 (nine additional markets) Difficulty Low to Moderate Looping No Continue System Resurrect in place with current weapon powered down, Unlimited continues from start of level Redâs Gate of Thunder has a very strong opening level, but the rest of the game never quite reaches those highs again. The gameplay does have some positive qualities such as three selectable weapons and option ships which can freely have their direction changed, but the game is largely a generic sci-fi shooter albeit one with a rare for the time rock soundtrack. The gameâs small stage count also deprives it of some potential variety. Gate of Thunder was one of the six games included with the US TurboDuo and did not see a standalone release in the region. If considered as a pack-in, the gameâs shortcomings turn into strengths in a certain way. It shows off the platformâs most popular genre while also leaving the player wanting more. Approximate Hitbox
The TurboDuo came with a lot in there! Ys Book 1 & 2, a HuCard game, and a 4-in-1 CD with this along with the two Bonks and a hidden Bomberman. The timing was awful though since the TD launched in LA only at the same time as the Sega CD did nationally; that came with a lot packed in too, but Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective is no match for Ys. There's an EGM that says it was launching in LA and NY, but that seems to have gotten reduced. I wondered if the modern LA-only launch was an incorrect bit of info that spread, but this post on the PC Engine Software Bible's forum has some scans of correspondence with Turbo Technologies, Inc. (a new company founded by Hudson and NEC to handle the TG16 in the US when the Duo launched) that does say it only launched in LA with nine more markets in May of 1993. So you could get a Duo in a whopping ten metro areas in the US! It's a little bit of a sad read since there's a fair number of letters also including ones with a game distributor, and you can really see some of the optimism of early '93 drain away by '95.
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Post by dsparil on Jun 28, 2022 12:39:09 GMT -5
Itâs Parodius! âFrom Myth to Laughterâ ăăăăŁăŠăčă ïŒ ïŒç„話ăăăçŹăăžïŒDeveloper Konami Publisher Konami Format HuCard Release (JP) February 21, 1992 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Moderate to High Looping Yes Continue System Checkpoints with upgrades lost, 4 continues The first widely available game in Konamiâs parodic Gradius spinoff, Itâs Parodius! hides bitterly difficult gameplay underneath a cuteâemâup exterior. Four characters are available with three having their upgrades taken from a Gradius entry and Twin Beeâs inspired by its namesake series. In addition to a barrage of bullets in most levels, power ups can also be fraught if they activate the roulette mode which can potentially remove all upgrades. The fantastic graphics make it a challenge worth pushing through but perhaps not on the PCE. Two of the original arcade gameâs levels have been cut although a score attack mode with multiple final bosses has been added. In comparison, the SFC port features every level and an extra plus its own score attack mode. Approximate Hitboxes
The PCE port was actually the first to use an 8Mb HuCard. The weird thing is that the SFC/SNES port also uses an 8Mb cart but managed to have 11 levels versus 8. The simple answer is probably that Konami put more effort into the SFC port. The SNES also uses bitplanes instead of bitmaps to store graphics. Those can hypothetically save on storage space, and this seems like a situation where it potentially did. This was a very expensive game on PCE at „9800 (that seems to be around where they topped out), and I would have been a little mad to pay so much and not even get the full game.
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Post by dsparil on Jun 30, 2022 8:22:30 GMT -5
Here Comes!! TwinBee ćșăăȘ!! TwinBeeDeveloper Konami Publisher Konami Format HuCard Release (JP) February 28, 1992 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Low to Moderate Looping Yes Continue System Resurrect in place with upgrades lost, 3 continues by default Konamiâs fourth PCE release in as many months, Here Comes!! TwinBee is pure cuteâemâup with none of the risquĂ© elements of its sibling Parodius. As the fifth game in the series, this entry is somewhat of a reboot after a string of Nintendo exclusive titles following the original arcade game. The core mechanics were kept which include Xevious inspired dual plane gameplay and the signature bell mechanic for power ups. A generous helping of personality and characters were added which proved popular enough to create a wide ranging multimedia franchise. As a port, the PCE game holds onto the spirit of the graphics, and the loss of the vertical orientation is not as significant as in other games. However one stage was cut making the arcade game the preferable version. Approximate Hitbox
This was the final HuCard release from Konami which put out such a fast stream of them after ignoring the system for so long. There were five CD releases afterward at a much slower pace only the first of which was a shooter. Fun fact about this port is that it was the first released game that Koji Igarashi worked on for Konami. Prior to it, he was in their educational software division working on a project that ended up canceled. It is a good a port overall, but Konami also cheaped out a bit and used a 4Mb HuCard. A 6Mb card would have allowed them to include everything and even throw in some extras. It's the cut content really holding this back more than anything. The arcade game has nicer graphics, but they're not that much nicer.
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Post by dsparil on Jul 6, 2022 7:51:59 GMT -5
Toilet KidsDeveloper Bits Laboratory Publisher Media Rings Format HuCard Release (JP) March 6, 1992 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Low Looping No Continue System Resurrect in place with upgrades lost, 3 continues from start of level Perhaps showing their more mercenary nature as a contract developer, Bits Laboratoryâs Toilet Kids is a highly scatologically themed cuteâemâupâif the term even appliesâclearly designed for children that like gross out humor. The game is directly based on Xeviousâs gameplay particularly its sequels as it features the improved expanding bombing reticle introduced in a later entry. Likewise, power ups are very scarce especially in the first half of the gameâs four levels. While it is roughly the standard length, the small number of levels greatly cuts down on graphical variety as does the frequent enemy reuse. Toilet Kids does have some value as an introduction to Xeviousâs gameplay, but its one note graphical focus may be too off putting for some. Approximate Hitbox
Almost all of Bits Laboratory's work on the HuCard side was shooters, but their CD work was more eclectic so they're only going to show up one more time as this was their last HuCard. I think mercenary is the right word for their attitude since their work ranges from Super Darius to an unlicensed eroge RPG for Games Express, an outfit that only released unlicensed eroge. It isn't clear if that game, Hi-Leg Fantasy, was "officially" a Bits project, but GE managed to pull a few people in at least.
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Post by dsparil on Jul 7, 2022 9:37:28 GMT -5
Paradise! Great Wizard of the Middle Kingdom 愔愜!äžèŻć€§ä»Developer Daiei Manufacturing Publisher Taito Format HuCard Release (JP) March 13, 1992 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Low to Moderate Looping No Continue System Checkpoints with upgrades lost, 2 continues Paradise! Great Wizard of the Middle Kingdom is more of a sequel than a port of the original arcade game known as Cloud Master in English language ports. The original game is a simplistic cuteâemâup based on Chinese mythology and culture. This game adds in the ability to change your horizontal facing with enemies coming from both sides and the all-new bosses using both sides of the screen. Since the original is from 1988, the graphics are fairly similar to the source with some sprites seeing enhancements and the backgrounds retaining their painterly qualities. While the gameplay is not complex, the charming graphics alone are enough to carry the title, and the substantial reworking of the game makes this worth playing in light of the original. Approximate Hitbox
As I noted in the game finish thread, Paradise! Chinese Great Wizard is the literal meaning of the title, but that doesn't sound as good as the site's more interpretive translation.
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Post by dsparil on Jul 12, 2022 6:59:45 GMT -5
Hawk F-123Developer Make Software Publisher Pack-in-Video Format Super CD-ROMÂČ Release (JP) March 13, 1992 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Low to Moderate Looping No Continue System Resurrect in place with upgrades collectable, 3 continues from start of level Make Softwareâs sequel to Power Gate is an improvement over the earlier game but not in every way. Being a CD game, the music and graphics are improved but so is the basic gameplay. The power up system is expanded significantly with three weapons available and option ships changed from a special attack to regular pick ups. On the other hand, the level design does take a bit of a step down with more of the levels being basic designs albeit with more visually interesting backgrounds. The first gameâs bizarre hitbox has also been strangely carried forward. Like Power Gate, Hawk F-123 largely requires the player to intrinsically value the modern setting, and wonât change the minds of anyone that found the original uninteresting. Approximate Hitbox
Again, I like this and Power Gate, but I can see where some of the cooler feelings come from. I would have liked the level design to have been improved, but graphics got the priority for this release.
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Post by dsparil on Jul 14, 2022 9:30:08 GMT -5
Psychic StormDeveloper Alfa System Publisher Telenet Format Super CD-ROMÂČ Release (JP) March 19, 1992 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Low Looping No Continue System Single life with health meter, 5 continues from start of level Alfa Systemâs Psychic Storm is a fairly standard game, but it brings some new features to the table. The most immediate is a selection of five different ships each with a different weapon although the ships themselves are palette swaps. Weapon upgrades are shared between all ships, doled out slowly and require multiple pickups so the power level is only maxed out towards the end of the game. Each character also has access to a unique and time limited transformation three times per level. The player is invincible while it is being used, and by default, the game will enable it when low on health. The large number of characters gives the game good gameplay variety while the lower altitude second halves of the level give it extra graphical variety too. Approximate Hitbox
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