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Post by excelsior on Aug 19, 2022 9:33:40 GMT -5
This game I actually only heard of for the first time with Shmup Junkie's PCE video and it caught my eye. Unfortunately it's a rare and expensive game and I guess must be largely unknown in general, but the theming really stands out to me - not just on PCE, but in the genre as a whole. I haven't played it much but I really appreciate the kitsch approach which is particularly resonant in it's introduction. I'll try to get to play it more down the line. Edit: I think I'm just going to burn some discs at some point for expensive CD based games including this one. They run without mods on the PCE which is nice. I've read it can damage the laser but I wonder if this is just fear mongering since it's how I've run fan translated games in the past without issue.
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Post by dsparil on Aug 19, 2022 10:06:42 GMT -5
This game I actually only heard of for the first time with Shmup Junkie's PCE video and it caught my eye. Unfortunately it's a rare and expensive game and I guess must be largely unknown in general, but the theming really stands out to me - not just on PCE, but in the genre as a whole. I haven't played it much but I really appreciate the kitsch approach which is particularly resonant in it's introduction. I'll try to get to play it more down the line. It does seem like an obscure game. I looked around for any kind of info and turned up nothing. 1992 is sort of past the age of the shooter because of fighting game boom with SFII so I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the 1992 games didn't sell well. I didn't expound upon it there, but Hudson was very half-heartedly committed to Soldier Blade to the point that it was initially a side project for the designer alongside a GB puzzle game. Don't look at the prices people want for TerraForming! I have my doubts any sell for that high, but I think it's funny that there's a forum post from ~15 years ago where someone says they're willing to go as high as $75 for it! Edit: I think it's possible that burned discs might put more wear on the drive from re-reads if the burn isn't the greatest. Slowest write speed and good quality media shouldn't cause any major issues in any case.
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Post by dsparil on Aug 23, 2022 7:49:26 GMT -5
God Panic — The Most Powerful Army Corps ゴッドパニック 至上最強軍団Developer Unclear or Teichiku Publisher Teichiku Format Super CD-ROM² Release (JP) November 27, 1992 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Low Looping Second loop Continue System Resurrect in place with life upgrades kept, 2 continues in place One of only three games published by a subsidiary of Teichiku Records, God Panic is a mishmash of disparate references in a cute-em-up shell without any cohesion. For instance, the first level features moonwalking moons and hammers dressed as MC Hammer without any overarching musical theme. There’s also some out of place risqué elements in a game that’s mostly suitable for children as if the developers couldn’t fully settle on a target audience. The gameplay itself is generally solid but basic and only features a single weapon. There is also a tweaked second loop featuring modified graphics giving the game an above average length. However, God Panic mainly feels like a game thrown together while there was still some life in the shooter market. Approximate Hitbox
GDRI lightly speculates that Sting might have actually developed this. I assume this is because Moby Games lists a few of the staffers as having worked on Sting games before and after this, but I think it's more likely that Teichiku convinced those people to work for them for a period before a few went back to Sting. I don't really care if a game is has adult elements or not, but I think that they should at least fully commit instead of throwing in three elements in what's otherwise a typical cute-em-up. The most interesting thing about this is actually the title. That's a direct translation of the title, but the interesting part for me is the "army corps" portion, 軍団 (gundan). That's a reference to the ritsuryo system of seventh and eighth century Japan and the army corps that existed at that time. Perhaps this was originally supposed to be historical and then morphed into something else entirely?
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Post by dsparil on Aug 26, 2022 11:11:02 GMT -5
Terra Cresta II — Mandler's Counterattack Terra Cresta II マンドラーの逆襲 Developer Make Software possibly with JSH Publisher Nihon Bussan Format HuCard Release (JP) November 27, 1992 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Moderate Looping No Continue System Resurrect in place with upgrades lost, unlimited continues from start of section The only proper game in the Cresta series to appear on the platform is also exclusive to it. The game retains its predecessor’s ship part upgrades and its split part formation mode. The formation editor originally from the NES port of Terra Cresta is included and expanded upon giving control of every formation size rather than only the largest. In terms of gameplay, Terra Cresta II is generally basic but bosses contain multiple phases some of which have interesting gameplay. The overall length is also quite long at nearly an hour and a half for a playthrough which might be too much for a game without any kind of saving or passwords. Aside from this, the only downside is the graphics which are fairly bland especially in comparison to sibling game Armed F. Approximate Hitbox
Since your ship is sort of mix and match, I only included the default initial part. However, unlike Terra Cresta, you hitbox doesn't seem to change. It stays centered on the portion representing the original ship. There also is a fairly simple code for level select (II+Run x 10 on the screen after the main menu, use left and right to choose a level), but there isn't a non-secret way to continue your game.
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Post by dsparil on Aug 31, 2022 10:50:20 GMT -5
NexzrDeveloper Kaneko Publisher Naxat Format Super CD-ROM² Release (JP) December 11, 1992 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Low to Moderate Looping No Continue System Checkpoints with upgrades lost, unlimited continues from start of level Kaneko’s Nexzr begins with a flashy opening stage, but like Gate of Thunder, the rest of the game never hits that high again. The game does feature a handful of impressive effects like the nicely animated homing laser, but the general graphical design is fairly bland and generic. The gameplay is also typical without any quirks. A few main weapons and secondary weapons are available, but there are no power levels and one of the secondary weapons is nearly useless. The level end bosses are also strangely the easiest part of the level and fall especially quickly to either of the homing weapons. The contemporaneous reception seems to have been harsher than its modern reputation, and aside from those few effects, there isn’t anything particular special about Nexzr. Approximate Hitbox
Nexzr is fine, but I do not understand why it thought of so highly these days. Like I put in the game finish thread, the Famitsu score was 7/5/5/5 which is a little harsher than what I'd rate it (6). It not not worth playing, but maybe put it at a low priority.
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Post by dsparil on Sept 1, 2022 8:22:32 GMT -5
Gradius II: Gofer's Ambition Gradius II: Goferの野望Developer Konami Publisher Konami Format Super CD-ROM² Release (JP) December 18, 1992 Release (US) Cancelled Difficulty Moderate to High Looping Yes Continue System Checkpoints with upgrades lost, unlimited continues from start of level A bit over a year after releases of Gradius and Salamander comes the proper sequel to the original. Unlike the port of Gradius, Gofer’s Ambition is not an enhanced port due to the arcade game running on more powerful hardware, but it does include a new level. The difficulty is also rebalanced compared to the arcade game, and the lower difficulties are a smoother experience. The addition of continues also makes it much easier to see a loop to completion although they are disabled by default. The main downside once again is slowdown. While less of an issue overall, it can be a problem especially when using one of the weapon load outs that includes the ripple laser. Despite this, Gradius II is the best and fairest game in the series to appear on the platform. Approximate Hitbox
This is easier than the arcade game, but the later parts of the game are still pretty hard. It also might have been my imagination that slowdown is worse with the ripple laser, but it does seem like something that'd use more system resources to display if you have four options.
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Post by dsparil on Sept 7, 2022 8:39:39 GMT -5
Image Fight II: Operation DeepstrikerDeveloper Irem Publisher Irem Format Super CD-ROM² Release (JP) December 18, 1992 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Moderate Looping No Continue System Checkpoints with upgrades lost, unlimited continues from start of level Image Fight II is largely an upgrade over the PCE port of the original. The graphics are substantially better, the difficulty is more even and it includes a sensible and obvious control scheme the original lacked as Type C or D in the options. Every mechanic returns including the option ships, forward weapon upgrades and the Image Fight “simulations” section where an overall destruction target must be hit across four stages to avoid a difficult Penalty Area. The downside is ironically in the art design. Outside of the simulation stages of 2 to 5, the remaining six tend to have bland backgrounds. The cutscene art can also be as hilariously proportioned as R-Type Complete’s can be bland. Regardless, Image Fight II is one of the better shooters on the platform overall. Approximate Hitbox
I don't know what is going on in some of the cutscene graphics. I was watching the prologue episode of the new Gundam, The Witch From Mercury, the other day and Sunrise obviously is better at mecha animation than humans. Some of the graphics here are on another level entirely. I always think back to this ship captain's tiny hand, but at least his head is properly proportioned. This one of the main character is off with a too small face too low on the head and it isn't even consistent from scene to scene.
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Post by dsparil on Sept 9, 2022 14:31:12 GMT -5
Cho Aniki 超兄貴Developer Masaya Publisher Masaya Format Super CD-ROM² Release (JP) December 25, 1992 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Low to Moderate Looping No Continue System Checkpoints with upgrades lost, unlimited continues from start of level Masaya’s Cho Aniki series is best known for its highly muscled bodybuilders, but this is less prevalent in the initial entry. The game is more of a grab bag of strange elements including several bodybuilders in a way that’s less dreamlike than Heavy Unit but more coherent than God Panic. The gameplay focus is on boss battles with several per level all of which are bizarre or humorous and sometimes both. Sadly, the levels feel almost like an afterthought at times since the large number of bosses breaks them up into small sections. Main characters Idaten and Benten are also nearly identical differing only in their charged attacks and possessing only a single main weapon. Although it might not be the game some would expect, Cho Aniki’s imaginative bosses make it worth playing. Approximate Hitbox
Shmuplations has a brief "Message from Kouji Hayama" (the composer). He notes that the soundtrack to Cho Aniki actually outsold the game itself! His memory seems to be a little fuzzy though since he also says he was hired to do the music for Cho Aniki but he has credits with Masaya going back to 1990. Or maybe Cho Aniki really was delayed for years. In any case, I think the game does get a bit more mileage out of its music than some others since some of the humor comes from the pairing of whimsical music with enemies out of something much more serious.
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Post by excelsior on Sept 11, 2022 1:29:51 GMT -5
I pretty much agree with what you've said on Cho Aniki. Gameplaywise it's played pretty straight though there is a focus on bosses. It stands out from an auidovisual perspective the sprites being some of the more detailed and imaginative for this topic, but the homoerotic aspects don't really show up until the sequel, where they're played for laughs anyway. The second again looks and sounds great - and has a fun disco styled ost. From a play perspective though it is odd, using Street Fighter style maneuvers and a time limit. It's still enjoyable, I think, but mostly due to its outlandish elements and presentation.
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Post by dsparil on Sept 11, 2022 9:06:36 GMT -5
There's a certain not well written but "famous" article that was done by someone that didn't even realize that Ai is the second game! I first found out about the series from the weird Saturn/PSX game which gained a bit of a cult following after EGM lambasted it in the late 90s. That's the only one I previously played so I was a bit surprised to see how the series actually started.
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Post by dsparil on Sept 15, 2022 8:47:21 GMT -5
MetamorJupiterDeveloper Flight・Plan Publisher NEC Format Super CD-ROM² Release (JP) January 14, 1993 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Moderate to High Looping No Continue System Unlimited continues from start of level with upgrades lost Summon Night series developer Flight・Plan made their debut with the lesser known MetamorJupiter. Gameplay is largely typical for the system and features a permanent selection of three secondary weapons. Switching between them causes a sprite change that gives the first half of the game’s title. More notable are a handful of Mode 7 style effects previously unseen in the system’s shooters. These come with a performance penalty giving the level with the flashiest graphics a sluggish feeling. Flight・Plan’s inexperience shows in the game design which features an uneven difficulty, a harsh health system, and long levels with no checkpoints owing to the lack of lives. The game does support saving so it at least did not need to be completed in one sitting. Approximate Hitbox
My pedantic question is whether the title has a space between Metamor and Jupiter. This is another one of those games where it's more notable who worked on it rather than the game itself. This was the first game worked on by Masaya Matsuura of the band Psy・S who would go on to design and compose the PaRappa the Rapper series.
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Post by dsparil on Sept 19, 2022 8:43:16 GMT -5
Cotton: Fantastic Night DreamsDeveloper Hudson Soft Publisher Hudson Soft, TTI Format Super CD-ROM² Release (JP) February 12, 1993 Release (US) April 1993 Difficulty Moderate Looping Harder second loop Continue System Resurrect in place with upgrades halved, 3 continues Success’s Cotton series made its home debut on PC Engine. While the designs of the eponymous Nata de Cotton and fairy companion/option Silk suggest a cute’em’up, the game is much closer to traditional fantasy. The gameplay is slightly RPG derived and features an experience bar for power ups, but the loss of half the power level on death is a large set back. The controls are also a sore point as each button has two functions complicating them and removing the possibility of a built-in autofire. While a decent port on its own, the slightly later X68k port expands and rebalances the game and is the best one. This version was included in the recent Cotton Reboot! and is the basis for its 3D Arrange mode which further tweaks the game. Approximate Hitbox
The title is sometimes rendered as Fantastic Night Dreams: Cotton, but the spine on the Japanese and US releases just says Cotton so that should be the main title. The controls map fire and bomb to separate buttons and make you charge fire for spell and bomb to launch silk. A much better control scheme would have been mapping fire and bomb to a single button, launch Silk to the other and spell to Select. The controls as implemented match the arcade game, but it was a poor choice in the first place. Cotton sure has seen a resurgence in the last year with nearly every game getting a rerelease and even a new one. Was this due to nostalgic feeling from Success after letting go of the series in early 2000 with Rainbow Cotton on Dreamcast or a real attempt at bringing it back? I guess it depends on how well Cotton Fantasy does.
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Post by dsparil on Sept 22, 2022 6:48:40 GMT -5
Winds of Thunder Lords of ThunderDeveloper Red Publisher Hudson Soft Format Super CD-ROM² Release (JP) April 23, 1993 Release (US) March 1993 Difficulty Low Looping No Continue System 3 initial continues from start of level or selection screen Red’s “successor” to Gate of Thunder drops the sci-fi backdrop and shifts to a fantasy setting among other changes. Any of the six main stages may be chosen after which one of four weapons is selected. Finally a shop is visited where health, weapon power ups, shielding and even additional continues may be purchased. This ends up making the initial stage chosen the most difficult as it is much more likely that the player will enter subsequent ones with full health and weapon level. The seventh and final stage is a step up in difficulty, but the final boss is among the easiest in the genre. Winds of Thunder also saw a later Sega CD release under its US title in both North America and Europe. This port is mostly identical barring a few tweaks and lowered difficulty. Approximate Hitbox
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Post by dsparil on Sept 23, 2022 9:33:24 GMT -5
Nexzr SpecialDeveloper Kaneko Publisher Naxat Soft Format Super CD-ROM² Release (JP) July 23, 1993 Release (US) Unreleased Difficulty Low Looping No Continue System Resurrect in place with upgrades lost, no continues The final game used in Naxat’s Summer Carnival competitions, Nexzr Special is a stripped down rerelease lacking the original’s cutscenes but with the addition of a two and five minute score attack modes. As with Alzadick, there is a feeling of low effort in not commissioning a new full game, and unlike ’92, there is no companion game on another platform. However, this is also a sign of the times as the rapidly dwindling shooter presence on the platform made a splashy final showing a risky proposition. Similar to Sunsoft’s relationship to Suncorporation, Naxat was simply a small subsidiary of a larger electronics firm, Kaga, that did not have a deep interest in games. It was more than just a label but also only one in a line of companies that stretched to 2015. Approximate Hitbox
For anyone that's been wondering this, NES publisher Taxan was in fact a sibling to Naxat. Kaga uses the Taxan name in some regions and their main website is even taxan.co.jp. Naxat itself held on until 1999 when it was replaced by Digital Gain which was then replaced by or renamed Kaga Create in 2007. It would have been nice if their final shooter release for PCE had been something other than this, but c'est la vie. I've touched on how the shooter presence basically falls off a cliff in 1993, but the overall platform still had a reasonably healthy release slate in Japan up until the Duo was discontinued at the end of 1995 with only a small handful of games being released afterward. Naxat kept putting out games for the system although a big chunk of their later output was ecchi mahjong games particularly the Super Real Mahjong series.
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Post by dsparil on Sept 28, 2022 8:49:56 GMT -5
CD Denjin: Rockabilly Heaven CD電人ロカビリー天国 Super Air Zonk: Rockabilly-ParadiseDeveloper Dual Publisher Hudson Soft, NEC Format Super CD-ROM² Release (JP) July 30, 1993 Release (US) Unclear, 1993 or 1994 Difficulty Low Looping No Continue System Resurrect in place with upgrades lost, unlimited continues from level select or start of level Dual’s take on PC Denjin—sporting a tweak to CD Denjin to match the format—is not as successful as Red’s own version. The colorful graphics and fanciful bosses are retained, but the general amount of creativity is somewhat lower than in the original. Outside of the sushi throwing weapon and a level set in a TV studio, the weapons and levels are less interesting and sometimes bland. There are some tweaks to the gameplay such as partners being rescued inside of the level rather than selected and a bomb charged while firing. However, these small changes don’t go anywhere near far enough to add interesting new gameplay. To add insult to injury, the music only takes some cues from rockabilly, and the general aesthetic has minimal presence. Approximate Hitbox
It's a bit hard to pin down exactly when this game was released. Most sources list it as 1993 but NEC Retro lists 1994, and US reviews didn't start coming out until spring 1994. Anyway, this was the last commercial shooter released in the US so it's a bit of a low note to go out on. This isn't awful by any means, but it feels inessential.
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