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Post by Sarge on Nov 11, 2019 14:04:22 GMT -5
So are there any arcade-to-home ports that actually add a bit of depth to the proceedings? It almost feels like the NES was ground zero for the sort of sweeping changes I'm thinking about, mainly because the hardware just didn't have the heft to produce straight ports very well.
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Post by Xeogred on Nov 11, 2019 15:01:56 GMT -5
I've noticed once you get to the late 90's and early 2000's, there are some PS2 ports and beyond into the PS3/360. I imagine at that point they didn't have to sacrifice as much and could get some faithful ports done? Then again, some of those arcade collections like the Midway ones have some horrendous issues with some games (like Rush and 2049, etc). Granted "collections" doesn't allow them to intimately focus on transferring just one title, but yeah.
I might actually prefer Gradius III on the SNES over the arcade version, both are pretty different there... and even if the SNES game has a LOT of slowdown. Hey, maybe I should finally check that hack that takes out the lag sometime this month.
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Post by Xeogred on Nov 12, 2019 16:09:26 GMT -5
I'm afraid the 2005 Cave release that followed up on Mushi doesn't make the cut for me. Reading the HCG101 article on this one was interesting and apparently a lot of fans didn't take to this one initially, because it doesn't really feel like a Cave game, rather... it's literally like a newer Battle Garegga. Even that weird missile item drop gimmick that you stack up repeatedly throughout levels is back and the greatest enemy of them all, barely being able to see anything! Yep, much like Battle Garegga, it's hard to even see what's going on here with all the dull colors, various projectile colors, debris that's hard to tell if it can damage you or not... I'm kind of shocked because of how "clean" most other Cave games look, but I guess the influence was deliberate on this one.
I did dip into Ibara Kuro Black, a revised version that came out in 2006 and it definitely seems better in ways with more features and the third button is back (that wasn't in the original for some reason).
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Post by Ex on Nov 13, 2019 2:03:45 GMT -5
I finally got on this train with... Eco Fighters was developed and published by Capcom. It was officially released in Japan in 1993, and USA in 1994. For a long time this was an arcade exclusive shmup. However in 2006, Capcom ported it to home console via the Capcom Classics Collection Volume 2 for PS2 and Xbox. Eco Fighters has a few unusual aspects. For instance, the player controls an airplane with a rotating gun, which shoots enemies in a 360 radius. The gun can itself can also be used as a melee battering weapon. In addition to the rotating gun, the player's plane also has a tandem forward shooting gun in most weapon modes. This game's namesake has to do with its plot. There is basically an "eco-friendly" theme. Indeed, the player fights against a polluting corporation lead by a selfish tyrant. Eco Fighters theme was not originally conceptualized by Capcom, but rather via a specific gamer who won a Capcom design contest in Japan. In Japan, this game was entitled Ultimate Ecology. I guess that's in reference to using a war machine to murder the earth's polluters? +Unusual shmup mechanics. +Atypical plot with a good sense of humor. +Bombastic boss battles. +Pleasant graphics with an anime tinge. +Positive theme for youngsters. -No screen filling mega bomb weapons. -Later stages have cheap hits galore. -The OST is not memorable. -The English translation is goofy at times. -Background artwork is often bland. Playing a 1993 arcade shmup that highlights climate concerns, feels rather contemporary in our present day age of climate change emergencies. One could almost be forgiven for thinking Eco Fighters was a modern day indie title found within the bowels of Steam. Plot aside, I appreciated the unique shooting mechanics in this oddball. Swinging the gun arm around with a giant spike ball to absorb a boss's shots, then charging said ball to unleash hell upon a boss, never got old. And even when the cheap hits did get old, the colorful graphics and lighthearted humor made up for it. That isn't to say Eco Fighters is super great. The level designs are samey in execution, and fodder enemies aren't very imaginative - compared to the bosses. But still, if you're looking for a slightly unusual shmup from Capcom's best arcade years, I'd definitely recommend Eco Fighters. Just be sure to play it on an Energy Star rated TV. Ex's time to CREDIT FEED LIKE I JUST DON'T CARE: 38 minutes Ex's rating: 7.5/10PS Here's some great flyer art:
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Post by Sarge on Nov 13, 2019 22:16:58 GMT -5
Final Star Force? Sure, why not. It's a Tecmo joint, and a sequel to Star Force. It's pretty by-the-numbers, although your bomb attack changes based on which of the three weapons you have. The music also changes based on weapon, and while you can pick up more weapon powerups, there's an auto-charging gauge that bestows weapon levels if you can stay alive long enough. You lose a level each time you die. I died a lot on the last boss, but managed to catch a real groove through the last two stages, ripping through stuff left and right. I'm actually kinda surprised. Still burned a lot of continues, though. I'd probably say this is a 6/10.
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Post by dunpeal2064 on Nov 14, 2019 19:05:26 GMT -5
Well dang, what an awesome thread. Apparently I should stop by more! Glad to see so much love to Cave, after a decade of playing their games I still can't get enough. Ironically, I just started getting back into shmups after a bit of a break, but I've been playing Touhou, which doesn't really fit here. I'll try to get in some actual arcade action this weekend though. There are still a few Cave games I need to get under my belt. Oh, Xeogred, if you like Ibara Kuro, the ps2-exclusive arrange mode for Ibara is kinda like a pre-Kuro, might be worth checking out. Biggest downside is the 480i blur in the port, but you can patch that out to make it look decent. I must say, if you look up arcade flyer artwork for Muchi Muchi Pork!... it's uh, interesting. I actually have an original arcade flyer for Muchi Muchi Pork (And Mushihimesama) framed and hanging in my living room. I don't know why my wife puts up with my nonsense.
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Post by Sarge on Nov 14, 2019 19:18:50 GMT -5
Nice to see you back, dunpeal2064! Yeah, lots of shmuppy stuff this month. I need to dig into more Cave stuff for sure, and there are a few Capcom shooters I want to get to as well. Ex played through one of them ( Eco Fighters). I'd like to give Progear a go, which honestly sounds like it should be a mech game. I think I confuse it with their own Armored Warriors/Powered Gear, which actually is a mech game. Oh, wait, guess what? Capcom published Progear worldwide, but it's actually a Cave shmup! Killing two birds with one stone, ha! It also reminds me of this.
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Post by dunpeal2064 on Nov 14, 2019 19:26:43 GMT -5
Progear took a bit to click with me, but once it did I ended up really enjoying it. If you just shoot/dodge/bomb your way through it, it comes off a little clunky, but if you can figure out how its system works, it gets a lot more fun. Its very Cave, when you do things right and just lead a few hundred bullets into a fat bullet-cancel, its sublime, makes you feel like a total badass. Also quite a looker, really love the pixel art and overall aesthetics in Progear.
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Post by Xeogred on Nov 14, 2019 20:31:16 GMT -5
Welcome back dunpeal2064 ! Sadly, I mentioned above on this page that Ibara wasn't clicking with me. I don't think I like the EXTRA bonkers mold of the Battle Garegga types. Ketsui and Espgaluda were pretty dope though. DoDonPachi is the one I think I'd like to get back to and play more off and on, the difficulty is a big step up from the first game, but still not insanity. It's interesting how the first Mushi seems either the most balanced and a bit on the easier side, or both, compared to a lot of Cave's other games now that I've played a bunch of them. But that might be unfair since I've done a dozen runs with Mushi so I know that one more by now. Espgaluda II Pink Sweets: Ibara Sorekara Muchi Muchi Pork! I'll probably call it a wrap with CAVE after checking those last few out. Maybe I'll give Ibara another shot with the Black Label version since it seems better. I mainly just want to focus on the first two Don's and Mushi 1 for now though if I get extra serious and want to grind them.
I know Deathsmiles (2007) has its fans and some in this thread might dig it, but I don't really care for it. Maybe I'm finally warming up to liking vertical more, but I still love the horizontal games too. Both styles have their place.
dunpeal2064 : Earlier this year I finally beat Gradius V on Easy and then Normal. You unlock a credit per hour played but hey, I put in the work! And you still can't really brute force "luck" your way through the final level or anything, it was insane. Brutal and amazing, it's now up there with my favorites alongside Mushi and Thunder Force IV.
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Post by Sarge on Nov 14, 2019 20:35:21 GMT -5
I mentioned it before, but one of the few Cave shooters (the only?) I own is Espgaluda II: Black Label. I had a decent time with it, but they definitely start blending together. I feel like shooters only really reveal how good they are once you start to gain mastery over them, or at least shooters of that type.
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