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Post by Ex on Aug 11, 2024 10:37:41 GMT -5
Xeogred, guess a video is worth a thousand words: Both of these games have great OSTs, especially DE2. Also Xeogred, you might like Kingdom Grand Prix and Wizard Fire on MAME.
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Post by Xeogred on Aug 12, 2024 21:03:57 GMT -5
Okay, so apparently this was the final boss of the first Trouble Shooter. 
Fun quick romp with this one. It's not often a brightly lit ocean based level is the final one in a shmup (though there were two boss fights after this and some cutscenes). There was one vertical level going down into some factory, which Battle Mania Daiginjou has as well. This one had a classic exterior ship level, where the level navigates around some giant battleship as you take on turrets, launching bays, huge thrusters, fun stuff. There was one level where you get some other flying got that helps out, that was fun. Graphics were pretty solid but the music was pretty whatever, ironic when the sequel Battle Mania Daiginjou would absolutely kill it in that department. Overall worth checking out for some Genesis shmups and fans of the more popular sequel. This one is still pretty solid too.
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Post by toei on Aug 12, 2024 21:50:59 GMT -5
Another nice beat. I didn't remember the final boss, pretty cool design. I do remember the levels you're describing. Not sure what that end text said, either. Was it just "go play the first one", or does it mean the sequel's really a prequel or something?
I also realized I'm not sure I ever beat the two Dungeon Explorer games. I definitely thought I beat the second, but if so, it was before 2008 which is when my current list starts. I know I beat Crystal Beans from Dungeon Explorer, which is a SNES spin-off based on the second game. I thought it was alright. It doesn't have the dark gritty look of the main two games, though. And I was thinking with the way my tastes have changed, maybe I should play them sometime. They're apparently quite short (HLTB: 3-4 hours for the first, 6 1/2 for the second). There's also a Sega CD game, which I think was like a more action take on the formula, with the towns and RPG side mostly gone? I wonder if anyone here's played that. It looks appealing at a glance.
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Post by Ex on Aug 12, 2024 22:28:39 GMT -5
Xeogred - It's fun vicariously reliving these Genesis games via your plays/reviews. I agree Trouble Shooter isn't as good as its sequel, but definitely above average, and gotta love the protagonists. toei - I've beaten the first Dungeon Explorer on TG16 and Crystal Beans on SFC. I've played a good bit of DE2 on TGCD, but never have finished it (intend to someday). I've beaten Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts for DS, and played a bit of the (very different) PSP version. And I'm also interested in playing the SEGA CD Dungeon Explorer. That one was actually developed by Westone (of Monster Boy/Monster World series fame). Earlier this year I loaded it onto my Kinhank Super Console X PRO but haven't booted it yet. Back to that whole "wish we could freeze time" thing.
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Post by Xeogred on Aug 12, 2024 22:50:51 GMT -5
toei : I thought I'd look up some English playthroughs but now in three different Battle Mania Daiginjou videos, I don't see the Trouble Shooter final boss there. Feel like I'm going crazy now haha. Maybe after hitting something after the credits you get that screen that I took a screenshot of and posted. Skimming the videos, the final level/boss is the one I definitely played, so I didn't miss anything I guess. Let's just say maybe your speculation is right and Battle Mania Daiginjou is a prequel or that was a message to play 1. But yeah, here's that final boss in Trouble Shooter. That Dungeon Explorer SEGA CD OST rocks but the p-shooter SFX is a little annoying. There's definitely worse out there though.
I plan to keep this Genesis train going for a bit. My whole main wall of HLTB updates is all Genesis haha, that was fun to see. Some popular stuff I still need to hit up would be Alien Soldier and Gunstar Heroes. Might check those out soon. I know I've sampled them before though. Granted, I'm not sure I'm in the mood for something as flashy as they are right now. Kind of digging this simpler stuff lately.
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Post by toei on Aug 12, 2024 23:12:56 GMT -5
I found my more complete list of RPGs beaten and no, I never beat the main Dungeon Explorers. Very interesting. I'm putting these two and the Sega CD game on my try list, I'd like to beat one of them later this year. Xeogred I guess it's not a prequel as the HG101 article says the villain from the first game is back in the sequel. Also, there's a cameo from the two girls in Segagaga, and there were plans to make a third game, first for the Saturn and PSX, then the Dreamcast, but it never happened. "eventually a design document was created pitching the game for the Dreamcast. Rendered completely in 3D, includes eight stages, and switches between three different perspectives: side-view (like the Genesis games), overhead, and behind-the-back (like Space Harrier)." A couple Space Harrier stages would fit with the characters IMO. This could have been really cool. |
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Post by Ex on Aug 12, 2024 23:26:38 GMT -5
Alien Soldier is a phenomenal game, one of the Genesis' very best. I think it's superior to Gunstar Heroes (yes I've beaten both), but it does depend on what you want out of an action game I suppose. If you just want BOSS FIGHTS: THE GAME, Alien Soldier is that. That one and King Colossus are definitely legit hidden gems. Also some Arcus Odyssey videos: Same video but two different timestamps to show variety. It's got that good ol' dark gritty Genesis vibe going on we all (hopefully) love.
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Post by toei on Aug 12, 2024 23:31:02 GMT -5
I used to always see Arcus Odyssey classified as a RPG and all I knew was that it wasn't one. Another game I need to try again. Maybe Alien Soldier, too.
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Post by Ex on Aug 12, 2024 23:49:08 GMT -5
An "action-RPG" in the very loosest sense. I consider it more in that "shmup except you're a human not a ship" genre. I haven't yet finished Arcus Odyssey by the way, but I got a good ways in via co-op many years ago. I'd like to finish it someday. I definitely appreciate games like that a lot more now than I used to. Also, Arcus Odyssey is a gaiden of this series: gamefaqs.gamespot.com/games/franchise/1745-arcus But as far as I remember, the other series' games haven't been translated into English. They are also actual turn-based RPGs quite different than Odyssey. One more Genesis shmup I'll mention:
I owned this game legit back in the '90s, never did beat it. Very frenetic and quite difficult. I always liked how you could bounce your bullets to get ricochet shots, and how your tank's orientation mattered. It's kinda unique with a nice aesthetic, but I remember it being hard as balls. Granada is worth a play for a Genesis shmup deep cut, though.
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Post by toei on Aug 13, 2024 2:24:35 GMT -5
So not only was the Sega CD Dungeon Explorer developed by Westone (mostly), but the first TG-16 was made by Atlus, including several people who worked on early Shin Megami Tensei titles, like the composer and game designers. Pretty fitting considering the darker feel. There's a name or two shared between DE, DE 2, and DE Sega CD, though, which might suggest that Hudson Soft was always involved in the development, even when it took place mostly elsewhere.
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