Steel Empire rocks my socks

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Sat Apr 02, 2005 6:41 pm

just got my genny copy from Neon yesterday. this game is amazing. almost no-hit the thing (stupid faulty power cable

). also, how "difficult" is this game?

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:06 pm

Resurrecting old thread to ask:

is it me or this game is on a whopping "256 Megabit" (aka 32 mb) cartridge? like, double in size than Final Fantasy Tactics and eight times Gradius Advance (and also 32 times larger than the Genesis original)?

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 4:03 pm

nevermind

JJG · Post by **JJG** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 4:19 pm

Are the sound effects in this game good? In the Gen version they are really horrible.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 4:38 pm

JJG wrote:Are the sound effects in this game good? In the Gen version they are really horrible.

can't say for sure until i try the real thing - which I should get soon.

sjewkestheloon · Post by **sjewkestheloon** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 5:06 pm

I'm going to crack this out when i get home (megadrive) as i've only played it once or twice.

Got it for 50p. Bargain!

Soldato J · Post by **Soldato J** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 6:12 pm

This is my favorite portable shmup

Alec · Post by **Alec** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 6:35 pm

I plan on picking this one up some time, since its one of the very few shmups on GBA. I'm just not looking forward to importing it. I've only played the MD version on an emulator a few times, but from what I've seen, it looks like a pretty fun game.

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:19 pm

The sounds in the GBA one are ok. Not the best, but not bad either. I love the "Good Ruck" voice that plays before each level, though.

mirkvid · Post by **mirkvid** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 12:27 am

just got this for $5 at a bookstore in Tuscon. cant wait to save the earth again!

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 12:30 am

Yeah, I tried out the GBA port on a GBA emulator, and it does indeed rock! I was stunned by how good the explosions sound (as opposed to some GBA games where they sound like a 2600), and by how good the graphics looked. It seriously reminds me of an arcade shooter that you'd download and play on MAME; IMO, it's THAT good! It really shows what the GBA is truly capable of! The Genesis port is still worth owning, IMO, but this is just incredible!!

(OT, I feel almost as strongly about GBA Phalanx; owns the SNES port, IMO.)

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:41 pm

Ok, I'm a few hours into it. Two things - the review on shmups states "choose the plane or die". Is it me or, the Zeppelin is at least as good as the plane in this GBA remake, if not flat out better?

And - whoa - the final boss keeps sucking all my lifes and continues, it's ridiculous. It changes color three times, then goes "vertical" and has another three attacks - by the time it shoots out those flame balls, I'm dead.

Suggestions? Hints?

Does the battery saves just the score? A stage select mode would have been appreciated.

DC906270 · Post by **DC906270** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:54 pm

the MD version is a better game . as long as you play on hard, as normal is too easy. the last boss is a bugger though.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:20 pm

DC906270 wrote:the MD version is a better game . as long as you play on hard, as normal is too easy. the last boss is a bugger though.

Nuke wrote:opinions differ.
Those who hated the MD version usualy find the GBA one to be superior,
fans of the MD version usualy find the GBA one to be inferior.

I personaly prefer the MD version, but I find the GBA one to be ok (and the best shmup expirience currently available on the GBA).

Well, I just tried both and I must say, the only thing I miss from the original is the music, which is way better (sound more clear) on the Genesis (explosions are much better on gba though!). I prefer the GBA color palette, and most of the sprite redesign.

Getting rid of that speed powerup is a welcome step into modernity, and losing levels with each life lost adds some depth to the powerup system. Also, I'm glad for those three imamio I get every time I die ^_^ Sprite collision feels a little more precise on GBA, too.

Anyway, whichever you like the most, I think it's great that Starfish decided to tweak the game and adapt it to the portable format - had it been a straight port of the genesis game it would have been a mess on the GBA.

edit: the bosses aren't butchered at all - while they went under cosmetic facelift, they retain several attack patterns, and felt difficult about the same.

Daigoro · Post by **Daigoro** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:49 am

any idea where a copy of this can be found for purchase?

SNKJorge · Post by **SNKJorge** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 5:06 am

Daigoro wrote:any idea where a copy of this can be found for purchase?

This thread actually reminded me of buying this game.
One of the games I always wanted to try, it seems like
a mini Pro-Gear to me...

I just found one in Yahoo! Japan, here's the buy it now
auction I won:

http://page12.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/p74463506