Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

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DazTM
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Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by DazTM »

Hi there, I'm in the process of buying back a few of the games I foolishly sold off and one of them is Shienryu which I had for the Saturn.
It seems quite expensive now, but the PlayStation version is a lot cheaper. I was wondering what differences there are between them as I'd rather go for the cheaper option. Also, I understand there's a PlayStation version called Gekioh. I feel that's an even better version as it adds additional modes that weren't in the Saturn or PlayStation versions right?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Bassa-Bassa
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by Bassa-Bassa »

Saturn, then PS2 (Double Shienryu, Steel Dragon EX in the West), then PS1 (Gekioh in the West), was the consensus with the ports. Being originally a late STV game, you can expect a 1:1 port with the former, whereas at least the slowdowns (in the case they matter) will likely suffer on the other ports. The latter may have some animation missing as well, never checked but that was usual. Double Shienryu was 240p like the original in tate mode.
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Austin
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by Austin »

No TATE in the US PS1 version. Do any of the Japanese PS1 ports have it (I say "ports" because I've noticed a Japanese release called "Gekioh", but another one with the original "Shienryu" name)?

Double Shienryu version on PS2 looks beautiful in TATE since it displays in 240p. Funny thing though, its options menu felt fickle and wouldn't always apply settings correctly. That aside, the TATE mode is nice.
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by Bassa-Bassa »

The original PS1 is called "Geki-Oh Shienryu" - that's the full name.
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by DazTM »

How much slowdown is there on the PlayStation version? There appears to be around £80 difference between them, so I can take a little bit if it means a huge saving. I can't really find any comparison videos anywhere.
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by Bassa-Bassa »

I myself don't really know. I remember people complaning about accuracy but not exactly with the slowdown.
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Austin
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by Austin »

Bassa-Bassa wrote:The original PS1 is called "Geki-Oh Shienryu" - that's the full name.
Depends on the version. There's an "Arcade Hits" release that seems to drop the Geki-Oh part completely.

But looking at the back of the box of the Geki-Oh release and the Arcade Hits version, they both appear to include the extra bonus modes. Has anyone verified if both releases are identical? The title screen on the back of each box has differences, with the later having a 2000 copyright date from Hamster.

Geki-Oh version (earlier I am assuming) - https://www.ebay.com/itm/133875485154?h ... SwkgdhPnKN
Arcade Hits version (later I am assuming) - https://www.ebay.com/itm/294498264798?h ... SwtSlhePLR
DazTM wrote:How much slowdown is there on the PlayStation version? There appears to be around £80 difference between them, so I can take a little bit if it means a huge saving. I can't really find any comparison videos anywhere.
There's a lot of slowdown. I'm not sure how it compares to the arcade/Saturn versions, but it's very noticeable.
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by Bassa-Bassa »

Austin wrote:
Bassa-Bassa wrote:The original PS1 is called "Geki-Oh Shienryu" - that's the full name.
Depends on the version. There's an "Arcade Hits" release that seems to drop the Geki-Oh part completely.
I meant to type "The original PS1 release is called...". It's safe to bet that the only difference between both versions is the title screen in this case, I'd say.
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heli
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by heli »

The Saturn version is not for nothing more expensive, it is the best game of the two.
I can not enjoy the PS1 version, it feels like a cropped down half game, you know these games where they have half the screen from the original = less space,
arcade console port type of thing.

No i am used the the Saturn version, and have good memorys, only i sold my saturn and i cant play it no more.
The PS1 version works perfect on raspberry pi 400, dont have to buy that one.'
You can also mod your Saturn to play ROMS or burned-CDs.
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EmperorIng
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by EmperorIng »

There seems to be some rumblings of various inaccuracies of the ps1 port vis a vis the STV original. Lowered difficulty, no loop (?), some other slight modifications, and probably slowdown inaccuracy. On the plus side, you uh, get a mode where all the sfx are replaced with canned laughter.

Shmup community maven Elixir claimed that he 1cc'd Shienryu blind on his first try, he had to have been playing the ps1 version (since the Saturn game loops and has extremely ridiculous rank that you have to manage or learn to survive, plus brutal late-game checkpoints and a "gotcha!" final boss with an attack you likely won't survive your first encounter). Just my supposition, unless he actually meant that he was playing the easier Shienryu Explosion.

I don't know how accurate it is in terms of slowdown etc. but the ps2 version felt at least like a somewhat stable and faithful emulation of the arcade game. And you get Explosion, the game that no one plays.
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by Jeneki »

The arcade game runs on Sega's STV hardware, which is essentially a Saturn anyway. So in theory that should be the most accurate home port it will ever get, unless they really screwed up. I haven't noticed any inconsistencies yet at least. On the stage 1 boss when everything's exploding and powerups fill the screen, I can even cause the same graphical glitches on both the Saturn and STV version.
Typos caused by cat on keyboard.
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by Sengoku Strider »

EmperorIng wrote: Shmup community maven Elixir claimed that he 1cc'd Shienryu blind on his first try, he had to have been playing the ps1 version (since the Saturn game loops and has extremely ridiculous rank that you have to manage or learn to survive
The game's not even slightly subtle about the rank jumps either. I can probably count on two hands the number of times I've survived more than a minute after grabbing the armour powerup without getting insta-sniped.

Shienryu's awesome, made my top 25; it's a kickass Truxton/Raiden hybrid that I actually rate a bit higher than either. It's a great "kick back on Sunday afternoon for 2-3 hours listening to podcasts" game. The kind where it can stomp you for an hour learning a stage but you still don't hesitate to start up another credit.

But in the 2nd half of the game, an easy time it ain't. I paid the equivalent of ~$108 USD for it, zero regrets there. If the price tag is up into the $200 range it might be more of a judgement call for you though. Because like I said it rocks, but it's also derivative. And while the artwork is brilliant with some nice parallax, colossal bosses and enemies covering almost every pixel of the screen at times, I wouldn't call it a technical showcase of crazy effects a la Treasure or Compile.

So it's going to depend what your own qualifications are for "worth it" at various price thresholds.
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by Austin »

EmperorIng wrote:Shmup community maven Elixir claimed that he 1cc'd Shienryu blind on his first try, he had to have been playing the ps1 version (since the Saturn game loops and has extremely ridiculous rank that you have to manage or learn to survive, plus brutal late-game checkpoints and a "gotcha!" final boss with an attack you likely won't survive your first encounter). Just my supposition, unless he actually meant that he was playing the easier Shienryu Explosion.
I am going to wager it was Shienryu Explosion. Very easy game. Pretty sure I 1CC'd it on my first try too.

Shienryu proper, like a lot of STGs from the time, is not what I would call "easy". Certainly not "I 1CC'd it on my first try" easy.
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by DazTM »

Hmm, I think I'll download it onto my Satiator have a play and look at getting it on Saturn if I can find it for under £120. The slowdown on the PlayStation version sounds quite off-putting.
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dark
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by dark »

Saturn version is good. PS1 version is bad. I played it after emulating the arcade version for awhile and it was very inferior and hard to enjoy when knowing what the game is supposed to be like.
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by sunnshine »

The Saturn version runs well in standalone Mednafen if anyone's interested. This thread has got me back into Shienryu 8)
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by Shatterhand »

I also think the Saturn version made the best version of a vertical game on Yoko mode of this era. It obviosuly doens't look as good in Yoko as it look in tate, but you don't miss anything gameplay wise while STILL looking very acceptable. I find it better than the Psikyo / Cave solutions during this era.
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by Restart_Point »

I've just been playing the SAT/PS1/PS2 versions today (via ODEs and modded PS2). The PS1 version is a slow jerky mess with no tate mode, compared to Saturn / PS2. I'd rather go with some form of emulation than buy the PS1 version, even if it is cheaper.
Shatterhand wrote:The Saturn version made the best version of a vertical game on Yoko mode of this era
Have you tried The Raiden Project / DX on PS1? That yoko mode is even better i'd say, smooth as butter because they re-drew all the graphics to fit in the vertical resolution of the PS1, whereas Saturn Shienryu is scaled-down for yoko so you get shimmer / interpolation lines.
Last edited by Restart_Point on Tue May 17, 2022 2:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by Gamer707b »

I think I have this game on a PS2 compilation disc. Having said that, anytime I hear "STV hardware", I always go for the Saturn version. Unless money is really tight, it's a no brainer.
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by Starfighter »

I really disliked the PS1 version and I've not played any other so it's not a case of "I know what I'm missing", it was just very disappointing in itself. I don't think I've touched it since the week I bought it many years ago. :)
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by EmperorIng »

That means it's time to sell that piece of shit and grift some money out of ebay collectors, my man.

I haven't put enough time into the ps2 rendition in the double pack to know if it runs as good as the saturn port, I'd just need to sit down and test (and I had bought the ps2 collection for Explosion anyhow... for some reason!).
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by Starfighter »

EmperorIng wrote:That means it's time to sell that piece of shit and grift some money out of ebay collectors, my man.
*checks ebay* Holy moly, that's... an unexpected price tag. I picked mine up for $5 and even that felt too steep for what I got. :o
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by o.pwuaioc »

Starfighter wrote:
EmperorIng wrote:That means it's time to sell that piece of shit and grift some money out of ebay collectors, my man.
*checks ebay* Holy moly, that's... an unexpected price tag. I picked mine up for $5 and even that felt too steep for what I got. :o
What's wrong with Shienryu??
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by EmperorIng »

nothing is wrong with Shienryu. Plenty wrong with Gekioh Shooting King though. I feel no remorse grifting soys and collectors at this stage of the game, though first dibs/fair prices will always be for all you fine gents :wink:
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by Sengoku Strider »

Collectors are ultimately paying a premium for rarity anyway. Price isn't disconnected from quality, but it's certainly not the primary determining factor.
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by Starfighter »

I... I must have been using a bad TV at the time or something. I remember there was crazy input latency and that the whole game ran frustratingly slow. I just tried the US version of the PS1 port on a high refreshrate monitor and it's much better than I remember. Some slowdown, a bit of a squished screen... but nothing I'd complain too much about. I take back my previous statements, my memory was wrong. Sorry! If this is a bad port then the original must be truly great.
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by BrianC »

Some PS1 games run odd on PS2 or even the early PS1 models without the proprietary AV cables. Not sure if this is one of them, but I had similar issues with odd slowdown in BAM '99 when played on PS2, which plays great on PS1.
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Re: Shienryu - PlayStation or Saturn?

Post by o.pwuaioc »

EmperorIng wrote:nothing is wrong with Shienryu. Plenty wrong with Gekioh Shooting King though. I feel no remorse grifting soys and collectors at this stage of the game, though first dibs/fair prices will always be for all you fine gents :wink:
I got mixed up for a minute, because the JP version of Gekioh is super cheap. (Or was. Has it gone up?) I completely forgot about the US version. The Saturn is the way to go.
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