M2 Toaplan collection

[BIL]

And now Rinne Tensei - 臨廻転生. The rin 臨 character in the title here is used in a bunch of archaic words that refer to the visit or arrival of an emperor or noble. In this context, I think we can assume it to refer to a queen (bee). Because Rinne, written here as 臨廻, is not a real word. It's a play on 輪廻, pronounced the same way, which refers to the Buddhist cycle of death and rebirth. Studious gamers will recognize Tensei as 'incarnation,' the same as in Shin Megami Tensei (真・女神転生, 'True Goddess Incarnation'). Together with Tensei, 'Rinne Tensei' evokes the notion of reincarnation - in this context the remaster/re-release of a video game, as it were.

And finally, Rinne is also an unusual girl's name which has seen some popularity recently. That's what I assumed it referred to the first time I came across this title. So perhaps there'll be a character with that name?

But basically the whole thing's got a bunch of layers suggesting something like 'rebirth/return of the queen.'

Informative post, thanks. But Rinne throws me off-balance every time I see it, because it's my surname

Rinne always reminds me of another shumpsfarm classic, Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Flamewar

[Sengoku Strider]

And now Rinne Tensei - 臨廻転生. The rin 臨 character in the title here is used in a bunch of archaic words that refer to the visit or arrival of an emperor or noble. In this context, I think we can assume it to refer to a queen (bee). Because Rinne, written here as 臨廻, is not a real word. It's a play on 輪廻, pronounced the same way, which refers to the Buddhist cycle of death and rebirth. Studious gamers will recognize Tensei as 'incarnation,' the same as in Shin Megami Tensei (真・女神転生, 'True Goddess Incarnation'). Together with Tensei, 'Rinne Tensei' evokes the notion of reincarnation - in this context the remaster/re-release of a video game, as it were.

And finally, Rinne is also an unusual girl's name which has seen some popularity recently. That's what I assumed it referred to the first time I came across this title. So perhaps there'll be a character with that name?

But basically the whole thing's got a bunch of layers suggesting something like 'rebirth/return of the queen.'

Informative post, thanks. But Rinne throws me off-balance every time I see it, because it's my surname

Rinne always reminds me of another shumpsfarm classic, Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Flamewar

LOL, I think I remember that guy doing that on other forums, I didn't know he'd made it a cross-internet crusade. No, it's rondo you silly goose from 2005.

[drauch]

Especially if you're in the US and don't have to worry about import taxes like the rest of us.

We don't have that, but we have buttfuck insane overseas shipping now. But to your point, shipping from Play-asia is less than 10 bucks for a game atm.

[RobHimself]

That doesn't mean they are unavailable though

They are unavailable to be purchased digitally with a USA PSN account.

I do have a JPN PSN account but I need to use a play-asia gift card in order to buy anything. I was short 10 yen when I wanted to buy both Tiger Heli and Fire Shark, had to buy another 1000 yen card to do it. It's more of an annoyance and inconvenience, which is why I'd rather have these available on the USA PSN store

[Steven]

Oops, I forgot to explain how Rinne Tensei works. Sorry Sumez... must have gotten lost in all of the other stuff from the stream the other day.

One thing to add, though; Atlus typically prefers 転生 to be rendered as metempsychosis instead of reincarnation.

While I'm on the subject of DDP wordplay, 最大往生 is also probably an example of Japanese wordplay. It either combines 最大 and 大往生 using the shared 大, or it's 最大 with 往生, which wouldn't really be anything super weird aside from 往生 not being used that much, but I'm almost certain it's the former and not the latter given that it was supposed to be "a new and updated 大往生 for 2012" or something like that, a greater form of what had come before. Outside of people talking about DDP, you're probably more likely to see 大往生 in regular usage than just 往生, which you'll probably almost never see.

怒首領蜂 itself is slightly odd. I wonder how many Japanese people will actually read 怒首領蜂 as DoDonPachi the first time they see it. I'm guessing the answer is probably zero, but I suppose I can ask my friends if I really wanted to, but the sample size will be limited.

[cfx]

.

[RobHimself]

For sure, I'm grateful I can still get these games even if there are a couple obstacles in the way.

As long as M2 still has plans to release future games in the series I'm happy. I can't wait for a ShotTriggers release of Batsugun.

[Sengoku Strider]

One thing to add, though; Atlus typically prefers 転生 to be rendered as metempsychosis instead of reincarnation.

Hm. Metempsychosis is cool and sounds more exotic and philosophical or psychological, even though it's an ancient Greek word that almost means the same thing, the soul being reborn in a different body. Tensei 転生 is literally 'turn life,' which references the Buddhist wheel of transmigration. Be a dick, get demoted on the power-up wheel in your next existence:



(Or promoted if you were a G).

So using metempsychosis lets them sidestep being tethered to a particular religion (at least that anyone still identifies with), but on the other hand I'm not sure it's strictly accurate. Buddhism doesn't really do souls per se. You have a base 'seed consciousness' that gets reborn, but all the other parts of the personality are left behind. But whatevs, we're talking about a game where you attack people with floating Halloween pumpkins, happy snowmen and Odin.

While I'm on the subject of DDP wordplay, 最大往生 is also probably an example of Japanese wordplay. It either combines 最大 and 大往生 using the shared 大, or it's 最大 with 往生, which wouldn't really be anything super weird aside from 往生 not being used that much, but I'm almost certain it's the former and not the latter given that it was supposed to be "a new and updated 大往生 for 2012" or something like that, a greater form of what had come before. Outside of people talking about DDP, you're probably more likely to see 大往生 in regular usage than just 往生, which you'll probably almost never see.

So for anyone who doesn't read Japanese, 最大 - saidai - means "most" or "greatest" or "maximum." Sai 最 is a kanji that's used as a prefix to make something an extremity. For instance aku 悪 - like in akuma - means evil or bad. Adding sai creates saiaku 最悪, meaning terrible or worst. If you ever date a Japanese woman, at some point she will almost certainly call you this. Or maybe that's just me. Anyway.

So the Saidaiōjō in SDOJ is an overlap between saidai and daiōjō. I don't think it's doing anything tricky, just adding an extra kanji to turn 'great death' into 'greatest death.' And by extension, if what I was saying earlier is correct, inferring "Greatest Lady" or "Greatest Queen." I wonder, did Cave think this was probably going to be their last game?

怒首領蜂 itself is slightly odd. I wonder how many Japanese people will actually read 怒首領蜂 as DoDonPachi the first time they see it. I'm guessing the answer is probably zero, but I suppose I can ask my friends if I really wanted to, but the sample size will be limited.

This is probably why the DDP title screen has Homer Simpson yelling DOH DOH DOH DOH DOH at you.

[Manualmartin]

Releasing globally digitally is much easier these days than it used to be. Back in the days you were at the hands of local account managers at NOA, NOE, NCL, and what is now SIEE, SIEA and SIEJ etc for approvals with a lot of manual work, and there still is some of that if you want to release physical. But today it's simpler with mainly store text localization and some metadata in the self-service portals for a digital release, even the age rating for digital (IARC) is a free and a very simple process. Preferably you'd want to localize the game itself in at least English before releasing globally. But I'm a bit surprised that they don't make more of their games available on PS4 and Switch in the west. There are no licensing obstacles or anything like that (when it comes to the Toaplan games).

[Steven]

How about the process for getting stuff released digitally on PSN or the eshop? I don't know how that stuff works, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were some kind of fees or something and they feel that it's not financially viable because of that if they have low expected sales numbers based on the few ShotTriggers releases that do have international digital versions.

It does seem like it wouldn't be too difficult to M2 to get their ShotTriggers games released internationally in a digital form, and yet...

Not related, but I asked one of my Japanese friends who doesn't play games to read 怒首領蜂 and he said DoShuryouBachi (which is how you'd read it "normally" anyway). I told him it's DoDonPachi and his response was the typical Japanese "Eeeeeeee~?". So there you go. Japanese people, according to my totally not-scientific study with a sample size of one person, cannot read 怒首領蜂 without outside assistance.

But whatevs, we're talking about a game where you attack people with floating Halloween pumpkins, happy snowmen and Odin.

And also a giant green dick riding on a golden chariot with spikes, but the dick stock thread is STG-only, so Rated M for Mara doesn't apply in this case. Now watch Atlus make a Megami Tensei STG with Mara as a playable character or even just in the game at all... which they'd totally do, knowing Atlus.

[RVY]

Not related, but I asked one of my Japanese friends who doesn't play games to read 怒首領蜂 and he said DoShuryouBachi (which is how you'd read it "normally" anyway). I told him it's DoDonPachi and his response was the typical Japanese "Eeeeeeee~?". So there you go. Japanese people, according to my totally not-scientific study with a sample size of one person, cannot read 怒首領蜂 without outside assistance.

I think only badass guys who are familiar with old yakuza movies would read "首領" as "Don".

[Sengoku Strider]

How about the process for getting stuff released digitally on PSN or the eshop? I don't know how that stuff works, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were some kind of fees or something and they feel that it's not financially viable because of that if they have low expected sales numbers based on the few ShotTriggers releases that do have international digital versions.

It does seem like it wouldn't be too difficult to M2 to get their ShotTriggers games released internationally in a digital form, and yet...

Not related, but I asked one of my Japanese friends who doesn't play games to read 怒首領蜂 and he said DoShuryouBachi (which is how you'd read it "normally" anyway). I told him it's DoDonPachi and his response was the typical Japanese "Eeeeeeee~?". So there you go. Japanese people, according to my totally not-scientific study with a sample size of one person, cannot read 怒首領蜂 without outside assistance.

I don't blame him, I can't find that yomikata in any dictionary. But this sort of made up reading is par for the course going back to the Toaplan days with these guys (sorry about the huge image, the furigana doesn't really stand out on my iPhone camera):

Spoiler

For the non-Japanese speakers, that's the back of the Japanese Mega Drive Tatsujin box. The first sentence says something like "Lazers flying about, backed up by powerful bombs!"

Except:

1. I can't actually translate that "backed up by" part properly, because 追力 is something that my computer knows how to turn into kanji if I type it as 'tsuiryoku,' but isn't a real word that shows up in any dictionary. It's a combination of the kanji for 'chase' and 'power/strength.' Powerful pursuit? Kickass followup? Chasedown chonker? I dunno, this is why I don't want to be a translator.

2. Why I actually posted this: 爆弾 is pronounced bakudan, and just means bomb. Except here the furigana (those tiny little 'subtitle' characters next to the circled word) show that they want you to read it as "bomu!!", literally the English pronunciation of the word.

So basically, inventing slangy readings of kanji for cute ad copy or product names (or even baby names!) is pretty common, and you won't get most of it unless you're a native speaker, and quite possibly not even then.

I think only badass guys who are familiar with old yakuza movies would read "首領" as "Don".

I think this is the play on words I missed for the first game in the series. It crossed my mind when I was writing that initial post, but I wasn't sure at the time. I did see a passing (though unsupported) mention of it yesterday though.

For non-speakers:

Donpachi, when written in kana (the phonetic writing systems, not kanji which have fixed meanings) as どんぱち / ドンパチ does mean gunfire in old-school slang. "So Koji, you & your boys thought you'd just donpachi up the rival gang's pachinko parlor eh? Why don't we head downtown for some questions." That sort of thing.

But Cave wrote it in kanji as 首領蜂. 首領 does indeed mean boss, but like the "bomu" example above, they slapped on a foreign pronunciation, using don, as in 'mafia don.' As this was the gangsta rap 90s, this sort of thing was cool even in Japan. RVY, you mentioned 1970s yakuza movies, I'm not sure if this shows up in stuff like Jingi-Naki Tatakai (Battles Without Honor or Humanity)?

So the game title of Donpachi can be interpreted as '(mafia) Don Bee,' to mean 'boss/leader/captain bee.' And using that pronunciation also makes it sound like the word for the sound of gunfire, as in 'de ting go skkrrraa!!(bee.)"

For the sequel, when they added "angry" pronounced as 'do' to the title, it moved it from the sound of a gun - 'donpachi!' - to the sound of an explosion or boom - 'dodon!'(bee).

[Manualmartin]

How about the process for getting stuff released digitally on PSN or the eshop? I don't know how that stuff works, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were some kind of fees or something and they feel that it's not financially viable because of that if they have low expected sales numbers based on the few ShotTriggers releases that do have international digital versions.

Nope, that's the thing. With the new portals that Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft uses, it has never been this easy to release games globally digitally. If they passed certification for Japan already it should be minimum effort for adding more regions. Nintendo used to have rules such as you must have an office in the region you're publishing, but not anymore (which is why local publishers like Rainy Frog, 3goo, Amuzio etc had great time as gate keepers for overseas publishers without local presence on Wii U and early days of Switch).

The only way I can see it is that the localization in-game of UI wrappers and menus (dev time and translation cost) plus cost of opportunity, meaning not worth spending the time on setting up the games for release in other regions, render a video for each region (which is not even mandatory), getting IARC rating etc. The only thing that would cost them anything on the digital side is localization of the store text, but that's very few strings that needs to be translated so recoup would be minimal.

I would love to see M2 release their games globally digitally, would be a convenience as not even all dedicated gamers want to jump through hoops and set up Japanese eShop accounts (which is quite easy).

[Steven]

If it's that easy they can probably just toss what little text their releases have in DeepL to get it mostly good enough (DeepL REALLY sucks at certain things, to the point where it can be way worse than Google Translate depending on what you put in it, but it should probably be good enough) and call it good, then. They must have a really damn good reason, at least from Horii's perspective, for not doing it at this point. Taito seems good at convincing (forcing?) M2 to put the M2+Taito stuff out both overseas and on PC somehow, so they can definitely do both of those things if they really wanted to.

[gbaplayer]

Still no word of a Release date for the Arcade Garage Vol. 3?

[DenimDemon]

More info on the April stream.


https://twitter.com/M2_game/status/1637 ... 34274?s=20

[gbaplayer]

When is the next M2 stream?
Do you think the next Releases will be bundled like this?

2024 Truxton/ Truxton 2
2025 Outzone/ Fixeight
2026 V-V/ Dogyuun/ Batsugun

Hopefully we will get them faster.

[Creamy Goodness]

Still no word of a Release date for the Arcade Garage Vol. 3?

Zero Wing/Hellfire is up next. I have a soft spot for Zero Wing, but have no interest in Hellfire so I am torn on this one.

[Steven]

Next stream is on the 13th at 1900. Hellfire demonstration, unnamed special guest, and the non-shooting game will be there.

They will also give some information about Daioujou, but nobody really cares about that, right...?

[gbaplayer]

I care about everything M2 is releasing.

[Steven]

Special guest has been announced: Uemura. Yay! It seems he's going to play M2's Hellfire on the stream, which will be extremely interesting.

I wonder which revision of the 1P version will be included, but it's probably going to be the later one, which increased the vertical and diagonal shot limit from 1 to 2.

[XtraSmiley]

Next stream is on the 13th at 1900. Hellfire demonstration, unnamed special guest, and the non-shooting game will be there.

They will also give some information about Daioujou, but nobody really cares about that, right...?

Steven, do we know if they will reveal the release date during this stream?

[Steven]

Next stream is on the 13th at 1900. Hellfire demonstration, unnamed special guest, and the non-shooting game will be there.

They will also give some information about Daioujou, but nobody really cares about that, right...?

Steven, do we know if they will reveal the release date during this stream?

Unknown, but since they seem to be revealing pretty much everything else including the non-shooting game, probable.

[hamfighterx]

When is the next M2 stream?
Do you think the next Releases will be bundled like this?

2024 Truxton/ Truxton 2
2025 Outzone/ Fixeight
2026 V-V/ Dogyuun/ Batsugun

Hopefully we will get them faster.

There are 16 shooters and 8 non-shooters, with some fairly obvious pairings, and I've seen no reason to believe they'll stop the 2+1 formula. So I think they'll still target 8 total volumes. Hopefully a little quicker pace, like maybe instead of 1 release per year they'll get to 2 a year. But I have no expectation we'll see a massive flood of releases - and to be honest, if they're mixing in non-Toaplan ShotTriggers games (like this year with DDP DOJ) I'm a lot more patient for the Toaplan stuff.

I'd still guess the following remaining pairs of shooters:
- Tatsujin (Truxton) and Tatsujin Ou
- Outzone and FixEight
- V-V (Grind Stormer) and Slap Fight (Alcon)
- Vimana and Daisenpuu (Twin Hawk)
- Dogyuun and Batsugun

[gbaplayer]

I totally forgot about Vimana and Daisenpuu. Yeah seems logical. Hope they will return to the 2 toaplan Releases per year soon. Or some Batrider, DoDonpachi in between.

[Steven]

I still have no idea why Vimana of all games has a stupidly good soundtrack, but it's damaged by very poor sound balance, with the sound effects being significantly louder than the music to the point of ruining the music. I really hope that M2 will allow the user to adjust sound effect volume in Vimana because that game absolutely needs it. Space High and Rekka no Gotoku are way too fucking awesome to not be heard over the sound of your shot.

[Sumez]

Wouldn't it be cool if they added a cool new mode to Vimana that rebalanced it as a genuinely challenging STG?

Instead we're gonna get another "super easy mode"

[Steven]

Custom mode will probably have super hard and always max rank, so try those.

Stream starts in 15 minutes, so here it is if you want it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6U8_s2dlds

Will be translating the Toaplan stuff as usual. CAVE is up first, but I don't really care about CAVE that much, so I am not sure if I will translate it unless something really interesting is said.

Started. Typical M2 stream, and in today's case, audio problems.

They got the dude who made the logo for the original Daioujou to do the logo for Rinne Tensei.

It's really fucking hard to read lol

I guess they got about a dozen variations of the logo from him or something like that, and they showed off a few of the ones they rejected or whatever.

Uemura-san is here and now it is time for Toaplan!

[BIL]

I wondered why my dick was standing up!

I'm all-in on the STGs, as ever - it's the extra game I'm really wondering about. Enjoyed a few credits in Fire Forest Of Flying Wardner Shark last night; amazed at 1) how dead-on accurate the MD port plays, all my old tricks carrying over flawlessly, and 2) how needlessly fuckin ugly it was. AC's far easier on the eyes. Still, lovely game either way. You can tell it was made by STG ninjas, with its exquisite shot mechanics and carefully-measured movement (see also its fellow cute-yet-'orrible action/platformer Jigoku Meguri)

[Steven]

FUCK YES HORROR STORY

When I last met Uemura-san he asked me what I thought it would be and I said Dash Yarou. He thought it would be Dash Yarou as well, but it seems that we get every version of Horror Story instead.

Also looks like we can select what revision of each game you want. The PV specifically said that the 1P version of Hellfire is Uemura-san's recommended version, so yeah, play that version.