Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

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nem
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by nem »

parodius wrote:Out of stock :shock:
It's gone out of stock before:

https://forum.arcadeotaku.com/viewtopic ... 83#p522283

The last time coincided with the release of 1.1, so fingers crossed they're working on an update that addresses the lag.
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Zaarock
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by Zaarock »

Having played Aka & Blue Type-R a fair bit now I think this is an extremely good game, but it's held back by the laggy controls. If the controls are fixed it could be a classic up there with some of CAVE's best and exA's advertisement statements wouldn't even be far off.
As it is it's a good game but some portion of players will not want to adapt to the sluggish control. Maybe they'll play something else instead, or maybe they'll get a 'casual' 1CC in a few days and stop there because further precision is not fun. It should be fun, since the gameplay system itself is good.

Playing for score feels very CAVE-like. You aggressively point blank enemies, collect items and do a lot of difficult dodging while bombing less (to avoid breaking chain constantly). Pulling off difficult movements is doable but does not feel good compared to other shmups. It's a mixed bag to recommend to hardcore players similar to the SDOJ 360 port.

Tanoshimasu's video recording ban seems really pointless for western players. I get that it's supposed to encourage people to share strategies only in location in japanese arcades, but over here the players are mostly a worldwide group and a similar environment is formed by streaming runs & sharing replays. For preventing people from learning 1CC strategy it seems extremely pointless. The hard parts of the game survival-wise are Stage 4 boss and Stage 5 boss. They are short enough to explain a basic strategy verbally or with simple images. Same for describing general gameplay. Video is not needed to explain basic use of the bomb system needed for 1cc.

Most of the effect of this video ban is going to be high scoring strategies being completely secret and in the west, nobody apart from collectors knowing what the game is like or having interest.

A lot of japanese players are enjoying the game regardless because of its high quality in other aspects, and fair enough but I think this game could be really special and remembered years later if some issues were addressed. Otherwise it might be left in the same situation as SDOJ where people are like 'if only there was another port' and the arcade version never got the overflow fix or other 1.5 revisions
Last edited by Zaarock on Fri Feb 07, 2020 8:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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mikejmoffitt
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by mikejmoffitt »

Which monitor and IO are you using to play the game?
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Zaarock
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by Zaarock »

mikejmoffitt wrote:Which monitor and IO are you using to play the game?
Same CRT monitor I measured with earlier in this thread. Plugged into PC or console it gets the same results for various games as the input lag chart here. The only different step here is a DVI->HDMI converter or plugged in directly using the exA's HDMI port (performs the same). I've stuck to the Sega JVS Type 3 for now as per shou's delay listing linked earlier.
Zaarock wrote:Still 5 frames on CRT with both Sega JVS Type 3 (837-14572) and Sega JVS Type 1.5 (837-14505) *shrug*
I'm not interested in double checking this anymore unless someone posts a video with better performance. We've already gone through 4 different I/Os with the same result and there is no video cabling to eliminate
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Zaarock
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by Zaarock »

I recorded a video of the first two stages in 3:4 mode (480x640) with some attempt at scoring: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejOcCtGUmqg
Maybe it gives an idea what the game is like.
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monouchi
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by monouchi »

Zaarock wrote:I recorded a video of the first two stages in 3:4 mode (480x640) with some attempt at scoring: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejOcCtGUmqg
Maybe it gives an idea what the game is like.
Thanks for the video.
3:4 looks really good, a lot cleaner.
Buffi
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by Buffi »

Since theres not exactly a lot of videos of this, heres my survival 1CC.
https://youtu.be/zzBeSB13-c8

Zaarocks video is definitely better, but some different strats on some patterns here :)

Took me way too long to clear this. Game owns a lot though.

Edit: This is on the patched version with less input lag.
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by el_rika »

Zaarock wrote:I recorded a video of the first two stages in 3:4 mode (480x640) with some attempt at scoring: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejOcCtGUmqg
Maybe it gives an idea what the game is like.

Beautiful quality! Thanks for this :)
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tel1100
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by tel1100 »

Has anyone been able to beat the true boss for one coin?
There are a lot of enemy bullets and it's difficult.
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CStarFlare
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by CStarFlare »

That's my first time seeing it! Surely that's just a cancel-fest?
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To Far Away Times
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by To Far Away Times »

There are uh..., not a lot of gaps in that. Especially with the HUD covering where you'd want to be. Tap carefully.
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by tel1100 »

CStarFlare wrote:That's my first time seeing it! Surely that's just a cancel-fest?
Thank you for seeing it.
It is indeed a festival.
I wish I could cancel it.
This boss is able to repel our bombs.
Previous Cave's true bosses use barriers to block bombs, but this one reflects our bombs.
Every time I've played this game, I've had a terrible time.
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tel1100
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by tel1100 »

To Far Away Times wrote:There are uh..., not a lot of gaps in that. Especially with the HUD covering where you'd want to be. Tap carefully.
It certainly requires careful control.
There is no slowdown in this game, and a lot of enemy bullets rain down on you at high speed.
(Although there is a slow motion in the mid-boss of scene 1 and the boss of scene 5.)
Currently, I'm helplessly taking bullets and inserting coins.
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VxD
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by VxD »

This game is so much fun! Definitely one of my favorite.
After 80h of game play, I am finally at a point where I can clear it semi-casually.
Still working towards the no-miss to reach the TLB. It’s hard but I’m slowly getting there.
Will gladly share strategies once I get to face it! :D
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tel1100
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by tel1100 »

VxD wrote:This game is so much fun! Definitely one of my favorite.
After 80h of game play, I am finally at a point where I can clear it semi-casually.
Still working towards the no-miss to reach the TLB. It’s hard but I’m slowly getting there.
Will gladly share strategies once I get to face it! :D
I'm glad to know that you continue to play.
Many people around me are satisfied with clearing the game with a blue plane, and stop playing.
I'm rooting for the true boss to appear!
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by tel1100 »

I launched the crowdfunded version of Aka and Blue yesterday.
It is equivalent to version 1.2.0.
Which version are you guys playing with?
I'm playing at a local game center.
I regret that I could not clear the game with version 1.0.8 Firebird.
There was talk the other day about an update to improve the delay, but it seems that the cartridge needs to be sent to the developer, so we'll have to wait and see.
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Liquidus0
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by Liquidus0 »

I have a 1.2.0 version. Playing on a New Net City and it's an amazing experience.

Love the game so far. Haven't put much time into it. I only played some credits here and there since July.

I want to start to learn it thoroughly in January.
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by Sengoku Strider »

tel1100 wrote:Previous Cave's true bosses use barriers to block bombs, but this one reflects our bombs.
LOL, that's just evil. But I guess if a developer wants to make sure players have to beat the true last boss with pure skill, that's the way to do it.
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by CStarFlare »

I expect part of the TLB experience is aiming your bombs away from the boss, cancelling the bullets without getting anything thrown back - maybe in rhythm, similar to the Ikaruga stage 5 boss. But I’ve never seen this beast in action so that’s all assumption!
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by tel1100 »

Liquidus0 wrote:I have a 1.2.0 version. Playing on a New Net City and it's an amazing experience.

Love the game so far. Haven't put much time into it. I only played some credits here and there since July.

I want to start to learn it thoroughly in January.
I envy you. It's the best environment.
This game does not betray the time spent.
It has been a wonderful experience and an inspiration.
I hope your next year will be a good one.
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by tel1100 »

Sengoku Strider wrote:
tel1100 wrote:Previous Cave's true bosses use barriers to block bombs, but this one reflects our bombs.
LOL, that's just evil. But I guess if a developer wants to make sure players have to beat the true last boss with pure skill, that's the way to do it.
I thought about how I could make things easier, but at the moment it's hard to even meet the real boss.
The other day, I was thwarted just before the boss.

First of all, I need to get to the 5th boss with no mistakes.
Next, I have to hunt down the 5th boss to the 2nd form without making any mistakes.
Then the real boss appears.

I'll do my best steadily.
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tel1100
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by tel1100 »

CStarFlare wrote:I expect part of the TLB experience is aiming your bombs away from the boss, cancelling the bullets without getting anything thrown back - maybe in rhythm, similar to the Ikaruga stage 5 boss. But I’ve never seen this beast in action so that’s all assumption!
I love Ikaruga, too.
It's so difficult that I can't stand it at all, but I have enjoyed it all the way through with continuation.

Rhythm is also important in Aka and Blue.
There is a regularity to the enemy's movements and the intervals at which they fire their bullets.

I have yet to see anyone else get the real boss in the game.
I've seen pictures of it.

He moves like a demon and sucks my money.
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by BulletMagnet »

tel1100 wrote:He moves like a demon and sucks my money.
Somebody needs to sig that.
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VxD
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by VxD »

tel1100 wrote: I have yet to see anyone else get the real boss in the game.
Soon.

Just got my cartridge back from exA support, updated to version 1.2.0T.
The game does indeed feel even more responsive compared to 1.2.0, which already played quite well! Impressive feat.

An early benchmark shows <2 frames of input delay in the menus on my Vewlix Diamond Black.
Will experiment more over the next few days. :D
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by Zaarock »

Good luck beating the true last boss. Looks crazy and considering the difficulty of the st5 boss and cave tlbs it must be really hard indeed..

2 frames of input delay huh, that's crazy and very cool to see. I don't think I've seen a Unity based game down to that (perfect) level. Impressive stuff
Previous Cave's true bosses use barriers to block bombs, but this one reflects our bombs.
Every time I've played this game, I've had a terrible time.
now this is sig worthy :P
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by tel1100 »

BulletMagnet wrote:Somebody needs to sig that.
I heard that there is a player in Tokyo who can beat the true boss with one coin.
I want to go and watch.
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by tel1100 »

VxD wrote:
tel1100 wrote: I have yet to see anyone else get the real boss in the game.
Soon.
I apologize for my lack of words.
I meant to write "I haven't seen it in a game center yet".
I've seen three people on Twitter who've defeated the true boss for one coin so far.
Version 1.2.0T is looking good. I'm looking forward to it.
The only problem I have is that when I go to some game center, I might have a hard time playing with the previous version.
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by tel1100 »

Zaarock wrote:now this is sig worthy :P
I would like those who can complete this game to see the true boss.
There are different stories in Firebird and Blue Owl.
I thought I was able to do a little bit, but I didn't know there was more to come.
I'm overwhelmed.
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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

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Re: Aka & Blue Type-R (Exa Arcade 2018)

Post by tel1100 »

SuperPang wrote:Presumably this guy has him beat.
Mr. Kagali's play is excellent.
He came to my local game center once and gave me some advice.
To get the true boss, you need to play with the story enabled, but he disabled the story to focus on his high score.
Maybe he'll try it when he's done with the high score challenge.
https://twitter.com/kagali314/status/13 ... 9979197440
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