M2 Toaplan collection

[BrianC]

I didn't realize that Horror Story actually had a PCE CD port.

[Steven]

Stream is in just under 25 hours. I will do live translation like usual, although I am not sure how many people care about Hellfire and/or Zero Wing, but stop by tomorrow if you do. Not sure if I will do Ray'z and DDP translations, but I am absolutely going to do Toaplan. Super fucking excited for Ray'z, though. Exactly 4 weeks until that launches.

[BIL]

Packin' beast wood here FWIW

[Steven]

For Hellfire/Zero Wing or for Ray'z and/or DDP? I suppose for all of them works too lol

[BIL]

All of 'em - this is shaping up to be a hell of a year, even without considering ACA! - but I've always adored Hellfire's Genesis localisation, it was one of my formative STGs along with NES Life Force and Genesis Twin Cobra.

[Steven]

Yeah, this year is going to be interesting for sure. I really hope that CAVE

1. finally gets the original DDP rereleased in an arcade-perfect form
2. gets every DDP on PC to go along with Daifukkatsu, which is already there
3. manages to not go bankrupt

I have a feeling that this M2 Daioujou has something to do with #3, as CAVE is not in a good situation right now financially and everyone knows it. Most of their games don't really do much for me, but they are still good, well-designed games and I don't want to see CAVE go bankrupt.

As for MD Hellfire, I think that's a very interesting case of the home version playing significantly differently from the arcade version while still also likely being a straight upgrade. Comparing it to something like MD Zero Wing, MD Zero Wing is basically a straight conversion of the arcade version, aside from smaller sprite sizes and other graphical reductions, reduced difficulty, and the unfortunate removal of both the big Pipiru Seijin on stage 4 and the secret warp on stage 5, but it otherwise plays completely identically to the arcade version.

MD Hellfire plays very differently from the arcade version, though, and it's probably better in this case, a rare example of the home version being unfaithful to the arcade while still being better. Too bad the new Hellfire weapon feels very weak for what is supposed to be your bomb/superweapon, though. I'll take this over the PC Engine version for sure, as the PC Engine version is way too easy, and it's also unfortunately based on the 2P version, so you get the added disadvantage of having a disastrous chain death when you respawn in a bad place, like on stage 5 with those pillars that come from the top and bottom of the screen. I no missed up until that point the first time I played it and then I lost a bunch of extends right there because of that.

I've never talked with Uemura-san about Hellfire beyond getting him to sign my Retro-Bit copy, but reading his interviews about this game has always left me with the feeling that he doesn't really like Hellfire at all aside from the music. He has commented on Twitter a few times that he feels the PC Engine version's music is better than the arcade version's, and I'd really like to see the MD version with the PC Engine music (yes, that is actually possible on real hardware if you know how to do it).

[Sumez]

I feel like Cave going bankrupt would maybe be a good thing for everyone?

[Steven]

I don't really see that as a positive. Their assets and IPs would likely either be sold off or remain in either the hands of Takano or in limbo for decades like what happened with Toaplan and all of their staff will lose their jobs.

It would be extremely ironic if Tatsujin ended up picking up all of CAVE's staff and IPs if CAVE went bankrupt. I don't want CAVE to go bankrupt, but if it does happen, I hope some nice company like M2 or Hamster gets the IPs.

1830 edit: oh shit this starts in 30 minutes! I totally forgot about it!

[Steven]

Alright, it's starting. Horii is trolling in the chat lol.

First = DDP, then Toaplan, then Ray'z. They are going to actually play DDP. Yay~

lol actually that Horii in chat isn't real, so disregard him~

DoDonPachi Daioujou Rinne Tensei is the title. That's pretty cool, I guess. It's something of a play on words with all of the meanings for 臨.

lol 生きるがよい

Yay, Black Label is here, as expected!

Horii is thinking about doing ShotTriggers Espgaluda... and DoDonPachi 2, it seems. Yeah, it seems he's actually seriously thinking about doing DDP2. That's very interesting!

Cool, ship models taking reservations starting this summer from RC Berg. That's one for the ship models thread!

[MJR]

Funny how opinions can differ. Hellfire is one of my favourite games from Toaplan, along Truxton. I like the 2P version (for which I own the PCB), although the stage 5 chain death is quite true. But I specifically like the arcade version music best, especially Stage 2 / egyptian music. I got the PC-Engine CD version too, but I don't like it's soundtrack at all. It lacks the very specific feeling of those original programmed sounds you can only get out by torturing the sound chips. (I'm a huge chip music fan).

[BIL]

Yay, Black Label is here, as expected!

Excellent

It lacks the very specific feeling of those original programmed sounds you can only get out by torturing the sound chips. (I'm a huge chip music fan).

That's the best description I've seen of that particular Toaplan sound - "tortious" in an almost literal sense, twisting and wrought into shape; some of the groans, squeaks, and knockings in those OSVs are almost tangible! Bringing to mind metal under extreme pressure, like steel cabling in high winds, and ship hulls straining against storm waves. The cold, harsh tone contrasted with their fiery gamusharas created something truly inimitable. Thinking of TSUGARU from Kyuukyoku Tiger, "From The Sun To Me" from SameSame, and "In-Side Drive" from Hellfire... and the really elegiac, soaring stuff like Vimana, Zero Wing, and Out Zone, all of which get downright plaintive without losing an iota of that hard grit.

*though I think MD Tiger's Tsugaru and Zero Wing's MD in general blow away the AC vers :3 Tiger's jutting kick-drum and roaring power-chords put it over the line, particularly with the absolutely knockdown/dragout-brutal action in that port.

Also, just Teki Paki in general,that game sounds as mecha-ferocious as it looks and plays.

[Sumez]

DoDonPachi Daioujou Rinne Tensei is the title. That's pretty cool, I guess. It's something of a play on words with all of the meanings for 臨.

lol 生きるがよい

Will you explain that? Or just leave us in the dark

Yay, Black Label is here, as expected!

Is Death Label gonna be there though? That's the more important question

Horii is thinking about doing ShotTriggers Espgaluda...

Wow! That would be the most useless ShotTriggers release thus far in that case

[Steven]

Yeah, Teki-Paki's music is amazing. That was Takanohashi.

Anyway, Toaplan time!

Zero Fire. Uh... okay. "3, 2, 1, 0, fire!" is what Horii is saying. Hell Wing was thought about, it seems.

No release date yet, but they say development is going well.

Here's Toyama Yuuichi, who LOVES Zero Wing and will be demoing the game, it seems. Yes, I have that Toaplan hoodie that he is wearing BTW.

[BIL]

Hell Wing's better tbh Fuck it though, they could call it HellWig And The Angry 1CC and I'd be down. Excellent to hear it's going well!

Teki's sound always makes me think of a Sonic Eraser made good. Like turning a brutally powerful pressure-washer on a filthy boat anchor, and producing something every bit as heavy and angular, just aesthetically pleasing rather than horrific. Fuckin main theme's name - G.E.A.R. - says it all.

[DenimDemon]

Vey happy with this combo. Can’t wait!

[Sumez]

Did they say anything about what the bonus game will be?

[Steven]

Did they say anything about what the bonus game will be?

I think the only thing that they said was that it's not Dash Yarou, although I'd have to go back.

Also, no red flash. Yay! It apparently only looks right on a CRT, so no surprise that they got rid of it.

[BIL]

M2, always the craftsmen.

[Sumez]

Everyone in the chat going hurr durr all your base.

M2 should include the European MegaDrive release in their port, but give it a brand new accurate English translation just for trolling

[BIL]

M2 should include the European MegaDrive release in their port, but give it a brand new accurate English translation just for trolling

I'd just leave it as-is then insert an unskippable goatse right at the AYB part Real recognise real yo! Another early 00s internet legend! "MY MAWM GROUNDED ME" Yeah bitch deal with it

[Steven]

They are doing a campaign where you guess what the extra game is on Twitter and you get a poster if you get it right. Teki-Paki is here as well.

BTW I've never seen Toyama talk this much before. IRL he is EXTREMELY difficult to talk to. I think he's just really shy, though, because he's a nice dude.

[BIL]

Tatsujin Ou? >_> ( )

[DenimDemon]

And I was ashamed of abusing the homing shot.
Lol

Dogyuun? Ah it’s non stg

[Steven]

lol he killed Pipiru Seijin. BTW this is what I was talking about a while ago when I said 30Hz auto kind of breaks this game. It's not as bad as Vimana, but it's still super broken.

lol he died. Recovering on this boss really sucks in the arcade version since the homing fireball shots are fast and there are no speed ups. He'll probably game over here unless he's really good.

I am guessing the extra game is going to be Horror Story. It fits with the other horizontal games anyway.

[BIL]

In all seriousness, Snow Bros would be a lovely treat Not like the MD one isn't goddamn near perfect, but M2 ports really save on cart slot wear

EDIT: Haha, hadn't thought of the hori angle - yeah, Horror Story would make sense. Just feels right, too, after Wardner's previous outing.

BTW I've never seen Toyama talk this much before. IRL he is EXTREMELY difficult to talk to. I think he's just really shy, though, because he's a nice dude.

D'aww (;｀w´;) pls tell him we rove him! No homo. Or mucho homo if he's into that - either's fine! We are all men of The Hard Gayming here.

[Steven]

Yep, game over on the boss. It's not too bad to recover there on MD, but on the arcade you're kind of screwed if you die on stage 4.

BTW I've never seen Toyama talk this much before. IRL he is EXTREMELY difficult to talk to. I think he's just really shy, though, because he's a nice dude.

D'aww (;｀w´;) pls tell him we rove him! No homo. Or mucho homo if he's into that - either's fine! We are all men of The Hard Gayming here.

lol I will if I run into him again! I have a feeling I will run into him again eventually since he seems to go to every shooting game event that I go to. I got him to sign my Soukyuugurentai a few weeks ago, but I promised him last year that I'd play Spriggan Mark 2 and I haven't done that yet... he is really proud of that game since he wrote the story and stuff. I think he basically made like half of that game all by himself or something like that.

[BIL]

Spriggan Mark 2's an interesting one, and that's a very telling insight! It totally feels like a passion project, on top of being a very rare example of a Compile-published hori. Like a playable mecha OVA, ala AS Valken. Please tell him I always loved it, if you get the chance.

[Steven]

Yeah, I will check it out. I just keep forgetting about it. I forget how much the game is, but I think it's kind of expensive now.

Looks like there is some sort of event for Ray'z on the 22nd and they are going to be playing it there, and Toyama's going to be there. I think it's just about Ray'z time now. lol or not. I thought they were going to show of Ray'z today, but apparently not.

[BIL]

Yeah, sadly I imagine it goes for quite a bit now... to be honest, it's not a conventionally excellent STG - you've got a lifebar, and sometimes it's best to plunge through fire to kill stuff with your sword - but it's absolutely not a lifebar slummer; just part of that mecha game ethos, where you're not expected to avoid every last bit of flak - just 90% of it, plus the obvious insta-killer lasers, claw swipes, etc. Winds of Thunder is the platform's stronger "flying armoured slasher" hori, but I really like it as a mecha action game. The mood is really only matched by the formidable Valken, in my experience. That game's occasional STG segments playing quite similarly, now I think about it!

...I always have to append that I've not played Night Slave, in discussions re: scrolling mecha action. All my favourite peeps tell me it's ace. A hentai apparently, but you can nix The Scenes! Good thing, can't imagine mechs are optimised for one-handed piloting!

[Steven]

Yeah, I know a lot of people instantly equate lifebar shooters with being terrible, but if it works out okay than it should be fine.

BTW there was some discussion before about AYB in Japan, and as Sumez noted, there were a ton of people spamming AYB in the stream chat, so if anyone wanted proof that it's known in Japan, there you go lol