M2 Toaplan collection

[Angry Hina]

Yuji Kaida is not any "guy", though. Google it.

Ah, Iam surprised. Ive bought a godzilla artbook from him. He is awesome but this cover..... just sucks. its not only the style, the Zero Wing ship (is it called Zero Wing?) looks generic compared to the more compact and round unique original art style. Just disappointing.

[Sumez]

It's still not very good, though

[Steven]

I am still sad that the art has a generic ship-robot-thing that I don't remember seeing in either of these games (it vaguely looks sort of like the final boss in Hellfire, but...) instead of CATS. Seriously, where is CATS? I know there are probably people that don't like CATS for some reason, and if you do you should feel bad because CATS is awesome and he definitely deserved to be here. Apparently the last boss of Zero Wing is supposed to be CATS, so yes, he is in the arcade version.

[cfx]

Pre-ordered mine from Play Asia on PS4 (would love it on both really, but too much other games to buy at the moment).

Does anyone know if Horror Story will be on the disc or DLC?

For that matter, will all extra (assume PC Engine/Megadrive versions) stuff be on the disc?

It did very much piss me off that the previous 2 Toaplan Garages had DLC content even if you bought the disc!

Horror Story is DLC via a code in the package for the PS4 version. For Switch it will be on the cartridge. This comes from the game's website.

There will be console versions of games included but what they are and their method of delivery will be revealed later.

[Angry Hina]

I am still sad that the art has a generic ship-robot-thing that I don't remember seeing in either of these games (it vaguely looks sort of like the final boss in Hellfire, but...) instead of CATS. Seriously, where is CATS? I know there are probably people that don't like CATS for some reason, and if you do you should feel bad because CATS is awesome and he definitely deserved to be here. Apparently the last boss of Zero Wing is supposed to be CATS, so yes, he is in the arcade version.

Its the right decision to not feed the meme fans who mostly arent interested in the game anyway but the original Zero Wing art is so cool look at this:





Sooooo great!

[Sumez]

Yeah, seems like a massive waste to not draw on that. Arcade Zero Wing has probably Toaplan's best artwork this side of MegaDrive S!S!S!

[gbaplayer]

Is there already a date set for the next stream?

[BydoR9]

Pre-ordered mine from Play Asia on PS4 (would love it on both really, but too much other games to buy at the moment).

Does anyone know if Horror Story will be on the disc or DLC?

For that matter, will all extra (assume PC Engine/Megadrive versions) stuff be on the disc?

It did very much piss me off that the previous 2 Toaplan Garages had DLC content even if you bought the disc!

Horror Story is DLC via a code in the package for the PS4 version. For Switch it will be on the cartridge. This comes from the game's website.

There will be console versions of games included but what they are and their method of delivery will be revealed later.

That really sucks as I don't have a Japanese PSN account (yes I should just sort one out!).

I just don't get why they are reverting to this practice when there is a physical disc that will hold everything.

Really hoping that they don't do this with Dodonpatchi DOJ when that comes out later this year - Ketsui and ESPrade were all on the disc!

[Some-Mist]

Yea just get it sorted! (And pick up sorcer striker/mahou daisakusen while you wait)

[pablumatic]

Why is the cover art so ugly? Same and Kyuukyoku look both gorgeous but this looks like a 20 € no name developer STG first time attempt or something like that

It's the same guy who did the cover art for Saturn Battle Garegga and some other stuff, apparently. Yeah, I don't get it either. I do like it more as I see it more often, but it still seems a bit... generic? Or something like that.

To me it looks like this artist struggles a bit with digital art after coming from a traditional paper/canvas background. Happens to many. The deadline for the art may have been an issue as well.

[Angry Hina]

I think he struggles also with non biologic non city things

[Warp_Rattler]

Waaaaaayyy back around the time of the Hishou Same3 release:

Oh shit, the artwork forms a collage. Now my Paint skills are garbage so I wasn't able to get this to line up and not look like trash, but you'll see what I mean once you take a look: https://imgur.com/a/Vm3tbWD

Obviously Vol. 3 doesn't follow the general visual design as the first two (with the animals in the background), but it still has those diagonal light rayz rays moving through the picture. I had assumed it would go to the left of Kyuukyoku Tiger, but this seems like it would fit above or maybe to the left of Same3 instead? I wonder if the intent is to have the artwork connect through all of the releases, and if it's supposed to be a grid or one long horizontal collage?

Very important questions, here.

[Steven]

It also unfortunately seems like this release is treating the 2P version of Hellfire as the primary version of the game instead of the 1P version. The game's lead designer said on the stream the other day that the 1P version is the intended version, so WTF M2? Even if he hadn't outright stated that the 1P version is the intended version, the 1P version is way better than the 2P version!

I hope I am wrong and that they will give the 1P version the gadgets and the online leaderboards and stuff, but it seems like that might not happen since the website is mainly showing off the 2P version, they played the 2P version on the stream, and the field test is the 2P version.

[Warp_Rattler]

I hope I am wrong and that they will give the 1P version the gadgets and the online leaderboards and stuff

Oh yeah, was there any reason why only the default arcade versions have the gadgets available? (The answer is probably somewhere back in this thread but I have no recollection of having noticed it before). I want to spend more time with the 2P or US/world versions of Kyuukyoku Tiger and the sharks, but the gadgets are really nice assists for practicing the stages and it would be nice to have them in those modes.

[Sumez]

You have to consider that with the extremely rushed pace M2 are constantly pumping these out, they don't have the time to care for superfluous details like that

[Sengoku Strider]

Yeah, seems like a massive waste to not draw on that. Arcade Zero Wing has probably Toaplan's best artwork this side of MegaDrive S!S!S!

PC Engine Tatsujin imo:

[Sumez]

The logo really ruins that artwork

[Steven]

Pretty sure that arcade Zero Wing art is Ogiwara Naoki. I'll ask Hayashi Miho about it next time I meet her, as she seems to have a very good memory of what she made and what she didn't. I need to get her to sign my (glitchy) Zero Wing PCB anyway, which will hopefully help me to remember to ask her about it.

Speaking of arcade Zero Wing, today is the first day of the field test for M2 Zero Wing and I am sick and it is raining. I want to go, but at the same time I kind of want to stay home and rest. I'm not super sick or anything, as it's just a cold, so perhaps I'll go anyway.

[Steven]

Just got back from the field test.

The first thing that I noticed is that

he's here



CATS!!! I KNEW YOU'D COME!!!

ALL TOA 横シュー ARE BELONG TO YOU!

Now will people believe me when I say that Japan does know about this?

Aside from the presence of our old friend CATS, I am fairly disappointed in this build of Zero Wing; it has some very obvious stuttering, which is extremely evident when you look at the ship's blue flame propulsion thingy, and somehow it even has some really bad screen tearing. Other than that, it's arcade Zero Wing, but they removed the red flash. They probably fixed the bug with the final boss, too, but I only got to stage 5. I really hope they clean up the stutter and the screen tearing before release.

[Bassa-Bassa]

I wouldn't worry about the stutter. ZW displays at 57hz natively and optimizing it for 60hz hardware is likely the hardest thing to do as it involves runahead-like techniques to compensate the latency added by v-sync'ing, therefore the one which gets finished the last. They supposedly got it right for the previous games under the same condition.

As for PCE Tatsujin, it had nothing to do with Toaplan licensing apart (it was an internal Taito port by ex-Sting recruits, it seems), so the chances of Ogiwara drawing the cover art are slim. You never know, anyway.

[XtraSmiley]

I am still sad that the art has a generic ship-robot-thing that I don't remember seeing in either of these games (it vaguely looks sort of like the final boss in Hellfire, but...) instead of CATS. Seriously, where is CATS? I know there are probably people that don't like CATS for some reason, and if you do you should feel bad because CATS is awesome and he definitely deserved to be here. Apparently the last boss of Zero Wing is supposed to be CATS, so yes, he is in the arcade version.

Its the right decision to not feed the meme fans who mostly arent interested in the game anyway but the original Zero Wing art is so cool look at this:





Sooooo great!

This is so great, is there a larger version or one that is not cut off?

[Steven]

There is; it got used for the slip cover on the Retro-Bit release of the game. Pretty sure it's the art from the arcade flyer.

[Turrican]

Other Toaplan releases are coming for those who don't care about all the extras in these (Evercade is getting a 2nd this year, and I would think they'd do the lot on it. PC releases are coming too).

Not sure if this Is common knowledge already but It's confirmed the hidden game for booting both toaplan carts on the evercade vs Is daisenpuu MD.

[TransatlanticFoe]

Oh that's a fun little bonus, probably going to be a while before it shows up on one of these Toaplan Arcade Garage releases! Shame they didn't go with MD Twin Cobra though, given only arcade Twin Cobra is on the system and that'd mean access to some form of Kyukyoku Tiger.

[Steven]

Hellfire field test is tomorrow and I'm absolutely going. It's the 2P version, and I am guessing it will be the later revision. It's easy enough to tell, so I'll know almost immediately.

[Steven]

Just got back from the field test. Glad I went when I did because I got to see some crazy foreign dude effortlessly 1-ALL Tatsujin Ou and then almost get the 2-ALL before getting a game over against the final boss of the second loop.

Anyway, they used the earlier ROM for Hellfire, so you can only have 1 diagonal/vertical shot on screen at once instead of 2 like in the later ROM. This is surprising, as I expected the later ROM. At least I made it to stage 3 and got to hear Jumping Roll before I did a majestic chain death because screw the 2P version. CATS is unfortunately gone and I am sad.

Edit: I got all of the Hellfire revisions wrong, once again. I tested all of the revisions again on MiSTer and M2 is using the newer 2P ROM. The older 2P ROM lets you have 1 max power front/back shot on screen at once and the newer one lets you have 2. I have no idea what the differences between the older and newer 1P versions are.

[Steven]

Shop-specific bonus info is up now. Looks like 1983 will be getting its own alt cover art for Teki-Paki and ebten will have a B3 tapestry, among others. Looks like I will be spending more money on this release than I thought I would.

Tomorrow is the field test for Horror Story. I wonder what the ??? game next week will be.

[pulsemod]

alright, wasn't sold on getting this release yet but now I know I'm gonna have to get the teki-paki edition.

[Steven]

Yeah, Teki-Paki is super awesome. I love that game.

[XtraSmiley]

Shop-specific bonus info is up now. Looks like 1983 will be getting its own alt cover art for Teki-Paki and ebten will have a B3 tapestry, among others. Looks like I will be spending more money on this release than I thought I would.

Tomorrow is the field test for Horror Story. I wonder what the ??? game next week will be.

Thanks for this, do you have a link for that cover offer?