Solar Assault...do you like it?

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awbacon
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Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2009 4:53 pm

Solar Assault...do you like it?

Post by awbacon »

https://youtu.be/ak8kUeyf3qU

Not sure what peoples opinions on Solar Assault are here but I'd be curious to know. IT's always been a game I've enjoyed and I've been hunting for a working and not horribly priced PCB for awhile now...with zero luck.

As far as 3D shmups are concerned though it's def one of my favorites. I appreciate Konami tried something different with the Gradius series
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pablumatic
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Re: Solar Assault...do you like it?

Post by pablumatic »

I played it at a Wal-Mart near-ish to me back when it was actually out.

Thought it was okay. Cost $1 to play so I didn't play it a lot, but I liked the massive sit-down cabinet it had. Quite the experience. Its kind-of like if Gradius was a roller coaster in feeling.

I always wanted a PS1 or PS2 port, but alas it never happened. Couldn't run it well on MAME until about 5 years ago when I got a CPU capable of smooth playback. The game is definitely better in its original cabinet form and while I would still buy a home port today, I'd prefer it be in the $8 Arcade Archives price range.

Good luck finding a PCB, especially for a decent price.
awbacon
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Re: Solar Assault...do you like it?

Post by awbacon »

pablumatic wrote:I played it at a Wal-Mart near-ish to me back when it was actually out.

Thought it was okay. Cost $1 to play so I didn't play it a lot, but I liked the massive sit-down cabinet it had. Quite the experience. Its kind-of like if Gradius was a roller coaster in feeling.

I always wanted a PS1 or PS2 port, but alas it never happened. Couldn't run it well on MAME until about 5 years ago when I got a CPU capable of smooth playback. The game is definitely better in its original cabinet form and while I would still buy a home port today, I'd prefer it be in the $8 Arcade Archives price range.

Good luck finding a PCB, especially for a decent price.
Yeah finding a decent priced PCB has so far not been possible
bigbadboaz
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Re: Solar Assault...do you like it?

Post by bigbadboaz »

I really wish I'd had a chance to play it back in the day. Saw it in the mags, was pretty hyped, never came across a machine in the wild. And I got to see plenty of arcades that got the big-ticket cabs in.

In an era where too many games were forced into 3D simply because of the times, Gradius looked like something where they could actually make it work.

(Clicked on the thread thinking it was about Solar Eclipse)
xxx1993

Re: Solar Assault...do you like it?

Post by xxx1993 »

Played it once, never beat it...
PC Engine Fan X!
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Re: Solar Assault...do you like it?

Post by PC Engine Fan X! »

I recall seeing the uber-cool Konami's Solar Assault (circa 1997) at the Sega Gameworks amusement joint located on the Las Vegas strip back in August of 1998. It uses Spatializer Stereo 3D audio process to deliver impressive sound. It was priced at a mere dollar per credit -- all the arcade cabs & pinball games took credits off your Gameworks debit gaming card. Gameworks had a special deal if you bought twenty dollars worth of gaming credits, you'd get an additional five dollars worth of gaming credits as a extra incentive/bonus. The classic early 1980s arcade cabs like Galaga & Robotron: 2084 were priced at fifty cents per credit (not worth it imho). The deluxe sit-down cab of Solar Assault had a rear projection big screen setup & seemed larger/more dramatic with it's slick overall presentation/gameplay. I, personally, haven't seen nor played it since then.

Apparently, Konami released two different Solar Assault cab configurations: one with a large rear projection screen setup & the 2nd variant cab with a smaller rgb monitor with sit-down seat setup (that was made for Japanese game centers back in 1997). Konami of America arcade subsidy did distribute/sell the larger SA cab stateside but in limited numbers, indeed. So if you got the rare chance to play it out there in the wilds of America, you were fortunate/lucky as most folks didn't really get the proper chance to play it as it really wasn't widely distributed in the USA during the 1997-1998 timeline.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
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ShewtUmOp
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Re: Solar Assault...do you like it?

Post by ShewtUmOp »

I randomly discovered this game last year at some old arcade on the outskirts of Nashville, TN on my honeymoon. The game kicked my butt on the second stage and my wife came over to laugh at me. That was right before COVID really hit, and it was the day before a severe tornado tore through the area. I really liked the game's style. Reminded me of Star Fox mixed with Soul Star.
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