Ray'z Arcade Chronology [Taito x M2] - PS4/Switch [2023]

[subcons]

Awesome news. Day one purchase for me, no doubt. Between this and the mini console though, sounds like M2 might be tied up on the Toaplan front for a bit.

[Martinov]

Definite buy for me too. I was more than prepared to buy the S-Tribute version until I read this thread all of 60 seconds ago - I do feel a little sorry for City Connection.

[BIL]

Besides RayCrisis finally getting an arcade-accurate home version, I'm also really hyped about Rayforce's. As with Saturn Darius Gaiden, Layer Section was always a sterling effort in its own right, and God knows I'd never be without either. But it's always good to get disciplined archivists like M2 on the case for a definitive latter-day edition.

Also, more experience with F3 emulation is never a bad thing!

I don't know who Ray is, but I'd like to thank him for giving us this arcade chronology.

Ray a homie, also does good trade in deluxe sound boxes

As a non-native english speaker, I'd like to know as well if the 'z is something else than a nod to the Cozmic Collection.

I think it's just a little stylistic continuity, like adopting Coz for Darius's AC+CS anthologies.

Cozmo, or some say Cozmic... do you hear our prayers? As you once did for the vacuous ROM, grant us eyes...

Wonderful to see the acknowledgement, given the sky-high standards of those sets.

[Steven]

Ray'z a pretty cool guy. He sells CDs and doesn't afraid of anything except City Connection.

[kid aphex]

This is awesome...
Question:

Is the Arcade version of Rayforce better than the Saturn port?
What are the differences?
I would google it, but I'm sure if there are some SMALL differences, the people on this forum are going to call them out more thoroughly...

I ask because I'm curious if its still worth picking up the recent switch release of the Saturn version

Thx

[Rastan78]

Sega Saturn version

-Released under the title of "Layer Section". Includes two modes, a mode adjusted for the horizontal screen for home use and a vertical screen mode.

-In the adjustment mode, there are many parts that are different from the arcade in terms of staging. The most conspicuous are the 2nd and 5th sides. The former has a three-dimensional appearance of a mesh-like base and planetary openings, and the latter has deteriorated such as the side walls being cut. However, the placement and patterns of the enemies are played normally and you do not notice any changes, so there is no problem with playing as a ported version.

-The portrait mode is limited to vertically mountable TVs, but it's a nearly perfect port of the arcade and is of very high quality.

-Surprisingly, although it is a CD ROM, there is almost no loading after starting the game, and the original seamless game development is completely reproduced. There is also a legend that the value of the board dropped after the release due to the high degree of portability.

-In addition, in the mode for horizontal screen, the effect of raster scrolling is cut due to the number of scanning lines.

-The score extend setting has been changed from the arcade version of "1 million points / 2 million points" to "500,000 points / 1 million points", and the number of remaining aircraft is increasing quickly.

-Only the BGM is completely replaced, and the sound source is different from the arcade. The soundtrack CD is Saturn version compliant, and while it has gained a large number of fans, it has also been unpopular with fans of arcade sound sources.

-By the way, the BGM recorded on the CD-DA is stereo when played on a CD player, but for some reason it is output in monaural during the game.

Source: https://w.atwiki.jp/gcmatome/pages/3116 ... d_72149f04

[Oniros]

At least City Connection port their games to Xbox and Steam. Taito could be more inclusive. Sucks tbh.

I hope this is announced later for Steam like G-Darius HD.

[Creamy Goodness]

Huge news. Day one purchase for me. And wow what a way to give the middle finger to City Connection especially since they have pending releases for Taito. Somebody must've really pissed someone off. Also, this looks like it will not be inder the Shottriggers banner. Wonder if that means we will get concurrent Toaplan releases.

[pja]

I'm glad this port is going to be released... but I don't think companies make decisions about releasing videogames out of pure spite Especially something that takes a lot of effort like these M2 ports. I would be more willing to believe that City Connection somehow knew about this and rushed that S-Tribute out the door while anyone cared about it, but I still don't think it's very likely.

[Sumez]

I think you're right about that. This has probably been planned since before that stupid s-tribute release.

[TransatlanticFoe]

What's the issue with the S-Tribute release? I played the demo and it was fine. Yeah this will definitely trump it for playing Rayforce, but you have to wonder whether Ray'z will get a non-JP release.

[Rastan78]

Call me crazy, but this announcement kinda makes me want to DL the city connection port. Now there's a reason to shake the rust off and get reacquainted with Ray Force before the M2 release hits. Haven't fired up my Saturn copy in years. I mean it could be a quite a while before this actually comes out.

Doesn't surprise me at all that a company would double, triple or sextuple dip that teabag with rereleases in this a day and age. Look at Sega with Sonic Origins (which is apparently filled with a huge laundry list of bugs and inaccuracies) when better versions already exist. Capcom released shittier versions of games on CAS than what were already available on the Beat em Up collection. Theyve got CAS2 Vampire games aaaand the new fighting collection. Taito also has the Egret II mini. Etc etc.

At least this time the second release (3rd if you count the mini?) is likely going to be a definitive version.

If anyone were to be pissed it would have to be Taito being pissed at Taito. They're producing these collections with M2 and have to also be the ones who licensed the rights to CC for the Saturn port.

Ray a homie, also does good trade in deluxe sound boxes

He also makes some damn good BBQ sauce.

[Jeneki]

Excellent news! Glad I waited on the recent release, I'll pick up the M2 version day 1 for sure.

[Zeether]

I was wondering if the RayStorm "Neo HD" version is a rerelease of the PSN/XBLA game but a quick DeepL translation says it's not. Ah well, this is a good collection regardless.

[To Far Away Times]

Will look forward to getting crushed mercilessly in the back half of Rayforce.

[Rastan78]

Will look forward to getting crushed mercilessly in the back half of Rayforce.

I mistakenly read that as I will look forward to getting crushed mercilessly in the back half by Rayforce.

I was wondering if the RayStorm "Neo HD" version is a rerelease of the PSN/XBLA game but a quick DeepL translation says it's not. Ah well, this is a good collection regardless.

M2 would normally go for something that matches the OG arcade version as closely as possible.

The XBLA version was nice looking but had some balance changes and was zoomed in to fill the screen making it feel much different to play.

Apparently that wasn't the choice of the devs. One of the platform holders wouldn't allow the game to be released 4:3 (probably Sony IIRC). So the PSN and XBLA were both locked to a zoomed in 16:9 view to keep platform parity.

[Sima Tuna]

My first thought when I saw this was

OH FUCK OH FUCK OH FUCK

Screw you, Shitty Connection. M2's here to show you how to do it properly.

Good.

I like the Ray games, but I hate Shitty Connection. Now I can give the money to M2 instead. Glad I have a policy of no-buy for CC ports. I'd be a little salty if I had shelled out for their garbage version of a single Ray game.

Now we just need an M2 port of Shienryu. And Gekirindan. And Terra Diver. Fuck why are there so many awesome shmups without good ports?

[Atariboy]

Apparently that wasn't the choice of the devs. One of the platform holders wouldn't allow the game to be released 4:3 (probably Sony IIRC). So the PSN and XBLA were both locked to a zoomed in 16:9 view to keep platform parity.

That seems unlikely when tons of 4:3 classics were rereleased regularly on the platform.

[jehu]

I went to look back at RayStorm HD reviews, and I was really surprised find myself once again immersed in the extremely distinctive 2010 mentality on the downloadable game market.

Take a look, you'll see what I mean. Not the most accommodating environment to be sure.

Spoiler

[Rastan78]

Apparently that wasn't the choice of the devs. One of the platform holders wouldn't allow the game to be released 4:3 (probably Sony IIRC). So the PSN and XBLA were both locked to a zoomed in 16:9 view to keep platform parity.

That seems unlikely when tons of 4:3 classics were rereleased regularly on the platform.

Here's the reason there's no 4:3 available:

http://twitter.com/gantan/status/13434199768

Basically, Sony wouldn't allow the distribution of the game with a 4:3 mode included, and I'm guessing it was excluded so nobody feels like they're left out (and to avoid PS3/360 fanboy wars). This guy helped design the game so I'll take his word for it. Of course Taito isn't going to publicly announce something like this themselves.

edit: unsurprisingly he's deleted the twitter comment, here it is below:

@meltycat それはねぇ、俺もさんざんプロキオン側に文句言ったが青木さんがOKだからこれでいいのダと・・・　４：３のモードくらい入れて欲しかったわ。１６：９のゲームじゃないと今審査通らないのはわからんでもないがね。とくにSCEIが・・・

[Atariboy]

I wasn't doubting that you'd read it, I was just a little skeptical that it was actually the case. Certainly if indeed a member of the team behind the project said it like that person on Twitter alleges, that can't be argued with since they were there and we weren't.

But at the same time it certainly doesn't gel with the actual software situation on the PS3. Lots of 4:3 classics (And some vertically ones) saw releases on the platform by way of various classic compilations (retail and digitally), the PS1/PS2 classics line, the PC Engine/TG16 lineup, NeoGeo Station, the Data East and SNK classics that saw Minis releases, and general PSN releases like Mega Man 9/10.

Even Sony got in the game very early on with some of the first 4:3 releases on the platform outside of the PS1 Classics range, publishing a range of Midway owned arcade classics like Championship Sprint around the spring of 2007 that Sony had licensed the publishing rights to. That was when they were still riding high on the success wave that was the PS2, were viewed as being too arrogant for their own good by many of their customers, and perhaps before they were fully cognizant that the PS3 was facing a very different battle than the PS1 and PS2 before it had. Yet not only were they allowed, but Sony even handled the publishing duties.

So why block this one years later from a 3rd party publisher? On the surface it really doesn't make any sense.

[Bassa-Bassa]

Because one thing is publishing old games as they were and making of it the selling point, and another is a full remake with an "HD" in the name (hence, a new game). Sucks, but sounds totally plausible. Who's the developer, anyway?

[Rastan78]

Yeah, who knows. Hard to tell much from one twitter post. Could be the dev was just being overly cautious and didn't want to include something they thought might raise an eyebrow and lead to more time and money spent to remove the 4:3 mode and resubmit.

Could also be that Sony treated straight retro ports differently than remakes bearing an "HD" label.

[Jeneki]

If any dev ever feels pressured again to use a specific aspect ratio that's unintended for their game, I hope they look to Strania as an example. Technically it shows everything in 16:9, but everything outside the intended play field is slightly greyed out and inconsequential to actual play.

[Rastan78]

I went to look back at RayStorm HD reviews, and I was really surprised find myself once again immersed in the extremely distinctive 2010 mentality on the downloadable game market.

Take a look, you'll see what I mean. Not the most accommodating environment to be sure.

Spoiler

I did the same. It's crazy that Raystorm HD could have gotten 2/10 and 4/10 reviews. That should be reserved for broken or severely flawed games that border on unplayable.

This is the entirety of Eurogamer's 4/10 review:

It's be nice to think that publishers re-issue HD versions of old games precisely because they need no introduction, but RayStorm was neither particularly famous nor ever considered a classic. Released as part of Square Enix's ongoing efforts to monetise Taito's vast back catalogue, it's completely baffling why the Japanese giant feels compelled to charge 1200 Points for a game so few people care about. But there we are.

It wouldn't matter about the price if RayStorm was some sort of timeless, overlooked gem that demands reappraisal, but in the cold light of 2010, it's little more than a mildly diverting period piece, released at a time when developers were just getting to grips with 3D. Some of you might have fond memories of its 1997 arrival on the PlayStation, but everyone else will just see it as a rather by-the-numbers vertical shooter, with few defining characteristics.

Is it a good port? If functional is your definition of good, then yes. Otherwise RayStorm comes across as a gaudy glimpse of the bad old days of mid-1990s 3D. And no-one wants that.

Yes, 4/10 for fuck's sake! His attitude is basically if i havent heard of it already it must not be worth my time. It will be interesting to see how much things have changed for the better when Eurogamer does a review of the new collection some day.

[Jonpachi]

Shitty Connection collection is down to $20 on the US eshop. Scrambling for their last bit of interest I suppose. I'm tempted just to have it for the sake of comparison.

[heli]

Playable on HDMI output with replays and leaderboard also 3 in 1.
And no garbage port also.
Worth the money.

I watch many replays, only you can download the 100 best and they all the same.
I need this game when its just out, so i can download the replays from my skill level also.
Replays contain lots of knowledge, this is one of my favourite games, raystorm.

btw : i doubt if some replays are human.

[EmperorIng]

Given the amount of 1cc's in raystorm in the west is probably only in the dozens (if THAT!), it does seem like it takes an inhuman amount of skill to pull off a 1cc. It might be one of the hardest shmups out there... in this scrub's opinion.

Please, japon, I need to copy your routes...

[m.sniffles.esq]

I went to look back at RayStorm HD reviews, and I was really surprised find myself once again immersed in the extremely distinctive 2010 mentality on the downloadable game market.

It wasn't just the downloadable market, the post-Dreamcast era was rough period.

I remember buying Raiden Fighters Aces for the 360 at a Gamestop, and the clerk showed the box to his co-worker and asked him "Why do they keep putting stuff like this out?" to which the co-worker shrugged and answered "I guess because in a couple years games like that--and their market--will no longer exist, so they have to squeeze out the last few pennies while they still can..."

The worker then looked at me and asked "Do you think anyone is still going to make games like this in a couple years?"
"I certainly hope so" I answered. To which they both just sort of shook their heads like they pitied me.

[Steven]

That was around the time when the whole "if it's not a generic 6000 hour long open world game where green, grey, and brown are the only colors in the game and it's filled with mindless fetch quests that don't serve any purpose outside of boring the shit out of the player = game's shit, especially if it's not open world" mentality started. It's probably going to get better reviews now that it's okay to not be a generic Elder Scrolls clone again.