Akai Katana Shin PS4 switch

[heli]

https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/PLJM-17045

[hamfighterx]

Amazon.jp links:
Special Edition: Switch PS4
Standard edition: PS4
Amazon exclusive Special Edition Switch - looks like it comes with an Amazon exclusive P3 size (11 x 16.9 inch) character poster or something?

And an interesting note from the product description (machine translated), new feature in this release:

Daisuke Matsumoto, who worked on the music for "Gothic wa Mahou Otome" and the sound effects for the "Akai Katana" series, provided a new arrangement. In addition to the original sound source and the arranged songs added in "Shin", you can switch between a total of 3 versions.

[Astro City II]

https://city-connection.co.jp/akaikatana/

City Connection will release CAVE Interactive-developed shoot ’em up Akai Katana Shin for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch on December 15, the publisher announced. It will support English, Japanese, French, and Spanish language options.


Akai Katana Shin includes the following three versions of the game:
Akai Katana (Akai Katana Origin) – Side-scrolling shoot ’em up originally released in arcades in 2010.
Akai Katana Shin (Akai Katana Slash) – A new version of Akai Katana with a widescreen aspect ratio and renewed systems.
Zetsu Akai Katana (Akai Katana Climax) – Based on the systems of Akai Katana, but with balance adjustments.

[kid aphex]

Cave’s swan song. I’ll probly buy multiple copies like a nerd.

[Jonpachi]

Cave’s swan song. I’ll probly buy multiple copies like a nerd.

Wasn't that SDOJ?

[xxx1993]

Cave’s swan song. I’ll probly buy multiple copies like a nerd.

I thought their swan song was DoDonPachi SaiDaiOuJou...

[Fudoh]

I really wonder if we'll get the original 240p graphic assets this time around. I have the strong suspicion that we'll just get the "HD" assets from the 360 version.

[XtraSmiley]

I really wonder if we'll get the original 240p graphic assets this time around. I have the strong suspicion that we'll just the "HD" assets from the 360 version.

It would be great if so, but it doesn't seem to be the case. Probably just a port of the 360 version?

[m.sniffles.esq]

Whoops! I thought we weren't supposed to start new threads if the game thread already exists.

[kid aphex]

Cave’s swan song. I’ll probly buy multiple copies like a nerd.

Wasn't that SDOJ?

Yes, but I ignore SDOJ…
Don’t mind me over here in my own little world.

[Steven]

ebten stuff is up now: typical tapestry + optional 3D crystal(s): https://ebten.jp/p/7015022121501

Daisuke Matsumoto, who worked on the music for "Gothic wa Mahou Otome" and the sound effects for the "Akai Katana" series, provided a new arrangement. In addition to the original sound source and the arranged songs added in "Shin", you can switch between a total of 3 versions.

He did Fire Shark Distortion!!! for the Toaplan Arcade Sound Digital Collection 11, and he's also the drummer for Uemura-san's band. I expect his arranged soundtrack will be really good, judging by how awesome Fire Shark Distortion!!! turned out. Looks like he worked on City Connection Deathsmiles and Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE, as well.

[hamfighterx]

I enjoyed Matsumoto's arranged soundtrack on Ketsui's ShotTriggers release quite a bit too. It was a really pleasant surprise, and ended up being my favorite of the three ASTs on that one (Basiscape and Virt did the other two).

[Steven]

Yeah, he's good, and I expect that his arranged soundtrack for this release will be good... not that I've heard the original music yet lol. I didn't know he worked on M2 Ketsui, though his involvement makes me more interested than I already was. Still waiting on that supposed reprint that M2 announced some time ago, though I may just give up and get it from a 3rd party seller on Amazon since they have it for the standard 7480 MSRP anyway.

Kind of off-topic, but how does Matsumoto's Ketsui compare to Namiki's? Namiki is Namiki, so...

[hamfighterx]

Yeah, he's good, and I expect that his arranged soundtrack for this release will be good... not that I've heard the original music yet lol. I didn't know he worked on M2 Ketsui, though his involvement makes me more interested than I already was. Still waiting on that supposed reprint that M2 announced some time ago, though I may just give up and get it from a 3rd party seller on Amazon since they have it for the standard 7480 MSRP anyway.

Kind of off-topic, but how does Matsumoto's Ketsui compare to Namiki's? Namiki is Namiki, so...

More often than not, I tend to play the ShotTriggers releases with arrange soundtracks on... the Garegga Rev.2016 mix, the god tier chibi-tech Dangun Feveron AST, the Esprade Psi arrange, etc.

But for Ketsui... I do find it pretty difficult to not go for the original Namiki version. Still, the Matsumoto mix is good! I was a little underwhelmed with the (additional DLC) Virt arrange though.

[Steven]

Yeah, Namiki is insane. Everything I've heard from him is basically perfect, especially Battle Garegga Rev.2016 Perfect. I have the Battle Garegga Complete Soundtrack and its bonus disc, which has every Garegga soundtrack except Rev.2016 Perfect. There was a sealed copy of the Japanese physical edition with the code in the box (still stupid that there is no Japanese physical version of that...) and the Rev.2016 Perfect soundtrack over in BEEP a while ago for MSRP and I forgot that that soundtrack is in that box. I wonder if it's still there...

It does still make me sad that there is no arranged music for the Toaplan games, though... hopefully we will get the stereo soundtrack for Tatsujin Ou, but I'd pay some serious cash for U-Brand arranged soundtracks for the Toaplan collections to the point where it would probably be cheaper to buy the PCBs.

[ryu]

I really wonder if we'll get the original 240p graphic assets this time around. I have the strong suspicion that we'll just get the "HD" assets from the 360 version.

Was this an SD game in the arcades? Never heard that trivia before.

[xxx1993]

Cave’s swan song. I’ll probly buy multiple copies like a nerd.

Wasn't that SDOJ?

Yes, but I ignore SDOJ…
Don’t mind me over here in my own little world.

Well, it’s real, and it wasn’t a bad game at all.

[Fudoh]

Was this an SD game in the arcades? Never heard that trivia before.

I think that all 2D Cave games were 240p in the arcades. Somebody correct me, if that's wrong.

[Some-Mist]

pretty excited to give this another go. never spent time with the shin and zetsu modes because I burned myself out getting the arcade mode clear, and those are apparently supposed to be a lot more fun to play.
if only I could figure out how to get my switch arcade stick working with the dock :/

[el_rika]

Was this an SD game in the arcades? Never heard that trivia before.

I think that all 2D Cave games were 240p in the arcades. Somebody correct me, if that's wrong.

Correct, all last gen Cave shmups (and 1st gen), are 240p.
2nd gen (pgm based ones) however, are 224p, with higher vertical res.

@ xxx1993 - agreed, Saidaioujou is a terrific game.

[Buffi]

Akai Katana and most other cv1k games had 480p base assets that were downscaled for the arcade releases though, so arguably the 360 ver is how they wanted it to look.

[Fudoh]

The disadvantage of the 480p versions is that they're harder to display on a 15khz CRT without using interlaced signals. And it would hurt nobody to simply include BOTH sets of assets.

[Jonpachi]

The disadvantage of the 480p versions is that they're harder to display on a 15khz CRT without using interlaced signals. And it would hurt nobody to simply include BOTH sets of assets.

Would love to see it myself, but it seems very unlikely. We're almost certainly gonna get the 360 version as-is (maybe a new character for $30).

[Buffi]

The disadvantage of the 480p versions is that they're harder to display on a 15khz CRT without using interlaced signals. And it would hurt nobody to simply include BOTH sets of assets.

I mean... sure, but it's not like Switch or other modern consoles support 240p output anyways, so not like it matters here?

[Redfox]

A bit off topic though also related and sorta on topic. With City Connection seemingly releasing what could be argued as Akai Katana's 360 port to the big current consoles and them having done the same with Death Smiles I and II, is there any hope they'll do Saidaioujou next? Exa doesn't seem bothered by this Akai Katana release since it's a console port and won't affect operators buying his system (like allowing a mame rom in the wild could).

Anyone heard anything? Maybe I can keep dreaming lol. (Saidaioujou is the principal reason I keep my 360 plugged in, takes up a lot of room for one game heh)

[hamfighterx]

The disadvantage of the 480p versions is that they're harder to display on a 15khz CRT without using interlaced signals. And it would hurt nobody to simply include BOTH sets of assets.

Would love to see it myself, but it seems very unlikely. We're almost certainly gonna get the 360 version as-is (maybe a new character for $30).

Awww, my poor Deathsmiles DLC girls Though to be fair, there the Deathsmiles DLC did include five additional characters for the ~$25. Still excessive DLC price? OK. But at least it's a substantial enough set of new characters.

A bit off topic though also related and sorta on topic. With City Connection seemingly releasing what could be argued as Akai Katana's 360 port to the big current consoles and them having done the same with Death Smiles I and II, is there any hope they'll do Saidaioujou next? Exa doesn't seem bothered by this Akai Katana release since it's a console port and won't affect operators buying his system (like allowing a mame rom in the wild could).

Anyone heard anything? Maybe I can keep dreaming lol. (Saidaioujou is the principal reason I keep my 360 plugged in, takes up a lot of room for one game heh)

Could be Live Wire too, since they already did straight ports of the 360 Mushihimesama, Espgaluda II, and Daifukkatsu. Honestly, at this point I'd be more surprised if SDOJ doesn't get ported by one of them. Same goes for Mushi Futari, it seems like a no brainer. I'd think Live Wire seems more likely (and preferable to most people here), but I also wouldn't be utterly shocked if gets announced and it's City Connection.

[m.sniffles.esq]

Now with PC version

[Steven]

Good! Now we all just have to hope that it doesn't have a week of lag like City Connection's Guardian Force.

[Necronom]

Now with PC version

Awesome! Now I put the arrange OST on repeat till this thing arrives. Should make a nice couple with Gunvein

[Ms. Tea]

Yes!! I was hoping we'd get a PC version. Definitely grabbing that then. Since my wife bought a Steam deck, I'll still have the option of playing it portably if I want to.