Please tell me about the PS2 compilations

[Ganelon]

The Gunbirds, Psikyos, and Sengokus. I remember they were discussed in the old forum but I wasn't around much and didn't really care at that time. They're supposed to have blurry visuals, aren't they? And none of the extra characters in the previous home ports. Are they worth owning besides as collectors' items? Do all of them have TATE? Are there options or difficulties for the games.

Does Gunbird have all the pictures that the 32-bit games had?
Gunbird 2 is still uncensored I'd imagine. Were there actually cut scenes (rather than just dialogue) from the US Gunbird 2?
I'd imagine all the bonus artwork and stuff from Sengoku Blade isn't on the PS2 version?
Any info on whether Sol Divide will have the "endurance" mode from the 32-bit versions?

I'd be grateful for answers.

[Rob]

Gunbirds - No artwork. Both have tate display. Gunbird's is not right, though. The screen dimensions are different for the title screen, story sequences, in-game, etc. No idea why. I think both have terrible sound issues, which makes the music unlistenable. Gunbird 2 has loading screens mid-stage and some graphics glitches. On the plus side there's a pretty solid practice mode (with hitboxes highlighted) and the ability to choose opening stages.

Gunbird on Saturn and Gunbird 2 on DC are better options.

Strikers is just the PS ports without saving and some sound/graphics issues. I didn't buy the Sengoku pack.

[Ghegs]

The Gunbird collection is just fine. Hell, I've never even noticed some stuff Rob mentioned (screen dimension, sound). GB2 takes about a second to load the artwork for the boss dialogues every time, so it's not really a problem, more of a slight annoyance. And it's not a loading screen, just Marion in the lower-right corner with a "Now loading..." text under her.

Sengoku pack is pretty much an arcade-perfect port for better and for worse. Good stuff.

The Strikers pack is really the only one in the bunch they botched up. I got a Strikers 1945 PSX (JPN) instead and haven't looked back.

[Ganelon]

Thanks for the info. So is there anything these games have that the arcade versions don't? What's wrong with the Strikers collection? Also, still unasnwered is whether JP Gunbird 2 actually features entire scenes cut from the US version.

[Ghegs]

Thanks for the info. So is there anything these games have that the arcade versions don't? What's wrong with the Strikers collection? Also, still unasnwered is whether JP Gunbird 2 actually features entire scenes cut from the US version.

Both Sengoku and Gunbird packs have practice modes and the possibility to disable the randomness of the first levels.

I actually only have the PAL version of the Strikers pack, yoko mode is completely unusable, tate is messed up (huge black borders around the playing screen), but I don't know if it's as bad in the JPN version. And the lack of high-score saving is pretty silly.

Dunno about the cutscenes, though.

[Rob]

The Gunbird collection is just fine. Hell, I've never even noticed some stuff Rob mentioned (screen dimension, sound).

You are talking about tate, right? It's like they used the 4:3 title screen and story screens and just centered them for tate. Empty space above and below. There's a black border around the in-game screen as well, which is lesser annoyance but still weird. And the sound is awful. The shooting sound effects sound like a jackhammer over the music. Didn't you say in the other thread you hadn't played other versions of the game?

And it's not a loading screen, just Marion in the lower-right corner with a "Now loading..." text under her.

Be technical why don't you.

I actually only have the PAL version of the Strikers pack, yoko mode is completely unusable, tate is messed up (huge black borders around the playing screen), but I don't know if it's as bad in the JPN version.

Japan version is almost exactly the same as the PS versions. Tate is full screen. Yoko mode is Original 1/2. Original 1 is not bad, but it's exactly the same as the PS version, so there is no alternative.

[oxtsu]

They're [Strikers collection] supposed to have blurry visuals, aren't they?

It's shimmering graphic (like rapid up^down shaking) that's annoying. Sharpness is good and faithful, same as PSX ports.

[Kron]

The sharpness is not the same as the Playstation ports as they are pixel perfect low resolution, The PS2 version has upscaled high res which makes it look blocky and over pixelated.

The Sengoku pack looks even worse.

[Nemo]

The sharpness is not the same as the Playstation ports as they are pixel perfect low resolution, The PS2 version has upscaled high res which makes it look blocky and over pixelated.

The Sengoku pack looks even worse.

No it doesn't. The Sengoku collection is significantly better and only suffers from minor shimmering (which mostly occurs in the pre-level cut-scenes). There is no pixelation or blockiness at all.

[Kron]

Um no.

Its pixel doubled thanks to the decision to display it in upscale high res. It looks particularly awful through a decent connection like RGB.

[system11]

I got the Gunbird set this week - the sound people mentioned - it's like they deliberately applied a reverb effect to everything, this is similar to the arcade board from memory, but sounds pretty bad on a TV. If you have any kind of DSP option on your TV sound - turn it off, problem is much reduced. I think they're pretty good ports.

[Ganelon]

Say, was the Sengoku pack the only one to feature a bonus (the superplay)? And did all copies have the superplay or was it only in first editions?

[system11]

Some definitely didn't come with the DVD, I think it's Ghegs who got a Sengoku pack without it. Honestly though, it'd be no reason not to buy it. It's just a replay.

[iatneH]

I've only played the Strikers 1945 I & II pack, but I have a major issue with how easy it is to Continue accidentally. It seems like every button if pressed when you're out of lives, triggers a continue. This is bad if you're pressing the fire button repeatedly during your last life and then die unexpectedly and you're still pressing the fire button, you've just continued!

[Rob]

Strikers came with a DVD too. About as exciting as watching a superplay of Gradius or something. There's nothing complex to see and only the first round.

This is bad if you're pressing the fire button repeatedly during your last life and then die unexpectedly and you're still pressing the fire button, you've just continued!

Except I wouldn't be doing that because the game has rapidfire.

[Nemo]

Um no.

Its pixel doubled thanks to the decision to display it in upscale high res. It looks particularly awful through a decent connection like RGB.

Fair enough, I haven't played it via RGB, so I'll take your word for it (looks fine on my Tele), but that still doesn't make it worse than the Strikers pack considering the Strikers look bad no matter what TV or monitor you use.

[oxtsu]

The sharpness is not the same as the Playstation ports as they are pixel perfect low resolution, The PS2 version has upscaled high res which makes it look blocky and over pixelated.

I've compared back-to-back both PSX and PS2 ports for I&II with RGB direct on high quality broadcast monitor. The sharpness and pixel size looks the same to me. Only shimmering is what I noticed.

[Ghegs]

Didn't you say in the other thread you hadn't played other versions of the game?

Yes, which is exactly why the aforementioned "problems" haven't registered with me. I honestly didn't notice these issues until people mentioned them. Not a big deal then, I'd say.

[system11]

I've played the arcade and Saturn Gunbird games, they feel the same.

Is it just me, or is the ps2 pack release significantly harder (especially with gunbird 2, which on normal launched an -actually- undodgeable tidal wave of bullets at me before a boss, as a 1-3 stage). I notice the arcade/saturn one have easy/normal/hard/very hard, the ps2 has 7 ranks, normal=5.

They feel _much_ harder.

Am I imagining it, can anyone confirm/deny this?