Panzer Dragoon for Switch

[guigui]

Apparently they're about to release a patch for 60fps and reduced input lag -
https://twitter.com/PanzDragWorld/statu ... 8113054722

Alright, so it looks like this update with 60 fps and reduced lag is not out yet ?

[Phellan Wolf]

New patch is out. Has someone already tried it out?? Has the input latency been solved??

[m.sniffles.esq]

New patch is out. Has someone already tried it out?? Has the input latency been solved??

Not yet, but I'll give a report as soon as I do (maybe tonight? Don't quote me on that)

[MJR]

I tried it, and thought it was great. Response time was actually better than I expected, even when playing in docked mode. I think it is now as responsive as you can possibly make on switch, and it felt quite nice to play.

[Mischief Maker]

I bought the PC version on a whim because it was on sale and was pleasantly surprised. The worst problems have been solved, the dragon is no longer bouncing all over the screen, you can choose a classic reticle that doesn't cover up the dragon, and you can also set input to "classic mode" to not decouple dragon movement from aiming with mouse controls and retain that proper "swooping" feel to the gameplay.

If the more detailed an colorful aesthetic isn't a turnoff, I'd say the game is a gem in its current state, at least for PC.



I wish it had autofire.

[Specineff]

Damn, dude... now I want to buy it. My wallet curses you for steering me towards it!

[WelshMegalodon]

Another noteworthy thing is the orginal had visual cues that synced up with the soundtrack... that's not present anymore.

[bigbadboaz]

Nobody here ever took the plunge on the PS4 version?

[Mischief Maker]

Damn, dude... now I want to buy it. My wallet curses you for steering me towards it!

Well I would still say to wait for a sale.

Also the only Panzer Dragoon game I'd played prior to this remake was Orta on the Xbox, so I'm not going to catch the fine discrepancies that other people are spotting.

In retrospect I had the wrong impression of the "experience" while playing Orta because it lacks an opening level with Neverending Story-esque joyful music.

Man, when you think about it, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Jet Set Radio Future, Outrun 2006 Coast 2 Coast. The original Xbox as much as the Dreamcast was the last refuge for really Sega Sega games.

[guigui]

The game is also 50% off currently on EU Switch eshop.

[EmperorIng]

In retrospect I had the wrong impression of the "experience" while playing Orta because it lacks an opening level with Neverending Story-esque joyful music.

Panzer Dragoon Zwei opens with fiery, char-black level with ominous (unpleasant?) music setting the scene. It's when your dragon first takes flight on the next level that the game's music takes a deep breath.

I haven't played this one in a while due to the aforementioned issues; I need to try it out once more.

[BIL]

My memory is compromised by prolonged staring at Orta's arched back and cute ass (PLS DUN CANCEL ME), but that one Rez-like PDO stage, I woke up the next day unsure if I'd dreamed the whole thing. THATS AMAZIN

Also snowy ground stage, PD1 callback with scawy slamming metal doors, Mahou Daisakusen flying castle raid w/anti-Dragoon murdersquad dogfight... I wish I'd played that game when I known WTF hard gayming was. Never went for ranks, IIRC. Will be a good time whenever I excavate my XB, the console with a sticker warning not that it'll break if dropped, but that whoever it drops on will be broken!

Man, when you think about it, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Jet Set Radio Future, Outrun 2006 Coast 2 Coast. The original Xbox as much as the Dreamcast was the last refuge for really Sega Sega games.

IKR

[EmperorIng]

That orta remains unported out of the xbox is a real crime. I don't have a 360 and I've been wanting to play it for years. I wish they'd chuck it onto the Microsoft store, at LEAST.

[Mischief Maker]

My memory is compromised by prolonged staring at Orta's arched back and cute ass

Well you also reminded me of what kinda soured the experience for me after the end:

Spoiler

You learn over the course of the story that Orta is a genetically engineered hybrid who is one of the few beings left with the ability to perfectly "reproduce" the ancient bio robots of the lost civilization. (unlike the giger-esque mutants the empire is using now) So the big badguy is a malfunctioning robot who wants to rape Orta to produce millions of copies of himself.

But that's not the thing that soured me. It's the post-credits scene. Your dragon has died by the end, but the last thing we see is Orta walking into the sunset being followed by a perfect non-mutant baby dragon.

And the one thing that flashed through my mind was, "Waitaminit! Did Orta fuck the dragon?!"

[Hornet]

Man, when you think about it, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Jet Set Radio Future, Outrun 2006 Coast 2 Coast. The original Xbox as much as the Dreamcast was the last refuge for really Sega Sega games.

Gunvalkyrie too!

It almost felt like a 3D take on Ranger-X. I remember enjoying it quite a bit back in the day and I wasn't even aware about some of the stuff you can do in the game. Watched a YouTube playthough a few years ago from a guy who knew what he was doing and high-level play sure looks very interesting. Too bad my OG Xbox is dead and the game is not backwards compatible with 360/XBONE, because I'd love to give it another go.

[BIL]

Well you also reminded me of what kinda soured the experience for me after the end:

Spoiler

You learn over the course of the story that Orta is a genetically engineered hybrid who is one of the few beings left with the ability to perfectly "reproduce" the ancient bio robots of the lost civilization. (unlike the giger-esque mutants the empire is using now) So the big badguy is a malfunctioning robot who wants to rape Orta to produce millions of copies of himself.

Ah yes, I distinctly remember that plot element - in said Rezlike stage,

Spoiler

when SaveThisDyingWorldBot aka RapeBot9000 is floating along the ground far beneath Orta in giant full-body silhouette, I was thinking "It's like The Big Lebowski sex scene, only horrific!"

But that's not the thing that soured me.

Spoiler

It's the post-credits scene. Your dragon has died by the end, but the last thing we see is Orta walking into the sunset being followed by a perfect non-mutant baby dragon.

And the one thing that flashed through my mind was, "Waitaminit! Did Orta fuck the dragon?!"

Completely forgot about this.

Gunvalkyrie too!

It almost felt like a 3D take on Ranger-X. I remember enjoying it quite a bit back in the day and I wasn't even aware about some of the stuff you can do in the game. Watched a YouTube playthough a few years ago from a guy who knew what he was doing and high-level play sure looks very interesting. Too bad my OG Xbox is dead and the game is not backwards compatible with 360/XBONE, because I'd love to give it another go.

Oh hell yeah, definitely Gunvalkyrie. Smilebit, IIRC... what a great era that was for original Sega productions.

While it's PS2, I'd also cite Shinobi (2002, OverWorks). Only the original NTSCU version contains the "Super" difficulty - the casual uproar from some quarters, most notably EGM, apparently caused the NTSCJ and PAL versions to quietly delete it, while adding a new, sub-Normal "Easy" difficulty. Shame, as Super is where the game's speedkilling combo system really ignites. You can just about wing it through Normal and Hard while ignoring the finer mechanics, but on Super, the bloodthirsty sword will eat a hesistant/sloppy player alive.

For those who may have missed this game, Shinobi 2002 101: without regular kills fuelling its meter, your demonic sword will start eating your lifebar instead. Speedkill enemies for a chain, which powers up your sword with each kill, ending in an explosion of gore and an especially sated blade. (also massive points for dat S-RANK)

>Backstabbed enemies die faster. Lockon dash leaves a "ghost" which enemies will attack while you tear into their exposed backs.
>If someone's blocking, kick the shit out of them to guard crush, and slay them as they stagger back.
>Shuriken paralyse enemies. Shuriken Burst paralyses crowds. Use judiciously on skittery and/or rangey targets.
>Charge attack eats directly into your lifebar, but can accomplish otherwise impossible multi-kills, whose item drops will get that HP back.

On Super, your sword is HUNGREH and only the biggest, bloodiest slaughters will keep it from devouring your HP. The ensuing controlled rush is some of the purest Arcade Gayming I've seen from a console production. All of the above points have to be marshalled seamlessly, painting stage after stage in oceans of gore.

I only wish those stages were a bit tighter, some can drag on. Otherwise though, highly recommended. In a time when most third-person slashers were trying, and failing, to recreate DMC1 (one of those failures being DMC2), this stands well apart.

NTSCJ and PAL are also censored. At the climax of a chain, your sliced-and-left-standing foes no longer explode into beefy chunks, limbs and heads tumbling as pensive Hotsuma mutters a eulogy/sick burn, but merely crumpling over as if tranquilised. :[ The gore may sound gimmicky, but truly - with the game's elegantly breakneck start/stop tempo (think Crazy Taxi), those gushing payoffs are integral to its effect.

[TransatlanticFoe]

That orta remains unported out of the xbox is a real crime. I don't have a 360 and I've been wanting to play it for years. I wish they'd chuck it onto the Microsoft store, at LEAST.

Well they have put it on the Microsoft Store.... because that's policy for backwards compatible games, soz! It runs on xbone and Seriessz too though

[EmperorIng]

Really! Does that mean you can play it on PC (like I have with the Sisters Royale release on Microsoft Store)?

[TransatlanticFoe]

Nope, afraid not - the store page is there and you can purchase it but the systems requirement note says xbone. Backwards compatible stuff has a storefront page now so you no longer need the disc, but I don't think they're extending anything to PC - even though it's all built on Windows 10.

It might get revisited now the Series X/S is out the door, as the backwards compatible teams were 100% on that.

[mamboFoxtrot]

Spoiler

"Waitaminit! Did Orta fuck the dragon?!"

Spoiler

i always did think this image looked like how some girls take selfies with their BFs

[BIL]

Spoiler

"Waitaminit! Did Orta fuck the dragon?!"

Spoiler

i always did think this image looked like how some girls take selfies with their BFs

Spoiler

Still a better love story than Game of Thrones

[mamboFoxtrot]

thank you, BIL
masterful image editing as always