Happy 20th anniversary, Sin and Punishment!

[xxx1993]

Arguably one of the best rail shooter series to ever exist. It needs a third game so bad. I’m playing Star Successor today to celebrate.

[Gamer707b]

Star successor is my favorite Wii game and maybe my favorite treasure game. havent played the first game, but I might pick up the import sometime soon. As far as the sequel goes, it might be all Nintendo's call. Not sure, but I think they own the ip. Treasure may have no ownership or say so in it.

[xxx1993]

I thought it was Treasure's also. I was going to play the first game but now it seems I need to use the Classic Controller to play, which I don't have. But yes, a third game needs to happen since the second game ended on a cliffhanger.

[M.Knight]

If you are playing S&P1 on the Wii Virtual Console you can actually also use a GC controller to play, in case you have one but no Classic Controller.
Both games are excellent but I have a preference for the tighter, more arcade-length and arcade-style presentation of the original over the ambitious and still intense but at times bloated (especially when going for score) sequel.

[xxx1993]

Weird. I tried playing the first game on my Wii, but then I was told that I need the Classic Controller to play...

[M.Knight]

Yeah, that message is displayed in both cases but you can safely ignore it and play with a GC controller even if it appears.

[xxx1993]

Wait, you can? How?

[scrilla4rella]

This is such a great game. I know the sequel on Wii is exceptionally well made but to me nothing beats the OG. Treasure's artists were just able to do so much with their 3D games. And it plays even better. I wonder what the secret sauce was...

Now, if you'll allow me a PC Engine Fan X -like story.

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I first read about this game in EGM's import section (where you could see screenshots of all the end-of-life Sega Saturn releases in Japan like Thunder Force V and the Dungeon's and Dragons Collection. Sin and Punishment instantly stood out for it's style and art design. You just didn't see N64 games that looked like this. Of course the text talking up the game drastically amped up my frothing demand.

Fast forward to August of 2001. I got to go over to Japan on an exchange program which ended with a two week homestay in Kagoshima (a very provincial city in Kyushu). I had been popping into every game shop I saw on my trip but never spotted S&P. It seemed pretty uncommon. Anyway, I finally found a copy in a small mom and pop shop in downtown Kagoshima. Afterwards I played some DDP in a nearby arcade. My host brother wasn't a big gamer but he borrowed his friend's N64 so we could check it out. Spent the rest of my time there getting lit with my host family and their friends while eating amazing food.

Back in the US, my high school gamming buddy (who recently died of what I suspect was a fentanyl OD) and I didn't have the drill bit to open up the N64 so we cut the edges off the cartridge (stupid, I know) to make it work in our NA N64. Of course the cart is still mangled but I have too many good memories associated with it to care.
-

I replayed it a couple of years ago and it held up. I'd probably place it above Panzer Dragoon, Rez, and Star Fox 64. It's a bit long but that's why they have the save feature in there.

[xxx1993]

My only pet peeve with Star Successor is that it's too long for a shooter. It lasts about 2-3 hours long.

[Gamer707b]

man, you guys are making me want to import the first game. I plan on playing it the OG way on my N64. Ive heard mixed things about the controls of the game. particularly playing it on the N64.

[scrilla4rella]

I think the control is pretty intuitive on the N64. Not sure what prices are like nowadays but you might just want togo for a flashcart

[BIL]

S&P controls beautifully on N64. It's basically Wild Guns with decoupled movement and aiming controls - might take some adjusting to, but it's dead simple once you do.

Easy recommend. Wild Guns' riveting carnival STG, seamlessly elevated to soaring Panzer Dragoon scale, with nonstop high-performance boss demolition worthy of Alien Soldier 2. Even has a decent scoring game. Outstandingly creative, too. Abruptly Gundam-sized in a sea of blood, annihilating a small nation's military via telekinetic gunnery platform, chasing a vanquished monstrosity into the kitchen and cooking it up on the stove, it's classic JP action joie de vivre from end to end.

Ala Gimmick! (FC) and Contra III, it's the sort of sparingly consolised, gorgeously-directed action that could go straight into an arcade cabinet with the barest of parameter tweaks. I like to imagine a mounted gun ala Operation Wolf in one hand, movement panel on the other.

[rapoon]

Always thought the N64 controller was odd (layout, shape) but it worked perfectly for S&P. after a few minor tweaks in the options and a couple mins to familiarize yourself with the controls, it was incredibly intuitive.

Abruptly Gundam-sized in a sea of blood, annihilating a small nation's military via telekinetic gunnery platform

strafing the carrier, and the final boss fight! top s-tier gaming. absolutely phenomenal.

I sold my copy (box was a bit banged up, but otherwise complete) + a shrink wrapped strategy guide for ~$90 bout a year ago. didn't fetch as much as a thought it would.

[xxx1993]

The final battle in Star Successor is really epic. You storm the Nebulox's battleship in a one-man raid, destroying its defenses until you reach the bridge, then Deko sends out his elite four one at a time, and once you defeat his underlings, he faces you personally, and then he pulls out all stops and takes Kachi out of your body, and you have to deflect his attacks at him in a callback to the first game's final boss battle, Missile Command style.

[M.Knight]

Man, it must have been one hell of an experience playing S&P closer to the time of release, and on its original console and control scheme too! I've only played with GC controls on the Wii or on emulation myself, and it's not exactly the same original experience even if it's tons of fun regardless.
They take some time to wrap your heard around them but the controls are very good. My one issue is that the dissociation of shooting and moving is actually too good, to the point where every other game of that kind that forces you to move into the face of the enemy you want to shoot feels too restrictive to me. In some ways I wish I played Star Fox 64 a lot more than I did before discovering S&P because I'll probably feel like it's a regression if I go back to it after having experienced S&P, even though it's actually a stellar game too.

Wait, you can? How?

Well, simply plug a GC controller. I don't recall if the initial message reacts to button presses or if it simply goes away on its own, but just plug a GC controller, wait until the message disappears or press some buttons and the game will just play as usual, with the GC controller being detected and used in-game.

[xxx1993]

Right... So, what about that climax of Star Successor, huh?