Gunbird SE - Nice PAL cover for once...

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 2:35 am

Even if the lack of Marion (on the cover, that is) it's kinda strange... That was the most recognizable character.

Xplosiv, I trust you. You didn't screw Psyvariar CE, I hope you will handle Gunbird carefully. *prays for 60hz mode*

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 3:15 am

and the us isn't getting this? omg wtf lol

NoMaD · Post by **NoMaD** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 5:07 am

We got a Gunbird? That's pretty cool. I wonder if it'll have a budget release price (unlike Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution)?

A bit OT: Anyone know if the PAL version of Psikyo Shooting Collection Vol.1 was decent? It was renamed to just simply "1945 I & II" for those of you who didn't know.

TVG · Post by **TVG** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 5:12 am

strikers doesnt have 60hz, so no.

and cool cover (altough a bit irrevelant, gunbird 2 doesnt take place in space..)

IlMrm · Post by **IlMrm** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 6:56 am

A bit off topic, but I noticed the age "7+" rating. Using specific ages for the rating is definitely different that the good ol' USA.

No Marion? No!!!

At least the starfield in the cover blends in with the forum's.

cigsthecat · Post by **cigsthecat** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:10 am

I'm pretty sure this "no Marion" thing is getting blown out of proportion from a misunderstanding on dave4shmups part.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:19 am

That cover is awful. It looks like they combined a Psyvariar 2-esque backdrop with the Windex logo over a few random characters (who are now ghosts!). These versions also suck under scrutiny.

Post by **Ghegs** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 9:30 am

rob's just jealous, that's a cool cover.

NoMaD: For its price it's decent. There's no 60hz or high-score saving, but there is TATE at least. If you got no other way to play these games (the original PSX/Saturn ports are better) this isn't too bad a way.

And if one more person says there's no Marion in PS2's Gunbird 2, I will pummel them. Marion is there. In any bloody version. It is MORRIGAN that's exclusive to the DC port.

NoMaD · Post by **NoMaD** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:14 pm

Ghegs wrote:rob's just jealous, that's a cool cover.

NoMaD: For its price it's decent. There's no 60hz or high-score saving, but there is TATE at least. If you got no other way to play these games (the original PSX/Saturn ports are better) this isn't too bad a way.

Ah, thanks for that Ghegs and The vagrant.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 4:36 pm

IlMrm wrote:A bit off topic, but I noticed the age "7+" rating. Using specific ages for the rating is definitely different that the good ol' USA.

You know, I wonder just how they come up with these ratings... Gradius V & R-Type Final have a 3+. Gunbird has a 7+ and XII Stag a 12+.

I sure didn't notice all that carnage in XII Stag... Maybe its' the military setting as opposed to the pure sci-fi one, but still from 3+ to 12+ it's quite a gap...

Ghegs wrote:It is MORRIGAN that's exclusive to the DC port.

Aww, this sucks big. What other DC only features / characters we'll be left without?

Post by **Ghegs** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 4:54 pm

Turrican wrote:
Ghegs wrote:It is MORRIGAN that's exclusive to the DC port.
Aww, this sucks big. What other DC only features / characters we'll be left without?

Nothing else. Morrigan is missing only because she's Capcom's character. They handled the DC port and added her in, so naturally all the ports not done by Capcom can't have her.

I'm unsure whether Capcom actually did the code-porting, or were they just the publisher...somebody else is bound to know.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 5:37 pm

Ghegs wrote:I'm unsure whether Capcom actually did the code-porting, or were they just the publisher...somebody else is bound to know.

I really doubt it. When adding a bonus ship/character in a game, I can't imagine that task being left up to people who didn't code the game to begin with, especially seeing how Morrigan is perfectly balanced. There are also a few subtle gameplay tweaks I can't imagine Capcom caring about (changing gemhead trigger locations), some different voice effects and a different look for the final boss. Gunbird 2 on DC has all the hallmarks of a "Psikyo port" while the PS2 version does not. Gunbird 2 on DC feels like it was recoded for the system while PS2 feels like playing MAME on TV (with loading times), with graphics glitches (gray shadows) and poor sound quality (sound effects overpower the music). This pack just feels really cheap (to say nothing of the hackery in the Gunbird port). Gunbird 2 was already released in Europe (and can probably be found cheap), so you should really get that instead.

Post by **Ghegs** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 5:55 pm

Rob wrote:Gunbird 2 was already released in Europe (and can probably be found cheap), so you should really get that instead.

AFAIK Gunbird 2 has not been released in Europe for PSX/PS2. The first Gunbird can be found as Mobile Light Force, though.

And I already have the PS2 Gunbird 1+2 pack. Works mighty fine for me, the load times are the only thing I can see that needs improvement. With a bit of luck Xplosiv can do something about them, and hopefully they'll translate the cutscenes as well.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:24 pm

What about the art gallery, Ghegs? Does your JPN version have that sort of extra? Unlockable goodies?

TVG · Post by **TVG** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:26 pm

Ghegs wrote:
Rob wrote:Gunbird 2 was already released in Europe (and can probably be found cheap), so you should really get that instead.
AFAIK Gunbird 2 has not been released in Europe for PSX/PS2. The first Gunbird can be found as Mobile Light Force, though.

And I already have the PS2 Gunbird 1+2 pack. Works mighty fine for me, the load times are the only thing I can see that needs improvement. With a bit of luck Xplosiv can do something about them, and hopefully they'll translate the cutscenes as well.

he meant PAL DC GB2.

anyway, since i have the PS2 HD, loading times are not an issue, so 60 = i buy.

IlMrm · Post by **IlMrm** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:52 pm

So it's all cleared up. I was wondering how they can leave out the most noticeable character.

They probably added half a year to the rating each time the Queen Pirate showed half a boob.

LoneSage · Post by **LoneSage** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:58 pm

Nice box art, not as cool as Castle Shikigami 2, though

A bit off topic, but you Europeans are also getting an awesome KOF 00/01 cover..can't find it now, but it's great.

E. Randy Dupre · Post by **E. Randy Dupre** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:02 pm

Even if we've got absolutely no idea *when* we're getting it - Ignition are really dragging their feet as far as the Xbox versions of the SNK licences go.

On which note... when's this due out? The Xplosiv site doesn't have anything on it.

Super Laydock · Post by **Super Laydock** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:08 pm

Great front image!

The omission of Morrigan is unfortunate, but complaining about it just shows ungratefulness for the port/release as such.

That said Morrigan IS one (the) of my fave characters in the game on DC.
Shame her short range attack is very weak though...

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:19 pm

LoneSage wrote:A bit off topic, but you Europeans are also getting an awesome KOF 00/01 cover..can't find it now, but it's great.

After the disaster that was the european cover of Castlevania Loi, we should get a hundred of awesome covers to recover from that.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:49 pm

Speaking of PAL covers, did you notice how many covers Steel Dragon EX has?

The second one suits more my tastes.

Vexorg · Post by **Vexorg** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 2:16 am

I suspect the 3+, 7+ and 12+ aren't ratings at all, but how many beers it would take to get a mainstream reviewer to write favorably about it.

Acid King · Post by **Acid King** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 2:22 am

Vexorg wrote:I suspect the 3+, 7+ and 12+ aren't ratings at all, but how many beers it would take to get a mainstream reviewer to write favorably about it.

Ha ha. So true...

LoneSage · Post by **LoneSage** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 2:36 am

Turrican wrote:
After the disaster that was the european cover of Castlevania Loi, we should get a hundred of awesome covers to recover from that.

Huh, I thought it was the same the world around. Know of any site that has a pic of it?

As for SDEX, I like the middle one most as well.

Post by **Ghegs** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 6:15 am

Turrican wrote:What about the art gallery, Ghegs? Does your JPN version have that sort of extra? Unlockable goodies?

No, the PS2 Pack has no art galleries or such. It does have the option to disable the random level order, though.

I haven't felt the pain of not having art galleries, really.

LoneSage: Castlevania Dungeon has all three covers.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 9:49 am

Ghegs wrote:I haven't felt the pain of not having art galleries, really.

You haven't, really? but I have read on Digital Press that the SS version came packed with around four hundred artworks, some of them gorgeous... I was looking to that.

Ok, tell me about the PSone version then? How does it fare compared to the arcade or SS? Does that have the artwork? I ask you Ghegs, as I see you're Gunbird-informed... While I haven't played the game yet.

Post by **Ghegs** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 10:30 am

Turrican wrote: You haven't, really? but I have read on Digital Press that the SS version came packed with around four hundred artworks, some of them gorgeous... I was looking to that.

Ok, tell me about the PSone version then? How does it fare compared to the arcade or SS? Does that have the artwork? I ask you Ghegs, as I see you're Gunbird-informed... While I haven't played the game yet.

Art galleries are a nice bonus, but one shouldn't make decisions based entirely on them. You look through the pictures once, maybe twice, and that's it.

Heh, I'm not that well informed, really. The only ports of Gunbird and Gunbird 2 I have is the JPN PS2 Gunbird 1+2 Pack. I have no idea about the arcade original or Saturn port. The PSX port was released in US and EUR as "Mobile Light Force" and should be avoided. I doubt even the JPN PSX port had the art galleries, though I could be wrong.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 10:47 am

Ghegs wrote:Art galleries are a nice bonus, but one shouldn't make decisions based entirely on them. You look through the pictures once, maybe twice, and that's it.

Yeah, I don't base entirely on that, mind you. But I still enjoy them as one of the bloodyhell best unlockable I can think of (second to an hidden ship, of course).

I mean, the PSone Metal Slug port is really flawed, but I enjoyed a lot the comprehensive art gallery. and I had fun unlocking images on TFVPS and R-Type Delta/Final.

The best art gallery in the world cannot save a mediocre game, of course. From what I gather however, Gunbird id little more than a Strikers with different mood (fantasy instead of military). Since I'm not the biggest fan of Psikyo, I was at least looking forward to a complete package. I mean, the artwork were already there, putting them in was a five minutes effort.

LoneSage · Post by **LoneSage** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 7:55 pm

That Euro version of LOI is really meh.

I own the Saturn version of Gunbird; I do believe there's 400+ pictures in the art gallery

That's what it said in the manualor on the back; I haven't had time to view them all, but there's a ton of art.

Gunbird's a great shmup, then again I'm a fan of Psikyo's work.

theevilfunkster · Post by **theevilfunkster** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 4:43 pm

NoMaD wrote:We got a Gunbird? That's pretty cool. I wonder if it'll have a budget release price (unlike Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution)?

A bit OT: Anyone know if the PAL version of Psikyo Shooting Collection Vol.1 was decent? It was renamed to just simply "1945 I & II" for those of you who didn't know.

the pal version of Psikyo Shooting Collection is called 1945 I & II the arcade gaems. the games are ok but have no score saving system and the missile sound in 1945 II makes me have to turn the sound down. the box artwork is awful although not as bad as the pal version of strikers 1945 on the psone. not bad for the money though, mine was £10