R-Gear (Rayforce sequel) uncovered...

[Ed Oscuro]

About ten years ago, yes, there was one of the "Moon Lander" models in the tower. Really dusty from what I saw; it was just in storage and they were working on getting rid of it, I think. Probably looong gone now.

[IseeThings]

unless you actually saw it running as 'Galaxy Force' then it was probably upgraded like 99% of the other ones - the cabinet art often remained unchanged.

[Strikers1945guy]

About ten years ago, yes, there was one of the "Moon Lander" models in the tower. Really dusty from what I saw; it was just in storage and they were working on getting rid of it, I think. Probably looong gone now.

Sad. I was at the CN Tower a few years ago and never noticed any arcade machines or games around, and I usually try to keep an eye out for that stuff. Speaking of, I actually found a Crazy Taxi machine inside a local restaurant at a beach close to my house... small town too!

[Ed Oscuro]

unless you actually saw it running as 'Galaxy Force' then it was probably upgraded like 99% of the other ones - the cabinet art often remained unchanged.

Likely so, but was there even an art update for the lunar lander ("Super Deluxe Type") model? Perhaps the marquee area on the "trunk" spot could've been changed but I'm not sure if there was other branding that wasn't easily changed.

[plasticxo]

Reading all this and Shou's comments on the Japanese world of hardcore arcade collector is fascinating.

Many thanks to Shou for sharing this with us. Dealing within the most inner circles must be a tough job.

Layer Section being one of my most favoured games, learning about R-Gear is like finding a lost artifact.
This is the kind of news that makes the shmup hobby exciting.

[undamned]

Next to GGPO getting a 2nd lease on life, this thread is the best gaming news of the year! Thanks, Shou!!!
-ud

[GSK]

Shou, did you have anything to do with the discovery of Snow Bros. 3?

[JBC]

Shou, did you have anything to do with the discovery of Snow Bros. 3?

I thought that was a Mexican bootleg? Glad to hear someone has R-Gear safe & sound.

[papa_november]

So stoked right now. Do you think you could post a good quality footage of Vertexer ? It's *the* game I'm hoping to play one day.

Don't even bother trying to prod Shou to release anything. Negotiating with Japanese collectors of rare and prototype arcade games is an extremely touchy business, and if you even slightly overstep your boundaries, any trust you built can all fall apart.

If that's the case, why release any information at all, whatsoever, until the deal is done and the ROMs are in hand? These could all go the way of Crazy Otto if the wrong people click this thread.

[GSK]

Shou, did you have anything to do with the discovery of Snow Bros. 3?

I thought that was a Mexican bootleg? Glad to hear someone has R-Gear safe & sound.

Probably, yeah. I'd never heard of it before a few days ago, when I saw Horii/M2 was playing it alongside GFI so I just kinda assumed it was another new find. How long has it been kicking around for, then?

[JBC]

The version I've played is barely recognizable as a Snow Bros game. It's distinctly Central or possibly South American & if I recall uses a soccer theme. Still plays the same though. I think it's been emulated in MAME since 2003 or so.

[IseeThings]

The version I've played is barely recognizable as a Snow Bros game. It's distinctly Central or possibly South American & if I recall uses a soccer theme. Still plays the same though. I think it's been emulated in MAME since 2003 or so.

It was originally made (hacked from Snow Bros 1) and released as Ball Boy in Korea, to coincide with the 2002 World Cup in Japan / Korea.. This is why the Snowballs have been replaced by footballs (I'm not sure we have the original hack, but we have screenshots of a title screen)

it then got hacked / bootlegged by Syrmex in Mexico and sold as Snow Bros 3. (I guess they identified that it was really just Snow Bros and wanted to cash in on the name) (this version has been in MAME since around the time it was released, being a hack we only really consider the copyright date of the original game when adding things)

I think that version was then further hacked / bootlegged and re-released again as Ball Boy, with a different title screen. (We also have this version in MAME and based on the code changes it's newer than the Snow Bros 3 set)

Either way, no, it's not some rare Toaplan prototype

[JBC]

Oh, it shows that it's not Toaplan. Their signature is only on the gameplay.

[Battlesmurf]

The day I can play this in a cab, I'll be a happy guy (sorry for the semi necro bump!)

[FRO]

Forgive me for asking the stupid/obvious question, but what is the likelihood that this discovery will lead to a ROM dump of R-Gear that can be used in MAME, FBA, et al? I'm not an advocate of piracy in the strictest sense, though I do believe the laws are a bit stringent, and am in the camp that feels dumping a ROM like this, of an unreleased game, is much different than downloading the latest single or album from <insert popular musician here>. As a long-time fan of the genre, I don't take particular issue (ethically speaking) with ROM dumps of games, especially when you consider there are often multiple revisions, unreleased games, titles that never made a console release, even in compilation form, or especially games that were never released outside of Japan. The moral question is an interesting one, but that's a semantics question for another time. From my own personal standpoint, I'm a big fan of RayForce, and despite having a fair bit of love for the sequel we received (especially its delicious, double-layer soundtrack), my curiosity as to "what could have been", with regards to R-Gear, has been high for some time. Naturally, I'd like to see the ROM dumped so it can be downloaded and played in some fashion.

I didn't realize Japan (I'm generalizing, I know) had such a anti-sharing mindset. I've read (and been told by people who have lived in Japan) that Japanese people are traditionally somewhat xenophobic, so that makes sense within that context. It would make sense that for some games, designed specifically to appeal to a Japanese marketplace, that some games, even if they would make good translations/conversions to the West, that these games would be held back by publishers, which is why we may not have seen certain titles in our respective territories. Of course, that's only one component of it, others being cost, profitability, market saturation, etc. but I'd imagine that is a factor at some level.

In any event, I'll be keeping my ear to the ground and waiting for news of a possible R-Gear ROM dump, because I'll be very excited to finally play what could have been the sequel to one of my favorite vertical shmups.

[Xyga]

Rom dumps happen but don't always get released in public MAME immediately.
Sometimes it takes years...

PS: it's not just anti-sharing but a matter of value and trust between people.
Just be patient...

[Shou]

You'll just have to wait and believe.

I'm making things happen behind the scenes but I have my day jobs too.

I just released some Gamest and Arcadia builds with a few more that I have to look through when I return to Japan. I'm away for GDC and other stuff.

[Xyga]

Ooh... say Shou, did you really get your hands on a Variant 'S' (^^) proto ?

Also what's that MD Beluga thing ? (Tokkou Kuubo Beluga ?)
For some reason it rings a bell, something I may have read in a magazine like... 20 years ago ?

What platform is that for anyway ? Only Vita or I missed somethin?

[Shou]

Contrary to what I was previous told, I have now seen it and there are only 2 completed stages.

[Shou]

Ooh... say Shou, did you really get your hands on a Variant 'S' (^^) proto ?

Also what's that MD Beluga thing ? (Tokkou Kuubo Beluga ?)
For some reason it rings a bell, something I may have read in a magazine like... 20 years ago ?

What platform is that for anyway ? Only Vita or I missed somethin?

Yes on VS and Beluga MD is an extra on a Vita game.

[Bar81]

Contrary to what I was previous told, I have now seen it and there are only 2 completed stages.

That's disappointing.

[parallaxscroll2]

Contrary to what I was previous told, I have now seen it and there are only 2 completed stages.

That's disappointing.

Darn.

[qmish]

PS: it's not just anti-sharing but a matter of value and trust between people.
Just be patient...

Sure, but still when we talk about Japan... I havent encountered yet a site where they would scan and share old game magazines/manuals, for example; or even if we talk their MSX/PC-98 databases, they never upload game covers in good quality (500-1000 pix would be ok), only compressed 300x pixels wtf

[gamez fan]

With regards to R-Gear i Just seen this post over Shoutime's site.....

http://shoutime.tumblr.com/post/1495591 ... -get-ready

[BIL]

[gameoverDude]

Contrary to what I was previous told, I have now seen it and there are only 2 completed stages.

That's disappointing.

Darn.

Shame this one didn't go all the way. Someone on Youtube did say it was "nearly complete", but 2 stages is far off from that. Still wouldn't mind seeing a taste of what could have been.

[Squire Grooktook]

At least we may now get a nice rip of that music in the old R-Gear trailer.

(assuming it's actually in the game)

[ciox]

[parallaxscroll2]

With regards to R-Gear i Just seen this post over Shoutime's site.....

http://shoutime.tumblr.com/post/1495591 ... -get-ready

Oh my.

[EmperorIng]

Shame this one didn't go all the way. Someone on Youtube did say it was "nearly complete", but 2 stages is far off from that. Still wouldn't mind seeing a taste of what could have been.

I bet that's quite far enough to get a "proof of concept" together for the new ideas (namely the lightning shot that would become the R-Gray's calling card). I wonder at what point did they say "this isn't worth it now that 3D is turning out to be a big thing." To be fair, the sweeping camera angles of RayStorm is one of the best things about the game, though I wish its control didn't suffer in the transition as well.

Still excited despite its demo length; I hope the game has background BGM; if not, I might have to play the RayStorm soundtrack over it.