Good 3ds shooters?

[Skykid]

Kokuga is all strategic, right down to weapon menu management. But it's just too testing in terms of repetition. Because your tank is basically junk, it gets boring to keep sitting back and poking enemies on the screen perimeter with super slow single shot cannon fire.

Basically any game where you can think of a ton of ways to improve it (in Kokuga's case a proper strafe, a dash, tank speed settings, rapid fire, weapon pick ups that can be stored in an easy access three slot menu, a barrel roll dodge for a second of invincibility) means that something isn't right.

Kokuga has all the pieces in place for a snazzy contemporary take on an arcade action tank combat game with shmup bullet pattern properties and thrilling action - and still maintain a strong strategy element.

But in the end it's just bafflingly devoid of a few simple components that could have made it a remarkable game.

I'm genuinely sad about that.

[Bonus!]

Well, Kokuga certainly tests your patience, which is an aspect I happen to like. If you take it for what it is, it is a rather enjoyable game, in my opinion. On the other hand, if you expect a bullet hell, and measure Kokuga up to what it should have been based on your genre preferences, you are bound to get disappointed. All the suggestions you make would undermine the gameplay of the game as it is.

[kid aphex]

Well, Kokuga certainly tests your patience, which is an aspect I happen to like. If you take it for what it is, it is a rather enjoyable game, in my opinion. On the other hand, if you expect a bullet hell, and measure Kokuga up to what it should have been based on your genre preferences, you are bound to get disappointed. All the suggestions you make would undermine the gameplay of the game as it is.

I completely agree.

To be honest, I find it easy with every game to think of ways that I could alter it "for the better" --- but better is a term relative to my mood/preferences as a gamer, and is hardly objective.

Plus, I tend to give Japanese developers (especially of retro-inspired games) the benefit of the doubt and assume that they understand what they're going for when it comes to the "feel" of a game.

[Lobinden]

Yeah Kokuga is certainly polarising due to its departure from standard shooter gameplay. That said, I do think it has some genuine flaws that even fans of the slower, methodical gameplay presented in Kokuga should be able to acknowledge, such as the repetitive nature of the level design, and some of the bosses overstaying their welcome. I also feel that your tank's turning speed is too slow.

However; I do like Kokuga because of its great atmosphere, soundtrack and how well it is designed for portability. Unlike many other modern portable games, which like home console games demand that your play sessions are long, Kokuga is perfectly fine with you just playing it in fun and intense short bursts.

[Bonus!]

Yeah Kokuga is certainly polarising due to its departure from standard shooter gameplay. That said, I do think it has some genuine flaws that even fans of the slower, methodical gameplay presented in Kokuga should be able to acknowledge, such as the repetitive nature of the level design, and some of the bosses overstaying their welcome. I also feel that your tank's turning speed is too slow.

Play on Hard or Ultimate, and the levels are suddenly much more varied. Also, the bosses I seriously practiced battling against I was able to find ways to dispose of quite quickly. If you only rely on the standard weapon, though, it will take you a while.

However; I do like Kokuga because of its great atmosphere, soundtrack and how well it is designed for portability. Unlike many other modern portable games, which like home console games demand that your play sessions are long, Kokuga is perfectly fine with you just playing it in fun and intense short bursts.

How are you playing this game? A sequence of two stages plus boss takes you about half an hour, so it's not really designed for short bursts.

[Lobinden]

Yeah Kokuga is certainly polarising due to its departure from standard shooter gameplay. That said, I do think it has some genuine flaws that even fans of the slower, methodical gameplay presented in Kokuga should be able to acknowledge, such as the repetitive nature of the level design, and some of the bosses overstaying their welcome. I also feel that your tank's turning speed is too slow.

Play on Hard or Ultimate, and the levels are suddenly much more varied. Also, the bosses I seriously practiced battling against I was able to find ways to dispose of quite quickly. If you only rely on the standard weapon, though, it will take you a while.

However; I do like Kokuga because of its great atmosphere, soundtrack and how well it is designed for portability. Unlike many other modern portable games, which like home console games demand that your play sessions are long, Kokuga is perfectly fine with you just playing it in fun and intense short bursts.

How are you playing this game? A sequence of two stages plus boss takes you about half an hour, so it's not really designed for short bursts.

By "short bursts" I just meant that you can choose from a stage upon startup so you can just do one stage from a selection of many and then quit.

Yeah I imagine boss fights can be killed quickly with specific tricks, but on your first few tries you most likely won't pick up on those tricks so they can still take awhile. Although I may be wrong some of the enemies on higher difficulties do seem to take more shots to kill, which I don't really like the idea of either.

[Bonus!]

The bosses in the Final stages always have the same difficulty, no matter what route you took, and at which difficulties. In the regular stages, though, the difficulty setting affects how much damage you take per hit, how much damage enemies take, number of enemies, behavior of enemies (some are much more aggressive), and sometimes even placement. I think it's an entirely different game on Ultimate.

[Skykid]

All the suggestions you make would undermine the gameplay of the game as it is.

That's the idea.

Plus, I tend to give Japanese developers (especially of retro-inspired games) the benefit of the doubt and assume that they understand what they're going for when it comes to the "feel" of a game.

That's ridiculous. Giving someone the benefit of the doubt because they're Japanese does not correlate with conveniently looking the other way with regard to errors and failings in their product.

I also gave G.rev the benefit of the doubt... until I played it.

[BrianC]

I like Kokuga for the same reasons that I like the original Space Invaders and Battle City NES. Actually Kokuga seems to owe a lot to tank games like Battle City and Grobda.

[Iron Peach]

New release of a DSi ware Alice in Wonderland bullet hell on 3DS, just $2!

OP via Tiny Cartridge and the Nintendo store page.

[kid aphex]

That's ridiculous. Giving someone the benefit of the doubt because they're Japanese does not correlate with conveniently looking the other way with regard to errors and failings in their product.

How would looking the other way be "convenient" for me?

Also, "errors" and "failings" are words whose strength suggest a consensus that simply isn't the reality of the situation.

[Skykid]

That's ridiculous. Giving someone the benefit of the doubt because they're Japanese does not correlate with conveniently looking the other way with regard to errors and failings in their product.

How would looking the other way be "convenient" for me?

I'm not suggesting you look the other way, I'm suggesting you don't assume the product will be/is noteworthy because 'Japanese developer', both before and after trying.

Also, "errors" and "failings" are words whose strength suggest a consensus that simply isn't the reality of the situation.

Kokuga is sadly flawed in several areas. That happens to be a reality plain as day.

[Bonus!]

Kokuga is sadly flawed in several areas. That happens to be a reality plain as day.

Don't you realize that this is only your opinion? I think it is expertly designed. You arrive at your judgment precisely because you seem to have a very rigid perception of how a shmup is supposed to be designed.

[Skykid]

Kokuga is sadly flawed in several areas. That happens to be a reality plain as day.

Don't you realize that this is only your opinion? I think it is expertly designed. You arrive at your judgment precisely because you seem to have a very rigid perception of how a shmup is supposed to be designed.

"Only your opinion" has nothing to do with the comments being correct or incorrect. You may also have an opinion, and it may also be wrong.

It's not really a shmup, either.

[Bonus!]

Yes, you have your opinion, and I have mine. However, I don't go on here and shit on a game someone else likes just because I happen to find it to not appeal to my taste.

[Skykid]

Yes, you have your opinion, and I have mine. However, I don't go on here and shit on a game someone else likes just because I happen to find it to not appeal to my taste.

I'm not shitting on the game, I'm criticising it.

Taste has nothing to do with anything. Good doesn't suddenly become great because your taste suddenly decides it does. More like average becomes great because your lack of critical ability allows it to, or your need for it to be better than it is is strong enough to convince you of the non-fact.

All said and done Kokuga isn't a bad game by any stretch, but perfectly average and missing several crucial opportunities, absolutely.

[Bonus!]

Well, then I would very much appreciate if you objectively specified what a good shmup is supposed to provide. You might then realize that you've got enormously sized blinders on.

Kokuga rewards slow, methodological gameplay, which makes sense since you are maneuvering, wait for it, a tank. You sound like guys who criticize Dark Souls because you can't "yolo" into an area and chop up all the badies like in a Musou game.

[Skykid]

Well, then I would very much appreciate if you objectively specified what a good shmup is supposed to provide. You might then realize that you've got enormously sized blinders on.

Kokuga rewards slow, methodological gameplay, which makes sense since you are maneuvering, wait for it, a tank. You sound like guys who criticize Dark Souls because you can't "yolo" into an area and chop up all the badies like in a Musou game.

Why is 'objectivity' necessary to establishing a clear cut case of shortcoming? You can shelve that along with the other washy get-out clauses of 'personal taste', and 'only your opinion'.

Objectively speaking, as much as I'm enjoying repeating myself in different ways numerous times to satisfy your understanding of my criticism, yes, it's a tank game, yes it's slow and methodical. It has half decent graphics, a nice 3D effect, some interesting bosses and a good soundtrack. Unfortunately it's not that fun to play because it's boring, repetitive, your tank is too slow and underpowered, your shot frequency is borderline broken and the special weapons are fiddly, poorly conceived and hinder rather than help the flow of a game already in need of several design tweaks. Most of these problems really establish themselves during boss fights, which in terms of structure are great, but fall down considerably thanks to the mechanical impoverishment of your vehicle and its odd cluttered second screen of help-me-survive random weaponry.

My definition of a good shmup is irrelevant, because firstly it's not a shmup, and secondly I'd rather look at an assembly of components that constitute a good game within its given genre. This 'tank genre' game could be a lot better than it is if it had certain components, mechanical implementations and other revisions that made it more fun to play. But it doesn't, and that's really where we're both banging our heads into opposite sides of the same brick wall.

[Iron Peach]

Hey isn't Wonder Land neat? Lighten up guys.