Shmup Related Questions That Don't Deserve a Thread

[trap15]

Autofire is always fine because I'm not going to judge how you play the game with common input methods.

[pokemon123]

so out of curiousity anyone know who programmed mushi 1.5 matsuri?

[ratikal]

Is the X360 port of Triggerheart Exelica good? Should I stick with the Dreamcast port?

[dink]

This one sorta rings a bell, but I can't remember the name...
From the CHIP kickstarter page, any idea what game this is:


originating page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/15 ... 9-computer

thanks

[Blinge]

Uhh....
Raiden Gaiden =D

[BIL]

Looks like a Sonic Wings/Aero Fighters game. The first game's SNES port, maybe?

[Perikles]

That is indeed the first Sonic Wings (Sweden stage). I hazard the shrewd guess that this might be the PS2 version since there are black borders which I never experienced on the SFC version of the game.

[d3vak]

That is indeed the first Sonic Wings (Sweden stage). I hazard the shrewd guess that this might be the PS2 version since there are black borders which I never experienced on the SFC version of the game.

Then it might be "Sonic Wings Special"

[BareKnuckleRoo]

The real question is why are their thumbs on the analog sticks?

[LordHypnos]

Is the X360 port of Triggerheart Exelica good? Should I stick with the Dreamcast port?

My understanding is that the 360 version has slightly different scoring than the arcade. The DC of course would be the same as the arcade. I couldn't tell you the exact differences, but there's a little info here: http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?t=22341
This will be more or less important from person to person. I don't, personally, mind it, especially since it looks like the scoring is a bit more complex in the arcade and you sometimes don't want to throw enemies to keep your multiplier up. I'm all about throwing enemies all over the place.

As far as options, the 360 has the ability to set the stage you start at (though you have to have gotten through the stage beforehand, but you can credit feed to unlock stages). That's about it for practice options, AFAIK. You can set the tractor beam to auto or manual rotation. It defaults to auto, but I think manual is more enjoyable. The 360 also has a (in my opinion) quite good arranged soundtrack that it defaults to. I haven't figured out any way to record replays in the 360 version. The achievements are actually pretty tough, FWIW. I've only unlocked one. I haven't played it too seriously, but in most shmups you get quite a few achievements that you don't have to work for. I'd say that the fairly difficult list of achievements is a good thing, though it probably depends. The cutscenes are translated in the 360 version, and can be toggled on and off. There's some minor load times going on that can get kind of annoying when you're trying to restart after a mistake. Not sure how this compares to DC Triggerheart. 360 definitely has a tate option (I think it can tate right or left, too), though it does not have the scaling options, IIRC, that seem to be common in 360 shmups. There are a number of different wallpaper choices in yoko mode.

I don't really have any experience with the DC version, but I believe you have 3 modes in it (compared to the one in the 360 version). They are Arcade, Story, and Arrange (which I think is what the 360 version is based on). I thought I remembered it having replays, but I'm probably wrong. Only a few DC shmups do, and I don't see why they'd be in the DC version and not the 360 version. Hopefully somebody else will chime in with a few more notes on the differences / similarities.

[Mero]

That is indeed the first Sonic Wings (Sweden stage). I hazard the shrewd guess that this might be the PS2 version since there are black borders which I never experienced on the SFC version of the game.

Then it might be "Sonic Wings Special"

I've never played either SWS or PS2 Sonic Wings in yoko but yeah it might be one of them, big cut off at the top and bottom whatever it is.

[Rita]

I'm pretty new to the scene and I was just wondering, since all the companies that made shmups have died off, what does one see when they walk into a Japanese arcade? Are they just filled with decade-old machines? I haven't been able to find any information regarding new games outside of console/PC releases.

[Giest118]

The real question is why are their thumbs on the analog sticks?

So they can control the ships. Obviously.

While this does not burn as many calories as using a stick and controlling the ship with your entire hand, it does in fact still register the completely binary inputs to the game.

[Shepardus]

I'm pretty new to the scene and I was just wondering, since all the companies that made shmups have died off, what does one see when they walk into a Japanese arcade? Are they just filled with decade-old machines? I haven't been able to find any information regarding new games outside of console/PC releases.

Pretty much, the cabs themselves aren't necessarily that old but the PCBs inside them are pretty aged. Even most "newer" shmups such as CAVE's later games are usually over half a decade old. I'm not sure if there have been any arcade shmup releases that are genuinely "recent" besides Crimzon Clover.

[copy-paster]

Is the original Gradius (arcade version) is the very first shmup to have a (difficulity) rank system ?

[BulletMagnet]

For some previous discussion on this and other related topics check this thread.

[ACSeraph]

I'm pretty new to the scene and I was just wondering, since all the companies that made shmups have died off, what does one see when they walk into a Japanese arcade? Are they just filled with decade-old machines? I haven't been able to find any information regarding new games outside of console/PC releases.

The average Japanse arcade simply doesn't have any shmups unfortunately. The best you get on average is the Nesica and All.Net stuff (Caladrius, Under Defeat, and Ge-sen Love on All.Net, and Raiden II & IV, Ikaruga, Crimson Clover, Akai Katana, Homura, and Trouble Witches on Nesica).

That probably sounds like a pretty good spread, but those cabs are also home to most of the new fighting games, so good luck beating the Guilty Gear players off the cab in order to play some UD. I've literally beaten everyone off the cab and thrown my arcade mode credit in DOA5 in order to play Caladrius. It pays to have a wide skill set

However when you get to an arcade that specializes in single player focused arcade action games it's hype as hell. Places like Taito Hey and Amusement Tower in Akiba are glorious. The machines are well maintained, usually with custom autofire button setups and sometimes even headphone jacks.







But hype arcades are the exception, not the rule. The reality is that the average modern Japanese gamer doesn't appreciate much more than rhythm games and CoD. The average arcade reflects this. Even fighting games, while still healthy, occupy less and less space every year outside of major cities. The beasts of the arcade are a dying breed.

[Mero]

I'm not sure if there have been any arcade shmup releases that are genuinely "recent" besides Crimzon Clover.

The last new STG release for the arcades was Caladrius AC in September 2013, so yeah, it's basically dead.

[BIL]

However when you get to an arcade that specializes in single player focused arcade action games it's hype as hell. Places like Taito Hey and Amusement Tower in Akiba are glorious. The machines are well maintained, usually with custom autofire button setups and sometimes even headphone jacks.

[images of utopian hawtness]

ZOMG THANKS ACS MY BOSS SAW MY BONER UNDER MY DESK :O

[GunsRs7]

I need recommendations on an arcade stick. I would like it to be compatible with multiple systems but still have a good stick if its even possible. I want to be able to play PS2, Saturn,Dreamcast, and Xbox 360, Shmups. I wouldn’t want it totally limited to shmups. It would be nice to play tekken tag with it as well. does anyone have any recommendations.

[CloudyMusic]

I need recommendations on an arcade stick. I would like it to be compatible with multiple systems but still have a good stick if its even possible. I want to be able to play PS2, Saturn,Dreamcast, and Xbox 360, Shmups. I wouldn’t want it totally limited to shmups. It would be nice to play tekken tag with it as well. does anyone have any recommendations.

Getting or making a custom stick (or modding an off-the-shelf one) with a Cthulhu PCB could be an option. You'd need a separate PCB for Xbox 360 support, but it'd natively handle just about anything else.

[d3vak]

Spoiler

I'm pretty new to the scene and I was just wondering, since all the companies that made shmups have died off, what does one see when they walk into a Japanese arcade? Are they just filled with decade-old machines? I haven't been able to find any information regarding new games outside of console/PC releases.

The average Japanse arcade simply doesn't have any shmups unfortunately. The best you get on average is the Nesica and All.Net stuff (Caladrius, Under Defeat, and Ge-sen Love on All.Net, and Raiden II & IV, Ikaruga, Crimson Clover, Akai Katana, Homura, and Trouble Witches on Nesica).

That probably sounds like a pretty good spread, but those cabs are also home to most of the new fighting games, so good luck beating the Guilty Gear players off the cab in order to play some UD. I've literally beaten everyone off the cab and thrown my arcade mode credit in DOA5 in order to play Caladrius. It pays to have a wide skill set

However when you get to an arcade that specializes in single player focused arcade action games it's hype as hell. Places like Taito Hey and Amusement Tower in Akiba are glorious. The machines are well maintained, usually with custom autofire button setups and sometimes even headphone jacks.







But hype arcades are the exception, not the rule. The reality is that the average modern Japanese gamer doesn't appreciate much more than rhythm games and CoD. The average arcade reflects this. Even fighting games, while still healthy, occupy less and less space every year outside of major cities. The beasts of the arcade are a dying breed.

Dayum! This was a very nice reply, very informative!

[cave hermit]

In shooting love 200x, is there not a dedicated menu option for every single stage from the shmups skill test?

There are a few stages I randomly encountered in the main game (like one where you dodge the legs of a spider mech and one where you have to shoot a time bomb off a rocket or something) which didn't unlock to be played on their own after the credit was over.

[pokemon123]

so pyramid developed darius burst but taito developed darius burst another chronicle?

[trap15]

DBAC/DBACEX is also Pyramid.

[postmanmanman]

I own the 360 port of Mushihimesama Futari, but I've also been emulating it in MAME since I'm working in an office for 8 hours a day with almost nothing to do but sit on my laptop. However I've noticed that it feels like there's more slowdown in the 360 port than I'm noticing in MAME. I assume the 360 port is closer to arcade standard, so is it possible MAME isn't emulating the slowdown properly?

I've been playing Black Label Original, btw.

[Giest118]

I own the 360 port of Mushihimesama Futari, but I've also been emulating it in MAME since I'm working in an office for 8 hours a day with almost nothing to do but sit on my laptop. However I've noticed that it feels like there's more slowdown in the 360 port than I'm noticing in MAME. I assume the 360 port is closer to arcade standard, so is it possible MAME isn't emulating the slowdown properly?

I've been playing Black Label Original, btw.

MAME indeed does not emulate the slowdown correctly in Futari, resulting in a game that's like an octodecillion times harder.

[postmanmanman]

I own the 360 port of Mushihimesama Futari, but I've also been emulating it in MAME since I'm working in an office for 8 hours a day with almost nothing to do but sit on my laptop. However I've noticed that it feels like there's more slowdown in the 360 port than I'm noticing in MAME. I assume the 360 port is closer to arcade standard, so is it possible MAME isn't emulating the slowdown properly?

I've been playing Black Label Original, btw.

MAME indeed does not emulate the slowdown correctly in Futari, resulting in a game that's like an octodecillion times harder.

Oof. It's been years since I tried emulating anything in MAME and I was surprised to see Mushi and DDP DFK BL compatible, but I guess that seemed unrealistic anyways. Which Cave games are perfectly emulated by MAME, anyways?

[CloudyMusic]

I own the 360 port of Mushihimesama Futari, but I've also been emulating it in MAME since I'm working in an office for 8 hours a day with almost nothing to do but sit on my laptop. However I've noticed that it feels like there's more slowdown in the 360 port than I'm noticing in MAME. I assume the 360 port is closer to arcade standard, so is it possible MAME isn't emulating the slowdown properly?

I've been playing Black Label Original, btw.

MAME indeed does not emulate the slowdown correctly in Futari, resulting in a game that's like an octodecillion times harder.

Oof. It's been years since I tried emulating anything in MAME and I was surprised to see Mushi and DDP DFK BL compatible, but I guess that seemed unrealistic anyways. Which Cave games are perfectly emulated by MAME, anyways?

I don't know that anything's ever "perfect," but everything besides CV1K (so Espgaluda and earlier) is good.

[xxx1993]

Why do almost all the bosses in the Raiden series (except for the first one) have a red diamond?