Elemental Master appreciation (or not) thread

louisg · Post by **louisg** » Sat May 06, 2006 7:32 am

Hey, I recently took this one off the shelf again-- I'm really digging it, and wondered if anyone else on this board might also be into it. Any opinions or rants about this guy?

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Sat May 06, 2006 7:47 am

I really like this game. Fast paced, Thunderforce-esque weapon system, great levels and of course the rocking Technosoft soundtrack. I also dig the fantasy setting. The game is really easy though.

If you like this type of game, you must check out Twinkle Tale and Undead Line, also on Megadrive.

it290 · Post by **it290** » Sat May 06, 2006 7:59 am

I love the music on this game. The pixelling is also really good -- I think it has the most personality of any Tecnosoft game. However, I do find some sections to be a bit sloppily designed, as there are a few parts that are nearly impossible to get through without taking a hit. I also really dislike that boss that requires you to use the charge shot.

ccovell · Post by **ccovell** » Sat May 06, 2006 8:03 am

I love the music, but I always found EM to be the most difficult of Technosoft's shmups that I've played (TF II, III, IV). There are lots of cheap, quick hits, and cramped spaces. I could get very far on TFIV on normal difficulty, but can barely pass any of the levels in EM on normal difficulty. Do I just suck?

Also the graphics are very tiled... mountains and fields look like a bunch of squares, so the graphics aren't so great.

Herr Schatten · Post by **Herr Schatten** » Sat May 06, 2006 8:29 am

it290 wrote:I also really dislike that boss that requires you to use the charge shot.

Seconded. It took me ages to figure out what to do there. (A similar problem occured at the last boss, but there I figured it out more quickly.) I just wondered why I couldn't hit that boss and why the game became so difficult all of a sudden.

ccovell wrote:Do I just suck?

Probably not. It's more likely that you are doing the wrong thing, like using the wrong weapon or something. You should be familiar with the problem if you've played a lot of TFIV. If you don't use the right weapon in the right place, the game gets very difficult, as especially boss fights can drag on forever.

Overall, I like Elemental Master. Great music, great setting. It's certainly not one of TecnoSoft's best works, though. Graphics are so-so, bosses aren't very interesting except for the last one and the game is quite easy. But it's fun.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Sat May 06, 2006 8:52 am

I hear people complaining about not having known that the light weapon becomes chargeable in the final levels so often whenever this game is mentioned. Couldn't you guys have just read the manual? It's all written in there.

raiden · Post by **raiden** » Sat May 06, 2006 9:33 am

I hear people complaining about not having known that the light weapon becomes chargeable in the final levels so often whenever this game is mentioned. Couldn't you guys have just read the manual? It's all written in there

It´s not exactly common for shmups to benefit from reading the manual, so I usually don´t read them.

About Elemental Master:
+ the music
+ somehow original gameplay (one button for forward, one for backward shot)
- less than great level design

I also wonder how you´re supposed to play this game with the default Megadrive pad, as it doesn´t have autofire. No problem for me, as I´m playing with a Neo Geo board, but not caring about this aspect is also sort of a sloppy game design.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Sat May 06, 2006 9:58 am

raiden wrote:I also wonder how you´re supposed to play this game with the default Megadrive pad, as it doesn´t have autofire. No problem for me, as I´m playing with a Neo Geo board, but not caring about this aspect is also sort of a sloppy game design.

??? But if you use autofire you won't be able to use your charge shots anymore.

Besides, it's not like you need to hammer the fire button like a mad mofo, if you press once it will continue shooting automatically for a bit.

zinger · Post by **zinger** » Sat May 06, 2006 10:17 am

A cool game, fresh take on the genre. Very easy, and not much replay value though. Sadly, the higher difficulty settings are a bit badly designed. A true classic anyway...

maxlords · Post by **maxlords** » Sat May 06, 2006 10:45 am

Yeah, EM is one of the first shmups that made me like the genre back in the day. Hard as nails though. I really enjoyed it myself. It reminds me a LOT of Undead Line...but thankfully easier!

*shiver*

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Sat May 06, 2006 10:48 pm

I got mine cartridge-only, so I had no manual to read, but I think on the second time I got to the last boss I figured out I had to use the Light weapon. But it was my first 1CC and I still like it a lot.

jp · Post by jp » Sat May 06, 2006 10:57 pm

I love the game. The music is top notch and I think the boss fights are cool as hell.

I guess I'm also the only person that liked the charge attack and using it at the final boss. Just made it seem all the more epic to me.

I will agree that the level design is kinda sloppy though...

louisg · Post by **louisg** » Sat May 06, 2006 10:59 pm

jp wrote: I will agree that the level design is kinda sloppy though...

Yeah there's something about those last few levels that just seems a little rushed in their design.