Games with the same structure as Jamestown

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RuySan
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Games with the same structure as Jamestown

Post by RuySan »

It's no secret that we're still using arcade game's structure, even though it might not make much sense for home system games. I suspect it's a question of habit.

Jamestown works great, unlocking levels and difficulty levels progressively, but also giving the option to play it all in one go. What other (good) shmups employ this structure?
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Despatche
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Re: Games with the same structure as Jamestown

Post by Despatche »

It... makes perfect sense for consoles? I don't understand.

What doesn't make sense outside of arcades are continues. The problem has always been that console developers (and let's be honest, arcade developers too) have long been unwilling to replace continues with a proper stage select feature. Over time, people got the wrong idea, and so it's actually really hard to explain the idea of a one credit clear.
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Rastan78
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Re: Games with the same structure as Jamestown

Post by Rastan78 »

RuySan wrote:It's no secret that we're still using arcade game's structure
Who's we? New games that have a straight up arcade structure seem to be pretty rare these days. I think we need more of them.

Agreed that level select, training mode, and/or save states are always a good thing to have in a console shmup or port.

For me a single stage score attack, while great for practicing, just isn't enough to get the adrenaline up. Being 20 or 30 minutes into a run that is going perfectly and having the added pressure to follow through is where the excitement and tension of arcade gaming comes from.
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Voxbox
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Re: Games with the same structure as Jamestown

Post by Voxbox »

Check out the Sky Force series.
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Jonpachi
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Re: Games with the same structure as Jamestown

Post by Jonpachi »

There's no starting point for this argument.

Does anyone oppose more home-friendly options and modes?

No? Carry on.
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wht11
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Re: Games with the same structure as Jamestown

Post by wht11 »

Rastan78 wrote:Who's we?
The spirits with me, fren! They be all around. Sometimes talk.

Okay, sorry for that ;) On topic, while I don't use Practice too much (not to mention "Spell practice"), at the same time I highly appreciate it to be there for that one moment or that one pattern. This may be any section for any player so it's always a good move to include something to get into a difficult spot quickly and double check it.

But main game goal should remain the actual whole run for the thrill, like for example at first I didn't know what to make of the idea from "QP Shooting" (the never) - there's a sort of campaign mode which saves game progress to that stage (and every stage backwards) allowing to grind it out. In the end interesting idea but obviously good there's a classic Arcade as well.

Other thing, this it can also depend on game goal or scoring system. It's a bit unusual to have a "time attack" as base for the whole scoring like in "Maria and the Red Broom" (or maybe it should be "Maria's Red Broom"? = 紅ぼうきのマリア)
http://www.saturn.dti.ne.jp/~taq/

While technically still a Practice Mode, here it's called "Time Attack" and with competing for top time instead of raw score I find the idea more enjoyable for short/separate Stage attacks.
Ixmucane2
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Re: Games with the same structure as Jamestown

Post by Ixmucane2 »

Voxbox wrote:Check out the Sky Force series.
The unlocking progression is fair and reasonable, but so entangled with the bad mechanics (particularly grinding until your weapons are strong enough, the lack of any middle ground between winning medals and a completely useless run, and retrying levels until they are memorized well enough) that I'd expect other games to fare better.
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BareKnuckleRoo
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Re: Games with the same structure as Jamestown

Post by BareKnuckleRoo »

Several of Kenta Cho's games including Noiz2sa and rRootage are structured with individual levels you progress through, rather than one long continuous game (though they also include Endless modes you can play): http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~cs8k-cyu/
dmk1198
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Re: Games with the same structure as Jamestown

Post by dmk1198 »

Returnal on ps5 is a arcade style 3rd person style shooter with a one credit system
i.e. u go back right to start of game when u die

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Marc
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Re: Games with the same structure as Jamestown

Post by Marc »

Try Natsuki Chronicles story mode. It's not the same as Jamestown as such, individual leves still have to be unlocked as you go, but you get so much choice in how to play them it's almost impossible not to do so. I can see why some here may not like it, but it's definitely a viable approach when also backed up with a proper arcade mode.
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