Daisenpu = :(

[RoninBuddha]

Anyone else like this game? i love it, even though it's a Bog standard retro shmup (from Toaplan ), maybe it's the japanese planes? maybe it's the intro music (which gets me everytime), or maybe because, i've been trying to beat this game (1CC) for years, on ANY version (MD, PCE, ARC) and still... i can even beat the 1st stage on 1 life

just sharing.

[mulletgeezer]

Yes! Daisenpu/Twin Hawk is rather a Dry game, perhaps, but i think it's great. The formation weapon is really nice, and it's cool how you can use knowledge of enemy placement to lead bullets away from your planes and keep them alive for ages.

The easiest way to 1CC this game would be to play the MD version with hardware autofire, which allows you to deliver some really quick kills by sitting on top of larger enemies - cheating but very satisfying. I recommend the PCB if you don't have it though. It's not so common but sells cheaply.

[llabnip]

I enjoy seeing the Toaplan love spreading over the past year or so... Twin Hawk is quite a good game and saw a fine port on the Megadrive (as did many of the Toaplan shooters). The guys at Toaplan have made some amazing games - fortunately for us they don't seem to be in large demand and generally run very cheaply. Go forth and get them all!

On a related note, I think it's a real shame that Truxton II didn't see a MD port for more widespread enjoyment.

For those of you who have not come to enjoy Toaplan goodness... you will be assimiliated.

[Xexyz]

Dang, too bad I'm not a Genesis/MD importer (not yet at least). I'm a fan of Toaplan shooters in general as well as Toaplan clone developers (I.E. Siebu Kihatsu and Raiden).

[zinger]

maybe it's the japanese planes? maybe it's the intro music (which gets me everytime)

I also like that peaceful little intro tune a whole lot. Too bad the sound programming is so clunky on the rest of the music.

I think it's a pretty nice game, although there are quite a few cheap enemy attacks and the bullets can be hard to see...

[raiden]

Dang, too bad I'm not a Genesis/MD importer (not yet at least). I'm a fan of Toaplan shooters in general as well as Toaplan clone developers (I.E. Siebu Kihatsu and Raiden).

you don´t necessarily have to import ton enjoy Toaplan games on Genesis/MD. Twin Hawk, Fire Shark, Grind Stormer, Truxton, Hellfire are all availlable in western versions. Hell, even Zero Wing if you like that. But of course, once infected, you will want Kyuukyoku Tiger and Slap Fight as well

[yojo!]

As a side note, if youi like toaplan make sure to check out "Air Gallet" from Gazelle. It's an awesome game with great music. Right aftter the demise of Tioaplan a couple of engineers went to create gazelle and got their first game distributed by Banpresto.

[Stormwatch]

... are all availlable in western versions. Hell, even Zero Wing if you like that.

It was released in Europe, but not in the USA.

yojo: Cave, 8ing/Raizing, Gazelle, and Takumi are all Toaplan spin-offs.

[sjewkestheloon]

as i've said in other threads i love fire shark to death and it's the only toaplan shmup i've managed to find so far. i plan on picking them all up for the megadrive over time and eventually pick up a saturn for batsugan.

old school shmups are fun when they seem to get all of the basics right, and fire shark sure does that.

[DC906270]

you don´t necessarily have to import ton enjoy Toaplan games on Genesis/MD. Twin Hawk, Fire Shark, Grind Stormer, Truxton, Hellfire are all availlable in western versions. Hell, even Zero Wing if you like that. But of course, once infected, you will want Kyuukyoku Tiger and Slap Fight as well

you can get Kyukyoku Tiger on US Genesis release as "Twin Cobra", i think the games exactly the same, ie no respawns , unlike the Twin Cobra arcade version

[iatneH]

I like it, and I'm playing the PCB with NO rapidfire, argh!

So, I'm not able to get very far in the game :)

[louisg]

I like it, and I'm playing the PCB with NO rapidfire, argh!

So, I'm not able to get very far in the game

I kind of like it with no rapid =) I'm not totally sure that rapid gives you many more shots, and it's easier to shoot down those crazy planes with rapid off (timing).

[Twiddle]

As a side note, if youi like toaplan make sure to check out "Air Gallet" from Gazelle. It's an awesome game with great music. Right aftter the demise of Tioaplan a couple of engineers went to create gazelle and got their first game distributed by Banpresto.

their only game

A shame, too. Air Gallet was tops.

[The Coop]

... are all availlable in western versions. Hell, even Zero Wing if you like that.

It was released in Europe, but not in the USA.

True, but it plays just fine on a US system. Since the cart's shape is the same as US carts, it's a perfect fit, and it's not region locked either. So if anyone wants to play the European version, there's nothing stopping them... save funding.

[iatneH]

Going a bit off the original topic, but I got my first Japanese MD import today (Zero Wing) and it was really easy to fit into my US Genesis. All I did was break off the rectangular tabs on the cartridge slot with a pair of pliers, and then I used a knife to shave away a tiny bit of the rounded part.

The game even worked with my region switch set to US.

The mod only took a few minutes, I recommend it since it really opens up your options for which game versions you can buy.

[The Coop]

So does buying a cheap Genesis Game Genie, and it doesn't involve breaking off, or filing, anything. Plus, the Game Genie will let you play a number of region locked games like Pulseman, Golden Axe III, Alien Soldier and Thunder Force IV.

[RoninBuddha]

woah, from Twin Hawk -> Game Genie

nontheless, i prefer Daisenpu over Twin Hawk, due to the respawning stuff, and yes im playing it on PCB (in a stinky old arcade around here, i plan to buy the PCB from the operators one day, im the only one playing it. lol), but i started playing it on MAME a while back...
i also have the TurboCD port, for the "nice-er" music.

im gonna try Auto Fire on the MD as you've said... is it also on the PCB? (i wonder if the Operator would let me tinker with the DIP's)

[iatneH]

I'm pretty sure there's no autofire on the PCB... I had a look through the manual also and didn't see any reference to autofire on the dip settings.

Could think of some hardware autofire circuit to hook to the joystick, but then I'd be disqualified from SAM's high score thread I'd still need to triple my score first anyway.

[llabnip]

Going a bit off the original topic, but I got my first Japanese MD import today (Zero Wing) and it was really easy to fit into my US Genesis. All I did was break off the rectangular tabs on the cartridge slot with a pair of pliers, and then I used a knife to shave away a tiny bit of the rounded part.

The game even worked with my region switch set to US.

The mod only took a few minutes, I recommend it since it really opens up your options for which game versions you can buy.

Even easier if you have a Genesis 3 model - the cart slot is already the right shape to take both US carts and Japanese carts - no mod needed.
Otherwise, if you don't want to shave down your cart port, you can use a Game Genie to extend cart slot above the Genesis and fit both US and Japanese carts nicely. The Game Genie for the Genesis usually only runs a few bucks and this is the option I use with my older model Genesis.

The mod you did works great, however - and as you say it's pretty easy to do.

[Xexyz]

Well that's good news since I do happen to own a Genny Model 3. Although, I'm already set with JPN imports since I have a Game Genie which can bypass the physical barrier my Model 1 and Model 2 Genny's pose. I knew about the filing trick, but I just can't bring myself to deface my systems, even though Genny systems (1's and 2's) in the wild are common and dirt cheap.

[CMoon]

The toaplan love continues!

It is too bad about Truxton 2 and Dogyuun (sp?)--Toaplan's two lost (non-ported) games. At this point they had a very unique art direction and style/feell. A toaplan shooting battle 2 (or overall collection) is VERY MUCH needed, though perhaps a modded x-box at least solves the truxton 2 problem since the audio is intact in that rom for some reason.

[iatneH]

The toaplan love continues!

It is too bad about Truxton 2 and Dogyuun (sp?)--Toaplan's two lost (non-ported) games. At this point they had a very unique art direction and style/feell. A toaplan shooting battle 2 (or overall collection) is VERY MUCH needed, though perhaps a modded x-box at least solves the truxton 2 problem since the audio is intact in that rom for some reason.

Isn't Truxton 2 on the Marty? Might as well have no port, eh?

You forgot OutZone!!!! And I don't know about Fixeight but I keep hearing it's not as good.

[rib]

how is slapfight anyway, one of the few md games i didnt play due its high price.
can it be compared with any other megadrive shmup?

[llabnip]

how is slapfight anyway, one of the few md games i didnt play due its high price.
can it be compared with any other megadrive shmup?

I really enjoy it ... being on the Genny and being Toaplan goodness It has 2 different modes - arcade and original which have a fairly different feel. It's hard - one of the harder Toaplan shooters I think... or maybe I just suck at it. It was expensive... too expensive I think even though the port is really well done and I enjoy the gameplay. It's an older game - so don't compare very well with the later Toaplan games - it feels more like... um... Sky Jaguar (Konami) than many of the Toaplan games. There are lots of different power-ups... and they grow more powerful as you pick up the same-type powerups. Speed, Shot, Sideshot, Bomb, Laser, Homing Missiles and the all-important shield. Slap Fight would be such a highly recommended game at US$20 or less. At more than $100 I'd say only get it if you are a Toaplan fanatic (which I am!).

The cart plays just fine on a Model 3 Genny, a Model 1/2 Genny with the physical cart barrier removed (or avoided with a Game Genie).

[yojo!]

how is slapfight anyway, one of the few md games i didnt play due its high price.
can it be compared with any other megadrive shmup?

I'm a big slapfight fan so you won't find any complain over here. It's a good port and the 2 games in 1 feature add to the replay value. The original mode really feels like a new game (different background graphics and enemies). But both games are still easier than the arcade version; mainly due to the fact that the shield does not time out on the genny port. The soundtrack on the "original" mode sounds kind of gradius like IMO.

[CMoon]

Isn't Truxton 2 on the Marty? Might as well have no port, eh?

Yup. Continue to forget that port exists.

You forgot OutZone!!!! And I don't know about Fixeight but I keep hearing it's not as good.

Not really a huge outzone fan, does it does have those beautiful late-period Toaplan graphics.

I don't really know fixeight at all. Is it even a shmup?

[gunbird18]

As a side note, if youi like toaplan make sure to check out "Air Gallet" from Gazelle. It's an awesome game with great music. Right aftter the demise of Tioaplan a couple of engineers went to create gazelle and got their first game distributed by Banpresto.

their only game

A shame, too. Air Gallet was tops.

Air Gallet is awesome! Another fine game from Mr. Joker Jun no less!

I think Fixeight is along the same lines as Outzone, right? Maybe a pseudo-sequel?

[Ed Oscuro]

The toaplan love continues!

It is too bad about Truxton 2 and Dogyuun (sp?)--Toaplan's two lost (non-ported) games. At this point they had a very unique art direction and style/feell. A toaplan shooting battle 2 (or overall collection) is VERY MUCH needed, though perhaps a modded x-box at least solves the truxton 2 problem since the audio is intact in that rom for some reason.

Isn't Truxton 2 on the Marty? Might as well have no port, eh?

lol. I'll be getting a copy someday, well, it's on my want list, right alongside the Daisakusen games :P

You forgot OutZone!!!! And I don't know about Fixeight but I keep hearing it's not as good.

I'd rather see OutZone ported to *something* rather than another Truxton 2 port, myself.

And yes, my limited ability to study Fixeight has led me to believe it just isn't as good as Outzone, for whatever reason. It's got more impressive graphics (with multiple levels of damage on critters), and the change capsules have been replaced with change pads (nice if you decide you're oriented wrong), but the level design is pretty ugly and uncompromising; it'll screw you up royally if you've got the wrong shot type. I can't comment on the music (try the working bootleg in MAME, you'll see). That along with the stupid looking graphics kills it for me. There's actually some vertical shooter segments in FixEight, as well, but they don't add that much (nifty gun on the front though). It's tougher than OutZone on the default setting, but that's not really a reason to like it more.

[louisg]

Yeah, it's really a pity there's no home version of Outzone (good thing we got a home version of Calibur 50! ). What an excellent game.

[Ko.oS]

Another fine game from Mr. Joker Jun no less!

eliminate down on gen has a certain "J. Inoue" as one of the three designers. no idea if its junya or not.
and yea, daisenpu is okay, if you're playin this on pcb/mame, remember that you can always call in the second player as a "dummy".