Are multiple weapons not popular anymore?

Nei First · Post by **Nei First** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 3:31 pm

The modern shooters I've played so far seem to lack in the variety of multiple weapons
Even the amazing Gradius V didn't come with the amount of weapons it originally had in it's previous games (especially the weapons in Gradius III).
Are they a thing of the past now?

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 3:40 pm

Nice username!

R-Type Final had a nice assortment of weapons systems. Definitely check it out if starfighter armament is your interest.

The upcoming Trizeal has a realtime switchable weapons system, which is also interesting (not commonly seen since Technosoft ended). But only 3 (Tri) weapons in this case.

Nei First · Post by **Nei First** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 3:53 pm

"Nice username!"

Thanks!

I assume you like Phantasy Star II then, or is it just the name itself?

Yeah. R-type is one modern game I do need to play, perhaps I'll look for it. It's a shame multiple weapons are not used more often though.
Not knocking them, but I enjoy battles that much more, when I know I've got a good selection of weapons to wipe them out with.

dboeren · Post by **dboeren** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 4:41 pm

Well, there are two different things.

1. Multiple weapons, where you have one (or more) at a time from several possibilities
2. Multiple weapons, where you always have them all

I'm guessing you mean #1 in the "more" sense.

The Raiden Fighters series had #1 in the "one" sense, you could have laser or vulcan cannon and switch by picking up powerups.

Lots of games have #2 in the sense of having a main weapon and an additional charge weapon. In the case of Gunbird 2, there are two different charge weapons for each ship.

Arguably, a shmup with multiple ships that each have unique weapons may qualify. You just can't change them on the fly.

Gigawing and Mars Matrix are examples of #2, as are pretty much all the Psikyo shmups and Radiant Silvergun (which takes it to an extreme).

landshark · Post by **landshark** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 5:03 pm

Thunder Force wrote:Nice username!

Damnit! I was gonna say that!

That game was probably my best RPG experience ever.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 5:40 pm

I'd guess that seeing as shmups these days are most often rather manic in nature, players are meant to be spending most of their playing time worrying about dodging lots of bullets, and not figuring out which weapon to collect/use...as such a lot of shmups just give you one weapon which can be powered up relatively easily, and make it something of an afterthought, just to keep things simple enough to keep the player focused on the "main event," namely staying alive (and scoring, once you get a bit better at it).

Nei First · Post by **Nei First** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 5:57 pm

"That game was probably my best RPG experience ever."

Do most people here prefer "Manic shooters"?

tehkao · Post by **tehkao** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 7:16 pm

Not me, I'm a Thunderforce whore.

Super Mega C · Post by **Super Mega C** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 4:31 am

landshark wrote:
Thunder Force wrote:Nice username!
Damnit! I was gonna say that!

That game was probably my best RPG experience ever.

^^yea, all that.

I used to not prefer manic shooters, but I'm really starting to like psikyo's stuff (too bad they're gone). I'm really starting to fall in love with Gunbird 2 here recently.