Star Soldier Vanishing Earth- Respect Is Due

[mjclark]

I've just been banging away on my newly installed mupen64plus emulator and have found Star Soldier Vanishing Earth to be utterly fabulous, but can anyone point me to a walkthrough/FAQ for this N64 masterpiece?
And why is Star Soldier Vanishing Earth not mentioned more frequently in these forums? Is it because it's just a teensy weensy bit isometric?
Well I just don't care cos it's a brand new shmup romance here

[Shumps4Free]

I have it laying on my floor behind me, still sealed. I was unsure this whole time if the joy I would get from playing it would out-weigh the effort I would need to put into opening the game. Since you think so highly of it, I just may muster up the willpower to rip open that shrink wrap.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Dave K. was telling me that Seta's Aleck64 version of Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth doesn't use a standard 8-way digital joystick interface but rather a specialized Aleck64 control panel setup with an analog joystick mounted on it. Sounds intriguing doesn't it? This is the arcade version of SS:VE btw. Since I don't have a copy of the Aleck64 SS:VE nor a specialize Aleck64 control panel, I can't make comparisions to how it is with the later N64 version of the same name.

Can another fellow shmupper give their two cents about how the gameplay of Aleck64 SS:VE really is? ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[nZero]

I've just been banging away on my newly installed mupen64plus emulator and have found Star Soldier Vanishing Earth to be utterly fabulous, but can anyone point me to a walkthrough/FAQ for this N64 masterpiece?
And why is Star Soldier Vanishing Earth not mentioned more frequently in these forums? Is it because it's just a teensy weensy bit isometric?
Well I just don't care cos it's a brand new shmup romance here

You could start a thread in the strategy section (check the index thread first) if you can't find a suitable FAQ anywhere. The high-score thread for the game might have some strategy discussion in it as well.

As far as the ambivalence towards the game, I think a lot of people are put off by the low difficulty and simple graphics. The caravan mode is a lot of fun, though

[spadgy]

I really do enjoy the Star Soldier games. What's the relation of this one the the PS2/GC builds?

[sven666]

Can another fellow shmupper give their two cents about how the gameplay of Aleck64 SS:VE really is? ^_~

sure, it is utterly utterly shite, absoluteley atrocious.

anyone who seriously likes it proboably has a crayon stuck up their nose or something..

2012 ed: wow, what an embarassing over-reaction, apologies if anyone took offense.

[Ed Oscuro]

Wow, that's quite strong indeed. sven, is it that the Aleck has a compromised control setup, or do you consider the N64 version terrible too?

(For my money, the n64 version is a decent enough game although I never rushed out to get it. It has some interesting ideas and the hit detection + patterns don't seem too bad.)

[Dave_K.]

I've all but given up on finding this aleck64 cart.

[al138]

I picked the N64 cart up at a used game/music shop in Makino, Japan for around 1600 yen about nine years ago. It was moderately playable then (the shield feature wears the left thumb out quick), but I find that the title doesn't really stand the test of time now. If you really like it, then more power to you. It was good enough while it lasted, but I doubt you will feel the same way a few months from now.

[Alec]

I love the Aleck64

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I love the Aleck64

Pretty underutilized arcade mobo with the Nintendo 64 architecture...surely more games could've been developed for it, right? ^_~

[professor ganson]

I have it laying on my floor behind me, still sealed. I was unsure this whole time if the joy I would get from playing it would out-weigh the effort I would need to put into opening the game. Since you think so highly of it, I just may muster up the willpower to rip open that shrink wrap.

That's funny. My only copy is a sealed one I bought a few years back and never got around to opening. I'm pretty sure I would like the game well enough, but there are just too many others. I suspect I'll just end up selling it some day.

[No_not_like_Quake]

So this thread is to give praise to the Nintendo 64 Star Soldier? It doesn't deserve praise, it's the crappiest game in the series.

[Op Intensify]

Necrobump.

This is such a bizarre little game. It's the N64's only proper shmup and was my first (very easy) 1CC as a kid. It really seems like Hudson was just flinging ideas against the wall like pasta to see what stuck. Unfortunately nothing really did. If this was intended as a big 3D comeback for the series that would have kickstarted a new line of sequels, then they failed hard. Their heart just wasn't in it, or something. At least they didn't leave out Caravan mode.

Weird and ultimately pointless analog-controlled reflector shield. Okay.

Level design is like something out of an NES game. You're just floating over abstract techno voids with repetitive waves of the same enemies. There's no ground targets to raze or bonus items to collect like in every other Star Soldier. All the stages are very short and they kind of blend into each other.

Really odd use of text and speech. Strange level names (Stage 5 is "Terrible"), strange voice when you power up, strange taunting from the final boss and some purple prose at the end that explains nothing

Completely transparent and pointless combo system. Best to just shoot everything as fast as possible.

Ships feel strangely underpowered but everything dies just fine.

Photo of the producer on the back of the JPN box. Okay.

Bombs get handed out like candy and they're massively overpowered, two of the giant blue laser bombs will just about devour any boss. The patterns are well designed but you'll rarely have to dodge them.

Fight a floating gem in space with a time limit and the Earth as a backdrop (Radiant Silvergun anyone?)

I never knew this was released in arcades, with an analog joystick to boot. It must have been a very limited Japan-only release. I can't imagine it was received well at all by the arcade crowd, for good reason.

[Ed Oscuro]

Play without the shield.

[Ebbo]

Fight a floating gem in space with a time limit and the Earth as a backdrop (Radiant Silvergun anyone?)

Actually the setting felt more reminiscent of the final battle of Soldier Blade, from which the recurring villain DUOSS also originates from. Gotta say his final mecha form in Vanishing Earth looks pretty badass.

[null1024]

I remember playing this and having fun with it, even though it definitely felt like I shouldn't be enjoying it...

[Zeether]

Weird and ultimately pointless analog-controlled reflector shield. Okay.

Uh, no. You press a button to use it from what I remember. It reflects bullets and you get an EOS bonus for using it.

Completely transparent and pointless combo system. Best to just shoot everything as fast as possible.

It's important in the caravan modes.

[apatheticTurd]

Uh, no. You press a button to use it from what I remember.

There's actually two mode of controls for the shield, the one where you press the R button is the default but there's another configuration where you can use it by waggling the analog stick back and forth (and unlike the first config, there's no cooldown time so you can theorically alway have the shield on if you don't mind wrecking the stick).

I remember playing this and having fun with it, even though it definitely felt like I shouldn't be enjoying it...

Pretty much that. It's an all-too-easy and not very well made game (best exemplified by the retarded branching path system), but the poor craftmanship has a quaint charm and I definitely had fun playing it.

[JBC]

I picked it up from the retro store in the next town over tonight along with some equipment I needed. I had to clean the cart up real good & clean the contacts to get it working. I'm really enjoying it so far. Nice music, I like the deflection mechanic. I'm getting a RayStorm-era vibe off it really strong so it's heartwarming.

[Despatche]

Pretty much that. It's an all-too-easy and not very well made game (best exemplified by the retarded branching path system), but the poor craftmanship has a quaint charm and I definitely had fun playing it.

the funny thing is that this describes nearly every compile/soldier/related game, and vanishing earth is actually a lot better than a lot of those.

i just cannot understand how you people love absolute waste-of-potential garbage like musha but rag on a relatively decent game like this. we're at the point that we're not really talking about opinion anymore. praising a game for giving you nothing to do for five minutes per stage and then despising (yes) a game for being kinda easy is troll logic.

[ZaKa-tokyobassist]

The soundtrack to this game was dope. Loved the Stage 1 and 2 songs. The secret alternate paths were epic as hell to find as a kid. This was before I had a computer and game magazines didn't really care to cover games like this in depth.

I never understood the hate this game got but then again, these days we have threads acting as if CAVE was the only company capable of making a shmup. Revolver360 RE:Actor was badass and wholly unique. Galak-Z looks like an interest mix between classic Asteroids with influences of Zero Gunner 2 and Metroid. Then we have the new Star Fox coming for Wii U.

Shmups are dead. The audience is just close minded.

[StoofooEsq]

The game's about due for a replay, but last I played Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth, I thought it was really good at being just decent. "Quaint" is a very apt word to describe it.

Even when I first rented it from a Blockbuster Video years ago, I didn't hold it in some especially high regard ("I can just Roll through all this enemy fire and barely ever die? Okay."). Still thought it was fun, and I remember liking the soundtrack a lot. Actually, I think it's mostly the soundtrack that I like about it.

I think of SS:VE like Chopper Attack, also on the N64. Nothing standout about the game, there's evident flaws and some downright ugly stuff, but it's got a spirit I can still respect.

[apatheticTurd]

The soundtrack to this game was dope. Loved the Stage 1 and 2 songs.

And now I have the stage 1 theme stuck in my head.

Gotta say tho, Vanishing Earth certainly has the best Caravan mode out of any Compile/Hudson Soft shooters.

[Austin]

I really enjoyed this game back in the day. Giving it a go recently I still think it's fun and a bit underrated/overlooked. The graphics aren't phenomenal but they aren't bad either--the camera angles give a cool looking perspective and there's enough going on in the backgrounds (especially in the later levels) to keep things interesting. Like some here I enjoy the soundtrack as well, in all its cheesiness (the Stage 2 and Stage 5 themes are my favorites). Gameplay-wise the three ship types give good variety and I think the branching paths are good for added replay value. The chain combo system is simple but can give huge points when played around it. Speaking of the scoring system, it gets pretty absurd with how points are dished out at the end of each level. You get points for bomb reserves, lives remaining, max chain combo on normal enemies, max chain combo on the bosses, and you even get points for using the shield roll (you know, that thing that makes you invincible) which is kind of ridiculous when you think about it. The game is different, for sure, and I kind of like it for that.

[Angry Hina]

Played the game a bit lately and had much fun with it. Will try the harder difficulty the next week.
The reusage of some enemy patterns feels not so bad as it sounds and works much better compared to some Aleste games. Somewhere between GG Alest2 and 3 (more on the side of 3). It has dropped a bit of the Aleste-ness of the PCE Star Soldiers which is good if you whant to have a more unique profile even if the gameplay and style is more on the genric side. They could have tried more to bring in homages of the pre compile caravan games into this game. Luckily the reminiscence level is there^^ The connection to Final Soldier is nice to.

The levels are all fun and are well designed. Even if the N64 has shown much stronger graphic effects later on, SSVE looks quite good and plays fast enough. Like, that there are three ships and the secret levels.
(Especially the reminiscencelevel is great )

Sadly i have a bit of input lag on my pipeline of the rgb modded PAL N64, OSSC, Capture device and tv so some boss fights are much tougher as they look...

[StudioMudprints]

For whatever it's worth, I liked it. Enough, even, to get a complete Japanese copy in addition to the US one I was gifted.

[MommysBestGames]

Haven't gotten to play the game, but I really enjoy the soundtrack.