Best shmup Collector's Editions?

[shmupsrocks]

I like physical shmup stuff and Collector's Edition physical game releases looks like a pretty good way to find it. The Toaplan Shooters CE release for Genesis looks like a good one. Any other recommendations? (It doesn't have to be labeled "CE".)

[SavagePencil]

What are you looking for in a Collector’s Edition? Tchotchkes like figurines, posters, soundtracks, or exclusive in-game material?

[JDM_STG]

I recommend checking out SoftOtaku's channel for some collector's edition goodness and unboxing. Sharing the Psikyo Shooting Library LE unboxing as an example here (the game ports were not good, but do feel this packaging however is solid): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viXH_TtLNHU

With that being said, if you're specifically talking about packaging and goodies for this genre, I find collector's editions that provides reprinted arcade flyers w/historia booklets, high-level play guides, OSTs (CD or Vinyl), and bonus art to be some of the best it can give. In recent/today times, M2 releases are the best in terms of packaging AND the game medium from within in terms of quality and value going forward like:

- Ray'z Arcade Chronology CE
- Darius Cozmic & Revelation Collection CE's
- Aleste Collection CE
- *Coming Soon (with confidence)* DDP Daioujou Rinne Tensei CE

Region selection are also key and though I recommend to go with the Japanese prints if able, do research and compare the editions that mostly comes from Strictly Limited (Germany)/Limited Run (America) as there can be settle changes between them.

[shmupsrocks]

I find collector's editions that provides reprinted arcade flyers w/historia booklets, high-level play guides, OSTs (CD or Vinyl), and bonus art to be some of the best it can give.

That is just the kind of thing I'm looking for. I looked at Ray'z CE here and it looks excellent:

www.strictlylimitedgames.com/collection ... collectors

Is it M2?

[Jonpachi]

Yes, M2. It's basically a full ShotTriggers release minus the name (since it was done for Taito).

[hamfighterx]

Reinforcing that the Ray'z CE has a bunch of nice extras. Two books, repro fliers and arcade art, DVD, CD.

The Battle Garegga CE box set is also nice, with book, lots of repro arcade stuff including operator manuals/dip switches, etc., soundtrack.
- The original Japanese release was a download code for the game with a nice box full of extras (about the best possible DL code in a box release)
- The Limited Run version had most of the same extras, plus an actual physical game copy, vinyl record, and documentary DVD (with a repro western style Sega Saturn longbox case for whatever bizarre reason).

The Aleste Collection CE with Game Gear Micro is maybe my favorite CE shooter release ever. But that's purely down to the OMG they have a tiny Game Gear with the Aleste games (including GG Aleste 3!) on it.

[shmupsrocks]

I need to get up to speed on this. Which publishers should I be watching?

[pablumatic]

- The Limited Run version had most of the same extras, plus an actual physical game copy, vinyl record, and documentary DVD (with a repro western style Sega Saturn longbox case for whatever bizarre reason).

The owner of Limited Run Games is a hyper Saturn fanboy who has a full U.S. set of games he shows off from time to time. He even went so far as to get a mold made to produce those long box cases (which aren't perfect from my experience with them, but are better than having a broken original case).

[hamfighterx]

My issue is mainly that nobody has nostalgia for a Saturn longbox for a game that was... never released in a Saturn longbox, since it didn't get a western Saturn release. I guess the thinking is that if Garegga HAD received a US release back in the day, it would have come in the longbox, so this was like some sort of 20 years late "US Saturn version".

IDK, to me it feels more like just excess plastic.

[pablumatic]

My issue is mainly that nobody has nostalgia for a Saturn longbox for a game that was... never released in a Saturn longbox, since it didn't get a western Saturn release. I guess the thinking is that if Garegga HAD received a US release back in the day, it would have come in the longbox, so this was like some sort of 20 years late "US Saturn version".

IDK, to me it feels more like just excess plastic.

It is. Due to his influence on the company any new game release that is tangentially related to a Sega long box game (even for the Sega CD and 32x) get faux long box special editions printed up there. At least they are "limited."

[shmupsrocks]

Any I should keep an eye on besides Limited Run, M2, and RetroBit? How best to watch out for M2 releases as an English speaker?

Maybe there is a website or Twitter account that will inform you about all of them?

[shmupsrocks]

strictlylimitedgames.com seems to cover all the shmup physical releases coming out these days. Am I missing any if I only watch that store?

[Ms. Tea]

That's a specific publisher's store, so you'll only see the stuff they publish. You won't see anything from Limited Run, etc. there.

[shmupsrocks]

Actually they have a "Partner Store" and I can't find anything that doesn't appear there:

https://www.strictlylimitedgames.com/co ... tner-store

Are there any available shmups (pre-order or released) that don't appear in the SLG Store or Partner Store?

[Ghegs]

Dude, tons of them. Like Ms. Tea said, that's just one publisher, and the partner store is as it says, other publishers that sell their releases through their store. There is no one shop to cover everything.

Just from Limited Run Games, just the few new ones, there's Devil Engine and upcoming Toaplan Arcade Garage: Kyokyoku Tiger-Heli, both of which are already available in Japan.

If you want news about physical releases, there's Limited Game News on Twitter but that only covers limited print runs and not every retail release. On Youtube there's SwitchWatch that has a weekly series covering new physical releases for retail, limited and imports. There are probably other similar resources as well.

[Ms. Tea]

Yeah, the "partner store" is mostly games from ININ, which is Strictly Limited's parent company. They do have some retro games from Piko and Retrobit, but they're not going to stock any other publishers' games for modern systems. If you're looking for CEs of games for modern systems, you're going to have to check other stores.

[shmupsrocks]

Whether CE or not, where else should I look for retro console releases? Also interested in Switch but to a lesser degree.

[Ms. Tea]

You've probably already seen Retro-Bit, who are in the partner store you linked earlier. Limited Run Games have put out a few things for retro consoles, and they'll be publishing Yuzo Koshiro's new Genesis shmup Earthion. LRG mainly sell through their own site, but their Japanese releases are published via the Super Deluxe Games label at webstores like Amazon Japan. Columbus Circle in Japan are one of the most prolific Japanese retro console publishers, and they've put out several shmups. I don't think First Press have put out any shmups for retro systems yet, but since they have done a few shmups for modern systems I bet it could happen. First Press have had problems with taking forever on producing stuff, but they seem to be getting a lot better recently.

[shmupsrocks]

For retro console shmups it sounds like it's Retro-Bit, Limited Run, Strictly Limited, Super Deluxe, and Columbus Circle with information on the latter two primarily available in Japanese from what I can tell.

[shmupsrocks]

PIKO Interactive is another one. Their stuff is listed as available from the Partner Store at SLG but their shmup Thunderbolt II is not available there:

https://www.strictlylimitedgames.com/co ... tner-store

https://www.pikointeractive.com/home/Th ... p132768082

[AyeYoYoYO]

The Wii Ultimate shooting collection (played via WiiU) was surprisingly great for me.

Radirgy (radio allergy)
Karous
Chaos Field

Not sure how it stacks up with input lag or other finer points ... but I'm not as fundamentalist with shmups as I am with late 90's Capcom FG lol

[FRO]

I think the most insane collector box I have yet is the Cotton Fantasy set that ININ/Strictly Limited put out, and second to that might be the Garegga set from Limited Run. There are other good candidates though, like Strictly Limited's PS4 CE for The Game Paradise Cruisin' Mix, or the Japanese CE for the 3rd volume in the Psykio collections for Switch (the so-called "boob box" with the huge picture of Koyori on the front). I love me a good LE/CE shmup package. I'm a complete sucker for CD soundtracks, and of course that Garegga set had the vinyl soundtrack, which is also up my alley. I tend to pay extra for CE/LE releases that have the included soundtrack CD just so I can have that in my collection. I care less for some of the other feelies inside, though some of it can be fun. Artbooks and interview stuff is nice, posters are okay, and sometimes other fun stuff makes me smile, like the little plastic standee that came with one of the Darius Cozmic boxsets from Strictly Limited. I have that standing up in my game room on top of one of the shorter shelves.