New Danmaku stg "RPM - Road Punk Mayhem" for Switch

[PC Engine Fan X!]

There's a new danmaku stg title called "RPM - Road Punk Mayhem" from indie developer/publisher Eastasiasoft Limited for the Switch gaming platform released today, 7-17-2024, on the USA region Switch eShop site. It's a mere 158mb d/l at best and has tate support for 90 degrees + 270 degrees screen orientation if you'd like play it in that format. The main title screen has that awesome edgy punk visual flair/vibe going on to set the overall tone/pace (which is sadly missing in modern-day stgs released nowadays -- something different for a change of pace).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[BulletMagnet]

Also on Steam, though I haven't tried it myself.

[-Fish-]

Played an hour or so today. Sound design and OST are very lackluster. Visuals and gameplay are ok. Your mileage may vary.

[MJR]

Why the visuals in almost all of the new indie shmups look so bad

[Loom1es]

Also available on PS 4/5

[m.sniffles.esq]

Why the visuals in almost all of the new indie shmups look so bad

Every game by these devs looks exactly the same.

Also, did Dead End City really sell enough to warrant a knock-off?

[Sima Tuna]

It looks like one of the games of all time.

[M.Knight]

Judging from gameplay footage videos, the art style looks pretty cool with the thick outlines and the colors that pop. I don't know what people are smoking lol
Sound balance/Soundtrack seems quite weak though yeah, and the enemy patterns appear to be a bit anemic. Though in this case I wonder if the slow bullets are there because of the cancel mechanic, whereas fast bullets wouldn't work as well

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

Have to say I quite enjoyed the art style, but the soundtrack was pretty weak. Well, good sound is a matter of budget, so...

[dmk1198]

Also available on PS 4/5

And Xbox x/s

[m.sniffles.esq]

Well, good sound is a matter of budget, so...

In the days where songs on top 40 radio are recorded using logic in someone's bedroom...

[dmk1198]

I love cel shading

[Jonpachi]

I gave this a shot, as it is on sale for about $6 USD on the eshop right now. Even that price, I would say stay away.

As a Product:
- No button mapping (they even think it's cute to tell you to go find out for yourself which buttons are assigned to which actions - cuz punk!).
- No save states or practice modes of any sort.

As a Game:
- The game employs a "teleport" system, in which the player can slow time and move their ship to a new position within a fixed radius surrounding their ship.
- Each time you teleport, the "teleport radius" collapses, and then slowly begins to expand back outward from your ship's center.
- The game is heavily built around enforcing constant use of this mechanic, and employs lots of impossible attacks (big fixed rings of death are common even in level 1) as well as environmental hazards.
- Enemies are mostly bullet sponges, and are often literal walls that cascade down at the player to force teleportation in and out of danger.
- All of the above would be acceptable if the core implementation wasn't so poor.
-- The big issue I have is that the game employs a DDP-style focus laser if you hold down shot, but when you transition into teleport mode you are suddenly thrust back into full-speed movement, leading to lots of frustrating accidental twitch deaths.
-- In addition, the level designers love "dirty tricks" such as early on in Level 3 where a 1-Up appears surrounded by walls (something you've seen a few times already) forcing a teleport upward to nab it. As soon as you do, a row of enemies spawns in behind the player and starts firing upward, trapping you in your defenceless post-teleport state, and only survivable through rote memorization and a perfectly-timed teleport back down the screen. Again, this would be FINE if done right, but here it just comes across as a cheap and lazy means of increasing difficulty.

[m.sniffles.esq]

A post apocalyptic/Mad Max themed game whose primary mechanic is... teleport?

Certainly didn't expect that.

[Jonpachi]

A post apocalyptic/Mad Max themed game whose primary mechanic is... teleport?

Certainly didn't expect that.

The theme is absolutely tacked on. I tend to think they had a mediocre game, and slathered it with this silly theme and all the vibrating UI elements to distract from the core problems.

[m.sniffles.esq]

A ramming/crashing mechanic? Okay.
Teleporting?

"Hey, remember that one part when Max is driving that 18-wheeler, and those goons completely swarm and surround him? He just fucking teleports a mile ahead of them, and they're like 'Huh? Where did he go?' Definitely my favorite part of the movie..."

[Daytime Waitress]

RPM - Road Punk Mayhem" sounds like a fun addition to the Switch library, especially for fans of danmaku shooters. The edgy punk aesthetic and tate mode support are great features that can enhance the experience for players who appreciate that visual and gameplay style. If you're into shoot 'em ups, this one seems worth checking out for its unique vibe and support for different screen orientations!

FFS if you're gonna train your bot on this site, at least have it learn from some of the wordsmiths here.

[Jonpachi]

LOLOL SOLD! I take back everything I said. This is a fun new danmaku, and a great addition to the Switch's STG library!