Mushi, DDP Res, Esp 2 for Switch

[TransatlanticFoe]

Play Asia have Mushi pre-orders up, dated August 29th

https://www.play-asia.com/mushihimesama ... /13/70hg71

Might be a good marker for these coming sooner rather than later (Asia releases for DFK and Espgaluda II already exist and seem to get sporadic re-prints).

Oh damn. Buying from LRG was a waste of money then. Still glad a better distribution option is coming up

Yeah I picked it up via Amazon.co.uk a while back, they occasionally get Limited Run and JP/Asia releases in for slightly higher prices. £60 but no regrets, no indication this was in the works.... and with Clear River's record I am still suspicious until it actually shows up.

[Ms. Tea]

Umm guys, Clear River I think only does physical releases. If you're assuming they're just picking up the digital rights, DON'T.

They do at least *some* digital releases - the download version of Snow Bros is published by them in some regions. But yeah, I wouldn't count on them doing digital this time, at least not for anyone who'd feel upset about missing out. Better to buy now on sale than miss it altogether

[hamfighterx]

Oh damn. Buying from LRG was a waste of money then. Still glad a better distribution option is coming up

Well, Clear River is another Embracer Group company, just like LRG, so both are ultimately controlled by the same parent company (Embracer): https://www.clearrivergames.com/about.html

Super Deluxe Games (publisher of the Japan retail releases) is also partially owned by LRG, as a joint venture between them and 8-4 Ltd: https://limitedrungames.com/blogs/news/ ... luxe-games

But in either case, at least these publishing imprints actually release the game to retail and then you buy it. So yeah, arguably still a better distribution model.

[Sumez]

Well, Clear River is another Embracer Group company, just like LRG, so both are ultimately controlled by the same parent company (Embracer): https://www.clearrivergames.com/about.html

I wasn't really touching on the Embracer issue, but the fact that Clear River, as you say, release games into retail (and usually really cheap as well), and - more importantly - doesn't demand massive shipping and import fees just for a single game, like LRG does.

[BloodHawk]

My copy of Mushi from SDX just came in. The ChipTune soundtrack from the CD sounds good, but for some reason it doesn't seem to be a selectable option to use as the in-game BGM (just has Normal, Arrange, and 1.5).

It's always been selectable in all of their other releases with ChipTune arrangements (DDP Res, Espgaluda, RSG) so it's possible I am just overlooking it.

Anyone else able to see if they can select it? (The cart arrived as version 1.0.8, but I downloaded an update to 1.0.9 before playing. I have a feeling the update may have had something to do with it)

[Warp_Rattler]

(The cart arrived as version 1.0.8, but I downloaded an update to 1.0.9 before playing. I have a feeling the update may have had something to do with it)

I just noticed a mysterious 1.0.9 update to my download version of Mushi last night. According to LiveWire's patch notes blog, it looks like it's just fixing the common LiveWire issue where users who purchased the eShop version are unable to launch it after inserting the cart version in their Switch. In this case it looks like the patch addresses this problem with the Japanese physical release. The patch notes don't mention anything about music, though.

(Mostly irrelevant, but it would be lovely if there was an obvious link to the Blogger account where LiveWire posts their patch notes on the main company website. It may be that I'm just overlooking the link somewhere, but having to jump to the company Twitter page to THEN find the link to the patch notes is some real 2020s Internet nonsense.)

[aB1s]

My copy of Mushi from SDX just came in. The ChipTune soundtrack from the CD sounds good, but for some reason it doesn't seem to be a selectable option to use as the in-game BGM (just has Normal, Arrange, and 1.5).

It's always been selectable in all of their other releases with ChipTune arrangements (DDP Res, Espgaluda, RSG) so it's possible I am just overlooking it.

Anyone else able to see if they can select it? (The cart arrived as version 1.0.8, but I downloaded an update to 1.0.9 before playing. I have a feeling the update may have had something to do with it)

Hello,

I just checked it on my two Nintendo Switch consoles. The eShop 1.0.9 version has the same sound options like the cart 1.0.8 version (my copy is from Clear River Games).
As well I went into the stage selection screen and checked in each version what is available. In version 1.0.9 are exactly the same options to choose from like in 1.0.8 as you already wrote -> Normal, Arrange, and 1.5.

So I assume this 1.0.9 patch really effects only the japanese version as @Warp_Rattler and LiveWire pointed out in their patch notes blog.

Thanks a lot to @Warp_Rattler for the translation and providing the link to the patch notes because I was very interested to know and couldn't find anything about it until I found your post.

[Hero of Legend]

Yeah but isn't the chiptune OST an exclusive to either the Japanese LRG or SDX release? AKA it's impossible to obtain in any eShop release and only exists on a JP cart IIRC. Same for one of the other two (DDP wasn't it?).

Really lame to make any content format and region-exclusive. Make it paid DLC if needed. Oh well, it'll be on YouTube I'm sure for all to enjoy regardless.

[Jucksalbe]

As expected Espgaluda II and DDP will be de-listed from the eShop as well.
Both will be removed on December 2.

https://live-wire-cstg.blogspot.com/202 ... tchii.html

[NeoStrayCat]

As expected Espgaluda II and DDP will be de-listed from the eShop as well.
Both will be removed on December 2.

https://live-wire-cstg.blogspot.com/202 ... tchii.html

Man, and I thought Mushi 1 was just the exception. Guess not...Seems LiveWire only had a limited license to those CAVE ports for Switch. Either way, at least physical versions for those 3 exist in various regions. I'd be surprised if they might do the same with Radiant Silvergun down the line, unless otherwise noted. (Since that came out way later than the CAVE ports. But hopefully its not the case.)

[Creamy Goodness]

Now that Radiant Silvergun is the only release they have out hopefully they pickup some others to fill the void. All things considered it seems like all of their releases did pretty well.

[Steven]

Espgaluda II isn't on PC, so that's concerning. There is the ancient Xbox 360 version, but of course it's not playable on the newest Xboxes... not that anyone in Japan, likely the country where STGs sell the best, actually bought any of those newer Xboxes, or any of the others, for that matter.

I have been debating about whether to get this game on 360 or Switch, and although I'd prefer 360 because it's apparently the better version due to less lag (and even then only by one frame, I guess?), I might do Switch instead because it's actually possible to find Switch controllers with good d-pads (Saturn controller, etc.). Hopefully the Switch hardware will endure longer than the notoriously faulty 360 hardware, if only because the Switch is less old, but there's no way to know yet.

The moral of the story is, as always, this is why you release things DRM-free on PC. The games I bought on GOG aren't going away, but if they did, I could download the files, back them up, and then install them on every computer I have for the rest of my life and not have to worry about anything.

[Jonpachi]

I keep hoping for a Wave 2 with Futari, SDOJ and Pink Sweets/Muchi. Seems most of the 360 catalog has been otherwise ported now.

[Steven]

If there is anything that I want rescued from Xbox 360/exa hell, it's Saidaioujou. Guwange would be nice too, but at least you can play that on Xbox Series. Too bad it's the only one that you can play on Xbox Series.

Who is it that makes those games playable on Xbox Series, anyway? It's all software emulation instead of actual true backwards compatibility, right? In that case, I'm assuming that it's possibly Microsoft, but who knows.

[Sumez]

What's so hellish about 360?
If you have one that isn't RROD'ed at this point, it's probably not gonna happen. Newer models are extremely easy to source, but I imagine any STG fan would have one already.

[Steven]

What I worry about is long-term viability. Consoles' existences are finite; eventually they will stop being produced, stop being supported, and become increasingly difficult to repair. Will 360 hardware still be reliable or functional if I want to play its games 25 or 30 years from now?

This is why I care about PC so much; if your PC dies, it doesn't matter. Just make a new one and everything works, and probably better than it did before. With consoles, that doesn't happen because the companies that make them don't care, can't be relied upon to offer compatibility with older games, and can't be relied upon to even make those games available on their original systems; the 360 online store just closed this year, and there is no way of knowing if the current stores will do the same or if they will remain available.

Even if everything else fails and unofficial emulation is the only option, that's once again going to be on PC, which means that PC is the only viable solution for all of these problems.

[Sumez]

I've never seen PC backwards compatibility to be any more reliable than consoles. Most older PC games playable today are only so through porting and patching efforts.

[SavagePencil]

What I worry about is long-term viability. Consoles' existences are finite; eventually they will stop being produced, stop being supported, and become increasingly difficult to repair. Will 360 hardware still be reliable or functional if I want to play its games 25 or 30 years from now?

This is why I care about PC so much; if your PC dies, it doesn't matter. Just make a new one and everything works, and probably better than it did before.

Yeah, let me know how those SoundBlaster IRQ settings and 3DFX Glide drivers and ISA cards are working for you. If anything, since the console has consistent hardware the trick is finding a single working unit rather than piecing it together.