Re: Arcade Archives STG List [25/12/25: SPACE INVADERS]

[BIL]

why doesn't this topic become the new official topic for ACA?

I think the situation is best left as-is, tbh. ACA by its nature invites lots of varied discussions and tangents. This thread's a quick reference to balance that out.

[Lemnear]

For my (usual) curiosity, i skimmed from the 20th Annual Top 25 SHMUPS, all the games that are NOT ACA/Arcade Archives, i hope i didn't miss any [UPDATING]

Spoiler

1. Thunder Dragon 2
2. Blazing Star
3. Gradius II
4. Gradius / Nemesis
5. Metal Black
6. Twinkle Star Sprites
7. Salamander
8. GunFrontier
9. Xevious
10. Darius

11. Gradius III
12. Pulstar
13. Gunnail
14. Image Fight
15. In The Hunt / Kaitei Daisensou
16. Aero Figther 2 / Sonic Wings 2
17. Aero Fighter 3 / Sonic Wings 3
18. XEXEX / Orius
19. Detana!! Twinbee / Bells & Whistles
20. Omega Fighter
21. X-Multiply
22. Darius II
23. Daioh
24. Galaga
25. Cybattler
26. Aero Fighters / Sonic Wings
27. Thunder Cross
28. Zed Blade
29. Raiden
30. Terra Cresta
31. Prehistoric Isle 2
32. Black Heart
33. Quarth
34. P47
35. E.D.F.: Earth Defense Force
36. Ordyne
37. Mad Shark
38. Shock Troopers
39. Halley's Comet
40. Assault
41. Formation Armed F (Armed F)
42. Galaga'88
43. Sky Kid
44. Gemini Wing
45. Dangerous Seed
46. Metal Hawk
47. USAAF Mustang
48. Phelios
49. Hacha Mecha Fighter
50. Strikers 1945 Plus
51. King & Balloon
52. Thunder Dragon
53. Saint Dragon / Tenseiryuu

[BIL]

Good info. Might add that in an update, thanks!

[Lander]

Must have skimmed over this, fine curation! Reading through the brief descriptions prompts a case or two of the warm and fuzzies; good old Omega Fighter and Bio-Ship Paladin

Must have a gander at Spinner '87; time-rewinding bombs sound wildly innovative, especially for the era.

[BIL]

Must have skimmed over this, fine curation! Reading through the brief descriptions prompts a case or two of the warm and fuzzies; good old Omega Fighter and Bio-Ship Paladin

Must have a gander at Spinner '87; time-rewinding bombs sound wildly innovative, especially for the era.

At this stage, they've really attained the aficionado's aesthetic; so many cult goodies buried amidst the big marquee names.

Legion's time-rewinding is decidedly burst-panicked; but with its harried pace, I suspect that was intentional. Less "Bend the fabric of reality to your will" than "FAAACK M8!!" Intriguing technical innovation, at any rate.

This week is an especially cult pick - and yet not, as it's arguably the swan song of an 80s arcade action titan. Tecmo's RIOT. Not your average Cabalesque!

[Lander]

*click*
...Hang on, Shmups Farm doesn't do youtube embeds!

Cool concept, I like the addition of chunky-large foreground goons on top of the usual cabal background work. Hell of an escalation after the titular first stage, as well!

Followed through and took a peek at Spinner too; I wasn't expecting it to be in terms of Blade Runner, but the open-top + war buddy slots and escape hatch is quite charismatic.
I see what you mean about the bomb - blink and you'll miss it! Channels a bit of DS1 Silver Pendant, the way death is still right above your head after the brief safety window. Gets me wondering whether you can catch it out on its own terms by stacking a full set and detonating them all at once - we gotta go back!

[BIL]

Whoa. Cotton out of nowhere! Success's ACA debut, on Sega hardware at that. Interesting.



I can finally retire my auld Simple 1500 PS1 ver; stalwart but nerfed n' weird. The PCE-CD and especially X68k versions have their own charms ofc; the latter being more of an expanded remake.

[Some-Mist]

stylistically/graphically it looks like the most visually appealing cotton game that I've seen. I admittedly haven't played fantastic night dreams either, so this looks like as good of an opportunity as ever to hop in

[BIL]

Yeah, now it's been some years, I'm happy to find a bit of that comfy Wardner vibe. Cloudy skies, damp board, the all-important unkempt grass. The weather-stained siding on the first stage's lakefront manor would do Splatterhouse and Undeadline proud! Comfy downbeat ghost whimsy.

[Bassa-Bassa]

Whoa. Cotton out of nowhere! Success's ACA debut, on Sega hardware at that. Interesting.

A friend points out this seems to be just (part of) the pay-off of Hamster licensing Sonic Wings to Success.

[BIL]

Whoa. Cotton out of nowhere! Success's ACA debut, on Sega hardware at that. Interesting.

A friend points out this seems to be just (part of) the pay-off of Hamster licensing Sonic Wings to Success.

Aha, interesting.

More Quid Pro Quo ports, pls! Loan Spanky and Mecha Keaton to Sega so we can hook up some Alien Syndrome. Look, I'll even give a title FO FREE: Quiz Puzzle Daibouken feat. Spanky and Mecha Keaton Match the stage clear quotes to the correct character, or get PWNED

[Creamy Goodness]

Is it me or does it feel like the 15hz autofire is the same as 30hz. I generally use autofire where available, but 30hz just seemed way too fast. Dropped it to 15 and it still feels crazy fast.

[BIL]

Yeah, 15/20/30hz do feel quite similar, and seem to get similar kill times on gems. (shooting them until they disintegrate entirely).

It wouldn't surprise me if 30hz is valuable, though, given the effort TZW_Guile and TYR-Yeti have described in getting it working perfectly for this port. Really interesting thread by TYR here, on his experiences with analogue and synced autofire on the System 16 board over the years, and the tuning of the ACA version.

Apparently, the recent Astro City Mini version doesn't emulate the board's slowdown accurately. So some were surprised when the ACA version's BGM tempo dropped during rapid fire, just like it will on the PCB. Hamada mentioned this on the Arcade Archiver podcast, it seems. TZW's comment.

---

For my humble part, I'd forgotten the game's odd two-button charge input for Level 2 magic. Makes Cotton 2's FTG commands seem less unexpected, haha. For my initial dabblings this evening, I settled on three buttons, ABC layout. [manual shot] [manual bomb] and [30hz shot+bomb]

This way I have the Charge Attack (hold bomb) and Homing/Barrier (hold both with appropriate gem) ready to go, while 30hz shot+bomb takes care of general crowd control. L2 Magic won't trigger if you hold down rapid shot + rapid bomb buttons, even at matching frequencies; I guess the game waits a few frames to register, with that very handy audio cue. "Baiyahh~!"

With the item juggling, there are times it really pays to shoot without bombing, or vice-versa! I'd forgotten how aggressive your Option Faries' rolling bombs are; anything on the ground is getting hammered. Feels rad. Also, I find the manual tapping is quite comfy in this game, with generously fierce output. So I was doing quite a bit of that, too, especially when sniping gems for just the right colour.

Overall, I'm pleasantly reminded of just how articulately this plays, between the charge attacks, juggling, and tricky enemy design/placement. The Homing in particular almost feels like an IREMesque Force Device, at times, and the Barrier's body-ram is life-affirmingly tactile, just like TYR recommended. Great game I can appreciate more now than I did back then.

How awkward! But you won't escape my fairy wrath! (｀w´メ)

^^^ (X)68000 default hiscore ala TFIII, daww

[BrianC]

One thing I failed to notice is that the JP version's title is actually "Fantasic Night Dreams".

[BIL]

I've always wondered about that, haha. I'm used to calling the PCE and Saturn titles "Fantastic Night Dreams Cotton" and "Magical Night Dreams Cotton 2," and I'm pretty sure there's at least some official materials that do the same. As you say, ACA video capture does too.

Was never sure how official that was, or if it was just an artefact of the logo designs. I stopped appending "Ninja Spirit" to PCE Saigo no Nindou, after Bassa pointed out the overseas title was always right there on the Japanese arcade flyer, which the port re-used. This despite "Ninja Spirit" appearing nowhere in the Japanese PCB. (it does appear in both the PCE and TG16 title screens, but then, this is a localisation so mild, they didn't even translate the stage titles for English markets; easy to believe the title screen simply killed two birds with one shuriken)

Hours of debate to be had here, I'm sure. FWIW, Hamster's Japanese site simply calls the game "Cotton," so perhaps it's ambiguous? Then again, I'd never seen Namco's famous horror sidescroller called "Splatter House" with a space, until the ACA release.

---

Boof! Next is Konami's City Bomber. (1987) Racing STG ala Spy Hunter, by way of ramming mechanics from their earlier Road Fighter, plus the hefty jumps of DECO's Burnin' Rubber. (the latter two having ACA releases, incidentally) Hamster's demo omits the striking intro; shades of The Ninja Warriors in its panicked screams, as ACE GETAWAY DRIVER hauls ass outta the MAFIA CASINO with his ill-gotten GAINZ, and a marinara-scented convoy of revengers in hot pursuit!



---

Shazaam! An unexpected arrival needing little introduction around these parts. Includes Old & New revs.

[Creamy Goodness]

Wow. SDOJ and Viper Phase 1 coming out a week apart. Merry Christmas to me. Wonder if Hamster is going to give the authentic experience and make you wait 10 minutes to play the game.

[BIL]

I'm hoping they go the ACA Gradius Bubble System route (skippable with button press), so we can enjoy the shaweet countdown BGM now and then.

> For the uninitiated! Go Sato is the man, them touchtone elegias ;w;7

[EmperorIng]

I am really surprised to see this get a release, late arcade games like this (as well as one with a more prestigious pedigree such as Viper) seem to be passed over for bizarre mid 80s namco shit.

Still color me excited!

[Johnpv]

Super excited for this.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Wow, so Hamster ACA finally secured the rights to Seibu Kaihatsu's Viper Phase 1 -- about damn time that they did so! The American Seibu licensee, Fabtek, did sell and distribute jamma conversion kits with a full-sized "Viper Phase 1 U.S.A." marquee that could be backlit back in September of 1995. Both Viper Phase 1 New Version and Viper Phase 1 U.S.A. are identical in terms of overall game mechanics and gameplay.

Two high-calibur stg titles (held in high regards/esteem with veteran arcade gamers worldwide) to be released during the month of December 2024 with DDP-SDOJ and VP1 -- what a way to end the year with a bang indeed.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Jeneki]

Based on memory playing in mame (I only have New Version on Seibu SPI), USA has a second loop while New Version doesn't. Let me know if I'm misremembering that though. Functionally that's the same for most of us anyway, as clearing a loop is quite challenging lol.

[Sumez]

For my (usual) curiosity, i skimmed from the 20th Annual Top 25 SHMUPS, all the games that are NOT ACA/Arcade Archives, i hope i didn't miss any [UPDATING]

The Neo Geo games are all on ACA. They are even on BIL's list.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Based on memory playing in mame (I only have New Version on Seibu SPI), USA has a second loop while New Version doesn't. Let me know if I'm misremembering that though. Functionally that's the same for most of us anyway, as clearing a loop is quite challenging lol.

Yep, Viper Phase 1 U.S.A. has two loops indeed (resulting in overall higher scores if an 1LC or 1CC is attempted/achieved, of course, compared to the Old Version and New Version variants of the same name which makes the USA variant an unusual VP1 outlier arcade-only release to play/own in it's own right). I'd play it at both The Electric Underground & Nickle Play arcades from 1995 to 1998 -- it was quite a popular arcade stg game for it's time, especially in the USA. In 2003, I won an eBay auction for a barebones Seibu Kaihatsu SPI cart of VP1 USA for a mere twenty bucks (best 80 quarters ever spent on acquiring it bar-none quite easily) and still have it to this very day -- practically being given away for "mere pennies on the dollar" type of deal.

Plus playing VP1 (Old Version, New Version and USA variants) on a Seibu SPI motherboard setup, both your high scores and high score initials are saved for posterity via backup battery -- how cool is that?

In the Shmup Trading Station thread many moons ago, fellow shmupper robivy64 sold a Seibu SPI VP1 USA cart for a mere $50.00 usd (which was another cool and awesome "cheap-ass" arcade stg game deal/sale right there). It does fetch a pretty penny/yen/pence on the secondary arcade pcb collector's market nowadays -- it's a given in this day of age alrighty.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[BIL]

Seems an unusually troubled PSN release, this. For anyone wanting to play VP1 on PS4 right now, just go to the in-console PSN store, and search "Viper." It'll pop right up!

On PC browser it won't appear, and its store page returns an error. You also can't find it on the PS5's in-console store, nor even transfer it over from your PS4. Weird, annoying. I hope Sony doesn't cost Hamster any goodwill; VP1 seems to be a popular debut for this niche.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

The Switch port of ACA Viper Phase 1 isn't listed on the USA region Switch eShop but if you type in "Viper Phase 1" in the search box, it'll pop up. It's priced at $7.99 usd and is a 246mb d/l in it's entirety. Sadly, Hamster did not include the well regarded and highly respected Viper Phase 1 U.S.A. romset for arcade stg purists to try out/peruse (with it's highly-touted two loops feature/selling point to differentiate it from the Old Version/New Version variants of VP1).

It would've been nice if Hamster included VP1 USA to round off the VP1 collection for completeness. Perhaps Hamster thought it wasn't necessary to include VP1 USA as it would rather be redundant (considering that it's well-known that VP1 NV and VP1 USA are the same in terms of game mechanics and gameplay-wise). Oh well -- still awesome, nevertheless, to see VP1 released for both PS4 and Switch gaming platforms today, 12/12/2024.

This is the first time ever that VP1 has received a proper gaming console release since it's 1995 "exclusive arcade only" release on the venerable and cult-favorite Seibu Kaihatsu SP1 arcade motherboard platform (which is a special and rather notable exception nowadays).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[BIL]

I wonder if Fabtek might've complicated including the USA variant, PCEFX. Would've been great to see it, I agree. Will be interesting to see how ACA Raiden II and DX turn out on that front.

[Johnpv]

The Switch port of ACA Viper Phase 1 isn't listed on the USA region Switch eShop but if you type in "Viper Phase 1" in the search box, it'll pop up.

It was listed for me under new releases, went there scrolled a couple games down and there it was.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Or perhaps Hamster wasn't able to properly secure the Fabtek IP rights to VP1 USA in the first place, thus could be a very compelling reason/answer as why it wasn't included. I don't know whom, current or if at all, owns the IP rights to Fabtek's arcade game back-catalog anyways (dealing with the world of obscure & expired arcade game IPs isn't child's play to begin with, something Hamster's wise enough not to mess with/deal with). Hmmm.....we'll never know unless Hamster addresses this particular pressing issue.

Until then, VP1 USA still remains as an "arcade only exclusive" as of right now. So be it.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Sima Tuna]

The Switch port of ACA Viper Phase 1 isn't listed on the USA region Switch eShop but if you type in "Viper Phase 1" in the search box, it'll pop up.

It was listed for me under new releases, went there scrolled a couple games down and there it was.

Yeah, you have to scroll down. I don't know why, but ACA games on switch never are at the top of the new releases. They get shoved down with games that are usually a day or two old.

Viper Phase 1 is incredibly awesome so far.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Yes, Viper Phase 1 USA went the "extra mile" in providing American arcade gamers "the very best that VP1 NV had to offer from Japan" but gifted instead with a 2-loop setup from the "get-go" -- something "different for a change of pace" that was denied of Japanese game center players indeed. It's regarded, foremost, as a true arcade stg "quarter muncher" assuming if the player decides to continue.

The definitive version of VP1 will always be the Seibu SPI one to play/own but as of today on 12/12/2024, it's finally on PS4 and Switch -- it's the "early Christmas gift" that Hamster was waiting to release to arcade stg fans worldwide and it truly delivers in spades. As a grizzled arcade gamer veteran myself, VP1 is worthy of the high praise and accolades that it so richly deserves -- come to think of it, 2025 is just right around the corner in time to celebrate VP1's upcoming 30th anniversary. Salute!

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~