LiveWire ports SaiDaiOuJou to the Switch (all regions)

[hamfighterx]

I like the Nintendo Switch Online version Mega Drive 6-button controller pretty well, that's my go-to STG/fighter pad on Switch.

I really want one of those. Is it possible to get one without subscribing to the thing? I looked for them on Amazon Japan for several years before I gave up. Maybe I should go look again.

You do need to be a current Nintendo Switch Online subscriber to order them. I pay for the US NSO subscription, but these fools only gave us the 3-button Genesis pad in the US and the US membership doesn't allow you to buy the controllers from other regions. Ended up getting my boxed/new Japanese MD pad for a fair price from a second hand seller (Ebay, IIRC). Maybe less convenient than Amazon, but I imagine they occasionally show up in some retail shops in Tokyo. Hell, the Nintendo Store in Shibuya might even have them new - I know I saw the Famicom-style controllers there last year.

One thing you could do is sign up for a month of NSO service (which is pretty cheap, not sure of the cost in Japan but it's only $3.99 in the US) and then you can order the exclusive controllers. Can't order those on a free trial membership, but even a 1 month paid works.

Not sure if you can also get the "expansion pack" that gives access to Mega Drive games on a monthly subscription (that one might only be part of the yearly packages), but M2 did the Mega Drive emulation and there's some pretty good stuff on there that could make that worth your while: Musha Aleste, Assault Suits Leynos, Zero Wing...

I've got the wired MD pad, which feels quite nice though.

Yeah, I actually do like the Retrobit 6-button MD pad too! I have that one wired, and a wireless 2.4g Saturn pad that's... fine? I know I may be luckier than others though, not that uncommon to hear of people having issues with the Saturn pads not lasting as long as they should.

[Steven]

I keep forgetting about the Nintendo store. I should go there eventually. I wanted to when Dread was released to see if they had any cool Metroid stuff, but then something tragic happened: I forgot. I hate Shibuya so much and try to avoid that place as much as possible, but maybe I'll go check to see if they have any MD controllers.

I think the Retro-Bit 2.4g controllers are supposed to somehow be more durable/reliable than the Bluetooth ones... not sure how that works considering that they're almost the same thing as the Bluetooth version, but that's what I've heard. I thought about getting the Xbox version of the M30 just because it has USB-C and some extra shoulder buttons, but I don't really think it's worth buying one just for those things.

[Ms. Tea]

I see the thread title got updated to "all regions", so just to keep expectations in check - the English trailer links to the Hong Kong store page, and right now the only store pages up are Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea. Feels like there's a chance we might not get it outside Asia.

[BrianC]

I also had my dpad break on the Saturn retro-bit pad. I used M30 and Genesis retro-bit BT pads instead (though the d-pad sticks out more that I would like). I like to use brook and GP2040 custom sticks with the switch.

I thought about getting the Xbox version of the M30 just because it has USB-C and some extra shoulder buttons, but I don't really think it's worth buying one just for those things.

The white Saturn style 2.4G M30 has usb-c. No extra shoulder buttons, though.

[Steven]

I thought about getting the Xbox version of the M30 just because it has USB-C and some extra shoulder buttons, but I don't really think it's worth buying one just for those things.

The white Saturn style 2.4G M30 has usb-c. No extra shoulder buttons, though.

Does that work on the real Mega Drive though? That would be nice.

[BrianC]

I thought about getting the Xbox version of the M30 just because it has USB-C and some extra shoulder buttons, but I don't really think it's worth buying one just for those things.

The white Saturn style 2.4G M30 has usb-c. No extra shoulder buttons, though.

Does that work on the real Mega Drive though? That would be nice.

No. That version has the MD Mini dongle (kind of dumb that they don't make one with dongles for both. They use separate firmware and the Genesis version lacks the ability to change input from the left stick to dpad when used wired on Switch or PC, which is dumb).

[XoPachi]

It's also worth noting that SDOJ on 360 has notoriously high input lag - given that previous LiveWire ports have been pretty low input lag, it wouldn't surprise me if this port is lower input lag than the 360 version was.

Really glad to see this port; I know SDOJ hasn't been accessible to too many people. It's too bad there's no hope of the exa label mode ever getting a home port, because I think it's great, but the original game and the 360 arrange mode are both a lot of fun.

So what did EXA mode change? I've never looked at an overview for it and obviously never have played it (and never will).

[To Far Away Times]

So what did EXA mode change? I've never looked at an overview for it and obviously never have played it (and never will).

I’m no expert at the game, but I got a chance to credit feed through it a few months ago.

It’s balanced to be easier with less dense bullets and you get a ton of hypers. Many of the bullet patterns are changed too. It’s a total overhaul of the game.

The final stage really picks up in difficulty, but I’m pretty confident I could clear it if I put in the time, whereas normal SDOJ is probably out of reach for me.

I would buy this version in a heartbeat if it was ever released on consoles or Steam.

[Ms. Tea]

It's also worth noting that SDOJ on 360 has notoriously high input lag - given that previous LiveWire ports have been pretty low input lag, it wouldn't surprise me if this port is lower input lag than the 360 version was.

Really glad to see this port; I know SDOJ hasn't been accessible to too many people. It's too bad there's no hope of the exa label mode ever getting a home port, because I think it's great, but the original game and the 360 arrange mode are both a lot of fun.

So what did EXA mode change? I've never looked at an overview for it and obviously never have played it (and never will).

Like To Far Away Times said, it's very hyper-focused. You earn hyper much faster now, and it introduces a bullet-grazing mechanic to earn extra hyper. Using shot hyper lets you delete bullets like in DFK Black Label, so hypers are much more helpful for getting out of tough patterns than in the original game. Activating hyper converts all onscreen bullets into point pickups, as does bombing, so both bombs and hypers are an important part of scoring now. To support that, there are more bomb pickups than in the original and there are now separate bomb/hyper buttons like in DFK. (By default, B is the contextual bomb-or-hyper and D is bomb-only.) There's still an auto-bomb, but it's only active on your last life - since bombs are important for scoring now, I assume they didn't want to let you waste bombs just by dying when you still have lives left.

There are a few other tweaks to make the game easier as well; for example, picking up bees and bombs deletes onscreen bullets, and activating laser is pretty much instant instead of having a short delay after the button press.

[Buffi]

Probably worth noting is that Exa Label has a rank mode which is tied to hyper, so the more you hyper, the more bullets will be onscreen (and faster) which makes things pretty crazy if you keep hypering.

At low ranks its easier than Original but if playing it for score, or just smashing hyper as much as you can things get hard.

Its a real cool mode.

[Steven]

The white Saturn style 2.4G M30 has usb-c. No extra shoulder buttons, though.

Does that work on the real Mega Drive though? That would be nice.

No. That version has the MD Mini dongle (kind of dumb that they don't make one with dongles for both. They use separate firmware and the Genesis version lacks the ability to change input from the left stick to dpad when used wired on Switch or PC, which is dumb).

That's super disappointing, as I want something that works on my real MD. The one that does work on the real MD is one of the fastest wireless controllers I know of, and when plugged in with a USB cable it's also one of the fastest wired controllers that I know of, so it really is quite excellent at everything as long as you don't need analog sticks. It really is a god-tier controller if you don't need analog controls or to use it on something other than a PC or a Mega Drive.

[cave hermit]

The Japanese eShop version is available now. UI/Mode/unlockable selections is pretty much identical to the 360 version, can't really comment on input lag but it seemed responsive enough using a flip grip with wireless joycons (and I am pretty sensitive to latency, to the point I have trouble playing Super Mario World with its built-in input delay even on a CRT)

Also was a western release ever explicitly confirmed? Because it looks to me like the non-Japanese releases are limited to Hong Kong and South Korea.

[Ms. Tea]

Western release was never confirmed. I think people assumed the English trailer meant a worldwide release, but it only linked to the Asian store pages. I hope it happens though.

[XoPachi]

Glad buying Japanese games is extremely easy on Switch at least.

[gbaplayer]

Will there be a physical Release?

[Creamy Goodness]

Going out on a limb that Limited Run is licking their chops at this. Hopefully there ends up being a retail release like the other LiveWire games.

Stupid question here. What do I enter to search for it? When I search for Dodonpachi I just get DOJ.

Edit: NVM, I just searched by genre.

[bobrocks95]

(and I am pretty sensitive to latency, to the point I have trouble playing Super Mario World with its built-in input delay even on a CRT)

Is that why SMW is always so hard to adjust to when I go back to it after awhile? Only source I found for native delay was 2 frames per "guy on reddit" though.

[ThundergunExpress]

It's possible I'm incapable of feeling input lag (I'm not sensitive to it), but this game feels responsive enough for me that it feels good to play. I've tried it with a Pro controller, an M30, and an arcade stick (Mayflash F300 Elite.) So kind of on the opposite spectrum of cave hermit if that helps anyone.

This game is fun, but people familiar with the game were correct on the amount of chatter. It's nice to know I don't have to have it all translated as well.

Edit: this game is hard.

[zirolux]

bring the pain

[BrianC]

That's super disappointing, as I want something that works on my real MD. The one that does work on the real MD is one of the fastest wireless controllers I know of, and when plugged in with a USB cable it's also one of the fastest wired controllers that I know of, so it really is quite excellent at everything as long as you don't need analog sticks. It really is a god-tier controller if you don't need analog controls or to use it on something other than a PC or a Mega Drive.

Frustrating thing is that the MD Mini dongle is not as fast as the Genesis dongle, but both 2.4G controllers have the same super low lag wired. There are adapters to make the Genesis dongle work with MiSTer, but L and R are mirrors of Z and C when used that way. I heard mixed things about being able to pair the adapters to each other. They are officially non-compatible, but I suspect the controllers are not very different internally.

[Steven]

So this is safe-ish to buy? Honestly, I thought about buying it just because I can, but then BUMP OF CHICKEN suddenly released a new album today (digital only, sadly... although technically they did release it on Blu-ray some months ago, so I do already have it) without telling anyone. Given that it's the same price as Saidaioujou, forget Saidaioujou! BUMP is infinitely more important!

I'm sure that nobody has unlocked Type-D yet because it takes forever, but when someone does, I'm very interested in knowing if D-EX still causes hilarious amounts of slowdown when holding autofire shot like it does on 360.

Edit: this game is hard.

First time, huh? Don't pick expert, as it makes the game even harder than it already is, and not by a small amount. The mid-bosses in this game have some surprisingly ridiculous shot patterns, so you might want to consider hypering just so you don't have to deal with them. That's what Jaimers does, anyway, but that's of course on expert. Really cool game, though.

Try novice mode. It's called novice, but it's still significantly harder than any other novice mode I've played. Maybe it's just because I am playing with a regular 360 controller instead of something that's not completely terrible, but this game's novice mode is no joke as far as novice/easy modes go.

That's super disappointing, as I want something that works on my real MD. The one that does work on the real MD is one of the fastest wireless controllers I know of, and when plugged in with a USB cable it's also one of the fastest wired controllers that I know of, so it really is quite excellent at everything as long as you don't need analog sticks. It really is a god-tier controller if you don't need analog controls or to use it on something other than a PC or a Mega Drive.

Frustrating thing is that the MD Mini dongle is not as fast as the Genesis dongle, but both 2.4G controllers have the same super low lag wired. There are adapters to make the Genesis dongle work with MiSTer, but L and R are mirrors of Z and C when used that way. I heard mixed things about being able to pair the adapters to each other. They are officially non-compatible, but I suspect the controllers are not very different internally.

L and R are always mapped to Z and C on a real Mega Drive for this controller, so that's normal and expected. It makes the R button a nice way to charge the spin dash in Sonic very quickly when combined with the controller's internal autofire functionality. At this point I don't think it's really worth it, though. I'm just going to continue to use the one I have. I took it apart last night to clean it, as the A button was sticking for some reason, but ended up cleaning all of the buttons.

(and I am pretty sensitive to latency, to the point I have trouble playing Super Mario World with its built-in input delay even on a CRT)

Is that why SMW is always so hard to adjust to when I go back to it after awhile? Only source I found for native delay was 2 frames per "guy on reddit" though.

Got bored, checked out of curiosity, and found this thing that says 41.65ms: https://sites.google.com/view/noodallsi ... upt-method

[LDigital]

Has anyone measured and confirmed if it’s lag is better or worse than the 360yet?

[Steven]

I wouldn't expect any specific numbers on launch day, especially because launch day is going to end in slightly over 3 hours. It's CAVE, so it's guaranteed to get tested and to get tested soon, so I'd expect the results in a few days at most, but if someone like Jaimers says if it's good or a travesty, that's good enough for me.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Going out on a limb that Limited Run is licking their chops at this. Hopefully there ends up being a retail release like the other LiveWire games.

Stupid question here. What do I enter to search for it? When I search for Dodonpachi I just get DOJ.

Edit: NVM, I just searched by genre.

For Creamy Goodness,

On the Japan region Switch eShop, it's actually easier to just click on the "New" banner box and see the newest and latest Switch games including DDP-SDOJ listed up for sale. If you are quite familiar with the layout of the USA region Switch eShop site, navigating with the Japanese variant site shouldn't be too hard to find your way around (including d/l the newest or their back-catalog of older JPN Switch game demoes as well). Easy as pie.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[miwa]

Available on the US eshop as well:

https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/produ ... ou-switch/

[beer gas canister]

This is now up on the US eShop officially, so no further need for JP account shenanigans. Not clear yet it if it will appear in Europe but it seems likely.

[Steven]

lol they didn't even translate the menus judging by the screenshots and the Supported languages: Japanese thing on the US eshop page.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

That's awesome that Live Wire delivered as promised with DDP-SDOJ finally on the USA region Switch eShop today, 12/19/2024. It's a 3.3gb d/l (with it being at version 1.01 Reversion.1261 as of right now) at best so make sure you have sufficient space allotted on your microSDHC memory card to do so (a 1TB one should be more than adequate enough for posterity). Opening anime intro looks quite superb, especially if running on an oled Switch setup. DDP-SDOJ's arcade-spec 60fps framerate is present from the get-go (just like with it's Xbox 360 counterpart of the same name).

Tate is supported -- with the optional FlipGrip, Pintendo Flip or even the Retro Frog manufactured Switch RoTate Stand setups on hand/at your disposal, any of them will suffice just fine with your tate needs with SDOJ. There isn't an option to disable the background screen if played in tate though -- it would've been nice to have a "solid black colored border" option for the top and bottom portions, screen-wise, given the Switch's widescreen layout.

The ability to play DDP-SDOJ "on the go" is finally here and that's quite something as an early Christmas 2024 stg-based present to deliver worldwide -- about damn time with Cave's swansong arcade title namesake indeed.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Marc.bret.87]

Hope it gets a release on the European eShop too

[Steven]

BUMP OF CHICKEN wasn't done making me give them money today, so I just spent a shitload of cash on these guys today because they are the only guys in the world that I will give massive amounts of my money to with pleasure and without hesitation because they deserve it. That means I'm skipping Saidaioujou for a while lol. At least it gives me some time to read everyone's opinions on this Saidaioujou. Please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good.......