Under Defeat HD

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Apparently, G.Rev released UD-HD on the Microsoft Series S/X consoles yesterday, 2/06/2025, with a $19.99 usd pricepoint on the USA region Microsoft Store front (and doesn't even include an introductory discount offer whatsoever making those particular gaming console owners pay full price -- a whopping two dollars more compared to the 20% discount afforded with UD-HD on the Steam Store and likewise with the Nintendo Switch eShop site as well). Is a 1.4gb d/l and includes the omni-important tate option as standard from the get-go.

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As for the Nintendo Switch port of UD-HD, G.Rev has the tate option included so you can use the ever so handy 3rd-party Switch gaming accessories such as the Flip Grip, Pintendo Flip or even Retro Frog's versatile RoTATE Stand for your all-important tate needs -- whichever best suits your tate needs at the present time or whenever the situation arises to do so (the best of both worlds with widescreen yoko option and tate). So be it.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[it290]

What's the deal with the various ship selection options you get when starting the game (in Arcade mode)? I've primarily only played the Dreamcast version where the only options are normal/reverse shot.

[Klatrymadon]

The second one down is (IIRC) just the 2P-side ship, but the third and fourth are DLC ships from the older 'HD' version which have some unique properties. The third is a weird one in that weapon pickups change your main shot rather than giving you an Option to deploy, and they do so at the expense of any 2x score multipliers. The fourth chopper is a big, slow bruiser, with really powerful missiles for its anti-air shots. This one still gets multipliers, but the missiles flying everywhere can get in the way of whatever scoring you're trying to do with your Option.

Edit: BTW, any tips on dodging the st3 boss' attacks when it's at the bottom of the screen? Ducking through the straight shots in the middle seems necessary but everybody rightly speedkills it, so I can't find a good reference for doing that safely...

[Jonpachi]

I saw ZeroDiv and City Connection and put this one in the "NOT ON SWITCH IT'S GONNA BE A MESS" category, but I was so, so wrong. What a gem for the console, and a real treat on the OLED model with Hori's Split Pad Compact.

[Hero of Legend]

I saw ZeroDiv and City Connection and put this one in the "NOT ON SWITCH IT'S GONNA BE A MESS" category, but I was so, so wrong. What a gem for the console, and a real treat on the OLED model with Hori's Split Pad Compact.

I'm not sure if G.rev work on these with CC and ZD, but they did just exclusively put out Strania EX on Switch.

That aside, CC and ZD honestly feel like they do give a shit about the Switch. If anything I feel legit these releases only exist because of the Switch. After all ZD exclusively brought Psikyo's legacy to Switch ages ago (not flawlessly, but still), with any ports elsewhere being after that exclusively period. But yeah City Connection and Zerodiv really care about Switch as THE place for retro gaming and I think the quality of their work these days shows, and IIRC if they do have any issues, they're promptly taken care of ASAP.

[ajd578]

Playing this for the first time. I appreciate the dual controls in New Order, but I notice aiming locks in the forward direction and doesn’t turn until +/- 20 degrees or so. Can this be turned off? I kinda hate it.

[Jonpachi]

Playing this for the first time. I appreciate the dual controls in New Order, but I notice aiming locks in the forward direction and doesn’t turn until +/- 20 degrees or so. Can this be turned off? I kinda hate it.

There's a few things going on here.
1) Go into Options > Controls and set Response up to 100%. This will make it so you can move the "reticle" around freely without extra dely. It will feel a little fiddly at first, but once you get the feel for it you won't be able to turn it back down.
2) There is always some travel time in-between your changes in aiming direction as you have to allow your 3D helicopter to actually turn in physical space. This is why I put the word "reticle" in quotes above as what you're really doing is aiming at a point on the screen, holding that direction, and then allowing the helicopter to "catch up" as it pivots around. This part simply takes some time to get used to.
3) There is an invisible collision layer that blocks your movement into certain parts of the visible screen space. The top left and rightmost areas of the screen are such zones, as you'll find your craft railroaded away from the uppermost corners if you try to fly up there. This is just another thing you have to get used to.

[ajd578]

Playing this for the first time. I appreciate the dual controls in New Order, but I notice aiming locks in the forward direction and doesn’t turn until +/- 20 degrees or so. Can this be turned off? I kinda hate it.

There's a few things going on here.
1) Go into Options > Controls and set Response up to 100%. This will make it so you can move the "reticle" around freely without extra dely. It will feel a little fiddly at first, but once you get the feel for it you won't be able to turn it back down.
2) There is always some travel time in-between your changes in aiming direction as you have to allow your 3D helicopter to actually turn in physical space. This is why I put the word "reticle" in quotes above as what you're really doing is aiming at a point on the screen, holding that direction, and then allowing the helicopter to "catch up" as it pivots around. This part simply takes some time to get used to.
3) There is an invisible collision layer that blocks your movement into certain parts of the visible screen space. The top left and rightmost areas of the screen are such zones, as you'll find your craft railroaded away from the uppermost corners if you try to fly up there. This is just another thing you have to get used to.

Oh, I never even noticed the reticle. The locking makes sense now. But I tried adjusting Response and I just can’t detect any difference in reticle movement speed. I’m playing twin stick, maybe this only affects single stick controls?

[Darkseed_5150]

Loving all the modes. Border Down next baby!

[Stevens]

3) There is an invisible collision layer that blocks your movement into certain parts of the visible screen space. The top left and rightmost areas of the screen are such zones, as you'll find your craft railroaded away from the uppermost corners if you try to fly up there. This is just another thing you have to get used to.

On bosses you can use the edge of the health bar as a guide. The end of the bar is roughly the end of the screen.

[ajd578]

Does the new release only have replays for training mode?

*confirmed elsewhere that this is the case. A shame!

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Loving all the modes. Border Down next baby!

As of right now, the only way to access G.Rev's Border Down is either own/play the Sega Naomi GD-Rom, the Dreamcast GD-Rom or play it via Mame emulation. Of course, the DC port of BD is quite pricey nowadays if you didn't acquire it upon general release back in 2003 -- the DC BD LE set comes with both the DC GD-Rom & BD OST music CD indeed.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Jonpachi]

I went back to "Vanilla" New Order mode and I'm having so much more fun than I was in Plus mode. The full range of movement and remixed enemy positions in Plus are great, but the game becomes a bit of a slog with all the additional HP given to large enemies. This is especially painful in some of the boss encounters that seem to go on forever (looking at you Stage 4). In Vanilla New Order you get much faster bullets coming at you (making the moment-to-moment action much more alive), and bosses that you can reliably take down before they cycle through their patterns for the third time. It's almost like a Mushihimesama Original vs Maniac situation.

[pja]

Tried out the Steam port after playing it just a bit on the emulator before, and it seems pretty good... but I'm mildly annoyed by loading times They're not horrible, but on a shitty Naomi emulation stages progressed instantly and here it takes like 5 seconds which feels to me like eternity, anyone experiencing the same thing?

[Necronom]

Tried out the Steam port after playing it just a bit on the emulator before, and it seems pretty good... but I'm mildly annoyed by loading times They're not horrible, but on a shitty Naomi emulation stages progressed instantly and here it takes like 5 seconds which feels to me like eternity, anyone experiencing the same thing?

I'm pretty sure that the 360 port and this version are heavily modified and upgraded compared to the lowres Naomi version that you're upscaling in your emulator. 5 seconds feel like an eternity?! TikTok generation...

[pja]

I'm pretty sure that the 360 port and this version are heavily modified and upgraded compared to the lowres Naomi version that you're upscaling in your emulator. 5 seconds feel like an eternity?! TikTok generation...

It's an arcade action game that 20 years ago was instant and now it's not, so much for the technology marching on and all these "upgrades" (unless the emulator cheats which is also possible, but at the very least it proves that nowadays it could be instant). And no, I'm not upscaling it and I don't own a smartphone, not that this has anything do with what I was saying I feel like no one gives a shit about loading times anymore, I could understand it in an era when thing had to load off CDs but now? If anything, modern internet probably conditioned people to be okay with waiting more for things because everything is a web app that runs like shit.

But ignoring that "old man yells at cloud" tangent you baited me into, I was simply asking if loading times like that are normal, I'm enjoying the game otherwise but I'm sure if this is something developer put effort into, it could probably be eliminated.

[repoman]

Was there always a slight delay when you die on this game?

I've played through the PS5 version and my main annoyances come from visual clarity. Bullets are okay but enemy missiles lead to some serious 'what hit me?' moments.

It's an okay game but bland. Like Xevious or 1942 but for the Dreamcast era. Fine but blaverage.

[Jonpachi]

Was there always a slight delay when you die on this game?

Yes, and now it's actually mode-dependent in the newest release. If you play the original arcade or vanilla New Order modes you'll get the delay on death, BUT if you play the new New Order Plus mode they actually removed it.

[TransatlanticFoe]

Drip feed of information from Clear River Games as per usual....

Physical release due 24th April - via their Instagram, which includes PEGI branding so this is just for Europe, confirmed via a comment on their Bluesky stating North America is through Limited Run (who merely advertise opening of pre-orders). Typical, I just imported the JP limited edition because I was fed up waiting for news (there's no consistency in what they reply to on their socials)

Standard edition and also a limited edition which appears almost identical to the JP one - the "fanbook" is now "artbook" so I assume they've removed rather than translated the interviews.

[EmperorIng]

If that's the case that is a pretty lol-tastic thing to do to remove value from your collector's edition. Then what are you even collecting, lol?

[ojijo]

Looks like the EU physical edition for NSW and PS5 is coming out April 24th.

https://www.coolshop.co.uk/product/under-defeat/23QW8K/

[CerealPT]

is there any technical difference betweeen switch and PS5 versions?
is ps5 version native 4k resolution?

[Tokyo-J]

Limited Run is doing the USA release $34.99

https://limitedrungames.com/collections ... switch-ps5

[Ms. Tea]

Looks like they're just distributing copies published by Clear River, which means it should be available in other stores and won't be a limited-time preorder.

[Jonpachi]

is there any technical difference betweeen switch and PS5 versions?
is ps5 version native 4k resolution?

The standard extra lag on Switch, but even with that EU reported it at 3 frames.

[Emerl]

Can anyone confirm whether the PS5 version has Legacy Controller support (e.g. PS4 fight stick support)? R-Type Final 3 Evolution, and I believe Radirgy 2 didn't have it, but it's standard on almost all PS5 fighting games.

[Hyperspace]

Perhaps this belongs in the confession thread, but I amused myself with the "what's the input lag for steam vs switch vs playstation vs steamswitchstation? I NEED to know before spending $18!!" crowd for like 20 minutes while riding the bus.

"I have the steam version clocked at eight seconds of lag"
"EIGHT SECONDS? What's the FPS????"
"60"
"That's 480 frames!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Yeah... Higher is better, right? I'm not sure I'm doing this right"

To my credit, I tried to say "Y'know the ps3/360 version? It's exactly the same" but this wasn't deemed acceptable, so I resorted to the above.

Mark MSX has a YouTube video on under defeat that he claims it’s only 1 frame of input lag on both steam and the switch. However, if you go to his electric underground page it’s listed at 3 frames of input lag in a spreadsheet. He said he used a program called special k in the video. It’s about thirty five minutes into the video.

[Jonpachi]

It's a rock solid version no matter which platform you're playing on.

I'm inching up on the 1CC in New Order mode (currently 6th on the Switch leaderboard). That level 5 final boss is an annoying SOB that kinda "breaks the rules" of the game in a few ways, so it's been a workout to solve in a system with no extra lives. Way too easy to get punked when it does its "big shot" attack at the end that results in bullets coming up the screen, followed by a burst of wind and smoke that pushes you up into the corner as a second spew of random bullets fly up. It's not HARD, but the level of LUCK feels too high and hard to control. I can do it with NMNB here and there, but then I'll have a run where I lose two lives on just that pattern due to bad RNG.

[NeoStrayCat]

Yeah, as it is, its just basically the PS3/X360 versions slightly updated, but better with more additions for the modern platform release.

And yeah Jonpachi, the final boss is a real pain in the ass. And then, its main cannon that you have to align to straight (at the chance of risking a life if you know when it'll fire its cannon), is the only way to damage it proper (all thanks to a replay I saw a while back). Shooting it to the sides barely damages it. And yeah, its attack patterns are ridiculous too. You just have to wing it and hopefully dodge them good.

[Jonpachi]

I use the 4th ship, and if you can get a good lock-on with your Option (I like Cannon the best) you can do about 1/3rd of its health per round. Conceivably then it's like 3 or 4 bombs to safely move around the bullshit, and then get in those three perfect lock-ons. Easy to say, yet so hard to do.