New Neo-Geo shmup -- Last Hope [also for DC]

Fenrir · Post by **Fenrir** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 3:49 pm

I just watched the video as well.
It's bulky, this recalls the old Andro Dunos days. But well, as turrican said, it's really too much R-Typish and the graphics (and maybe the music bit during the movie?) make me really think of Blood Money. A lot.
Though it looks interesting - I wouldn't mind a DC version.

RHE · Post by **RHE** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 12:38 pm

I'm a team member of NG:DEV.TEAM the developer of Last Hope for NEO·GEO. Thanks for your praise and criticism so far, I'm willing to answer some questions you may have. Btw, you can now order Last Hope AES: http://www.ngdevteam.com/buy.htm.
Release date is July 10, 2006. Even if you have to despoil you piggybank until then.

And don't forget to take a look at our Blog: http://blog.ngdevteam.com/

I know, the quotes below aren't fresh anymore. Although, I would like to give answer and comment.

captain ahar wrote:"...the pod needs to destroy enemies, not just cancel bullets."

This would have made the game too much easy as the 360° rotable satellite would be to powerfull.

Fenrir wrote:"It's bulky"

Could you please explain.

Dale wrote:"Is this Dreamcast version internationally enabled?"

Yes, the Dreamcast version will be internationally enabled.

Dale wrote:"...also hope its a real pro job like there AES version , with manual and stuff"

Of course it will.

Turrican wrote:"...it looks the sort of thing that the amiga underground scene used to do?"

Please give some links, would be interesting to see.

Middlemoor · Post by **Middlemoor** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 12:53 pm

Nice video, has anyone noticed that the main ship in these games is always the same?

Ceph · Post by **Ceph** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 12:54 pm

Hello ReHe, thanks for posting here. While I don't think that you'll sell many AES carts at that price (€550 = $700), I'm pretty sure you can expect a nice return on investment with a CD version of your game.

When can we expect a Neo Geo CD / Dreamcast port?

mice · Post by **mice** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 1:28 pm

Timm & René wrote: ...we wanted to get away from valium-ish R-type...

rofl

That comment alone is worth getting a NG.

RHE · Post by **RHE** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 12:57 pm

Thanks for your welcome. To answer your question: You can expect Last Hope on NEO·GEO CD and Dreamcast in the next few month.

NGCD: Q3 2006
Dreamcast: Q4 2006

The NGCD version is already finished and the Dreamcast version is near completion. The disc-based versions will feature a high quality CD soundtrack. It's even possible to play the game disc in your CD player to enjoy the soundtrack as for every NGCD game. There's an audio sample on our web site.

Fighter17 · Post by **Fighter17** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 2:08 pm

ReHe wrote:Thanks for your welcome, Ceph. To answer your question: You can expect Last Hope on NEO·GEO CD and Dreamcast in the next few month.

NGCD: Q3 2006
Dreamcast: Q4 2006

The NGCD version is already finished and the Dreamcast version is near completion. The disc-based versions will feature a high quality CD soundtrack. It's even possible to play the game disc in your CD player to enjoy the soundtrack as for every NGCD game. There's an audio sample on our web site.

Let me know when pre-ordering begins!

gameoverDude · Post by **gameoverDude** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 12:56 am

I'll be interested in both the Dreamcast and the NGCD versions. I don't really think this looks too R-Typish.

highlandcattle · Post by **highlandcattle** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 6:52 pm

Rehe : Why no MVS release ??

RHE · Post by **RHE** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 7:34 pm

Fighter17 wrote:Let me know when pre-ordering begins!

gameoverDude wrote:I'll be interested in both the Dreamcast and the NGCD versions.

If you're interested in news regarding Last Hope NGCD and Dreamcast, I recommend you to subscribe the mailing list. Which can be found here: http://www.ngdevteam.com/faq.htm
When the pre-order starts it will be announced in the mailing list first.

highlandcattle wrote:Why no MVS release ??

We would like to publish a MVS version but currently it's out of our possibilities for several reasons. To realize a MVS version we would need additional capabilities which can't provided for now. Anyhow, the pricing for MVS would be the same range as AES. We know that a lot of NEO·GEO gamers own a MVS and would like to see Last Hope on it, so nothing is impossible. One thing for sure when the AES doesn't sell, there won't be any other cartridge-based versions. We will see what the future brings.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 8:11 pm

Wow, I thought this was only coming out in AES format. Thanks for the DC and Neo Geo CD ports, ReHe!

What part of Germany are you from?

chtimi-CLA · Post by **chtimi-CLA** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 8:42 am

looks good, i'll get the DC version when it's ported.
don't forget to include hi-score saving

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 7:55 pm

Omake folder on the DC, please. With Wallpapers, Midi/Mp3, some completely unrelated anime cat-girl, design sheets, early concepts, and all that crap that makes us all drool like Bydo beasts on valium, please.

RHE · Post by **RHE** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 12:58 pm

Thanks for showing interest. Hi-score saving wil be included, and everybody who's able to play this game for hi-score instead of surviving only will get my whole respect and admiration.

Expect some Dreamcast exclusive stuff, too.

dave4shumps wrote:What part of Germany are you from?

I'm living in the western part of Germany, where nearly everyone speaks Engrish.

J-Manic · Post by **J-Manic** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 8:38 pm

Can't wait for this game! I wrote the Developers an e-mail myself about preordering a copy. They wrote back telling me that they aren't accepting preorders yet, until they get an official release date, which should be somewhere between Oct. 2006 - March 2007.

RHE · Post by **RHE** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 9:08 pm

As the Dreamcast version is very sought after, we decided to release it already this year. It's recommend to subscribe the mailing list on our web site to be the first to know, when the official pre-order starts. Which is somewhere around September 2006.

Either way, we will announce the pre-order start on this board when the time is ready.

qatmix · Post by **qatmix** » Tue Jun 13, 2006 11:17 am

thats great news, im also after the dreamcast version

Super Laydock · Post by **Super Laydock** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 6:52 pm

NG:DEV's website reports that this game has finally been released and shipped as of the 10th of July!

So did anyone here order the game? Any first impressions?
I have little hope as it IS a very expensive game and few will have bought it, but I want to know about it.

I am saving my money for the Dreamcast version and hope impressions on the NG version will justify my high hopes for this title.

ROBOTRON · Post by **ROBOTRON** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 3:01 am

I will buy this....take a chance. What is the price in american dollars? I will send via paypal.

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 8:59 pm

ROBOTRON wrote:I will buy this....take a chance. What is the price in american dollars? I will send via paypal.

For ROBOTRON,

You're going to buy a copy of Neo-Geo AES 'Last Hope' cartridge? Hot damn if you are...be sure to write up a review on it after spending some private "quality time" with it... ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

JBC · Post by **JBC** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 11:41 pm

be sure to write up a review on it after spending some private "quality time" with it... ^_~

but uh... make sure to clean your controller afterwards

ROBOTRON · Post by **ROBOTRON** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 11:15 pm

PC Engine Fan X! wrote:
ROBOTRON wrote:I will buy this....take a chance. What is the price in american dollars? I will send via paypal.
For ROBOTRON,

You're going to buy a copy of Neo-Geo AES 'Last Hope' cartridge? Hot damn if you are...be sure to write up a review on it after spending some private "quality time" with it... ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

I will...I will post video too.

EDIT: I emailed the guy(s) and ask how much/shipping...haven't received an answer yet.

segasonicfan · Post by **segasonicfan** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 7:37 am

Shouldn't the game be out now? Or is it being pushed back again? I'm interested in this too (though not enough to drop $700 on it)

-Segasonicfan

neojma · Post by **neojma** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 8:19 am

RHE wrote:As the Dreamcast version is very sought after, we decided to release it already this year. It's recommend to subscribe the mailing list on our web site to be the first to know, when the official pre-order starts. Which is somewhere around September 2006.

Either way, we will announce the pre-order start on this board when the time is ready.

Thank you again!!!! Making this available in DC version is really excellent of you guys. I'm sure I am speaking for many when I say that I am happy to support developers like you who put in the extra work to have a more affordable option for those of us who can't convince the wife that the AES cart is a worthwhile investment. Thanks for going through with the project, for putting in the effort to make a new shooter, and for handling everything professionally.

Daigohji · Post by **Daigohji** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 9:49 am

Looks pretty decent for a homebrew, though it's disappointing that they adhered so closely to R-Type's design sense. A big draw to homebrew games is that it can sidestep the homogenised "design by committee" that plagues so many commercial titles.

I might pick up the Dreamcast version when it comes out. Has it been decided how many copies will be pressed for the DC?

R_Typist · Post by **R_Typist** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:25 pm

It looks amazing for a 2D shooter, but not groundbreaking. I do not know how the gameplay works, but the graphics seem like a Pulstar/Last-Resort cross-pollination for the sake of it. I do not know where the designers are going.

Secondly... What in the hell happened to equilibrium price (demand and price)? It's elementary economics, and it seems ludicrous to create a rocking chair out of solid gold when there are plenty of oak ones that'll get the job done and procide better return. Pardon my ignorance, but I'm so new to this shmupping scene. Is the return on the "investment" going to actually happen at that price for this developer? Are there alot of folks like ROBOTRON willing to fork out $s like that?

Even if the game is that expensive to develope and design and a day-job is being made of it... you're building pool sticks out of adamantium, and demanding top dollar for it. Okay, so I didn't get the best grades in econ-101 but I'm confused.

RHE · Post by **RHE** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 4:21 pm

Last Hope AES is out now.

http://blog.ngdevteam.com/

We know that there's a lot of confusing about the AES pricing mostly by gamers living in the states, but let me say that we're not responsible for the weak US currency.Handmade products are always a little pricier. That's completely comprehensible if you really think about it. But I do think, it's always good reason for people to bash a product in a senseless way. No offensive to anyone but if someone really think it's easy to produce hundreds of carts in good conditions to lower costs, he should try by himself. As for the design philosophy most gamers compare Last Hope to R-Type, Pulstar and Last Resort which is a high compliment. Must be the genre.

Speaking about the Dreamcast version, it won't be significant limited.

R_Typist wrote:Are there alot of folks like ROBOTRON willing to fork out $s like that?

Yes.

LSU · Post by **LSU** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 6:05 pm

I'd also really like to say thanks for developing and releasing this - it looks like a real labour of love. I can't afford the AES cart, but I will definitely be pre-ordering the Dreamcast version when it becomes available. Hopefully you will get enough sales to continue to work on more projects like this.

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 3:41 am

This looks like an interesting game, and I think the $35-$40 price range that was listed earlier in this thread is a good number for the DC release. I wouldn't mind feeding another shmup to my ol' DC, so hopefully some reviews will pop up soon. I'd like to read some impressions.

Good luck with the DC port guys, and please... don't let the DC port be hindered by bugs. If it means a delay to catch all the bugs that might pop up from the porting process, then delay it. We'll happily wait if it means they'll all be removed. I'd hate to see this turn into the same type of bug-riddled mess that Super Fighter Team put out with their home translation of Beggar Prince.

fl0w · Post by **fl0w** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:52 am

Just curious, will the DC version be sold as a CD-ROM or as a GD-ROM? Who can still press GD-ROMs these days????