The Girl from Gunma Kai

[MommysBestGames]

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/f ... =GUNMA+Kai




Loving the art... might play well too! Has a mobile version for a demo, but I'd rather use a controller when it comes out.
Needs votes on Greenlight.

From the description by Huga Studio:
"群馬県の最新技術で作られた
MSX(TMS9918A) LIKE
これは横方向に展開をする射撃ゲームです
THIS IS A SIDE SCROLLING SHMUP.

無料の試遊版版はこちらですので、よかったら遊んで下さい
FREE PLAY SAMPLE VERSION IS HERE. PLAY IT.
（Android）
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... a002&hl=ja
（IOS）
https://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/qun-ma- ... 96930?mt=8

よろしくね！
Thanks! "

[Ed Oscuro]

Hmm, first Greenlight I've looked at. Hit the Yes button, doing my best to ignore the "wat is a MSX?" silly comments. Thanks for sharing this

[BulletMagnet]

Got this stuck in my head the second I saw the title.

AND Graphics are so magical Kitsch happy.
NEVER MIND.

...well, how can one argue with that?

[Shepardus]

IIRC the black borders are a result of circumventing the single-color limitations of sprites by using the tiling system instead. Not sure how extensively the technique was used but you can definitely find some examples if you look for them in MSX games (and also the original freeware version of La-Mulana). You could be forgiven for missing it, though, if the background itself is also black.

[KAI]

I... What... If this awfulness is on purpose, there's some genius behind it I can't even comprehend. If not, this is just awful!

steam stupidity, please never change.

Is it based on a novel or something like that?

[GSK]

IIRC the black borders are a result of circumventing the single-color limitations of sprites by using the tiling system instead. Not sure how extensively the technique was used but you can definitely find some examples if you look for them in MSX games (and also the original freeware version of La-Mulana). You could be forgiven for missing it, though, if the background itself is also black.

It's usually less about colours and more about displaying large objects and/or getting around sprite-per-line limitations, I think.

Space Harrier for SMS is an obvious example of this technique in action: all the "sprites" have big boxes around them because they're not actually sprites but background tiles that are being constantly redrawn to create the illusion of movement.

There are techniques to blend the tiles with objects to get around those big boxy borders but they're slower and require more work, so they're mostly confined to later games like the Golden Axe port. (Other games like Wonder Boy 3 stick with the faster "boxed" approach and just work with flat-black backgrounds so you can't see the boxes.)

[mamboFoxtrot]

It's usually less about colours and more about displaying large objects and/or getting around sprite-per-line limitations, I think.

So, is this related to why the player sprite seems to be an entirely different resolution from everything else, or is that just a weird style point? I have no experience with MSX stuff.

[Squire Grooktook]

Probably a style thing...which is kind of a bad choice, IMO.

Looks solid otherwise, though.

[ryu]

Is it based on a novel or something like that?
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/6 ... 3,200_.jpg

Seems like it - a site where the android game can be downloaded says in the description that it was made to advertize the light novel. And the novel appears to be super shitty according to amazon.jp reviews lol

Ａｌｓｏ　ｓｏｍｅｔｈｉｎｇ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｉｎｔｅｒｎｅｔ　ｍｅｍｅｓ．　Ｄｕｎｎｏ　ｉｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｎｏｖｅｌ　ｉｓ　ｓｏ　ｂａｄ　ｉｔ　ｓｐｒｕｎｇ　ａ　ｍｅｍｅ　ｏｒ　ｉｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｎｏｖｅｌ　ｉｓ　ｂａｓｅｄ　ｏｎ　ａ　ｍｅｍｅ　ｔｈｏｕｇｈ．．．

[tate]

Loving the art... might play well too! Has a mobile version for a demo, but I'd rather use a controller when it comes out.
Needs votes on Greenlight.

The video on the Greenlight page seems to clearly show 8-way movement--there's no letup in shooting though, speaking to the game's mobile roots. This also leaves open a question about focused movement, which wouldn't fit the game's MSX vibe, but then I don't think tiny hitboxes were a thing back then either. I'm hoping that the special attack (bomb?) at 0:51 is triggered by a button, unlike the item-based specials in the demo. Speaking of which--I didn't realize this before doing some research--those of you with iDevices can click on the iOS link using Safari to download the demo. No need to establish a JP account or anything. It's pretty short, basic, and simple, but lets you experience the game's wacky charm first-hand.

[tate]

So, no word from HUGA STUDIO since being successfully being Greenlit. But this just popped up on the STUDIO HUGA YouTube channel. Here's a representative (unnecessarily large) screenshot:



As I understand it, SALADMAN is a completed remake of an MSX game that is being provided to 6,000 yen and above funders of a successful 2014 manga crowdfunding effort. It shares many audio samples with The Girl from Gunma Kai, and seems to be built using the same engine. EZEKIEL – also on STUDIO HUGA's YouTube channel – is to be included as bonus as well.

It seems incredibly odd that offering games as promotions for publications is a viable business model. Hopefully, the plan is to try to recoup costs by offering up the titles for sale eventually, as now I want all three.

[BulletMagnet]

After ten years, a demo appears.

[xEbb1993x]

Been hearing some things about this game since it's from the director of Segagaga, Astro Boy: Omega Factor, and Thunder Force VI.

[Ms. Tea]

What's more, there are no saves and no achievements. Aren't you tired of competing for watered-down achievements by now?　Rest assured that this game does not have them from the start.

You know what, that's fair. I respect that.

[Shatterhand]

It's usually less about colours and more about displaying large objects and/or getting around sprite-per-line limitations, I think.

So, is this related to why the player sprite seems to be an entirely different resolution from everything else, or is that just a weird style point? I have no experience with MSX stuff.

It is an MSX thing.

You had 4 1 bit sprites per scanline on the MSX. Many games would have just the main character drawn as a sprite, and everything else drawn as a tile. You could stack one sprite on top of other to get extra colors, and I think this what they are going for here. Also, tiles could only have 2 colors per line, which I think they algo got it right here.

I've wishlisted this game a while ago. While it obviously do more than what an MSX could do, the style overall matches a lot of what an MSX game could look like.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

The Steam port of "The Girl from Gunma Kai" is a mere 112.9mb d/l and runs just fine on a 1st-gen LCD-based or even the 1.5v refreshed Oled-based variant Steam Deck setup. If you go the Options screen, you can play it in either Full Screen or Windowed mode. Windowed mode is preferable in this case with the Steam Deck's native 1280 x 800 res screen setup -- the border screen surrounding the actual game screen is quite interesting in giving it a busy but inviting look & feel to it (with a lot of "visual stimuli" going on).

I like the depiction of an old (circa 1983) DSX (a pun or riff on the MSX brand name moniker) game cart (with a aged and weathered sticker for that used & worn aestethics/vibe appeal) complete with an "old-school" DSX game manual printed in both Japanese & English -- if this was actually released as a "bona-fide" real DSX game cart, the manual would certainly serve as "double-duty" in both Japan & the USA (without the need to do a separate English one to save on actual printing costs in the long run/scheme of things to take into consideration -- shrewd business thinking/decision in retrospect -- just my "two cents here").

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Faith]

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/f ... =GUNMA+Kai

I tried to click this link then it did not work and thought what kind of poor quality post is this...

..then I saw this post is from 2016!!!!!

Wow this took a long time to get some demo and release date!!!

But what is funny is if you look at the Steam Discussion forum someone complained about the "writhing anime girl" lol... simpleton :p

That is the best feature!

This game looks great, thank you for the update!~

<3

[PC Engine Fan X!]

This "TGFGK" demo is quite a colorful riot of a stg as it doesn't take itself too seriously -- I'm sure our in-house MSX shmupper resident, Super Deadite, would be first in line to purchase it if this were to be released as a real MSX cart (with some crafty under-the-hood "voodoo magic" to get it to run properly, of course).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~