M2 Toaplan collection

This is the main shmups forum. Chat about shmups in here - keep it on-topic please!
User avatar
MJR
Posts: 1758
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:53 pm
Location: Finland
Contact:

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by MJR »

Faith wrote: Tue Sep 09, 2025 12:02 pm
Steven wrote: Tue Sep 09, 2025 11:03 amYep, it can happen lol
Hahaha!!!~

Wow, had to watch that frame-by-frame...

...poor Jaimers I think maybe had 3-4 frames where he would be able to see that?

What Toaplan game should I play after Batsugun? I have to say, Batsugun is really such a super great game. Love it very much @_@"...

Now working on Batsugun Special 4-ALL (PB is 3-ALL)... seems this was the game needed to pull me away from Crimzon Clover for a little bit lol, I was starting to feel a little bit sad.

So far from what I see, Truxton seems like the next best?

It took me a long time. But I finally "'get" Toaplan now... there is just a certain special rhythm and style.

The pace, the music, everything, just comes together so beautifully.
My favourites are Out Zone, Truxton and Hell Fire for gameplay, music, gfx and atmosphere.

Then Twin Cobra / KK Tiger and Slap Fight.
Then any title, they are all solid in way or another
User avatar
LordHypnos
Posts: 2041
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 11:59 pm
Location: Mars Colony, 2309

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by LordHypnos »

Steven wrote: Tue Sep 09, 2025 12:12 pm As for what's next, I am in a V-V type of mood right now, so I'd do V-V. Not Grind Stormer and not V-V Bomber, just normal V-V. I think V-V is kind of overlooked, sadly, as I don't see many people talk about it, which is too bad because I think it's one of Toaplan's best games.
I remember liking V . V a lot, should really get back to it one of these days.
Faith wrote: Tue Sep 09, 2025 12:02 pm What Toaplan game should I play after Batsugun?
I only recently tried Out Zone, and that game rocks, don't overlook it!

Not that I'm any kind of Toaplan aficionado
YouTube | Restart Syndrome | 1cclist | Go Play Mars Matrix
Solunas wrote:How to Takumi your scoring system
1) Create Scoring System
2) Make it a multiplier for your actual score
User avatar
TransatlanticFoe
Posts: 1887
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:06 pm
Location: UK

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by TransatlanticFoe »

Oh really, Outzone is doable with the 3 way? I can't for the life of me aim the regular shot but found a few spots where I assumed you were meant to swap to it.

Slap Fight question - how the hell do you fight the final boss without simply point blanking it with autofire? I was casually working through the Alcon revision on Evercade using save states and the missile weapon. Could not work out a way through that final boss, and Evercade's autofire isn't all that fast.
Steven
Posts: 4202
Joined: Tue May 11, 2021 5:24 am
Location: Tokyo

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by Steven »

LordHypnos wrote: Tue Sep 09, 2025 4:57 pm I remember liking V . V a lot, should really get back to it one of these days.
V-V is great. I honestly think it's still IKD's best game. The MD version is good for what it is, and a very ambitious conversion for the time and the hardware, but it really doesn't compare to the arcade version's awesomeness.
TransatlanticFoe wrote: Tue Sep 09, 2025 5:06 pm Oh really, Outzone is doable with the 3 way? I can't for the life of me aim the regular shot but found a few spots where I assumed you were meant to swap to it.
Whole game is doable with the 3-way, but you may have to bomb in a few spots. If you are playing for score this is probably much more practical than switching back and forth anyway because you don't have to go through the whole 8 Cs process, which can be very annoying, especially if you lose count like I always do if I die or switch unintentionally.
TransatlanticFoe wrote: Tue Sep 09, 2025 5:06 pmSlap Fight question - how the hell do you fight the final boss without simply point blanking it with autofire? I was casually working through the Alcon revision on Evercade using save states and the missile weapon. Could not work out a way through that final boss, and Evercade's autofire isn't all that fast.
I never play with autofire, but I am not sure how much this will help.

What I do is pointblank with shot equipped and one or two sets of wings (the big size ship but without the destructable wings, basically, or the big ship + one set of little wings) and no autofire, and I can kill the final boss this way before it shoots with just mashing; it's definitely possible. Get up in its face as it appears and mash until it explodes. Laser would be my second choice; it's pretty decent against most things, including the final two bosses. You can absolutely use missile against the last boss, but it's a terrible choice and literally anything else except maybe bomb would be better unless you are comfortable with getting close enough to get hits with bomb. If you are, bomb is still better than missile. If you go in with missile, sit on top of it for a moment and try to get as many hits in with both the missile and side shot as you can before it starts shooting. The final boss's point value is partially determined by how fast you kill it BTW.

Also don't hesitate to switch weapons or add wings; you get just over a second (it's closer to two seconds, but I have never timed it) of iframes after a weapon change/addition of wings, which is very useful for many things!
User avatar
davyK
Posts: 731
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2009 9:48 pm
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by davyK »

First try at Outzone courtesy of the Toaplan bitwave compilation on Switch. It's very enjoyable indeed. The collection includes a Hard version and a Beta version. Saves local high scores fpe each version unlike some other games in the compilation. Correctly tracks separate leaderboards too.
User avatar
Sumez
Posts: 8887
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:11 am
Location: Denmarku
Contact:

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by Sumez »

TransatlanticFoe wrote: Tue Sep 09, 2025 5:06 pm Oh really, Outzone is doable with the 3 way? I can't for the life of me aim the regular shot but found a few spots where I assumed you were meant to swap to it.
Yeah there are parts with tight corridors or enemies coming from behind which definitely feel like they want you to use it. And at first I was routing the game to know where to switch - but after you know the game well enough to have a distinct plan for each of those sections, you also don't need the directional gun at all, because you can just focus on where enemies appear and rush through them. I can't remember for sure, but I think by the time i was consistently 2-ALL'ing the game I would never switch to the directional weapon at all.
User avatar
TransatlanticFoe
Posts: 1887
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:06 pm
Location: UK

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by TransatlanticFoe »

Sweet, thanks both - will give it a go on my next Toaplan session! It's not like Toaplan to include useless weapons, oh no, not at all :lol:
User avatar
Faith
Posts: 136
Joined: Sun May 25, 2025 11:03 am

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by Faith »

Yes, thank you everyone for advice! I think I will play Truxton next!

Still a bit stuck with Batsugun Special lol, best can do is 3-ALL because Loop 4 being big headache @_@"...

...but biggest headache is zzz doing Loop 1 & 2 over and over... very very annoying!~

Will try for maybe another week, but also feel this week focus a bit worse than usual, so not really able to practice for very long.

Will also keep Out Zone at the side of my eye!~
<3 Faith <3 1CC's STG Never Die
User avatar
Sumez
Posts: 8887
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:11 am
Location: Denmarku
Contact:

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by Sumez »

Out Zone and Tatsujin are both really fun 1CCs, good luck :D

I agree Batsugun Special gets a bit much when you're going for the loops, because of how easy the first loop is. I've never really spent time with OG Batsu, but I probably should give that one a go instead.
User avatar
Faith
Posts: 136
Joined: Sun May 25, 2025 11:03 am

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by Faith »

Thank you!!

Haha Batsugun Normal is a bit mean.

Start with 2 extends... and can only get 1 more from score >.<!~

And none drop... so you only get 3 to 1CC... I think this is the least of any STG I've played?

No shield like Batsugun Special either. So to be safe should have 1 or 2 extends for last boss depending bomba stock.

So really goal is to try no-miss until last boss lol.
<3 Faith <3 1CC's STG Never Die
User avatar
Lemnear
Posts: 1139
Joined: Wed May 31, 2023 9:49 am
Contact:

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by Lemnear »

Faith wrote: Thu Sep 11, 2025 8:28 am Thank you!!

Haha Batsugun Normal is a bit mean.

Start with 2 extends... and can only get 1 more from score >.<!~

And none drop... so you only get 3 to 1CC... I think this is the least of any STG I've played?

No shield like Batsugun Special either. So to be safe should have 1 or 2 extends for last boss depending bomba stock.

So really goal is to try no-miss until last boss lol.
I thought 3 lives was the standard for SHMUPS. However, the thing I find most difficult between the normal and Special Batsugun is the fact that the bombs are less powerful and this changes the route for me.
Steven
Posts: 4202
Joined: Tue May 11, 2021 5:24 am
Location: Tokyo

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by Steven »

Batsugun only gives you a single extend, so you only have 3 extra lives + the one you start with = 4 total. It kind of makes sense because the whole game is like 15 minutes long and doesn't loop.

Did they ever fix the audio on Bitwave Tatsujin or is it still super broken? Same question for Out Zone. Bitwave Out Zone's 16-way shot sound is so, so incredibly wrong as of the last time I played it, and so were all of Tatsujin's sound effects and the boss music, which is somehow missing its bass part entirely. It is exceedingly frustrating to me that now shitloads of people can play these amazing games for the first time but the audio on almost all of them is totally ruined, so they will have no idea what these games are supposed to sound like.
User avatar
Angry Hina
Posts: 393
Joined: Wed Jul 17, 2019 11:44 am
Location: Germany
Contact:

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by Angry Hina »

Has only the Korean Version this little instruction booklet i see on some ebay offers (with a littleTatsujin 2 instruction as example)?
User avatar
porchka66
Posts: 17
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2020 12:57 pm

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by porchka66 »

Angry Hina wrote: Mon Sep 15, 2025 7:54 am Has only the Korean Version this little instruction booklet i see on some ebay offers (with a littleTatsujin 2 instruction as example)?
They are also available in Japan as preorder/first print bonuses.
Volume 1 comes with a nice slipcase for both volumes, volume 2 comes with the instruction booklet.
User avatar
Angry Hina
Posts: 393
Joined: Wed Jul 17, 2019 11:44 am
Location: Germany
Contact:

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by Angry Hina »

Thanks :)
User avatar
davyK
Posts: 731
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2009 9:48 pm
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by davyK »

Steven wrote: Thu Sep 11, 2025 9:51 am Batsugun only gives you a single extend, so you only have 3 extra lives + the one you start with = 4 total. It kind of makes sense because the whole game is like 15 minutes long and doesn't loop.

Did they ever fix the audio on Bitwave Tatsujin or is it still super broken? Same question for Out Zone. Bitwave Out Zone's 16-way shot sound is so, so incredibly wrong as of the last time I played it, and so were all of Tatsujin's sound effects and the boss music, which is somehow missing its bass part entirely. It is exceedingly frustrating to me that now shitloads of people can play these amazing games for the first time but the audio on almost all of them is totally ruined, so they will have no idea what these games are supposed to sound like.
The sound problem appears to be totally random - have experienced it across several of the games. Exiting the game, playing another and then returning to it will fix it. I have yet to experience sound issues in handheld mode. It's weird.
Angry Hina wrote: Mon Sep 15, 2025 7:54 am Has only the Korean Version this little instruction booklet i see on some ebay offers (with a littleTatsujin 2 instruction as example)?
I got Vol.1 off Amazon UK and there's a booklet in the game case with basic details of the games.
User avatar
Sumez
Posts: 8887
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:11 am
Location: Denmarku
Contact:

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by Sumez »

Yeah I got both of the cheapo European releases, and both came with a booklet
User avatar
Angry Hina
Posts: 393
Joined: Wed Jul 17, 2019 11:44 am
Location: Germany
Contact:

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by Angry Hina »

okeee :? Ive ordered more expensive japanese versions ... I hope I wont get less booklet in these :D
User avatar
Marc
Posts: 3611
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2005 10:27 am
Location: Wigan, England.

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by Marc »

The sound thing is definitely weird, it's completely fucked on the very odd occasion, but simply exiting and restarting solves it every time. Bizarre.
XBL & Switch: mjparker77 / PSN: BellyFullOfHell
User avatar
Jucksalbe
Posts: 74
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2013 7:20 pm

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by Jucksalbe »

At least Clear River Games has said that the sound issues will be fixed with the next patch (no date).

Are these two collections worth it when I already own the four Evercade collections?
User avatar
Marc
Posts: 3611
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2005 10:27 am
Location: Wigan, England.

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by Marc »

Jucksalbe wrote: Wed Sep 17, 2025 9:53 am At least Clear River Games has said that the sound issues will be fixed with the next patch (no date).

Are these two collections worth it when I already own the four Evercade collections?
Personally, yes, just for the regional variants. I was quite happy selling my Evercade stuff on after getting these.
XBL & Switch: mjparker77 / PSN: BellyFullOfHell
User avatar
davyK
Posts: 731
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2009 9:48 pm
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by davyK »

I have several of the Steam equivalents (and a couple of the M2 ports) and I still found Vol.1 worth treble dipping for but I'm a bit weird when it comes to collecting. I've stuck vol.2 on my shopping list on amazon.
Creamy Goodness
Posts: 310
Joined: Wed May 05, 2021 1:23 am

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by Creamy Goodness »

Glad I wasn't the only one hearing sound issues. Was playing Batsugin and I couldn't hear the explosions for popcorn enemies at all. I mean it is pretty soft in FBNeo, but on the collection the sound is non-existent.
User avatar
Jonpachi
Posts: 1421
Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2019 5:35 pm
Location: Irvine - CA

Re: M2 Toaplan collection

Post by Jonpachi »

I wish I had the proper testing set-up to do a teardown on Batsugun for Saturn vs City Connection vs Evercade vs Bitwave.
Formerly known as 8 1/2. I return on my second credit!
Post Reply