Do shooters warrant you to buy a entire console?

Cyarc · Post by **Cyarc** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:37 am

I got into shooters heavily about half a year ago. In that time I have collected many shooters for my dreamcast. I pretty much bought a saturn just to play shooters, but you can pick up a saturn for less then 50 dollars. I also got mame and play alot of shooters on that too, some of my favorites being made by Cave like Dodonpachi, ESP Rade and Gunwage. I later found out there was more cave shooters, but only available by PCB or PS2. I know some of you are hardcore, but I am just a lowly college student with not a lot of money to spend, but I have been contemplating getting a PS2 just for

ESPGaluda
Ibara
DodonPachi Dai-oujou
Mushihimesama
Gradius V (Even though Im not to fond of Hori's, this looks nice and its TREASURE!)

I havn't heard much good things on Silpheed, are there any other worthy shooters? Is it possible that Espgaluda 2,Pink sweets and Mushihimesama Futari are going to be ported? I guess I could get some other non shooter games like okami or a few others, but to tell you the truth nothing really excites me anymore besides shooters. Are all the games I mentioned top notch or is there something to be desired, I don't mind if the emulation isn't 100% but is there is Tate mode for all? Is there going to be a price drop on the PS2 soon since the PS3 is comming out? Sorry for all the questions, thanks! If your wondering what I would get if it wasn't a Ps2 it would probaly be a flash thing for my DS so I can play tons of games on it, but where is Raid over the River?!?!

I guess the bottom line question is if the purchase of PS2 is worth it for the games mentioned?

Post by **Icarus** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:50 am

* Mushi Futari etc getting ported
Not a chance. Its been ages since Espgaluda 2 was released as a PCB, and since then there's been no sign of an announcement of a port. And since Espgaluda 2 is nowhere to be seen, Pink Sweets and the just recently released Mushi Futari are unlikely too.

* Are the games on your shortlist worth it?
I have my reservations about Mushi; Daioujou and Ibara are both great but will cream any newcomer to the genre; Espgaluda is an awesome port; Gradius 5 is fun until you can comfortably clear the first loop, then its just an exercise in tedium having to slog through it all again just to get to the fun bits.

In short, yes, they're good if you like them. Popular opinion around here is spread between the five - I swear by Ibara and Espgaluda, some say Daioujou is the best, while others will claim Mushi, and likewise Gradius 5 for others - but all will probably say that they're worth the console, plus there are a lot more available besides those five, like Psyvariar, Twinkle Star Sprites: La Petite Princesse amd Raiden 3.

* Do they come with all the bits and pieces?
Daioujou and Espgaluda are near perfect ports with lots of extras including replay saving, superplay DVDs and Arrange Modes. Mushi and Ibara are slightly less on the port quality - Mushi has graphic filtering that may or may not make your eyes bleed, and limited autofire settings; Ibara is slightly better graphics-wise, but there are numerous glitches that occasionally pop up, the in-stage layout is slightly altered compared to the PCB (some enemies appear later, or not at all in some cases), and the lack of slowdown is a killer for a game of this type - however both Mushi and Ibara also feature Arrange Modes for that little extra.

Gradius 5 is what you see, a straight up horzy.

* ... as for your topic question...
Yes, in some cases, shootemups can warrant a console purchase. The game in question has to be of high quality to warrant a purchase of that kind, however. I bought a Japanese Sega Saturn just for Battle Garegga a long long time ago, and never regretted it.

KBZ · Post by **KBZ** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:06 am

I'd wait a bit for another price drop. And do lik sang a favour by at least buying used :p

mannerbot · Post by **mannerbot** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:07 am

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 8:25 am

Silpheed: The Lost Planet is a good game. It may not be a reason to buy a PS2, but if you have one, it's worth picking up. Don't forget to look into R-Type Final and Gradius III & IV. Also, the PS1 had a decent number of shmups released for it (stuff like The Raiden Project, Thunder Force V: Perfect System, Einhander, R-Type Delta, R-Types, Raystorm and Raycrisis to name a few) , so you might wanna check into that since the PS2 can play PS1 games.

ill6 · Post by **ill6** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 8:46 am

Yes... I have bought several systems just because of the shooter library on them (home and arcade).

eretsua · Post by **eretsua** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 8:53 am

to awnser your question: yes! the ps2 is a very worthwhile investment for shooters.

like The Coop says: shilpheed: the lost planet is a good game. it's quite hard and looks pretty good for a ps2 launch title. worth while as it hardly costs any money because it's disliked so much. do make sure never play the horrible PAL version, though!

i've been recently been playing Gradius V again, i can't play horizontal games so i tate'd my tv and my arcade stick and now i play it like a vertical shmup and quite enjoy this secret treasure game. ship type 2 seems best suited for tate playing.

i got into shmups after the first ps2 release of mushihimesama and got addicted to it. bought a dreamcast shortly after. earlier this year i bought a white jap Saturn with Radiant Silvergun just so i could play the game. shit thing is that the saturn died just 2 months after i got it.

so go for that jap ps2 and have a blasting time.

~eretsua.

Cyarc · Post by **Cyarc** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:25 am

Thanks for the advice everyone, chances are I will be a proud PS2 owner soon. Eretsua, sorry to hear about your saturn, there are few things more sad then when a beloved console dies. I will dread the day when my Saturn or DC die, I can't bear to think about it

ccovell · Post by **ccovell** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 1:37 pm

Yes, I bought a TurboDuo just for Gate of Thunder.
(And a Virtual Boy just for Red Alarm.)

Arvandor · Post by **Arvandor** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 1:54 pm

Well, the way I see it. You get access to Dragon Blaze, DDP:DOJ, ESPGALUDA, TSS:LPP, and some of the psikyo shooter collections will save you some money on games you'd want to be nabbing on your Saturn. Like, there's really no point in getting Strikers 1945 1 or 2 on the Saturn when you can get the Psikyo Shooter Collection Volume 2 on the PS2 for ~$30. You can nab Sengoku Ace and Sengoku Blade(Tengai) in the PSC Volume 1 as well. Good stuff. Also, many of the PS2 shooters are getting budget releases that allow you to grab them for $30-$35. Including Mushihimesama, Ibara (in January), Twinkle Star Spirits:LPP, and Homura (in a week or two I think). While I love my Saturn and it has a lot of amazing shooters on it (MOST of them quite affordable too). It has some VERY expensive titles. Hyper Duel, Blast Wind, and Radiant Silvergun are all amazing games that go for over $100. I just can't bring myself to spend that much on a game.

gavin19 · Post by **gavin19** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 2:21 pm

If I had to choose a console it would be a PS2, there's just too many quality modern shmups available for it at reasonable prices.
If I were to suggest a title it would be Espgaluda. Difficulty level to suit beginners/pros alike. Near perfect port, quality gfx and soundtrack. Simulation mode to practice individual levels so you don't have to trudge through levels you are already comfortable with. Arrange mode for a more manic experience with 2 different characters and a slightly different shot setup.
Plus, you can play for survival and you don't get hammered for it like you would in some other shmups, or play for score and it's tremendous fun. Also you get the superplays with the game to show you how it should be done; and the gameplay mechanics allow for a more forgiving experience than almost any other highly recommended titles like DDP:DOJ or Ibara etc.

JJG · Post by **JJG** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 2:48 pm

I would definitely buy a system for shmups but I refuse to own a PS2 'cause I hate Sony. I have 3 Dreamcasts in case one of mine dies, but I've never had a system die on me.

RotateMe · Post by **RotateMe** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 2:56 pm

I modded my PS2 which was around 100$ (incl. shipping costs) just to be able to play mushihimesama. The only thing I regret is that I didn't buy Ibara and Espgaluda when ordering Mushihime, it will take another month to get them from asia.

Plasmo · Post by **Plasmo** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 3:23 pm

i bought my ps2 for ibara alone

Kaede · Post by **Kaede** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 3:38 pm

Last year I purchased an import Saturn just to play Radiant Silvergun. I knew I had to do it after enjoying Ikaruga so much. I bought my copy from DEL which led to me playing Mushimesama.....which meant I then bought an import PS2 just to play that at home! (and ESPgaluda of course).

This year I picked up a Dreamcast so I could own a JPN copy of Ikaruga and I also want to get Border Down and Under Defeat in the near future. Shooters are pretty much the only games I play these days with the odd fighting game thrown in so I guess yeah I would buy a console just for shooters.

Cyrac, the games you listed are exactly the same as the ones I decided to buy a PS2 for. I have ESPGaluda, Mushi and Gradius V so far and I'm more than happy with my decision to import a PS2. I'll soon have DOJ and Ibara and I can't wait to play those as well...I say do it.

jpj · Post by **jpj** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 3:44 pm

jap saturn + silvergun for the win

ave · Post by **ave** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 3:46 pm

I bought a jp PS2 only for ESPgaluda and Daioujou and it was the best hardware purchase I ever did. Except my Saturn and Dreamcast, of course

Post by **Dave_K.** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 3:54 pm

Considering a lot of people here buy arcade cabinets and single games (PCBs) costing more than most consoles (at least up to this point), the answer is yes.

In fact, I bought a seperate PS2 just to play Espgaluda and DDPDOJ on a dedicated vertical cab (and keep my other PS2 in a dedicated horizontal cab).

Its the games, not the consoles, that matter.

Limbrooke · Post by **Limbrooke** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 3:55 pm

I bought Saturn so I could play Radiant Silvergun.
I bought Dreamcast to play Ikaruga.
I now own plenty of games for both systems which is a nice bonus.

shariar07 · Post by **shariar07** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 3:56 pm

I would say if CAVE makes a couple announcement regarding PS3 shmups in maybe a year or two, then i would buy a PS3 in a year or two. I currently see no revolutionary games on the system except great graphics and well all pretty much played everthing else (Tekken 1-5, Metal Gear 1-3, Devil May Cry 1-3, Prince of Persia, ect. ) its all the same for know.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 5:19 pm

The only reason I have a PS2 (an import one at that) is for the shmups, and I hafta say I think it was worth my while to get it. Basically the same goes for my Saturn.

SuperGrafx · Post by **SuperGrafx** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 5:26 pm

For me, not usually.

I owned a Saturn since the beginning, same with the DC, Genesis, Xbox...you name it. Shooters were just a natural extension of my existing game library, though I've been focusing more on that genre as time went on.

I'm also anti-Sony so no PS2 for me, despite the availability of shmups on the console. I've got a decent Supergun and a modest assortment of PCBs to get my Cave (and other game) fix should the need arise.

I've been toying with the idea of buying an import Xbox 360 mainly to play Tenchu, but I'd definitely order up Senko No Ronde if/when that happens.

RoninBuddha · Post by **RoninBuddha** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:14 pm

this anti-ps2 BS is a bit ridiculous...

sure im a dreamcast fanboy and stuff... but only PS2 has GradiusV... and as mention before.. the various classics collections... and etc..

to answer the quesiton: yes.

Parodius made me buy an SFC

SuperGrafx · Post by **SuperGrafx** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:35 pm

RoninBuddha wrote:this anti-ps2 BS is a bit ridiculous...

sure im a dreamcast fanboy and stuff... but only PS2 has GradiusV... and as mention before.. the various classics collections... and etc..

to answer the quesiton: yes.

Parodius made me buy an SFC

Yeah. And the Saturn has Radiant Silvergun and various classics collections. Same difference.

And I've seen the 360 get slammed more by anti-Microsoft zealots than Sony, yet no one really says anything about that.

bay · Post by **bay** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:54 pm

Limbrooke wrote:I bought Saturn so I could play Radiant Silvergun.
I bought Dreamcast to play Ikaruga.
I now own plenty of games for both systems which is a nice bonus.

this is one side to game systems.. 1 game made me buy the system. i'm an rpg kid historically, i buy sony to play final fantasies historically.

i didn't buy a GC to play crystal chronices, but i did buy a GC to play ikaruga.

one thing that is cool to see is how advanced games are at the end of life of a console, some of the psx games that came out in the last months are amazing (ie: vagrant story)

the ps2 end of life will be coming up in 2007, as ps3 should be phasing into the mainstream and ps2 titles will dwindle down. the ps2 is a great system, it's yielded many many great titles, and if history repeats itself there are going to be some select titles that will come out in 2007.

im not sure how the prediction works with japanese->english releases, perhaps they've already been put out in japan =)

are there any ps2 shmups in the works that are slated for release within 6 months? it's such a small genre..

Never_Scurred · Post by **Never_Scurred** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 4:58 am

Well, I sold my lowly Xbox for a playstation 2 and a Gamecube.
Ikaruga for GC and Dodonpachi DOJ for the PS2. No regrets.

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 6:45 am

"an entire console" implies you can buy parts of a console and play games on those parts

...parts

(hows about we stop spamming the forum with fucking pointless images mmkay? - admin)

Post by **Ghegs** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 9:58 am

When I got my Recca, I pretty much had to get a Famicom as well. I wasn't going to let the game just sit on the shelf looking pretty, no sirree.

NTSC-J · Post by **NTSC-J** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 12:55 pm

JJG wrote:I would definitely buy a system for shmups but I refuse to own a PS2 'cause I hate Sony. I have 3 Dreamcasts in case one of mine dies, but I've never had a system die on me.

Your loss, man. An arcade shooter fan not owning a JPS2 is pure insanity. It went from the first few years of nothing to the best console for arcade games ever, readily surpassing the Saturn and Dreamcast.

If you don't want Sony to get your dime, steal one or something. I don't like Sony for their business practices, or Microsoft for theirs, or Coca Cola for killing Columbians, but if I were to boycott every corporation that did questionable stuff I'd be eating vegetables I grow in my backyard while wearing a loincloth. Seriously, all these companies are connected and they all suck, your money is going to them one way or another. If my money is going to the devil, I at least want some DOJ out of it.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 5:09 pm

NTSC-J wrote:If my money is going to the devil, I at least want some DOJ out of it.

I'm half-tempted to sig that, heh heh.