Official: Mushihime-sama Futari (1.0, 1.5, BLT)

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 10:23 pm

A bit of explanation on the shot types. Basically abnormal, if properly utilized, can do more damage than the "easier, geared for beginners" normal shot.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 11:27 pm

Mushi 2
Mushi Futari Original Stage 1 DL key: hutari
Mushi Futari (Normal Reco) Stage 3 boss

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:56 am

Excellentcom's new pricelist was just released. Brand new Mushi Futari kits for $1443. Still a better deal through Fujita, where it's about a hundred dollars cheaper, plus you get the poster. You can pay by credit card or paypal with Excellent, but you can only pay by IMO with Fujita (through snail mail), so if you want it fast and on the CC, go with Excellent.

All the other Cave kits received mild price drops, Galuda 2 is down to $633 for example. A used PCB-only Mushihimesama is still going for $778 there.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:15 am

Hopefully this will hit the $800 range when I get my life back in order (which will be like 2011 at the rate I'm going).

bay · Post by **bay** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 4:05 pm

twe wrote:Brand new Mushi Futari kits for $1443. Still a better deal through Fujita, where it's about a hundred dollars cheaper, plus you get the poster.

so whats this saying about popularity vs kit price of mushi futari?

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 6:09 pm

Nothing, really. They could just be printing a whole lot more.

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:04 pm

So I got my Mushi Futari kit on wednesday, here's my impressions thus far (I'll try and skip most of the stuff NTSC-J and others have already stated):

-As others have said it's much more difficult than the first game. It has a very different 'feel' too. I still prefer the first game, personally, though those who didn't like tapping their way to high scores will definitely like this game better. Stages 4 and 5 feel very much like Ketsui. The game overall is much more fast-paced, and I get quite a rush when playing the later levels. It really keeps you on your toes.

-Original mode's scoring system is both interesting and frustrating. Basically, it's what I call a "cumulative shmup", in that your multiplier adds up and carries over from the first stage to the last, much like Guwange and Progear. In fact it's Cave's first cumulative shmup since Progear. I find the scoring system to be pretty cool (and a bit weird), as you have to kill enemies with the C button when the 100 digit on the overall counter is 0-4, and use the A button when it's from 5-9, in order to get large gold gems. It's not my favorite system in the world, but it's more interesting than the first game's Original mode. It's frustrating because every time you die the overall counter gets slashed in half and the stage counter gets cut by 25%. Since these counters act as multipliers (though I'm still not sure how they interact with one another), it kills your score. Like the first game, to get a high score you really need to 1-life Original, at least up the last stage.

-Maniac mode is pretty damn hard. I like it even more than Original mode though. At first the whole multiplier thing seems like a tacked on Galuda/Ibara Kuro type system, and while it is definitely similar to those systems, the gameplay is closer to the first Mushi's Maniac mode than you might think. Like the first game, if you want a good score you need to find a chaining route in each level, as when the chaining bar (the bar that lights up from blue to red underneath the gold counter) is in the red zone, you get large gold gems, when it's in the blue zone you get small gold gems. You obviously want the large ones as they increase your gold counter faster, which you can use to cash in on the multiplier more often. You can only go into the multiplier mode when the chaining bar is at zero (no color) and you are holding the A button. So, where as in the first game you could only "skyrocket" the counter at a few points in each stage, in this game you can only "cash in" on the multiplier at a few points in each stage. Well, maybe and maybe not. There seems to be some potential for long multiplier chains in some spots. In fact, I have a feeling that unlike the replay vids that have been released thus far, the key to high scores will be many smaller connected multiplier chains in the levels, rather than saving up the multiplier for the mid boss or boss in each level, as most of the vids show.

-I like playing as all the characters really, but Abnormal Reco is a pain to control (her C shot is the coolest looking in the game, by far, though). I like Abnormal Palm a lot and I'm curious why more people don't use him as his A shot is ridiculously strong. I like Normal Reco for Maniac mode, and Normal Palm is probably the easiest character to use overall.

-There may be some advantage to using rapid C. I'm not sure if it's just my imagination, but by tapping C fast I seem to suck in the gold easier than holding C. I've read some people on 2ch recently talking about uses for rapid fire in this game as well.

-I've noticed that if you tap C fast with Normal Reco, her lasers stop firing and you only have a W-shot. Just like in the first game! It doesn't work with Abnormal Reco or either of the Palms, but could have some interesting chaining advantages in some spots.

-It's quite strange that there are 6 bomb slots for each character but only 5 bombs in the whole game (3 you start with and 2 you gain--one in stage 4 and one in 5). So either there's a hidden Stage 6 with a bomb in it or there's an Ultra mode (or whatever bonus mode) with an extra bomb.

Anyway, just some initial thoughts. Any questions, feel free to ask.

freddiebamboo · Post by **freddiebamboo** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 12:59 am

Good info and impressions twe, cheers!

I wish I could afford to start buying pcbs

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 1:35 am

Alright, I've been playing as Abnormal Reco today and I finally "got" how to play with her. I now realise she's the best character in the game, hands down. It sorta feels like they designed the whole game for her. I beat the last boss with her in Original mode today (just practicing) only dying once, and I really wasn't trying too hard. With her A shot you can lock the little options on an enemy and fly around the screen super fast clearing everything out of the way. With the bosses you can sweep from one edge of the screen to the other quickly and direct their fire away in ways you cannot do with any other character. Her C shot is absolutely perfect, it has just the right speed and range of fire (plus it looks damn cool). She can be tricky, but she's definitely the most fun to play as, and probably has the potential for the easiest 1CC once you get her down.

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 3:29 am

I think I found a high score bug in the game. I'm not sure if it's actually a bug though, and it's actually extremely minor and doesn't effect anything of importance. Basically, when playing as Palm in Maniac mode, it shows Reco's top default "today's high score" on the screen during play (at the top, in the middle), which is SWY's 26mil score. It doesn't show Palm's top "today's high score". Well, whatever, no big deal (though this problem didn't occur in Espgaluda 2 where you had three different character rankings instead of 2). Here comes the bug part: what's weird is when you beat the 26mil score with Palm, it replaces it "on the fly" with your increasing score until your credit ends (as it should), but when you play another credit right after this, Palm's high score is not on the top of the screen during play, instead you have the same 26mil default Reco score! It's still saved in the "today's high scores", and thankfully it is saved in Palm's all-time ranking. However, if you beat the 26mil score with Reco, and play another credit, your high score is (properly) up at the top of the screen during subsequent credits until power down. I'll have to test and see if I first beat the score with Reco, then beat THAT score with Palm, whether or not Palm's score will go on top of the screen.

The bug doesn't happen in Original mode.

Can anyone else with the PCB check this?

NTSC-J · Post by **NTSC-J** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 5:08 am

I've noticed it too. No matter how many times the score at the top of the screen gets beat, it seems to put a low default score up there. Sometimes it works and puts the top one up there, but usually doesn't. Like you said tho, the real scores are saved in the top 5 screens. Pretty annoying.

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 5:17 am

NTSC-J wrote:I've noticed it too. No matter how many times the score at the top of the screen gets beat, it seems to put a low default score up there. Sometimes it works and puts the top one up there, but usually doesn't. Like you said tho, the real scores are saved in the top 5 screens. Pretty annoying.

I'm pretty sure Reco's hi scores always go up. At least the handful of times I've gotten more than 27 mil with Reco, they always go up and stay there until power down. I've never had it worth with Palm though. Have you ever seen a Palm score that beat the 26mil default go up there?

jpj · Post by **jpj** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 3:49 pm

are there passwords after each run...?

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 6:14 pm

No, no passwords or online ranking. Only the first Mushi had that.

Shalashaska · Post by **Shalashaska** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 12:52 am

Argh twe...I just got stationed at Pearl Harbor so don't be alarmed when you see a sailor looking through your window trying to catch a glimpse of Mushi 2 in action.

You and GP have been warned.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 3:31 am

You and GP have been warned.

Falling short of a complete conniption fit (sp?) on my wife's part (not out of the question, actually), I won't be here when you get here.

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 9:22 pm

A guy posted a Maniac mode high score all-clear of 310,723,094 (2 lives left at the clear) with Normal Palm over on 2ch (this thread:
http://game10.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/gamestg/1164786618/). That's the highest score I've seen thus far. People are speculating that the top Maniac scores will be in the 400-500 mil range.

The more I play this game the more I love it. In fact, as of right now I like it about the same as the first Mushi. Maniac mode's difficulty is somewhere between DDPDOJ or Ketsui's first loop and Mushi's Ultra mode, personally I find the 4th level to be the biggest pain in the ass (tons bullets coming at you from every direction very FAST with very few breaks in between swarms). Original mode is about the same difficulty as Mushi's maniac mode, but with a tougher end boss.

LUNardei · Post by **LUNardei** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 10:37 pm

WTF? Mushifutari 1.5 version with ULTRA mode? I've read some stuff on neo-arcadia. Embarassing stuff indeed

I'm not a Cave fanboy anymore, ahah

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:07 pm

Crap.

http://am.ge-sen.com/?2865&cmd=n&no=1777

They're releasing a Mushi v1.5 on Dec 18/19th. It's supposed to be easier, fix up some bugs, and add an Ultra mode.

Goddamn Cave, I just spent $1400+ on the original PCB kit.

LUNardei · Post by **LUNardei** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:35 pm

This is really totally sick.

gionmatsuli · Post by **gionmatsuli** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:36 pm

What is that? Shame on you Cave

I also read this on neo-arcadia and thought it was a joke until I see a message on japanese sites

.
In that case I will feel more powerful when I'll clear my Version of Mushi Futari

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:43 pm

Holy ballbags Batman. That sucks!
Glad I didn't buy the PCB.

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:48 pm

If they really do make the game easier in Original and Maniac modes, and they don't offer an option to switch back to the original version, then I'll still be happy with my PCB as it will be a more challenging game, and a different experience. I'll have to get the new version PCB someday, but I'll wait until it's cheap. I hope this doesn't end up as another damn Black Label with a limited release though.

I bet there will be a console port of this game with the original and 1.5 versions selectable. This eliminates the need for an "Arrange" mode.

oxtsu · Post by **oxtsu** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 12:24 am

I say it's about fucking time. No more sweeping bugs under the rug.

Cave needs to ditch the 300lb cosplayer and hire a few game testers.

Technically it is a simple matter to re-flash the memory with the new version. Of course we don't know yet if Cave/AMI is going to offer the service, but I would ask about it with the distributor you bought it from. Might be something they won't advertise.

twe wrote:I bet there will be a console port of this game with the original and 1.5 versions selectable. This eliminates the need for an "Arrange" mode.

Makes me think of DOJ's port (where goes Black Label?!).

sven666 · Post by **sven666** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 12:29 am

twe wrote:Crap.

http://am.ge-sen.com/?2865&cmd=n&no=1777

They're releasing a Mushi v1.5 on Dec 18/19th. It's supposed to be easier, fix up some bugs, and add an Ultra mode.

Goddamn Cave, I just spent $1400+ on the original PCB kit.

that would suck if they dont offer services to have your PCB upgraded

why make original and maniac easier? doesnt make sense to me..? does the game come across as being ridiculously hard?

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 12:34 am

Yeah, I'd be surprised if they actually made Original and Maniac modes easier, as it would screw up the Japanese players who are currently competing for high scores in those modes.

Original mode isn't that bad, about as hard as the first game's Maniac mode. Maniac mode is really damn hard though. Harder than DDPDOJ or Ketsui's first loop, in my opinion, but not as hard as Mushi's Ultra mode.
I like the challenge, however, and it would be a shame if they dumbed it down in the new version.

There are some bugs in the game, but none of them are major or really necessary to fix. Some of the bugs are: 1)Palm's high score display bug in Maniac mode, 2) the on screen display disappearing for a second when you use the multiplier on a TON of bullets (I've not been able to do this yet), this is called the 'kamikakusi' bug in Japanese, 3)something with the attack pattern of the 4th boss, how it can get a big crazy or something.

Espgaluda 2 was far more buggy, as it would crash a lot. I haven't had Mushi Futa crash so far. Pink Sweets is apparently the buggiest board with loads of critical programming flaws leading to crashes, but Cave never offered a service to fix that either.

Anyway I've contacted the PCB distributor I ordered from, I'll let you guys know if there's some upgrade service available.

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 3:38 am

OK, good news, I got the mail from the PCB distributor I ordered from and I can get the version 1.5 for free if I want it. I just have to send the board back to Japan and pay half the shipping. I'm not sure about this though, as they HAVE changed the difficulty of Original and Maniac modes. They're much easier now. Here are the three changes:

1)Original mode is now targeted at 'beginners', so you can easily get past the first few stages on 1 coin. It's apparently been balanced in a way to make the game "very enjoyable".

2)Maniac mode has been dumbed down in difficulty, targeted at beginner to intermediate players, with an emphasis on scoring.

3)Ultra mode has been added. This will probably be a bit harder than the original board's Maniac mode, with tons of bullets.

So it looks like they basically adjusted the difficulty to be more like the first game.

So, should I get this update or just keep my current board? If most people update their boards and there is no option to revert back to the original version, the original PCB I have might be a rarity.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 3:42 am

This gets weirder by the minute...

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 5:33 am

Great... more high score tables O_O

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 5:36 am

lol

The first version will fade away pretty quickly, I think.
I'm pretty sure now I'll be sending my PCB back next monday for the version 1.5 upgrade.

shmups.system11.org

Official: Mushihime-sama Futari (1.0, 1.5, BLT)

High score bug?