New Details of Psikyo Collection 3 Sol Divide Dragon Blaze?

[TVG]

DB scoring system is more than decent when you understand that killing everything by unleashing your dragon releases gold coins and stuff, sure requires alot of memorization and skill to do good, since you need to point blank everything.
go watch a marp replay or something.

[EOJ]

As for Psikyo games I think Zero Gunner 2 is their best work, and it's much, much better than DB. Sengoku Blade is alright for a hori, Ace is pretty average (more 'blah' than DB) and I haven't played Gunbird or Strikers 1945. I've always wanted to play the original Zero Gunner too...anyone play that? If so, how is it?

[TVG]

As for Psikyo games I think Zero Gunner 2 is their best work, and it's much, much better than DB. Sengoku Blade is alright for a hori, Ace is pretty average (more 'blah' than DB) and I haven't played Gunbird or Strikers 1945. I've always wanted to play the original Zero Gunner too...anyone play that? If so, how is it?

i think ZG2 and DB are different enough to not be comparable.
neither is "blah" and both are awesome in their own right.
sengoku blade is damn good too, maybe not the most challenging hori ever, but still a blast to play, and eye candy at its best.

[EOJ]

Well, I see many of you really enjoy DB. That's great. I'm just saying I don't find it all that enjoyable. It has nice graphics, sounds, & controls. However, the whole experience for me is just very unexciting (granted, I can only get to Level 4 on one credit, but I've only played it a few hours!). It is a very challenging game, I'll give it that. But for me, it doesn't have that addictive quality many shooters I love have (I felt the same way about Shikigami no shiro II, another game most people seem to really like). I'm just giving a different view of the game, you don't have to agree with me. It's just my opinion.

[TVG]

no prob.

[PsikyoPshumpPshooterP]

countdown 4 more dayssss!!!!!

[professor ganson]

countdown 4 more dayssss!!!!!

The more I find out about this game, the more I'm psyched about it. Can someone who has played it tell me: How difficult is the game? Is it as hard, say, as Gunbird 2?

[captain ahar]

i would venture to say that it is harder, but i haven't played it. i downloaded a replay of a boss fight (can't remember which) one time and it was hilarious it was so crazy. i am always willing to expose myself to outrageously hard shmups *opens trench coat*

[Ex_Mosquito]

i would venture to say that it is harder, but i haven't played it. i downloaded a replay of a boss fight (can't remember which) one time and it was hilarious it was so crazy. i am always willing to expose myself to outrageously hard shmups *opens trench coat*

It's hard to say, I dont play GB2 but i'd say its the harder than all the strikers games easily. But with all psikyo games once you have a good plan/pattern down you can pretty much play on auto-pilot without thinking.

Here's a few boss vids anyway.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mark9/Dragon_Blaze/

[cigsthecat]

Dragon Blaze seems harder than it is if you don't get large enemies out of the way quickly with the dragon shoot. Still not easy, but hardly impossible.

I think Gunbird 2 is harder.

[it290]

I'd say it's pretty much on the same level with Gunbird 2. The enemies in Gunbird 2 seem to be a little bit more hardy overall, taking more shots to kill, but Dragon Blaze tends to provide more bullets on average and pretty much requires you to point blank all the time. GB2 has a lot of point blanking as well, but it's not something you have to do all the time, unlike DB. I agree with those who said that DB is harder than the Strikers games, though.

[Kiken]

It looks like Psikyo Shooting Collection 3 was received and shipped today from NCSX. I should have my copy tomorrow then.

[raiden]

the thing that makes Gunbird 2 difficult is the fact close-range attacks are limited. Dragon Blaze doesn´t limit them, but you have to call the dragon back before being able to use it again, there is no bullet-wiping close range attack like the one Tavia has, and there are more bullets.
When playing for score, both are completely different. In Gunbird 2 you are worrying about coin chains, while in Dragon Blaze you need a good strategy how to position your dragon in a way to collect maximum golden coins, and of course learning the Tech Boni).
Both games have a slight contrast problem with bullets, btw. Gunbird 2 uses yellow bullets and has a lot of yellow in the backgrounds, Dragon Blaze repeats this mistake in pink color and adds the problem of bullets without an outline, making patterns harder to figure out.

[PsikyoPshumpPshooterP]

It looks like Psikyo Shooting Collection 3 was received and shipped today from NCSX. I should have my copy tomorrow then.

freakin score! along with my white HRAP seimitsu..what a great package for me!

[llabnip]

Anyone else feel this way about DB?

No, not every game needs an elaborate scoring system (I think Dragon Blaze's passes as "decent" with its tech bonuses and constant availability of extra scoring in coins). Dragon Blaze is just a super refined Psikyo game with quality 2D graphics and unique dragon riding gimmick. I'm not sure if you've played any other Psikyo games, but I can't imagine what you'd think of Sengoku Ace, Strikers 1945 or Gunbird if you think Dragon Blaze is "blah."

I'm one of the few that feels that Psikyo was heading in the wrong direction with the last series of games. I'm a huge Psikyo fan - they are probably my favoraite shmup company. Strikers 1945 I is my #2 all time game (with Strikers 1945 II being #3). I've found that I much prefer the basic move and shoot series - the original Gunbird, Strikers 1945, Sengoku Ace, Sengoku Blaede (sic). I think Gunbird 2 was a step in the wrong direction - the melee attack just doesn't sit well with me and the technical bonuses are more flash that I require from a shooter. Strikers 1945 III was the weakest in the series, IMO. Now I won't say that Dragon Blaze isn't refined... it's clearly very polished. But it has elements that I just don't care for personally and while I'm always excited to see any quality shmup ported, I'd defintely say I'm far more excited about Sengoku Ace getting the port - there is something pure and good about the original Psikyo shmup that just feels right. The earlier Psikyo games are some of the best out there for those of us who like our shooters a bit more straight-up. The only semi-modern Psikyo shmup that falls into my top 10 is Zero Gunner 2 which has a decidedly different feel than most of the traditional Psikyo offerings. Psikyo evolves - they generally were not innovators. If you like one Psikyo shooter game you are likely to enjoy them all... but evolution (especially in video games) doesn't always mean better.

[TVG]

snip.

well, there's only so much times you can pull the exact same formula without being lame, and psikyo is a borderliner in this aspect.

edit: as for gunbird 2i like it , but i prefer strikers II to it, not because of the close range attack (which is imo the strongpoint of the game) but because its just strikers 2 with faeries.

i like psikyo and all, but this is the first time i hear someone complain that psikyo is changing too much...

[Neon]

My coworker told me this story, maybe it's horsecrap.

Once, this reporter went up to AC/DC and said, "You've made 17 albums and they all sound the same!" and a member of the band responded, "You're a liar! We've made 18 albums and they all sound the same!"

True that maybe gunbird, strikers, and sengoku aren't *that* different from each other, but there are still minour differences (even between the first two strikers) and I own each simply because they're all fun. Also, you can't 1cc one and then just 1cc another, they all have different bullet patterns, that's the most important thing.

[llabnip]

well, there's only so much times you can pull the exact same formula without being lame, and psikyo is a borderliner in this aspect.

Agreed. I'm simply saying that the changes (however minor) did not (in my opinion) necessarily make for better games.

And for the Psikyo afficiando, there are plenty of subtle but important differences in the early games. They are all unique and special in their own way and each has a personality that was crafted with care by the good folks at Psikyo. Many of the games I enjoy have a feeling of "sameness". They also have their own qualities which set them apart.

Heck, to the casual observer, all shmups are basically the same - it's a ship that moves to and fro on a 2D surface and shoots like mad!

edit: as for gunbird 2i like it , but i prefer strikers II to it, not because of the close range attack (which is imo the strongpoint of the game) but because its just strikers 2 with faeries.

After having played 50 or so hours on Gunbird 2 and many hundreds of hours on Strikers 1945 II, I would never have come to that conclusion myself. To each, their own.

Neon ^ Great story! Back in the late 80's I once had ZZ-top playing on a tape in my car. My passenger said, "Oh ZZ-top - cool - which album is this?" and I said "...what's the diference...".

[Rob]

And for the Psikyo afficiando, there are plenty of subtle but important differences in the early games. They are all unique and special in their own way and each has a personality that was crafted with care by the good folks at Psikyo.

Yeah, there are differences between all of their games, but if you note the differences in the early games, they are much smaller and fewer. I'd say although the patterns aren't exactly the same, they are still very similar because they aren't complex and there's only so much that can be done with circular bullet blasts (which they used a lot). The basic challenge is almost exactly the same, and basically all you've got is a regular shot and unlimited crappy charge attacks. Later games have more abilities, more strategy, more challenge, more scoring opportunities (although they never became score-centric). I think I've posted this 2-3 times before!! I don't think there's any conceivable reason these games aren't better unless you just like the theme/graphics/soundtrack or less challenge. More is always better when it's done in a fair way.

edit: IMO

[CMoon]

Holy crap! llabnip is back!

[llabnip]

I don't think there's any conceivable reason these games aren't better unless you just like the theme/graphics/soundtrack or less challenge.

Who wouldn't like dragons as a theme in Dragon Blaze! Uber-cool. No, it's not theme - Strikers I and II have basically the same theme and I've always felt that Strikers I is the better game (though I love II and ran the high score thread at the old board for a year or two). I mostly don't find that the additions have actually added anything the overall exerpience and in the case of the close range attack, it takes away from the pure shoot-and-move experience, IMO.

More is always better when it's done in a fair way.

We'll have to agree to disagree. I remember arguing the point of S1945I being superior to S1945II (minorly) and Gunbird being vastly superior to GB2 and don't want to get back into it (especially not in a Dragon Blaze thread). Suffice to say that for some of us (er... ok... me!), the more pure experience is often more satisfying than the changes they graft on later.

Then again, I'm somewhat in the minority in that I've found modern shmups are not quite as fun as the classics. Give me classic Psikyo, Technosoft, Toaplan and Compile any day over Takumi and Cave (though I love GigaWing 2 to bits so there are exceptions).

Holy crap! llabnip is back!

It's nice to hear from you again, my friend. I've even responded to one of your posts recently - took you a while to notice...

[Rob]

though I love GigaWing 2 to bits so there are exceptions

Oh man, give my ailing GW2 high score topic a bump then.


By the way, no one has yet mentioned it's Dragon Blaze's official release day! Mine's been shipped.

[mannerbot]

Mine too.

[Kiken]

I just got done playing a couple of rounds of Dragon Blaze in Yoko format (there are only two screen formats: MAME-esque Yoko and full screen Tate). This is the first time I've ever played Dragon Blaze, and I must admit that it would most likely benefit me to Tate my TV, because the Yoko mode can be a bit small... merge that with purple bullets that are flying over mostly cool-colour terrains, and the game ends up being more difficult than it ought to be.

I'll probably try to Tate my screen tomorrow and give it another try.

The whole dragon-proximity-strike concept is interesting. The dragon causes a lot of damage when you dismount from it (there's an innitial blast.. and this triggers more gold coins from enemies) and then you have the option of calling it back to you, or having it sit there and use your charge shots (which are completely different when you're actually riding them).

The game definitely feels like an evolution from Gunbird 2.

[Neon]

I agree with CMoon, llabnip, your visits here are too infrequent.

Nice to hear it has TATE. I'll order it once I have a job, or maybe I'll sell Sengoku Blade since I'm not playing it much right now.

[Ganelon]

Nice, anything special in the collection? Stage select practice? Another superplay DVD? Did Sol Divide lose its original mode from the Saturn and PS? Any info would be appreciated.

[Kiken]

Nice, anything special in the collection? Stage select practice? Another superplay DVD? Did Sol Divide lose its original mode from the Saturn and PS? Any info would be appreciated.

Both games do feature a practice mode. You can also turn on and off random stage order in Dragon Blaze.

There's no Superplay DVD with this set (in fact, wasn't it just the first Psikyo Shooting Collection that featured one?).

Both games are rather directly ported from the arcade. You have to hit Select to put a credit in the machine.

All game options are configured in an overhead menu with lots of sliding green selections. One annoyance is that you have to actually start a game, hit pause and select "Exit" if you want to back out of the current game you're in. Loading times aren't too bad.. a couple of seconds each time. The game is CD-ROM format, BTW.

Sol Divide does not have the Original mode from the PSX and Saturn ports. One thing I did notice though is that everything appears very pixelated, and the character sprites appear larger than in the Saturn and PSX revs. I'll have to capture some footage, just to double-check.... but everything seems slightly scaled out.

One final note: There is no Auto Save feature. So if you nail a new high-score and actually want the game to remember it, back out to the green menus and save manually, otherwise all your records are gone.

[Ganelon]

Thanks for the detailed info!

Yeah, both earlier collections supposedly had superplay DVDs in the initial batch of copies so it's a bit strange there's none this time around.

[chtimi-CLA]

Both games do feature a practice mode. You can also turn on and off random stage order in Dragon Blaze.

very nice, the lack of auto-save is slightly annoying but not too bad.
i'm not usually a psykyo fan but this one could be a good way to get into it.

[system11]

Got my copy of this today - both ports are very good, just as on the Sengoku Ace/Blade pack. While Sol Divide is a good port of a bad game, Dragon Blaze is a good port of an exceptional game - highly recommended. It even holds together well as a pack, the menu at the front end suits both games, nice job Oh - scores can be saved (auto unknown, likely not), the viewing modes for Blaze are yoko zoomed (correct aspect), or tate - as it should be.