Shmup Plots.. What do we want to know?

Aquas · Post by **Aquas** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:08 pm

I want to know what's the deal with Mushihime-sama. Why is this 15 year old girl riding a golden beatle and fucking up the whole insect and plantlife world? What did the insects do to deserve such massacre? Who the fuck is the feminine-looking guy?

I'm the type of guy who plays a shmup and needs some overlying concept to fuel his efforts in the gameplay. And I've been having trouble locating information about Mushihime-sama's fraction of a story. So I ask you guys. (This includes ending text from the game, of which I'm also curious of. Fill me in with all you know!)

And for the sake of this topic not being a waste perhaps you guys want to illuminate some other shmup stories which are lost in japanese to non-japanese speakers. Of course, these are shmups that don't have that lovely engrish we all have grown fond of to describe the story... so... break it all down here, folks. (questions arise?)

Mills · Post by **Mills** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:25 pm

When it comes to japanese plots and story telling, i dont you wanna know the plot behind Mushi, it could be deeper than you imagine.

Post by **Ghegs** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:56 pm

Best shmup-plot ever.

As for Mushi's story, there's quite a bit here.

Daigohji · Post by **Daigohji** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:19 pm

Ghegs wrote:Best shmup-plot ever.

GET IN YOUR BAD STARFIGHTER AND WAIL!

These words will live in my heart, forever.

JoshF · Post by **JoshF** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:23 pm

I was going to start a topic on this. The English-speaking shmup community doesn't really have a good resource for finding out about shmup storylines.

Let's put GaijinPunch to work!

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:41 am

And she's 16. Yum yum

JBC · Post by **JBC** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:59 am

Ghegs wrote:And if by chance you have more lives than a cat, there's a very good chance your picture will end up on a box of alien cereal, and you'll be crowned the new mayor of Moronica.

OMG i had to edit my occupation

Belmont · Post by **Belmont** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 6:24 am

Radiant Silvergun has to be the only shmup i can think of that really got me into the story....even if i cant read japaneese i got the jist of it from the movies....then promptly found translations online

Arvandor · Post by **Arvandor** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 6:26 am

Likewise for me. I found a translation guide for RSG, but I haven't even really bothered to read the between-stage rantings of ESPgaluda, let alone any of the shooters with less obvious attempts at story -_^ I must admit though, with Mushihime-sama it could be interesting to know what's going on ^_^

shinsage · Post by **shinsage** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 7:16 am

I also greatly enjoy stories and background history in shooters and fighters, although most every other person who's a fan of those genres couldn't care less.
They add a little something something to an otherwise all-action game.

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 7:47 am

There might be something behind it, but in the end, all I want to do is kick some ass and blow stuff up.

Kind of like story in a porno. Maybe at first he was there to fix the cable, but in the end he just wants to lick some ass and get a blowie.

FatCobra · Post by **FatCobra** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:35 pm

iatneH wrote:There might be something behind it, but in the end, all I want to do is kick some ass and blow stuff up.

Kind of like story in a porno. Maybe at first he was there to fix the cable, but in the end he just wants to lick some ass and get a blowie.

That's what I was thinking too. Although story can help improve the game's atmosphere, in the end, I just want to blow shit up.

I did like R-Type Final's Rs Museum however, I am interested in aircraft history and Irem did a great job fleshing out the evolution of the R series aircraft. Too bad the game was kinda slow and boring; it suffered from "Gran Turismo" syndrome. (LOLZ, wE gOts ToNZ of CARZ, but NO gAmeplay! LOLZ!)

Story is not needed in a shmup as far as I'm concerned, if I wanted story, I'd go play an RPG.

Belmont · Post by **Belmont** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:11 pm

FatCobra wrote:Story is not needed in a shmup as far as I'm concerned, if I wanted story, I'd go play an RPG.

Wasnt there a shmup RPG that came out for GBA in the last few years. I coulda sworn i saw a video review for it bashing it all to hell because you needed skill to finish the game not just hours of gameplay to lvl up.

FatCobra · Post by **FatCobra** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:12 pm

Belmont wrote:
FatCobra wrote:Story is not needed in a shmup as far as I'm concerned, if I wanted story, I'd go play an RPG.
Wasnt there a shmup RPG that came out for GBA in the last few years. I coulda sworn i saw a video review for it bashing it all to hell because you needed skill to finish the game not just hours of gameplay to lvl up.

You're probably thinking of Sigma Star Saga. That's the only shmup RPG that came out for the GBA I think.

Belmont · Post by **Belmont** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:16 pm

Any good? I wasnt to impressed form the review that i saw

FatCobra · Post by **FatCobra** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:23 pm

Belmont wrote:Any good? I wasnt to impressed form the review that i saw

No idea, I haven't played it.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:36 pm

IIRC there used to be some summaries of a couple of shmup series' plots (compiled by Rando, if memory serves) on Shoot the Core someplace, not sure if it's there anymore though.

sven666 · Post by **sven666** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:07 pm

I only need to know one thing, where they are

JBC · Post by **JBC** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:17 pm

That was awesome, Sven.

mice · Post by **mice** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 6:45 pm

- Ey, Vasquez. Ever been mistaken for a man?
- No, have you?

Dale · Post by **Dale** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:14 am

Mice your back how've you been?

I kinda like that shmups have vague or nonexistent plots because it leaves things to speculation which in the long run is much more interesting.

Klatrymadon · Post by **Klatrymadon** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:23 am

X-Multiply has the best plot (and a wonderfully profound, yet amazingly simple ending). I'm not really bothered about 'em, though - they're not why we're here, and for me they're part of the "problem" with modern gaming.

Aquas · Post by **Aquas** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 1:59 am

^

But surely there should be some reason for the destruction of all that shmup stuff. That's what I must know. Because of the grand scale blowing tons of shit up takes on, it needs some backdrop, just...something! I'm pleased with what I've learned about Mushihime's story. That's as adequete as it could ever get for me. (Even though the ending is still in mystery to us)

Klatrymadon · Post by **Klatrymadon** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:08 am

Unsavoury chaps are coming. Administer a sound thrashing.

I know what you mean, but a simple scenario will always suffice, for me. I think a shmup's artistic ambitions and nuances should lie in its visuals and sound, not its literature or cinematics. Again, I think X-Multiply had the perfect blend of all of these elements in the right proportions. You can play it not knowing what the hell's going on, but knowing (for example) that it's set inside a woman's body lends the art direction an even more unsettling ambiance. However, nowhere is the story elaborated on to an exhaustive degree. All we really know is that Bykhee, the queen of these microscopic aliens, is fertilizing an egg in the woman's uterus. We're never told why or how, and I think the game is all the more memorable (and subliminally influential) for it...

The untold/unseen horrors are always the most interesting/frightening, right?

Skyknight · Post by **Skyknight** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 3:06 am

I have to admit that with X-Multiply, I thought it odd that some reviewers thought the pilot was shrunk down with the X-002. Especially since I got the feeling that the X-002 STARTED OUT as microscopic. So I quickly came to the conclusion that it isn't manned at all, but operated by remote control (with the "cockpit" actually being the camera eye). But that doesn't explain why Bykhee congratulates you on your bravery...

Then I came up with this. Maybe the one who's controlling the X-002...is the infected woman herself. From there, I got the idea that the X-002 is controlled by thought. So the host woman is doing a conscious version of what her immune system is supposed to do on its own...and she has to stare down these Lovecraft rejects herself. And her own tainted egg cell--her own spawn as much as Bykhee's.

Notable candidate for "disturbing experience", yes?
[/u][/i]

Dale · Post by **Dale** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 3:14 am

See this is what I'm talking about Sagoth and Skynight speculations are way way more interesting then any generic space shooter plot I've heard, and probaly more interesting then what the developers intended to convey, or maybe some of the more aesthetically bizare shmups were intended to get these more criptic speculations from the players.

Aquas · Post by **Aquas** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 5:40 am

Dale wrote:See this is what I'm talking about Sagoth and Skynight speculations are way way more interesting then any generic space shooter plot I've heard, and probaly more interesting then what the developers intended to convey, or maybe some of the more aesthetically bizare shmups were intended to get these more criptic speculations from the players.

I'm totally down for that.
I wrote a poem about Raiden Fighters Jet which was pretty much based on my speculation. Check this shit out:

now adult and decided
trodden'd long landscapes
he speaks finally to birth
to birth in techno, power logic-
the Radian Lazer Type II
to blasted wrecks of airborn hostiles
explode into sifting debris'z

down with adversaries immediately
to birth in circuitry's sky redeemer
conscious somewhat controlling somewhere
a deity decided (for this war)

born into another
conscious somewhat controlling somewhere
born into another
conscious somewhat controlling somewhere

mirkvid · Post by **mirkvid** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 7:14 am

what do we need to know?
who. what. when. where. how to kill.

not necessarily why.

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 8:25 am

I doubt that TF5, Guwange, MUSHA, ProGear and EcoFighters would feel the same without a bit of a backstory to them. "Blast Off and Strike the Evil Bydo Empire" may be enough for one game, but not all of them. And don't get me started on Einhander, which has the plot ever.

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 9:14 am

I love twist endings.