The shmup-fangame to end all shmup-fangames

[TKGB_Mental_Gear]

...or not but it sure to be cool.

Don't know if this post goes against the rules but if it does, you can delete it.

Anyways I wasn't planning on posting this until I actually get to the working part since I'm the research part but since I made an account, might as well.


Big intro into my project, not really neccessary to read so those who don't like a big pointless read, you can skip over to the other side of the plus signs
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I am a super big fan of crossover games. I love them to death for some reason. Ever since I discovered "Marvel Vs. Capcom", my love of crossovers has begun. Not just games but comics, TV, anime, whatever it is, crossover characters and I love it (though for some reason, music crossovers doesn't do it for me). The more characters and worlds that cross over, the better it is for me.

One day I was on YouTube.com and I saw a video that some person made. It was a collection of giant robot animes that he collected. I wanted to investigate on some of them cuz they looked cool and came across a link that lead to the article for "Super Robot Wars". I got so excited about it cuz...well....I LOVE CROSSOVERS!!!!!! To have almost every giant robot crossover into one game series is like a dream come true to me. Unfortunate I have no means of recieving any of the games (the fact that's in japanese doesn't bother me).

Then suddenly something hit me. Make a crossover game. I decided to make a fan crossover game that would be huge but of what genre? I didn't know. I looked around to see what I could crossover. I decided to make a game that was fast and easy to make and instatly shmups came to mind. They are easy to make and can be done quickly too. I wasn't much of a shmup man back then so I needed research. Upon research I discovered many things about shmups, including this wonderful site. I discovered there were many kinds: Space, WWII themed, steampunked, giant robots,cute em' ups (cumps?) etc. and so much to it. I also discovered some new shmups that I never heard before but are now my favorites (I now replaced my Strider Hiryu desktop background with the Battle Garrega opening screen).
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So after much reasearch it was decided: make the biggest shmup crossover you can. I named the project "Mental Gear" (hence my username) and would star two original chars that I made who would travel through time and space to meet every single shmup char that has ever graced the video game world.

I told this to another forum and they told me that it would be too hard or to pick a better recognized genre. Maybe I can get a different opinion from those of you who are shumpers.

What I plan to do with the game is to make it play like a shmup but design it like an RPG game where you may travel back forth between worlds, buy stuff, and all that good stuff you see in an action RPG.

But of course the most important feature would be the crossing over of other characters. I'm not squeezing in every char into one game, I would like to theme the games based on what they are about. The first game would be about time traveling and I have seen some time traveling shmups around so I would like to make those the focus of the game. They will meet other chars from other type of games but would be there just to aid.


And I guess that's all I have for now. Yes, it's gonna be a very challanging task but if Banpresto can attempt to crossover every mecha in anime, then I can at least try to crossover every shump.

[ForteMP3]

Heh, I was toying with this idea too, but using an SRW engine approach. The biggest issue will be how to properly balance vertical/horizontal gameplay, assuming you do both.

That, and well, good lord, this'll take a LONG time to make in all honesty. Cavadius is taking me forever, though that's partially because of my lack of an uber drive (I promise I'll get back to it, really!)

If you go for it, I wish you the best of luck.

[TKGB_Mental_Gear]

The verticle/horizontal part will be easy. I was think of using both of them constantly like in one zone (in my gome, there are no levels but zones) you would have it both vert. and hor. and they would switch back and forth while other zones would have only one specialized.

I was also thinking of doing it SRW style but the idea died. I was gonna have it be a Tactical RPG but when it comes to fighting, you'll be fighting shmup style. Well I'm no fan of Tactical RPGs so that idea is out the window. Shmup all the way.

Will it take forever? No. Will it take a long time? Of course, but I dont care. I'll just take it one step at a time. OI!

[ED-057]

Sounds like a cool idea. Radiant Silvergun's plot has an element of time travel IIRC, maybe you could incorporate that into yours, kind of like how SRW always borrows from one or more Gundam series.

BTW, SRW games aren't really hard to get. ROMs and ISOs show up on usenet all the time, and I bought a few games on ebay for $15 each. Of course if you start playing then you'll never get any work done on your game Also, I tried to make a SRW clone game for MSX, but without anime characters, you can get it here http://www.hyakushiki.net/consoles.htm

[Shocky]

Err... what is an SRW game?

And I didn't completely understand Mental Gears idea, shmups chars, like pilots? I would think that a crossover game would consist on one, maybe selectable ship/character taking on hordes of ships/enemies from famous shmups.

Since the 8-bit days, I've been thinking of crossover shmups too, I've written down and drawn all kinds of plans. First I was thinking of just a combined run'n'gun + shmup, like Dragon Breed or Thexder but with really advanced run'n'gun gameplay and some mild adventure elements. Then I wanted to do a space trading game like Elite with shmup battles. Even this was since kind of done, namely Awesome by Psygnosis, on the Amiga. It was like asteroids meets space harrier meets elite meets something, with cool graphics and music, try it.

Nowadays I'm thinking of a massive multiplayer shmup that would have fleets or groups of tiny little ships flying in a huge area, battling it out in teams or death match...

Edit: d'oh, SRW = Super Robot Wars. Yeah, now I get the idea. Maybe.

[the2bears]

This is an interesting idea. Large in scope, but pretty cool

Bill

[TKGB_Mental_Gear]

And I didn't completely understand Mental Gears idea, shmups chars, like pilots? I would think that a crossover game would consist on one, maybe selectable ship/character taking on hordes of ships/enemies from famous shmups.

Since the 8-bit days, I've been thinking of crossover shmups too, I've written down and drawn all kinds of plans. First I was thinking of just a combined run'n'gun + shmup, like Dragon Breed or Thexder but with really advanced run'n'gun gameplay and some mild adventure elements. Then I wanted to do a space trading game like Elite with shmup battles. Even this was since kind of done, namely Awesome by Psygnosis, on the Amiga. It was like asteroids meets space harrier meets elite meets something, with cool graphics and music, try it. .

Mental Gear would be my primary shmup project that crosses over many shmup chars and their ships and/or weaponery. It will be the majority of the time a shmup but there will be RPG gameplay too, though you won't leave your ship. I'm still planning how I'm going to do that.

The first game will have you travel through different time eras and be able to complete missions, meet new friends and enemies, recruit new pilots and fight off the forces of evil (I haven't thought of who exactly MG will be fighting though). Unlike other shmups you will be able to return to previous places, explore the surroundings, and upgrade parts and be able to remove them for exchange (like the equip feature in a traditional RPG).

The primary goal is to crossover every single shmup ship, char, and whatever else. Well almost every shmup. I don't think I can find a way to crossover Robotron.

And that's about what I got so far. Hope to explains what I'm trying to do.

[Shocky]

...
And that's about what I got so far. Hope to explains what I'm trying to do.

Thanks, I'm on the same frequency now. Damn that sounds good!