Nucleus/Bacterius

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 9:00 am

New bio-themed arena shmup announced for PS3... "Nucleus"

Link to full preview and more screenshots

Partial excerpt follows;

1up.com wrote:Besides shooting, the player's unit can use a tractor beam of sorts to push and drag cells. Players can do some interesting things with the beam like grabbing cells and linking them together to form a shield. And the more cells players amass, the more protein releases when the clump breaks down. [...]

In battle levels, players may have to survive for four minutes while fending off bacteria and moving along the bloodstream -- making it tough to avoid and shoot enemies at the same time -- or have four minutes to destroy all bacteria and viruses while collecting enough pick-ups. In a survival level, players might be up against a massive amount of bacteria and need to survive long enough to collect the required amount of points.

Beyond the setting, Nucleus has a different vibe compared to other shooters out there. The graphics are minimalist and dark, but the real distinction comes from the soundscape provided by Rephlex's Bogdan Raczynski. The very Aphex-Twin-like music shifts between ambient noise and fast paced oddness.

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:58 pm

I assume this is a downloadable game?

PROMETHEUS · Post by **PROMETHEUS** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 2:28 pm

interesting~!

Post by **system11** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 7:03 pm

Looks like a Robotron game, Mutant Storm stylee.

Sly Cherry Chunks · Post by **Sly Cherry Chunks** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 7:11 pm

Theres already an old Amiga shmup called Nucleus.

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 3:32 am

Provisional release date for Nucleus is earlier than expected, latest news is an EU release date of May 25.

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 4:48 am

It doesn't look very fun from the screenshots.My guess is that you just start swirling in a big circle like Geometry Wars until you eventually die.

Fenrir · Post by **Fenrir** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 9:43 am

So you biofreaks won this time!
Anyway, it doesn't look too nice, it looks like a doujin for PC. Let's hope the game mechanics are VERY cool, because what I see pleases me not.
Come on japs, it isn't all that difficult. Let's release Gradius VI for PS3 and settle things down, hm?

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 6:01 pm

EU release date of Nucleus has been revised to June 1st.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:28 pm

Fenrir wrote:So you biofreaks won this time!
Anyway, it doesn't look too nice, it looks like a doujin for PC. Let's hope the game mechanics are VERY cool, because what I see pleases me not.
Come on japs, it isn't all that difficult. Let's release Gradius VI for PS3 and settle things down, hm?

Can we please refrain from using terms like "Japs" or "Cunt", or other degrading words on here??

I'm pretty sure Gradius VI takes a lot more time to develop then a game like this.

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 4:22 am

Seems like this missed its release date.

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:27 pm

16 new screenshots at Gamespot

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 7:38 am

First Nucleus review is out...

Pro-G wrote:Most shooters do have intricacies and nuances of course, but Nucleus even exceeds the more elaborate genre leaders Ikaruga and Gradius V in terms of rules of engagement...

Entire review is here.

Mortificator · Post by **Mortificator** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 4:01 pm

Pro-G wrote:Most shooters do have intricacies and nuances of course, but Nucleus even exceeds the more elaborate genre leaders Ikaruga and Gradius V in terms of rules of engagement...

"Pro game journalist" checklist for reviewing shooters:
1. Mention Ikaruga, Gradius V, or R-Type Final. CHECK.

The game looks kind of fun, and if I had a PS3 I would try it.

No_not_like_Quake · Post by **No_not_like_Quake** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 5:19 pm

Bring this thing to XBLA.

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 10:39 pm

Another Nucleus review is up, this one mostly focusing on difficulty...

EG wrote:...spiritual successor to the 80s coin-op shooters that effortlessly annihilated all but the most freakishly gifted players...

EG wrote:it's frequently insanely tough, that just seems to make unlocking new stages feel a lot more rewarding.

EG wrote:It's been a long time since I've played a game where the odds are so hugely stacked against the player.

EG wrote:Nucleus has obviously been designed to be a challenge - a game that throws down the gauntlet to the hardcore - and it's rare that we see this anything like this in the current era of gaming...

Full review link

kengou · Post by **kengou** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 2:43 am

why are these PSN or XBLA shmups ALWAYS arena shmups? Where are all the scrollers or bullet-hell games?

Post by **Ghegs** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 5:25 am

kengou wrote:why are these PSN or XBLA shmups ALWAYS arena shmups? Where are all the scrollers or bullet-hell games?

Well, there's Aegis Wing. But yeah, this is something I've wondered about myself. Maybe they're the "cool retro game flavor" of these times.

Motorherp · Post by **Motorherp** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 8:36 am

I'm guessing because of the success of Geometry Wars. People are now trying to cash-in via association.

Danny · Post by **Danny** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 8:38 pm

Motorherp wrote:I'm guessing because of the success of Geometry Wars. People are now trying to cash-in via association.

That and it's not like we've not been flooded with them over the years have we? I guess people now want to show love for a shmup type many thought died a death years ago.

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 4:26 am

Update:

Nucleus has been released, exclusively for the time being, for the Japanese Playstation Network. The full game is available to buy now as "Bacterius" for those who live in Japan. The rest of the world can only download a 3-level free trial version from Japan by creating a secondary PSN account using JP info.

My initial impressions from some hands-on time with the Nucleus/Bacterius demo, is that while it's visually striking in HD from a minimalist/sharp/stylish graphic design standpoint, I generally fail to see (at least in the demo stages) the kind of deep gameplay that some reviews have suggested.

It's very slow, methodical gameplay, with each stage very carefully designed, almost like stages of a puzzle game. Still interests me enough to purchase the full game when it's released internationally, but there's no way this is going to be any kind of "Stardust-killer"...

-Bridget- · Post by **-Bridget-** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 5:06 am

kengou wrote:why are these PSN or XBLA shmups ALWAYS arena shmups? Where are all the scrollers or bullet-hell games?

I dont really think that's a bad thing.....

I have Geometry Wars, and it's very good and very fun.

It's like a faster moving Robotron (but nowhere near as difficult).

And Robotron is a favorite of mine....

I think, the only problem with Geometry Wars, is that the assorted enemies coulda been thought out a little better.

That whole "just keep circling" idea only WORKS, because every single enemy is slower than your ship, except for the red magnet-looking things which are fast, but they're also very rare and cant seem to turn properly.

And yeah, the other arena-type games are probably mostly being made due to GW's success......

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:37 pm

Full version of Nucleus is now downloadable internationally (both US and EU) from Playstation Store

ROBOTRON · Post by **ROBOTRON** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:08 am

Dang it...gonna make me have to go buy a PS3 and a HD TV finally.

@$%*%#@!

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 6:16 am

I started playing the full version. My initial impressions from the japanese demo were not very accurate; this is indeed rather deep in terms of tactical options, much like that first Pro-G review indicated. Doesn't feel very shmuppy though, the pacing and feel is closer to something like Alien Breed (an Amiga overhead shooter with tactical elements) than most shmups.

Visually it looks like a Mutant Storm clone but that's rather deceptive as the game is less about shooting, and more about manipulating your environment. For example one stage puts you in the centre of the screen, surrounds you with several dozen lego-block style "cells" which don't harm you but which you can move using your tractor beam, and initially the stage gives you several seconds of calm to quickly design and build your own custom cell wall around yourself, before the attack waves of enemies start. Then once the attack waves start you have to survive the attack long enough to pass the level, but during the stage you might find yourself spending just as much time reassembling your breaking cell wall to block enemies, as you do shooting them.

That example is just one among many different types of stages in Nucleus; different stages often have quite different gameplay objectives... Interestingly this game is from Kuju Entertainment, the same development company for the upcoming "Geometry Wars Galaxies", which also appears to offer assorted/different stages, so it's possible that Nucleus and Geometry Wars Galaxies might share some creative staff between them.

There is also a "swim" button which you need to keep pressing in order to move at full speed, otherwise you float around too slowly to escape attacks. Another tactical element ties into the way you power up your most powerful weapon, a smart bomb like torpedo which you can fire from a distance, and from behind cell walls, at enemies to get score multipliers -- you need to frequently stay close to certain destroyed cells and enemies to collect their proteins to power up this weapon.

Veracity · Post by **Veracity** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 2:14 am

kengou wrote:why are these PSN or XBLA shmups ALWAYS arena shmups? Where are all the scrollers or bullet-hell games?

Others' responses covering Geometry Wars me-too syndrome are probably the main reason, publishers being what they are. I would hazard development cost is also a factor - an Asteroids/Robotron derivative is often 'just' a set of rules that generate the game procedurally. Not to say that's easy, especially considering charging anything like real money for XBLA/PSN/VC content is apparently not an option, but I would think, say, seven stages with 13 bosses and five difficulty settings is typically a more demanding undertaking, if only in terms of asset creation.

Shocky · Post by **Shocky** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:41 am

Thunderforce, does the full version contain more music tracks? I might buy this just for Bogdan Raczynski's amazing sounds. The demo version made a very good use of subwoofers...

ROBOTRON · Post by **ROBOTRON** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:50 pm

Sounds interesting enough to try...I'd rather have a Gradius game or something, but this just might do.

I wish Technosoft would re-form and make something for PS3 hardware. Compile too for that matter...but I digress.