New Neo-Geo shmup -- Last Hope [also for DC]

theevilfunkster · Post by **theevilfunkster** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 4:33 pm

The game arrived in the post this morning numbered 394 out of 500 and it came with a European VMU. I want to keep it sealed put I'm tempted to open it to see what the soundtrack disk is like.

Here's a crappy pic I took with my phone

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 4:44 pm

It's surpriseing how low par games can start to sell for higher prices just b/c they got a limited print or a "special edition"....

I wonder if this will happen for Last Hope....

Super Laydock · Post by **Super Laydock** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 4:47 pm

theevilfunkster wrote:The game arrived in the post this morning numbered 394 out of 500 and it came with a European VMU. I want to keep it sealed put I'm tempted to open it to see what the soundtrack disk is like.

If you just want to see how it looks like, then you can keep it sealed.
Here´s a picture of the soundtrack cd, as posted on a DC forum:

It does look beautiful imho. Very cool retro look!

I am not sure myself if I´ll open mine... maybe I should get a second copy to open that one??? (It´s times like these I realize that I am gonna have to win the lottery or something soon to keep getting all the stuff that I want...)

theevilfunkster · Post by **theevilfunkster** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 4:57 pm

Ooh, that looks cool. But yeah, that's all I was really interested in seeing, now I can keep it sealed

pixelcorps · Post by **pixelcorps** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 7:03 pm

wow, it looks like one of those cheap CDRs you can get from staples

Damocles · Post by **Damocles** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 7:29 pm

We called it.

shinsage · Post by **shinsage** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 7:32 pm

Super Laydock wrote:

Maybe it's just me, but the use of Japanese in everything Last Hope-related is annoying as hell. These guys are GERMAN.

It's more irritating than some punk kids who like something more just because it's Japanese or when someone speaks a Japanese phrase because 'it sounds cool'.

Fenrir · Post by **Fenrir** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 8:22 pm

Well it came out as an NTSC/J DC game hasn't it. So well... if they try to appeal the japanese market, no problem for me. Pretty much like when japanese companies put english subtitles to their games - if they followed your advice our life would be much much muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch harder ;D

Nemo · Post by **Nemo** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 8:33 pm

I like all the people who bought the L.E. as an invest. The only thing worse than buying the L.E. of a crappy game to use it, is buying a L.E. of a crappy game to keep it sealed in hopes to make money in the future. The only reason Border Down fetches high prices is because it's actually good and people want to play it.

pixelcorps · Post by **pixelcorps** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 9:12 pm

I just played this finally.. then switched it off before I removed my own eyes in frustration.

it's utterly soulless! the enemies start spewing bullets at you before you've even got a bearing on your environment or your controls!

I'd heard that the red glowing debris was a distraction, but that.. OMG.. it's SUCH a bad design decision!!

I got further by NOT shooting enemies!

still, it's RARE! eh?

man, this game is such an inspiration for me to do shooter as my next project, I only hope I can convince my engineer - these toys need some serious schooling!

Kiken · Post by **Kiken** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 9:15 pm

Fenrir wrote:Well it came out as an NTSC/J DC game hasn't it. So well... if they try to appeal the japanese market, no problem for me. Pretty much like when japanese companies put english subtitles to their games - if they followed your advice our life would be much much muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch harder ;D

No. It was released as a regionless selfbooting CD-ROM. And if they wanted to appeal to the Japanese in that sense, then everything would be in English.. or better yet, German.

icepick · Post by **icepick** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 10:05 am

I have to say; That soundtrack disc looks amazing. Very professional, very high-quality. If I'd been able to pre-order the game, seeing that would have made my wait more than worthwhile. (Well, one never knows.)

The label makes a big difference in appearance from the Verbatim CD-Rs that I've seen. I know that if I get the game, I'm more than likely going to pick up the LE instead of the regular, although I thought about picking iatneH's up in the trading forum.

It's just that I have yet to get the hang of R-Type-style games.

ubersaurus · Post by **ubersaurus** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 5:34 pm

Just got my copy in today.

Music kicks ass, and the game is absolutely gorgeous.

Since I heard how balls hard it was, I set the difficulty down to very easy, and lived up to 7. Still hard, but at this setting it's manageable-I got up to level 2 before i was done in.

I had fun with it, but then, I like this sort of game.

Ceph · Post by **Ceph** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 6:04 pm

Anyone who ordered at Van Basilco got theirs yet?

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:35 pm

icepick wrote:It's just that I have yet to get the hang of R-Type-style games.

I hate to rekindle the flames of... flaming, but I've aced Delta and Final, enjoyed R-Type 3 and even X-multiply, and they all piss on Last Hope. In every area, so don't think you'll like it even after mastering the above.

Super Laydock · Post by **Super Laydock** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:50 pm

Specineff wrote:
icepick wrote:It's just that I have yet to get the hang of R-Type-style games.
I hate to rekindle the flames of... flaming, but I've aced Delta and Final, enjoyed R-Type 3 and even X-multiply, and they all piss on Last Hope. In every area, so don't think you'll like it even after mastering the above.

Well, I'd have Last Hope over R-Type Final ANY day!

I'll even say that I think it's graphics are superb, with neat little touches (water dripping of the ship when coming out of the water, lighting differs in non lit areas and so fort, nice animations everywhere, 4 layer parallax scrolling, ...it's just beautiful.
The music kicks ass too and about the only things I'd really change in the DC mode are some small hit detection issues and not returning to the checkpoint when getting killed at the boss).
And since when do we shit on a shmup that's difficult?
Yes I can understand the criticism about the arcade mode, but the DC mode repairs most of the flaws from that and is hard but fair on normal.

Let's face it, the game is well worth every penny and it was too harsh received (all in my very humble opinion of course)
People are much too spoiled even so far that they have to nitpick on everything which is not perfect while not seeing everything that's great about it.

Sonic R · Post by **Sonic R** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 12:06 am

I got my copy today and have given it a test drive.

I had viewed the game being played briefly by ROBOTRON and it looked stunning then but didn't have my hand at the controls.

Well it still look great- the game is TOUGH as nail and I am dead quickly. Torture

I am have hard time with debris mixed with bullets and bullets seem cheap. Some bullets are aim at you and other bullets are pattern at you but these are ass hole bullets WTF's are being shout when I am dead

But I continue to play. It is not best ever but is top notch production.

As every else is says - Music is tight! I only hear level 1 but it is the awesome!

Of note - The LE # on spine is written in ink pen? Cheap

ubersaurus · Post by **ubersaurus** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 3:15 am

I'm up to level 3 on very easy now. Still hard, but I've gotten quite used to the bullet differentiating, and had no problems with the asteroids that seem to give so many people trouble. The only tricky part so far is the little ships flying around halfway through the stage, that you have to weave through while fighting enemy ships!

Edit: Made it up to about halfway through level 5, where you have to get past the lasered blocks. Pain in the ass, this part, as these fuckers hide behind the blocks and kamikaze you as you try to get through!

Still digging the game though. I can see why some people wouldn't enjoy the trial and error approach it takes, but I think it's fun. Maybe it's just the difficulty?

Frederik · Post by **Frederik** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 11:01 am

Kiken wrote:
Fenrir wrote:Well it came out as an NTSC/J DC game hasn't it. So well... if they try to appeal the japanese market, no problem for me. Pretty much like when japanese companies put english subtitles to their games - if they followed your advice our life would be much much muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch harder ;D
No. It was released as a regionless selfbooting CD-ROM. And if they wanted to appeal to the Japanese in that sense, then everything would be in English.. or better yet, German.

DAMN RIGHT. Japanese love german words apparently ("Edelweiss" or "Einhänder" spring to my mind). If they just called it "Letzte Hoffnung" or something, I bet it would have gotten MUCH more attention (whether it deserves it or not I can´t tell). But the Shinen guys did that pretention thing, too. Come on, guys, be a little more confident. If I were japanese and people started to suck up to me like that, I would hate it. It shows a certain inferiority complex.

Sonic R · Post by **Sonic R** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:24 pm

ubersaurus wrote:I'm up to level 3 on very easy now. Still hard, but I've gotten quite used to the bullet differentiating, and had no problems with the asteroids that seem to give so many people trouble. The only tricky part so far is the little ships flying around halfway through the stage, that you have to weave through while fighting enemy ships!

Edit: Made it up to about halfway through level 5, where you have to get past the lasered blocks. Pain in the ass, this part, as these fuckers hide behind the blocks and kamikaze you as you try to get through!

Still digging the game though. I can see why some people wouldn't enjoy the trial and error approach it takes, but I think it's fun. Maybe it's just the difficulty?

I am finding myself digging the game too for twisted reasons. It can be cheap but at the same time is is throwback to R-Type, Last Resort, Pulstar.

I am from the days of old and this is what I am remember I just wish I didn't have to work cause I play it right now. (sux that when I leave here I feel tired to jam hard on a game

)

My goal by Monday is to realize level 2

Necronom · Post by **Necronom** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 6:56 pm

If I were japanese and people started to suck up to me like that, I would hate it. It shows a certain inferiority complex.

Inferiority complex?! Nah! I guess this whole japanese flavoured language is just considered part of the style. Remember Apidya for the Amiga in 92? I'm kind of impressed with what NG:dev.team pulled off here. Not because of the game...quite frankly the game itself is rather dissapointing imho. No, it's the way these guys marketed it to the hardcore crowd. I mean if they had just released it for a couple of euros as a cd-r nobody would have really cared...
I really hope somebody at IREM is watching this whole show and realizes that there is ONE HELL OF A FUCKING DEMAND for a NEW R-TYPE!
Fuck that "Final" shit...call it S-TYPE or whatever...just do something, please

shinsage · Post by **shinsage** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 1:34 am

Super Laydock wrote:
Well, I'd have Last Hope over R-Type Final ANY day!

thems fightin words.

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 2:59 am

Well, I'd have Last Hope over R-Type Final ANY day!

those are words of a crazy person.

Necronom · Post by **Necronom** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 12:15 pm

Well, I'd have Last Hope over R-Type Final ANY day!

Blasphemy! Burn the heretic or feed him to the bydo!
Just joking...no seriously, how does that work?

NAVVARR · Post by **NAVVARR** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 9:38 pm

I actually didnt buy it for an investement- like some have said. -

I really wanted to play the game and since the LE was delayed - i bought the original. -and since the LE is the same as a the original- there is really no point in opening the sealed game- is there?

anyway -i really quite like the game- yip -i see the flaws- like sometimes the bullet are a bit hard to see- but it is the best R-type clone i've seen in ages and i do think its more interesting than Final- which i also played to death- but basically gave up on coz it got boring doing the same stages over and over to unlock a few new ships.

I'd look forward to a Last Hope II -if it ever was on the cards- fix some of the flaws and it would be a gem of a horizontal shooter.

-there- thats my 2 cents

Super Laydock · Post by **Super Laydock** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 8:29 pm

shinsage wrote:
Super Laydock wrote:
Well, I'd have Last Hope over R-Type Final ANY day!
thems fightin words.

Strider77 wrote: those are words of a crazy person.

Necronom wrote: Blasphemy! Burn the heretic or feed him to the bydo!
Just joking...no seriously, how does that work?

Either you guys never played Final or you gave up on Last Hope after the 10th try or something...

I repeat:
i´d have Last Hope over R-Type Final ANY day!

*

*that said, please don´t let the Bydo hurt me... again...

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 12:07 am

Super Laydock wrote:*that said, please don´t let the Bydo hurt me... again...

Sorry, but...

Necronom · Post by **Necronom** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 10:52 am

@Coop
Hehe, nice one. Where is it from, I've never seen this one before? Looks like some euro cover of R-Type from the 80s...cool.

bcass · Post by **bcass** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 1:55 pm

That's lovelly. Any chance of an unaltered version?

Klatrymadon · Post by **Klatrymadon** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 2:13 pm

Here ya go, mate: