Death Smiles: Countdown to North America Invasion

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 12:55 am

I wouldn't either (even if one isn't of the shooting variety) but I think that's pushing it. They are quite small. I think we'll know by the show for sure. Just gotta get an on screen bullet count.

henry dark · Post by **henry dark** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 5:30 am

Got the issue today.

This is something minor (I don't think it's been mentioned), but in the lower right hand corner of one of the screens there is a purple circle with the word 'ENEMY' written on it, and an arrow pointing off the screen (and sure enough, it looks like theres an enemy about to come in).

I'm getting kind of excited to play this now.

And did you notice the new shooter featured on the page before, 「まもるクンは呪われてしまった！」?

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 6:41 am

henry dark wrote: And did you notice the new shooter featured on the page before, 「まもるクンは呪われてしまった！」?

There's a 5 page thread dedicated to it!

sven666 · Post by **sven666** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:37 am

i dont see how anyone can be negative about the little actual game footage weve seen so far, it looks incredible, like a Cave take on SOTN is my first impressions which if true would be absoluteley fantastic!

i for one an glad it isnt "just" another cutesey vert, MMP actually played great but im still not found of its artstyle and therefore my interest is still pretty low...

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 12:34 pm

New interview with the main programmer Takashi Ishimura: http://cave-gameshow.cocolog-nifty.com/

Here's my quicky translation:

Itamu: What was your role on the current title?

Ishimura Takashi : I'm the game's main programmer, that is to say, the main programmer of the game's main program.

So the bottom line is "main", I take it.

Pease tell us what the concept and characteristics of the game are.

To put it in simple terms, not danmaku, but rather to achieve the refreshingly pleasent feeling of destroying enemies. [We were trying to aks ourselves] what feels really refreshing? That kind of thing. Following Ikeda-san and graphics-president Junya Inoue-san's exposé, we attempt to break free from "Cave-ness" with this title.

What on earth is a graphics-president...

If you look at the released pictures, Death Smiles really conjures quite a different image than the previous work Muchi Muchi Pork. Could you elaborate on this?

Using graphics-president Junya Inoue's ideas of "gothic horror, horizontal screen, buzy with human characters, geared towards casual gamers", we aim for something different from the previous works.

Well, so what is a graphics-president...?

If you talk of Cave shooting, manic bulletspray is the selling point, so will there be some pretty manic bulletspray this time? Although, I think it would be good if it's a game that beginning shooter players could also enjoy.

As this time there won't be as much bulletspray as with the previous works, we'd also like to broadly appeal to users that have up to now been kept away by bullet-filled screens.

...

During development, was there anything that you paid particular attention too, or that was particularly tough?

Compared to Mushihimesama Futari there was twice as much graphics data, so managing the memory use was most difficult. Actually it's not exactly twice as much, but almost twice.

Almost twice as much?...

Please give your message to Cave-fans and gamers.

Rather than danmaku, please endulge in the refreshing destruction of enemies. Although, I think there'll still be some danmaku too.

So which one is it going to be!?

PROMETHEUS · Post by **PROMETHEUS** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 12:44 pm

The more we learn the less we know @_@

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 12:45 pm

PROMETHEUS wrote:The more we learn the less we know @_@

Not really. We know that they're trying to do something different (not an Ikeda game, yoko, and hopefully no crazy rank system).
I've added a translation to the Junya Inoue one. Sure it doesn't spill the beans about the scoring mechanics, but we'll find that out soon enough.

General Martok · Post by **General Martok** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:12 pm

CIT wrote: geared towards casual gamers

sigh

this is going too far

henry dark · Post by **henry dark** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:24 pm

GaijinPunch wrote:
henry dark wrote: And did you notice the new shooter featured on the page before, 「まもるクンは呪われてしまった！」?
There's a 5 page thread dedicated to it!

Ah. I really should spend more time on this forum...

PROMETHEUS · Post by **PROMETHEUS** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:36 pm

GaijinPunch wrote:
PROMETHEUS wrote:The more we learn the less we know @_@
Not really. We know that they're trying to do something different (not an Ikeda game, yoko, and hopefully no crazy rank system).
I've added a translation to the Junya Inoue one. Sure it doesn't spill the beans about the scoring mechanics, but we'll find that out soon enough.

Yeah I just mean the new interview doesn't really answer any of our questions aside from "is this really a regular Cave style shmup?" of which we already kind of knew the answer anyway. The guy does say it's not danmaku but "maybe there'll be a little danmaku" @_@ It's designed for casual gamers but still interesting for the core gamers ?... I see more new questions rising than questions being answered.

hermosaguy · Post by **hermosaguy** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:53 pm

CIT wrote:
As this time there won't be as much bulletspray as with the previous works, we'd also like to broadly appeal to users that have up to now been kept away by bullet-filled screens.

This has to feel like the equivalent of your girlfriend walking out on you or having your family just disown you.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:09 pm

of which we already kind of knew the answer anyway.

Uh... we did? Everyone up until now has been wondering who the developer was.

PROMETHEUS · Post by **PROMETHEUS** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:11 pm

I mean looking at the screenshots it was already kind of clear that were not going to get our "usual" Cave shmup : reverse hori and next to no bullets on screen.

djvinc · Post by **djvinc** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:23 pm

There is already plenty of danmaku Cave games.
It's nice that they try to do something different. I'm tired of playing the same kind of game ever and ever again.

Muchi Muchi Pork is geared towards casual gamers with its difficulty changing depending on the player's skills.
I'm expecting a good game from them, not only some kind of 'update'

icycalm · Post by **icycalm** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:34 pm

Man, I was so happy that the programmer turned out to be someone other than Ikeda.

And then he mentioned casual gamers...

cody · Post by **cody** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:48 pm

CIT wrote:please endulge in the refreshing destruction of enemies. Although, I think there'll still be some danmaku too.

Hrrm, smells like Bangaio

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:51 pm

You guys obviously don't read too many Japanese articles. That's kind of a stock line. I don't think they're going to come right out of the gates and say it's for hardcore nuts.

Also, I think CIT's translating on that point was a little rushed. He didn't say casual gamers. He said "beginner shooters". People who like the genre but suck at it, per se.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:07 pm

GaijinPunch wrote:Also, I think CIT's translating on that point was a little rushed. He didn't say casual gamers. He said "beginner shooters". People who like the genre but suck at it, per se.

Nah, I got that part right:

シューティング初心者でも楽しめるゲームになるといいな、と思うのですが。->Although, I think it would be good if it's a game that beginning shooter players could also enjoy.

What I translated as "casual gamers" was ライト向け

You used "with a light feel".

It's debatable what "raito" means here, I felt it means ライトユーザー向け
geared towards "light users" (= casual gamers)

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 4:35 pm

Aaah, indeed. Shoulda read more.
Anyways, I think my point is still valid. I'd have to go digging around but I think I've read about 1001 interviews where they say the aim is to make it enjoyable for beginners and nutbags. I believe the Gigawing developers stated that. While it is considered easy for a danmaku, it's hardly a push over, and is quite fun. They should shoot whomever decided to move it to 3D-based hardware though. Maybe even jab him in the ass w/ a stick.

Fighter17 · Post by **Fighter17** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 6:02 pm

I would like to see the bullet patterns. They might go with the Psikyo direction.

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:17 pm

I had a hunch Ikeda wasn't doing this one! Takashi Ichimura was the co-programmer for Ketsui. I don't know what else he has done.

I hope Ikeda releases a new vert in early 2008.

evil_ash_xero · Post by **evil_ash_xero** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:46 pm

So, this game scrolls in the opposite direction? I've been reading about this, and some people thought it was sorta like "Forgotten Worlds", or you could go back and forth.

It's confirmed that it scrolls in the opposite direction?

s/m

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:27 pm

EOJ wrote:I don't know what else he has done.

Dangun Feveron, according to Recap. He would know better than I.

sfried · Post by **sfried** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:48 am

General Martok wrote:
CIT wrote: geared towards casual gamers
sigh

this is going too far

Not so. If it plays anything more like the more methodical shooters (Einhander, G-Rev stuff), then if might as well attract new gamers to shmups.

I've had enough with "ZUN-style" danmaku elitism. I don't mind every once in a while, but for every shmup...

(Besides, it's a nice change of pace for CAVE)

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:53 am

but for every shmup...

Ibara, Pink Sweets, Pork, non-cave games

Zebra Airforce · Post by **Zebra Airforce** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:54 am

danmaku elitism

What does that even mean? Ikeda just likes making those games. He knows how and enjoys creating them. He's not trying to scare people away.

henry dark · Post by **henry dark** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:05 am

evil_ash_xero wrote:So, this game scrolls in the opposite direction? I've been reading about this, and some people thought it was sorta like "Forgotten Worlds", or you could go back and forth.

It's confirmed that it scrolls in the opposite direction?

s/m

No. The article said "it looks like its forced scrolling from left to right...but maybe its multidirectional?"

I hope the player controls the field, personally. I also see nothing wrong with a bit of ライト向け either, if it gets more people interested in the genre.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:47 am

No. The article said "it looks like its forced scrolling from left to right...but maybe its multidirectional?"

The article said lots of things. Multi-directional, lock-on, player controlled scrolling. There is a clear picture of the character shooting down. I can only assume lock-on since I don't see Cave using a non standard stick. Long story short: Wait two weeks and we'll know for sure.

incognoscente · Post by **incognoscente** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:25 pm

EOJ wrote:I don't know what else he has done.

Non-lead programmer for Dodonpachi, Dangun Feveron, Guwange, Progear no Arashi, Dodonpachi daioujou, Ketsui, Espgaluda, Mushihime-sama, and Espgaluda II. My notes don't include staff information for Futari, so I can't say one way or the other for that.

Zebra Airforce · Post by **Zebra Airforce** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:29 pm

Where's the pie-graph

?

EDIT: My keyboard cost 10 dollars