Shikigami no Shiro III

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 10:25 pm

Veracity wrote: I know some people simply prefer not to use their PC for games, though, which is fair enough.

Yeah, that's me. I may have to rethink this, though.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 12:29 am

and PCs are for porn stereotype in the domestic market

Not sure what's worse, that or Japan's "PC games are for porn stereotype"...which I have to say is almost true. I think 80% of Japanese PC games are hentai.

hirounder · Post by **hirounder** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 8:12 am

Some more info appeared in Famitsu regarding Wii/360 release http://game11.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/gam ... 658357/802

Probably needs better translation but here is what I got
- release date 12/13
- it's possible switching between 2 characters while playing
- 360 version will have score ranking boards on Live
- new Dramatic change mode where you practice on stages/with bosses you want
- new Gallery mode to check on arts and illustrations of each character

Asherdude · Post by **Asherdude** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 7:10 pm

It finally showed up on IGN.

Shikigami no Shiro Update
Coming to Wii60
by IGN Staff

September 7, 2007 - Wii60 lives! (Wii60, by the way, refers to the purchase of a Wii and 360; the two could, at one point, be purchased at total cost less than that of a PS3). Arc System Works and AlfaSystem are bringing the latest entry in their cult Shikigami no Shiro franchise to the two platforms, for Japanese release on 12/13.

Shikigami no Shiro III resembles past entries of the character driven scrolling shooter series, with its vertical display and anime cut-ins. This time around, players select from 10 warriors whom they directly navigate -- you'll find no ships in this game! The game includes five stages of blasting action, each cumulating in a major boss fight.

New for the home versions is a Dramatic Change Mode, where you can change between two characters on the fly. As a result of this new mode, you can now enjoy the two player exclusive scenarios from the arcade version even when playing by yourself. The home version also includes a gallery mode and, for the 360 version, score rankings via Xbox Live.

We're not sure why Arc System Works has chosen just the Wii and Xbox 360 while giving the PS3 the snub. Then again, the first game saw its home debut on the Xbox, so we're not exactly surprised by the move either.

http://wii.ign.com/articles/818/818556p1.html

Well, I guess I'll have to start thinking about getting a Japanese Wii. And, no, I'm not even considering a Japanese 360.

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 7:18 pm

You probably don't need to get a JP Wii. This has a good chance of coming to the USA.

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 7:37 pm

With awetrocious voice acting.

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 7:43 pm

EOJ wrote:You probably don't need to get a JP Wii. This has a good chance of coming to the USA.

And if so, who will be the American software publisher then?

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 7:47 pm

PC Engine Fan X! wrote:
And if so, who will be the American software publisher then?

Your guess is as good as mine.

RyanDG · Post by **RyanDG** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 9:00 pm

PC Engine Fan X! wrote:
EOJ wrote:You probably don't need to get a JP Wii. This has a good chance of coming to the USA.
And if so, who will be the American software publisher then?

Aksys would be my guess. With Arc System Works handling the Japanese publishing, it would make sense for Aksys to handle the American release due to their close relationship with the last couple of games.

ahnslaught · Post by **ahnslaught** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 1:53 am

Great, why the hell does this game have to be released on the two systems that have region locks that I don't have the Japanese console of?

I loved SnS2 as much as anyone, and want to play this pretty bad, too, but I'm praying for a release on PS2 or PS3. I seriously can't and don't want to buy yet another system just because of stupid region locks.

hirounder · Post by **hirounder** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 1:06 pm

Screens appeared on Famitsu site, Wii version I presume.

http://www.famitsu.com/game/coming/1210016_1407.html

Asherdude · Post by **Asherdude** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 11:36 pm

hirounder wrote:Screens appeared on Famitsu site, Wii version I presume.

http://www.famitsu.com/game/coming/1210016_1407.html

I wonder if it will adjust the aspect ratio to account for widescreens so we can avoid the black borders.

Veracity · Post by **Veracity** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 1:00 am

GaijinPunch wrote:Not sure what's worse, that or Japan's "PC games are for porn stereotype"...which I have to say is almost true. I think 80% of Japanese PC games are hentai.

The Japanese stereotype was what I meant: 'domestic' for the games, not for me. My sole exposure to Japanese entertainment software is through looking at what's in exporters' catalogues; I'd wondered before if the impression was skewed by importers being more interested in porn than JP versions of more conventional games they could get locally, but I know you've mentioned the prevalence of the stereotype elsewhere and will take your word for it. It's really just the Type X similarity that irks me - I like GWG on PS2, 30FPS, resolution loss and all, but given the choice I would've preferred a relatively direct PC conversion. A simple perception that no-one at all would buy the games on PC would better explain publisher reluctance to bother; the piracy thing feels a bit thin with respect to the PS2 at this stage in its life cycle: without the new gen's firmware updates, any fool who wants to pirate for it can do so with barely more effort than Windows software.

Not that 'PCs are for work/porn' doesn't mostly hold for the west these days, too. Some FPS and RTS diehards still take the PC seriously both as mainly a gaming platform and as their main gaming platform, but I reckon most other formerly PC-only grouches have long since caved in and maintain at least one console for the sake of variety of available titles.

professor ganson wrote:Yeah, [I don't like using PCs for games]. I may have to rethink this, though.

Eh, your call. I've always used PCs for games, so modern stuff feels like it's zero configuration, but it'd be a lie to claim they 'just work' to quite the same extent as consoles even now. If nothing else, they have the issue of ever more intrusive and annoying DRM to offset their lack of region locking. I defy anyone of moderate or lower patience to last long with modern games before a reliable crack site or two finds its way into their bookmarks. I'm on the 'lower' end of that spectrum and lately just routinely crack everything I install before even running it.

Shooter-wise, you'd mostly be missing out only on doujin stuff, I think (if you consider that 'missing out'). Shiki III going to PC is likely more a continuation of AlfaSystem's apparent 'port to anything and everything' policy than any indication of a port-filled future for the platform. I think Raiden III went PC, too, but Giga Wing Generations and Homura didn't. I don't imagine we'll see anything closer to the Naomi/Dreamcast synergy for PCs, so I don't think you'll be missing a lot in the way of commercial releases.

Also note Shiki 3 PC is a little sparse on features compared to EX and II. The stage select is very good (separate popcorn, mid-boss and boss segments), but replay saving is gone, and Director's Mode is subtle enough I'm not sure what the hell it does apart from enabling internet ranking (admittedly haven't exactly made a concerted effort to find out). Extra modes, interweb co-op or some such might sell you on one or other console version. Contrary to some mildly exaggerated wailing bandied about regarding bleeding eyeballs, I quite like the graphics aside from some instances of deplorably featureless background, but either way rescaling artifacts shouldn't be nearly the concern they are on sprite engines, since everything is textures slapped on triangles. Come to think of it, the PC port even pimps 768x1024 output as a selling point.

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 2:10 am

Veracity wrote:Also note Shiki 3 PC is a little sparse on features compared to EX and II. The stage select is very good (separate popcorn, mid-boss and boss segments), but replay saving is gone, and Director's Mode is subtle enough I'm not sure what the hell it does apart from enabling internet ranking (admittedly haven't exactly made a concerted effort to find out).

They made the mistake of having Cyberfront "port" it as opposed to farming it out to Kids Station like the past two games.

The upcoming Arc System Works port seems to have quite a few new features (new singleplayer mode that has you switching between characters, for example (the function probably requires a bomb)) though hell if we get to see that on PC.

I want to see XS Games' awesome babelfish localization of that. That'll be fun.

MathU · Post by **MathU** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 3:39 am

I thought Cyberfront's port of Raiden III was pretty good.

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 3:41 am

Playing on random Nvidia cards = random 5 sec freeze every minute

MathU · Post by **MathU** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:27 am

LOL Oh, well, I guess that's not so good...

Zeether · Post by **Zeether** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:56 pm

Twiddle wrote:
Veracity wrote:Also note Shiki 3 PC is a little sparse on features compared to EX and II. The stage select is very good (separate popcorn, mid-boss and boss segments), but replay saving is gone, and Director's Mode is subtle enough I'm not sure what the hell it does apart from enabling internet ranking (admittedly haven't exactly made a concerted effort to find out).
They made the mistake of having Cyberfront "port" it as opposed to farming it out to Kids Station like the past two games.

The upcoming Arc System Works port seems to have quite a few new features (new singleplayer mode that has you switching between characters, for example (the function probably requires a bomb)) though hell if we get to see that on PC.

I want to see XS Games' awesome babelfish localization of that. That'll be fun.

I think UFO should do it personally, they did such a great job w/Raiden III...

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:25 pm

This game is gorgeous and fun. Sometimes I have trouble loading it because I haven't played a game on a computer in many years, and when I make the screen size x2, I get major slowdown-- even though I have a fast computer. But these aren't objections to the game. I have none at this point. Superb.

Necronom · Post by **Necronom** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 10:40 pm

Twiddle wrote:Playing on random Nvidia cards = random 5 sec freeze every minute

Playing on a three years old system with Nvidia 6800LE = no freezes, no stuttering, basically arcade perfect...and yeah, I've played the arcade version.

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 12:38 am

Necronom wrote:
Twiddle wrote:Playing on random Nvidia cards = random 5 sec freeze every minute
Playing on a three years old system with Nvidia 6800LE = no freezes, no stuttering, basically arcade perfect...and yeah, I've played the arcade version.

This game even runs decent on my lappy with an ATI Radeon Express.

Afterbirth · Post by **Afterbirth** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:22 pm

How do you run locale - i can't seem to install Japanese as my non-unicode (contact ADMIN!) even though its installed.

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:07 pm

Isn't this really any great improvement on the second installment? I probably shouldn't ask since I've never really taken to any of the games in this series so far.

Super Laydock · Post by **Super Laydock** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 12:18 pm

A small video of the Wii version from the TGS was posted here.

edited mistype...

Asherdude · Post by **Asherdude** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 1:26 pm

Super Laydock wrote:A small video of the Wii version from the TGW was posted here.

Cool!

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 9:55 pm

Pre-orders are open at yesasia and play-asia.

edit: I mean to say pre-orders for Wii and 360 versions.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 11:33 pm

I don't see it at P-A when I search *shikigami*. Can you offer a link?

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Sun Oct 07, 2007 2:41 am

professor ganson wrote:I don't see it at P-A when I search *shikigami*. Can you offer a link?

Yes, but now you have to buy it through MY link :p

And here is the normal link for everyone else.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 3:32 am

Thanks. Not sure how I missed these.

I think I'll wait for now because I want to see whether LE packages are coming-- easier to wait than to change one's order.

This game is just incredible-- potentially my favorite game ever. I will definitely spring for LE versions.

MathU · Post by **MathU** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:21 am

LE = Localized English?