Just bought a DS, what games do i want?

[Guardians Knight]

yup, im talking shooters here, i searched on ign, and it seems there is a small hatfull of shoot em ups, which do i want? Thanks

[MathU]

Well, the only shoot 'em up out right now is Nanostray. It's a decent title whose main flaw is forced touch-screen controls. If possible, get the Japanese version, which does away with them. The other three shoot 'em ups to look out for are Nanostray 2, Ketsui, and ROTR, but they won't be released for a while. Another one I've heard of is Cosmo X2, but I think that may be in development hell.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Or you could say the magic word of "vaporware" as well...

At the USA based Toys-R-Us stores right now, they've priced the sole DS shmup title of Nanostray (USA region DS version, of course) at a cheap-ass bargin price of $7.98 USD. I bought one at that price... ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[BrianC]

There's more shmups on the DS, even if they are ports. Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits has Gradius, Twinbee, Time Pilot, and Scramble in it. It's a very nice collection, though I recommend setting the DS to Japanese to play the superior JP version of Gradius. Namco Museum DS is a bit slim on games but it does have Galaga, Galaxian, Xevious, and Super Xevious (unlockable) in it.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

There's more shmups on the DS, even if they are ports. Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits has Gradius, Twinbee, Time Pilot, and Scramble in it. It's a very nice collection, though I recommend setting the DS to Japanese to play the superior JP version of Gradius. Namco Museum DS is a bit slim on games but it does have Galaga, Galaxian, Xevious, and Super Xevious (unlockable) in it.

This Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits is currently available at USA-based Toys-R-Us stores at MSRP of $29.99 USD (since I already have it for the PSX, there's really no reason to pick it up for another platform)... ^_~

[BrianC]

This Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits is currently available at USA-based Toys-R-Us stores at MSRP of $29.99 USD (since I already have it for the PSX, there's really no reason to pick it for another platform)... ^_~

Many places have it for cheaper than that. Last I checked EB has it for $19.99. Amazon.com has it for 19.99 too. Even if you already have the PSX collection, I still highly recommend the DS one. They are not the same collection, even though the PSX one has some of the same games. There are very good reasons to pick up the DS collection if you already have the PSX one. Three of them are Gradius, Contra, and Twinbee. Other reasons are that the DS collection has more games, almost all of the original dipswitch settings, screen settings and some nice extras like artwork and a sound test.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

This Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits is currently available at USA-based Toys-R-Us stores at MSRP of $29.99 USD (since I already have it for the PSX, there's really no reason to pick it for another platform)... ^_~

Many places have it for cheaper than that. Last I checked EB has it for $19.99. Amazon.com has it for 19.99 too. Even if you already have the PSX collection, I still highly recommend the GBA one. They are not the same collection, even though the PSX one has some of the same games. There are very good reasons to pick up the GBA collection if you already have the PSX one. Three of them are Gradius, Contra, and Twinbee. Other reasons are that the GBA collection has more games, almost all of the original dipswitch settings, screen settings and some nice extras like artwork and a sound test.

For BrianC,

Thanks for heads up on the latest pricing quotes at other businesses. I'll take it into consideration as to getting those GBA titles that you mention of. Thanks again for the kind suggestions and your insights of the GBA Konami shmup titles... ^_~

[Guardians Knight]

thanks guys, im in u.k. btw so probs wont head over to a u.s. toy r us tho

[Frederik]

Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits has, best of all, a replay saving function. You can either watch a prerecorded playthrough or record you own. Watching yourself die in Gradius again is priceless. I even cought myself doing showy stuff "for the camera", to produce an exciting replay.

If only the Gradius Collection on the PSP had this awesome feature

[BrianC]

This Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits is currently available at USA-based Toys-R-Us stores at MSRP of $29.99 USD (since I already have it for the PSX, there's really no reason to pick it for another platform)... ^_~

Many places have it for cheaper than that. Last I checked EB has it for $19.99. Amazon.com has it for 19.99 too. Even if you already have the PSX collection, I still highly recommend the DS one. They are not the same collection, even though the PSX one has some of the same games. There are very good reasons to pick up the DS collection if you already have the PSX one. Three of them are Gradius, Contra, and Twinbee. Other reasons are that the DS collection has more games, almost all of the original dipswitch settings, screen settings and some nice extras like artwork and a sound test.

For BrianC,

Thanks for heads up on the latest pricing quotes at other businesses. I'll take it into consideration as to getting those GBA titles that you mention of. Thanks again for the kind suggestions and your insights of the GBA Konami shmup titles... ^_~

Doh, NOT GBA, DS. Typo. Anyway, it's the DS Konami Arcade game in the Amazon link, which is the game I was talking about. The GBA one has fewer games than the PSX game and only two games not in the PSX collection, Rush 'n Attack and Frogger. The GBA one has no options and the ports aren't 100% accurate, but it has some nice extras like versions of games with new stages or enhanced graphics. The PSX, GBA, and DS ones are all different despite having a couple of the same games.

I'm going to post lists of the games for the collections:

GBA:
Frogger
Gyruss
Time Pilot
Yie Ar Kung Fu
Rush 'n Attack
Scramble

DS:
Scramble
Time Pilot
Rush 'n Attack
Yie Ar Kung Fu
Gradius (two versions)
Twinbee/RainbowBell
Contra
Tutankham/Horror Maze
Track and Field
Roc 'n Rope
Pooyan
Road Fighter
Circus Charlie
Super Basketball/Basketball
Shao Lin's Road

PSX:
Time Pilot
Scramble
Roc'n Rope
Pooyan
Yie Ar Kung-Fu
Super Cobra
Circus Charlie
Gyruss
Road Fighter
Shao-lin's Road

DS Features:
Most, if not all of the arcade dip switch settings, right down to the bonus settings
Sound test that can be listened to while the DS is in sleep mode
Ability to record replay videos and view super plays
Multiple viewing modes
Various artwork/flyers from the arcade games
Historical notes for some games
Single cartridge multiplayer
Ability to play games in 1p mode using another DS as the controller

GBA Features:
Extras for each game by using Konami code
New two player modes for Time Pilot, Yie Ar Kung Fu and Frogger
Scramble and Frogger have scrolling screens
Single cartridge multiplayer
No tate

PSX features:
Based on an arcade machine itself. Some option settings, but not every single one from the arcade ala some of the Namco collections. No tate modes.

[MX7]

My advice, once you're dissillusioned with Nanostray (I got it on Monday and I'm already fed up with it) is to get a gba flashcard and check http://gba.pqrs.org/~tekezo/gba/index.html.en out. Bus journeys will never be the same again.

[sfried]

Nanostray, Konami Classics, Namco Arcade.... Oh, and Rune Factroy, but that ain't no shmup. Still is damn addictive, though. Also look out for Contra 4...

Also, switching the language setting of the DS to Japanese will yield you the Japanese versions of the games included, plus the unreleased outside Japan ones, I believe.

[PFG 9000]

My advice, once you're dissillusioned with Nanostray (I got it on Monday and I'm already fed up with it) is to get a gba flashcard and check http://gba.pqrs.org/~tekezo/gba/index.html.en out. Bus journeys will never be the same again.

Dear Lord. I must try this out.

I recommend setting the DS to Japanese to play the superior JP version of Gradius.

I wasn't aware there was any difference. What's better about the Jp version?

[BrianC]

I recommend setting the DS to Japanese to play the superior JP version of Gradius.

I wasn't aware there was any difference. What's better about the Jp version?

It might be helpful to look up older topics. I think I explained it two or three times. The US DS Konami Arcade plays a Nemesis variation when the DS is set in English, only with the title renamed to "Gradius". This variation has continues and red power up enemies at checkpoints. It has more enemies in places and the game's difficulty is at full blast, even when not powered up. Some parts seem to be pretty cheap in this variation. There is one part in stage 2 where it's extremely hard to avoid the bullets from the turrets.

[Shocky]

You didn't specify if you got a DS or DS Lite. If you got a lite with its unbearable dpad, then buy Nanostray and forget the rest. If you got a DS fat, then get Nanostray and Konami Classics for the DS slot and Phalanx and Gradius Advance for the GBA slot.

[Frederik]

If you got a lite with its unbearable dpad, then buy Nanostray and forget the rest.

If anything, Nanostray is even worse than the other games with that bad d-pad, because the weird perspective and invisible borders are more annoying if you can´t even do reliable diagonals. I tried really hard to like it, but in the end I just gave up. I really wonder how Ketsui DS will turn out with that d-pad in mind...

[BrianC]

You didn't specify if you got a DS or DS Lite. If you got a lite with its unbearable dpad, then buy Nanostray and forget the rest. If you got a DS fat, then get Nanostray and Konami Classics for the DS slot and Phalanx and Gradius Advance for the GBA slot.

I got the impression that the DS Lite pad varies. One model I tried in store was stiff with diagonals, but my friend's DS Lite did them very well. Maybe newer models fixed it? Then again, my friend's DS Lite was used.

[exquisite_torture]

Gradius is superior on PSP. Forget Nanostray, unless you've got an R4 /M3 card. It's complete and utter rubbish.

[Squirrel]

Don't forget when you get the gba flashcard, you have access to NES roms being played on the DS/GBA as well.

[BrianC]

Gradius is superior on PSP. Forget Nanostray, unless you've got an R4 /M3 card. It's complete and utter rubbish.

I don't know if it's that cut and dry. Gradius on DS is a very well done port with the slowdown from the arcade intact and all of the dip switches. The PSP Gradius doesn't have the Nemesis version with it. I don't know which version is better, but it is possible that the DS version MAY actually be closer than the arcade in terms of slowdown (I remember reading comments here that the slowdown in the PSP version isn't accurate, but that might just be for Gradius III and Gradius IV). The DS Gradius is also packed with other well done ports of arcade games, where the PSP one has other Gradius games, not in the DS collection. Nothing wrong with getting both.

It was explained in previous posts why Nanostray is a flawed game that does some things right and not a game that does everything wrong, as you describe it. There's also an alternate JP version with some tweaks that doesn't require the touch screen. It's not for everyone, but it's not a total bomb either. I highly disagree with the R4 and M3 card sentiment. The US Nanostray can be found for cheap.