Skull Fang

TKGB_Mental_Gear · Post by **TKGB_Mental_Gear** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 6:49 pm

I just discovered this game on MAME and I LOVE IT. I would love it even more if it were in english cuz all I can do is shoot. The intro says other stuff to do but it's all in japanese. Is there an english version to this game and if not, does anyone know how to play this game?

SkylineR32 · Post by **SkylineR32** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:08 pm

I have it for the Japanese Saturn. In game menu's and the like are in English but the game manual is Japanese naturally.

I haven't played it in a little while though.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:33 pm

I'm sure there was a thread or two on this at some point, but it was some time ago...as for Skull Fang, the main "gimmick" is the ability to speed up or slow down how fast you scroll through the stage, in order to either get bigger bonuses, or in some cases meet requirements to finish the stage. You do the same thing at bosses, which is kind of neat, since they speed up and slow down too, and you have to chase them down before you can get at them - adds a bit of extra tension to the encounter.

There are a handful of charge weapons and some sort of limited invincibility spin/bomb, though offhand I forget how to use them all...there has to be some sort of FAQ out there someplace.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:42 pm

You only do all the air maneuvers if you pick one of the fighter pilots. There's different stuff you can do like a loop, or a dive, etc, executet with Street Fighter-like commands. If you choose a bomber pilot you can't do the gimmicks but you get bombs instead, so it's more like a regular shooter. You can also choose auto speed, then you don't have to worry about racing against the bosses at all.

I have the game, but haven't played it much. My initial reaction was that the game really sucks, but I'm gonna give it another chance soon, as I'm currently working through my unbeaten Saturn Shooters.

Post by **Shatterhand** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:54 pm

My initial reaction was that the game really sucks,

Yeah, mine too. Then I played it a little more and I found out that it really sucks indeed.

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:48 pm

The "racing against time" element is a lot more difficult than actually avoiding boss attacks...

clp · Post by **clp** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:26 pm

Shatterhand wrote:
My initial reaction was that the game really sucks,
Yeah, mine too. Then I played it a little more and I found out that it really sucks indeed.

aye im pretty tolerant when it comes to shmups but i think this one is straight off the shit pile .

TKGB_Mental_Gear · Post by **TKGB_Mental_Gear** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:41 pm

What exactly don't you guys like about it?

SkylineR32 · Post by **SkylineR32** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:59 am

For the record, I really like it. I wouldn't put it in a Top 10 list or anything but it's enjoyable. There's a lot worse out there.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 1:12 am

It's not a great shmup, but it's hardly a total waste of space either...the mechanics are unusual and not to everyone's liking, and the presentation is really awful (seriously, the original Vapor Trail looked better), but if you can get it at a reasonable price it's not a bad addition to one's collection, especially if you're looking for something a little different.

shoe-sama · Post by **shoe-sama** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 1:28 am

is this a racing game or something?

Strider77 · Post by **Strider77** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:07 am

I hated it to.... looked like total ass.

dpful · Post by **dpful** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 6:40 am

I gave it a go, tried to keep up with the bosses, and pulled off some special moves.

I got the impression that if you could memorise when to do the moves, could pull them off, and knew just when to do them, it would be pretty bad-ass blowing up all the right stuff during the stages and against the bosses.

The games pretty rough otherwise. If it was my only game, I bet I could get into it.

Pretty ugly thing, but definitely some interesting bits about it.

The PCB comes in a really cool orange plastic case.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:30 am

Vapor Trail series: Not widely played for a reason

Most games in the series I go "lol this looks fun" and then end up forgetting after a short while.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:32 am

I think Wolf Fang is pretty good, actually.

I hated the first Vapor Trail though.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:37 am

I was recently talking about how good Wolf Fang/Rhoga was, then I started playing it again and rediscovered the hateful fire angles (no firing straight up, argh)...

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 11:09 am

Haha, so true!

P_HAT · Post by **P_HAT** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 11:26 am

clp wrote:
Shatterhand wrote:
My initial reaction was that the game really sucks,
Yeah, mine too. Then I played it a little more and I found out that it really sucks indeed.
aye im pretty tolerant when it comes to shmups but i think this one is straight off the shit pile .

Agree.

Macaw · Post by **Macaw** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:40 pm

Kuuga = Decent
Wolf Fang = Total awesomness
Skull Fang = good ideas and style, but ruined by some of the shittest graphics of all time

DEL · Post by **DEL** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:46 pm

CIT wrote;

I think Wolf Fang is pretty good, actually.

I hated the first Vapor Trail though.

Me and Mills both liked Skull Fang when it was in the arcade. It saves the highest score, displaying it in the middle and Mills hated the fact that my score remained No.1

.
Its nothing special really, but we certainly didn't mind playing it.

As for Vapor Trail, I liked that too, especially when you understand how to trigger the mega firepower. (Arcade version only).

zinger · Post by **zinger** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 1:29 pm

DEL wrote:As for Vapor Trail, I liked that too, especially when you understand how to trigger the mega firepower. (Arcade version only).

What's this now?

DEL · Post by **DEL** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 1:59 pm

^I've mentioned it before on the Hi Sc thread. Get the upgrade casing then blow it away and keep tapping fast throughout the rest of the life. The mega swirling firepower disappears if you have a break in your tapping. I guess you could use autofire to save your fingers

.

As far as has been reported, the port doesn't have this mega firepower, so becomes a less interesting game.

Mills · Post by **Mills** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 4:17 am

boring game! had to tell the game designer who came to london with an american/japanese translater years ago why it was boring. Old skool shumper Micheal Campbell who loved this game. his technical reason for for saying how good this game was because it had speed up option. the original Viper Trail was way better.

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:35 am

DEL wrote:^I've mentioned it before on the Hi Sc thread. Get the upgrade casing then blow it away and keep tapping fast throughout the rest of the life. The mega swirling firepower disappears if you have a break in your tapping. I guess you could use autofire to save your fingers :idea: .

For Vapor Trail? The big floating S thing that usually fires flames?

I started typing "ho" (for "holy shit") into MAME's search window in my haste to try this out. True story.

Then I found out I can't get this to work, and I don't see an explanation for the mega firepower in the high score thread. I'm assuming you mean "pick up special firepower, hit the bomb button to launch its explosion, and keep pressing main fire rapidly as possible," is that right?

D · Post by D » Sat Mar 15, 2008 12:38 pm

Vapor Trail on megadrive is actually very decent.

shmups.system11.org

Skull Fang

Skull Fang

VAPOR TRAIL

Re: VAPOR TRAIL