new editor-in-chief at EGM is a shmup fan

[professor ganson]

James "Milkman" Mielke was one of my main sources of info about shmups before I found this site. His articles/reviews in GMR were very useful at the time.

I'm expecting that Mielke will avoid reviews like the following in the latest GameInformer:

"Castle of Shikigami III (6.5/10)
It's hard to take issue with the basic mechanics of Castle of Shikigami III; this series has always been about pure, top-down arcade action, and this entry won't let you down in that department. It has several playable characters, frantic bullet evasion, and dialogue so hilariously incomprehensible that it can't be accidental. However, CoS III is alarmingly thin on content. It feels like something I should be downloading instead of taking to the checkout counter; it's only got five levels and a handful of modes (including co-op). The mere fact that it fills a niche on the Wii doesn't excuse this disappointing lack of substance." -Joe

[Udderdude]

James "Milkman" Mielke was one of my main sources of info about shmups before I found this site. His articles/reviews in GMR were very useful at the time.

I'm expecting that Mielke will avoid reviews like the following in the latest GameInformer:

"Castle of Shikigami III (6.5/10)
It's hard to take issue with the basic mechanics of Castle of Shikigami III; this series has always been about pure, top-down arcade action, and this entry won't let you down in that department. It has several playable characters, frantic bullet evasion, and dialogue so hilariously incomprehensible that it can't be accidental. However, CoS III is alarmingly thin on content. It feels like something I should be downloading instead of taking to the checkout counter; it's only got five levels and a handful of modes (including co-op). The mere fact that it fills a niche on the Wii doesn't excuse this disappointing lack of substance." -Joe

Again with the clueless reviewers. Let's hope James busts some heads and gets tards like this away from the shmup reviews.

[professor ganson]

Yeah, I was so annoyed with that review that I had to write Joe an email.

[Zebra Airforce]

What's his e-mail? I'll send him a letter as well.

[professor ganson]

[email protected]

[undamned]

Light'im up boys, light'im up!
-ud

[Udderdude]

ZERG RUSH KEKEKE

[lgb]

Go. Joe always got on my nerves. Only Reiner is awesome.

5 levels? Go back to Ikaruga.

[Ed Oscuro]

the expectation of filler is the cancer killing game reviews

[Tempest]

the expectation of filler is the cancer killing game reviews

Right, "Wait, this game doesn't have a Gallery? Or unlockable trophies? It's just a game? WTF?"


And if "Joe" actually made it through all 5 levels on default difficulty and one credit, I'll eat my hat.

[-Roufuss-]

the expectation of filler is the cancer killing game reviews

Right, "Wait, this game doesn't have a Gallery? Or unlockable trophies? It's just a game? WTF?"


And if "Joe" actually made it through all 5 levels on default difficulty and one credit, I'll eat my hat.

I'm willing to bet he credit fed it, beat it in under an hour, took no time to analyze how the game works, because he probably wanted to move on to GTA 4 or CoD 4 maps or something.

IMO, big review sites like this should just not review niche games - they don't understand them at all, people who are interested aren't going to listen to their baseless comments anyways, so there is no point to a review, only to show Joe "Halo 3" Sixpack to not try out something new (like he would have anyways).

It's just funny that the same reasons IGN praises Ikaruga are the cause of complaint at GI for Shikigami 3.

[louisg]

the expectation of filler is the cancer killing game reviews

Just the reviews?

[kengou]

Go. Joe always got on my nerves. Only Reiner is awesome.

5 levels? Go back to Ikaruga.

It's not like Ikaruga has only 5 levels or anything...

Maybe more appropriate would be "go back to RSG's Saturn mode." Or maybe Gradius V.

[kozo]

IMO, big review sites like this should just not review niche games - they don't understand them at all, people who are interested aren't going to listen to their baseless comments anyways, so there is no point to a review, only to show Joe "Halo 3" Sixpack to not try out something new (like he would have anyways).

So true. This is why a wonderful game like Baroque (that I've been wishing to see in English for 10 years) gets 3s and 4s. Oh well, I guess I'll be the one laughing when (like most Atlus games) it ends up $100 on eBay in a couple years.

Oh, and I sent GI an email about lame reviews before. I got a rude response. That's when GI went from lame mag to toilet paper.

/ranting

That's awesome about EGM, Prof!

[-Bridget-]

IMO, big review sites like this should just not review niche games - they don't understand them at all, people who are interested aren't going to listen to their baseless comments anyways, so there is no point to a review, only to show Joe "Halo 3" Sixpack to not try out something new (like he would have anyways).

So true. This is why a wonderful game like Baroque (that I've been wishing to see in English for 10 years) gets 3s and 4s. Oh well, I guess I'll be the one laughing when (like most Atlus games) it ends up $100 on eBay in a couple years.

Oh, and I sent GI an email about lame reviews before. I got a rude response. That's when GI went from lame mag to toilet paper.

/ranting

That's awesome about EGM, Prof!

ARGH.


I hate that.


I just got Baroque myself.... totally random decision, cause a friend was rambling about it......

.....I absolutely cannot put the damn thing down. This game is excellent.

I love the way it plays, I love finding all sorts of wierd items, I like the combat, the difficulty, the length, and as an added bonus the main boy is cute.


But as SOON as I got started with that one, I was thinking "Well, I bet reviewers wont like this one at all".


Granted, despite my intense liking for this title, Im well aware of the things that they'd see that'd give it a low score.... the graphics are definitely a bit clunky (I personally like them, though, but I can see it also from a technical standpoint), the game is freaking hard, random dungeons..... reviewers never like random dungeons, even if they work perfectly...... Im sure they'd also say "lack of much story-related stuff", since you spend like 95% of your time in the Tower..... and so on and so on.

But dangitall, that's not necessarily what a game should be judged by. I mean, the complaint with the graphics, I guess I can sorta understand that. But it IS a redo of an old Saturn title, if Im not mistaken. So that's sorta to be expected.


And now it wont get the attention it deserves, cause people are gonna look in the mag, see a score of like 2, and not even try it. BAH.


.....sorry, angry mini-rant over with.





On another note,


I always liked GMR, before it vanished. That was my favorite magazine.


Im currently subscribed to EGM, which isnt too bad. It's not GMR, but it's OK, I guess.


But I get tired of reviewers and all the shmup hate.... I did see the little blurb they called a review in Game Informer for Shiki 3..... how they thought it shoulda been a budget downloadable title cause of ONLY FIvE LEVEls ZOMG!!!1111

BAH.

[professor ganson]

I always liked GMR, before it vanished. That was my favorite magazine.


Im currently subscribed to EGM, which isnt too bad. It's not GMR, but it's OK, I guess.

Agreed.

[kozo]

truthy words

Agreed. The graphics are technically not astounding, but are quite nice in a stylized, creepy/blurry/dark sort of way. I like the static filter on the game, very nice.

As other user mentioned in the off topic board, the game can be very easily approached with a shmup mentality - you have one "life" to clear the tower, you need a mix of memorization (enemy attack patterns) and reflex (dealing with crappy situations like your sword being stolen halfway through the tower and improvising), and the game is niche and misunderstood despite the genre being a very wonderful one.

[-Bridget-]

truthy words

Agreed. The graphics are technically not astounding, but are quite nice in a stylized, creepy/blurry/dark sort of way. I like the static filter on the game, very nice.

As other user mentioned in the off topic board, the game can be very easily approached with a shmup mentality - you have one "life" to clear the tower, you need a mix of memorization (enemy attack patterns) and reflex (dealing with crappy situations like your sword being stolen halfway through the tower and improvising), and the game is niche and misunderstood despite the genre being a very wonderful one.

Ya know, it's funny.......


That "Static filter" is one of the biggest complaints about the game that I hear currently..... makes it look bad and blahblahblahblah.......

Personally though I rather agree with you on it, one way or another it really fits the game.


Also agree with you on the shmup-ish-ness of the game. The difficulty also helps this, lol. Never a dull moment, I'll say that.

And I too hate getting something stolen......


The first time I saw those #(%&#-ing monkey things, my first question was, why the heck are these things so blasted happy looking? Then I found out when the damn thing just outright stole my sword, and I got to follow it for 10 minutes before finally cornering it and punching it to death.

Just goes to show you, in a creepy, messed up place like that, anything that is that danged happy is something to be avoided, lol.

Also, the "lust" status effect is officially the strangest and most bizarre status ailment I have ever seen in any game EVER.



Back on the topic though,


I wish games like this..... which includes basically every shmup EVER.... would just once get a reviewer that actually UNDERSTANDS what it is they are playing.

I hate to see something great like this turn into a rare, unknown SOMETHING because some Halo-loving doofus at Game Informer decided it was stupid because it wasnt Halo.


The entire shmup genre would probably be ALOT better off if reviewers started to get a clue......


......but that's just wishful thinking, I guess.......

[TriggerHeartExelica]

James "Milkman" Mielke was one of my main sources of info about shmups before I found this site. His articles/reviews in GMR were very useful at the time.

I'm expecting that Mielke will avoid reviews like the following in the latest GameInformer:

"Castle of Shikigami III (6.5/10)
It's hard to take issue with the basic mechanics of Castle of Shikigami III; this series has always been about pure, top-down arcade action, and this entry won't let you down in that department. It has several playable characters, frantic bullet evasion, and dialogue so hilariously incomprehensible that it can't be accidental. However, CoS III is alarmingly thin on content. It feels like something I should be downloading instead of taking to the checkout counter; it's only got five levels and a handful of modes (including co-op). The mere fact that it fills a niche on the Wii doesn't excuse this disappointing lack of substance." -Joe

Those two magazines are the worst for anything informative other than mainstream CRAP. I havent read an egm or game informer in over a year because every time I opened one I was bombarded with more crap which made me wanna bang my head against a wall.
GMR was a very good magazine. I subscribed when gamecrazy gave it out free with their lil store card dealie. Whatever happened to it?

[Lochlan]

I'm expecting that Mielke will avoid reviews like the following in the latest GameInformer:

So did you read the review they gave Shikigami III in the latest EGM? It was pretty much just like the one you quoted.

The most hilarious of EGM's three mini "reviews" was the first. Here's a choice excerpt:

"But as a port of a Japanese arcade game, it's also a bit limited. For starters, Shikigami is presented in its original aspect ratio, so it's a vertical screen sandwiched by large borders. And while you have plenty ofcharacters to choose from, each with their own shooting styles, you don't get many levels to play through. Shikigami also relies heavily on its Tension Bonus system..."

LOL. What a maroon.

[MX7]

maroon.

[stuminator]

I just read EGM's review of Shiki III as well, typical mainstream reviewer crap. "The bad: It's too short and too tough." Of course, GTA4 got top marks.

[Etrian]

It's just funny that the same reasons IGN praises Ikaruga are the cause of complaint at GI for Shikigami 3.

Ikaruga is overrated like hell to the oblivious shooting fans who think it's the holy grail of shooting. It isn't.

I would be contempt if Shikigami III was given a 7, but no.

[professor ganson]

I just read EGM's review of Shiki III as well, typical mainstream reviewer crap. "The bad: It's too short and too tough." Of course, GTA4 got top marks.

Yeah, I saw that. The reviewers made some good points, but there were a few stupid ones as well.

[JoshF]

Q: Who gives a shunt?
Q: Why do you desperately need daddy corporation's approval?

I wish more people here would write since there are more than enough intelligent people that could provide a strong counter to the bullshit. Too much loyalty to a dead site to bother making a better one I guess.

[Zebra Airforce]

I wish more people here would write since there are more than enough intelligent people that could provide a strong counter to the bullshit.

Too true. Why aren't we kicking ass, anyway? I say we write counter reviews to each of theirs

[Stormwatch]

So what if they didn't like Shikigami 3? I didn't like Shikigami 2 much, does that make me an idiot?

[JoshF]

As someone recently banned might say, it's about the reasons.

[MR_Soren]

Q: Who gives a shunt?
Q: Why do you desperately need daddy corporation's approval?

I wish more people here would write since there are more than enough intelligent people that could provide a strong counter to the bullshit. Too much loyalty to a dead site to bother making a better one I guess.

I'd love to write for a site, but I don't have time for more than 1 or two articles per week. I definitely couldn't host, design, maintain, and provide content for an entire site by myself.

I would assume a lot of people feel the same way. That said, I could see a group effort by a handful of ambitious individuals doing quite well.

[JoshF]

I'd do it but there has to be a better page designer here than me.