Thunderforce VI announced by Famitsu for PS2 in 2008

[ZOM]

Thunder Force VI on Hard mode is the real deal. It should be the default setting for the game. All the naysayers bitching about TFVI need to give this mode a try... also unlock the Rynex ship.

Rob's sentiments about the game are on point... top 25 filler for sure.

I agree.

I'm going to complete hard with Rynex + Syrinx and then move up to maniac... will let you know how that goes

You really should try the Maniac/Rynex combo, its awesome and still kicking my ass!

I'll post a Maniac/Rynex score as soon as i No Miss that difficulty with Rynex-R.

[Makoto Sei]

I was disappointed that I couldn't be the first one to mention it.

Sorry to take your place bro

I need to try this mode again but it didn't seem to be that great. Honestly it's just kind of weird and would've been better if the patterns were reworked around the idea.

Maybe, but for me, Neo style in maniac difficulty using Rynex are.... well just try it by your self

Btw, does any one now how to record our score on the ranking table ? i already clear game many times but i`m only could put my name after i cleared time attack.
And is there any one here could upload the recording FMV of "bad ending" and "good ending" ? want to know what were Orn said during "bad ending" and Carl said during "good ending"

[Kiken]

Btw, does any one now how to record our score on the ranking table ? i already clear game many times but i`m only could put my name after i cleared time attack.

Single credit using default lives (3). If you change the lives or continue you won't be allowed to enter your initials.

[elvis]

Single credit using default lives (3). If you change the lives or continue you won't be allowed to enter your initials.

Keeping players honest.

Got this two days ago and loving it. Unlocked Rynex and bumped that difficulty up. Awesome stuff.

[Cthulhu]

I don't have a whole lot of extra info to add, but I'll just chime in and say that I bought it and am mildly pleased with it. Love the music, though the level design was a bit standard but good, very much appreciated the loads of references to the previous TF games. Thought some of the bosses were fun, some were pretty meh. If the game wasn't so expensive to import right now (gee thanks, stupid exchange rate) I'd give it a higher personal recommendation, but whatever. I bought it and I'm glad I have it. I don't want to rag on a game for bad graphics, but I just can't avoid saying this - the visuals are pretty bad. This looks like a very early gen PS2 game. Shouldn't hamper my enjoyment too much, but it does feel a little... cheap.

on a side note does anyone know what the sales are at now?

This isn't really an answer, but it is interesting anyways. Apparently it generated quite the amount of preorders at import stores in the US (NCSX mentioned it was one of their better sellers of the year), but I don't know if JP figures are out yet. I'm guessing that the budget of the game was relatively low, so if sales are even just "decent" I think it'll make the development costs back.

[fireleo4]

If we can trust the numbers from Media Create "Thunderforce" sold apx. 15.000 Copies so far.

PS: I took me a while to discover my love for the game, but every time i play it it´s getting better and better. Okay, the graphics could have been a lot better and sometimes the Soundtrack ist just annoying. But the playability of Thunderforce ist there and that is all what counts for me. 2-3 more stages would have been great. I finished the game in hard yesterday and got the real ending "The Legend of wings - To be continued"

I really hope that another sequel will be made within the next 10 years. Also a graphically enhanced version for XBL would be fine.

My rating:

Thunderforce II MD - 80/100
Thunderforce III - 80/100
Thunderforce IV - 86/100
Thunderforce V - 88/100
Thunderforce VI - 78/100

[Makoto Sei]

2-3 more stages would have been great.

couldn`t agreeing more than you.

I really hope that another sequel will be made within the next 10 years.

oh no, please not another 10 year....
Btw who else think that next TF would take place back on Earth as the setting?

[dial911]

Maniac mode... wow. 4 tries to get the 1CC with Phoenix - only 3 ships left in stock. Definitely a challenging mode that I'm sure is much more difficult with the Rynex ship. I'll be tackling that one soon...

Phoenix - Maniac
Final Score: 22,985,100

I had a quick go with Neo Style. Didn't notice any real big changes until I got to the ocean stage - where the missiles coming from behind, in the beginning, can only be destroyed with certain weapons. Didn't continue on from there but I'm betting Neo Style on Maniac mode is absolutely nuts.

Anyone want to post up their favorite stage orders? Here's mine with justifications :

Phoenix - Flame -> Jungle -> Ocean
This is a good route for Phoenix because you get the shield right at the beginning - no missing the stage should be no problem since you always have all weapons in stock. The shield always lasts me through Jungle and I replenish it with the shield at the end of the stage. The Jungle boss almost never scores a hit, so I start out the toughest of the first three stages - Ocean - with a full shield.

Rynex - Jungle -> Flame -> Ocean
Jungle is the easiest stage - and since Rynex doesn't start with all weapons in stock it's the best level to fill your stock. Flame gives you the shield in the beginning and I usually only take a hit or two throughout the stage... Ocean is a bit rougher with Rynex as you might guess

Edit: Score was actually 25,985,100... there must be some sort of bonus added to your score in Maniac after defeating the final boss (ships left in stock?)

[Rob]

2-1-3 for any ship for reason of the shield locations on 1 and 2 + saving up overweapon for 3. Not much of a choice.

My rating

4, 2, 3, 6, 5

[The Coop]

My rating

4, 2, 3, 6, 5

You know, when I first read that, these were my thoughts...

Wait. I thought Rob liked TF4. Why'd he give TF4 a 3, and TF3 a 2? What th-... oooooooohhhhhhhh. Right. He placed the games in the order he ranks them. Okay.


See, I thought you were giving scores to the games in the same order fireleo4 had them listed.


...

Yeah, I need a nap.

[Sonic R]

I don't want to rag on a game for bad graphics, but I just can't avoid saying this - the visuals are pretty bad. This looks like a very early gen PS2 game. Shouldn't hamper my enjoyment too much, but it does feel a little... cheap.

I thought the graphics look better than Thunder Force V? This game look very clean and crispy with the visuals. I am very please

My rating

4, 2, 3, 6, 5

My rankings:

1. Thunder Force III (10/10)
2. Thunder Force II (9.9/10)
3. Thunder Force VI (9/10)
4. Lightening Force(9/10)
5. Thunder Force V (8.8/10)

6. Thunder Force (??/10) — I never try but I wish one day to play it!

[Matsunaga]

Just got the 1cc on normal.. Does that count as a 1cc? It's pretty easy.. Guess I'm moving up to hard now. I like this more and more as I play it. It looks much better in 480p as well.

[elvis]

It looks much better in 480p as well.

Isn't that a given? I don't know a single 3D/polygon game that looks better in 480i than it does in 480p.

[D]

Has anyone managed to get it into 480p mode on the ps3?
Well, for me it just does not work.
I believe it works on ps2 machines, but perhaps not on a ps3.
Strange since this is the only ps2 480p game I own that does not work on the ps3.

So what is the business strategy behind not allowing ps3 owners to experience 480p then? Do they want me to buy a ps2 too?

[Rupert H]

Did you set the PS3s maximum resolution to 480p in the XMB? It will always choose to upscale the resolution to the maximum resolution the options allow for, regardless of the native resolution of the software. Set it to max 480p and it should be fine.

[Shelcoof]

Has anyone managed to get it into 480p mode on the ps3?
Well, for me it just does not work.
I believe it works on ps2 machines, but perhaps not on a ps3.
Strange since this is the only ps2 480p game I own that does not work on the ps3.

So what is the business strategy behind not allowing ps3 owners to experience 480p then? Do they want me to buy a ps2 too?

Seems like it, I haven't been able to find a PS3 with PS2 backward compatibility yet either. But I've seen newer slim models readily available.

[D]

Did you set the PS3s maximum resolution to 480p in the XMB? It will always choose to upscale the resolution to the maximum resolution the options allow for, regardless of the native resolution of the software. Set it to max 480p and it should be fine.

I would like real native 480p, not 480i upscaled to 480p

It will always choose to upscale the resolution to the maximum resolution the options allow for, regardless of the native resolution of the software unless the 480p mode is activated.

Let's take Outrun2 for instance. I have my ps3 set on 1080p.
When I boot it without doing anything the 480i will be upscaled to 1080p
When I boot Outrun2 with Triabgle+X pressed it automatically switches to 480p! and gives razorsharp native 480p graphics. So just a warning for ps3 owners: 480p mode does not work on ps3

[Rupert H]

Interesting... I hadn't noticed that. That's pretty annoying then as the game refuses to align itself correctly through 480p on the PS2, and refuses to play native 480p on the PS3.

[Fudoh]

and refuses to play native 480p on the PS3. Confused

This would be a first for a 480p PS2 game. Are you sure about it ?

[drohne]

lurker here -- just wanted to mention that the xploder hdtv player can force the game to display in 480p without the annoying screen shift: http://xploder.net/products/148/Xploder-HDTV-Player.htm

game looks much nicer this way.

[D]

and refuses to play native 480p on the PS3. Confused

This would be a first for a 480p PS2 game. Are you sure about it ?

I hope I'm wrong. I tried several times.

lurker here -- just wanted to mention that the xploder hdtv player can force the game to display in 480p without the annoying screen shift: http://xploder.net/products/148/Xploder-HDTV-Player.htm
game looks much nicer this way.

Cool! Any chance they're going to make this for the ps3, so that I can play 480i ps2 games on REAL native 480p on my ps3? Offcourse not.

[Rupert H]

and refuses to play native 480p on the PS3. Confused

This would be a first for a 480p PS2 game. Are you sure about it ?

Tried, tested, and failed. Following D's explanation of the forcing native 480p, I tried a number of PS2 games which all worked perfectly, but no support for TF VI. Disappointing.

[louisg]

I finally got this, and think it's awesome! I don't know what more you could really expect from a new Thunderforce game. The weapon balance seems to be improved from at least 3 and 4, the levels are varied and interesting, I'm not seeing any cheap deaths, it has style to spare, and the harder modes are actually pretty hard. My only nitpicks are a little bit of flicker in interlace mode, the music varies from good to meh, and a bit of slowdown.

Anyway, didn't mean to derail the thread =)

[Herr Schatten]

Finally got around to pick up my copy from the customs office.

I only put in a couple of credits on normal difficulty. So far I like it a lot. It's a nice straightforward game and certainly more of a sequel to TFV than anything else. However, it's the un-epicness I really like. Other observations:

- Why do I have my craws from the beginning and why don't I lose my weapons when I die? Do I have to pick them up on higher difficulties? (There's a craw to pick up in the fire level, but I only get points for it.)

- Sometimes it's hard to see what's going on with all that zooming-in and -out and -around. Also: transparent fire attacks from enemies are still a bad idea, as it's hard to determine which parts can hurt you.

- The weapons obviously got re-balanced since TFV. Freerange is still the most versatile weapon, but it isn't quite as powerful, and I don't use it a lot, as in most situations other wepons are more effective. Biggest surprise: This must be the first Thunderforce game where Wave isn't utterly useless. It has quite an impact, in fact. I never use the first two weapons, though.

Anyway, I look forward to spending more time with the game.

[Strider77]

Tried, tested, and failed. Following D's explanation of the forcing native 480p, I tried a number of PS2 games which all worked perfectly, but no support for TF VI. Disappointing.

I've pulled it off on mine.... I am pretty sure anyway. I have a hard time getting it to work unless my controller is wired to the PS3 b/c of the time it takes the controller to sync with the system in wireless mode due to the controller having to re-sync once it flips to PS3 mode. I have a hardware backwards compatible PS3 though.

I had to hold x and triangle on start up.

[Rupert H]

I did exactly the same and have the first series of hardware backwards-compatible PS3 too. I don't have an issue with any other 480p game, just TF VI.

[Fudoh]

The reason seem's easy. On the PS3, don't you have to push the PS button after booting a PS2 game to re-enable the controller ? This should be the reason why the PS3 just doesn't register the buttons during bootup.

I really wonder why Sega did it this way. OR2SP asks you right after the bootup if you want to enable progressive scan. Would have made much more sense this way on TF6 as well.

[D]

Tried, tested, and failed. Following D's explanation of the forcing native 480p, I tried a number of PS2 games which all worked perfectly, but no support for TF VI. Disappointing.

I've pulled it off on mine.... I am pretty sure anyway. I have a hard time getting it to work unless my controller is wired to the PS3 b/c of the time it takes the controller to sync with the system in wireless mode due to the controller having to re-sync once it flips to PS3 mode. I have a hardware backwards compatible PS3 though.

I had to hold x and triangle on start up.

Tried it several times; failed everytime. Good thinking though, it just might've worked.

[Rob]

- Sometimes it's hard to see what's going on with all that zooming-in and -out and -around. Also: transparent fire attacks from enemies are still a bad idea, as it's hard to determine which parts can hurt you.

I don't think anyone has mentioned this, but it is also annoying how the diagonally tilted sections for this weren't properly adjusted. Lop off the corners or you can sink below the screen's edge.

[Zeether]

- Why do I have my craws from the beginning and why don't I lose my weapons when I die? Do I have to pick them up on higher difficulties? (There's a craw to pick up in the fire level, but I only get points for it.)

Only Rynex-R loses weapons when destroyed.