Hi from a new Member

bob · Post by **bob** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 8:59 pm

Hi. This is my first post and I want to use it to say hi to the community.

Some words about me.

I played Shmups irregular in the past.
I can remeber a night where I played R-Type (Mame) the whole night with 2 friends. We used an uncountable amount of continues but it was fun

Later I bought Ikaruga for the Gamecube because I thought it was a great concept. Looking simple on the first look but very hard to master... a little bit too hard for me. Quite frustrating.
Because of this I haven't played shmups for quite some time.

But now the lust for shmups is back. I noticed that there are shmups that are actually FUN to play. With Ikaruga it's like the pain required to play it > the fun it makes.
And that was what took away the lust to play at all.
Now finding Shmups that are challenging and fun to play feels really good.

What I like about shmups is that they are challenging and once you beat it you have something to be proud of! It has to be hard! Otherwise it would not feel good defeating it

What I don't like are people who review a shmup and then telling me that it is not good becuase it is only 5 levels and much to short. Of course they completet it with a bunch of continues and they don't get what shmups are about at all.

Playing at the moment:
Patriot Dark Demo (Where can I find the full version?)
XopBlack
XED
Demolition Gunner
Blue Wish RP
EdensEdge
...and a bunch more but the above I play the most at the moment

A few minutes ago I ordered Shoot the Bullet, PriZhm and Samidare from paletweb. Hope it will arrive soon ( but I guess it will take some time).

Currently downloading Shikigami III demo to check out if it is worth the 60 bucks it costs at playasia

I hope I didn't write too much!
Feel free to comment on the shmups I picked to start.

jpj · Post by **jpj** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:09 pm

word up bob

Frederik · Post by **Frederik** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:09 pm

These are all free and awesome:

http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~cs8k-cyu/windows/rr_e.html
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~cs8k-cyu/windows/tf_e.html
http://www18.big.or.jp/~hikoza/Prod/index_e.html

There are a lots of shmups on MAME that are absolutely mandatory to play (being an arcade-heavy genre), there are a lot of topics on this issue you can find easily enough here.

Some nice background info on a lot of great games here:
http://www.world-of-arcades.net/
...and in our review section of course.

And hi

moozooh · Post by **moozooh** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:10 pm

You have fine taste in doujin shmups, bob. :)

TLB · Post by **TLB** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:13 pm

jpj wrote:word up bob :)

This.

Good games to start with, hope you have fun =)

bob · Post by **bob** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:21 pm

Thanks for the welcome

Frederik, thanks for the links. I already know Warning Forever and rRootage. I read about Tumiki. Will check it out. (Isn't this the game that was released for wii under a different name?)

And the screens of SHOOTERS SOLTUDE are looking really awesome.
Will check this one out first

edit:
jpj, awesome quote in your sig. It's dead on!

moozooh · Post by **moozooh** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:22 pm

Yeah, Tumiki Fighters were rereleased as Blast Works.

Pixel_Outlaw · Post by **Pixel_Outlaw** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:28 pm

moozooh wrote:Yeah, Tumiki Fighters were rereleased as Blast Works.

Well not totally. They basically took over Cho's Concept and sort of went euroshmup style with it. His game is still there for unlocking though.

sven666 · Post by **sven666** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:34 pm

wzup bob, be careful with that deathbag..

Observer · Post by **Observer** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:49 pm

heh, hi there. I've also placed an order for PrizhM. What a crazy shooter. DDR of the pew pew with that beat machine and all the enemies spewing fast bullets.

About the orders, depends what you chose for shipping. Airmail will take a bit longer (6-14 days) but it's considerably cheaper and works for plastic DVD cases or manga. For CDs and fragile stuff, EMS might be the way to go but even then, considering this time of the year, it could take a bit longer. Patience is the key.

If you like bullet hell games Shiki 3 is really good and worth the 60usd tag but you might also wanna try Espgaluda for PS2. I think it's still in stock there and rocks just as much.

Samidare is plain amazing. Excellent choice there.

Shoot the Bullet is extremely cool as well, also worth the price and the trickiest spellcards will keep you entertained. One of ZUN's most interesting creations.

If you want another recommendation, try the freeware STG "IrK": http://www.geocities.jp/akatuki_twilight/soft/soft.html (scroll down, it's there)

It's Einhänder with girls+german texts+similar weapon system, spellcards and danmaku ala Touhou. Quite an interesting mix. And the hardest difficult mode can get damn tough.

bob · Post by **bob** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 10:14 pm

Thanks for the recommendation.
I also downloaded KreisReise from the page. The name sounds funny

And thanks about your opinion on Shikigami III. Glad to hear it's a good game. Probably goin to buy it. Couldn't play the demo though yet. Refused to run on my laptop.
Will try it later on a different pc.

you might also wanna try Espgaluda for PS2.

I currently only own a wii.
What would be the best console to buy? I think that there are many shmups for xbox 360. Right?
But ps2 isn't that expensive anymore. Maybe i will buy that one too... but I don't want to have so much consoles standing around. So I would like to keep it down to one additional console besides my wii.
What would be the better choice?

Frederik · Post by **Frederik** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 10:17 pm

bob wrote:Thanks for the recommendation.
I also downloaded KreisReise from the page. The name sounds funny

It´s german and means "Circle Journey", in case you´ve been wondering.

moozooh · Post by **moozooh** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 10:18 pm

So far jp/modded PS2, Dreamcast, and jp Xbox360 are the current consoles of choice. Both DC and PS2 have about two dozens of quality shmups each, and X360 is getting most of the new releases.

PROMETHEUS · Post by **PROMETHEUS** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 10:27 pm

welcome bob~!

Udderdude · Post by **Udderdude** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 10:35 pm

Hai :3

Observer · Post by **Observer** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:22 pm

Frederik wrote:
bob wrote:Thanks for the recommendation.
I also downloaded KreisReise from the page. The name sounds funny
It´s german and means "Circle Journey", in case you´ve been wondering.

Thanks for clearing this, now that explains the strange point of view and circular-fields. It's a really interesting plataformer although some might get dizzy or confused at the movements.

As for consoles, it depends on your tastes, bob, and the shipping rates+amount of money you are willing to spend. A modded PS2 and the good amount of shooters available for it (Homura, DDP DOJ, Shienryu Explosion, Gradius V, R-Type Final, ThunderForce VI and many more*) might be good for now but for all the Cave fans the 360 will be the way to go. That or you can stick to PC for all the doujin soft. Plenty of awesome (and freeware) stuff as well as some interesting commercial releases, like Zen-Ichi, Kamui, Samidare (wait for the upcoming RefRain, the spiritual sucessor of Samidare), RefleX, the Touhou series and more.

Check Cloudphobia, which will be released soon. Godlike mecha action like I didn't see in a while. Seems to be done by just one guy as well? (not sure here)

And Exception, a 3D STG with cubes and loads of ownage (you can buy it through Melonbooks dojin broadband service for 10 bucks as a download, cheap, saves on shipping and such).

*I would recommend Raiden III because it's damn cheap for PS2 but it might be better to save and pay a bit more for the PC version. Runs like a charm and the graphics are crisper and shinier. Same deal with Shiki 3.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 11:48 pm

Hello bob, and welcome.

ZOM · Post by **ZOM** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:17 am

Welcome!

Battlesmurf · Post by **Battlesmurf** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 12:27 am

This is Bob.

Bob has ..... shmups.

Hi Bob.

Udderdude · Post by **Udderdude** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 1:11 am

Battlesmurf wrote:This is Bob.

Bob has ..... shmups.

Hi Bob.

heh

Alec · Post by **Alec** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 2:25 am

BBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB!!!!!!!!!

themachinist · Post by **themachinist** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 2:31 am

Alec wrote:BBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB!!!!!!!!!

That looks more like boob!

Post by **Icarus** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 2:32 am

Battlesmurf wrote:This is Bob.
Bob has ..... shmups.
Hi Bob.

His name is Robert Paulsen.

Kollision · Post by **Kollision** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 3:09 am

It was about time someone created a thread with this title!

BTW, welcome, bob!

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 4:11 am

We've got bob, now we need bub.

KindGrind · Post by **KindGrind** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 4:16 am

Icarus wrote:
Battlesmurf wrote:This is Bob.
Bob has ..... shmups.
Hi Bob.
His name is Robert Paulsen.

Excellent

, quick thinking.

bob · Post by **bob** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 9:17 am

Thanks for the welcome!
And thanks for the recomendations. Will put Raiden III on my list.
I think I will gonna buy Perfect Cherry Blossom too. Never imagined I could like a game with a flying girl... but I do

And yes. Icarus is right. My name is Robert Paulson.

Observer · Post by **Observer** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 11:45 am

bob wrote:Thanks for the welcome!
And thanks for the recomendations. Will put Raiden III on my list.
I think I will gonna buy Perfect Cherry Blossom too. Never imagined I could like a game with a flying girl... but I do

And yes. Icarus is right. My name is Robert Paulson.

That's probably one of the best choices as far as Touhou STGs go. And guess that's the charm... (the flying girls, and the fact that the original artwork is considered to be among the worst but I still think it has its own charm that strays away a little from the usual "sugary-animu" stuff you would see on TV or coming from better artists) Of course, you will want to to steer clear or make some distance from the rabid fanbase. And get the official music CDs if you want as well (especially Ghostly Field Club and Magical Astronomy but the others are just as nice, like Retrospective 53 Minutes).

For many, the series peaked there and continued being great with Imperishable Night. Not that it went downwards after that, it actually went back to its routes and became harder with Subterranean Animism: bullets are far more faster in that game (you've got to admit it, shit falls faster there), you have to move more and the final boss provides a formidable challenge.

As a last recommendation, if you want to try something for the PSX that got a rendition for the PS2, G-Darius is a must... although people are right when they recommend you the PCB over the ports. The Ray series (RayForce, RayStorm, RayCrisis, aka, the Layer Section series) is great and has an indubitably Macross feeling with all those huge battleships, bending laser missiles, lock-ons and missile barrages.

You have a Wii, right? Ok, what I DO NOT recommend you at all is to get Protöthea. Don't you ever dare. Thank you. Not worth the price tag at all. The PC version is infinitely superior... and even that version sucks.

Battlesmurf · Post by **Battlesmurf** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 10:25 pm

Icarus wrote:
Battlesmurf wrote:This is Bob.
Bob has ..... shmups.
Hi Bob.
His name is Robert Paulsen.

Icarus gets a cookie

It's been so long since I read the book/watched the movie- so I didn't know how close I'd get to having someone guess it

bob · Post by **bob** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 11:28 pm

Played the demo of Imerpishable Nights.
Its awesome. It plays even smoother than Cherry Blossom.
But currently I'm better at PCB than at IN.
It takes some time to get used to press two buttons for concentrated fire when in PCB it's only holding one button.

I think I will have a look at the other touhou games too.

Still no billing mail from paletweb by the way

Just found HimeyaShop today. Probably will buy the Touhou games from there to check the store out.

EDIT:
BTW: What arcade controllers do you guys use? Any recommendations?
Currently I play with a Logitech gamepad...
(this one http://www.inmax.ca/images/controller-c ... action.jpg)