Shmupfight #1 : Gradius Vs R-Type

Post by **spadgy** » Thu May 21, 2009 10:00 am

lgb wrote:You know what's better than both of those games?

Just got installed at my local arcade! I can't wait to get down there...

I'm a Gradius man all the way. I really thought the results (in their current state) would be closer. R-Type has quite a lead...

Gespenst · Post by **Gespenst** » Thu May 21, 2009 11:23 am

THE wrote:
szycag wrote:I can't even think of other "shmupfights" that would be interesting at all.
Well, we can do Darius vs. R-Type and Darius vs. Gradius

R-Type vs Gradius vs Darius vs Thunder Force!

PainAmplifier · Post by **PainAmplifier** » Thu May 21, 2009 4:01 pm

I'm going with R-Type over Gradius any day. Both in terms of the original games as well as all their sequels.

My hatred for the Gradius power up system and by extension every game that uses, shares or emulates it just gets greater the more I play them. (Just the system though, not the powerups themselves.)

But I also find many of the characteristic 'traits' of the Gradius 'experience' overly unwelcome the more I encounter them as well. Like the looping sections where there is no floor/ceiling. Or the closing/moving or regenerating wall sections. Yes, those have been done before in other games, but the quintissential 'Gradius way' just seems to get them to rub me the wrong way.

Just watch the Xexex video and then compare that to Gradius. In fact go so far as to compare it to Gradius V. Watching Xexex (for the first time!) and it was impossible to miss the almost identical 'copy & paste' elements that seem to exist between the Gradius games and it's derivatives. And that includes enemies and level design as well as the bosses. And not in a good 'homage' way. But more in a creepy Chinese cheap copy knockoff way.

To put it another way, I find the 'Gradius' experience tends to be shared among all it's offshoots much like a movie director tends to put their own 'stamp' on a movie. (Cameron, Abrahms, etc.) And in my case, I find that even though individual games may be better or worse, the impression left by the 'director' upon all the games detrimental to my experience of them. Partly because it is the part of the game I like the least and partly because it is so strong that it stands out *too* much among all the games that share it.

I think if you put Gradius, Otomedius, Parodius and all it's like together and then did the same for all the R-Types and other games from that family like Gallop, the comparison would be like a glass half full/empty comparison. In my case, the Gradius side is mostly how much all the games are 'alike' (aka Half empty), while the R-Type side would be more of a comparison how different each one is (aka Half full).

Your Glass May Vary....

Aba'suto · Post by **Aba'suto** » Thu May 21, 2009 4:22 pm

I voted R-Type.

To me, R-Type was a far better first of the series game, but Darius improved more as the series went along.

FIL · Post by **FIL** » Thu May 21, 2009 5:21 pm

spadgy wrote:
lgb wrote:You know what's better than both of those games?
Just got installed at my local arcade! I can't wait to get down there...

I'm a Gradius man all the way. I really thought the results (in their current state) would be closer. R-Type has quite a lead...

Please say your local is Casino. I'm passing through London next month and plan to kill an hour or so in there. I'd rather fail at Xexex than fail at Mushi and Strikers Plus.

Square King · Post by **Square King** » Thu May 21, 2009 9:23 pm

farewell wrote:I have to go with R-Type. I never really played Gradius as a kid, but was all over the R.

I approve of your name and your avatar.

My first shmup love was Gradius on the NES. I never could beat it. R-Type I was able to handle -- once. I really enjoy both, but I'm handing this one to R-Type.

null1024 · Post by **null1024** » Thu May 21, 2009 10:41 pm

I voted for R-Type.
After playing the first R-Type, and then going off to play Gradius, I feel that R-Type is more fair, namely since your ship speed is reasonable when you respawn, unlike in Gradius, where you have to use that first powerup thing to boost your speed ASAP, rather than putting it towards something useful...

Also, I'm a huge R-Type fanboy.

doctorx0079 · Post by **doctorx0079** » Fri May 22, 2009 12:31 am

LtC wrote:
VorpalEdge wrote:Darius
This.

Glad it's not just me. We need a new poll.

Arasoi wrote:honestly I would vote the 3 screen Darius arcade cab over either of these any day of the week.

Another one! Holy crap!

Post by **spadgy** » Fri May 22, 2009 8:30 am

FIL wrote: Please say your local is Casino. I'm passing through London next month and plan to kill an hour or so in there. I'd rather fail at Xexex than fail at Mushi and Strikers Plus.

It is mate. I'm a regular there. Let me know when you're passing through and I'll see if me and a few of the others can drop by on the same day. Always nice to meet a fellow forum member.

EDIT: Actually, check out the Casino thread around the time of your visit. It's where we plan what times we're heading in and meeting up and stuff, and where we goad one-another. We just got DDPII Beestorm re-installed too. I know...

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Fri May 22, 2009 9:57 am

Gradius gave us options & lasers.
R-Type gave us 100% memorizable patterns.

If it's a fight over influential, it's not much of a fight. I guess it's about fun though.

Mortificator · Post by **Mortificator** » Fri May 22, 2009 12:10 pm

Salamander's way more of a memorizer than any R-Type game.

You can credit-feed Salamander, though.

For most of the mainline Gradius series, you kind of have to have the whole game in you head when you start, since making a mistake and losing one life tends to lead to losing all your lives. This isn't as bad in the first game.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Fri May 22, 2009 1:12 pm

GaijinPunch wrote:Gradius gave us options & lasers.
R-Type gave us 100% memorizable patterns.

R-Type also gave us the charge shot. Pretty big deal in shooters, if you ask me.

doctorx0079 · Post by **doctorx0079** » Fri May 22, 2009 2:14 pm

CIT wrote:
GaijinPunch wrote:Gradius gave us options & lasers.
R-Type gave us 100% memorizable patterns.

R-Type also gave us the charge shot. Pretty big deal in shooters, if you ask me.

And the FORCE. Which is AWESOME. Gradius has nothing like it.

I guess what I'm saying is, Force >> Options. Not that I don't like Options mind you.

FIL · Post by **FIL** » Fri May 22, 2009 4:58 pm

spadgy wrote:
FIL wrote: Please say your local is Casino. I'm passing through London next month and plan to kill an hour or so in there. I'd rather fail at Xexex than fail at Mushi and Strikers Plus.
It is mate. I'm a regular there. Let me know when you're passing through and I'll see if me and a few of the others can drop by on the same day. Always nice to meet a fellow forum member.

EDIT: Actually, check out the Casino thread around the time of your visit. It's where we plan what times we're heading in and meeting up and stuff, and where we goad one-another. We just got DDPII Beestorm re-installed too. I know...

I wouldn't bother rounding anybody up, i'll only be there 2 hours tops. I'm only going to be there in between choo choo rides.

Post by **spadgy** » Fri May 22, 2009 9:17 pm

Cool - well - let us know just in case...

it290 · Post by **it290** » Sat May 23, 2009 12:42 am

Vanilla vs. chocolate. They're both damn good, it's just that one tastes better than the other at certain times of the day.

TomuS · Post by **TomuS** » Sun May 24, 2009 11:01 pm

I choose R-Type. It's more my kind of game.

Fenrir · Post by **Fenrir** » Mon May 25, 2009 7:15 am

Ooh. Nice. But R-Type. I played it immensely over Gradius. It just plays and feels better. Memorizing all that crap is pretty fun and the weapons are more rewarding.
But Gradius is still kickass.

evil_ash_xero · Post by **evil_ash_xero** » Mon May 25, 2009 9:56 am

Gonna have to go with R-Type.

Gradius was really groundbreaking, but seems pretty old(even 2 seems a bit old).

R-Type holds up surprisingly well. It just REALLY well designed, and Irem had some nice looking sprites.

J-Manic · Post by **J-Manic** » Mon May 25, 2009 8:02 pm

I can't choose. There are some R-Type titles that I like better than some Gradius titles, and vice versa.

BUT, I will go ahead and choose R-Type for the superior soundtracks.

Third Lightning, Leo and Delta are amongst my favorite shmup OSTs.

Alec · Post by **Alec** » Tue May 26, 2009 11:30 pm

Parodius > R-Type > Gradius

Gespenst · Post by **Gespenst** » Sat May 30, 2009 2:55 am

I've noticed that Gradius will have better popularity than R-Type, because Konami loves to put Vic Viper in their other stuffes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL1h0tXge5Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr1NdMEca8E ->Jehuty fights Vic Viper
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4ynBuDifcE
or this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZzPzSykEjg
something that Irem never tried to do with the R-9... too bad

nimitz · Post by **nimitz** » Sat May 30, 2009 3:01 am

Gespent : I think its the other way around. (about konami and gradius that is)

shmups.system11.org

Shmupfight #1 : Gradius Vs R-Type

Pick your favorite.