Shadow of Ganymede

K-J N. · Post by **K-J N.** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 1:43 pm

Looks like a new PAL PS2 shmup. Don't expect to much though, it's from Phoenix Games.

http://www.phoenixgamesgroup.com/uk/gam ... mede1.html

visuatrox · Post by **visuatrox** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 4:42 pm

Hmm interesting style of graphics, would like to see this in motion. Well atleast it is cheap

captain ahar · Post by **captain ahar** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 7:18 pm

i want Countryside Bears. this is among the ugliest things i have ever seen.

for example:

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 3:02 am

^^^^AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!111!!11ONE!!

DA HORRA!!

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 3:13 am

The game doesn't look bad to me, in fact the graphics look quite nice. And, at least from the screenshots, it looks old school, as opposed to manic, so if you're into older-style shmups, I'd go ahead and get this one.

BTW, there was actually a PAL-only PS1 Strike Force Hydra-anyone know if it's any better then the GBA rev.?

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 4:13 am

Is there any game by this company that couldn't be identified as a copyright infringement? Browse that site for ten seconds, you'll probably find enough to make you want to enter law school, just to eventually prosecute this case.

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 4:39 am

BulletMagnet wrote:Is there any game by this company that couldn't be identified as a copyright infringement? Browse that site for ten seconds, you'll probably find enough to make you want to enter law school, just to eventually prosecute this case.

Well, believe it or not, those are official games and there are GBC versions of some of the games that aren't listed on the site. Baldies actually got a US release, or so it seems. As far as I know, some of the stuff like Atlantis and stuff like that doesn't really have a copyright. It's like how companies made stuff based on Mulan and Hercules to try to cash in on Disney. Cheap marketing? yes. Copyright Infringment? Questionable. Still, most of the games do scream cheapness, that shooter included.

Post by **Ghegs** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 7:24 am

I've been on a big horzie streak recently and that still looks like crap. In fact, if it wasn't for the score display on top of the screen I'd swear those screenshots are from a TATE game and they simply forgot to turn them.

I've actually bought at least one of Phoenix Games' products, very crappy stuff. But knowing myself, if I see that game on a shelf I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and pick it up.

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 8:38 am

Ghegs wrote:if it wasn't for the score display on top of the screen I'd swear those screenshots are from a TATE game and they simply forgot to turn them.

Yeah my feelings exactly.

umi · Post by **umi** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 11:39 am

Why can't westerners just use their fucking imagination? What the fuck... and yeah, that ship just looks plain out of place. Guess no western software developers have the guts to develop a TATEd game? Maaaaaaaaan... if it wasn't for the Japanese, I'd grow old real quick :P They keep me young.

Skyline · Post by **Skyline** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 11:42 am

What the hell is with that company and jigsaw puzzle games?

Post by **Ghegs** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:28 pm

Hey, they actually have another shmup as well - Guerrila Strike. And it's got helicopters. Woo. It's available now, so I guess I could check if I can find it.

Heh, check the fourth screenshot: under the score display (bears a striking resemblance to Shadow of Ganymede's, doesn't it?) you can see the text "God Mode On".

Truth be told, I can't help but have a little admiration for these guys. Yes, quite a few of those games are poop, but these are all most likely to be the products of starting programmers/developers who have no other way of publishing a game for the PS2. It's nice that somebody's at least trying, these are the closest to homebrew games we'll be seeing on PS2 for quite a while.

Besides, some of them might not totally suck - Road Rage 3, while having very PS1-looking graphics could be fun, I like drift-racing games. And retro-game collection simply called "Retro" has a bunch of remakes of old arcade classics, like Asteroids.

Flying Squadron and Space Rebellion sound rather shmuppy by title and the coverart, but the lack of screenshots is preventing any confirmation.

visuatrox · Post by **visuatrox** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 4:11 pm

Hmm I can't find any online store selling Guerrilla Strike

Post by **Ghegs** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 6:04 pm

visuatrox wrote:Hmm I can't find any online store selling Guerrilla Strike

Me neither. I did find Road Rage 3 from amazon.co.uk and eBay for peanuts and Retro from amazon.co.uk as well. I passed on Retro but got RR3 as it was like 10 EUR including shipping.

On their website they state some of these games are simply japanese releases brought over to Europe. A bit of research revealed hints for RR3 which lead me to believe this is such a game. It has the "famous from Initial D" mountains in there: Myogi, Akina...so I started searching what could be Road Rage 3's japanese counterpart. Wasn't Battle Gear 3 (or 2), Kaido Battle, none of the Shoutoko Battle games...I'm baffled. Oh well.

Post by **Ghegs** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 9:02 am

Hehe, fun coincidence - Road Rage 3 is actually a port of Touge 3 (thanks to Private Eye jiji for the name) which is developed by none other than Cave. Imagine my surprise when I put the disc in for the first time and be treated to the familiar logos of Atlus and Cave...

The game itself isn't too bad, worth the price, but sadly there's no support for steering wheels and pedals.

visuatrox · Post by **visuatrox** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 8:25 pm

Hmm Guerilla Strike up on amazon.co.uk for pre-order July 15, 2005

The game looks very plain though, no style but I hope it has substance, for that price I'm getting it anyway

Post by **Ghegs** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 6:37 am

visuatrox wrote:Hmm Guerilla Strike up on amazon.co.uk for pre-order July 15, 2005

The game looks very plain though, no style but I hope it has substance, for that price I'm getting it anyway

Thanks for the heads-up, I put my pre-order in as well. Not expecting much from the gameplay department, though.

visuatrox · Post by **visuatrox** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 4:50 pm

Hmm I just come to think, when was the last time we had an commercial console release of a European developed shooter?. I seriously can't remember anything being released after X2 and T-Zero.

Maybe European shooters will make a comeback, I would welcome a new Battle Squadron, Banshee and Disposable Hero

Post by **Ghegs** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 7:26 pm

visuatrox wrote:Hmm I just come to think, when was the last time we had an commercial console release of a European developed shooter?

Well, PS2 got FrenZe about six months ago but it wasn't commercial and was -very- japanese in style.

K-J N. · Post by **K-J N.** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 7:46 pm

visuatrox wrote:Hmm I just come to think, when was the last time we had an commercial console release of a European developed shooter?. I seriously can't remember anything being released after X2 and T-Zero.

Nanostray is being released soon.

visuatrox · Post by **visuatrox** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 10:57 am

Anyone managed to find "Guerilla Strike" or "Shadow of Ganymede" in a store yet?. Apparently these games should be out now, my pre-order for Guerilla Strike at Amazon has not shipped yet. And I have not found any sites listing Shadow of Ganymede for sale. Although heard rumours that pirate copies are already circulating the net, so guess someone must have found the game

. I bet these games will not exactly sell in any huge numbers, considering their stealth launch/marketing

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Sun Aug 07, 2005 11:02 pm

The ship's possition & view angle incline that it would have looked better in vertical mode.

K-J N. · Post by **K-J N.** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 8:23 pm

The Swedish multi format magazine Reset has reviewed Shadow of Ganymede giving it 1 out of 10. Amongst the problems were: The enemy bullets are hard to see. Bad controls, it never feels like it is your fault when you die. Few enemies and no bosses. Backgrounds that looks like they have been scanned from an atlas. Feels like a game made by people whos last experience with a shooter was playing Gradius on the Nes.

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:37 pm

I would imagine that Gradius (NES) has more qualities than this.

FRO · Post by **FRO** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 4:31 pm

ST Dragon wrote:The ship's possition & view angle incline that it would have looked better in vertical mode.

The perspective of that along w/ the ship's orientation remind me of the old PC shmup Tubular Worlds. That game was cool.

Both Shadows of Ganymede & Guerilla Strike remind me of late 90's PC shareware shmups - of okay quality, but not necessarily something you'd want to pay full price for (unlike gems such as Tyrian or Raptor).

qatmix · Post by **qatmix** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 9:44 am

I still cant find this in the uk

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 10:47 am

Neither in Greece

visuatrox · Post by **visuatrox** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 4:46 pm

It appears that it was cancelled, atleast according to amazon (I had preordered the game).

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 11:17 pm

Got any links?

ST Dragon · Post by **ST Dragon** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 10:26 am

Well it looks as if they were both released after all:

Shadow Of Ganymede
http://www.atari.com.au/games/info.do?id=507
http://www.phoenixgamesgroup.com/uk/games/ganymede.html

Guerrilla Strike
http://www.phoenixgamesgroup.com/uk/gam ... rilla.html

So how good are they?