Aa Mujou Setsuna / Arika / DSiWare

[hirounder]

From developer Arika comes Aa Mujou Setsuna, a 500 DSi Point vertical scrolling shooter with 3D visuals. This game includes two modes: pattern mode, where the enemies always appear in the same location, and random mode, where enemy positions change each time you play. Master blasters can look forward to a Wi-Fi Connection high score ranking mode with support for uploading and downloading replays of the top 10 scorers.

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/dsiware/k59j/index.html

Gameplay video 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWpk2EzTZ1c
Gameplay video 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_XEk4rPjb4

[MathU]

Interesting. Could be fun. Too bad it uses one of Cave's obnoxious scoring systems.

[DC906270]

nice, shame i dont have a dsi or plan on getting one

[adversity1]

Interesting. Could be fun. Too bad it uses one of Cave's obnoxious scoring systems.

Of course, that's just an opinion.

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Wow this game looks really fun, especially from the second video. For me this is a system seller.
Picking up a DSi this weekend...can't believe this is out next week!

[adversity1]

Gotta love the name too which could translate to

"AGH! How heartless and suffocating!"

lol

[brokenhalo]

sorry for the noob post.

i don't have a DSi yet. is it a PITA to buy stuff from the japanese store with an american DSi?

and has nintendo been pretty good so far in regards to bringing japanese content to the american marketplace?

[Xexyz]

Wow, Nintendo publishing another shmup in its console history besides Solar Striker? Seeing as they're footing the bill, I wouldn't be surprised if this one winds up coming stateside.

[Momijitsuki]

This is great but... will this ever get an NA release?

[Jockel]

Nice! First real good reason to own a DSi. I can't wait to download it (luckily i already have a DSi)

[moozooh]

Can't say much about gameplay, but visuals are appealing and the music pretty soothing. Scoring system looks like a cross between Guwange and Espgaluda.

[Kaspal]

if i didnt have a DSLite already, i'd be headng out to get a DSi... so question is, can we run those DSi appz on a regular DS?... maybe using a flashcart?

cuz if it isnt possible, i think i'll be getting my second DS in a couple months.

[Zuhzuhzombie!!]

nice, shame i dont have a dsi or plan on getting one

I don't either. My DS Lite is gonna get traded in to help with the Christmas rush, and I'm buying my old lady one of those blue DSi's for Christmas.

[antares]

The gameplay videos look good but this sort of game just is unplayable on the DSi's tiny screen and pad imo.

[Jockel]

if i didnt have a DSLite already, i'd be headng out to get a DSi... so question is, can we run those DSi appz on a regular DS?... maybe using a flashcart?

cuz if it isnt possible, i think i'll be getting my second DS in a couple months.

No way.
The DSi has roughly twice the power of the regular DS.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

This is great but... will this ever get an NA release?

I'm in the same boat as you are with this same question. A proper Stateside release would be great. And how do you buy Japanese DSi points btw? ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Fudoh]

The points aren't the problem. Same as the Wii points after all. The problem is that the DSi units are locked to the stores of their origin. So no japanese store access on american DSi units and vice versa...

[kengou]

The gameplay videos look good but this sort of game just is unplayable on the DSi's tiny screen and pad imo.

Haven't played Ketsui DS have you? Works splendidly there. Although I had trouble with the DS Lite's small d-pad, I prefer to play it on my fat DS.

[Kaspal]

The points aren't the problem. Same as the Wii points after all. The problem is that the DSi units are locked to the stores of their origin. So no japanese store access on american DSi units and vice versa...

sad to hear... at least, if the games were region free, i would get a NA DSi and hope to play this soon, but if thats the way it is, im better off playing the regular games... really sad, sicne it's been awhile since last time we got some shmup love.

[jefflev13]

Some have suggested that since it's being published by Nintendo, there's a fairly decent chance it may get a wider release (lots of weird DSiWare titles have already, like the Art Style games, yes?), so I wouldn't give up hope yet. As long as reports are good, this definitely looks like the game that would push me to upgrade to a DSi. Also having that slightly larger screen for Ketsui would probably be nice.

[unsane]

Raiden meets bullet hell.

This game includes two modes: pattern mode, where the enemies always appear in the same location, and random mode, where enemy positions change each time you play.

Wow, what a fantastic idea! Finally you can please both camps, the memorizers and the randomness fanatics like me.

[antares]

The gameplay videos look good but this sort of game just is unplayable on the DSi's tiny screen and pad imo.

Haven't played Ketsui DS have you? Works splendidly there. Although I had trouble with the DS Lite's small d-pad, I prefer to play it on my fat DS.

I played it quite a lot and still do and nearly every time I die I think if I'd be playing this with a stick on a proper screen I wouldn't have lost a life now

[ZOM]

The gameplay videos look good but this sort of game just is unplayable on the DSi's tiny screen and pad imo.

Haven't played Ketsui DS have you? Works splendidly there. Although I had trouble with the DS Lite's small d-pad, I prefer to play it on my fat DS.

I played it quite a lot and still do and nearly every time I die I think if I'd be playing this with a stick on a proper screen I wouldn't have lost a life now

Same Here. Game looks good but I would be way more excited if this was a PSP release. I can't stand my lite's D-pad - it's just awful for diagonals. Ever played a Isometric game on it? Cracked my patience.
However if the whole game is playable by just twitching left and right, it's ok I guess.

[EPS21]

So are the actual dsi-ware games themselves region locked, or is it only the access to buying these games locked?

I plan on purchasing a dsi very soon, which I thought would be fine buying a US one since normal DS games are region free, but if there are a few decent shmups that come out only on DSiWare only available to the Japanese marketplace, I'd be kicking myself getting a US model :\

Also a little bit off topic, but a bit pertinent to my decision, Ketsui DS has no issue playing on a DSi right? I heard some DS games don't work on a DSi unless I'm wrong

[Aru-san]

Also a little bit off topic, but a bit pertinent to my decision, Ketsui DS has no issue playing on a DSi right? I heard some DS games don't work on a DSi unless I'm wrong

IIRC, only DSi games are region-locked. You might be able to play Japanese DS games on an American DSi.

[SFKhoa]

Also a little bit off topic, but a bit pertinent to my decision, Ketsui DS has no issue playing on a DSi right? I heard some DS games don't work on a DSi unless I'm wrong

IIRC, only DSi games are region-locked. You might be able to play Japanese DS games on an American DSi.

Most likely you can play Japanese DS games on an American DSi... I only assume that since American games work on my Japanese DSi. Also at what EPS21 asked earlier, unless there's a way to hack the region of the entire console itself, you can't even access any Japanese content. At all.

[Jockel]

Also having that slightly larger screen for Ketsui would probably be nice.

It is. The colours are also more intense. And the D-Pad is nice and clicky, like the original DS.
So it is basically the best DS there is. I am quite happy i have it.
(And even more that i won it for free xD)
But mind you, that the difference in the size of the screens is very small.
Imagine a DS-Lite screen, where the screen expands to the little plastic frame.

[SFKhoa]

So it just came out. I downloaded it. I...don't know what to say about it so far. Maybe I'll have a little more fun in the later stages.

EDIT: First impressions upon playing Phase 1.
1) Prerendered sprites. They're basically doing what Cave did and failed at it. It's a plane and yet the sprite itself is barely symmetrical.
2) Where is the hitbox? Seriously. Where is the hitbox?
3) The item chaining seems okay so far. Only if you're using Type B though.

[adversity1]

Not fun so far? That's worrying.

I scrubbed out this morning since Japan has basically no fking wireless points. Argh. Maybe on my lunch break?

[SFKhoa]

It's...fun, but it honestly feels like it's missing stuff. The really dodgy hitbox is getting to me though.
Also, where the fuck is the hitbox?

EDIT: 1CC'd the game already. It really gets interesting (and hectic) after phase 4/5. I think I'll play this game a lot more. I'm currently 1st on the leaderboards, so...
EDIT2: After many serious runs in this game, I really do like the scoring+chaining system in this game. It really does feel like a Cave game later on. Definitely worth the 500pt download.

[ZOM]

It's...fun, but it honestly feels like it's missing stuff. The really dodgy hitbox is getting to me though.
Also, where the fuck is the hitbox?

LoL @ 0:50 - 0:58 but still... game looks good.