The Starblade rail-shooter series, by Namco
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Thunder Force
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The Starblade rail-shooter series, by Namco
This is a topic for fans to discuss Namco's Starblade series, the underknown but much loved arcade rail-shooter series.
An interesting note is the first game in this Namco series inspiring Nintendo's Starfox franchise (some would go so far as to claim some plagarism on Nintendo/Argonaut's part when it comes to the first Starfox game and Starblade...)
Starblade itself was likely influenced in its atmosphere by the cult film "The Last Starfighter", and of all the videogames made it perhaps best captures TLS's tone. As the franchise progresses the games got more and more elaborate.
Below I will attempt to list the games in the Starblade series, since they are rarely grouped together coherently due to their disparate naming conventions
Starblade - Original
Starblade - Alpha
Galaxian 3 - Project Dragoon
Galaxian 3 - The Rising Of Gourb
Galaxian 3 - Attack of the Zolgear
Starblade 2 - Operation Blue Planet
Alpha is just a textured version of the original Starblade for the home market. Sadly I've never had a chance to see the newest game, Operation Blue Planet, since it's a 2002 release which means many struggling western arcades are unlikely to import the elaborate O.R.B.S. spherical immersion system needed to play this game. Has anyone played Operation Blue Planet?
An interesting note is the first game in this Namco series inspiring Nintendo's Starfox franchise (some would go so far as to claim some plagarism on Nintendo/Argonaut's part when it comes to the first Starfox game and Starblade...)
Starblade itself was likely influenced in its atmosphere by the cult film "The Last Starfighter", and of all the videogames made it perhaps best captures TLS's tone. As the franchise progresses the games got more and more elaborate.
Below I will attempt to list the games in the Starblade series, since they are rarely grouped together coherently due to their disparate naming conventions
Starblade - Original
Starblade - Alpha
Galaxian 3 - Project Dragoon
Galaxian 3 - The Rising Of Gourb
Galaxian 3 - Attack of the Zolgear
Starblade 2 - Operation Blue Planet
Alpha is just a textured version of the original Starblade for the home market. Sadly I've never had a chance to see the newest game, Operation Blue Planet, since it's a 2002 release which means many struggling western arcades are unlikely to import the elaborate O.R.B.S. spherical immersion system needed to play this game. Has anyone played Operation Blue Planet?
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TWITCHDOCTOR
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I think I remember playing StarBlade on the 3DO. I'd like to play this again, but for some reason, it wasen't as "memorable" as some other rail shmups.
It was a "cursor control" only, correct? StarFox,Panzer Dragoon, and Space Harrier you can move around the screen, but in StarBlade you only could move the target reticle
It was a "cursor control" only, correct? StarFox,Panzer Dragoon, and Space Harrier you can move around the screen, but in StarBlade you only could move the target reticle
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Indeed. Hence I thought it rather boring, to be honest.TWITCHDOCTOR wrote:I think I remember playing StarBlade on the 3DO. I'd like to play this again, but for some reason, it wasen't as "memorable" as some other rail shmups.
It was a "cursor control" only, correct? StarFox,Panzer Dragoon, and Space Harrier you can move around the screen, but in StarBlade you only could move the target reticle
...and suddenly, a very freaky wormhole opened, and 4 3-foot tall market analysts fell out...
I have Starblade for the 3do and Galaxian 3 for the PSX. I played Galaxian 3 in the arcades and it lost a lot in translation. Without the wall of sound and the huge ass screen it just is not much of a game. In the arcade it was an event to play it, at home it's just a 5 minute blast fest and why bother playing again?
I had Starblade for the 3DO and thought it was good, but Burning Soldier was much better.
Feedback will set you free.
captpain wrote:Basically, the reason people don't like Bakraid is because they are fat and dumb
Does anyone else remember playing one of the Starblade games in a real arcade (outside of Japan?) I'm not sure but I think I might have played it in this setting like a booth with 4-5 other people all had their own individual targeting reticles. It was almost like a mini-movie theatre. Anyone else remember this? Maybe this was operation blue planet?
BTW: was the Namco O.R.B.S. cabinet ever released? Or strictly used as a prototype for tradeshows?
BTW: was the Namco O.R.B.S. cabinet ever released? Or strictly used as a prototype for tradeshows?
I live in Redmond, and I don't know of any very odd arcades around here (the only two I can think of that were in town within the past ten years were a small one in the back of a little game store that disappeared some time ago, and another little hole-in-the-wall amusement center place called Zones that also went the way of the dodo years ago, but got replaced by an indoor go-kart track.) With the exception of a Gameworks and a couple of other places in Seattle, arcades are pretty much extinct around here. The starblade I played was at the bowling alley in Bellevue. I'm not sure if they still have it or not. One of these days I need to head out and look. I also need to go take some pictures of the Solar Assault at the Seattle Gameworks, since a lot of people here haven't seen one.
Last time I was there (about a year ago now), the Namco station in London still had a Galaxian 3!
Great game, unfortunately when I visited screen 2 was out, so it was pointless to try and play it. Probably the largest videogame ever made - even takes up more floorspace than an R360.
For those who have never seen one (which will be quite a few!):
http://www.arcadeflyers.com/flyers/namco/21464103.jpg
Great game, unfortunately when I visited screen 2 was out, so it was pointless to try and play it. Probably the largest videogame ever made - even takes up more floorspace than an R360.
For those who have never seen one (which will be quite a few!):
http://www.arcadeflyers.com/flyers/namco/21464103.jpg
Ahhh..ok, thats what I was talking about in my previous post. I guess it was a galaxian 3. Now if I could only remember where it was I played it...bloodflowers wrote:
For those who have never seen one (which will be quite a few!):
http://www.arcadeflyers.com/flyers/namco/21464103.jpg
they had one of the Project Dragoon models at a Dave & busters (i think) in GA a LONG time back.. played aone once.. never again lol
as for Starblade, the pick-em off-before-they-fire with no way of manuvering out of fire bothered me a lot (tis why i don't like games like area 51 or CarnEVIL.. i never continued, and never got very far..
that intro was sweet though!.. tis why i used to still plop 2 quarters into that thing.. I SOOO agree with the comparison the The last starfighter.. I never made that connection between the two and i loved the movie..
but the arcade that had Starblade (namco owned Cyberstation) also had Solvalou, so i always opted for that.. could intercept or outmanuver the enemy fire...
as for Starblade, the pick-em off-before-they-fire with no way of manuvering out of fire bothered me a lot (tis why i don't like games like area 51 or CarnEVIL.. i never continued, and never got very far..
that intro was sweet though!.. tis why i used to still plop 2 quarters into that thing.. I SOOO agree with the comparison the The last starfighter.. I never made that connection between the two and i loved the movie..
but the arcade that had Starblade (namco owned Cyberstation) also had Solvalou, so i always opted for that.. could intercept or outmanuver the enemy fire...
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Thunder Force
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In a funny piece of news, check this out - posted today at MagicBox
Lol... Tekken 5's loading time is long enough to fit a game of StarBlade into?? Um, this should be interesting.Namco revealed new details on the PS2 version of Tekken 5. The game will include arcade port of Tekken 1, 2 and 3, however no extra content from the PS version will be included. In addition, StarBlade will be playable while the game is loading.
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gameoverDude
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It's probably a mini-Starblade game like the Galaga Challenge Stages in the original PS Tekken. I'm guessing it may be something like a "kill all enemies to unlock Heihachi" type deal.Thunder Force wrote: Lol... Tekken 5's loading time is long enough to fit a game of StarBlade into?? Um, this should be interesting.
Kinect? KIN NOT.
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Thunder Force
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Thanks to www.game-science.com I came across a Famitsu scan that includes the first small screenshot of Tekken 5's version of StarBlade.
(See the added "Now Loading" displayed on the HUD... otherwise looks identical to Stage One of the original StarBlade coin-op.)
(See the added "Now Loading" displayed on the HUD... otherwise looks identical to Stage One of the original StarBlade coin-op.)
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Thunder Force
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Some nice big screenshots of the Tekken 5 version of StarBlade now available here, here, and here.
Notice some of the pics say "Press Start Button" on the HUD... maybe once Tekken 5 finishes loading you can keep playing StarBlade if you want to, and maybe it's not just a mini-game but the whole arcade game...
Notice some of the pics say "Press Start Button" on the HUD... maybe once Tekken 5 finishes loading you can keep playing StarBlade if you want to, and maybe it's not just a mini-game but the whole arcade game...
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Thunder Force
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OK - in Tekken 5 on PS2 you can play the opening part of Starblade during the "Now Loading" screen, then it cuts to Tekken 5 after you warp to the Asteroid Belt.
However the entire Starblade arcade game is unlockable in Tekken 5's "Arcade History" section. The method to unlock it is not fully confirmed yet but some people have done it already.
What I'd like to know is, is it just a port of the grainy version already available on the PS1 "Starblade Alpha" disc, or have they re-done it to better quality using the FMV capabilities of the PS2?
However the entire Starblade arcade game is unlockable in Tekken 5's "Arcade History" section. The method to unlock it is not fully confirmed yet but some people have done it already.
What I'd like to know is, is it just a port of the grainy version already available on the PS1 "Starblade Alpha" disc, or have they re-done it to better quality using the FMV capabilities of the PS2?