Anyone else freaking out for Sigma Star Saga?

8 1/2 · Post by **8 1/2** » Wed May 25, 2005 12:20 am

I did a search and couldn't find anything on this game so far, so forgive me if it's already been talked about as I've been without web access for the last month.

Anyway, this games seems like a dream come true. Part RPG, part horizontal shmup, and it's on the GBA to boot. If the shmup part can bring some real challenge this may have the potential to simply never leave my SP. From the screens I've seen it's looking pretty nice too. I'm not a major fan of the character designs, but I can certianly live with it. The shmup bit looks pretty clean and colorful too. I just hope it's more Thunderforce than R-Type. Plus, the fact that it's a US release is just a gift.

Zach Keene · Post by **Zach Keene** » Wed May 25, 2005 12:25 am

8 1/2 wrote:I did a search and couldn't find anything on this game so far, so forgive me if it's already been talked about as I've been without web access for the last month.

*cough*

8 1/2 · Post by **8 1/2** » Wed May 25, 2005 12:33 am

Ah see, that title is why I couldn't find it. Knew it must have come up though. Thanks.

LoneSage · Post by **LoneSage** » Wed May 25, 2005 1:05 am

To be honest, nothing's exciting me about this game. I know nil about the story, and the screenshots I've seen of the shmup segments look, ah,...shitty.

Curious about reviews of it, tho.

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Wed May 25, 2005 1:20 am

Some sites do have E3 impressions up (though not as easy to find as I would like. So much for websites treating the GBA the same as other systems for E3) and they seemed to be positive.

IGN's impressions are at http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/609/609264p1.html

BIG · Post by **BIG** » Wed May 25, 2005 1:48 am

I was bribed by the Namco booth babes to watch a short demo of it at E3,and I got a couple of Sigma Star Saga ball caps for doing so...can't complain

B-

alpha5099 · Post by **alpha5099** » Wed May 25, 2005 3:55 am

Mmm, I'm not sure what to make of SSS. Right now, it seems like too many ideas for its own good. Too ambitious, nothing I saw in the videos at IGN suggested that either the RPG elements or shmupping would be anything but ho-hum. I'm not impressed, but I'm still watching from the sidelines, interested to see how this turns out.

Also, the main character look incredibly stupid. The main sprites seem freakishly big, which is rarely a complaint but it seems like it leaves less room for stuff on screen. But that damned purple outfit, with the horns and the frilly skirt-thing. Just dumb looking.

jp · Post by jp » Wed May 25, 2005 4:47 am

Looks interesting, I may give it a shot.

sjewkestheloon · Post by **sjewkestheloon** » Wed May 25, 2005 12:34 pm

i have to admit i'm really looking forward to it. i think i read that the shmup segments were going to be random to some extent so it has the potential of having infinate shmup playability as well as high rpg level gain gameplay. sound like heaven to me, and i trust the developers to not completely screw it over

ill6 · Post by **ill6** » Wed May 25, 2005 1:09 pm

8 1/2 wrote:Part RPG, part horizontal shmup, and it's on the GBA to boot.

Sounds rubbish to me.

My guess is that both the RPG and shmup aspects will be watered down so as not to disuade the respective fans (i.e. the rpg won't be really tricky so as to not put us off).

I look forward to being proven wrong though!

Tomtom · Post by **Tomtom** » Wed May 25, 2005 9:12 pm

I'll check it out, as this is the kind of game that needs all the support it can get, but it still doesn't look that good, in my opinion.

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Wed May 25, 2005 10:22 pm

Nothing about the video I just watched of this game looks watered down; looks great to me!

jiji · Post by **jiji** » Wed May 25, 2005 10:44 pm

I like WayForward's character designs, spritework, backgrounds, and animations, but it sounds like they're doing everything they can to take what we find fun out of the shooting sections. That may not be their intention, but dumbing down gameplay and making shooter bosses beatable by level grinding instead of through skill and tactics is pretty contrary to what makes a good shooter, from what I can see. I don't think they're interested at all in making the RPG elements more playable to shooter fans, but they won't be too complex to begin with (how many ARPGs are complex, anyway?). I'd have been interested in playing a straight-up action-RPG by these guys, but I'm not too interested in what this is turning out to be.

Now on the other hand, Scurge: Hive mixes action and RPG elements and actually sounds pretty interesting and looks nice.

http://media.gameboy.ign.com/media/682/ ... mgs_1.html
http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3140825

Tomtom wrote:I'll check it out, as this is the kind of game that needs all the support it can get, but it still doesn't look that good, in my opinion.

Support good games, not ones that rest on noble intentions.

sjewkestheloon · Post by **sjewkestheloon** » Wed May 25, 2005 11:19 pm

scourge : hive looks quality from those shots.

glad i picked up an sp the other day. thought i was going to be relying purely on back catalogue but there are some promising titles in development

8 1/2 · Post by **8 1/2** » Thu May 26, 2005 12:04 am

I dunno, I'm not in love with any part of this game that I've seen so far, but it's one of those "what if's" that's never been realized. I have to give this game a shot. And for some reason I'm always much more forgiving of portable games than any other. If it's fun in sections, just enough to cover a lunch break, then I'll be happy. I don't expect a Border Down quality horzi out of it, but if it has some hook of some kind it'll be worth it.

As hor Hive, yes I'm in too. I saw some screens in Play a few months ago and have been looking forward to it ever since.

obxStorm · Post by **obxStorm** » Fri May 27, 2005 10:59 am

Sounds a bit like "Guardian Legend" for the 'ol NES. I use to drool at the prospect of a flicker-free 16-bit version of that jewel. That was the games only downfall - seizure inducing flicker. Ugh.... But I digress.

postman · Post by **postman** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 2:05 am

Here's a link to the E3 video (doesn't look like it's been given in this thread yet):

http://www.etoychest.org/index.php?opti ... 4&Itemid=2

And the latest homepage:
http://sigmastarsaga.namco.com/

Andi · Post by **Andi** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 1:51 pm

The RPG bit looks like it will have a good bit of customization. I'm hoping they will have some ship modification (ala space sim games) as well. I've got mine preordered.

Honestly though, the shooter segment is the part I care about the least. I just want a good sci-fi RPG with lots of stats for me to thinker with.

Turrican · Post by **Turrican** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 7:19 am

It's being made by the Shantae guys, and Shantae is, like, the absolute best game ever released for gbc...

discoalucardx · Post by **discoalucardx** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 2:13 am

I was really excited about this game until I got to play it at E3. Your ship looks kinda like the Axelay which had me all joyous. But the gameplay is really...just...boring. The shooter segment gave you a pea shooter and it just wasn't very interesting. The RPG segments were kinda lame too - the characters are HUGE and awkward to control.

I might look it when it comes out, but my hopes are set noticeably lower now.

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Sat Jun 18, 2005 2:51 am

Turrican wrote:It's being made by the Shantae guys, and Shantae is, like, the absolute best game ever released for gbc...

These guys also made the Xtremely overlooked Xtreme Sports for GBC. That game rocks!

pixelcorps · Post by **pixelcorps** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 2:32 am

I did the backgrounds for the 1st level of this game..

8 1/2 · Post by **8 1/2** » Sun Jun 19, 2005 2:33 am

pixelcorps wrote:I did the backgrounds for the 1st level of this game..

Really? Can you give us some thoughts on how the game is coming together?

pixelcorps · Post by **pixelcorps** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 6:00 pm

8 1/2 wrote:
pixelcorps wrote:I did the backgrounds for the 1st level of this game..
Really? Can you give us some thoughts on how the game is coming together?

well, I can only say that the first shooter level will look very pretty!.. it has some really nice multilayer parallax effects and hopefully a very nice sunset effect if it still goes into the game.. I haven't played the game, sadly, just supplied the graphics and stage design for that one level...

not many shots of my gfx online right now...

8 1/2 · Post by **8 1/2** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 7:35 pm

Very nice indeed. Good work so far.

pixelcorps · Post by **pixelcorps** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 8:56 pm

8 1/2 wrote:Very nice indeed. Good work so far.

thanks!

- it looks a lot better in motion - the upper and lower pics should be the other way around, the city gets nuked, aeroblasters style....

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 2:04 pm

GameInformer gave this a very positive review: 8.5. But the review does little to suggest that the shoot-em-up side of the game will be all that interesting.

Andi · Post by **Andi** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 2:34 pm

Yeah, I'm pretty annoyed that the release date on this game got pushed back. I was hoping to be playing it at this very instant.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 2:47 pm

Andi wrote:Yeah, I'm pretty annoyed that the release date on this game got pushed back. I was hoping to be playing it at this very instant.

Yeah, I heard that it isn't coming til August.

shmups.system11.org

Anyone else freaking out for Sigma Star Saga?

Anyone else freaking out for Sigma Star Saga?

Re: Anyone else freaking out for Sigma Star Saga?

Re: Anyone else freaking out for Sigma Star Saga?