Gradius Arc.

[honorless]

So, discussion about this trademark came up in Shmups Chat a while ago. Today Andriasang finally lets us know what's up:

Konami's Gradius series is following in the footsteps of R-Type and becoming a grid-based strategy game. Not for PSP, though. To play Gradius Arc: Legend of the Silver Wing, you're going to need one of those "cell phones".

More details and pictures of ugly anime people at the link. Free to play, apparently.

A mod can move the previous topic into OT and merge this post into it if they want. I just figured someone else might want to know what became of this, and didn't want to bump the thread in shmups chat since it's a cellphone SRPG.

[antron]

damn, I was really hoping for Gradius Clitoral Stimulator for PS Move.

[Drum]

Konami's Gradius series is following in the footsteps of R-Type and becoming a grid-based strategy game.

*cough*

http://gradius.wikia.com/wiki/Cosmic_Wars

On topic:

Crushing, soul-destroying disappointment. A strategy spin-off. For cell phones. Ugh.

[Daigohji]

Coming soon: the Soldier Blade dating sim you can play on your clock radio.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

Christ this is worse then i could of ever hoped. Still this is better then no gradius as it get the trade mark out... i suppose..

[Specineff]

R-Type Command/Tactics makes sense as a turn-based strategy, in the wake of R-Type Final and the backstory of the war against the Bydo.

But Gradius always had the "Lone fighter against an invading army" feel to it. Konami can make it work, yes. But it feels wrong as a me-too attempt, and on a cell phone out of all platforms. (Yeah, I know it's the "In" thing in Japan, but it's not like the DS, PSP or Wii don't have an installed user base)

[gameoverDude]

A Gradius strategy game? This makes about as much sense as mixing fried onions and chocolate. And I'm not a fan of turn based, slot machine style "hit the Fight button and pray- look at the computer wrong and your party dies in one more hit" combat (Give me Ys over Final Fantasy any day). How wrong. It wouldn't be so bad if it were like Star Control (real time combat, please).

Watch there be a Gekirindan dating sim next.

[professor ganson]

I'm only disappointed that it's a cell-phone game. If it were a DS or PSP game, I'd be completely into it. Probably wouldn't even wait for the localization.

[ROBOTRON]

A Gradius Strategy game? Thats like shoving a pound of hot butter up one's ass....does not compute.

[antron]

Thats like shoving a pound of hot butter up one's ass....does not compute.

speak for yourself, weirdo.

[professor ganson]

News flash, guys: many shmups require much strategical thinking, and many, many people who like shmups also like strategy games generally. The ones who don't are probably gamers who just enjoy blowing shit up. I think Robotron fits into the latter category.

[Elixir]

I enjoy strategy games when strategy games are strategy games and aren't consuming my shmup series.

What this means, in plain English, is that filler content such as this comes along so that they don't have to put out for a few more years.

[drauch]

What the fuck? Who is going to play this? It's clearly going to piss off the fans (look at this thread), and who else is this going to appeal to? "Oh geeze wow look at this new strategy game with the ship from that old arcade game i played once". Son of a bitch must pay.

[honorless]

I'm only disappointed that it's a cell-phone game. If it were a DS or PSP game, I'd be completely into it. Probably wouldn't even wait for the localization.

I think you're giving Konami too much credit on this one, Prof. While somebody could have made a decent Gradius-themed strategy title, I really doubt this animu microtransaction-powered cellphone exclusive is even close.

(real time combat, please)

Hell, no. Turn-based or bust if the game is designed to challenge the mind more than the reflexes.

...Fried onions drizzled with a little chocolate sauce sounds weirdly tasty, to be honest.

[ryu]

Maybe they had something better in mind and then decided against it and had an internee do something just to not have copyrighted Arc in vain.