Deathsmiles PAL release (DATED: Feb 18th)

[spadgy]

Looks good. The worst part will be choosing the right time when the shop is empty to go pick it up. Hopefully the box doesn't look TOO MUCH like a rape sim.

Here's the official packshot from Rising Star:

EDIT: there's also a modest amount of very hi-res Deathsmiles character art and so on on the Rising Star press site. If anybody is super keen, I could download some of it. Be great for custom sticks etc.

[BibleBlack]

It's up on amazon.de now, too, but priced supprisingly high at about 40€.

Now I remember why I haven't ordered Games from Local sellers in the last years... UK is like 50% cheaper, even with shipping costs.
I rather pay ~23€ and maybe have to wait a few days than paying 40€. Ah and no big USK stickers...

[img*]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh55 ... usk_3d.jpg[/img]

So no big box like the Americans?
Still wondering what those desktop accessory are going to be... not to mention that I don't really get the idea of releasing a console game with accessory to put on the desktop. Wanted that faceplate and big box so badly. :\

Edit: Uh...are the "desktop accessorys" for the Windows Desktop and not my "physical" one? o_O

[StarCreator]

Yes, desktop accessory packs are typically a CD containing stuff to theme Windows with, not physical accessories.

[BibleBlack]

Yes, desktop accessory packs are typically a CD containing stuff to theme Windows with, not physical accessories.

Oh yeah...that's just... ah god damn...

[spadgy]

So - I just got a de-bug build of the PAL release of Deathsmiles sent to me. I have it right it front of me. (De-bug disks are fundamentally preview versions of games, that only play on special de-bug (or 'Test') versions of the console. There are differences between de-bug and test machines, and de-bug builds come in all different states of completion, but here isn't the place for a massive delve into those details.)

It would be very exciting, except that I don't have a de-bug 360 so I can't play it!!! I'm trying to sort out a loan of a machine from a company who have lent me one before so I can play the thing and check the reality of the slowdown! (Of course I'd only be allowed to feedback on that experience here if various PR embargoes allowed me to).

It's no hyper desirable Cave collectible I'm sure (especially as it's hand burned and labelled - as many official, genuine de-bug disks are) but it's very nice to have:

[sirmax]

Now I remember why I haven't ordered Games from Local sellers in the last years...

Yeah, me too. Normally they do also offer the uk-versions for import, but not this time. And having no paypal I'm afraid I'm going to pay this ridiculous price. At least it's way cheaper than it would be at Gamestop

e: Just realized, amazon.de also states the pack will contain an "Collector's Digtial Artbook", dunno if they mean the desktop accessory pack.

[njiska]

So - I just got a de-bug build of the PAL release of Deathsmiles sent to me. I have it right it front of me.

Nice job Spadgy. We were going to get a dev build of the Aksys version a few months before it was final, but unfortunately could never track down a devkit. Good luck getting a loaner.

[spadgy]

Good luck getting a loaner.

It should be fine. A paper I write for has a couple to loan out to contributors.

[DrTrouserPlank]

Regarding the "slowdown" that I see being talked about. Am I right in thinking that the arcade board had some sort of slowdown during certain sequences due to heavy bullet-population or on-screen effects etc, and people consider this part of the game's authenticity and want it emulated in the console port?

I'm buying the PAL version having never played either the board or the NTSC port (which I gathering has no slowdown?) so I'm just interested what's being debated here.

Thanks.

[StarCreator]

Yep, pretty much hit it on the nose. The NA version still has some slowdown simulation, but it's nowhere near the levels seen in the JP version and the arcade PCB.

[DrTrouserPlank]

Yep, pretty much hit it on the nose. The NA version still has some slowdown simulation, but it's nowhere near the levels seen in the JP version and the arcade PCB.

Ok thanks for clarifying that.

It's interesting that they bothered to emulate the slowdown on the Japanese port but not the US. It says a lot about how they feel slowdown will be perceived by gamers (or more damagingly reviewers) seeing as a good proportion of people in the US/Europe who buy these shooters will probably be aware of, and/or expect the slowdown emulated as part of recreating the arcade experience. I guess fear of comments from magazines like "bodged port; loads of slowdown... can't the xbox handle such a simple game.. etc etc" force them to make it run smooth for fear of losing sales...

Who knows what the real thinking behind it is, but I'd imagine that it has to be along those lines.

[StarCreator]

My theory on this remains pretty much the same as before - for whatever reason, Cave switched the game to a different rendering engine for the NA release. The presence of a "smoothing" option that was not in the JP release, but began appearing in Cave's ports since Espgaluda II Black Label, seems to suggest that Deathsmiles NA uses an engine more similar to that of Cave's later ports.

Trying to make sense of why this happened, it's quite possible that within the more than a year gap between Deathsmiles JP and NA, either 360 development tools or Microsoft policy changed in such a way that Cave was forced to migrate the game to the newer engine. I can't think of any other reason why they would do it, since it should be much easier and cheaper to change nothing but the text language and leave everything else alone.

[Zeron]

For my Swedish country men you can order here


http://www.webhallen.com/spel/xbox_360/ ... xe_edition

349kr

[emphatic]

For my Swedish country men you can order here


http://www.webhallen.com/spel/xbox_360/ ... xe_edition

349kr

Great, gonna pass this info on to my buds.

[BPzeBanshee]

Does anyone know if any of the big game companies are going to be selling this in Australia yet? If it's cheap and accessible for me to buy I may just get it yet.

[everlust]

Does anyone know if any of the big game companies are going to be selling this in Australia yet? If it's cheap and accessible for me to buy I may just get it yet.

Nah, no news of it hitting Australia.

If you can import, I'd just grab it from here:
http://www.zavvi.com/games/platforms/xb ... 96497.html

I'm from AUS as well and regularly import from Zavvi. So far so good.
It will total £20.34 pounds as shipping to AUS on this site is £2.49, so about ~33AUD currently.

I just made a pre-order on the site for it and also Raiden Fighters Aces. Only 60AUD total

[BPzeBanshee]

Does anyone know if any of the big game companies are going to be selling this in Australia yet? If it's cheap and accessible for me to buy I may just get it yet.

Nah, no news of it hitting Australia.

If you can import, I'd just grab it from here:
http://www.zavvi.com/games/platforms/xb ... 96497.html

I'm from AUS as well and regularly import from Zavvi. So far so good.
It will total £20.34 pounds as shipping to AUS on this site is £2.49, so about ~33AUD currently.

I just made a pre-order on the site for it and also Raiden Fighters Aces. Only 60AUD total

Thanks for the info, though I've got little faith in Raiden Fighters Aces ever getting a release and my Xbox 360 has recently stopped working with anything DVD-drive-related so I'll hold out on going through the painful process of establishing a way of online payment for me until I can figure out how to fix the damn thing.

[OBSCVRA]

Game in Australia now has it listed for $60.

Best to import then

[z0mbie90]

For my Swedish country men you can order here


http://www.webhallen.com/spel/xbox_360/ ... xe_edition

349kr

Nice. Gonna pre-order right away. Thanks for the link Zeron,

[BPzeBanshee]

Game in Australia now has it listed for $60.

Best to import then

WHAT

When I saw GAME's page shortly after I posted it was less than that (granted it was still rather expensive per say compared to the price you Brits are getting).

If they actually sell it at their store where I live I'd buy it for that price though. They'll probably drop the price after release anyway, I find most of the game stores overprice preorders here.

[Shin]

Good luck getting a loaner.

It should be fine. A paper I write for has a couple to loan out to contributors.

Wouldn't it be easier to try find a JTAG console (any region code) and somehow run the devkit version of the game on it ? (not 100% sure it'll run, but my guess is that it's highly likely)

[Phellan Wolf]

Do we finally know wich build is going to be the pal release then??? I would love to believe RSG forums where they have already stated that is going to be based on the japanese one, however I have my doubts about it. Spadgy please try out that version you have so that we can find out.

[spadgy]

I'm trying!

Sadly that newspaper's de-bug is currently with somebody else. I've tried emailing MS with no joy (yet).

Sony have been very kind with me and de-bugs. MS are a little less forthcoming.

I might also need to call on somebody else to have a look. I've played the JPN version on 360, and MBL on PCB. Having not played the main game on PCB or the US version on console, it's going to take a bit of investigating.

anyway, at this rate the game will be out before I play it!

[-SD-]

You could maybe see if there's anyone in the UK over on ASSEMbler that could help out?

[BibleBlack]

If you can import, I'd just grab it from here:
http://www.zavvi.com/games/platforms/xb ... 96497.html

I'm from AUS as well and regularly import from Zavvi. So far so good.
It will total £20.34 pounds as shipping to AUS on this site is £2.49, so about ~33AUD currently.

You can get 15% off for some limited time:

Get your hands on a 15% off code for Zavvi here: http://www.rewardyourthirst.com/default.aspx

All you have to do is sign up, then refer three friends. Or "refer" three other email addresses. *cough*.

Well worth doing, 15% off means a lot of unbeatable deals from Zavvi.

For "reffering", just use Mailinator or similar...

[Martinov]

BibleBlack : Huge thanks! Just got a nice discount off Deathsmiles, Raiden Fighter Aces and some DVDs. Great find!

[DazTM]

It's based on the Japanese build and seems pretty accurate (I left my Japanese copy at home so couldn't compare them when I was playing it at work). It's certainly better than the US version.

It comes with the DLC (Mega Black Label, which annoyingly I can't access on my Japanese version because I have a chipped Japanese machine ) and it also comes with the CD soundtrack that was released seperately in Japan. Cave actually recommended to Rising Star Games that it came packaged with an exclusive extra as it would persuade owners who already own the game to re purchase it again (they're well aware of their loyal fanbase).

Considering you can already preorder it for under £18 I'd say it was a bargain. Don't expect good scores for it though The people demoing it to us didn't explain what the hit box was and didn't explain the scoring system either, which to me is crucial to get across when reviewing a shmup.

[StarCreator]

Is there a smoothing option in the display settings?

[spadgy]

It's based on the Japanese build and seems pretty accurate (I left my Japanese copy at home so couldn't compare them when I was playing it at work). It's certainly better than the US version.

DazTM beat me to the punch! Good work Daz! (I didn't actually realise any GamesTM staff were active on these forums).

I'm now off to Rising Star Games tomorrow to play it, so I'll try and offer some more detail, but for now we know a lot more!

The people demoing it to us didn't explain what the hit box was and didn't explain the scoring system either, which to me is crucial to get across when reviewing a shmup.

Who showed you Daz (PM me if you want to keep it off the record)? I'm sure we can do them a favour and tell them. The more informed reviews there are (I've got one secured for a national UK paper) the better the chances of more Cave games and other STGs making it to the PAL regions.

[Treasurance]

Wow, the image song is pretty amazing