Mushihime Sama Ps2 impressions

Ord · Post by **Ord** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 9:32 pm

I'll definately go for EMS, when I get round to ordering Raiden III. The wait for Mushihie-samma, has become a pit of a pain. I guess it serves me right for being too tight.

Geezer · Post by **Geezer** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 9:47 pm

Ord wrote:I'll definately go for EMS, when I get round to ordering Raiden III. The wait for Mushihie-samma, has become a pit of a pain. I guess it serves me right for being too tight.

Don't bother with PA mate, Yesasia are cheaper and pretty quick.

My copy of Mushi arrived on Wednesday (shipped last Friday) and cost me $45ish with free delivery (I had a $5 voucher) and a guarantee of no customs fees.

Raiden 3 is up for preorder there at $50ish too with free delivery

Apparently P-A don't seem to be marking down packages to the UK anymore according to some guys at NTSC-UK!

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 9:54 pm

Big: Yes, I'm spoiled. I COMPLETELY understand tha ESPGaluda and DOJ have both jaded my opinion, but that's the point. I'm sure Taito had some consciousness of the pride Arika took in their ports. And yes, I do think in both Arika's games it asks for saves a bit too much... something I can live with though.

2. The option to turn off the music but leave the sound effects.

I just don't see the value of this, and I even think the music is terrible. Cool, yeah, but just not useful to me. I kind of like to keep the games as close to their original form as possible.

The graphics are beautiful to me. I don't see what the fuss is.

Play Mushi for a few hours, then pop in ESPGaluda. Night and Day.

Ord · Post by **Ord** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 10:15 pm

Geezer wrote:
Ord wrote:I'll definately go for EMS, when I get round to ordering Raiden III. The wait for Mushihie-samma, has become a pit of a pain. I guess it serves me right for being too tight.
Don't bother with PA mate, Yesasia are cheaper and pretty quick.

My copy of Mushi arrived on Wednesday (shipped last Friday) and cost me $45ish with free delivery (I had a $5 voucher) and a guarantee of no customs fees.

Raiden 3 is up for preorder there at $50ish too with free delivery

Apparently P-A don't seem to be marking down packages to the UK anymore according to some guys at NTSC-UK!

Cheers, for the tip. I've preordered Raiden III, from there, so i'll have to wait and see how they are.
Right sorry folks, back on topic.

Naiera · Post by **Naiera** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 10:17 pm

Ord wrote:I'm still waiting for my copy to arrive too. Oh well, maybe tommorow.

I'm also still waiting. Stuff usually doesn't take more than a week from Play Asia. If I get my two copies tomorrow, it'll be ten days after they shipped.

And Dangun was supposed to ship Monday by EMS from CoinOpExpress...

I think someone here in Denmark took a week too many off

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:07 pm

3. True High-Res (just kidding). The graphics are beautiful to me. I don't see what the fuss is.

I'm not really one of the true low res crowd, but they'd be better if they were. Maybe not file them under the 'bad' category, but the 'something that could have been improved' category.

Dylan1CC · Post by **Dylan1CC** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:14 pm

Thanks to pixel corps on the additional Zuntata team/influence/style info.

BIG wrote:
GaijinPunch wrote:Okay, after playing this a week, I think I can honestly say that this is a fair at best port of an above average game. Before you flamed, lemme explain. A port of a 5-stage shooter these days is obviously going to have bonuses. Taito attempted to, but failed miserably I think.

1: Practice mode -- maybe I'm doing something wrong, but even setting rank to "no miss" I can't get the bullets to go as fast as they do if I really no miss (on the later stages).
2: Resetting a stage for the benefit of practice also apparently drops the rank. In both of these cases, it's shit practice, no?
3: No replays
4: Arrange Mode is pretty lame
5: Filtered Graphics -- painful on the eyes.

Good Stuff
1: Gallery (even though it doesn't work in TATE).

Am I glad I picked it up? Yes. Was it worth the $60? Yes. Is the game still fun? Yes. Do I hold it up proud like Arika's two Cave ports? No. It's just not a solid product. There's no love in this port, and it shows. It is the epitome of when something goes commercial and turns turdish. I just see cut corners at every... uh... corner.

EDIT: Okay, maybe I'm wrong about the speed of the bullets thing.... need to play more I guess. I just got to Stage 5 on my last life and they seem just as fast as they were w/ a no-miss up until there. Confused. I did so well on this stage the other day. Opinions on the port job are the same though. O_o
Getting a bit spoiled here aren't we,mate?

About a year ago,who would've thought we'd even see anymore Cave stuff being ported,especially after that whole Arika vs. Cave episode?

I'm just glad that Taito did not overlook the tate feature this time around

B-

Exactly, when Cave and Arika had their painful split many thought there was almost no chance at that point of getting Mushihime sama, at least not for a loooong time. I think the port is very good for what it is and I am thankful we got it.

I also just wanna add that Ultra mode is beautiful shoot 'em up pain. The most amazing bullet formations I have seen in a long time.

Dylan1CC · Post by **Dylan1CC** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:22 pm

pixelcorps wrote:dylan1cc, i just read your retort on the music and while someone may not cite every influence, as a musician, even I hear zuntata circa their "chase HQ" and "ninja warriors" period , not to mention some 808 state and a LOT of YMO.. doubly so in the arrange version of stage 1's music..

Thanks, I am gonna make a mention of that in the talkback for that preview.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Fri Jul 29, 2005 11:26 pm

Exactly, when Cave and Arika had their painful split many thought there was almost no chance at that point of getting Mushihime sama,

Yet something else that was misconstrued from Mihara's blog. They are still on good terms. I even think Mihara met up w/ the Cave boys on the day Ibara was released.

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 1:43 am

&*($^#*&@%$&^#%$*&^#@(&*$#ing *&#$^&*#$ *(#^*&# mother(*#&$*(#^ing (*#($*#^(*@@(&*%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My package DIDN'T arrive today, and it's a long weekend... do couriers deliver on weekends (got EMS shipping)? If not, then the earliest I'll receive it is Tuesday, but I'm working overtime that day and don't get off work until 22:00... ARGH!!
I'm so filled with rage now

Dylan1CC · Post by **Dylan1CC** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 1:51 am

GaijinPunch wrote:
Exactly, when Cave and Arika had their painful split many thought there was almost no chance at that point of getting Mushihime sama,
Yet something else that was misconstrued from Mihara's blog. They are still on good terms. I even think Mihara met up w/ the Cave boys on the day Ibara was released.

OK, I stand corrected then that it was not painful. But the point still stands it was embarrasing for both parties and Arika still is no longer porting Cave's games.

mannerbot · Post by **mannerbot** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 2:20 am

iatneH wrote:&*($^#*&@%$&^#%$*&^#@(&*$#ing *&#$^&*#$ *(#^*&# mother(*#&$*(#^ing (*#($*#^(*@@(&*%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My package DIDN'T arrive today, and it's a long weekend... do couriers deliver on weekends (got EMS shipping)? If not, then the earliest I'll receive it is Tuesday, but I'm working overtime that day and don't get off work until 22:00... ARGH!!
I'm so filled with rage now

I feel your pain. What the fuck is taking Play-Asia so long?

EOJ · Post by **EOJ** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 4:12 am

Finally got my copy from Yesasia today. I preordered it and paid the extra $6 for priority mail shipping. They said they 'shipped' it on friday, but the postmark today says "July 26th".

Also, they shipped it via first class mail, not true priority, instead just pasting a homemade 'priority mail' sticker on it to fool the post office.

Very odd. If they shipped it on friday as theY TOLD me, I'd have had this earlier in the week. Anyway it's here, and I only paid $56 total, so I shouldn't complain really.

The game is good but I agree about this port feeling very incomplete compared to the Arika ports. My biggest peeve with this is there is no option to view the arcade ranking, and individual level scores, like in Galuda. I can't believe they left that out.

How much effort does it take to do that? Also, there's no replay option, the yoko mode does indeed look rather bad, especially after playing Galuda all week, etc. But the game itself is fun, and far more challenging than I had previously anticipated. I'm just very happy to be able to play this on my PS2.

PS- And the regular shipping from Play-asia always takes an eternity (2-4 weeks on average in my experience, sometimes longer!). That's why I didn't bother with them with this game-- I don't want to start playing it sometime in the middle of next month.

Their EMS shipping is usually rather fast though. I got my white slim JP PS2 from them, shipped out May 27th via EMS, arrived May 31st.

Elixir · Post by **Elixir** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 5:30 am

Game just arrived like this, pretty smooth looking overall. I'll detail myself and count exactly how many times I die and report back in a few days.

incognoscente · Post by **incognoscente** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 5:38 am

professor ganson wrote:Is anyone else still waiting on a preordered copy of Mushi? Play-Asia has always been super-dependable, so I'm not yet worried. But I think things have always arrived within ten days. Oh well. Maybe tomorrow.

Yes, I'm in the same boat.

I've been joking with my brother than I'm the last Mushihimesama pre-order in the world to actually arrive, but apparently that isn't the case :)

Naiera · Post by **Naiera** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 10:15 am

mannerbot wrote:
I feel your pain. What the fuck is taking Play-Asia so long?

I don't get it either. This is the longest I've ever waited for airmail (in a box and all) from Play Asia. I ordered Space Channel 5 with the cheapest shipping option about a month ago and it didn't take more than a week to arrive after it shipped.

This is all a fucking con. I pre-ordered these two copies MONTHS ago. Like RIGHT AFTER they became available. Bullshit all the fucking way.

Ord · Post by **Ord** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 10:25 am

Look, I don't know about you guys but I paid for the cheapest mailing option, so i'm prepared to wait. I don't think it's a con, it just that you get what you pay for.
My only worry is that it got lost in the mail. This happened to me before with Steel Empire (GBA). I recieved a replacement, with no real hassle, PA were fantastic in that respect. It just took an age to finally get that game to me.

Naiera · Post by **Naiera** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 10:33 am

I used to get what I pay for. I usually take the airmail with a box shipping and it always arrives within a week or so.

I didn't get what I paid for this time. This slow-ass shipping should have been free.

Post by **system11** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:40 am

Naiera wrote:I used to get what I pay for. I usually take the airmail with a box shipping and it always arrives within a week or so.

I didn't get what I paid for this time. This slow-ass shipping should have been free.

You paid for 7-15 days delivery I'm guessing. It hasn't been 15 days yet.

I don't know if it's escaped everyones notice, but much of Europe is on slightly raised alert status after the bombings in London - post slowed down hugely to and from the states after Sept 11th, because things get scanned a whole lot more.

Naiera · Post by **Naiera** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:55 am

I guess that's what's causing this delay, even though it's still strange that it's adding several days to delivery times. My Dangun Feveron PCB from Hong Kong also seems to be delayed a bit (I paid for EMS that really shouldn't take more than a couple of days! Should have shipped Monday).

What I don't understand is why this is also seems to be affecting something I bought from Play.com. They're on Jersey. Stuff from Jersey'll get checked a lot too because they're not in the EU?

bloodflowers wrote:
You paid for 7-15 days delivery I'm guessing. It hasn't been 15 days yet.

Thing is, it's NEVER been 15 days before. With an important release such as ANYTHING from Cave it's just not something I feel like accepting. They could have had Space Channel 5 take 16 days to arrive for all I care. My copies also seems to have shipped a day or two later than everyone elses. This is also why I feel somewhat cheated after I preordered as soon as it was possible. You'd think they'd ship in the order they received their preorders originally.

Ord · Post by **Ord** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:56 am

bloodflowers wrote:
I don't know if it's escaped everyones notice, but much of Europe is on slightly raised alert status after the bombings in London - post slowed down hugely to and from the states after Sept 11th, because things get scanned a whole lot more.

That's a very good point.

Marler · Post by **Marler** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 1:22 pm

Just like to add that mine hasn't turned up either.
But the fact that everyone else is waiting makes me feel better in a bad
way.
A kind of 'Solidarity in Misery' I guess...
It's odd though, I ordered a couple of adaptors from lik-sang on sunday
and they turned up this morning.
Maybe on Monday eh?

iatneH · Post by **iatneH** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 2:23 pm

I shouldn't be that pissed... I pre-ordered, but it shipped out by EMS on the 27th since I had to wait for Sengoku Cannon to be released so play-asia could ship it together. I just really wanted to have it for this weekend :(

It might have been just from reading that guy who ordered it and received it in 2 days.. :\

CVM · Post by **CVM** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 4:57 pm

I preordered really early, it shipped on the 20th from Play-Asia and I'm still waiting. It'll get here Monday at the very earliest now, which will be 12 days. This is the first time anything I've ordered from them has taken any longer than 5 days (I've often had things come through in 4 days).

AAA · Post by **AAA** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 5:12 pm

yup, definitely think the delay is to do with the london attacks

before getting mushi, i ordered a bunch of stuff from PA and i requested a cheapest delivery option

took about a month to arrive, normally it would be no more than two weeks. also, the normal delivery date would have been pretty much exactly the same time as the attacks.
when i picked up the package from the post office (i was out at time of delivery) i asked about this and they pretty much confirmed it in my mind.
i also had to pay a customs charge which just never happens for me with PA.

looks pretty clear that the're taking a lot less precautions.

my delivery of mushi was far quicker thru UPS, the game arrived two days after shipping - arrived the day after release. although i had to pay a customs charge that time too grr.

it290 · Post by **it290** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 6:09 pm

I'm in the US, I got mine yesterday from PA using airmail. Now I just have to work on being able to play the sucker. :/

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 6:17 pm

AAA wrote:yup, definitely think the delay is to do with the london attacks

Perhaps, but I'm still waiting on my copy and I'm in the U.S. Maybe Monday. This is definitely the longest I've had to wait with Play-Asia.

Post by **system11** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 7:21 pm

Of course, if you want something within 5 days, then you should really be paying for the service with a maximum of 5 days... Not a lot of people know this, but those "x-y days for delivery" on normal mail services are guidelines - it /usually/ takes between x and y, but sometimes it takes longer. In the UK they won't even consider something missing until it's well over a week past the recommended max days. I wanted my Mushi quick, so I paid for UPS.

mannerbot · Post by **mannerbot** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 8:03 pm

True indeed, but I don't think any of us that chose Economy Bubble expected a delay this long. I'm not really mad about it because the truth is, it hasn't been anything near an extended delay yet; however, it is frustrating because my Play-Asia orders have traditionally arrived in under a week, as have all of my airmail-shipped parcels from Asia. If I had known how agonizing the wait would be, I certainly would have shelled out the cash for EMS or ordered from NCSX. I was up six hours ago, and have been waiting for the mail ever since then (1 more hour to go!). This stinks.

Dylan1CC · Post by **Dylan1CC** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 8:04 pm

That really stinks, Ganson.

Man, and to think I was miffed when I had to wait a couple days extra. I'll also say that this has gotta be some bad publicity overall for Play Asia.