Pink Sweets & Muchi Muchi Pork bundle - Xbox 360!!!!!

[emphatic]

is this bundle up for preorder anywhere in EU yet?

videogameimports.com

[1up]

is this bundle up for preorder anywhere in EU yet?

videogameimports.com

oh yea, I forgot, region free doesn't mean official EU release

[mouser]

Can anyone suggest a good game to play to practice for Pink Sweets? (besides Ibara) The wait's KILLING me, but I'd like to hit the game running. Doesn't have to be a Yagawa game...maybe just one with "mechanics" sort of similar to Pink Sweets.

[brentsg]

Can anyone suggest a good game to play to practice for Pink Sweets? (besides Ibara) The wait's KILLING me, but I'd like to hit the game running. Doesn't have to be a Yagawa game...maybe just one with "mechanics" sort of similar to Pink Sweets.

Dress up in something pretty and pink, play some fluffy music, and then occasionally smash your *&#^ with a hammer.

[Shatterhand]

I would definitely like something like this, maybe even a 3-disc release of the soundtracks to go with since Batrider has been so neglected.

Eighting should still have all of those rights.

Yeah, I just found out Eighting is still publishing games for other people right now, even on 360/Wii/etc. so that would make sense, but they probably view most of their old Raizing-developed stuff as not having a lot of current public interest, since I don't think even one of their old arcade games has been re-released on any system or any collection anywhere.

Battle Garegga was ported to the Sega Saturn. As I recall, that's it.

Shippu Mahou Daisakusen (AKA Kingdom Grandprix) also got a Saturn port. Soukyugurentai got both a Saturn and PS1 port. And Mahou Daisakusen was ported for the X68000 if I am not mistaken (Or was it te Fm Towns? It's some obscure Japanese computer )

[drunkninja24]

Can anyone suggest a good game to play to practice for Pink Sweets? (besides Ibara) The wait's KILLING me, but I'd like to hit the game running. Doesn't have to be a Yagawa game...maybe just one with "mechanics" sort of similar to Pink Sweets.

Recca.

[mouser]

Can anyone suggest a good game to play to practice for Pink Sweets? (besides Ibara) The wait's KILLING me, but I'd like to hit the game running. Doesn't have to be a Yagawa game...maybe just one with "mechanics" sort of similar to Pink Sweets.

Dress up in something pretty and pink, play some fluffy music, and then occasionally smash your *&#^ with a hammer.

Hmm...I'll pass on the hammer part

Recca.

That was the game I was thinking of vaguely...thanks!

[MachineAres 1CC]

Achievement list for the game was just released, for anyone who cares, please talk about it in the achievement thread: http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... 83#p654383

[DEL]

Apart from the Swine Bundle which I believe is released on the 24th, can anyone here give the current list of JAP X360 Shooters - the whole lot + upcoming

I wanna start shopping.

Thanks.

[moozooh]

can anyone here give the current list of JAP X360 Shooters - the whole lot + upcoming

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=23501

[Galactik]

Anyone in Canada/North America try to pre-order this from NCSX.com? I dont see the pre-order available when I browse the 360 pre-order section. Would love to get this game.

[mesh control]

right here

[mouser]

Anyone in Canada/North America try to pre-order this from NCSX.com? I dont see the pre-order available when I browse the 360 pre-order section. Would love to get this game.

http://www.shopncsx.com/muchimuchipor.aspx

You could also order it from AmiAmi, I place I rely on for ordering anime figures (very good reputation): http://www.amiami.jp/shop/?set=english& ... splay.html

[DEL]

Thanks moozooh.
I knew it was somewhere, but it turned out not to be in the obvious place.
Cheers.

[rocketassistedkea]

Hey there...my '360's in hospital [or will be], so no rush...just wondering which Cave shmup to get; mushihimesama...etc futari, Esp Galuda 2, or MMP/PS?

I've only played one Cave shmup before [wrote a review on it too, for what it's worth; fourheadedgoat neoseeker/daioujou]....and only for around 5 months, before my chipped ps2 slowly died on me......beginning with not loading diaoujou;0( Fate tempts you with sweets...then crushes your head in the car door.
Yes indeed.
Anywho...it's still probably the best shmup I've played, but I had a couple of reservations about the game, if it helps someone to recommend one of the above to me;

a) A serious dihorria issue with the firepower. I though bullet hells were meant to overwhelm the player, not the enemy? Although I know every Cave game has this 'problem', as does almost every shmup. I can live with it.

b)It was too easy after a while [except for a couple of bits]...I found myself having to wait for the second-loop; to begin playing proper. Why couldn't I just select this higher-difficulty from the outset?

c) If I remember correctly...the hardest difficulty setting had loads of flak [which I wanted]...but was too fast [didn't want that]. Again...why not a mode where you have oodles of slow-flak?

I'll admit, I've never played a game for score-not ever; just as a 1cc or 2cc challenge [preferably 1cc]. But if the score rewards you for doing stuff which comes naturally anyway, i.e; getting up close and personal, cool. Guess it's another layer of depth for some people. I play these games my own way though...sometimes, i.e; by not shooting at all-as if I've had a weapons malfuction. Or was cooking something in the ships oven. There may have been arrange modes which I was simply unaware of, as no matter how many times I've stared at Japanese, Kanji or whatever on a screen...I've never understood it.
Actually, that would be a mode I'd be into...something where your weapons overheat/malfuction/get knocked out for a few seconds...what have you. Loved that aspect of; Far Cry 2...though I suspect few would.

Anyways. I've always preferred horizontal to vertical types...because the landscape adds another layer of challenge/tactics...even cover. I mean; I simply haven't played a level as CRaiZy as the asteroid one in; 'Gradius V [my only experiance of a Treasure Shmup, by the way...most impressed, but it could have been 5 levels....and just as good]. My ideal shmup, in short; would be:
1}Horizontal [ish-Radiant Silvergun may as well be horizontal].
2)Bullet-hell. The more, the better. HAS to be managably slow, though. Otherwise...the few thrown at you in; Truxton' were more than enough. I much prefer danmaku.
3)A system like Thunderforce [or RS]; where you pack a wide array of different weapons, not too overpowered; where each has a tactical use.
4) destruction that sprays the screen with debrie

Be gentle with me...I've never played a Raizen game either....but I've heard only good things about BG/BB/APBRetc. I'll pick up all of them; when the time comes. Also, reading up on these reviews...Ibara sounds like my kind of game [one criticism of Diaoujou, which I mentioned in the review; was how the lack of 3d screen filling debrie-like Raiden 2, or even XEXEX; seemed like a bit of a wasted oppurtunity]. But Ibara has that...;0)
Anyway; all that makes PS and MMP seem like the best deal [sounds like I'd like Raizing games in general, and I'm definitely a fan of a game rising to meet your skill a.k.a; the rank system....sounds like Bullet Soul also has that same feature, as, I think, do the latest Raiden games.....but not sure about the latter].
I also don't believe Cave's dominance of the shmup is neccesarily a good thing. Yes, they've made the best one I've played, yes it sounds like they pump out masterpiece after masterpiece...but any game that gives the player so much power; is probably going to end up being the most popular, by default [so long as it also has the gameplay to match].
I remember I felt quite overwhelmed/undergunned in Psikyo games, like 1945...which I preferred [and is overwise very similar to what you get in a Cave game], rather than wiping everything out in a second or two. My currant thing; is to play GV on the hardest settings-turning it into a bullet-hell; and limiting myself to one or two shots a second, with only a missile and speed up powerup...what, it's fun;0) I need a new game...

Mushihime...same....Futari's the cheapest; but sounds all good-God mode esp sounds great;0)

But then there's ESP Galuda. Given a choice, I wouldn't go for all this fairy/11 yr old girl porn stuff...but I'm an open-minded guy, and if it's good; I'll love it regardless [the game, not the little girls]. ESP perhaps intrigues me the most; with the ability to spawn more...and even more....bullet hell goodness, at a whim;0) HOW could that not be good?
All these cave/Raizen/Cave games have really interesting sounding arrange modes [damn...wonder what the arrange modes in DOJ were like....]. The ability to slow down time/slow down flak that gets within a certain range, sounds especially cool in ESP. But it's the most expensive; and I'm only getting one game, to start with. If Ketsui were region-free; the choice would be easier...but then, in a way; I'm glad I have to get over this preference for military industrial 'realism'; if I want to get my hands on a great shmup [and yes, I know Radiant Silvergun's out onXBLA...that sounds like my ideal game right there.....no, I don't have XBLA, the price of being a poor struggling artist, I'm afraid]. I have many i.e framing bills to worry about, before I can do anything luxurious like that.

Any advice from fellow shmupheads would be most appreciated;0)

P.S; shmups have made a comeback! In the latest iphone poll Cave just did; shooters were rated no#1 in Japan and the the rest of the world...last time the poll was done; shooters weren't even in the top three for either region! That means a whole raft of new fans have now been introduced/converted to the world of the shmup...watch this space;0)

Zaron

[8 1/2]

Now that's a first post!

I'd go with Futari for sure based on your preferences. You have tons of modes, so you can jump right into what ever level of bullet hell you desire. And with God mode, you get all the slow-moving, screen-filling flak your heart could possibly desire. It's all one-loop too, so no flabby first loops to wade through.

[dunpeal2064]

Now that's a first post!

I'd go with Futari for sure based on your preferences. You have tons of modes, so you can jump right into what ever level of bullet hell you desire. And with God mode, you get all the slow-moving, screen-filling flak your heart could possibly desire. It's all one-loop too, so no flabby first loops to wade through.

I agree with this. I used to never play for score, but its so well built into Mushi that is just seemed right. Also, I feel that you aren't quite as Over-Powered in Mushi as you are in DDP. The nastier enemies just don't die as fast.

[chempop]

The nastier enemies just don't die as fast.

Except in Black Label, where they die almost too fast.

I play these games my own way though...sometimes

ESPGaluda2 offers a crazy amount of freedom.... FREEDOM!!!! You could play this game a million times and try something different each time. and then there is Black Label (included free, unlike Mushi Futari) which basically turn the game into something VERY different by reversing the whole bullet canceling mechanic and adding all sorts of other strange mechanics.

[Galactik]

Just going to pre-order the bundle from NCSX. I havent ordered anything from them in a year, and I see my last game was ESP2.

I am trying to figure out the shipping into Canada. I have 2 options of USPS Priority Mail Int'l at $22 or USPS First Class Mail International Package at $6.

Anyone have experience with either option into Canada? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[antares]

....

ESP2 is all about playing for score, you won't experience the intense bullet hell if you play just for survival.

You really should get Mushi Futari first, as the others suggested.


PS: I love this part:

I play these games my own way though...sometimes, i.e; by not shooting at all-as if I've had a weapons malfuction. Or was cooking something in the ships oven.

[moozooh]

My currant thing; is to play GV on the hardest settings-turning it into a bullet-hell; and limiting myself to one or two shots a second, with only a missile and speed up powerup...what, it's fun;0) I need a new game...

Do you have a video of yourself playing like that? I'd very much love to see it. I was originally going to recommend DeathSmiles (slow, horizontal, lots of flak and screen-filling debris, etc.), but it seems you do need something harder, Like Futari Maniac mode (or God mode in Black Label), or Pink Sweets. Espgaluda 2, while potentially very slow and filled to the brim with bullets, might be too complex with its switching between normal/kakusei/zetsushikai, keeping track of the gems and ingots, etc.

[rocketassistedkea]

Heya, thanks all;0) Mushihime...etci....Futari it is then;0) I'll end up getting them all eventually; so it doesn't REALLY matter.
Damn; I was looking forward to explaining the 11 yr old girl child-porn, sex-changing hermaphrodite fairy thing to my friends...but a bug-crushing fairy, with 12 yr old sex appeal, and extraordinary laser-weaponry? That's almost as good.
I tried explaning MMP to a friend's girlfriend today...but had to stop; before I offended her inner feminist . Let's face it, as good as it may be...it WILL be a tough one to explain.
Fat gurls turning into piggies, then being sucked in to fuel a lard cannon? Could be worse, I guess.

Damn, I thought that was settled...what's this about needing to download god mode on Mushi? Don't have broadband;0( So that means...it's between ESP, and MMP/PS. Hmm. ESP just sounds plain cool, MMP I'll probably try to hide from any girls I know, PS is the sequel to Ibara, hence supposedly the spiritual successor to one of the best shmups I've never played...BG.
Advice?

Sorry Moozoooh, no vids-or anything else that would require manipulation of technology, beyond that of basic fire. I've only just recently figured out that computers have uses beyond; keeping the door open.
You can write to people on them, for example, and they even get kind of warm...sort of like a heater.

Perhaps I wasn't being totally honest; rather than trying to 1cc games (I've only managed that with two arcade games: U.N Squadron-shorter than the SNES version [again, haven't played], probably set to 'normal', and some really mediocre game-where you flew through caves and...shot stuff. It was really special, and memorable. Like sunburn.
I just complete these games to unlock the maximum difficulty[s], crank up the fireworks...then simply try to survive, on a level-by-level basis. Or more like, second-by-second. If I complete a level without dying; that's probably an achievement. The fact is...seems you can either play shmups, or you can't. I'm assuming everyone on this forum's pretty good at them, so...there you go;0) It'd be more honest to call the whole genre; 'dodge-em-ups'.

I often play with minimal firepower, because I fondly remember some tape loading game, with about 2 levels that looped [and which took 10-15 minutes to load, assuming it didn't crash] in 1982 or something; wher you flew through caverns, and could only have one shot on screen at once! Sounds lame, but in a way...I think shooters have suffered, for straying so far from their roots. XBOX may have won the shmup wars...but the ps3 has the closest game to what I mean; gravity crash [throw in the ability to design your own levels, which you can...and I'd actually rather have that than any Cave game]. I hope they release it on xbox sometime.
In the meanwhile, found a copy of 1945 [1945 2 on the same disk keeps crashing on level 5]; I'd forgotten what a good game Psikyo make;0)
Happy.

Z

[bcass]

I play these games my own way though...sometimes, i.e; by not shooting at all-as if I've had a weapons malfuction. Or was cooking something in the ships oven.

[Drachenherz]

- long but interesting wall of text omitted -

Hmm... You're using a computer to write here in these forums. So there is a chance that your machine should be beefy enough to run...

MAME!!!!

You heard of it, haven't you? It's a nifty little piece of code that allows you to play...

Almost every single arcade game that has been published in the past 30 years or so... Unfortunately, not Ibara...



Edit:
But Ketsui, DoDonPachi, DoDonPachi Dai Ou Jou White and Black Label, EspGaluda I, Battle Garegga, 1945 and... and... and... and... and...

[Annoyboy]

I still think you'd do well with Mushihimesama Futari, whether you have access to Black Label or not. The biggest differences, if you're not paying attention to scoring, are that Black Label has more slowdown during tricky patterns, and you get stronger firepower so bosses go down quicker. You mention "oodles of slow-flak", well, although 1.5 has its slow-down moments, you'd need Black Label for most of that I'm afraid. You might like Futari's Arrange mode, where you can freeze bullets and reflect them (reflection is via a different button so there is still the option of trying to dodge). Attacking at close range is part of the scoring process in Futari 1.5, which you mentioned you enjoy because it comes naturally to you. The cheapest place to get Futari is Play-Asia ($39 including shipping), although it takes them a while to get it to you. I'm not sure you'd have much fun with God (BL) and Ultra (WL) modes to be honest, since they are very challenging. Like "Die every 5 seconds" challenging, requiring a lot of practise. Here is a video to judge Ultra for yourself - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggulgjM5vaA

Pork & Sweets is releasing at, what, $80 plus shipping? I've been waiting for an affordable copy of Pink Sweets for years, and almost picked up a Muchi Muchi Pork PCB at some point a couple of years ago. I hear Pink Sweets is ridiculously difficult. MMP seems to be most people's preferred game in the package. The 360 version isn't out yet so it's hard to comment on it, but judging by the trailer, Muchi Muchi Pork's Arrange mode has a lot of slowdown, but it looks like you have some control over it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHJfHkZNvjY, screen on the right).

ESPgaluda II is definitely not my type of game. Personally, I hated Espgaluda so I'm staying far away from its sequel. Therefore, I can't give much advice on it. However, it also looks like something you would like - The video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t4xt8S2mvk shows close-range attacking, slowdown for navigating large patterns, and more focused firing from the player than the screen-filling fire from some other games. There is also the (limited) ability to freeze bullets in place. No idea about difficulty selections or loops in this game.

[Thjodbjorn]

Does the Platinum edition NOT contain the Black Label content? I thought it did...

[Fudoh]

No, it does not. Deathsmiles Platinum does incl MBL, but Futari does not.

[Depth Charge]

@rocketassistedkea

Just get Futari. Even without God Mode you still have Ultra Mode and Maniac and Original and Arrange. Maniac also has a lot of slow thick screen filling patterns if that's what you like.

[Thjodbjorn]

No, it does not. Deathsmiles Platinum does incl MBL, but Futari does not.

Thanks for clearing that up for me!

[rocketassistedkea]

Heya...thanks for all the advice, and thanks for the greeting chempop;0)

I've just bought a really good computer from a friend, a nice MacBook [I'd rather have a PC, but hey...Macs are all good]-easily capable of handling MAME, alas...without broadband; I don't see the point in even plugging it in [except at the wall]. I have thousands in framing bills coming up, and a wee bit of debt to still clear first [nearly done]; before I can do anything like that. Currantly using a 56k modem so pathetic...I can't even use Facebook, or access hotmail.

Paying $80 for a game, as I'll only be getting 1; doesn't worry me though, even if I think $40-$60 for these sorts of games; would be a far more tempting proposition for people on the fence about the whole genre. ESP sounds great, Mushi's the cheapest, and I could always download BL later...but you COULD say that MMP/PS is 2 games for $40.
If MMP has some kind of player-controlled slowdown...like the arrange modes in 1945/2....then that's a stroke of genius, and would instantly explain much of MMP's popularity.
If none of these games were available, then being a Cave game...Deathsmiles would be a no-brainer. But is it just me...are are the shmups most fondly remembered, that have survived the test of time better than most....the one's which were the hardest?
So long as you respawn, and get infitire credits...who cares, right? The industry's never going back to the likes of the original 'Truxton', which was wayy harder than diaoujou-1st loop...with really fast flak, all weapons lost, weapons which looked cool-but did nothing [god I miss that] and a punishing checkpoint [shudder].
I mean, the way I'm playing 1945 right now [arrange]...given a choice; is on the hardest setting. But I can't finish it that way, nor on hard [though I'm close]; so I have to go through on normal...just to unlock it [and hopefully; another difficulty setting].....as it's the difficulty; that provides the long-lasting replay, for me. I didn't shoot at all, first stage; 'cause I felt sorry for the poor blighters, in their non-airconditioned tanks. Bless them.

I know it's the underdog...but Pink Sweets sounds like the game I most want to play [hence I picked this thread]. If it's insanely hard, then it won't be too popular in the arcades-as it'd be natural; to feel ripped-off. Who wouldn't? Especially when other games are just as playable.But as a home release...that sounds like a strength. Also; I personally find Captain Scarlett/Mysteronish style zany giant Japanese toy robots...to be a far more frightening/threatening prospect to me; than faires, even if they do have hyper-beams.
Streams of laser-fire and sparks-emitting from militaristic designs and metallic surfaces, spraying the screen with 3d debrie in the inevitable catastrophic explosion...I know it's just aesthetics....but damn; doesn't that sound cool?
Death every 5 seconds? Yes please!
Anyways...even if your starship/fairy does have a 500 yr technology edge over the 'aggressor' [as it surely must, and surely-they're big starships too-that handle like fighters, as opposed to fighters...a small touch I appreciated in XEXEX] with black-hole powered weaponry, and ammunition boxes....wouldn't it make sense, that the enemy would, nevertheless, facing you in such force...slowly get a better lock on you, thus making life a bit hotter? Also, 500 years or not...I'd like to see any kind of air unit stop a 120mm DU round. There are ways to lower the rank too, right, and you can also tell at-a-glace;how high it is.
Also...is that a Truxton/RS style player-manipulated lock-on lightning gun in Pink Sweets? That was the only good thing about Gekirindan! That's not fair...guess you could melt the disk; and make it into a kind of lampshade.

You COULD make the argument...that the best shooters; are the ones that force you to shoot, purely for survival. I wouldn't say that's universally true, of course...just a general kind of truth....ism. The ranking would surely mean; that scoring's dependant on things like; getting a higher rank...which in turn is AI driven [a draw in it's own right; I love seeing good AI in action, and often play with my enemies...just to see what they'll do], by i.e; scraping bullets/getting close-and-personal? I could be pursuaded to try a game for score that way; as at least I'd be doing what comes naturall...given the right game. If I don't HAVE to shoot, I often won't...

Thanks for the videos annoyboy, I'll check them out at a 'net cafe, sometime later in the week;0)

Z