...However in light of your post also googled Molly C. Quinn. It's definitely Molly. Both chicks are smoking hot though. Wonder why Molly came up in the search for Zoe.
Okay, let me see if I've got the general idea of how the modes work, without being able to read any of the text:
"Normal" Mode: Kill enemies to earn "P" icons to charge meter - "focusing" temporarily gathers icons around option pod, grazing bullets with it makes them worth more. When in "person mode", which drains meter, enemy shots are reflected and loop behind you: killing enemies spawns suicide bullets which behave the same way, while switching back to "plane mode" makes everything behave as normal again. "Focusing" in "person mode" uses a laser: killing enemies with it leaves behind icons which temporarily cancel enemy bullets into more icons. Getting hit in this state won't kill you, but drains your meter completely. After reflecting/diverting enemy bullets in "person mode", reflecting them a second time loops them back in front of you: killing enemies near them with the laser cancels the bullets into point-heavy gold. Gold is not collected until the laser stops, and the more you snag in one go the more it's worth.
"Shin" Mode: Killing enemies with "unfocused" shots in either "plane" or "person" mode gives you blue items, which build up "blue stocks" displayed around your character - "focused" shots in "plane" mode give you energy for your meter, which can be "leeched" off of larger enemies by keeping your option's shots on them. In "person" mode you automatically spend "blue stock" to deploy "blue options", which are launched forward upon activating the laser. These can cancel bullets and spawn "sword items", which are also earned by killing enemies with the laser - collecting these will automatically deploy "sword options", and switching back to "plane" mode launches them forward. When swords hit enemies or bullets, they spawn gold - it starts out large but gets smaller as it drifts towards you, so to get the most out of it you'll want to collect it up close.
If the arcade mode works exactly like the PCB there are still a few things missing in the tutorial.
You don't need to reflect bullets before you can cancel them into gold. The icon things appear in addition to the gold items and just serve for canceling. There are also additional ways to refill energy, such as getting hit by a laser while having no energy or holding your option into a thick bullet cluster. You can easily create these clusters by canceling out of person mode.
nZero wrote:
The part about a game not being enjoyable when it requires not one but two 7 minute long tutorial videos to explain basic game systems.
How long would a complete Battle Garegga tutorial be if done at the same pace?
how about they make a game where you dont need to spend a day learning how to play and just make it so you shoot stuff and then power up your weapon/pick up options. im getting proper tired of all the complicated nuances in some of the new games, - i love how it looks, the planes look amazing, now why go spoil it with a convoluted control/scoring system. Or at least include a retro mode along with your usual black label arrangements where there isnt a trillion bullets on screen and you dont have to cancel shit with your option or use hyper mode or something!
Guardians Knight wrote:how about they make a game where you dont need to spend a day learning how to play and just make it so you shoot stuff and then power up your weapon/pick up options. im getting proper tired of all the complicated nuances in some of the new games, - i love how it looks, the planes look amazing, now why go spoil it with a convoluted control/scoring system. Or at least include a retro mode along with your usual black label arrangements where there isnt a trillion bullets on screen and you dont have to cancel shit with your option or use hyper mode or something!
rant over, sorry
From those vids both versions look fairly complicated, but hopefully it will be like most Cave shooters where once you get it, it just flows. I know what you mean though - I was secretly hoping for a version where you could just stay as the plane... and shoot everything...
So, er - full screen 4:3? or forced borders like Deathsmiles 2 - place your bets!
I'm looking forward to this game. Both of those modes look fun - although there was a lot of explaining in those videos it all comes together nicely. You can see everything in the video summarised by the minute or two of gameplay at the end.
Akai Katana is a fun game. It takes longer to get used to than any previous Cave shooter. The first few games I wasn't too keen on it because I didn't understand all the little rules. The complexity probably turned most people off. But after you finally understand it, it gets really fun. It gets more fun every time I play it now. If you just saw some 1CC videos and read some grape vine reviews, you need to play it for yourself.
Yeah, it looks fantastic. The design and graphics are some of Cave's best. Hope the gameplay matches up - from the look of that vid it does.
@Elixir - www.videogameimports.com are selling the standard and limited edition - they're based in the U.K. and are the best bet for anyone in Europe. Maybe update the front page - just a thought.
Wow This massive katana attack looks and sounds satisfying as hell. Being that Gain from Garegga/Batrider is one of my favourite ships ever and I also really loved the sword in Radiant Silvergun I´m pumped to see more giant swords in a shmup!
I get the feeling that this is the game they wanted Akai Katana to be all along, as opposed to the arcade port (which, by their own admission, was rather rushed). I mean, calling this a mere port is really an understatement. These new videos look a lot more exciting than the original arcade footage (which wasn´t bad by any means either). The additional graphic power really makes the game shine in a whole new way. I kinda dig the mix between the relatively gritty setting and the neon effects on top of that.
And just on a sidenote, Ryu Umemoto does very cool music. I like Manabu Namiki but I´m glad to hear some new flavours.
So yeah I should probably post this here instead of just the jointly shared Twitter. I wrote some stuff here. You might want to check that out. I often report tidbits from places and end up forgetting to report back here. Oh well. The Japanese Caveshop will also have online versions available to buy from their store.
Includes the standard LE (voice DLC + arrange album), as well as an illustration set designed for the 360 version and.. an Akai Katana Shin cave box. 10,500 yen.
This massive katana attack looks and sounds satisfying as hell. Being that Gain from Garegga/Batrider is one of my favourite ships ever and I also really loved the sword in Radiant Silvergun I´m pumped to see more giant swords in a shmup!
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