New G.Rev shooter (Strania XBLA)

[Zaarock]

Side Vower is epic from what I've played so far.. I played a coop round and then credit feeded normal, then did the same on hard but died on the TLB. At the very least the bosses are even better than the main games :p Also harder I think.

TLB seems to be an awesome mirror fight ala border down.

Also the DLC even adds 3 more 1cc achievements, wasn't expecting that.

[adversity1]

Side Vower is epic from what I've played so far..

Liking the sound of that...

[bcass]

If you haven't or can't complete the original game, I'm not sure I'd recommend the DLC as it seems substantially more difficult than the original game. Don't say you weren't warned.

[SuperPang]

Indeed. I can only get to the stage 5 boss on 1 credit in Strania and Vower kicks my ass. It's very, very cool though.

[defected78]

How do you start the vower mode after downloading.

[SuperPang]

Look down

[TodayIsForgotten]

Look down

yeah i have this problem too. I do not see the DLC anywhere after downloading it. Unless downloading the patch after downloading the DLC is the reason why...lets find out.

double edit. Wow. At the very bottom. VERY BOTTOM. I know someone mentioned that but shit.

[NeoStrayCat]

It said to press either the left/right trigger to toggle it, I guess some people didn't read the How to Play properly, well, I'll give this a go soon.

[TodayIsForgotten]

It said to press either the left/right trigger to toggle it, I guess some people didn't read the How to Play properly, well, I'll give this a go soon.

I don't ever read how to play a game. Unless we are talking about the 80s where you had a booklet and you could read the story, see the characters, maps, etc. (:

[NeoStrayCat]

Yeah, something like that, anyways, just got it, and if anyone would like to join in my game sometime, be my guest, gotta see how awesome this is...

[Phellan Wolf]

Now G-Rev should launch strania and Side Vower on physical format, I mean DVD.
I really hope strania sells well, to encourage G-rev to make BD and UD ports.

[moozooh]

Has any XBLA game ever received a disc release?

[antares]

Quite a few though always in bundles I think.

I really doubt this game sold many copies, it disappeared from the top 50 xbla downloads within the first week after release. It's not even in the top 50 on the jp marketplace anymore.

[mjclark]

Yeah, something like that, anyways, just got it, and if anyone would like to join in my game sometime, be my guest, gotta see how awesome this is...

Had a lot of fun with online co-op when I can find a game, so I'm up for it.
But in the two online games I've played, there doesn't seem to be any final outcome- you just play and play til both players are out of credits and that's it. No final scores, no comparison of scores and no co-op leaderboard. I don't get it, and still don't get any scoreboards working apart from ALL.
But I gotta say it again: this is exciting and awesome indeed

[Zaarock]

But in the two online games I've played, there doesn't seem to be any final outcome- you just play and play til both players are out of credits and that's it. No final scores, no comparison of scores and no co-op leaderboard. I don't get it, and still don't get any scoreboards working apart from ALL.

Then none of the people on your friends list or you have a score on the leaderboards. Co-op doesn't have leaderboards like in a lot of other shmups.

1cc'd side vower normal mode just now, I think I like this more than the main game :) need to at least try a proper weapon route though. Managed to no-miss the stage 6 boss too :D

[adversity1]

If you haven't or can't complete the original game, I'm not sure I'd recommend the DLC as it seems substantially more difficult than the original game. Don't say you weren't warned.

Echoing this statement. Very challenging!

[TodayIsForgotten]

Has any XBLA game ever received a disc release?

Watchmen had its own disk and not a compilation.

This is definitely better than the original but maybe its me but i dislike all the surprise moments. On stage one you have one section where the boss is invincible and the background comes into play.

Stage 4 - I knew the jets would flare up (or lasers?) but not that quickly.

Stage 1 boss again green bullets and a green screen spam? Hard to see where the green bullets are if any are left on the screen when this happens.

and yeah id be surprised if this game sold more than 5,000 units.

[adversity1]

Stage 1 Boss seems to absolutely require using the Bomb power-up. He gets a lot easier with it, and since you can't milk him you might as well just destroy him as soon as possible.

[Zaarock]

maybe its me but i dislike all the surprise moments.

Eh, wouldn't it be really boring and predictable without them? :p It's not like there is a lack of visual cues in the game either.

Stage 1 boss is pretty weird yeah. I just try to kill it as fast as possible so I basically just need to overdrive after the invulnerability.

[TodayIsForgotten]

maybe its me but i dislike all the surprise moments.

Eh, wouldn't it be really boring and predictable without them? :p It's not like there is a lack of visual cues in the game either.

Stage 1 boss is pretty weird yeah. I just try to kill it as fast as possible so I basically just need to overdrive after the invulnerability.

Not really. As for cue's - yes there are some. But, for instance, on level 1 boss, there is a part where it has extensions and you're thinking will these hit me? Then the background comes up and you're thinking the same thing. I'd rather die to something that i struggled on vs something that was like..oh...

Also, why does the stage 4 boss seem so cheap? This DLC is frustrating me not due to its difficulty but due to some of the bs they seem to throw in. I want to like this DLC but i'm split currently. Unless i fire it up again and work on some of level 4 missile patterns.

I use sword on level 1 boss. 19 second battle. Pointless, otherwise.

[MrMonkeyMan]

Wow, save your sword for the 5th boss. You can milk the shit out of this guy. I got it to 3 dan in training on this boss alone.

I really like Side Vower. The game feels completely different when the enemies all have vulcans and rockets. The final boss in hard is fantastic too. Beats the crap out of the regular game's final boss. In fact, all the bosses are more interesting and dynamic.

[mjclark]

This is fuckin' fierce! And there's a lot more depth than I first thought with the weapon level ups and power ups.
And yes those Stage 4 bosses on both sides are a bit shocking and I can only survive it with well timed Overdose.I'd like to see a vid of someone beating them by actually dodging that shit
Some more questions:
1)Does my weapon retain it's level if I ditch it and then reacquire it later or is it reset so I have to work my way back up through the levels again?
2) Where's this booster pickup so I can use all three weapons simultaneously?
3) Why on Stage 3 Strania Side and Stage 4 Vower Side do I end up fighting the same green carrier (at the start of 3 and the end of 4)? Whose side is that supposed to be on?

[Klatrymadon]

The booster is the pickup in the middle of the screen at the start of stage 4 in Strania, mate. Presumably it shows up in stage 3 in the Vower game (you're playing through the same areas in reverse order), but I've only had one go, so far. The green carrier thing is on the Strania side - you have to defend its thrusters in the main game.

[mjclark]

The booster is the pickup in the middle of the screen at the start of stage 4 in Strania, mate. Presumably it shows up in stage 3 in the Vower game, but I've only had one go, so far. The green carrier thing is on the Strania side - you have to defend its thrusters in the main game.

Thanks- that green carrier is kinda sexy

[Phellan Wolf]

Has any XBLA game ever received a disc release?

Quite a few but as other members said in bundles. You've got the Drreamcast Compilation, Konami hits, Watchmen and more.
Strania may not have sold too many copies however I think that surely G-Rev will decide to launch it in the future, bundled with Under Defat and Border Down ports, or at least it is my dream since I hate digital content.

[moozooh]

Drreamcast Compilation, Konami hits

Eh, I think you got these backwards. Surely Dreamcast games weren't XBLA titles before receiving a disc release.

Anyway, my point is this has pretty no chance of happening because G.Rev games even combined together aren't popular enough to warrant a separate retail release.

[NeoStrayCat]

Side Vower is literally balls hard for right now, until i can try to understand what to use in those stages proficiently, at least you get to fight Yu and Touma in St.6, and Touma goes nuts in St.7 right after you beat him, so yeah, its good. But i wonder if you had to fight against Su on the Stranian side, since you had to fight Yosemite mostly.

[mjclark]

So what's with the co-op mode? There's no comparison of scores between players and the scores aren't saved either so you just play through and have fun right?
Also where's the booster pack (allowing you to use all three weapons simultaneously) on the Vower side?
I was expecting it to be on Stage 3 (mirroring it on Stage 4 Strania side) but I was playing co-op earlier with my son and suddenly he'd got it on Stage 5 but we couldn't work out where it'd come from lol

[Zaarock]

Side Vower is literally balls hard for right now, until i can try to understand what to use in those stages proficiently, at least you get to fight Yu and Touma in St.6, and Touma goes nuts in St.7 right after you beat him, so yeah, its good. But i wonder if you had to fight against Su on the Stranian side, since you had to fight Yosemite mostly.

Yu does a good job of supplying weapons :p actually she always has a laser and rocket.

I don't think you could have been fighting Yosemite on strania side, since that is supposed to happen before vower side. Clearly the pilot of the mech that blows up should die in both Stage 7s.. pretty weird for touma to die though

So what's with the co-op mode? There's no comparison of scores between players and the scores aren't saved either so you just play through and have fun right?
Also where's the booster pack (allowing you to use all three weapons simultaneously) on the Vower side?
I was expecting it to be on Stage 3 (mirroring it on Stage 4 Strania side) but I was playing co-op earlier with my son and suddenly he'd got it on Stage 5 but we couldn't work out where it'd come from lol

Yeah there are no features for co-op scoring. I guess a comparison thing would have been cool. Though at the end of the game you can compare weapon level stats etc. in the result screen but its just the same as in single player.

Vower side doesn't have a booster, but you can attach friendly mechs to yourself which is cool, especially in the last stage. It looks pretty weird when it runs away if you keep it alive until the boss :p
If you hold the shot button the mech stays in place, otherwise it slides behind you.

If you have "message" on the game tells you about the mech attaching thing on stage 4

[adversity1]

Gen16 interviews Maruyama, highlights posted at GAF by grindmasta:

http://gen16.com/archives/9578/intervie ... i-maruyama

About the future of G.rev and the rough times for a small company:

Quote:

There are several issues that have prevented our ability to expand and we are still a small company. So we certainly are not satisfied.

Up until now, we have created games from the stance that they are games we wanted to make. In the future, we may have to adjust our perspective.

About Border Down and Under Defeat remakes for XBLA:

Quote:

We had considered it in the past, but the timing was not right so we decided to shelf the ideas. Now that we have finished Strania, it would not be strange if we gave those titles some reconsideration (laughs).

About the lack of shmups on PS3:

Quote:

It seems that only the games on which a lot of money has been spent in creation, ones that can offer rich content, are the ones that are successful. Certainly we can understand that more casual games can be sold over the PlayStation Network. However, there is nothing casual about the process it takes to get a game distributed on that service.

About XBLA and Strania:

Quote:

To say that Xbox Live Arcade is “The Last Paradise,” however, would be an exaggeration, as the service has a few problems of its own.

At this point, we do not have plans for additional content, but if sales of the game and the DLC are good, then there is a possibility for something to happen.

About the cancelled DLC for Senko no Ronde DUO:

Quote:

We were incorrect in evaluating the needs of the consumer. Many of the consumers who purchased the game would have found the DLC package that we prepared unnecessary.

About Mamoru-kun for PS3:

We would have preferred to make a sequel, but that did not happen for various reasons. Eventually, Gulti and Cyber Front, the publisher of the PS3 version, suggested to make a PS3 version that, even if it was not a true sequel to the original game, included a new mode.