Some General Qs About Shmups

[BIL]

Yep, there's that too. And even though you can adjust the difficulty, it doesn't label the higher setting "Arcade" or "AC" like Raiden DX and Soukyugurentai's home versions do. I almost wonder if it's based on a different revision of the PCB, with it being so dead-on in all areas but the basic rules.

[Edmond Dantes]

I have a couple of issues with the Taito Legends anthologies (mostly the first one, admittedly). First is the selection of games. No Bubble Memories or Bubble Symphony? It includes the last two Darius games but not the first two--or indeed, why not the whole series? Instead we get like a million versions of Space Invaders and some unheard-of puzzle games that are rightfully obscure.

Secondly I don't like it when a compilation is just a bunch of roms with an emulator slapped on. I can understand why they do this for some games (like losing the source code for Bubble Bobble) but they really should just port the games instead of making us live with whatever limitations are inherent in the emulator or the rom dump.

Biggest issue though is just... a lot of the games are lame. It's like, you're buying Taito Legends 2 basically for the two included Darius games. If that's the case, I could just get the PS1 ports. And at least those are actual ports and not just MAME running off a DVD, and I'm willing to bet said ports have some nice exclusive features.

I guess it could be said that I don't like compilations very much, unless they consist of okay-to-excellent games with almost no trash.

[Deca]

I have no desire to play either of the first two Darius games scaled to fit on one screen or with 3 screens worth of horizontal waggle

I would, on the other hand, love a chance to play them in an arcade.

[BIL]

It's like, you're buying Taito Legends 2 basically for the two included Darius games. If that's the case, I could just get the PS1 ports. And at least those are actual ports and not just MAME running off a DVD, and I'm willing to bet said ports have some nice exclusive features.

Like I said, TL2 / TM1G's G-Darius and Raystorm are ports. The PS2 can't emulate the hardware they run on. In the former's case, although neither port is perfect, you're better off with the PS2 version (no slowdown) than the PS1 (occasionally struggles up to normal speed when the screen is empty - has a boss rush mode to compensate).

[Edmond Dantes]

What about Darius Gaiden then? That was ported to the PS1 and Saturn, wasn't it?

and yeah, playing Darius 1 and 2 on a laptop monitor is not a pleasant experience. I don't understand how I keep coming back to them time and again when they're both all but unplayable.

[BIL]

Yes, Darius Gaiden was ported to PS and Saturn just like Raystorm, but since it ran on the older Taito F3 hardware the PS2 is able to emulate it. Again though, the PS1 version is known to have slowdown issues (and is also rarer and costlier) - go with the Saturn port if you're getting one of them.

[Edmond Dantes]

So, I tried Metal Black, Darius Gaiden and G Darius again...

... I think I forgive the Taito Legends their transgressions. Still want the Memories packs sometime, but those will have to wait until I've acquired X-Multiply, after that I'm concentrating on the PC Engine for awhile.

[ChainsawGuitarSP]

playing Darius 1 and 2 on a laptop monitor is not a pleasant experience. I don't understand how I keep coming back to them time and again when they're both all but unplayable.

Play Super Darius instead. It's the way the original Darius was intended to be and then some. Darius II has a pretty good port on the Genesis as well. Just be sure to set it to Hard first.

[Deca]

So, I tried Metal Black, Darius Gaiden and G Darius again...

... I think I forgive the Taito Legends their transgressions. Still want the Memories packs sometime, but those will have to wait until I've acquired X-Multiply, after that I'm concentrating on the PC Engine for awhile.

Told you man, like I said I snagged TL2 just because I found out it had Metal Black

[Edmond Dantes]

What's better: Sagaia on the Genesis or Super Darius II on the PC Engine? Or should I get both just because they have different soundtracks (at least, so I've heard) and Sagaia has an exclusive boss?

[ChainsawGuitarSP]

Stay away from Super Darius II. Screen is zoomed in way too far, and the remixes are all abhorrent. The new content is not worth seeing either because it's incredibly lackluster compared to what Darius II brought to the table. Sagaia's exclusive boss Nehonojia takes over for Bio Strong in Zone X. Alloy Lantern is fought solo, and Killer Higia is nowhere to be found.

[Edmond Dantes]

So, the way I see the Darius II situation is: get Sagaia, and then later down the line either get the Saturn port of Darius II (which is supposed to be arcade-perfect) or else the Taito Memories compilation that has it (I've heard one of them does)

Or forget the entire thing and save up for Image Fight II.

[Edmond Dantes]

May I bump the thread for one more question:

What is the best "Supergun" to get if I decide to go into PCB Collecting? (if it helps, the games I'm interested most in are X-Multiply, Armed Police Unit Gallop, R-Type Leo and Undercover Cops Alpha Renewal version)

[professor ganson]

Probably no such thing as "the best" because it will depend on preferences and things about your set-up. Sigma superguns are awesome but expensive. Also, some of those PCBs are pretty difficult to find, I think.

[Edmond Dantes]

Yeah, I just learned that Undercover Cops "Alpha Renewal" was actually an "Upgrade Kit" (whatever that means) that basically just restores everything that was in the Japanese version.

I'm not entirely sure I want that one--my best friends all have busy lives and beat-em-ups aren't very fun by yourself (which is why Double Dragon for the NES totally fails). The whole PCB thing looks like it may be far outside my budget.

[Estebang]

To my knowledge, UC Alpha Renewal wasn't actually released. If it was, it would've been a case like the US version of Ninja Baseball Bat Man, where they only made around 50 PCBs. It's identical to the Japanese version, anyway. R-Type Leo and Gallop are very rare.

Really, a good MAME setup is more than adequate for most people without massive amounts of space and disposable money.

For anyone who claims that "beat-em-ups aren't fun by yourself": play Streets of Rage 2 & 3/Battle Circuit/Denjin Makai 2/Violent Storm.

[Edmond Dantes]

So, my Image Fight and X-Multiply collection came in today! X-Multiply, of course, is great. Outside of having to remove the status bar and maybe some audio differences, it seems like its arcade-perfect.

I'm not impressed with this copy of Image Fight so far though. On the default view, I get a wide horizontal view but can actually move past the bottom of the screen, and some things are technically "on screen" before I can see them. So I messed around with "Arcade" (Tate) mode, which fixes that problem but now I can go off the sides of the screen (there's also an "extra" mode, which basically turns the game into a horizontal shmup).

So, all right, what kind of TV do I need so that Image Fight will display ALL the necessary visual information in Tate mode? I'm assuming this is gonna be a problem when I start looking for The Raiden Project later on so I'd like to know in advance.

[Hagane]

For anyone who claims that "beat-em-ups aren't fun by yourself": play Streets of Rage 2 & 3/Battle Circuit/Denjin Makai 2/Violent Storm.

Alien vs. Predator!

[BIL]

So, all right, what kind of TV do I need so that Image Fight will display ALL the necessary visual information in Tate mode? I'm assuming this is gonna be a problem when I start looking for The Raiden Project later on so I'd like to know in advance.

I'd like to know, too. Assuming it's even possible to get a fully visible playing area in those ports.

Raiden Project doesn't have the cropping issue of Arcade Gears: Image Fight & X-Multiply. Actually, I can't think of a decent shooter port offhand that does.

I'd recommend the Japanese version of Raiden Project, unless you've got a Gameshark handy. The JP one will tate with no issues, the US one requires a Gameshark code to rotate the controls accordingly.

[ChainsawGuitarSP]

For anyone who claims that "beat-em-ups aren't fun by yourself": play Streets of Rage 2 & 3/Battle Circuit/Denjin Makai 2/Violent Storm.

Alien vs. Predator!

[Edmond Dantes]

I'd recommend the Japanese version of Raiden Project, unless you've got a Gameshark handy. The JP one will tate with no issues, the US one requires a Gameshark code to rotate the controls accordingly.

I was planning to get the JApanese version anyway, both because of the Tate issue and because the American version comes in a longbox, and I don't like those.

And yeah, still waiting for an answer about my TV screen resolution issues (though, this might justify getting the PC Engine version)

[chempop]

I used to have all sorts of problems with having certain games/consoles fit the screen properly. I just dealt with it and sucked it up... Until recently when I took the plunge and learned how to access my TV's service menu. Not only was I able to fit the game perfectly on my screen, but I was able to adjust the colors and clarity of the picture achieving such a hugely noticeable improvement. Check the Hardware forum and TV Help topic for more info.

[Edmond Dantes]

Unfortunately it seems like my TV (an Emerson EWC19T3 or something like it) doesn't have a "service mode" and none of the regularly-available modes allow you to adjust screen resolution. Unless there's some way I can get the DVD letterboxing options to carry over into everything else.

Looks like, for the time being, I'll either just have to live with it or else play a different version of Image Fight. As I bought that collection for X-Multiply anyway that's not a big loss (and X-Multiply looks and plays fine on my TV).