Is MileStone OK?

[MathU]

It's been about 9 months since their last console port, and more than 27 months since their last arcade release, Radirgy Noah. It's never been quite that long between arcade releases for them (19 months between Karous and Illvelo was their longest). All they seem to care about lately is their Sokudoku game for the 3DS.

They're my favorite arcade developer still releasing games and I'd hate for anything bad to happen to them.

[SFKhoa]

Aren't they also releasing Karous for the 3DS?

[MathU]

It was announced sometime last winter or spring, but I'm not sure anything has come of it.

[Elixir]

Milestone followed @shmups awhile ago. Notable mostly because corporations don't typically follow us initially, especially considering it's primarily in English.

http://twitter.com/#!/msjpinfo

Barely active by Twitter's standards, and not very revealing either. But yes, they're still around.

[Kollision]

I'm in love with Chaos Field as of now, and I'd be very sad if Milestone died.
Their presence in the shmup world is a nice counterpoint to Cave's dominance, even though they're not even remotely admired by the masses.

[Age of Kings]

I'm a huge Milestone fan, despite the great hate they seem to garner around here, and I really hope something comes from them soon.

[rancor]

I had great expectations for them, but they really haven't "wowed" me with anything they've put out. Sad to say, but I get more excited for some doujin releases than anything from Milestone.

[Gus]

Really enjoy the unique style of their games. We need more cel-shaded shooters.

[BulletMagnet]

They've put out some other Japan-only stuff lately, but not much on the shmup front aside from the Karous 3DS thing, which as others have said seems to currently be in limbo.

[Frenetic]

Gosh, I just narrowly missed an Ilvelo kit on YAJ...am really thinking about springing for the ones that Starpine has posted. AKRATEN really got me into Milestone, I love their games.

[louisg]

Not to derail the topic, but what are some things people like about Milestone? I wasn't able to get into most of their games, though Radilgy was pretty fun I thought.

[rancor]

Not to derail the topic, but what are some things people like about Milestone?

+1. No idea why they even have a fanbase...

[chempop]

I wish I enjoyed their cel-shaded games. The design and style speaks to me, but the gameplay does not. After watching the 1-sissy of Karous I doubt I'll ever play their games again (player clears the game moving twice and shooting a few time SO THE Wii DOESN'T GO INTO SLEEP MODE...HAHA!)

[Koa Zo]

I personally find much more enjoyment in Radirgy than I do in any Cave game I've ever played.
The colors, the characters, the ABSnet system, the sword swiping, the score multiplier, the ground based item collecting; all comes together pleasurably to provide one of my favorite videogame expirences of the post 16-bit era.

[stryc9]

I love Milestone. Or to put it more accurately, I love their Radilgy games. Karous is good but not as good as Radilgy, and I have yet to play Illvelo, although that's on the way.

I was kinda wondering what was happening with them myself recently, so I visited their main webpage, and boy, is there some lost it shit on that site

There was some weird 3DS game, possibly Sudoku, but definitely not Karous, or any other shooter for that matter. They do have a fighting game(!) on Wii called Twinkle Queen, which I'm afraid, as much as I can stomach OTT loli stuff, looks about as gay as it sounds.

They need to make another STG, it feels like they are only just finding their feet really.

[gatsu25]

They followed me on Twitter too. I hope they are doing alright. I have enjoyed all of their shooting games, and am hoping for more. What I was really excited about though, is/was Tank Beat 3. I really love those games, and I had read that a third one was in development.

[Teufel_in_Blau]

Damn, I hope the OP is not going to hate me, I have no idea about Milestone but I just watched for the first time the 1-sissy that chempop mentioned and I must say that the soundtrack of Karous is really sick. Is this some kind of a genre? Ambient industrial or something? Since I'm not very well educated in music I would love to know it and listen to more of this kind.

[mesh control]

Drum and Bass.


I hope they make another game, so I can listen to the OST.
:B

[evil_ash_xero]

I can't get into their games at all, and I think the music is terribly overrated. Makes me feel like I'm in a Japanese discotheque.

So there.

[Super Laydock]

Chaos Field is certainly one of the most underrated shmups in recent memory.
I only mildly enjoyed Radirgy, and couldn't care about Karous, but I still hope they'll follow up on CF.
It was refreshing and just real fun to play.

@ Milestone: lose the crappy cell shaded route. CF 2 please (PS3 will do).

[BulletMagnet]

Not to derail the topic, but what are some things people like about Milestone?

For whatever it's worth, I like how they don't feel like most other shooters, since most of their emphasis is placed on constantly keeping an eye on your shield meters and such, and getting in enemies' faces instead of sniping from a distance. I'm not utterly crazy about the presentations, but again, they're at least something different: seeing as you can get five of their games on one comp these days I'd say they're worth picking up.

[Deca]

I loooove Milestone's presentation, it's the main thing that makes me come back to their games. The mechanics are pretty neat and I like the sort of backwards way you play Radilgy, but it's definitely the visuals and music that I get excited about. Illvelo soundtrack in particular is pretty fantastic.

[dunpeal2064]

The only Milestone shooter I have played is Chaos Field on the Gamecube, and I enjoyed it well enough. I will say that I felt like I was playing the game wrong, as I never really knew when it was a good idea to go into chaos mode, and when it was better to play it safe.

I do really want to try Karous and Radirgy, but from all the down talk they get here, I've held off. Being the kinda guy that generally enjoys a shmup, no matter the style, I am thinking I need to give em a chance.

[Kollision]

There's something about Milestone shooters that I think is kinda hidden by a barrage of either offbeat presentation (graphics/music) or intimidating gameplay mechanics.
It takes a while to get past them, but once you do... oh boy do they get fun to play.

Super Laydock, count me in the cheers for Chaos Field 2.

[Deca]

The only Milestone shooter I have played is Chaos Field on the Gamecube, and I enjoyed it well enough. I will say that I felt like I was playing the game wrong, as I never really knew when it was a good idea to go into chaos mode, and when it was better to play it safe.

I do really want to try Karous and Radirgy, but from all the down talk they get here, I've held off. Being the kinda guy that generally enjoys a shmup, no matter the style, I am thinking I need to give em a chance.

If you managed to enjoy Chaos Field you'll probably like their other games. I love Radilgy and have never been able to stay interested in Chaos Field for more than 10 minutes or so. I need to give it another chance some day.

[Herr Schatten]

I do really want to try Karous and Radirgy, but from all the down talk they get here, I've held off. Being the kinda guy that generally enjoys a shmup, no matter the style, I am thinking I need to give em a chance.

Radirgy is awesome, even outclassing its own sequel. Karous is a bit tedious.

[stryc9]

I do really want to try Karous and Radirgy, but from all the down talk they get here, I've held off. Being the kinda guy that generally enjoys a shmup, no matter the style, I am thinking I need to give em a chance.

Radirgy is awesome, even outclassing its own sequel. Karous is a bit tedious.

I have yet to decide which is superior myself. Actually no, scrap that - the original is probably better than Noa, but you know what I reckon is better than both? Classic Mode on the 360 version. It does away with the x2 sword attack and limits you to one shot type - the green forward fire - and lets you sit on top of enemies again. It also gets rid of those sub boss things you have to engage before the level begins.

So basically it strips away most of the innovations in Noa, so if you are like me and found some of those innovations questionable, you will probably like this mode.

PS Karous seems to me to be a solid if unremarkable variation on Radilgy.

[Herr Schatten]

So basically it strips away most of the innovations in Noa, so if you are like me and found some of those innovations questionable, you will probably like this mode.

I don't really mind the innovations, and I actually do like the fact that they disposed of the ground item collecting. It's just that Noa doesn't seem to have the same kind of flow as its predecessor. If you played Radirgy right, you practically never stopped having the ABS on while racking up huge bonuses. From what I've played of Noa, it doesn't really seem to aim for that kind of play, instead emphasizing a more selective approach to using the ABS. Don't get me wrong, Noa is a fine game, it just doesn't give me the same kind of adrenaline rush as Radirgy did.

PS Karous seems to me to be a solid if unremarkable variation on Radilgy.

That's pretty much what it is, but I found that the leveling mechanic felt tacked-on. Additionally, the level design is unremarkable, and the game is really easy unless you try to get to the TLB. If that's your goal, though, the game becomes an absolute pain, as you need to exploit that tedious grinding for weapon levels the best you can.

[dunpeal2064]

Well, it seems I need to check out Radirgy then!

[stryc9]

I don't really mind the innovations, and I actually do like the fact that they disposed of the ground item collecting. It's just that Noa doesn't seem to have the same kind of flow as its predecessor. If you played Radirgy right, you practically never stopped having the ABS on while racking up huge bonuses. From what I've played of Noa, it doesn't really seem to aim for that kind of play, instead emphasizing a more selective approach to using the ABS. Don't get me wrong, Noa is a fine game, it just doesn't give me the same kind of adrenaline rush as Radirgy did.

I'm kinda surprised you think that, as in Noa it it much quicker to refill the gauge and stay in ABSnet. The only time it isn't as quick is when you try to maintain 16x, then the gauge takes about twice as long which can catch you off guard during some sections and on the bosses.

In the first game you have to work a lot harder and smarter to keep the multiplier high, and in my experience it seemed to be quite difficult to kill bosses at 16x or even 8x without manipulating drop items to get the one that gives you a chunk of multiplier bar. In Noa you can just spam ABSnet at bosses to remain invincible, at least till you hit that 16x slow fill point, then you might have to dodge something.

Herr Schatten, are you playing Radirgy Precious (PS2) by any chance?

Edit: What happened there? Bah bloody quote system