Favorite Psikyo game?

[professor ganson]

I just recently played Stikers 1945 I for the first time and it's incredibly fun. Still, I would have to say Gunbird 2 is my favorite because the proximity attack adds so much to the gameplay.

Two further questions for those who know the Strikers series better than I do:

Is Strikers II more polished or otherwise superior to Srikers I? And how do the later entries in the series compare to these classics in your mind?

In case you'd like a list of Psikyo titles to refresh your memory:
http://www.x-nauts.com/psikyo/product/index.html
http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/company/13075.html

[BulletMagnet]

The main difference between Strikers and Strikers 2 is that the latter has a slightly more complicated charge shot: as you shoot stuff down you fill a meter at the bottom of the screen (like in Gunbird 2) and the more it's filled the more powerful the charge shot is. Once you use a shot, however, the meter is depleted and you have to fill it back up again. I personally don't think it's better or worse than Strikers 1, just different, though others have varying opinions.

As for my favorite Psikyo game, it kinda depends on the mood I'm in...Gunbird 2 and Dragon Blaze are the obvious choices, but my heart lies with Space Bomber, truth be told.

[Ramus]

I have a tie with Gunbird 2 and Space Bomber. I can keep playing them over and over and not get bored.

EDIT: I think Strikers 1945 III is probably my favorite now.

[llabnip]

Is Strikers II more polished or otherwise superior to Srikers I? And how do the later entries in the series compare to these classics in your mind?

Strikers 1945 II is an amazing game but is just a notch below the greatness of Strikers 1945 I. I ran the Strikers 1945 II high score thread on this board for a couple years and really enjoy every aspect of the game. The charge shot works a little differently than in the original and the stages are different but neither are necessarily better. I prefer the music of the first one and the way the charge shot works in the original so Strikers 1945 I just edges out part II for me. The level designs are about equal (though I love the rain/sleet stage of S1945I). When ranking my all-time favoriate shooters Strikers 1945 comes in at #2 and Strikers 1945 II comes in at #3. Both are must-haves. Strikers 1945 I for the Saturn is a solid port. Both the Saturn and PSX revs of Strikers 1945 II are good (the PSX original has a little less slowdown... US version has no TATE but Japan version does). I haven't played the PS2 double-pack so others can comment.

Lastly, let me say that I love Psikyo but the latter efforts do not match the simple greatness of the earlier titles. I'm in the minority with this line of thinking, but I much prefer Gunbird to Gunbird 2, Strikers I and II to Strikers III (aka 1999) and Sengoku Ace over Sengoku Blaede (sic). The last Psikyo game that was really stunning was Zero Gunner 2 (one of the best 2P shmup games since you use the whole screen - not just the bottom).

[sven666]

never liked strikers 2, it just feels uninspired and im not such a big fan of the all-shit-brown colour palette..

strikers 1 is good tho, 3 is ok too.

myfave psikyo game, hard to say, sengoky blade proboably because of the tits and how stylish the game is...

[Dylan1CC]

Basically what Bullet magnet said. I played and fell in love with Strikers 2 first, so I was actually put off a bit initially by the simpler charge shot in Strikers 1. But there is something about Strikers 1 that got me eventually and it barely edged out 2 as my fave. 1 has the kick ass rocket and moon stages and Strikers 2 has the Hayate and ice berg level so it's an even trade off. Both are great shmups. And both look great in TATE.

edit: But I think the Spitfire holds its own nicely against 2's Hayate. Of course it has no cool homing bits but there is something about that big wave of fire that it shoots up the middle of the screen. Toasty....

[CIT]

My favorite is Gunbird.

Can't really put my finger on it, but somehow Gunbird 2 feels a little too "chaotic" to me.
As for the proximity attack, I always play GB 1 with Yuan Nang so part 2 isn't that different gameplay wise for me.

Second fave would have to be Sengoku Blade, which I'm playing at the moment, actually.

Zero Gunner 2's also very good, but I haven't had that much experience with it.

[freddiebamboo]

Dragon Blaze or Gunbird 2 probably - haven't played dragon blaze for long enough to know if it's better or not

I just wish they didn't stage shuffle, I find it soooo annoying

[professor ganson]

I haven't played the PS2 double-pack so others can comment.

I have the double pack. It has some really frustrating features: it doesn't save high scores, it doesn't save your options, and nearly every button will immediately cause you to continue when your game is over so you end up continuing involuntarily and have to go through an extra step to quit and start a new game. At the same time the pack offers tate with great graphics and incredible control.

[Ghegs]

Dragon Blaze or Gunbird 2 probably - haven't played dragon blaze for long enough to know if it's better or not

I just wish they didn't stage shuffle, I find it soooo annoying

If you have the PS2 ports, you can always disable the shuffling. Of course, that isn't technically playing with defaults anymore, but still. I too wish they would be non-shuffling to start with.

The first Strikers is probably my favourite, though I've played Sengoku Ace much more. Generally I like Psikyo's early games more, they don't rely on accurate positioning quite as much as the later ones. More room for improvising.

[cigsthecat]

Gunbird 2> Dragon Blaze> Strikers II

Required playing, in that order.

[Brian]

Strikers 1945 is like crack. I can't just play one game of it, I always wind up playing about 20 games before I just need to tear myself away from the screen.

[Jet Black]

Dragon Blaze is the best, but also Strikers 1945 Plus and 1999 are great games.

[The Eidolon]

I like Strikers 1945 (I) best of the ones I have tried. The bombs
annoy me on the sequel because many of them leave big gaps
in the formations where you are still vulnerable. I also like the
level design and bossses a bit better in the original. Both are
great fun.

Sengoku Blade is pretty, but I never had the hang of dodging
bullets in a horizontal shmup with a long vertical hit box due
to the human characters. The player sprites take up quite a bit of
room and it's hard to get them out of the way in time!

--The Eidolon

[captain ahar]

only played a few but they go

Gunbird 2 > Strikers II > Strikers I > Gunbird >>>>>>>>>>>> Sol Divide

[adam76]

Strikers1945>Sengoku Blaede>Sengoku Ace

I like Dragon Blaze asthetically but the game just beats me up.

[visuatrox]

GunBird 2 - I like the graphics, and also I don't suck at it as much on Psikyos other games

[professor ganson]

I like Dragon Blaze asthetically but the game just beats me up.

Same here. Aesthetically it's my favorite, but it is by far the hardest Psikyo shmup I've played. I have been training myself with Gunbird 2 and the Strikers games in part to get my skills ready for DB. The game laughs at me, but I will have the last laugh.

[Ord]

For me it's a toss up between Dragon Blaze (however that too does my head in) or Zero Gunner 2.

[ThirdStrike]

I like 4 games alot myself.

Dragon Blaze, Zero Gunner 2, Strikers 1999, And Cannon Spike.

[yyr]

Sadly I have not played most of Psikyo's collection (only their recent stuff, mostly) but I must second Cannon Spike (Gun Spike). I find that game more fun than crack.

[Ex_Mosquito]

Well i've only properly played 2 psikyo games for any length of time, but my vote goes for dragon blaze.
It just looks and plays so damn nice.

[BBH]

Strikers 1999 and Cannon Spike all the way!

[landshark]

1 - Strikers 1999
2 - Strikers 1945 II
3 - Strikers 1945
4 - Sengoku Blade
5 - Dragon Blaze
6 - Strikers 1945 Plus
7 - Gunbird 2
8 - Gunbird

Never played cannon spike.

Strikers 1999 is also my favorite vert.

[mannerbot]

S1945.

[LoneSage]

Strikers 1945 is still the best of the series. It may look "plainer" but it's just a better gam IMHO. I'm really surprised at how many other people prefer the original to the sequel, yus

Strikers 1945 II...it took a while to grow on me, and I like it. Great game, just not as good as the original. I agree with sven about the palette of this game, it makes the game look terrible in some areas.

Strikers 1945 Plus is good as well, but since I've already played II this felt kinda rehashed to me (I've only played it for roughly 10 minutes at the bowling alley).

Strikers 1999 was awful, I didn't like it at all. To be fair, the monitor was messed up and the controls were greasy and broken. But still, I didn't like it much.

Gunbird is a classic; Sengoku Ace or whatever may have been their first game, but Gunbird put Psikyo on the maps. One of the best cute em ups I've played.

Sol Divide, I spit on thee.

[Lyle]

Dragon Blaze for me. Although its diffculty is ludicrous, it has some the most impressive 2D gfx ever made and it seems to have less ranking than in all the other Psikyo games, ranking being the thing I hate the most in shmups.

[Zweihander]

Psikyo shmups - specializing in all-too-short stages and second loops. i rather like the shuffle cliche though - adds a little replay value.

if i really had to choose though, i'd say Dragon Blaze. it's about as innovative as Psikyo's ever gotten...

[cigsthecat]

Dragon Blaze for me. Although its diffculty is ludicrous, it has some the most impressive 2D gfx ever made and it seems to have less ranking than in all the other Psikyo games, ranking being the thing I hate the most in shmups.

Rank behaves exactly the same as their other games.

[IlMrm]

Gunbird 2, but if I have a chance to play Dragon Blaze for a long time, it'll be hard to decide.