Konami brings Otomedius Excellent (Xbox 360) to U.S.

[dieKatze88]

FWIW, I thought this was a great review:
http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/ ... llent-360/

Reviewer knows the material, can compare it to personal experience with relevant games (like the original Otomedius and other Konami shooters), and while there's one or two technical flaws (surprise at boss time-out, unlimited continues) he states what he likes and what he doesn't and I can appreciate what he wrote because he made an informed opinion on the game, even if I personally disagree.

Though it didn't read as a 2.5/5 but I can forgive him for that. Editors and such.

I love the comment about Arcade Otomedius looking like a game from 2006. It's from 2007, based on 2006 hardware. No surprise there. (And for the people who feel like calling me out on this one, I'll remind you that I own this game)

These comments are especially Ironic, because they come after a comment about the game not feeling enough like Gradius:

The complaint that most of the bosses are variations on previous Gradius bosses, like Gradius has never done that before.

And the comment about the bosses getting bored and leaving after a time out, something every game in the series does.


Valid complaint reviewer had: It doesn't feel like the game has enough personality. The hardcore Gradius fans will go out and seek discussion about the game, and it's online manga, and whatnot, and learn about the characters and learn what the game is about. Everybody else isn't going to do this, and you're missing out on a huge part of Otomedius for having not done this. Konami probably can put merit to "Well, this many people imported it last time. Thank you Xbox Live location data, so we can justify releasing the game overseas" but as for all the merchandise and back story that goes with this game (much of it explained in Gorgeous, for that matter) well, the US fans are out of luck.

He did complain about a lack of a Moai head stage, which I'm still disappointed about too, but that was DLC last time, and the game is extendable in many of the same ways Otomedius Gorgeous and Arcade Otomedius were, so I won't be shocked at all if that shows up somewhere down the road.

[NeoStrayCat]

Tita Nium's and Esmeralda's outfits are now available in the JP marketplace. (Tita's 'Gofa' amd Esmeralda's 'Maid' Outfits.)

Both 160MSP like the rest of them.

[dieKatze88]

http://katzepower.com/Otomedius/DLC/

Tita gets the megaphone. (Double slot)

It's exactly what you expect.

Fires VERY slowly

Balanced. Doesn't do a lot.

No, her options don't fire it.

Esmeralda gets Ion Cannon (Laser Slot)

Works a lot like Megaphone does, fires VERY slowly, but anything it touches INSTANTLY disappears. Large enemies, Parts of the boss. Whatever. The only thing that doesn't instantly disappear are cores.

[AntiFritz]

I love the comment about Arcade Otomedius looking like a game from 2006. It's from 2007, based on 2006 hardware. No surprise there. (And for the people who feel like calling me out on this one, I'll remind you that I own this game)

Never mind the fact its on 360, which is from 2006 and based on 2005 hardware.

[NeoStrayCat]

2nd Batch of DLC for NA released.

Strarf: 400MSP with free library.

BGM Packs 5 (Tita) and 6 (Esmeralda and Poini): 440MSP

Tron's (Legendary Pilot Suit): 160MSP with free library.

Wow, it seems the NA version did get the outfits, rather 1 for now, really quick, and Strarf is now playable too, now makes it a complete roster.

[Paradigm]

The hardcore Gradius fans will go out and seek discussion about the game, and it's online manga, and whatnot, and learn about the characters and learn what the game is about. Everybody else isn't going to do this, and you're missing out on a huge part of Otomedius for having not done this.

Will they though?

I would imagine most hardcore Gradius fans have very little interest in story, especially one featuring so many little girls.

[NeoStrayCat]

Arnval and Poini Coon/Kune Outfits Now Available in JP Marketplace (same price each).

Anval gets a Kimono with a fox mask while Poini Coon/Kune gets a Maid outfit like Esmeralda, but in blue.

Also, Spoiler of the new DLC library for them includes Hanafuuma in PE Uniform.

Will also update 3rd batch DLC for NA soon.

[dieKatze88]

http://katzepower.com/Otomedius/DLC/

[NeoStrayCat]

3rd Batch DLC for NA released.

BGM Packs 8 and 10: Arnval / Strarf (440MSP each)

Anoa's St. Gradius Uniform (160MSP)

Only 3 DLC items, lame, but they've could have released more, but better than nothing since they're getting close to have all the DLC content from the JP version anyway.

[Friendly]

In some shmups you can milk the bosses. In Otomedius X the bosses time out and instead the game milks you - with DLC.

[NeoStrayCat]

Which in the long run will cost more than the game itself (editions excluded), and also Hard Drive/Memory space too. since the DLC's aren't small unlock codes, but they have a bigger memory size. (Around 50MB's for outfits and Kokoro/Strarf, 200-300MB's for BGM's, and somewhere between the middle for DLC libraries.)

[Estebang]

I am definitely curious how well the DLC will sell in the US. I know I'm not buying all of it.

[Korszca]

I am definitely curious how well the DLC will sell in the US. I know I'm not buying all of it.

Same. While I don't mind buying new characters like Kokoro, or even costumes, I know I won't be buying the BGM packs, because to me the music is already acceptable so there's no reason to change it.
Thanks for keeping us updated guys.

[KMM]

I like how more of Friendly's posts on shmups forum are in a thread about a game he hates than in any other thread.

Aside from the crap I went through with GameStop to get my copy of the game (I preordered, and they proceeded to get my copy in three days after release, because apparently copies of MW3 for people who didn't preorder are more important than obscure games people did preorder), I've enjoyed Otomedius Excellent. It is rather easy, yes (last time I played it, I no-miss no-bomb cleared Expert Story as Erul Tron), but it's very fun, and I rather like the soundtrack (though none of the tracks I like are on the OST, for some crazy reason).

Comparisons to Otomedius G are worthless to me, because I don't own a J-360 and don't intend to buy one any time soon (I have over seventy games that I can already play on my American 360, so I don't see much of a reason to get a J-360 to be able to play about six more games, especially since two of those are in MAME and one is region-free on PS3). I do think the idea mentioned earlier in the thread - releasing G and Excellent together - would've been great for those of us who don't feel the need to import a console for a handful of games, but it doesn't break my heart that I can't play the first game in the series.

The Destructoid review of Excellent is awful, clearly designed to provoke a negative response (from fans or otherwise) more than to tell anyone exactly what the game is about and whether or not it's worth playing.

Also, I don't know if I'll buy any of the DLC. I haven't yet.

[dieKatze88]

I like how more of Friendly's posts on shmups forum are in a thread about a game he hates than in any other thread.

Aside from the crap I went through with GameStop to get my copy of the game (I preordered, and they proceeded to get my copy in three days after release, because apparently copies of MW3 for people who didn't preorder are more important than obscure games people did preorder), I've enjoyed Otomedius Excellent. It is rather easy, yes (last time I played it, I no-miss no-bomb cleared Expert Story as Erul Tron), but it's very fun, and I rather like the soundtrack (though none of the tracks I like are on the OST, for some crazy reason).

Comparisons to Otomedius G are worthless to me, because I don't own a J-360 and don't intend to buy one any time soon (I have over seventy games that I can already play on my American 360, so I don't see much of a reason to get a J-360 to be able to play about six more games, especially since two of those are in MAME and one is region-free on PS3). I do think the idea mentioned earlier in the thread - releasing G and Excellent together - would've been great for those of us who don't feel the need to import a console for a handful of games, but it doesn't break my heart that I can't play the first game in the series.

The Destructoid review of Excellent is awful, clearly designed to provoke a negative response (from fans or otherwise) more than to tell anyone exactly what the game is about and whether or not it's worth playing.

Also, I don't know if I'll buy any of the DLC. I haven't yet.

Some of the music packs are good, the characters are OK, the legendary pilot suits live up to the name.

[Estebang]

Which character out in the US should I get first? I've heard Kokoro is not really worth it.

[Korszca]

There's only 2 DLC characters, Kokoro and Strarf.
Kokoro is better IMO.

[Estebang]

So I'm curious now whether it's even possible to destroy Old Big Core's mobile shield module. I'm knowledgeable enough that it's not a problem for killing the boss itself, but I've smothered the shield in Lv. 3 Gravity Bullets and it still won't go down. You think they wouldn't have given it the "hit" flash/sound effect.

[dieKatze88]

So I'm curious now whether it's even possible to destroy Old Big Core's mobile shield module. I'm knowledgeable enough that it's not a problem for killing the boss itself, but I've smothered the shield in Lv. 3 Gravity Bullets and it still won't go down. You think they wouldn't have given it the "hit" flash/sound effect.

It is. I'll show you how.

http://twitch.tv/diekatze88

Watch any video that seems to have Esmeralda being played in it. They're all several hours long.

[Elixir]

Welp.

[Estebang]

Hardly an unusual thing to see these days with any game that isn't Calladooty, Elixir.

[xbl0x180]

Hardly an unusual thing to see these days with any game that isn't Calladooty, Elixir.

I thought it'd go differently in Japan, including that CoD FPS megaterd

[dieKatze88]

It's been a solid 6 months, and it is the holiday season.

[NeoStrayCat]

Exactly, that, and a small discount from the JP release, but really nothing much there anyways.

Other than that, more DLC of both ports will be up soon. That, and already got this done to 1000(G) anyway, unless DLC Outfits would hold me back just for more gallery and completion purposes. (Not getting the BGM if I can just rather play them from the hard drive anyway.)

[Gus]

I find the **1/2 customer rating funnier than the price.

[Estebang]

When have Amazon--or IGN--or Metacritic--user ratings in any region ever held the slightest shred of validity?

[MachineAres 1CC]

How the hell do you get Amazon.co.jp to ship to you? I did it a number of years ago and got 2 books shipped to me, but I tried just about everything I could think of a few weeks ago, and nothing ever worked.

[StarCreator]

They will ship books and music CDs internationally, but not much else.

[Elixir]

How the hell do you get Amazon.co.jp to ship to you? I did it a number of years ago and got 2 books shipped to me, but I tried just about everything I could think of a few weeks ago, and nothing ever worked.

Someone in Japan gets them for me.

It's not "unusual", but this is the first time I've seen a 360 shmup for <2000 yen on any online store. Next up is Radirgy Noah at 2600. Even the Platinum Collections are <3000. I'm not surprised, however, that it was Otomedius Excellent.

[Friendly]

It's not "unusual", but this is the first time I've seen a 360 shmup for <2000 yen on any online store. Next up is Radirgy Noah at 2600. Even the Platinum Collections are <3000. I'm not surprised, however, that it was Otomedius Excellent.

Of course. It's a turd.

-
In the name of gamers everywhere I'd like to take a moment to thank the feeble minded fools who are purchasing the DLC of this game. By spending money on stuff that should really be free and on the disc, you are actively encouraging game companies to continue with this misbegotten practice. Thank you for helping to bring about this bave new world of gaming, you are a credit to the species.