Creature Jungle 16

[straight]

For some reason I recently went back to this obscure little doujin PC shmup.

One of the unique things it does is it gives you a limited "napalm" shot in addition to your main gun (you get 3 shots which slowly recharge). It sends two bombs out to explode in front of your ship. Then any enemy caught in the explosion is also destroyed by an explosion that other ships can get caught in making it possible to destroy a chain of enemies some of which weren't even on screen when you shot the napalm bomb.

It's a little bit like Every Extend.

Anyone else here tried it?

Are there any other shmups that have that chain-of-exploding-enemies mechanic?

[Subterranean Sun]

I played this many years ago, when I was a little kid. Now that I think about it, this is probably my first bullet hell game, although I don't even know what does bullet hell means back then. Several years later, after I begin playing shmups seriously, I tried to play this again but it runs like shit on Windows XP so I threw it away.

[mjclark]

Are there any other shmups that have that chain-of-exploding-enemies mechanic?

The recently discussed psychedelic Galaga clone Galamoss has a vortex bomb which sucks in all enemies on screen for you to pick them off but also has a chain-of-exploding-enemies power up.
That came out in 2004 and this Jungle Creature 16 came out in 2003 so maybe that mechanic was in fashion
Any other shmups by the guy who developed this one?

[straight]

Any other shmups by the guy who developed this one?

Here's a Wayback archive of the guy's webpage, which has something under the heading "TRASH BOX" labeled Creature Jungle 256.

[Shatterhand]

I've played both Creature Jungle 16 and Creature Jungle 256 back at the day. The 1st one was pretty good game, I even 1cc it. I was heavy into freeware doujin shmups at that time.

The game had lots of nice touches, it was indeed pretty good, if a little bit too easy. The score mechanics were neaty too.

I remember there were other 2 freeware doujin shmups from that time that I just loved... Cyberd, and other one I can't remember the name (It score system was based on grazing bullets, I remember there were 2 versions of it, both games were identical but one had better graphics than the other).

[RNGmaster]

I've played both Creature Jungle 16 and Creature Jungle 256 back at the day. The 1st one was pretty good game, I even 1cc it. I was heavy into freeware doujin shmups at that time.

The game had lots of nice touches, it was indeed pretty good, if a little bit too easy. The score mechanics were neaty too.

I remember there were other 2 freeware doujin shmups from that time that I just loved... Cyberd, and other one I can't remember the name (It score system was based on grazing bullets, I remember there were 2 versions of it, both games were identical but one had better graphics than the other).

Twin Seeds?

[Shatterhand]

I've played both Creature Jungle 16 and Creature Jungle 256 back at the day. The 1st one was pretty good game, I even 1cc it. I was heavy into freeware doujin shmups at that time.

The game had lots of nice touches, it was indeed pretty good, if a little bit too easy. The score mechanics were neaty too.

I remember there were other 2 freeware doujin shmups from that time that I just loved... Cyberd, and other one I can't remember the name (It score system was based on grazing bullets, I remember there were 2 versions of it, both games were identical but one had better graphics than the other).

Twin Seeds?

No.

It was vertical, there was a "pacifist" mode, and also 2 secret ships that, if I remember correctly, were actually angels.

The 2 main ships one was a red one, the other a blue one.

[Despatche]

Storm Calibur?

[straight]

I was just gonna say that, Despache. If grazing the bullets sent shots back at the enemies, it's gotta be Storm Calibur.

I spent a lot of time with that one too. I love games where mechanics like bullet grazing are used offensively and not just as an extra scoring system (although for Storm Calibur it was definitely that too). Likewise, the chaining in Creature Jungle is about destroying ships more efficiently as well as scoring.

[straight]

I've played both Creature Jungle 16 and Creature Jungle 256

Do you remember if Creature Jungle 256 has any different gameplay, or is it just a graphical update?

[Shatterhand]

Yes, it was Storm Calibur. I remember I was at my 1st job ever, and there were lots of guys who enjoyed playing games there. I introduced them to Storm Calibur, and we begun competing for high-scores, while our production took a dive .

The level design was definitely different on Creature Jungle 256. I remember I found it to be inferior and never played it that much.

[Udderdude]

I remember playing this game way back .. unfortunately it seems to have some video issues on my Vista 64-butts main system. I'm hoping it runs a bit better on my Netbook which is still running Windows XP.

[ShmupSamurai]

Wow, this thread takes me back to when the website "Nippon Shooting Games" still existed.....

I remember downloading and installing Creature Jungle 16 only to have it crash on start up.

However, Storm Caliber works perfectly fine.

[mjclark]

And I see that the guy who made Storm Caliber has a site:
http://www.ssp.x0.com/scgdwin/index.html

And he's still developing! On that site there's downloads for Messier (a 2000 Thunder Force clone) as well as Storm Caliber Revival, the 2009 release Storm Caliber Gaiden (which also gets a mention in the Thunder Force Wiki cos it uses the ships from TFV) and a 2010 single level preview of the forthcoming Storm Caliber Assault
(to get them to run successfully in fullscreen, enable both 256-colors and 640x480 modes)
Solid gold!

[Udderdude]

Just tried that Storm Caliber Gaiden. Apparently there's some way to charge up your lasers but I can't get it to work reliably, and I can't kill everything w/o it. It seems to just happen at random. What am I doing wrong?

Pretty nice game otherwise. Even if it seems almost every enemy design has been lifted from other STGs (The first boss is totally from Souky, etc.)

[mjclark]

Just tried that Storm Caliber Gaiden. Apparently there's some way to charge up your lasers but I can't get it to work reliably, and I can't kill everything w/o it. It seems to just happen at random. What am I doing wrong?
Pretty nice game otherwise. Even if it seems almost every enemy design has been lifted from other STGs (The first boss is totally from Souky, etc.)

If you mean the lock-on lasers they're generated by bullet grazing (nice mechanic eh?). There's also a very forgiving chaining system and the ships are lifted from Thunder Force V.
Well good!

EDIT: Hang on- I see what you mean! There's an Overdrive system which works a bit like DDP Hypers. You have to graze 300 bullets to make it available then activate it with bomb button. The bullet graze counter (between Combo Gauge and CWS Gauge) counts back down from 300 and Overdrive remains active until the counter has reached zero.
Can't work out what the requirements are to move on to Stage 2 are though.I destroy Stage 1 boss and just return to title...Oh no just realised Storm Calibur Gaiden only has one stage cos it's a beta that never went any further.
In other news though there's Storm Caliber SS Edition:
http://home.broad-tech.net/xb7/KSC/ksc.html
which is a 2006 revamp of Storm Caliber Revival with faster bullets, Like the game on which it's based, there's bullet graze chaining which determines the score multiplier as well as some kind of medal value meter.
Does anyone know what the requirements are to access Pacifist Mode and unlock the secret ships?
And also has anyone got any info, screenshots etc of Cyberd?...
...Deeper and deeper eh?

[Udderdude]

...Deeper and deeper eh? :D

Seriously, this guy has worse re-release habits than me .. >_>

[mjclark]

...Deeper and deeper eh?

Seriously, this guy has worse re-release habits than me .. >_>

Lol- havn't found a Storm Caliber Black Ultra yet but if you search you can also find Storm Calibur Clustia's Final Attack a 1999 release predating the other PC versions with much more polished graphics and presentation but more primitive mechanics...

[Gespenst]

In other news though there's Storm Caliber SS Edition:
http://home.broad-tech.net/xb7/KSC/ksc.html
which is a 2006 revamp of Storm Caliber Revival with faster bullets, Like the game on which it's based, there's bullet graze chaining which determines the score multiplier as well as some kind of medal value meter.
Does anyone know what the requirements are to access Pacifist Mode and unlock the secret ships?
And also has anyone got any info, screenshots etc of Cyberd?...
...Deeper and deeper eh?

Fun fact: it seems it's not made by SRX (the original developer).

Also, I recall that I've once unlocked two secret ships in SC by completing the game (with any ship I think), but strangely, upon I quit the game and while I ran SC again, the secret ships are gone (and I hardly remember if this game could do autosave); And I ragequit'd.

And I thought pacifist mode is already unlocked from the start? (from what I remember in SC Gaiden, should be the same in the original SC) :\

[mjclark]

Fun fact: it seems it's not made by SRX (the original developer).
Also, I recall that I've once unlocked two secret ships in SC by completing the game (with any ship I think), but strangely, upon I quit the game and while I ran SC again, the secret ships are gone (and I hardly remember if this game could do autosave); And I ragequit'd.
And I thought pacifist mode is already unlocked from the start? (from what I remember in SC Gaiden, should be the same in the original SC) :\

Yeah- SS is made by CAP with SRX's approval and after posting this I also unlocked the two secret ships but I'm not sure how since I havn't cleared the game yet.
To access Pacifist Mode hold UP whilst selecting ship and to access TRIAL Mode in SS hold DOWN while selecting ship (slower bullets and full power weapons). There's also a "Special" course but not sure how you get that, maybe second loop?
So is SC Gaiden definitely only one stage then? The only version I can find is.
Oh for a Storm Caliber Wiki!

[Gespenst]

I don't recall if there's a 2nd loop, though :\

Gotta take it for another spin, it's been roughly two years since the last time I've played it.

edit: positive, it seems there's a TLB level that can be unlocked by 1ccing. I recall fighting a black version of the player ship as the TLB.

edit2: From what I've seen, SC Gaiden development has been stopped. *sigh*

[mjclark]

I don't recall if there's a 2nd loop, though :\

Gotta take it for another spin, it's been roughly two years since the last time I've played it.

edit: positive, it seems there's a TLB level that can be unlocked by 1ccing. I recall fighting a black version of the player ship as the TLB.

edit2: From what I've seen, SC Gaiden development has been stopped. *sigh*

Hmm...I wonder how you access Special Course in SS then.
Also yeah looks like SC Gaiden never got any further but there's the "Showtime" preview of Caliber Assault on the website although no movement there for over a year. SRX'x blog is active though so who knows?
I guess this means that to date the fullest and most sophisticated Storm Caliber is SS Edition...

[straight]

It's hilarious to me that my thread about Creature Jungle morphed into a thread about Storm Calibur, which is the only obscure old doujin shmup I've spent more time with than Creature Jungle.

[cuttingagent]

CJ16 would almost run on my win7, but there's no BGM (sound works) and I can't get it to display at a proper size. Tried the usual, was rewarded with glitches.

CJ256 I got to work fine with some prying, then I noticed switching the wait config setting to No Wait makes the game run at the speed of Recca. Awesome.

[Gespenst]

CJ16 would almost run on my win7, but there's no BGM (sound works) and I can't get it to display at a proper size. Tried the usual, was rewarded with glitches.

CJ256 I got to work fine with some prying, then I noticed switching the wait config setting to No Wait makes the game run at the speed of Recca. Awesome.

IIRC you must run in 640x480 to run CJ16 properly.

And Windows XP compatibility as well, but I can't remember :\

[Gespenst]

Not-quite-important doublepost: After looking around the sprites folder, I saw a something that appears to be a secret third ship (lazer type, black color), how to get it (I've 1CC'd at normal with the red ship and didn't get anything yet)?

[cuttingagent]

IIRC you must run in 640x480 to run CJ16 properly.

And Windows XP compatibility as well, but I can't remember :\

That's what I meant by trying the usual.

[Gespenst]

IIRC you must run in 640x480 to run CJ16 properly.

And Windows XP compatibility as well, but I can't remember :\

That's what I meant by trying the usual.

That's strange. Mine's have no BGM either but once it set to 640x480 the graphics glitches gone for good. :\

Or perhaps try using tools like DXWnd or D3DWindower?