RQ: Soukyugurentai...a few questions.

[whoisKeel]

OK, I got the Saturn version in the mail today, pop it in, and notice it is all Japanese. On top of that I'm getting some glitched up graphics, I took a photo: http://www.whoiskeel.com/junk/soukyugurentai.jpg. Is this normal? It is kinda distracting on some of the modes at the beginning of the stage. I've got a US model 2 with one of those 4M action replay plus cards if that helps.

Also, if someone wouldn't mind giving me a rundown of the game. What does the wireframe do (hold down shoot) and how do I use it, and anything else I need to know to get started. When I hit C button I only get a beep. I love this music so far

[Ganelon]

Weird graphical glitches: You bought the original Soukyugurentai rather than the later Otokuyo version, which fixes these garbled up graphics from converter carts. I don't have the original version but supposedly, if you don't press anything during the intermissions, you won't have these problems. There's nothing you can do otherwise though.

Holding A button: initiates your homing weapon that hits everything inside the wireframe. Release to fire.

C button: switches between the different wireframes

[BulletMagnet]

I have heard of some versions of Souky having glitches in the graphics when played as imports, though IIRC it's mainly the onscreen text that gets scrambled...I own the "Otokuyo" re-release and have never experienced it on that, though, so I can't say much more.

As for the "wireframe" thing, you use it sort of like the targeting thingy in Rayforce, in that enemies flying below you that pass inside of it are locked on, and releasing the button fires your homing weapon to nail them: the more enemies at once you can lock on and destroy, the more points you get. You can also get "normal" (i.e. on the same plane as you) enemies this way too, unlike in Rayforce. One thing experienced players will tell you, though, is NOT to pick up powerups for your "regular" gun, since it raises the game's rank, and you can just use the lock-on, which doesn't need to be powered up, instead. I really don't like that aspect of it, but that's the way the rank system works, and if you want a decent shot at finishing the game without continuing a zillion times you'll probably have to do that at least somewhat.

[antime]

Weird graphical glitches: You bought the original Soukyugurentai rather than the later Otokuyo version, which fixes these garbled up graphics from converter carts.

More useless Saturn pedantry: the graphics glitches in the original Soukyugurentai depends on the hardware region setting of the console, and is not caused by any cartridges. Ie. if you have an Action Replay inserted and the region is set to Japan (using switches) the game works perfectly but if you set the region to Europe or USA you'll get the glitches.

My guess is that this is some leftovers from the arcade version - since the Saturn version was released only in Japan and was single-region anyway they didn't bother to make sure the English-language version still worked. The Otokuyo release left out the English texts altogether and thus doesn't have this issue.

[captain ahar]

sort of on topic. here is a scoring breakdown (the only one i could think of at the moment).

World of Arcades-Soukyugurentai scoring

[Skyline]

The on-screen garbage is sort of a result of an incomplete game, you could say. The English (or rather, Engrish) translation wasn't entirely complete, and as a result it glitches up during certain events. The title screen for "Terra Diver" is glitched in the intro (yet visible in the attract mode demonstration), and Boss Warning/Stage result messages are complete junk.

Pressing Start after selecting your craft will glitch your whole game up if you're running it in English. Letting the intro sequence run through after you've selected your craft will fix all the glitches, except for the Boss Warning and Stage Result screens. Your play area will be glitch-free for the most part...much more painless to just run the game in it's native Japanese setting, since the English setting dosen't really help you navigate the main menus anyways

[Kollision]

Ok, I've been playing this awesome shooter for a couple of days, and I'm pretty much over understanding it except for one point.

I can not grasp how the bombing works.
In the guide it says that if no web is active I get the huge bomb blast. Well, that's the bomb I want to trigger, but some times I get those small explosions. Even with the web inactive, I tried to stop moving and to stop shooting the main weapon, but eventually I WILL get the wrong bomb when I use it (the small explosions instead of the huge bomb).

Is there something I'm doing wrong here?

[Zeether]

If you're using the web the bomb is different.

[Kollision]

No, I'm not using the web. Unless you have to wait a long while after you take the finger off the trigger.
Or does the R button on the Saturn controller have an influence in this?

[captain ahar]

been a LONG time since i played it, but according to the instruction sheet, the bomb changes when enemies are locked on. the english on the card isn't perfect, but having a lock-on means you'll discharge a scatter bomb.