Gunhound EX: PSP sidescrolling mecha game from G.Rev

[Ghegs]

Alright, good to know.

[Ed Oscuro]

the EX patch can only be applied to the original release of the game, not some budget re-release

I applied the patch to the DL Site downloadable version.

Do you have a link to that?

Of course Gunhound on Amazon.jp is long since sold out. (Picky gamers...it's only got 3.5/5 stars!)

[KAI]

http://www.dlsite.com/soft/work/=/produ ... 04384.html

[Turrican]

got it, pretty sweet - it's amazing that PSP is getting one of its best so late in its cycle. I'd love a quick translation of the config menu. Also, mech customizing menu has empty slots at the beginning. How do I get the nre weapons, just by stage progress or do I have to find them?

[KAI]

Does the PSP version include the original version of Gunhound or just the EX version?

[Ghegs]

Also, mech customizing menu has empty slots at the beginning. How do I get the nre weapons, just by stage progress or do I have to find them?

You accumulate overall score as you play, and reaching certain score milestones gives you new equipment.

[Turrican]

Thanks, Ghegs. Credit feeded through mission 4, lovin' it so far. Great homage to Wolf Fang, somehow more focused and quick-paced than the original Valken.

Is there a way to hear Yamashita's music (that is, the original non-EX soundtrack) in the PSP game?

[TrevHead (TVR)]

I've just bought myself a PSP so I'll probably pick this up later down the line when I know if RSG plan to localise it in English or not.

[adversity1]

got it, pretty sweet - it's amazing that PSP is getting one of its best so late in its cycle. I'd love a quick translation of the config menu. Also, mech customizing menu has empty slots at the beginning. How do I get the nre weapons, just by stage progress or do I have to find them?

No config menu translation, but I updated the FAQ with weapon translations here fwiw:

http://neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p= ... ostcount=2

[evil_ash_xero]

How long is the last stage? I'm on it right now, and the game has been brief. The only "real" stages have been 1 and 3.

Is 5 a complete stage?

[Ed Oscuro]

Installing game data...400MB, and 3rd Birthday was only 250 or so. Starts up saying there's over 100 minutes left with the install!

[KAI]

Is 5 a complete stage?

It has 2 parts.

[Ed Oscuro]

Oh my...well, if anybody wants, I've got a just-opened UMD of the Limited Edition I'd be happy to sell.

[Skykid]

Oh my...well, if anybody wants, I've got a just-opened UMD of the Limited Edition I'd be happy to sell.

That sounds... ominous. Why?

[greg]

Oh my...well, if anybody wants, I've got a just-opened UMD of the Limited Edition I'd be happy to sell.

Wow! How could you NOT like this game? If you like the games this is based off of, I can't understand how this game can disappoint you.

[Skykid]

Spill it Ed. My LE hasn't even been played yet (need to get a new PSP), but if it's that shabby I might join you. How does it compare to Valken?

[THE]

How does it compare to Valken?

IMHO nothing compares to Valken
Valken is reference class.

[Turrican]

This is the perfect breed of Wolf Fang crossed with Valken.

The only relative setback is its length, call it the Raystorm of the mecha genre.

p.s. I did the install and even if counts starts at 100min, it takes far less. And I thought it was optional?

[Ed Oscuro]

Oh my...well, if anybody wants, I've got a just-opened UMD of the Limited Edition I'd be happy to sell.

Wow! How could you NOT like this game? If you like the games this is based off of, I can't understand how this game can disappoint you.

I gave it a bit more time after my comment - blew through the training levels (all but the last one, couldn't be bothered). Got to the second boss, serpent, and died there a few times. Still feeling mightily underwhelmed.

In a few words, it's underproduced with too much of an emphasis on stereotyped character development (with the usual stable of extremely grating and unlikable anime voices, but I know I have less tolerance for that shit than many people), heavy inertia and weight (I'll be honest, Ex-Ranza is more my thing than Wolf Fang, although Wolf Fang is still very nice; my problem with GunHound isn't so much reaction time based as it is the general feeling of extreme sluggishness; this is the kind of game that makes me flex the controller), and fighting offscreen enemies. Lots of offscreen enemies, possibly doing damage to things you need to protect before you even know they're there. I don't think they earned the right to press a soundtrack - although I haven't heard very much of it yet, what's there is the gaming equivalent of elevator muzak.

It's a little bit better when you grasp the secondary weapon mechanics, but then I wonder why I need to spend the whole time holding down the shoulder button - the regular shot seems totally outclassed. (Another quibble, somewhat related: In the second stage's ship protection mission, the easiest way to hit mines in the river would be to just crouch - holding the circle button for the boost - and fire straight into them, but the fire button is square by default...that's not going to work; the air-to-air missile aiming reticule can be brought down lower, sometimes; not really sure about the exact operation of it yet, but then you will need to keep those missiles ready for airborne targets). It could be there's a toggle option I don't know about, but the main point is that the regular cannon seems mostly superfluous to me after homing missiles and the two powerful straight shots seem to do as good DPS with the benefit of hard immediate impact and even homing (in the case of the air-to-air missiles). Extremely average sprite work, like the idiotic-looking sapper tapping his foot and waving over his shoulder when he's supposedly planting "C-40" (lazy plot device hey).

The bottom line is I can't be bothered to feel excited about it, don't like a single thing about it (where's the should-be-prerequisite per-stage score breakdowns?), and I don't see that changing yet. I'm only somewhere around 2M points in by the counter, so maybe the amazing stuff to come just hasn't arrived (nevermind I'm at the end of the second of five stages and basically completed the training).

I'd be happy to hear about how wrong I am to dismiss it so soon, but I have the bad feeling that short of a complete overhaul lurking within the options menu that I've seen enough.

[Skykid]

Oh my...well, if anybody wants, I've got a just-opened UMD of the Limited Edition I'd be happy to sell.

Wow! How could you NOT like this game? If you like the games this is based off of, I can't understand how this game can disappoint you.

I gave it a bit more time after my comment - blew through the training levels (all but the last one, couldn't be bothered). Got to the second boss, serpent, and died there a few times. Still feeling mightily underwhelmed.

In a few words, it's underproduced with too much of an emphasis on stereotyped character development (with the usual stable of extremely grating and unlikable anime voices, but I know I have less tolerance for that shit than many people), heavy inertia and weight (I'll be honest, Ex-Ranza is more my thing than Wolf Fang, although Wolf Fang is still very nice; my problem with GunHound isn't so much reaction time based as it is the general feeling of extreme sluggishness; this is the kind of game that makes me flex the controller), and fighting offscreen enemies. Lots of offscreen enemies, possibly doing damage to things you need to protect before you even know they're there. I don't think they earned the right to press a soundtrack - although I haven't heard very much of it yet, what's there is the gaming equivalent of elevator muzak.

It's a little bit better when you grasp the secondary weapon mechanics, but then I wonder why I need to spend the whole time holding down the shoulder button - the regular shot seems totally outclassed. (Another quibble, somewhat related: In the second stage's ship protection mission, the easiest way to hit mines in the river would be to just crouch - holding the circle button for the boost - and fire straight into them, but the fire button is square by default...that's not going to work; the air-to-air missile aiming reticule can be brought down lower, sometimes; not really sure about the exact operation of it yet, but then you will need to keep those missiles ready for airborne targets). It could be there's a toggle option I don't know about, but the main point is that the regular cannon seems mostly superfluous to me after homing missiles and the two powerful straight shots seem to do as good DPS with the benefit of hard immediate impact and even homing (in the case of the air-to-air missiles). Extremely average sprite work, like the idiotic-looking sapper tapping his foot and waving over his shoulder when he's supposedly planting "C-40" (lazy plot device hey).

The bottom line is I can't be bothered to feel excited about it, don't like a single thing about it (where's the should-be-prerequisite per-stage score breakdowns?), and I don't see that changing yet. I'm only somewhere around 2M points in by the counter, so maybe the amazing stuff to come just hasn't arrived (nevermind I'm at the end of the second of five stages and basically completed the training).

I'd be happy to hear about how wrong I am to dismiss it so soon, but I have the bad feeling that short of a complete overhaul lurking within the options menu that I've seen enough.

That's a pretty comprehensive list of disappointments.

After spending years sampling every piece of cross-format filler under the sun, I now assume such new games will ultimately fall short of their promise and end up being exactly as you described. So many titles I've seen mentioned here and elsewhere with high praise ended up in my lap in a pretty box, be fired up with max enthusiasm, played happily for 10 mins, begin to waver after 20, find a ton of stuff I didn't like by 30, until I accept it was a nice pipe dream but they still can't make games anymore.

I'm totally confident the art of making good arcade games is all but lost bar a select few developers. Kinda expected G.Rev's association would make this an exception to the rule, but now I'm rather unenthused about the £59 thing sitting here on my left.

Cheers Ed. I can only hope you're wrong.

[Ed Oscuro]

I hope I'm wrong too. You might like it and I should point out that although it was flattering you assumed I remembered Valken well, I've only ever played a few minutes of it

I intend to do so and compare notes. But hopefully in my list I've managed to stick to facts (or very reasonable things at least, in the case of the aesthetics).

[Skykid]

I hope I'm wrong too. You might like it and I should point out that although it was flattering you assumed I remembered Valken well, I've only ever played a few minutes of it

I intend to do so and compare notes. But hopefully in my list I've managed to stick to facts (or very reasonable things at least, in the case of the aesthetics).

Like THE said, Valken is reference class, the defining game for mech sidescrollers and the best of all imo. I wasn't expecting Gunhound to top it, just hoping for a fast and exciting action game in a similar mould. Sluggish frustrating controls wasn't what I had in mind, or boggy derivative plot filler. I especially thought it would dodge the muzac bullet, since it's already been mentioned as a positive.

Then again there's a ton of unimaginative muzac in Japanese games that I notice a lot of people consider first class arrangements. :shrugs:

[KAI]

Here's one reason why this game's music rules:
The Last Howling -The Justice Ray Part5-
nuff said.

[Skykid]

Here's one reason why this game's music rules:
The Last Howling -The Justice Ray Part5-
nuff said.

How many minutes into the JR Medley is Part 5?

Also, ad at the bottom lead me to Koyori lookalike.

[trap15]

Totally off-topic, but what's the deal with shrine maidens always having huge tits?

[KAI]

How many minutes into the JR Medley is Part 5?

None, is a medley of the previous JRs. JR5 is the last boss theme in Gunhound and it rocks too.

Totally off-topic, but what's the deal with shrine maidens always having huge tits?

They can't exorcise spirits without them.
Animu Mikos and Nuns, they both suck.

[greg]

Cheers Ed. I can only hope you're wrong.

I can't say Ed is totally wrong, since he does have some valid gripes. I do see merit in switching between different gun sets, however. Also, as you unlock new weapons, you can customize your mecha. The difference between the gatling and the cannon is that the cannon does more damage, but requires more precision.

I think a part of Ed's disappointment is that he paid for the LE version. I only bought the basic for only 2500 yen or so. So for what I paid for it, which is far less than a typical PSP new release, I think it was a very nice purchase.

Totally off-topic, but what's the deal with shrine maidens always having huge tits?

Sayo-chan from Kiki Kaikai/Pocky & Rocky didn't have huge ones. Plenty of them don't.

[ChainsawGuitarSP]

Totally off-topic, but what's the deal with shrine maidens always having huge tits?

The only examples I can think of off the top my head is Koyori, Maori Kasuga and those sisters from Saki. Who are you thinking of? I'd totally love to know.

[Skykid]

Totally off-topic, but what's the deal with shrine maidens always having huge tits?

The only examples I can think of off the top my head is Koyori, Maori Kasuga and those sisters from Saki. Who are you thinking of? I'd totally love to know.

Kasumi and Mai Shiranui have similar garb, but they're ninja (supposedly.)

I can't say Ed is totally wrong, since he does have some valid gripes. I do see merit in switching between different gun sets, however. Also, as you unlock new weapons, you can customize your mecha. The difference between the gatling and the cannon is that the cannon does more damage, but requires more precision.

Working your way to more powerful upgrades is all well and good, but is the process great fun? I tend to find that any third rate pap gets a pass these days as soon as they stick an anime chick in there. It's like, "the controls suck and the play is frustrating, monotonous, cluttered and poorly thought out - but all the animu, it's a great game!"

Since Ed's comments and talk of weapon upgrades I'm having Hard Corps: Uprising flashbacks.
Tell me it's better than that?

[greg]

Well, I may not have the most discerning, educated tastes in video games, but I think this game is super fun. I haven't beat it. The final mission has you flying through a huge base, and I think I encountered a glitch and I just kept flying in infinity. I haven't gotten that far in the game yet again, but I imagine it's just some fluke. I think this game is pretty darn cool. G.Rev has yet to make a crappy game, I think. They make much better shmup games than Triangle. I never expected this game to surpass its predecessors, so it remains as a very fun game.

However, you stated earlier that you do not like Leynos 2, which I find baffling. The one thing I didn't like about Leynos 2 was not having the shield on the shoulder button for immediate access. If getting bogged down with choosing weapons and armor upgrades and such in Leynos 2 is what put you off, then not to worry; Gunhound is far more arcade-y.

I couldn't care less about the anime characters in this game. I'd rather have a protagonist like Jake from Valken as my main character, and as I said before, the protagonist in Gunhound dresses like an AKB48 flunky. that is certainly not the reason why I like this game. Gunhound is only 5 levels long, but it is very difficult. I wish it had a shield like the other games, but I think the gameplay is pretty solid. I wasn't sure what to expect when I bough the game, so that's why I only bought the basic version. It seems that Ed is the only one so far who doesn't like the game. Just play it for yourself and make your own decision. As for me, I'm happy to own it.