Caladrius - Xbox 360 shmup from MOSS

[drunkninja24]

I'm perfectly fine with six-button fighters, but even four-button shooters throw me. I think it has something to do with arrangement: In fighting games, the button layout is so sensible. A row of three punches and a row of three kicks, in order of severity. In shooters, on the other hand, there's nothing intuitive about the arrangement. Shot/Bomb/Rapid/Hyper. Where's the sense in that? Sometimes it feels like I'm twisting my hand in knots. There's nothing complicated about it really, but I can kind of play my hand over the buttons in a fighter, whereas in a shooter I have to constantly hold rapid, then toggle shot with my ring finger, keep my middle finger finger hovering over bomb (which I often just forget about somehow), and then be prepared to tap hyper/special with my pinky. I think it's maybe just the amount of fingers that does it - screw using my pinky finger for anything, he's got no moxie.

For games with a 4 button setup, I always use my thumb for the 4th button. So for the DFK sample you were alluding to:

[SHOT] [BOMB] [RAPID]
[HYPER]

is how I arrange my buttons. I can't imagine trying to use my pinky that way.

[ciox]

Also it's worth noting that 6 button fighters, if anything are less complex then 4 or 3 button fighters. In 4 or 3 button fighters, you have to cram more moves into one button. medium punch + forward might be a completely different move then medium punch + neutral or medium punch + back. You have a lot more to remember as opposed to say a 6 button set up where you don't have to remember any additional directions, you just press punch or kick with the desired strength.

No, there is an incentive to add command normals if you have few buttons, but there is no incentive to leave them out if you have a lot of buttons. See: Capcom's entire catalog.
Also it's not that simple, some characters substitute command normals with different attacks depending on proximity to the opponent, it's that context-dependence again, but this also has nothing to do with the number of buttons - SF2 Ryu has 12 attacks with 6 buttons and no command normals.

Overall, extra commands in a fighter are just "extra chances" at having a good move on your character and you use muscle memory to just belt them out, having too many extra commands in a shmup leaves a bitter taste since controlling the ship already takes up so much attention and fumbling with unnecessary commands can lose you a life very quickly.

[Squire Grooktook]

Also it's worth noting that 6 button fighters, if anything are less complex then 4 or 3 button fighters. In 4 or 3 button fighters, you have to cram more moves into one button. medium punch + forward might be a completely different move then medium punch + neutral or medium punch + back. You have a lot more to remember as opposed to say a 6 button set up where you don't have to remember any additional directions, you just press punch or kick with the desired strength.

No, there is an incentive to add command normals if you have few buttons, but there is no incentive to leave them out if you have a lot of buttons. See: Capcom's entire catalog.
Also it's not that simple, some characters substitute command normals with different attacks depending on proximity to the opponent, it's that context-dependence again, but this also has nothing to do with the number of buttons - SF2 Ryu has 12 attacks with 6 buttons and no command normals.

Overall, extra commands in a fighter are just "extra chances" at having a good move on your character and you use muscle memory to just belt them out, having too many extra commands in a shmup leaves a bitter taste since controlling the ship already takes up so much attention and fumbling with unnecessary commands can lose you a life very quickly.

12 attacks sounds about normal for any 6 button characters. That's just 6 standing, 6 crouching.

Also are you trying to say that there is no relationship between number of buttons and number of command normals? Because my experience has been pretty much the opposite. Skullgirls has very few command normals, maybe 1 per character if that IIRC (in fact, in an interview the creator said that this was his very reason for sticking with 6 button design, he felt that attempts to make these games simpler were actually making them more complex and cumberson). The Marvel Vs Capcom series also had an extremely slim number of command normals back when it was 6 button, but jumped significantly when it made the transition to 4 buttons in Mvc2 (for example, if your launcher was a kick, it no longer worked to have it simply be a crouching HK, because that's a sweep. It now needs 3hk instead of 2hk). IIRC Vampire Savior doesn't have a ton of command normals either, though it has a few. The game has a lot of range dependent attacks though.

[KAI]

BGM SAMPLES

[pestro87]

I decided to translate the story text that appears in the beginning of the opening movie. I have included the japanese text here as well in case the text that appears in the youtube video differs from the final product (I doubt it but you never know). It's not much but at least it might give people an idea of what the story is about:


古き穏やかな時代、それは一人の錬金術師によって終わり告げる。
放浪の天才錬金術師によってもたらされた錬金術師によるエーテル制御の成功、それは物質を構成する元素を組み換え、制御、様々な力を生み出す技術だった。
世界を一変させた力は人々にかったない程の豊かな暮らしと繁栄を与える事となる。

It is told that the peaceful old times were thus ended by a single alchemist.
The wandering genius alchemist, introduced fellow alchemists to how to successfully control ether through a technique that required modified elements, control and various forces.
This power that allowed one to transform the world, did not give the people a good and prosperous life.

[BulletMagnet]

Well, here's an unusual development. For those unaware, the word "caladrius" refers to a mythical bird. If you thought that Moss was only using it as some sort of story reference or whatnot, though, think again: apparently you'll actually be able to play as that bird in-game.

It almost sounds like an April Fool's goof, but it's a bit late for that, right? As one of the linked thread's commenters said:

I hope that this one doesn't have provocative clothing (or feather) damage as it is attacked.

[pestro87]

Well, here's an unusual development. For those unaware, the word "caladrius" refers to a mythical bird. If you thought that Moss was only using it as some sort of story reference or whatnot, though, think again: apparently you'll actually be able to play as that bird in-game.

It almost sounds like an April Fool's goof, but it's a bit late for that, right? As one of the linked thread's commenters said:

I hope that this one doesn't have provocative clothing (or feather) damage as it is attacked.

Yeah, Moss recently uploaded a caladrius gameplay video to youtube

[Ed Oscuro]

MOSS don't waste two seconds reminding me that constipated squeals are a thing these days.

Also, it looks like my initial impression was right. This isn't a pretty game. It seems they have forgotten there is such a thing as macro detail; it's like I'm looking back in time to the days when people first started implementing detail textures, no, even before that; instead of overlying a big texture they are just tiling tiny textures repeatedly over low-resolution landscape. It's actually rather surprising to me the poly counts look quite low. It's no indication the games will be bad, but this is not very nice to look at.

Unless the gameplay steps up in a big way I will be keeping my money and enjoying the well-detailed visuals of the Raiden Fighters games instead

[Hagane]

Game looks fine visually. Thematically it reminds me of Dimahoo and, while it has simple 3D, it doesn't look bad. You can't ask much more from a developer like MOSS. Bosses look pretty cool from the videos shown so far.

[Kinir0]

Hi, i preordered it two days ago, at first i was not sure but when i watched the last videos my opinion changed.

[O. Van Bruce]

Well, here's an unusual development. For those unaware, the word "caladrius" refers to a mythical bird. If you thought that Moss was only using it as some sort of story reference or whatnot, though, think again: apparently you'll actually be able to play as that bird in-game.

It almost sounds like an April Fool's goof, but it's a bit late for that, right? As one of the linked thread's commenters said:

I hope that this one doesn't have provocative clothing (or feather) damage as it is attacked.

Yeah, Moss recently uploaded a caladrius gameplay video to youtube

Hurray for moe voiced overgrown canaries. Only in Japan™.

Well, at least you'll get halve of the fan-service on screen so you'll be able to concentrate on the game while playing.

Inb4, there is an unlockable gallery with ecchi images of a personified Caladrius

[ZacharyB]

It's a good compromise between the requisite person-based player character of today's shmup market and the old spaceships.

[Super Laydock]

For what it's worth, the Famitsu scores:
8, 7, 7, 8 (makes for 30/40).

Anyone has read the review?

[ciox]

For what it's worth, the Famitsu scores:
8, 7, 7, 8 (makes for 30/40).

Anyone has read the review?

Isn't 30 or 31 that what almost every shmup gets from Famitsu, other than Ikaruga anyway. Translation would still be interesting though.

[EmperorIng]

If this has an option to turn off voices, and character art, I think it'd be pretty fantastic. Except for the bird. They can keep that. In fact, how about a NA localizer completely rewrites the game to make the bird the main character, and only use its story scenes?

Bonus points if it gives it a gruff man's voice.

[BIL]

Normally I detest DLC but I'd fork out for a Big Bird voice pack, no probs.

[BulletMagnet]

Normally I detest DLC but I'd fork out for a Big Bird voice pack, no probs.

Only if a Snuffleupagus TLB is included.

[BIL]

Honestly, a tragic duel at the steps of Mr. Hooper's store between reluctant saviour Bird and his erstwhile brother in arms, the once-noble power mad tyrant Snuffy, would outshine whatever anime filler Caladrius has to the extent it'd demand its own game. And I would buy it.

[VixyNyan]

AmiAmi are preparing to ship orders at this very moment now, and depending on choice of shipment, will show up in everyone's mail boxes during this week or next (to try match up with the game's release day as close as possible). <3

[emphatic]

Cool, hope to see some reviews so I'll know if it's worth picking up along with SDOJ and that Triangle Service game...

[Tyjet]

AmiAmi are preparing to ship orders at this very moment now, and depending on choice of shipment, will show up in everyone's mail boxes during this week or next (to try match up with the game's release day as close as possible). <3

Thanks for the heads up. Selected EMS shipping so hopefully it arrives this weekend. Can't wait to see how this plays.

[KAI]

Yesssss!! Namiki & Kudo!

[drunkninja24]

Yeah, my P-A order shipped today. Excited to get my hands on it and give it a whirl. Will probably be a bit over a week before it arrives though.

[rancor]

Got it:


Here's 10 minutes of me playing it for the very first time:

http://youtu.be/_NU4bipCD1Y

Shitty run. I have a suitcase in front of me so I could set the camera on it.. haha.

[NeoStrayCat]

Nice that you scored it, also that LE is cool. :3

Update: Gameplay is alright. That is all. :3

[Skykid]

Thanks Rancor. Looks ok. First level is a little slow, but the boss attacks seem pretty fun. Good to see stage two is a little busier.

[Soft Otaku]

I looked through the thread and didn't see if anyone mentioned it, but this is NOT region-free.

[NeoStrayCat]

I looked through the thread and didn't see if anyone mentioned it, but this is NOT region-free.

Yeah, I've read/heard from other sources that it wasn't gonna be region free in the 1st place. And as a reminder, a localization for something like this is pretty much a pipe dream.

[BPzeBanshee]

I'm going to put this as nicely as I can be, as a diehard Raiden fan.

Caladrius is not my forte, MOSS.

[emphatic]

Can it be played full screen on a 4:3 display?