Can anyone explain the plot for Dodonpachi?

[cave hermit]

So the plot started off simple enough; you were training for some mission, and Dodonpachi was more of the same. But what the hell started Daioujou, how did that lead to the playable characters becoming the bosses in Daifukkatsu, and Saidaioujou... I don't even know where to start with that one.

[drauch]

This really evil space bee came down from planet Hymenoptera because word spread in the galaxy that the Honey Bees were dying off, so they sound down all they mechanized bees to pilot tanks and helicopters and other weaponry to fight off the unknown menace. The CEO of HoneyBear Honey, knowing this would damage the market, hired some expert pilots to fight off the bee storm. We eventually won. Years later the space bees took a look at Japanese pop culture for a new weapon. They instantly saw moe anime babes and knew this would be the perfect counter option. We can kill ugly mechanized insects, but can we kill cute robotic girls? The answer was a well agreed "no." HoneyBear CEO trained other cute anime babes to counter this, knowing fully well that the previous socially deficient youth that piloted the ships could not fight such a robotic woman. Two moes do not make a positive. This was very practical math in the world of honey engineering and earth defensive tactics. We are still fighting the battle today, although the HoneyBear CEO stepped down from position because he couldn't take all the cute, robotic carnage anymore.

[KAI]

Drauch, I want to know the plot of Ibara/Pinksweets.

[Teufel_in_Blau]

This really evil space bee came down from planet Hymenoptera because word spread in the galaxy that the Honey Bees were dying off, so they sound down all they mechanized bees to pilot tanks and helicopters and other weaponry to fight off the unknown menace. The CEO of HoneyBear Honey, knowing this would damage the market, hired some expert pilots to fight off the bee storm. We eventually won. Years later the space bees took a look at Japanese pop culture for a new weapon. They instantly saw moe anime babes and knew this would be the perfect counter option. We can kill ugly mechanized insects, but can we kill cute robotic girls? The answer was a well agreed "no." HoneyBear CEO trained other cute anime babes to counter this, knowing fully well that the previous socially deficient youth that piloted the ships could not fight such a robotic woman. Two moes do not make a positive. This was very practical math in the world of honey engineering and earth defensive tactics. We are still fighting the battle today, although the HoneyBear CEO stepped down from position because he couldn't take all the cute, robotic carnage anymore.

Sounds like a standart JRPG plot.

[Udderdude]

You were in your own base, killin ur own doods.

[Pretas]

You were in your own base, killin ur own doods.

That's Donpachi.

[Squire Grooktook]

You were in your own base, killin ur own doods.

That's Donpachi.

And Dodonpachi. Only difference is that in the second one it's a TWIST with badass music backing it up.

[Lord Satori]

Cave games have plots?

[Xyga]

Well the basic shmup scenario is giant plot-hole you must fill with billions of bullets, isn't it ?

[Thjodbjorn]

The ios apps have a "history" section that goes over the stories of DDP, DOJ and DFK.

The Wikipedia pages seem to follow what's written there pretty closely.

[Vamos]

with badass music backing it up.

Now let's not get carried away here.

[Squire Grooktook]

with badass music backing it up.

Now let's not get carried away here.

Well, most of the games ost is pretty awesome. Honestly though, that piano track is probably the most memorable part of it, even if it's not badass per se.

[BPzeBanshee]

Can anyone explain the plot for Dodonpachi?

Shoot shit and don't die.

[StarCreator]

I guess it's worth pointing out the player is always an unnamed, normally unseen pilot; the dolls are support and aren't who the player is controlling.

[Squire Grooktook]

I thought the timeline was pretty easy to follow until DFK introduced time travel. I have no idea when Soj is supposed to take place.

[cave hermit]

I guess it's worth pointing out the player is always an unnamed, normally unseen pilot; the dolls are support and aren't who the player is controlling.

So, if another pilot is controlling the ship, exactly how do the element dolls "support" you?

[Squire Grooktook]

I guess it's worth pointing out the player is always an unnamed, normally unseen pilot; the dolls are support and aren't who the player is controlling.

So, if another pilot is controlling the ship, exactly how do the element dolls "support" you?

I think they just power up the ship itself, giving it the laser or shot type powers.

[cave hermit]

I mean, I honestly would normally assume a shmup's plot is completely superfluous, but I mean Saidaioujou has that anime opening, so I would assume there was some kind of coherent plot being communicated.

[cave hermit]

I guess it's worth pointing out the player is always an unnamed, normally unseen pilot; the dolls are support and aren't who the player is controlling.

So, if another pilot is controlling the ship, exactly how do the element dolls "support" you?

I think they just power up the ship itself, giving it the laser or shot type powers.

So, they're like energy reactors with pantsu?

[Oniros]

I guess it's worth pointing out the player is always an unnamed, normally unseen pilot; the dolls are support and aren't who the player is controlling.

I didn't realize this until SDOJ. Despite how shit shmups plots are, Ketsui and Mushihimesama stand out as good ones for me.

[EmperorIng]

I mean, I honestly would normally assume a shmup's plot is completely superfluous, but I mean Saidaioujou has that anime opening, so I would assume there was some kind of coherent plot being communicated.

I think the plot is about anime girls looking winsomely at something off-camera, or so I gathered.

I think the general premise of DDP is that you are robbing Hibachi of everything it possesses (this might be the honey production drauch was referring to), and thus, with his -and I quote- totally "awesome weapon," it wants to make sure you die a miserable death, maggots. It's all corporate politics, essentially.

This is all just pussyfooting around the fact that the only shmups with a 'good' story to go with it are the Ray- series, but I digress.

[cave hermit]

I guess it's worth pointing out the player is always an unnamed, normally unseen pilot; the dolls are support and aren't who the player is controlling.

I didn't realize this until SDOJ. Despite how shit shmups plots are, Ketsui and Mushihimesama stand out as good ones for me.

I understood Ketsui's plot after reading the TV tropes page, but even with the bug princess app Mushihimesama's plot seems a bit impregnable.

[KAI]

Time travels/Time paradoxes = shitty plot

[Squire Grooktook]

So, they're like energy reactors with pantsu?

Basically.

I would assume that since their in the ship, they also serve as co-pilots/navigators or whatever.

This is all just pussyfooting around the fact that the only shmups with a 'good' story to go with it are the Ray- series, but I digress.

Radiant Silvergun and R-Type also have some nice atmosphere/lore/story. Actually, I would say that Dodonpachi actually had a pretty awesome setting up until DFK, at which point things got incomprehensible and fanservicy.

Time travels/Time paradoxes = shitty plot

Agreed.

[HydrogLox]

I guess it's worth pointing out the player is always an unnamed, normally unseen pilot; the dolls are support and aren't who the player is controlling.

So, if another pilot is controlling the ship, exactly how do the element dolls "support" you?

I think they just power up the ship itself, giving it the laser or shot type powers.

... vaguely reminiscent of

• Rommie to the Andromeda Ascendant in Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda (2000)
• Cortana to the "Pillar of Autumn" in "Halo - Combat Evolved" (2001)

with a heavy flavoring from the GITS/SAC (1995/2002) universe - subject to a Lolita-shift to achieve an "auto babe" effect in the perceived target audience. The story is likely secondary and retro-fitted as a justification for the existence of the characters.
In the most rudimentary sense space ship (and computer) voices are often portrayed as female - so female space ship/fighter avatars are just an extension of that idea.

[shmuppyLove]

Skip the pretense and play Deathsmiles - control the lolis directly.

[Squire Grooktook]

Skip the pretense and play Deathsmiles - control the lolis directly.

This is one of my main complaints about SOJ's style. Every single bit of promo art and whatnot is so focused on the loli's, you'd be mistaken for thinking it was a character shmup or not a shmup at all if you weren't familiar with the name and hadn't seen gameplay footage. It almost feels like false advertisement/bait and switch to have all that for a game in which space craft are what you see on screen for pretty much the entire game.

[MR_Soren]

In Saidaioujou, I believe the player is the un-named pilot and the element dolls are the gunners.

I believe the DoDonPachi Daifukkatsu is supposed to be a what-if scenario that isn't part of the main plot.

Otherwise, I think Drauch explained it quite well.

[Astraea FGA Mk. I]

I think they are trying to create an illusion of there being a finely woven back story of epic proportions and by neglecting to share it with us they are hoping that leaving it up to interpretation will keep its integrity intact despite them having no clue what the plot is either.

[Cagar]

Time travels/Time paradoxes = shitty plot

Bioshock infinite disagrees.
The characters and how they communicate suck, but the core plot is 100% amazing