I played V-5 a bit (and Grind Stormer - there's a game type select) in MAME and in Fusion (catchall Genesis/SMS/SG/GG/etc emulator, really lovely), and, well...
V-5 has a Gradius-style powerup scheme. You collect diamonds and they move the bar up another level. There's also something...I think a bomb pickup you can get.
Grind Stormer doesn't have a Gradius style powerup scheme. The little icons fall at random so you can pick up whatever you'd like and ignore the rest. It seems a bit more Toaplan's style (the powerup dance), but only superficially.
Both games have a fixed/combine cannon system. As you move the ship down the guns move together, and as you move up they move apart. So in theory you always have the ability to switch between the classic Toaplan green laser and default spread weapons. In practice, it feels clumsy because you're constantly jittering around the controls.
In my opinon (half-formed, since I haven't spent a lot of time with it), V-5 works a bit better since you can focus on getting what you want, and you aren't dodging powerups you don't want (picking up a Missile powerup, and then a Laser or whatever, will mean that you're back to level one for the second, and that's really bad).
V-5/GS is one of the new-style Toaplan games, so the graphics have a bit more sheen than the earlier generation...it doesn't seem to do much help in this game, though. Enemy designs aren't quite ornate monstrosities like they are in FixEight, but close. The real problem with the graphics is in the MD/Genesis port - the palette limitations really show, in my opinion. The statues now look neon and stick out far more than they should.
I can't really say anything about the music. MAME doesn't emulate that yet (same as Fire Shark), and I had it off for the MD.
It's a fair game, it'd get more attention if some one-off company did it. It goes to show that Toaplan had a fairly good game planned out since 1987, and huge variations to the formula seem to have been troublesome for the company. MAME notes that this was the first game for one of the leading names at Raizing, which might help explain the drastic departure. Definitely an interesting footnote.
I wonder if the cover art is an adaptation of the game's sideart. It was published by Tengen (classic Atari by another name), so it's possible (trying to remember who did the Gauntlet V artwork).
V-5, I hope? eBay reveals some copies of GS - both boxed - have gone for roughly $10 shipped each, which is what I'd call a fair price. I don't think it's really worth more than that to me.
Ed Oscuro wrote:V-5, I hope? eBay reveals some copies of GS - both boxed - have gone for roughly $10 shipped each, which is what I'd call a fair price. I don't think it's really worth more than that to me.
It seems that way. You just discovered that a $50 Japanese V-V and a $10 American Grindstormer cart are actually the same. Good for you. If you put V-V into a Genesis, it becomes Grind Stormer, if you use Grind Stormer in a Japanese Mega Drive then it becomes V-V.
PS. The game features an option-menu. Have a look, just for the heck of it.
PPS. The search function of this board can be accessed by klicking on the magnifying glass next to "FAQ" at the top of the screen.
Knuckles-chaotix wrote:oh ok i just wont go thru with the sale then..
il just get grind stormer instead for $10.
Rumors said that there's a small percentage of non-working copies for the US version. Most likely the US carts were using Plastic PCBs. I got this information from more than one site, so it might be true.
Anyway, I own a complete Japanese copy of V-5 and I'm happy with it. Beats the US packaging anyday. My only problem with the Genesis/Megadrive port was the sprites break up a lot, so much that it's hard to see where the hell are the bullets!
Jesus, El Topo and Dimahoo mentioned in the same thread (nevermind the love for Toaplan) and I missed it.
Grind Stormer aint a bad game by any means, and fortunately all the problems with the port don't affect gameplay.
On the other hand, the color pallette is washed out (way too much pink) and the sound is grating. Both of these definitely cut down on the enjoyment. It also is not one of Toaplan's best; all of which ends up with me giving the port a very average score. Fortunately the US port is very cheap.
As far as Genesis conversions, Fireshark, Twin Hawk and Truxton are all top-notch and I recommend those over Grindstormer (though I'd get them all if you can). Twin Cobras is great but suffers from a full screen presentation. If you can't get the PSX port, this is at least playable.
Randorama wrote:ban CMoon for being a closet Jerry Falwell cockmonster/Ann Coulter fan, Nijska a bronie (ack! The horror!), and Ed Oscuro being unable to post 100-word arguments without writing 3-pages posts.
Eugenics: you know it's right!
Ah! Just revisited this game today and found some new love for it.
I've always thought this one was weird--toaplan never seemed the right company to do something with a Gradius bar, yet I'v always steered toward V-V over Grindstormer. Today however I felt like going with Grind Stormer since this gives you a bomb (and honestly, you can get powered up just as fast). There's no gradius style shield, but is that really so much better than having a bomb stock?
Anyway, found I could get considerably farther than in V-V (up to the level 3 boss) which enough reason to consider Grindstormer a bit more playable.
As far as strategy, the other weapons are just worthless. This game constantly makes you feel underpowered unless you use the main shot with the condensed beam. Anything else will result in the alrerady congested screen being filled with 20 or 30 bullets (and it isn't like you have a tiny ship with an even tinier hit-box.) So, get powered up, condense that beam and blast the shit out of everything before they even have a chance to fire back!
Too bad the graphics and sound are a bit of crap on the Genesis, but overall I'd say this one deserves some respect as a pretty fun toaplan shoot-a-thon; and one that actually let's you rebound a little bit from losing a life. Certainly not among the very best, but a good purchase if you have a genesis.
Randorama wrote:ban CMoon for being a closet Jerry Falwell cockmonster/Ann Coulter fan, Nijska a bronie (ack! The horror!), and Ed Oscuro being unable to post 100-word arguments without writing 3-pages posts.
Eugenics: you know it's right!
Fighter17 wrote:
Rumors said that there's a small percentage of non-working copies for the US version. Most likely the US carts were using Plastic PCBs. I got this information from more than one site, so it might be true.
Quite true I'm afraid. I am now the (proud?) owner of 2 seemingly dead Grind Stormer carts. Neither works on my model 2 or 3 Genesis. The best I've managed is getting one of them as far as the Sega license screen.
I've heard defective copies freeze mid-game, though. Is it possible there's a solution to this or are these a lost cause?
Knuckles-chaotix wrote:Has anyone played V for the megadrive?
And whats it like?
i cannot seem to find a review on it anywhere!
V-Five / Grind Stormer (MD), considering the Mega Drive's limited colour palete, it's an excellent conversion from the arcades. Looks and plays very similarly. Solid levels, nicely designed enemies/Bosses and awesome weapons. The game allows you to play in arcade mode or console mode so that you can collect weapons directly as powerups floating around the screen, or by selecting them from a menu like the Gradius series.
In one mode you can also re-spawn directly from where you died, or sent back to a check points like in R-Type.
Interestingly enough, it's one of the few occasions where the US box cover (albeit different) is just as good as the Japanese cover art.
My guess is that both are by the same artist and he just made two different versions of the cover.
I own both
Saint Dragon - AMIGA - Jaleco 1989
"In the first battle against the Guardian's weapons, created with Vasteel Technology, humanity suffered a crushing defeat."
Thunder Force V
Back in the day, Kay-Bee Toys was selling new copies of Tengen's Grindstormer at a mere $19.99 when it had an original MSRP of $49.99. Bought a copy at that budget price & it works like a charm. The current asking prices on eBay for one is not worth it.
I'd say don't get it IMO. It's an OK port but I thought it felt claustrophobic because of the sprite proportions, and it's fairly washed out looking. But, if you like both Toaplan and games that make you want to throw a controller across the room, and have lots of cash to burn, you might consider it!
I'd say get it. The game is actually balanced for it's reduced view size, you can choose between two game modes on a menu and practice any level-loop you wish, which is awesome. Graphics also get surprisingly better after a few stages. Stage 5 looks very impressive for a Mega Drive game
Funny how this thread gets bumped every 3/4 years... lol
the problem with v v (grind stormer? not sure anymore) mega drive is that the hardware simply can't support it. the game isn't even balanced for the screen size.
