Cave- Best to worst...rank 'em!

[Gespenst]

Best: Ketsui (Oh MAME, when this stuff comes to MAME?!) & Ketsui Death Label
and DDP
and Progear
Worst: Haven't played all

[Davey]

Dangun is a flower whose beauty opens as you do.

It takes dozens of hours to realize this, but it's the best game ever made.

I liked it from the get-go, but I was new to shmups at the time so everything seemed crazy, overwhelming, and impossible. If I started playing it today I'd probably scoff at it for the game-long chaining and vow to never play it again. Ah, irony.

I'm not too familiar with most of the newer Cave titles (i.e., anything post-MAME), but Feveron doesn't really play like any of the older titles. So it makes sense that Cave fans don't like it much. I wonder how non-Cave fans would rank it. (Kind of like how Dragon Blaze is probably the most Cave-like Psikyo game.)

[dmauro]

Some of these I haven't played too much, but here we go:

DDP DOJ
Deathsmiles
ESPGaluda
Mushihimesama
ESP Ra.De.
DDP
Dangun Feveron
Progear
Guwange
Ibara

(these are all very much on the "like" side of the scale with Ibara being the only one I really don't like)

[kozo]

My worthless opinion: they're all, at worst, solid games that are well made. Never been a massive Cave fanboy but I appreciate their works.

However, of what I have played, I really enjoy Esprade, Mushi, DOJ and Ibara, plus Espgaluda with reservations. Dangun Feveron is awesome.

[chempop]

Indeed, they are all very enjoyable but I don't really like rating games against each other (or anything for that matter, must be the artist in me).
My first CAVE experiences were with MAME (ESPra.de, Dodonpachi, Guwange, Dangun Feveron, Progear). Out of those I really gravitated towards ra.de and Dodon, maybe because I felt the others were too difficult.

This summer I took the plunge on a J360 + Deathsmiles which surpassed the extremely high expectations I had I'm a bit shocked to not see it on many of the posts in this topic btw (maybe the board is anti-loli), to me it is utter perfection, I don't think I'll ever tire of it.

Only recently I'm able to enjoy the Cave offerings on PS2, I instantly got hooked on Mushihime-sama but eventually just got fed up with the TLB and have set it aside for a while. Now I'm between Ibara and Galuda, more great stuff!

I guess the one's I've yet to try are
Donpachi
DOJ
Ketsui
Pink Sweets
Muchi Muchi Pork
Ketsui DS
Futari
Galuda 2

[antares]

They're are all good except Pink Sweets, which almost makes my eyes bleed while playing. What an awful game, how can anyone enjoy it?

Btw I think Yagawas games shouldn't have the Cave Logo on it they should label them Cave R&D2 or something.

[evil_ash_xero]

The thing that pisses me off about Yagawa's games are the designs. I mean, is it by choice that he gets the most ridiculous looking games? Pig girls riding on flying motorcycles? It may be a good game, but whoever came up with the look should be fired.

[clp]

this is now a moan about yagawas game because i cant handle how they rape me silly thread .

[jonny5]

slightly off topic but i think its kinda funny that all people really talk about here anymore is cave....just look at the first page of shmups chat

not that i think thats bad, i dont have much to talk about aside from cave either .....

although i am kinda sad that a lot of the old school guys and the guys who have been around forever dont post much anymore

just a funny observation

whats even funnier is i could have posted this in like 6 different threads just on the first page and been relevent

[Davey]

although i am kinda sad that a lot of the old school guys and the guys who have been around forever dont post much anymore

With old games you eventually just run out of shit to talk about. That's what happened to the NES board I used to post at, anyway.

Love them or hate them, this board would probably be pretty dead if it wasn't for Cave.

[gunbird18]

Ketsui is a flower whose beauty opens as you do.

It takes dozens of hours to realize this, but it's the best game ever made.

Fixed

Dangun runs a close second, though.

Donpachi is dead last for me. It just doesn't feel like a Cave game. I know it was their first, but still...

[BryanM]

This summer I took the plunge on a J360 + Deathsmiles which surpassed the extremely high expectations I had I'm a bit shocked to not see it on many of the posts in this topic btw (maybe the board is anti-loli), to me it is utter perfection, I don't think I'll ever tire of it.

The selectable difficulty has to be a huge huge huge plus. Along with the ship not powering down after a death and only one single loop - these features should all be the default. Hour+ long looping play marathons deserve to exist, but boring levels you fall asleep in the middle of shouldn't.

DS looks very very cool. But, money..

Ah, with patience all things are possible...

Fixed

Ketsoooooyyy...

[Geist]

Here is my list:

Ketsui
Futari Black Label
DDP DOJ Black Label
Futari 1.5
EspGaluda
Mushihimesama
EspGaluda II
Death Smiles Mega Black Label
DDP DFK
DDP DOJ
DoDoPatchi
Death Smiles
Muchi Muchi Pork
DonPachi
Ibara Black Label
Guwange
Uo Poko
Ibara
MushihimeTama
Pink Sweets
EspRaDe
Dangun Feveron
...

I like ´em all but some more than others

[Jockel]

Pig girls riding on flying motorcycles? It may be a good game, but whoever came up with the look should be fired.

They are fucking sexy!

[dan76]

I'd have to put Dodonpachi top because it was the game I discovered Cave through. Up until I stumbled upon it in MAME I'd been playing loads of other shooters, but it all changed after that. Hit boxes were now too big, bullets too fast, levels too slow. The difficulty seems to be pitched just right (for my skill level anyhow), it has really good art and even a killer bit of music to put your name up to. I've only played a couple of credits on Ketsui and Pork, not enough to know where to rank them. Haven't played any of the others.

Dodonpachi
Mushihimesama
Deathsmiles/MBL
Espgaluda
Progear
DDP DOJ
Esprade
Guwange
Ibara (PS2)
Donpachi
Dangun

[szycag]

Fuck disco.

Fuck you!

Sorry that was the fever in my soul talking.

[Zoel]

My list from what I played.

Mushihimesama Futari Black Label
Guwange
Mushihimesama
Death Smile
Progear
Dodonpachi
Ibara
ESPrade
Espgaluda

I don't why, but I absolutely hate Espgaluda. There something about the game that bugs me.

[KidQuaalude]

DoDonPachi
ESP Galuda
Mushihime Sama
ESP Rade
Guwange
DoDonPachi Dai Ou Jou
DonPachi
Dangun Feveron
Progear
Ibara

[Necronopticous]

I love every one of these games, so it is very hard for me to rank them. I haven't played some versions of some games, so I've only listed the ones I've been lucky enough to spend some time with.

1. Mushihimesama Futari v1.5
2. Mushihimesama
3. Mushihimesama Futari Black Label
4. Guwange
5. Ketsui
6. DoDonPachi
7. Espgaluda II
8. DoDonPachi Daifukkatsu v1.5
9. DoDonPachi DaiOuJou
10. DeathSmiles
11. Donpachi
12. Espgaluda
13. Progear
14. Muchi Muchi Pork
15. ESP Ra.De.
16. Pink Sweets
17. Ibara
18. Dangun Feveron

[lilmanjs]

just cave games or also shmups made on the cave hardware? I find that I like hotdog storm better than a good bit of cave games.

[Cyarc]

DoDonpachi
Gunwange
ESPGaluda
Mushihimesama
ESPRade
DoDonpachi Daioujou
Progear
Donpachi
Dangun Feveron
Ibara

[evil_ash_xero]

Updated list.

[roker]

ESPGaluda
Ketsui
Ibara: Black Label
Progear
ESPRa.de
Ibara
DoDonpachi
Guwange
Dangun Feveron
Donpachi
Mushihimesama

I haven't put enough time to know where ESPGaluda II fits in. I regard Muchi Muchi Pork and Pink Sweets as very good games, but I only got to play them once. Futari didn't impress me, but I might give it another try now that I have a 360.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Dangun is a flower whose beauty opens as you do.

It takes dozens of hours to realize this, but it's the best game ever made.

Dangun Feveron is the only shmup made by Cave I really enjoy, if that helps. I'd like to like Guwange and Progear, though. Once the scoring thing clicks with me, I'll probably fall for those two as well.

[Klatrymadon]

With old games you eventually just run out of shit to talk about. That's what happened to the NES board I used to post at, anyway.

This is very true. I used to be a member of a tight-knit, decade-old Metroid board, but almost none of the original members post there, now. Everybody just got tired of saying the same things about the same games amongst ourselves, constantly slapping each other on the back for "getting it", and having the same tiresome old debates with new Hunters-enthused fans who would wheel out the "you guys just want another Super Metroid" line of argument in every other thread. Regardless of who's making them and whether or not you're into them, a steady flow of new releases is the only thing that's ever going to keep people posting on a gaming forum for more than a couple of years.

I love Cave, though, and am just quietly grateful that Touhou stuff doesn't dominate the conversation.

[Pulsewidth]

1. DoDonPachi
--big gap in quality--
2. Dangun Feveron
3. ESP Ra.De.
4. Guwange
5. Progear
6. DonPachi

And from watching replays, it looks like DOJ and DFK are as far above DDP as DDP is above everything else in MAME.

[clp]

1. DoDonPachi
--big gap in quality--
2. Dangun Feveron
3. ESP Ra.De.
4. Guwange
5. Progear
6. DonPachi

And from watching replays, it looks like DOJ and DFK are as far above DDP as DDP is above everything else in MAME.

LOL no .

[Momijitsuki]

My opinions have changed over time, and still changing with ESPGaluda II.

1. Mushihimesama Futari Black Label
2. Mushihimesama Futari 1.5
3. Mushihimesama
4. ESPGaluda II Black Label (as well as all the other modes)
5. ESPGaluda (Arrange)
6. Ibara
7. ESP Ra.De.
8. DoDonPachi Dai-Ou-Jou DEATH LABEL
9. Progear
10. Guwange
11. DoDonPachi
12. DoDonPachi Dai-Ou-Jou
13. DonPachi
14. Dangun Feveron

[Square King]

DoDonPachi
ESP Ra.De.
Guwange + Mushi Futari 1.5 + Ketsui
Progear + Dangun Feveron
DonPachi

Based on what I've played/how likely I am to play them (- Ketsui. I really loved the few minutes I spent with it, though). DDP is so pure and always a joy to play; I loooove the scoring system in ESP Ra.De; really enjoy the art in Progear; Dangun is refreshing and fun. I haven't played a Cave title yet that I haven't liked, but I've missed out on MMP, Ibara, all the recent DDPs, Espgaluda I and II, Death Smiles...

[brentsg]

Hmm, commenting only on somewhat recent play:

DaiFukkatsu Black Label
Futari Black Label
Ketsui
Muchi Muchi Pork!
DeathSmiles MBL
Ibara Black Label
DaiFukkatsu 1.5
Futari 1.5

I think that's pretty much right. Spots 1/2 are a tough call and flop back/forth depending on what I'm playing.